English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Paterson, NJ

The historically dry conditions at the Oak Ridge Reservoir in Morris County has revealed a link to the past: the old stone bridge used by stagecoaches on the original roadbed of the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike.

The rarely seen “ghost bridge” is usually covered by water, but is now visible from the Route 23 side of the reservoir. And despite signs warning people to “Keep Out,” the ghost bridge has been luring curiosity-seekers onto the parched reservoir to shoot pictures and videos.

What they’re standing on is a piece of the original Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike, a toll road created by the New Jersey Legislature that ran from Acquackanonk Landing (now Passaic) into Paterson and up through the hills to Hamburg in what is now Sussex County.

“It’s impressive,” said Dan Barr, the Hamburg town historian who visited recently. Barr said the arch design can hold the most weight, and it was quite a feat to cull the stone blocks and set them into place.

“It was really a massive undertaking just to harvest those stones,” he said.

Barr, 62, said this is not the first time he’s seen the ghost bridge. He recalled other drawn downs during dry spells, but right now, “the reservoir is bone dry,” he said.

No one is quite sure when the bridge was built, but the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike dates to 1806, when the New Jersey Legislature authorized the creation of a toll road linking the emerging cities in the east to the mines and farming hamlets to the west.

Barr said an early Hamburg settler, Thomas Lawrence, gathered other investors to build the turnpike, which was finished in 1810. The turnpike opened up commerce between the mining and farm communities in and around Hamburg and Paterson.

“It was horse and carriage,” Barr said, and stagecoach. Passaic County historian Edward A. Smyk has written about the stagecoach that rumbled up the turnpike and across the bridge, delivering people, along with the mail.

“It was a profit-making enterprise,” Smyk said of the toll road. “That’s the lynchpin of our society: profit. That’s what inspires people to do things.”

“It was a 40-mile bumpy ride from Paterson,” Smyk said. In 1860, the state legislature cancelled the toll and made the turnpike into a public highway, which today is Route 23.

The railroad arrived after the Civil War, offering a faster way to move goods and a more comfortable ride. The rapidly-growing cities to the east – Paterson, Newark, Jersey City – all needed more water, and eyed the crystal clear mountain streams of the Highlands Region.

In the late 1880s, the Paterson-based East Jersey Water Company began buying up land in the Pequannock River basin to carve out the five reservoirs that today are owned and operated by the City of Newark.

The ghost bridge and a portion of the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike was submerged when workers carved out the Oak Ridge Reservoir, which went online in 1891. The Clinton Reservoir was completed around that time, and a few years later, the Canistear.

“Newark will have its new water supply Dec. 1,” the Jersey City News reported in its Aug. 26, 1891 edition, “and there is great rejoicing among the people at the prospect of exchanging pure and wholesome water for the vile and poisonous Passaic River.”

But a year later, there were complaints of red mud dredged up from the reservoir bottom. “The water that Newarkers found gliding from the faucets yesterday was of a ruddy color, only a trifle milder in appearance than good rye whiskey,” The Paterson News reported on Aug. 20, 1892.

The newspapers reported the City of Newark was contracted to buy the reservoirs from the East Jersey Water Company for $ to $6 million. The city has operated them ever since.

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By Gabriella Dragone

PATERSON, NJ - The Paterson Free Public Library has unveiled its new ePopUp Library, a mobile digital service that brings books and educational resources to residents in innovative ways. Powered by Baker & Taylor’s Pop-Up Library technology, this initiative expands the digital footprint of the library throughout Paterson and Passaic County, making digital content more accessible to all residents.

"We are excited to announce this initiative," Corey Fleming, Director of the Paterson Free Public Library said. "The Paterson team has been working diligently on this project with our colleagues at Baker & Taylor since earlier this year. The ePopUp Library will expand the digital footprint of the Paterson Free Public Library and allow residents to further access our digital materials.”

The ePopUp Library gives users instant access to eBooks, audiobooks, and educational content by scanning QR codes at community hotspots such as parks, community centers, schools, laundromats, and salons. This service eliminates the need for library cards or app downloads, making it user-friendly and accessible anywhere residents live, work, or gather.

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“We’re doing everything we can to bridge the digital divide,” Mayor Andre Sayegh said. “During the pandemic, we partnered with the school district to ensure students didn’t lose too much classroom time and made it a priority to purchase equipment for them to stay connected to their classrooms. Access is the key word, and that’s why we’re so proud to announce the ePopUp Library. Whether you’re at the barber shop, bakery, or any community space, you’ll now have access to books. Paterson is E-ready, and we are committed to ensuring access for all.”

Fleming also highlighted the role of partnerships, noting that this project began over two years ago with discussions and demos from Baker & Taylor and collaboration with organizations such as the Paterson Housing Authority and the Paterson Public Schools. “We’ve learned a lot from cities like Boston and Jersey City, and I’m proud to see this initiative come to life in Paterson,” he added.

