Montvale - The Press Group

Morning burglary arrest in Montvale

2/22/2017

BY EMILY JOHNSON
OF PASCACK PRESS
This article originally appeared in the Feb. 20, 2017 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – A Montvale woman who came home to find a burglar in her kitchen, loading up a bag with her possessions, fled from her home and called police – who soon captured and arrested a suspect charged with burglary.

Montvale Police responded to the Heatherstone Way residence at 10:22 a.m. on Feb. 13. Michael P. Marotta, a 31-year-old Woodridge man, was arrested after he allegedly fled the home, dropping stolen items along his way as he crossed the street and continued passing behind homes.

Police identified Marottaa at a Smokerise Court home that was under construction after determining he was not an employee at the construction site. He was charged with burglary.

Also charged in connection with the incident were Joseph C. Marotta, 57, of Woodridge, accused of hindering apprehension and disorderly conduct, and Joseph T. Marotta, 34, of Wallington, charged with hindering apprehension.

Montvale pool to be removed, returned to grass field

1/13/2017

BY EMILY JOHNSON
OF PASCACK PRESS
This article originally appeared in the Jan. 9, 2017 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – The former Montvale Swim Club will be razed and restored to a plot of grass by the end of February. Borough Engineer Andrew Hipolit said all of the pool’s foundation, the building that stands there and the furniture is all scheduled to be removed.

Furniture left at the pool, including benches and picnic tables, will be used by other borough facilities, while other items will be auctioned off such as an expensive chair lift, the mayor and council resolved at its Dec. 27 meeting.

The mayor and council officially made the decision to shut down the pool at an August 2016 mayor and council meeting, after considering whether to use tax dollars to restore the Memorial Drive facility that shuttered just prior to the start of the 2016 summer season.

That decision came after a springtime revelation that the pool hadn’t been properly winterized under the supervision of the private organization that ran the Montvale Swim Club. The borough governing body had already given $40,000 in 2016 to fix the kiddie pool and mend a large crack in the main pool, when faced with the Memorial Day weekend revelation that some pumps were spilling water into the pump house. After further investigation, the governing body decided not to fund the repairs.

The former Montvale Swim Club will soon razed and made into a grass field. Photo courtesy Andrew Hipolit, Maser Consulting

Montvale celebrates 16th annual tree lighting

12/20/2016

BY SUSAN McTIGUE
CORRESPONDENT
This article originally appeared in the Dec. 12, 2016 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – The Montvale Recreation Department sponsored its 16th annual tree lighting on Friday evening, Dec. 2. Held at Memorial Drive near Grand Avenue, the celebration featured 50 third and fourth graders from the Memorial Elementary and Fieldstone Middle School choirs singing holiday favorites, led by music teacher Jennifer Feather.

Proud parents, teachers and residents turned out to celebrate the local start of the season on a relatively mild night, where free hot chocolate donated by Davey’s Irish Pub still was a welcome addition to the evening’s events. Erica Ripston, a third grade teacher at Memorial Elementary School, has taught many of the choir students and participated in the tree lighting because it makes her “feel more connected to the community.”

Recreation Department Director Jim Freeman orchestrated his final tree lighting ceremony, as he will be stepping down from his position after seventeen years at the helm. A physical education teacher at Memorial Elementary, Freeman and his wife Rose have been an enormous part of recreation programs and activities like the annual Day in the Park and the summer camp.

Monetary donations were collected during the evening for the Tri-Boro Family Care Fund to assist resident families who are struggling to meet their financial needs during the winter months.

Voters elected Lane, Gloeggler in Montvale

11/29/2016

BY EMILY JOHNSON
OF PASCACK PRESS
This article originally appeared in the Nov. 21, 2016 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – Montvale voters elected one candidate from each major party on Election Day, when Republican incumbent Tim Lane and Democrat Elizabeth Gloeggler (D) led vote tallies among the three candidates.

Lane will begin his fourth consecutive term as a councilman for Montvale after his win this

year. The 25-year resident outlined his three goals with Pascack Press in an interview.

Lane said he wants to “to address the challenges of changing corporate real estate demand and manage proposals for development that are different from the master plan adopted by Montvale for the past 25 plus years,” “to vastly increase the awareness and understanding of Montvale’s residents regarding town issues through stronger communication and active structures like citizens’ advisory groups,” and “to address real infrastructure spending needs while maintaining Montvale’s strong financial position.”

