Beginning the week of July 16, 2018, the Bergen Rockland Eruv Association (BREA) began erecting the new eruv route across Upper Saddle River, taking down the white PVC pipe along parts of the temporary eruv route which will be part of the new eruv and installing black plastic strips (called “lechis”). In the parts of the route near the New York border, black strips will be installed on poles. The Borough urges residents to drive with caution around the workmen while these tasks are being performed.
The Borough entered into a Settlement Agreement after BREA filed suit in U.S. District Court, Newark, claiming civil rights violations against the Borough for challenging an eruv that was erected for the benefit of Rockland County residents. An eruv is a religious-based demarcation that allows Orthodox Jews to do things such as push strollers and carry items on Sabbath and holidays when such activities are ordinarily prohibited outside the home. The lechis and wires across and between utility poles act as a boundary; as long as believers stay within the boundary they are permitted to push strollers and carry items.
On July 5, 2018, the Borough filed an Order to Show Cause asking U.S. District Court Judge John Michael Vasquez to find the BREA in violation of the April 2018 agreement because they had failed to change the eruv route to streets close to the New York border within the time required by the Agreement and because the BREA had been shirking the Agreement’s notice requirements to police and had allowed their subcontractors to perform substandard work in installing 10 poles on Borough right-of-way.
The Court was receptive to the Borough’s arguments and ordered counsel and all involved in implementing the agreement to meet and move the project ahead. The meeting was held on July 12, 2018 at Borough Hall and the Borough received specific assurances from BREA that the work would begin almost immediately, all notice and safety requirements would be observed, and private property would be respected and if damaged, restored. All approvals have been received from utilities for the project and most permits received by BREA; the Borough has been assured by Verizon that it would expedite its permits. The Court told the Borough’s lawyers that if there were further issues it would reopen the matter.
For more information, Questions and Answers and maps showing the eruv route please click on the following link to our Borough Web Page: https://www.usrtoday.org/2018/07/17/purpose-rockland-county-eruv/
3rd Quarter Taxes Due August 1: Annual forms detailing property taxes for the 3rd and 4th quarters 2018 and the 1st and 2nd quarters 2019 have been mailed to all Upper Saddle River property owners.
If you pay your taxes directly to the Borough of Upper Saddle River, there will be a bill. If you have a mortgage, the notices will be clearly marked “for advice only” and is for the owner’s information; the mortgage holder pays the amount due.
The Tax Office wished to remind residents that the third quarter 2018 taxes are due on or before August 1st. Upper Saddle River offers a ten-day grace period. If real estate taxes are not paid by August 11th, State law requires that interest is then due from August 1st to the date they are paid. Please remit checks or money orders only. No cash will be accepted.
The Governing Body’s goal is to provide our residents with exemplary services while remaining within the state-mandated 2% cap. Our municipal taxes remain low for Bergen County. However, each tax payment made to the Borough includes payment to the USR schools K – 8, Northern Highlands, the County of Bergen and the USR Library. As explained with your tax bill, the Borough receives 15% of your taxes, the schools both K-8 and regional, 70%, the County 13% and the Library the remaining 2%.
Curbside White Goods Pickup: Thursday, August 2nd. Please call 201-327-2196 x 221 to schedule an appointment for this pickup.
Bulky Trash Pickup: The next scheduled Bulky Trash pickup is Friday, September 14th.
USRA Coalition Sponsors National Night Out at Crestwood Lake in Allendale on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Please join the USR/Allendale Coalition at a fun filled family event featuring music, games, face painting, henna art, ice cream and giveaways. Kickball, basketball and family tug of war! Free entrance for residents of Ho-Ho-Kus, Saddle River, Allendale and Upper Saddle River. I.D. required. Food trucks will have a variety of foods available for purchase. Pre-registration for the games is encouraged but not required. Contact administrator@usracoalition.org to reserve a spot for your child.
Meet your local police officers and emergency volunteers!
The USRA Coalition was formed in 2017 in recognition of the rise of prescription and non prescription drug and substance abuse in Bergen County, the state of New Jersey and throughout the nation. The mission of the USRA Coalition is as follows: “To educate and create awareness in our communities to prevent and reduce substance abuse and other related health issues.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. For more information, visit www.usracoalition.org or follow us at USRA Coalition on Facebook.
Columbia University Private Well Water Study: The Borough recently received notice of a study being conducted by Columbia University and the NJDEP. This state-wide study is currently taking place in several municipalities in our area. We have been advised the study has previously been conducted in Hunterdon, Bergen and other counties and will be expanded in the near future.
“The 2002 Private Well Testing Act” (NJSA 58:12A-26 et seq.) mandates the testing of private wells at the time of the sale of a property. The test results are shared between the seller, buyer and NJDEP but are otherwise confidential. Accordingly, the Borough receives no record of these results. Without a resale, it is possible that homeowners may not test their wells on a regular basis. It is generally recommended that private wells are tested on an annual basis.
