Historic Teaneck Oak Tree To Be Cut Down, Official Says A centuries old oak tree in Teaneck that residents have long fought to preserve will be chopped down after a tree expert determined the oak presented a "real hazard to people and property," a county official confirmed Friday. Teaneck Movie Theater Project Advances The township's Planning Board recently approved a digital marquee at Teaneck's only movie theater, but the cinema's reopening could face a delay over missing paperwork, the theater's new operator said. Four Men Sought in Teaneck Road Rage Attack Teaneck police are searching for…

Teaneck Re-invites Iraq War Veteran to Speak at Memorial Day After Criticism The Teaneck Township Council reversed course and voted Tuesday to extend an invitation to an Iraq War veteran who was disinvited last month from speaking at the town’s Memorial Day ceremony after criticizing the governing body Six Charged in Kidnapping, Robbery of Teaneck Teenager Teaneck police arrested six people Wednesday after they kidnapped and robbed a township teenager who tried to sell a cell phone stolen from one of the attackers over the weekend, Police Chief Robert Wilson said. Teaneck Approves Budget …

Teaneck Man Bilked Mother's Elderly Friend Out of $122K, Prosecutors Allege A Teaneck man is accused of financially exploiting an elderly woman and close friend of his mother's who had been under her care, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli announced Wednesday. New Memorial Day Speaker Named Amid Controversy A former top official at the state Army National Guard has been selected to replace an Iraq war veteran from Teaneck as the town's Memorial Day speaker, NorthJersey.com reported. John McGilchrist, chairman of the town's Patriotic Observance Advisory Board, initially invited Jason …

Decision to Nix Veteran as Memorial Day Speaker Draws Fire in Teaneck The decision to disinvite a former U.S. Marine and Teaneck community activist from speaking at the town's Memorial Day event has sparked outrage from supporters, who say the move was politically motivated. Tree Cutting Measure Postponed in Teaneck The Township Council has tabled an ordinance that would give residents the ability to get a permit to hire specialists to cut and remove unhealthy or hazardous public trees after concerns were raised that the move could ax too many trees in Teaneck. Teaneck Convicted Felon …

Teaneck Man Charged in Russian Mob-Linked Gambling Bust Federal agents arrested men from Teaneck and Fort Lee Tuesday in a takedown of Russian organized crime that included high-stakes poker games involving celebrities, professional athletes and Wall Street moguls, according to court papers and authorities.  Family Seeks Repeal of Chicken Ban in Teaneck A township family is hoping to have Teaneck's ban on raising backyard chickens repealed.  Ita Barak and her son, Yoni, recently made their case to allow residents to raise the birds at a township council meeting. Sustainability and a steady …

State OKs Teaneck's $2.2M Tax Refund Plan The state Local Finance Board has approved Teaneck's application to issue refunding bonds to cover $2.2 million in tax appeals, Township Manager William Broughton said Wednesday.  Alleged 'James Bond Gang' Burglars Indicted Three alleged thieves linked to Bergen County's "James Bond Gang" were indicted this week in Sussex County on charges stemming from a burglary in Sparta, the New Jersey Herald reported Thursday.  Leevan Lawrence, 31, of Englewood, Courry Rice, 30, of Hackensack, and the crew's purported ringleader, 32-year-old Jerry Montgomery of …

Teaneck's Cedar Lane Cinemas to Reopen A new operator has been found for the shuttered Cedar Lane Cinemas in Teaneck, and the theater is set to reopen in the coming months.  Dennis Gralla, a real estate consultant for the landlord, said the new tenant signed a lease Wednesday and the landlord would countersign shortly.  "It's a done deal," Gralla told Patch.  Fire Causes 'Toxic' Smoke at Teaneck Senior Housing Complex A small kitchen fire broke out in an apartment at a senior citizen housing complex in Teaneck Wednesday morning, officials said.  Police: Bus Driver Pulled Baseball Bat on …

Ex-Louie's Waiter to Open New Teaneck Eatery A former waiter at Louie's Charcoal Pit, which closed last year, is set to open a new restaurant next month not far from the longtime Teaneck landmark.  The new diner-style eatery, called Al's Charcoal Pit, will open at what was Mabat Steakhouse at Cedar Lane and Elm Avenue, and be run by the popular Louie's staffer K. M. S. Alom, known to most customers as Al.  Residents Question $70.6M Teaneck Budget The Township Council’s introduced $70.6 million budget has drawn criticism from some residents over the town’s handling of $2.2 million in tax …

Holocaust Memorial Proposed in Teaneck Park A proposal to build a Holocaust memorial and tolerance education center in a section of Andreas Park was met with mixed reactions at Tuesday's council meeting.  The preliminary plan calls for a two-story education center with virtual exhibits at a carriage house in the park's northern end. A small reflective pool memorializing the Holocaust would be constructed nearby.  Teaneck Firefighters Honored for Rescuing Dog Two Teaneck firefighters were recognized by the town council Tuesday for saving a dog that survived a two-alarm blaze on Ester Avenue …

Teen Charged in Teaneck Dunkin' Donuts Robbery A 16-year-old former Teaneck High School student turned himself in Wednesday and was charged in the armed robbery at a Teaneck Dunkin' Donuts, Chief Robert Wilson announced Thursday.   Authorities Seize $1M in Teaneck Loan Shark Probe, Report Says Investigators have seized $1 million and identified 13 victims in the probe of a Teaneck-based businessman accused of running a loan scheme, according to authorities and a published report. Amir Landsman, 45, the owner of H Capital, was arrested Tuesday morning in Englewood on his way to work at the …

