Water Damage Restoration in Paterson, NJ

2-minute read

There are plenty of positive people in Paterson and so many success stories in our city that need to be told. My mission as mayor is make sure to tell them.

In recent weeks, our city has made historic and heartwarming headlines. Paterson has been in the news for noteworthy achievements in education, sports and community development. All inspiring stories that help put our city back on the map, and stories I am eager and elated to share in the subsequent paragraphs.

Shadasia Green graduated from the famed Eastside High School and received a whole host of full scholarship offers from a number of colleges. She ultimately selected Old Dominion University, where she played basketball and earned a bachelor’s degree in science. Although she excelled in basketball, Shadasia started boxing to diversify and intensify her training regimen. A few weeks ago on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, Shadasia Green won the WBO Super Middleweight Championship. Consequently, she became the first woman from Paterson and from New Jersey to win a world title in the history of boxing.

Rodney Addison is a renaissance man. He is an entrepreneur, civic leader, nutritionist and bodybuilder. He plays a pivotal role in helping us save lives through our RealFix program which was designed to address drug addiction in Paterson. Moreover, he is the founder of Deliberate Nutri, a sports supplement company focused on holistic health and peak athletic performance. Just recently, Rodney won the prestigious “Mr. America” bodybuilding championship and became the first Patersonian to win the award in the 85-year history of the national competition.

Bob Guarasci was not born in Paterson, but he has quickly become one of our city’s favorite adopted sons. Thirty years ago, he founded the New Jersey Community Development Corporation and chose Paterson as the place to serve as his organization’s home. NJCDC’s mission has been to create opportunities to transform lives. Since 1994, the nonprofit organization has built affordable housing for individuals with chronic medical conditions or developmental disabilities and children who age out of foster care. Moreover, NJCDC has built 10 playgrounds and created five community gardens. Earlier this month, Bob Guarasci was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame for doing God’s work in Paterson.

Nancy Castro started her educational career in 1992. She has been a substitute teacher, instructional assistant, classroom teacher, substance abuse coordinator and vice principal, and she is currently the principal of the No. 1 elementary school and grammar school in New Jersey, according to U.S. News & World Report. This is the second time the school has earned this remarkable distinction under her leadership.

Andre Sayegh:Paterson is a city that seizes opportunities

The aforementioned individuals are now a part of the pantheon of Patersonians who exemplify excellence. Our city boasts a champion in almost every sport: Victor Cruz in football, Essence Carson in basketball, Kendall Holt in boxing, Derrick Etienne Jr. in soccer and Larry Doby in baseball. The recent achievements highlighted in this column solidify Paterson as a bona fide “City of Champions,” and thankfully, there are more champions emerging in Paterson and more success stories that will continue to be told.

Andre Sayegh is the mayor of Paterson.

3-minute read

PATERSON — When Neequa Wade and her daughter need fresh air, she usually drives to Van Saun County Park in Paramus, because her daughter loves to see the zoo animals.

But Wade was so impressed with the recent renovations to Paterson’s Eastside Park, which is closer to her home, that she said she might become a regular.

“I haven’t been here in years,” said Wade, who brought her niece along. “The kids had all this energy today, so I thought, ‘You know what? Let me take them to Eastside Park.’”

The park’s Frank Lautenberg Children’s Playground recently underwent a $500,000 renovation and it was much needed because the old jungle gym was deteriorating, according to Jeannette Bolonotto.

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Despite the fall weather beginning to turn brisk, Bolonotto — bundled in a scarf and winter hat — was among about 15 people at Eastside Park on a recent Sunday. The mother of three children lives nearby and comes here sometimes twice a week. The playground was the only thing that needed improvements, she said.

“The benches around the park are in good condition and the tennis courts are always clean,” Bolonotto said. “But I thought they were going to put another type of pavement or concrete around the playground, so the dirt doesn’t turn into mud.”

No park in Paterson has seen as much investment as Eastside in the past five years. The roller-skating rink, tennis courts, paved roads, gazebo and stone pathways are some of the latest amenities to see repairs.