Sayegh also emphasized the city’s commitment to improving library infrastructure, announcing improvements to the Broadway main branch as well as other branches in South Paterson and Totowa.

“We are doubling down on our investment in the brick-and-mortar libraries as well, but we also want to reach young people where they are. This service allows them to engage with books in a digital format, which is so important in today’s world. We want our students to be 'screenagers' for the right reasons—reading books on their screens.”

Rosie Grant, Executive Director of the Paterson Education Fund, expressed her excitement for the initiative.

“This program is going to bring the library to children and families who can’t always get to a physical library. Access to books and educational materials on their phones or other devices will be a game-changer. We want to ensure that all children are reading on grade level by the end of third grade, as reading proficiency is critical for their long-term academic success."

Paterson Housing Authority Chairwoman Paula Alford also highlighted the significance of the ePopUp Library for senior residents in public housing.

“This service is especially important for our senior population, who may have difficulty accessing traditional library services. It will provide them with an opportunity to access books and information from the comfort of their homes or community centers.”

PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Firefighters in New Jersey are being credited with helping to save a choking baby's life in Paterson on Tuesday morning.

A frantic mother banged on the windows at Paterson Fire Headquarters on McBride Avenue just before 9 a.m.

Her 4-month-old daughter Rihanye was choking on liquid medicine and turning blue -- so her instincts to get help kicked in.

"I grabbed a blanket with my baby and even though my baby's literally throwing up as I'm running with her, I'm stopping to make sure she's OK, I'm just running," Carolina Paula said.

Fire Marshal Pedro Cartagena jumped into action and quickly took the baby to perform life-saving back blows.

"She said I need to get in, she said my baby's choking, I gave the baby back blows when the baby started crying, EMS 7 came in and started assessing the whole situation and took over," Cartagena said.

After several attempts, the obstruction in the baby's airway was cleared and the little girl's color started to return to normal.

Other firefighters then stepped in to make sure the baby's airway was clear and monitored her breathing.

"I kind of blacked out after I saw you guys, I felt safe," Paula said.

The little girl was taken to a pediatrician to make sure everything was OK.

"This is what the Patterson Fire Department stands for, this is what we do, we're always ready to help, we're always prepared to help," said Paterson Fire Department Chief Alex Alicea.

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3-minute read

PATERSON — The city’s magnet program for “gifted and talented” students was named New Jersey’s top-ranking elementary and middle school by U.S. News & World Report last week.

School 28 won the same honor in 2021. It also was named a “blue ribbon school” by the U.S. Department of Education in 2018 and “a distinguished school” by state education officials in 2016.

Principal Nancy Castro said she was “humbled” by the top New Jersey ranking.

“This prestigious honor is the result of the hard work and dedication of the entire community,” Castro said in a news release issued by the city school district Monday afternoon. “I am deeply appreciative of the collective efforts of our students, their families, and staff.”

Story continues below photo gallery.

School 28 operates as a traditional neighborhood school for children in the earlier grades. But students wishing to enter its gifted program, which covers all classes from grades two through eight, must go through a rigorous application process.

Want to expand School 28's success elsewhere

Paterson Board of Education members and local education advocates said they would like to find ways to duplicate School 28’s success elsewhere in the city.

“We definitely need to look at ways to expand this program,” said board Vice President Kenneth Simmons, suggesting that maybe there should be “gifted and talented” school hubs in each of Paterson’s six wards.

Rosie Grant, executive director of the Paterson Education Foundation advocacy group, said the district ought to replicate some of the best practices from School 28 at other schools, including smaller class sizes and advanced certifications for teachers.

“Let’s try to benefit all of our kids,” Grant said.

School 28 came on top of the U.S. News list for public school districts. The media company ranked School 28 at the top in middle school math scores, tied for first in elementary school reading and math scores, and tied for second in middle school reading.

The school, at the corner of Presidential Boulevard and Temple Street in the 1st Ward, has an enrollment of about 484 students. About half of them are in the lower grades that don’t participate in the state standardized testing. The rest are part of the gifted program.

U.S. News said the rankings are based on a formula. “Half of the formula assessed the scores themselves and the other half incorporated the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics,” said the publication.

Paterson district is among lowest-performing in NJ

School 28 has managed to win accolades despite the fact that the Paterson district is among the lowest-performing in New Jersey.

School board President Manny Martinez said the top ranking reflected what he described as city students’ potential.

“They don’t lack the ability. Sometimes they lack the opportunity,” Martinez said. “But when given the opportunity to shine, they always rise to the occasion.”

Superintendent Laurie Newell echoed Martinez’s assessment. “The dedication of the staff and the hard work of the students have created a learning environment that truly exemplifies excellence,” she said.

Paterson launched its elementary school program for gifted students in 2012. Castro has been the principal for more than a decade.

“She’s a wonderful principal, focused on academic performance,” said Grace Giglio, president of the union that represents Paterson principals.

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.

Story continues below photo gallery.

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.