The Record, Bergen County, NJ

Dance Trio's Big Break ; Nba Performers Honored at Clifton Youth Banquet

CLIFTON - Steven, Eric and Alfonso had heard it over and over - break dancing is a waste of time. Not, they found, when you're getting paid to break dance in front of 20,000 people.

Man Charged in Roommate's Death ; Suspect in 1982 Rape Was Living Under Alias

CLIFTON - A suspect in a 1982 rape in New York City who had been living under an alias now faces a charge of murder for allegedly beating his roommate to death. For years, Steve Schiro had called himself Joseph Rizzo, police said, and that was the name he gave them during his arrest early Sunday, shortly after one of his two roommates, Mohsin Oskoui, was found dead on the living room floor.

County Workers Among Best-Paid ; Freeholders Put Off Layoff Risks - Again

Compared with their counterparts in private workplaces, many Passaic County employees enjoy relative luxury: full health benefits, guaranteed pensions and salaries that exceed the region's average income. Sustaining that workforce has become increasingly burdensome for county taxpayers, with 40 cents of every county tax dollar earmarked for the salaries of the county's 2,700 employees. Add in the cost of pension payments and health benefits, and that number rises to more than 50 cents for eve...

A Warning to Pet Owners ; You'll Pay If Fido Gets Heatstroke, Says Spca

To Lt. Robert Boyle, they're the dazed dogs of summer. You know, the ones panting away on the oven-hot seats of parked cars, waiting for owners who were supposed to be "back in a minute." Boyle, of the Passaic County SPCA, finds that a painful sight. And an illegal one. So he and his organization are conducting a pricey advertising campaign to get the word out: Be kind to your pet, because we're watching.

Housing Funds Denied Again for Paterson ; Officials Unsure of Next Move

PATERSON - For the second straight year, the Paterson Housing Authority did not receive federal money it hoped would help pay for razing and replacing the deteriorated Alexander Hamilton housing complex. The authority's executive director, Irma Gorham, said Monday that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had rejected Paterson's application for funds from its HOPE VI revitalization program for the 2004 budget year. This may have been the last opportunity for the authority to s...

Suspect Injured in Fall During Escape

PATERSON - A criminal suspect escaped out a third-story window Sunday evening at police headquarters, landing on a grate and seriously injuring himself, police said Monday. Joseph DiStefano was hospitalized in serious condition at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, police said.

Woman, 96, Is Struck, Killed Trying to Cross Fairview Road

FAIRVIEW - A 96-year-old woman pulling a grocery-filled cart apparently stepped in front of a car and was killed Monday afternoon. The accident occurred at Bergen Boulevard and Kamena Street just before 5:30.

Fort Lee Tries Again to Remove Tax Assessor

FORT LEE - The borough is making yet another attempt to remove Tax Assessor Timothy Leodori. Borough Attorney J. Sheldon "Lee" Cohen filed charges this month with the state Division of Taxation, requesting that it revoke Leodori's tax assessor certificate and permanently remove him as assessor. The borough is asking the division to take immediate action, and Cohen said he hopes to receive a response this week.

Character Actor Stephen Elliott ; Played Bullying Father in 'Arthur'

LOS ANGELES - Stephen Elliott, a veteran character actor best known as the bullying millionaire father in the film "Arthur," died of congestive heart failure Saturday at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, his family said. He was 86. Most of Mr. Elliott's success in films came after he reached the half-century mark. He played authority figures in such movies as "The Hospital" (1971), "Death Wish" (1974) and "The Hindenburg" (1975), and his portrayal of Burt Johnson, ...

Obituaries

HAROLD J. BARDELL, 84, of Norwood died Sunday. Before retiring in 1980, he owned Bardell's Deli, Dumont, for 40 years. He was an Army Air Force veteran of World War II. He was a member of the New Jersey DeMolay Alumni Association and past master of Masonic Lodge 269. He was a member of St. Luke Episcopal Church, Haworth. Arrangements: Frech Funeral Home, Dumont. MARY LADICHAK BILANIN, 77, of Clifton died Sunday. She was a former member of Sts. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Passa...

Memorial Day Activities

ALLENDALE * A parade sponsored by American Legion Post 204 and VFW Post 10181 will start 9:30 a.m. Monday beginning from Talman Place and Myrtle Avenue and ending at Memorial Park, where ceremonies will be held. The Northern Highlands and Brookside School bands will play. Refreshments and food will be served at the firehouse, one block from the park, immediately following the service.

Democrats Tap Republican As Dumont Mayor ; Official's Goal: 'To Restore Pride'

DUMONT - A Republican councilman whom voters never got a chance to elect has become the mayor. Jamie O'Neill was selected Friday by the Democratic council majority to replace former Mayor Donald Winant, a Republican who resigned last month amid a criminal probe into Dumont's finances.

Fair Lawn Reaches Deal On Police Raises

FAIR LAWN - The Borough Council has reached a labor agreement with the police union that calls for annual raises of more than 4 percent. Pay increases had been the sticking point in negotiations that started at the beginning of this year.

N. Arlington Hires Passaic Official As Cfo

NORTH ARLINGTON - The borough has hired a full-time chief financial officer who will also serve as borough administrator and purchasing agent. D. Timothy Roberts will begin work on June 1 and will earn $135,000 annually. He is currently the finance director for Passaic County at a salary of $113,513, but will leave that job Friday. Roberts resigned after a contentious budget season during which the Passaic County freeholders raised taxes $15 million.

Wayne Land Deal Faces Ecological Hurdle ; Property Contains Wetlands, Limiting Recreational Plans

WAYNE - A 10-acre parcel of land that the township is trying to buy contains wetlands, casting doubt on plans to build recreational fields there, Mayor Scott Rumana said Monday. The vacant property on Alps Road, next to DePaul Catholic High School, has been targeted for open-space preservation as well as three ball fields.

Passaic Mayor, Who Had Stroke Last Week, Is Back in Hospital

PASSAIC - Mayor Samuel Rivera, who was discharged from PBI Regional Medical Center on Saturday, three days after suffering a mild stroke, readmitted himself Monday afternoon. Rivera, 58, had been complaining of numbness in his face, said spokesman Keith Furlong.

Man Found Dead in Car at Market ; Body May Have Been There for Up to 3 Weeks, Passaic Police Say

The parking lot of Basics supermarket in Passaic looked like a scene from the hit show "CSI" on Monday with a real-life detective mystery. A shopper made a gruesome discovery shortly before 2 p.m.: the body of a man in the back seat of a Chevrolet Lumina. And police say the victim may have been dead for up to three weeks.

Soldiers Offered Free Legal Help ; Bar Association Enlists in 211 Phone Service

Some Bergen County lawyers will begin offering their services pro bono to military families facing financial difficulty. The new program by the Bergen County Bar Association is meant to prevent soldiers from losing their civilian jobs because of military service, to delay court proceedings that they may have been involved in as civilians and to put off the payment of loans and insurance premiums.

Woman Gets $4m More in Damages in Daughter's Death

A Glen Rock woman whose daughter was slain two years ago during a trip to India was awarded $4 million in punitive damages Monday. A judge in Hackensack had already awarded $4 million in compensatory damages less than two weeks ago to Madeleine Swiderski, ruling that Pragnesh Desai was liable for the wrongful death of her daughter, Leona Swiderski, 33.

Pump Patrols to Target Gougers ; County to Inspect for Consumer Fraud

Bergen County's consumer police will spend Memorial Day weekend inspecting gas stations to make sure motorists are getting what they are paying for. Memorial Day is traditionally one of the most heavily traveled weekends of the year, and county officials found that some gas stations try to take advantage of the heavy volume.