New North Bergen football coach already gone
Exactly a month ago, Jimmy Crane was excited about becoming the new head football coach at North Bergen High School, after he was the dark horse candidate to emerge to replace the legendary Vince Ascolese.
After Ascolese retired at the end of the 2011 season, one that culminated with the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group IV state championship, a search committee weeded through a laundry list of candidates and came up with the least likely successor in the 53-year-old Crane, who was a long-time assistant coach at successful programs in Texas.
“First and foremost, I consider it to be an honor to be the new head coach and following a guy who had done so much for football in North Bergen,” Crane said at the time. “I mean, for Coach Ascolese to be in the same place for so long, it showed how much he loved this program and I can’t even begin to try to replace that. I am just going to try to uphold the tradition. As a new head coach, I’m not going to try to do a lot of things differently.”
As it turns out, Crane will never get a chance to coach the Bruins. An informed source told the Reporter that Crane was terminated early Thursday morning. He had also been hired as a history teacher March 1.
A call was made to Mayor Nicholas Sacco Thursday morning, but Sacco said he was in Trenton and handling state legislative business, not Board of Education business. (Sacco is also an assistant superintendent in the schools.)
Calls to Superintendent of Schools Robert Dandorph and Athletic Director Jerry Maietta were not returned by press time, nor was a call to Crane.
Township spokesperson Paul Swibinski said he was not aware of Crane’s situation when he was contacted for comment.
However, later in the day, Swibinski said that Crane actually resigned from the teaching position as of the end of the year, for personal reasons. Swibinski said that this means he can’t coach next year. He said Crane wasn’t hired yet as coach, but was in the process of being hired.
Crane had begun workout weight sessions with the returning players and also had conducted meetings with prospective assistant coaches. – Jim Hague
North Bergen Library to hold ‘Taste of Ireland’
The North Bergen Free Public Library, at 8411 Bergenline Ave., will host “A Taste of Ireland” this St. Patrick’s Day Saturday, Mar. 17 at 2 p.m.
The free will event will feature food, literature and the music of Ireland.
For more information, call (201) 869-4715 or visit www.nbpl.org.
Palisades Medical Center plans free screenings
Palisades Medical Center, in conjunction with North Hudson Community Action Corporation, Christ Hospital School of Nursing, and Hudson Perinatal Consortium, will provide free health screenings and education programs to the community.
The screenings are today, Mar. 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Church at 8016 Kennedy Blvd.; Monday, Mar. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church at 252 Second St. in Jersey City.
Both events will feature free screenings and include information on blood pressure, heart rate, pulse oximetery, blood sugar, cholesterol, Body Mass Index, peak flow, and Charity Care. Visit www.palisadesmedical.org for more.
1-year-old girl killed in uncle’s alleged drunk driving accident
Ramesh Murugesapillai of Guttenberg, 30, was arrested Saturday night and charged with vehicular homicide after allegedly driving under the influence and ending up in a head-on collision with another car, killing his 1-year-old niece who was a passenger in his car, West New York Police Director Michael Indri said Monday.
Murugesapillai was driving up Blvd. East between 60th and 61st streets at around 9:30 p.m. with six passengers. His niece was allegedly being held by her mother and not secured in a car seat, Indri said. He allegedly veered into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle.
The child was first brought to Jersey City Medical Center, and upon arrival there, she was airlifted to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she died at around 2 a.m., Indri reported.
“If that child had been strapped in, it would have just been a bad accident with a DUI,” Indri stated, “but now there’s a 1-year-old dead.”
Murugesapillai was charged with vehicular homicide, endangering the welfare of a child, assault by auto, reckless driving, not having a child-restraint system and four other DUI charges, Indri said.
“It’s a tragedy 10 times over,” Indri added. “There is nothing the court could do that would ever truly serve justice in this matter. It’s so frustrating and heartbreaking because it was avoidable.”
Delicious fundraiser for St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital
A fundraiser will be held Monday, Apr. 30 for the St. Josephs’ Children’s Hospital, located at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson. The event will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel at 2 Meadowlands Plaza in East Rutherford.
The fifth annual event will feature gourmet cooking from prized chefs in the area, including a representative from Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken.
There is a fee of $200 for general admission, and $250 for an Exclusive VIP Ticket which includes a special VIP gift bag. For more information, visit www.stjosephshealth.org.