The reason for these continued improvements is owing in part to the park's size, 300 acres. But also because it is what Mayor Andre Sayegh called the city’s “flagship park” at the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated roller-skating rink.

Restoring historic staircase from Columbus statue

Sayegh in that ceremony said that even more upgrades are on the way, including a restoration of the historic staircase that leads from the Christopher Columbus statue to the Larry Doby baseball fields.

“It’s our premiere park,” said Sayegh, who puts the values of his citywide park repairs at more than $100 million. “Come here on the weekend, you’ll see scores of not only residents, but people from out of town that want to enjoy what we would like to consider our Central Park.”

Eastside Park, designed by John Culyer, does have some similarities to Manhattan's famous park. Culyer worked under the famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park and Paterson’s Westside Park. Eastside was completed in 1891.

Marc Lazarus, a 67-year-old resident of the Eastside Park Historic District — the park is part of this National Register-listed neighborhood — said the park is well-maintained and hasn't changed much in the 22 years he has lived here. But he would like to see the Victorian-era water fountains in use again.

“In fairness, it’s a lot of money to keep a park of this size,” he said. “They are working on it — I know the mayor’s priority is the parks.”

Among of the park’s best features are the towering, century-old trees, Lazarus said. The foliage of red maples had turned vibrant hues in fall. “They are getting up there in age,” he said. “I’ve heard with preventative maintenance the trees would last a little longer.”

Lazarus said Eastside Park was historically a Jewish neighborhood and worshippers at Temple Emanuel, before the congregation moved, used to gather in the park after services, sitting on the benches and strolling along the paths.

Though the demographics of the neighborhood have changed, the park is still as vital to the city’s residents. Near the tennis courts, Teofila Chicchiz, 73, was doing exercises. She said she comes to the park almost every day to walk and watch the squirrels. Having a park near her home has not only helped her lose weight but has made her appreciate her new homeland.

“This park is good for me,” said Chicchiz, who moved to the city from Peru. “I’m very happy in this country.”

Not enough bathrooms

The only amenity that visitors said is missing from the park is enough bathrooms — there is only one portable toilet near the Larry Doby baseball fields, where Tito Torres, 22, plays in a weekend league with friends.

“There’s usually a couple of teams playing and one bathroom isn’t enough,” Torres said.

An easy solution would be for the city to reopen the historic cricket clubhouse, which has bathrooms. The building underwent a restoration in 2019, but was quickly shuttered afterward. Sayegh didn’t respond to Paterson Press’ question about why the clubhouse remains locked up.

“It’s been years since that’s been open,” Torres said. “But other than that, it’s a good park.”

PATERSON (WABC) -- A point of pride for a Paterson, New Jersey principal.

One of the city's public middle schools was ranked number one in the state by U.S. News and World Report.

On Wednesday Nancy Castro, school #28's principal was honored with the key to the city by Mayor Andre Sayegh.

What sets this school apart is the classrooms that engage the children's senses and promote a passion to learn, and the educators.

"I like that every teacher loves teaching and I like the principal," a kindergartener said.

Castro has maintained high standards and expectations for all the students.

It's a blue-ribbon school and now twice achieved the ranking as the best elementary and middle school in the nation.

"The goal in life is to leave places where you found them. My greatest reward is to know I make a difference in my community," Castro said.

Parents are quite pleased Mrs. Castro has led the team for 10 years so far.

"You feel the sense of not just academic excellence but an area where you can be curious where you can grow socially, emotionally," said parent Farhanna Sayegh.

Teachers say they are inspired by her every day.

"She's allowed us to grow. I believe our school is full of teacher leaders and that makes our bldg very special," Kindergarten teacher Lynda Alvarez said.

This magnet school is churning out stellar records, and the kids are 95% or better proficient in math and 100% or better in reading.

"It's about teamwork this is a collective effort. This success belongs to everyone," Castro said.

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2-minute read

PATERSON — Despite the explosion of new apartments built in the city over the past decade, it still doesn’t have enough affordable and quality housing for its many renters, said a study made public on Thursday.

