Sandy Damage, Payment Investigation, Vet's Medals Top This Weeks News

Hurricane Sandy damaged a total of 74 homes in Westwood, Washington Township and Hillsdale, according to state Department of Community Affairs data reported by NJSpotlight.com.

There were 38 Westwood homes with "major damage," meaning costs between $8,000 and $28,800. A total of 85 homeowners and 12 renters in the zip code which includes Westwood, River Vale and Old Tappan applied for aid, according to data from FEMA. Washington Township had one home with major damage and 33 with minor damage, meaning costs below $8,000. There were 33 homeowners and seven renters who applied for aid in the township. Hillsdale had two homes with major damage. There were 38 borough homeowners and three renters who applied for aid.

Washington Twp. Hires Attorney to Review Terminal Leave Payments

Washington Township officials have hired special counsel to review terminal leave payments made to township employees in 2010 and 2011.

The township council passed a pair of resolutions last month hiring attorney Ronald Mondello to review the payments and provide the council with a legal opinion.

Hillsdale WWII Vet Receives Medals After 67 Years

Robert "Bob" Bradshaw, a World War II U.S. Army veteran, recently received his earned medals awarded for his service, thanks to some help from American Legion Post 162.

Bradshaw was discharged as a sergeant in December 1945 and returned to Hillsdale. His discharge paper listed the medals — The American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific, American Defense, Victory, Army Good Conduct — but Bradshaw wanted to have the actual medals for his children and grandchildren to see what he had gone through. 

Westwood Introduces $16.8M Budget

Municipal taxes for the owner of an average Westwood home assessed at $398,000 would rise $84 under a budget introduced by the borough council Tuesday night.

The proposed $16,815,478 budget is an increase of 1.88 percent from last year's budget, according to Councilwoman Cynthia Waneck, the finance liason. The introduced budget isavailable on the borough website here.

New Restaurant 'Grange' Opening in Westwood Next Month

A new eatery led by a pair of established Bergen County restaurateurs is planning to open in downtown Westwood next month.

Grange, which is setting up shop in Mezza'soriginal location on Westwood Avenue, will be the effort of proprietor Brian Powell, who opened and managed Chakra in Paramus, and chef Christine Nunn, formerly of the award-winningPicnic in Fair Lawn.

Westwood officials still want the Department of Environmental Protection to order an operations change at the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir as was recommended in a 2011 report, Mayor John Birkner said this week. Members of the Hillsdale & Westwood Flood Solution Group said the change alone would not be enough.

United Water, which owns the reservoir, keeps the water level slightly higher in the summer than in the winter. A 2011 report prepared for Westwood by Boswell Engineeringrecommended changing operations at the reservoir to maintain the lower level all year.

Hillsdale Board Begins Patterson Street Apartment Hearing

The Hillsdale Planning Board began hearing an application for a proposed 57-unit apartment building on Patterson Street during their meeting Tuesday night. 

Ira Weiner, the applicant's attorney, said the plan only requires one use variance to allow housing in the industrial zone. Board attorney Harold Ritvo said the board would need to consider more data before making that decision.

The 8.63-acre site, located next to the PSE&G substation on Patterson Street, lies mostly in the industrial zone and partially in a residential zone.

Vote For Westwood's 'Movies In The Park' Selection

Westwood's "Movies In The Park" program iscelebrating its 10th anniversary this year and borough officials are opening the movie selection up to the public, according to a message on the borough website.

Four of the 36 titles previously played inVeterans' Memorial Park will be picked for this year's program.

A program at Hillsdale's George G. White Middle School offers students the opportunity to discuss books outside of the classroom while enjoying a slice of pizza.

The "Pizza and Pages" program is a collaboration between school Media Specialist Stacey Belhumer and Laura Leonard from the Hillsdale Library. Seventh- and eighth-graders read in their fee time and meet in the school's library during lunch to talk about the books. They have averaged about six books each year since the program started in 2009.

Hillsdale Pursuing Sustainability Certification

Hillsdale officials decided at a recent council meeting that they would pursue a "silver" certification from Sustainable Jersey, a program which provides grants and other awards to towns that adopt "green" policies.

The borough's Green Team previously achieved a bronze certification from the program, bringing in grants for items like new recycling bins andprograms in the schools.