Family Escapes Early Morning Blaze in Teaneck Five people were hospitalized and two families forced from their homes after flames ripped through a house at the corner of Ester Avenue and Beverly Road early Saturday, according to witnesses and officials. Weinberg Faces Gun Rights Advocates at Teaneck Forum Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg spoke in Teaneck Sunday to detail her support for a host of proposed gun regulations and faced opposition from gun rights advocates. Teaneck Mulls Outsourcing, Busing Cuts Teaneck’s school board is mulling a revised spending plan that includes …

Ludewig's in Teaneck to Close Ludewig's Hardware is set to close after more than 100 years in Teaneck, the shop's owner confirmed Tuesday.  Merrick Fradkin, the owner, said the difficult decision was prompted by a shrinking customer base and rising costs.  Bystanders Credited With Saving Man in Teaneck A man in his sixties went into cardiac arrest, but was revived by two bystanders at a Queen Anne Road synagogue Saturday, officials said.  NASCAR's First African-American Female Driver Speaks in Teaneck Tia Norfleet, the first and only African-American female licensed NASCAR driver, was the …

School Taxes Could Rise in $90.5M Spending Proposal District officials have released a preliminary $90.5 million school budget, which calls for a $120 increase in taxes.  Business Administrator Robert Finger stressed the increase was for "discussion purposes" and the tax impact rests, in part, on if the district receives $5.26 million in state aid.  Teaneck Council OKs $4.2M to Upgrade 'Despicable' Fields The Teaneck Township Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $4.2 million bond authorization to cover the costs of upgrades at two Votee Park soccer fields, including installing new …

'James Bond Gang' Leader From Teaneck Nabbed in Sparta, Police Say SPARTA -- Three members of a Bergen County burglary ring known as the “James Bond Gang”were arrested after they broke into and ransacked a Sparta residence Wednesday, Township Police Sgt. John-Paul Beebe said. The alleged gang is believed to be responsible for dozens of burglaries of high-end homes in Morris and Somerset counties, as well as other parts of the tri-state area. Residents Question Cedar Lane Walgreens Plan A proposed Walgreens drugstore on Cedar Lane includes a drive-through window, dozens of parking spaces and …

Storm Leads to Closures, No Major Damage in Teaneck  A powerful winter storm hit Teaneck Friday, but the town escaped largely unscathed, according to officials. PSE&G said there were no widespread outages in the area and many residents gave public works crews high marks for clearing roadways. Click here to check out photos from the snowfall.  Blue Laws Repeal 'Inevitable,' Retail Group Says The leader of a retail group expects Bergen County will get rid of its "blue laws" prohibiting the sale of certain items on Sundays, according to a report on NJ.com. John Holub, the president of the New …

Man Accused of Killing Englewood Mother, Daughter Pleads Not Guilty The Teaneck man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death and smothering her 5-year-old daughter after the child witnessed her mother's murder pleaded not guilty at a packed state Superior Court hearing in Hackensack Thursday.  Michael C. Brady said nothing during a first appearance on charges he killed 40-year-old Tam Marie “Tammy” Pitts-Gaddy and her daughter, Natasia, early Monday in Englewood. Murder Victim Was 'Gifted' Guide to FDU Students Rosaria Andraka had a knack for guiding students during what could be an …

Ex-Bergen Yeshiva Teacher Pleads Guilty in Child Pornography Case A former teacher at a Paramus Yeshiva who worked with youth in Teaneck has pleaded guilty to child pornography and exploitation charges, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. The ex-Yeshivat Noam teacher, 27-year-old Evan Zauder, used the Internet to entice a 14 to 15-year old in New Jersey to engage in sexual activity two times between April and November of 2011, prosecutors said. Between December 2010 and May 2011, he also amassed a collection of hundreds of videos and pictures showing child pornography stored on four …

Teaneck Man Charged in Alleged Mob Trash Scheme A reputed Ramsey mobster known as "Papa Smurf" was charged Wednesday in a widespread federal sweep targeting a mob-run conspiracy to control the trash-hauling industry in New York and New Jersey.  Borough resident Carmine Franco, a 77-year-old Genovese Crime Family associate who had two prior convictions in connection with organized crime in the trash removal industry, was allegedly the ring leader of a scheme to control crooked waste management companies, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.  Franco and a brother formerly owned the Sal Car…

Upgrades Planned for Votee Park Fields New artificial turf playing fields at Votee Park touted as the "premier" football and soccer space in the area could be ready by mid-fall, officials said this week.  Detectives Foil Alleged Robbery Plot Authorities have charged an Englewood man in a plot to rob a local liquor store distributor after the merchant told Teaneck police he was being followed by would-be bandits, the prosecutor's office said Monday.  Dog Park Work Nearing Completion Teaneck's long-discussed dog park is on track to open by the end of January, a town official said Tuesday.  The …

Teaneck Police Searching For Hit-and-Run Driver Teaneck Police are searching for a driver who hit a pedestrian and injured the man's face Monday afternoon. Teaneck Memorial Honors School Shooting Victims Scores of area residents came together Sunday with local leaders for a memorial service in memory of the lives lost when a gunman opened fire at a Connecticut elementary school. Fire Sends 2 to Hospital in Teaneck Two people were treated for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a house on Franklin Road Tuesday night, officials said. New Teaneck Museum Features Reptiles, Insects [PHOTOS…