Those USR homes included in the study will receive a letter directly from Columbia University offering free well testing with instructions. Participation is up to the homeowner. The Borough has been told that the results will similarly remain confidential.
Information on well water testing, unrelated to this study, can be found on the Borough’s website under the Board of Health at https://www.usrtoday.org/well-water-testing-info/. You can also learn more on the NJ DEP’s website at https://www.state.nj.us/dep/watersupply/pw_pwta.html.
The Borough is neither administering nor coordinating this study. It is being administered by Columbia University. Because of the confidentiality, there has been no notice of when homeowners may receive the information or which homes will or will not be included.
Adult Walk-In Health Clinic: Thursday, August 23rd, noon to 1:00 p.m. at Borough Hall. Services include a Health History Evaluation, Blood Pressure Measurement, Height and Weight, Individualized Counseling and Education, Referral and Follow-up and a Confidential Consultation with a Public Health Nurse. This is free of charge to adult USR residents on the 4th Thursday of each month through the Borough’s contract with the County of Bergen Health Department. For more information please call 201-327-2196.
USR Library:
Reading on the Go: The library has Kindle Paperwhites, pre-loaded with fiction/non-fiction, best-sellers and current popular titles for adults. The Children’s dept. has Kindle Fires pre-loaded with the latest titles, chapter books and popular series for children in 4th grade–young adults. These devices loan out for one week at a time.
Borrow a Wireless HotSpot: Mobile hotspot routers give you the connectivity you need for your laptop, tablet or digital camera by creating your own mobile hotspot anywhere! It’s perfect for those temporarily without internet access, or when you’re on vacation. Borrow for a two week period, see our policy for details.
Fall Tennis Clinics: Registration is now being accepted for the 2018 fall tennis clinics. There will be one 5 – week session to be held at the Wickersham Tennis Courts, located in front of the Reynolds School. The clinics will be held on Monday’s and Wednesday’s beginning on September 10th. The cost for the entire 5 week session is $95. Registration forms are available at Boro Hall or on the Boro website at www.USRtoday.org. For more information please call the USR Recreation Department at 201-327-3634 or email at USRRecreation@aol.com.
Save the Date! Town Wide Garage Sale: Due to the high level of interest last year, The Woman’s Club of Upper Saddle River is sponsoring the 2nd TOWN WIDE GARAGE SALE on Saturday, September 29th with a rain date of Sunday, September 30th. You host the sale at your home. We get your permit, do the advertising and provide buyers with a map indicating homes having sales. This year an added feature will be the ability to rent a table at the Fire House Parking lot for those with smaller items to sell. Details and an application form are on the Woman’s Club website, usrwomansclub.org.
Oktoberfest 2018: Please join us at our Upper Saddle River Community Block Party at Lions Park on Saturday, October 6th from 1-6 p.m. Oktoberfest 2017 was a wonderful community day and a great success. We expect an even larger turnout for 2018!
At Oktoberfest, an event for Upper Saddle River residents, the park will be set up like a fairground with antique tractors and fall decor. Featured will be themed streets including Health & Wellness Way, Family Fun Area and USR Marketplace with vendors and games. Community and Service organizations will anchor Oktoberfest with activities including a PBA Obstacle Course, Hayrides by our DPW, a Family Scarecrow Contest, and much more! There will be live music, food, and beer & wine.
New for 2018! Girl Scout Gold Award Programs – Wellness Way Workshops & Senior Health and Wellness Expo, and a Car Show!
The entire community will be coming together to support the mission of USR Cares for a fun filled day.
USR Cares will be the recipient of net proceeds from Sponsorships, Vendor Tables and Raffle Prize Donations. USR Cares was established in 2017 as a community resource organization to assist residents experiencing a temporary or long term crisis. With your support, USR Cares will have the resources to provide financial assistance and to fund other outreach initiatives including companionship, meals and connections to medical services. Many new programs are being introduced in 2018 focusing on senior citizen outreach and community support during and after natural disasters.
Over 3,000 attendees are expected. USR Cares Board Members welcome the opportunity to meet with local businesses to discuss our mission and a partnership in Sponsorship opportunities. Please contact Sharon Reissman at sharonreissman@gmail.com for more information.
Sincerely,
Joanne L. Minichetti – Mayor
Roger DeBerardine, Council President – rdeberardine@usrtoday.org
Steven DiMartino – sdimartino@usrtoday.org
Jon Ditkoff – jditkoff@usrtoday.org
Vincent Durante – vdurante@usrtoday.org
Joanne Florio – jflorio@usrtoday.org
Thomas Hafner – thafner@usrtoday.org