Montvale street fair enjoyed by thousands

11/9/2016

BY EMILY JOHNSON
OF PASCACK PRESS
This article originally appeared in the Oct. 31, 2016 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – Montvale’s annual street fair was, for the first time in its six-year history, held in October instead of June.

The event was a big success, according to Chamber of Commerce President Scott Forman.

This year’s Paragon Drive event held on Oct. 23 had more tables than ever. There were 120 vendors, including 32 food vendors and 18 nonprofit organizations. The American Legion, National Honor Society and the Marines were among the nonprofits given complimentary space at the event. Vendors sold items such as antiques, artwork and provided crafts and games for children.

Over 22,000 came out to enjoy the fall weather at the Montvale Street Fair, where 120 vendors tabled.

Back in Time: Hering Mill once stood on Grand Avenue

10/27/2016

This article originally appeared in the Oct. 17, 2016 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – Pictured above as it looked around 1910, Garret Hering’s saw mill was once located on Grand Avenue across from where the Montvale Post Office now stands. In the autumn, beginning at the turn of the century, the building was also a cider mill.

The story of this mill is inextricably linked with that of the Octagon House that still sits a short distance away. The Octagon House was built by John Blauvelt upon land he had inherited in 1832. That land also included a saw mill and a mill pond from which ice was harvested during the winter and sold in the summer.

Photo courtesy Marie Hopper

Back in time: when Montvale’s police called a tiny booth home

10/13/2016

STAFF REPORT
This article originally appeared in the Oct. 3, 2016 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – It’s been 85 years since the Montvale police department got its first-ever headquarters – in the form of the tiny booth in the picture below.

Montvale had been protected by a system of part-time marshals since the 1890s, up until Frederick E. Emerick was hired as a full-time special police officer on Sept. 13, 1928 at a salary of $60 per month. In February of 1929 his pay increased to $83 per month, since Emerick was using his own car on the job. (Later the borough bought Emerick’s car for $50, making it Montvale’s first police cruiser, although Emerick continued to supply gas and oil.) In 1930, the police department’s budget was $1,200 a year.

Policemen George Jones, Theodore Costos and Chief Eric Wesselman in front of the booth that once served as Montvale’s police headquarters.

KMPG expands in Montvale

9/26/2016

By Malcolm T. Herbert
of Pascack Press
This article originally appeared in the Sept. 19, 2016 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – One of the “Big Four” auditors in the U.S. – KPMG – is expanding its presence in Montvale, where is American corporate headquarters are located. The Dutch finance giant announced its acquisition of 75 Chestnut Ridge Road in the borough, the former Winebow building.

The acquisition “affirm[s] its commitment to maintaining a strong presence in the area,” KPMG said in a press release.

“Following planned renovations, the new building will incorporate leading-edge design and state-of-the-art technology to create an innovative and collaborative work space,” the company said.

These renovations will be done in “approximately 14 months,” according to KPMG, whereafter 600 employees will work in the building.

KPMG already operates out of a 281,000-square-foot campus of five buildings on Chestnut Ridge Road. The company has been in Montvale for nearly 30 years and is the seventh-largest employer in Bergen County with 2,100 workers, according to the Bergen County Economic Development Corporation. KPMG’s Montvale employees are mostly technology, human resources, marketing, finance and accounting staff, the company says.

“...we’re passionate about providing leading-edge facilities for our extraordinary people,” said David H.W. Turner, chief financial officer and Montvale office managing principal for KPMG. “This investment supports KPMG’s continued significant growth. The new building will offer a more collaborative, productive and attractive work environment for our employees. Our goal is to create one of the most advanced, innovative work spaces in the region.”

“While many companies seem to downsize and move out of New Jersey, I am happy to report that KPMG [is expanding] in Montvale,” Mayor Mike Ghassali said in an email blast to residents. “That is a clear indication of a well-run and managed global company with a vision. We have been involved for the last several months with KPMG and I contacted their senior management on behalf of the residents of Montvale, expressing our gratitude and appreciation for making Montvale part of their plans.”

The building, 60,000 square feet in size, is the former corporate headquarters of The Winebow Group, a wine import and distribution company that moved out of town in

Commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield had said earlier that it brokered a deal to sell the building for $5.7 million from a private owner. KPMG revealed itself as the buyer on Sept. 13.

