Former Secaucus tax collector sentenced to seven years
Former Secaucus tax collector Alan Bartolozzi, who pleaded guilty in May to two counts of theft, was sentenced to seven years in prison for one count and three years for the second count in Hudson County Superior Court Thursday morning, according to news reports.
Authorities alleged that Bartolozzi stole close to $800,000 from the town and from a union fund between February 2008 to May 2009. But his attorney, Milagros Camacho, disputes the amount and said it was much less and that he borrowed the money with the intention of paying it back. Bartolozzi will appear again in court in November for a restitution hearing to determine how much money he will have to pay back to the town.
Hudson County Superior Court Judge Kevin Callahan said that the sentences would run concurrently.
Commemorating 65th Indian Independence Day
The Indian Caucus of Secaucus is hosting its second annual Indian Independence Day Celebration in Buchmuller Park on Aug. 6 beginning at 7 p.m.
The event will feature live music, cultural programming, food and other activities. For more information, contact 201-472-0085 or email: indiancaucus@gmail.com.
Secaucus resident puts ‘Amityville Horror’ house on the market
Secaucus resident Odalys Fragoso is selling her colonial-style home in Toms River, N.J., which was featured in the 1979 movie, “The Amityville Horror,” for $1.35 million.
“It’s not haunted,” said Fragoso, who owns the home with her husband Jose, a West New York pediatrician. “It’s a beautiful home,” she told the Associated Press.
The Fragosos bought the house in 2001, and now they want to sell it to be closer to Fragoso’s in-laws in North Jersey, according to news reports.
The film is based on a true story of a couple from Long Island who moved into a home that they thought was possessed by a demon.
Fragoso has not seen the entire movie, but her children have. “My kids see it constantly, even though they are 24 and 26,” she said.
Library serves as cooling center and site for August movies
Library Director Jenifer May is reminding residents that they can find relief from the summer’s heat at the library, which serves as a town “cooling center” during the high temperature months. Adult residents can watch free movies on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. at the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center. The movies begin at 1 p.m. and are shown on a large screen TV in the library’s second floor Panasonic Room.
Upcoming films include: Aug. 2, Source Code, a PG-13 action drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan; Aug. 9, Lincoln Lawyer, an R-rated drama starring Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei; Aug. 16, Unknown, a PG-13 rated drama starring Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger; Aug. 23, Insidious, a PG-13 rated thriller starring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson; and Aug. 30, Ruthless People, an R-rated “classic” comedy starring Danny DeVito and Bette Midler. Light refreshments of coffee, tea and cookies are served.
First Sunday of the month nature walk with the NJMC and BCAS
On Sunday, Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. NJMC offers a free two-hour guided nature walk that starts outside the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. Visitors will be guided through the square-mile park, look for migrating shorebirds, butterflies, egrets and herons. The walk is run by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society. For last-minute updates and weather advisories, check: meadowblog.net. You will have to sign a standard liability release for this event. To RSVP, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or 201-230-4983.