Off-duty Bayonne cop stops bank robbery
City officials said they are planning to honor a Bayonne police officer who stopped an armed bank robbery while working as a security guard in Monroe Township.
Kelly McKeand was working at the Monroe Township branch of the Pamrapo/BCB bank on Sept. 30 when an armed robber attempted to get away with more than $3,000 in cash.
Public Safety Director Jason O’Donnell in early reports claimed the robber had come into the bank asking the teller for $7,000 and allegedly took whatever cash she had in the drawer.
McKeand followed the man outside where he apprehended him. The robber was armed, O’Donnell said, with a 22 caliber hand gun
Two teens rescued from Newark Bay
A dim light flashing from the water near BoatWorks marina on Oct. 1 alerted members of the Bayonne Fire Department to the location of a small craft in distress.
Group Battalion Chief Robert Balance reported seeing a barely visible light in the distance on the water in the area of the Newark Terminals. The Fire Department launched its rescue boat and rescuers discovered a small inflatable raft in the shipping channel of Newark Bay on the Newark side. Two teens, a boy and girl, were stranded in the raft, with a stalled engine. The raft was being forced northwest in the shipping lane by heavy storm winds and rain, and was endangered by a passing barge when firefighters secured their vessel.
“The raft was said to be within 50 feet of the passing barge,” said Fire Chief Greg Roger. “The teens were reportedly on the water without life jackets, and were drenched and shivering cold. They were released to the care of EMS and Bayonne Police at the 16th Street boat launch.”
A former Bayonne firefighter sentenced for growing-pot
Kenneth Eisenhauer, 46, a 14-year veteran of the Bayonne Fire Department, has been sentenced to five years in prison for growing marijuana in his Oxford Home.
He and his wife, Roseann, pleaded guilty earlier this year. Roseann was admitted to a five year court-ordered drug program in August.
The Bayonne Police Department Special Investigation Unit (SIU), in conjunction with the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Washington Township Police Department, executed a search warrant in Oxford, N.J., in January, said Mayor Mark Smith. The warrant was the culmination of a detailed and ongoing narcotics investigation that was initiated by the Bayonne Police Department, and conducted with the assistance of the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s Newark Field Division.
The Bayonne Police SIU had obtained information that Firefighter Eisenhauer allegedly attempted to obtain a variety of controlled dangerous substances through the internet from international sources, according to Smith’s office. He allegedly represented his wife falsely as a research scientist in an effort to obtain the materials. The SIU determined that a number of these attempts allegedly took place while Eisenhauer was on duty as a firefighter, according to a release from Smith’s office.
Tax collector’s office open Tuesday evenings for tax and water bills
Mayor Mark A. Smith announced that the City of Bayonne’s Tax Collector’s Office is now open Tuesday evenings until 7 p.m., except on holidays. That office accepts payments for local property taxes and water bills
“The Tuesday evening hours for the Tax Collector’s Office are part of my initiative to make City Hall more convenient for the public,” Smith said. “The usual City Hall office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. are not convenient for everyone. That is why we have been extending the hours at various municipal offices. By revising City Hall hours, we are changing municipal services for the convenience of the public instead of making the people come at times that are inconvenient for them.”
Mayor Smith reminded the public that the Building Department is now open at 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, except on holidays. The Building Department is also open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings until 7 p.m., except on holidays.
Schools take part in Fire Prevention Week
The Bayonne Fire Department and the Bayonne Board of Education have joined forces to educate students about fire safety. Fire Official Christopher Czuba of the Bayonne Fire Prevention Bureau has announced that the Fire Department will visit each school teaching students how to be safe from fire. The theme this year is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound you can live with!” Incorporating this theme in their lessons, the firefighters will teach the students about the importance of teamwork, which is the key to winning the fight against fire.
According to Patricia Dziubek, Learn Not to Burn Coordinator, each school will focus on this theme and will educate the children and parents about the facts they need to prevent injuries and tragic death.
This year Fire Prevention Week will be held October 3 – 9. The Bayonne Firefighters will visit each school to discuss various fire prevention and safety skills. They will stress the importance of this year’s theme and discuss basic cooking and kitchen safety facts.
“It is important to improve safety through education,” said Schools Superintendent Dr. Patricia McGeehan. “Coordinating efforts between the fire department, schools and the community will improve all aspects of public safety.” Our hope is that our students will utilize and share with their friends and family what they learn in school about fire safety.
Sires cosponsors bill to ban private transfer fees
Rep. Alibo Sires has co-sponsored H.R. 6260, the Homeowner Equity Protection Act of 2010 which would prohibit the collection of private transfer fees on all federally related mortgages. These private transfer fees or resale fees require that every time the property is sold for the next 99 years, one percent of the sale price of property must be paid to an independent third party, usually a developer or builder. The fee must be paid whether or not the home has appreciated in value or not. For example, upon the sale of a home for $250,000, a fee of $2,500 would be required to be paid to the developer. H.R. 6260 was introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and is currently pending before the House Committee on Financial Services.
“These damaging and often hidden private transfer fees ruin home equity, depress home prices, and undermine homeowners’ right to keep all the funds from the sale of their home,” said Congressman Sires. “I am proud to support this important bill that protects homeowners from these unscrupulous practices.”