A look back at 2015

As we do every year, here’s a look back at the top stories that made headlines…

5 area creches robbed of Baby Jesus statue

Baby Jesus statues were stolen from Christmas Nativity displays set up at two churches in Kearny, and from church grounds in…

News in Brief …

NORTH ARLINGTON/EAST NEWARK –  Residents of two Observer communities will shortly be seeing new faces in the police ranks.…

Feds: N.A. man defrauded investors

NORTH ARLINGTON – A 23-year-old North Arlington man was to appear last week in Newark Federal Court to face charges…

Can QP’s girls become dominant overnight? Sure looks that way

Perhaps one of the biggest and best moves Queen of Peace High School made last spring was hiring former St.…

License suspended for ‘negligence’

NORTH ARLINGTON –  The State Board of Medical Examiners last week temporarily suspended the medical license of a North Arlington…

Alleged Ridge Road gas station robber caught: NAPD

NORTH ARLINGTON –  Updated from original story that appeared in the 9 Dec. edition of The…

Boyce returns to lead QP boys’ hoops squad

After four years away from being the head boys’ basketball coach at his alma mater, Christian Boyce has returned to…

Promising year ahead for NA boys’ hoop squad

The North Arlington High School boys’ basketball team posted a 17-10 record last year and lost two key players, Jose Checo…

News in brief

KEARNY –  So far, the transition from the old Meadowlands tax sharing formula to a tax on meadows hotel…

Pantry providers

The students at Queen of Peace Elementary School, North Arlington, collected food for the Queen of Peace…

Marck father, son become opponents on football field

Anthony Marck said that his oldest son, Zack, took a liking to football when he was just a toddler.…

No meter fees in borough during holiday season

NORTH ARLINGTON –  Drivers who park in metered spaces in North Arlington will be spared from paying, from Thanksgiving through…

Local fall seasons end with NA boys’ soccer loss

Vikings lose to Brearley in sectional title game; all three grid playoff teams fall The local…

GOP sweep in N.A.

NORTH ARLINGTON – Republicans will have a 7-0 majority on the North Arlington governing body by New Year’s, now…

Six local soccer teams move on in NJSIAA tourney

NA girls get to semis; top seeds Kearny, Harrison boys and Lyndhurst girls advance Six local…

Mazzolla’s sudden death stuns entire NA sports community

The news filtered throughout North Arlington last Wednesday morning and suddenly cast a dark pall on the entire community. Nick Mazzolla,…

Vikings headed to playoffs Friday

Sometimes, it pays being a math teacher as well as a football coach. Despite having a 2-5 record at the…

North Arlington’s Neves a goal-scoring force

Two years ago, Cristiano Neves was a defender on the Newark East Side High School soccer team. But Neves…

New apartments coming to Ridge Road?

NORTH ARLINGTON – A commercial eyesore on North Arlington’s main drag will be removed and replaced with a functioning ratable…

Water issue ‘not an emergency’

NORTH ARLINGTON –  North Arlington’s water supplier recently notified property owners that it found coliform bacteria in the borough water…

N.A. man charged in hit-run

NORTH ARLINGTON –  For nearly a week, law enforcement was hunting the hit-run driver who allegedly struck a 22-year-old woman…

A bridge too old gets new life

KEARNY/NORTH ARLINGTON – Two infrastructure projects are moving forward in the West Hudson/South Bergen meadowlands area, one involving motorists using Rt.…

It’s Chief Hearn from now on

NORTH ARLINGTON –  A veteran of the North Arlington Police Department, John Hearn was sworn in Friday as the department’s…

NA girls’ soccer: Winning easier with superstar Seca

Before the 2015 girls’ high school soccer season kicked off last month, North Arlington head coach Dan Farinola found his team…

NA boys’ soccer: Heading to Bergen tourney

Jesse Dembowski has been the head boys’ soccer coach at North Arlington High School for seven years now. He’s been able…

Man hurt trying to stop alleged shoplifter

NORTH ARLINGTON – A gallant customer tried to prevent a shoplifting at the Dollar General store on River Road…

Obituary: Lynn Kelly, wife of former Observer Art Director Duane Kelly, dies at 53

Lynn [Italiano] Kelly, of Brick, died suddenly on Sept. 22. She was 53. Lynn lived most…

NA’s Manzo-Lewis recovers from knee injury to lead Vikings

Before the 2014 high school football season began, North Arlington High School head football coach Anthony Marck consistently raved about his…

See WTC beam during NA 9/11 observance

NORTH ARLINGTON –  A steel beam recovered from the WTC, donated to the North Arlington Volunteer Fire Department by the…