The 41-page housing report was compiled for Montclair State University’s “Paterson One Square Mile” initiative, which focuses on an area that covers substantial portions of the 1st, 4th and 5th wards, the most impoverished sections of the city.

The One Square Mile target area, with about 35,000 residents, saw its population grow by 11.2% from 2015 to 2022, or more than four times greater than the rate for Passaic County, the study said.

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But almost 60% of the people who live in that area pay rents and utilities that exceed the federal housing guideline for affordability, which is set at 30% of their income, the study said.

About 36% of the people in the One Square Mile have at least one severe housing problem, such as inadequate kitchens or plumbing, or overcrowding, the report said.

The study lists many suggested actions, including various public policy decisions by government officials, to address the area’s housing crisis.

Montclair State’s first phase of its One Square Mile used a $1 million Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation grant to provide various social services in the area, which is roughly bounded by Lafayette Street to the north, Madison Avenue to the east, 21st Avenue to the south and Main Street to the west.

Now MSU is moving on to the housing phase of the initiative.

“The Paterson One Square Mile is how big change happens," said Montclair President Jonathan Koppell. “A public-spirited university, committed to making a difference, is working hand-in-hand with creative, energized community partners.”

Paterson's new housing built without affordability requirements

College officials said MSU is in the process of securing funding for the housing work. The housing study was presented to Paterson community leaders at a gathering Thursday morning at the Charles J. Muth Museum at Hinchliffe Stadium.

Among the speakers at the event was Scott Millard, chief executive officer of Passaic County Habitat for Humanity. He said thousands of apartments have been built in the One Square Mile area within the past 10 years without affordability requirements.

Millard said the wave of new housing was the product of “a system that prioritizes developer profits over community needs.” He said Paterson needs influential people to put pressure on the city to make changes in its housing practices.

Some people in the audience noted that Mayor Andre Sayegh had left the event shortly before Millard’s speech. Sayegh was going to a City Hall press conference for a woman boxer from Paterson who had just won a world championship.

Afterward, Paterson Press asked Sayegh about Millard’s statements.

“By reducing the number of abandoned properties by 80%, my administration has priortized revitalizating Paterson, period,” the mayor said.

“Furthermore,” Sayegh added, “my administration has also supported over 500 affordable housing units for senior citizens, grandparents raising grandchildren, low-income families, and individuals with chronic medical conditions.”

2-minute read

PATERSON — With a backlog of more than $700,000 in uncollected sewer connection fees, the City Council on Thursday adopted a law that will delay when such payments are due from developers.

For the past six years, builders were supposed to pay Paterson their sewer connection fees before they started construction — something that often didn’t happen, as evidenced by city officials’ estimates a year ago of non-payments exceeding $1 million.

A $2.17 million sewer utility deficit forced Mayor Andre Sayegh’s administration to revise the city's budget for 2024 with less than two months remaining in the year. Administration officials said the deficit stems from uncollected sewer user fees in 2022 and 2023. The sewer deficit will be covered by surplus municipal funds.

Under the change approved by the council, builders will not be required to pay their sewer connection fees until they finish construction and are ready to get certificates of occupancy to open the doors on their projects.

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Sayegh and a majority of council members support the change, saying it will make cash-flow issues easier for developers who want to build in Paterson.

“We’re not reducing, we’re not increasing,” said City Council President Alex Mendez. “I don’t see where this will make any impact, or any negative impact in the city.”

But critics have argued that the cash-strapped city — which needed $27 million in special aid from the state to balance this year’s budget — should be trying to collect the sewer fees sooner, rather than later.

“It’s not going to help the city of Paterson in any way,” said Councilman Md Forid Uddin, who voted against the change.

The Sayegh administration has not made public a comprehensive list of the developers, their projects, and outstanding balances for the unpaid fees.

In October, city officials said they had sent out letters to delinquents warning that if they did not pay by Nov. 15 they might have their certificates of occupancy or building permits revoked.