Mortgage Sale, Pricey Roof Replacement and Academic Coaches Top This Week's News

Blauvelt Mansion's $1.91 Million Mortgage Sale Set for November

While CareOne purchased the Blauvelt Mansion property in January 2011, the issue of the outstanding $1.91 mortgage payment has loomed since then. But come Nov. 9 at 2pm in the Bergen County Sheriff's Office that issue may be resolved as Sheriff Michael Saudino published a public notice on Oct. 17 advertising the public sale of the mortgage. The sale for the 4-acre lot includes the entire mansion and land but requires 20% down at the time of purchase for the total $1,914,275.37 mortgage.

After receiving a larger than expected budget estimate to replace the public library roof, River Edge got similar news Monday night as the corroded Dept. of Public Works roof could cost up to $485,000 for an aluminum version. Architect Peter Pulice recommended that the current steel roof be covered over by a heavy gage aluminum version along with applying rigid insulation to resolve the water infiltration and corrosion issues that have taken place over the years. 

With gaps in test scores between River Dell students and their District Factor Group (DFG) counterparts and results from the most recent survey showing that parents would want their students to have mathematics tutoring once a week, the River Dell Board of Education voted along town lines, 5-3, with Paul Barnes (Oradell) crossing the border to decline investigating the creation of an academic coach position.

To help a struggling business district, River Edge has begun looking at options on how to slow traffic along Kinderkamack Road but may face setbacks including narrow roadways. The governing body proposed placing pedestrian stanchions, similar to what Oradell does, at 11 crosswalks and drop the speed limit to 25 miles per hour.

River Edge residents flocked to Veteran's Memorial Park for the annual River Edge Day last weekend and took advantage of the Bergen Utilities Authorities shredder truck, chili cook-offs and pumpkin pie contests, face-painting and more.

Over a three-day weekend in February, actors, crew members and River Dell students spent long hours working in the Blauvelt Mansion to bring Starline Films project "Bluefield" to life. The 15-minute short film was recently screened at the historic mansion. Written by Fran Ganguzza and Jon Doscher, the “twilight zonesque” story follows James H. Demarest as he enters the mansion and finds his way transported to New Years Eve 1928. While his sister and friends follow him later on, young James finds his destiny with the mansion and Hiram Blauvelt.

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