Sacco will vote against same-sex marriage bill
State Sen. and Mayor Nicholas Sacco (D-North Bergen) said he will oppose the “Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act” when it comes up for a vote in the state Senate, after the scheduled vote on Thursday was cancelled.
The legislation would make same-sex marriages legal in New Jersey.
While other Hudson County Democrats support the bill, Sacco said that he supports civil unions because of the equal legal rights they provide, and said he performs them in North Bergen Town Hall.
“The word marriage I feel is between people of the opposite sex, a man and a woman, and because I feel that way and because I feel that the rights [of same-sex couples in civil unions] are already protected, I feel very comfortable,” said Sacco.
According to published reports, the sponsors, Senators Raymond J. Lesniak and Loretta Weinberg, both Democrats, withdrew the bill from the Senate agenda, stating that they would first like to allow a hearing in the Assembly.
Another SUV taken from railroad lot
Since July, nine Mercedes-Benz SUVs have left a North Bergen railroad parking lot, but not by the appropriate driver.
On Tuesday, Dec. 1, police received a report that a silver 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-450 model valued at $70,000 had been stolen, said Commander of the Detective Bureau Lt. Frank Cannella.
The vehicle was the ninth to be stolen off the lot at 2480 Secaucus Rd. this year. The lot is owned by the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, said Cannella.
The lot is used as a storage facility to hold vehicles until they are taken to local dealerships, said Cannella.
In July, six SUVs were stolen, while three weeks ago another two were taken off the lot. All vehicles were GL-450s and 550s.
According to Cannella, a driver from Precision Motor Transport Group was getting ready to load vehicles that had recently been received via rail and deliver them to a dealership when he realized he needed to back up a vehicle in order to fit another Mercedes Benz on his trailer.
When he got out of the vehicle, he left the keys on the dashboard and went to operate the other SUV, said Cannella.
“[He witnessed] a tall white male enter the vehicle and drive it off the lot, south on Secaucus Road at a high rate of speed,” said Canella.
According to NYSW’s web site, their lot is equipped with a perimeter security system and a full-time guard, but the lot is not enclosed. Since the previous thefts, Cannella said that a surveillance system was installed on the lot, but that the “angles of the surveillance right now don’t provide much evidence.”
“I believe they have an extremely serious internal security problem,” said Cannella.
Phone calls made to Mercedes-Benz and NYSW were not returned in time for publication.
Police net alleged Laundromat burglar
A burglar wanted for allegedly stealing $218 from a cash register at a Laundromat – one located in the building in which he lives – surrendered himself to police on Dec. 7.
According to Cannella, a burglary was reported on Nov. 22 at the Econo Wash, 72nd Street and Broadway, between 7 and 9:30 a.m.
The North Bergen Detective Bureau responded to the scene and lifted several fingerprints in the rear office, where the theft occurred, said Cannella, who explained that police were still waiting on the test results from the prints.
Police also canvassed the area and found a local resident who said that he observed someone on the roof of the building.
“The roof is not a common area,” said Cannella. “Access could only be gained to this roof from a ladder or from a vacant first-floor apartment.”
Christopher Baez, 19, lived on the third floor apartment of this building. Police said that the resident picked Baez out of a photo lineup. Police charged him with burglary and theft.
Baez allegedly stole $218 from a cash register in the laundromat’s office.
Mistrial in Hal Turner’s case, retrial rescheduled
A federal jury became deadlocked last week in deciding whether North Bergen white supremacist radio host and blogger Hal Turner risked the lives of three Chicago judges by making comments about them on his blog this year. Thus, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Walter declared a mistrial, according to published reports.
Turner allegedly had posted the judges’ photographs and maps of where the lived and stated that they deserved to die on his blog.
According to published reports, a retrial is scheduled for March 1 in Brooklyn.