Photo courtesy Cushman & Wakefield

Economic development committee presents plans

8/10/2016

By Paul Hummel
Correspondent
This article originally appeared in the Aug. 1, 2016 edition of Pascack Press.

MONTVALE – The Montvale Economic Development and Retention Committee made its first report to officials at the July 12 mayor and council meeting.

The committee, which was formulated by Mayor Mike Ghassali and is comprised of six

residents who have extensive professional backgrounds in sales, finance and marketing, has been busy collecting financial data from various sources since its inception five months ago.

Four of the six committee members spoke to the council, with Louis Hendi and Patricia Stith absent from the meeting.

The committee’s ultimate aim, according to Chairman Raffi Joukhadarian, is to attract more corporate businesses to Montvale, which is looking to rebound in that area after Mercedes Benz moved its headquarters last year to Atlanta after 43 years in the borough.

“We’re here to showcase what Montvale is all about,” he said. “We evolved some short-term plans and some long-term plans so we can show people about Montvale and attract businesses. In that sense, we are still gathering data on businesses in town with the help of the committee members.”

Joukhadarian, who is a senior financial executive with experience in the asset management, investment banking, insurance and brokerage industries, said Montvale is in an ideal location for prospective corporations looking to relocate in the northern metropolitan area.

Dave Laquidara, who is a certified public accountant and the chief financial officer for the Jimcor Agency, Inc., an insurance wholesaler, stated that the database the committee is formulating will eventually be a vehicle that provides an overview as to what is needed for a business to prosper.

“We’re going to use the database with existing businesses to see where they are successful and what their needs are and what concerns they have,” he said. “We will use the database to work with existing businesses in town.”

Sal Rozzi, who was a sales and corporate marketing manager for Benjamin Moore & Co. for 35 years before retiring, was optimistic about the borough’s economic future.

“I’m very impressed with some of the talent we have here in Montvale,” he said. “We have to find out what the needs of businesses are from a marketing standpoint and if you fill these needs it will help business.”

Rozzi also mentioned that the committee will look to develop a networking system among businesses in the northern New Jersey area.

“We had that type of relationship years ago with many contacts,” he added. “We want to bring that back.”

With that in mind, John Ryan, another certified public accountant with 32 years of experience in finance and accounting, cited that Memorial Sloan Kettering will be opening a regional cancer center in Montvale next year and it behooves officials and committee members to study ways to add other medical services to the town.

“What kind of medical professionals can be attracted here along with ancillary services?” he asked, while also mentioning that a business conference center in town could be considered.

Councilman Tim Lane asked the committee what Montvale’s strongest asset is with regard to attracting new business.

“Obviously, it is the location,” responded Rozzi, who added that support for accessibility, networking and accompanying infrastructure like hotels, shopping and restaurants are needed “to attract the corporations.”

The committee plans to garner feedback from about 40 businesses in town and eventually report back to the council with its complete findings.

Future of Montvale pool uncertain, public input sought

8/5/2016

By Emily Johnson
of Pascack Press

In the midst of the hot summer, Montvale Mayor and Council discussed the fate of the town’s swim club at their July 26 meeting. The Montvale Swim Club, now closed to the public, faces repair costs upwards of $100,000 in order to re-open it.

Council members, in general, expressed disinterest in making the pool the town’s responsibility and property, citing some residents would prefer tax relief to having the borough foot the bill to rehab and maintain the pool, something many residents may not even be interested in utilizing.

Another council member stated there would be maintenance costs, and even if they remained low, at some point, there would inevitably be major costs associated with running it.

The Montvale pool was not properly closed after last summer’s season and, because of this, it was originally thought to need $40,000.

At the meeting, however, Councilman Mike Weaver stated the numbers were somewhere around $125,000. This would include demolishing the walls of the pool.

Mayor Michael Gasshali and the council agreed to try to seek public opinion on whether or not the town should try to restore the pool, and make it available to residents through a survey.

There was also agreement among the mayor and council to assess costs of repairing and restoring the pool, maintaining and managing it, what membership prices would have to cost and what it would cost to fill the pool and turn it into a field.
Currently, the pool has been drained, preventing it from becoming a breeding grounds for mosquito, and is completely closed off to and doesn’t pose a hazard to the public.