You'll recognized a familiar spot in this video, which stars Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd Watch video

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd settle in at the Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights as part of a Toyota commercial posted online Wednesday morning to mark Back to the Future Day.

The fanciful pop culture holiday commemorates the significance of Oct. 21, 2015, the date in the "future" that Marty McFly and Emmett "Doc" Brown travel to in their DeLorean time machine in the 1989 movie "Back to the Future Part II."

In the commercial, which focuses on fuel technology and the Toyota Mirai -- a hydrogen fuel cell electric car -- Fox and Lloyd meet Mischa Pollack, an aero-mechanical engineer. After the scene in Jersey, Pollack travels (in a Toyota, of course) to places in California including the Los Angeles setting for McFly's home and Whittier Union High -- the setting for Hill Valley High -- collecting garbage from trash cans to convert into fuel. 

In talking about the fuel technology, Pollack draws a parallel to the "Mr. Fusion home energy reactor" seen in "Back to the Future Part II." Doc Brown uses the tool to turn garbage into power for his time machine's flux capacitor. 

The Toyota commercial, titled "Fueled by the Future" (Mirai means "future" in Japanese), starts with Pollack's narration.

Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox talk technology in the Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights. (Toyota/YouTube)
 

"I'm a huge 'Back to the Future' fan," he says, as a scene from the movie plays on his TV. "Especially all that crazy technology. That's why I got into science and ended up getting my master's in aero-mechanical engineering." 

The diner scene, in which Lloyd and Fox talk about technology in the 1989 version of 2015 vs. the actual 2015 (Lloyd says he still uses a fax machine), was teased earlier this month. 

"So, you're like a real Doc Brown, huh?" Lloyd says in the latest clip, shaking Pollack's hand when they meet at the Route 17 diner. 

A Facebook page for Pollack, a graduate of Stanford University, describes him as an "actor/musician/aeromechanical engineer. He's the host of "Go Tech Yourself," a new YouTube channel for tech reviews. He's also been a host on the "What's Trending" YouTube show.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have the opportunity to work with two of my heroes on such a once-in-a-timeline project," Pollack wrote in a comment on the Toyota video Wednesday. "It was a great privilege that Toyota let me (be) part of this tremendous campaign and I wish them the best of luck in moving this technology forward."

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.

Earlier this month, Anthony Cappola announced he was dropping his candidacy for a state Assembly seat when a book he once wrote filled with racial and ethnic slurs was unearthed

TRENTON -- Earlier this month, it appeared Anthony Cappola would no longer be running in New Jersey's state Assembly elections this year.

The Republican candidate dropped his bid for a seat in north Jersey's 38th District after a book he wrote a dozen years ago filled with racial and ethnic slurs was unearthed. And his party was waging a legal battle to get a replacement candidate on the ballot.

But less than three weeks later, the GOP's fight to replace him has failed and Cappola has revived his campaign. And now, he's causing a stir by announcing he will take part in the race's scheduled debate Wednesday night.

It's the latest chapter in what has suddenly become the weirdest race in the Assembly elections -- which top the ticket in New Jersey this year -- with two weeks until Election Day.

"I have nothing to hide," Cappola, 41, told Politico New Jersey on Tuesday. "I have been thoroughly vetted out there in the public. I've been apologetic sincerely about it. And what I did in my 20s -- it's a raunchy, insensitive book. ... I am really looking forward to the debate."

RELATED: Republicans drop lawsuit to replace N.J. Assembly candidate

Cappola -- who also resigned his seat on the River Edge council amid the book controversy -- did not return a message from NJ Advance Media seeking comment Tuesday.

But his former running mate, Mark DiPisa, said Tuesday he will boycott the debate if Cappola participates. The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Bergen County and is scheduled for Wednesday night at Paramus High School.

DiPisa, a Hasbrouck Heights attorney, said in a statement that Cappola "is not a legitimate candidate in this race, and I refuse to validate his candidacy by sharing the stage with him."

Cappola and DiPisa are running against Democratic incumbents Tim Eustace and Joseph Lagana in the 38th District, which includes parts of Bergen and Passaic counties. 

The race had been considered one of the few in the state in which Republicans had a legitimate shot at picking up seats in the Assembly, the lower house of the state Legislature. Republicans are hoping to gain seats in the house, which is currently controlled by Democrats, 48-32. The state Senate is also controlled by Democrats.

But Cappola announced Oct. 1 that he was quitting the race after his 2003 book "Outrageous!" came to light. The self-published book includes rants against homosexuals, women, Muslims, Asians, John Tesh, and Britney Spears, among other subjects. 

Though the deadline had passed to remove Cappola's name from the ballot, Republicans filed a last-ditch lawsuit to replace him with Fernando Alonso, a lawyer from Oradell.

The party -- which would have to shoulder the cost to get new ballots printed -- dropped the suit last week after realizing that would cost $200,000.

That meant Cappola's name will remain on the ballot next to DiPisa's. And Cappola said he returned to the campaign trail to clear his name.

He told The Star-Ledger this week that his book was inspired by his fandom of a shock-rock radio legend when he was younger. 

"I was really into Howard Stern," Capolla said. "I grew up. I'm not the same person. I went and apologized in private to select people, especially my lesbian neighbor. I DJ at gay weddings. I'm not a racist. I'm not a bigot. I know what's in my heart."

Bob Yudin, chairman of the Republican Party in Bergen County, was vague when asked about the flap over Cappola's participation in Wednesday's debate.

"Mr. Cappola submitted a letter withdrawing his candidacy," Yudin said. "He is still on the ballot because the withdrawal came after the deadline to finalize the ballot. The (local party) nor I have anything else to say."

Barbara King, vice president for voter services for the League of Women Voters of Bergen County, said Cappola is allowed to participate in the debate because his name is still on the ballot. 

King added that it's "unfortunate" DiPisa has decided not to take part -- but noted there will be a seat on the stage reserved for him. She said DiPisa can also submit a statement that the moderator would read at the event. 

"It would be interesting to hear Mr. DiPisa's stance on the issues, as it would be interesting to hear any candidate's stance on the issues," King said. "It's unfortunate this issue has caused District 38 to be of a greater interest instead of looking at the issues."

Ben Dworkin, a political science professor at Rider University, said the race will now be less competitive because Republicans failed in their effort to replace Cappola's name on the ballot. 

"Simply by being on the ballot, every news story becomes focused on him and his writings as opposed to the issues," Dworkin said. "That's the nature of the beast."

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

 

A high-speed chase that began in Montvale early Tuesday ended in a crash in Nanuet, N.Y., police said.

A car chase that began in Montvale ended in a crash in New York, Oct. 20, 2015, police said. (Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

MONTVALE -- A high-speed chase that began in Montvale early Tuesday ended in a crash in Nanuet, N.Y., police said.

A Montvale police officer confronted two people in a Mercedes Benz S550 in the Montvale rest area of the Garden State Parkway at about 2:10 a.m. for suspicious behavior, Police Chief Jeremy Abrams said.

When the officer asked the driver, Quinn Heyward, 28, of Utica, N.Y., to park, he ignored him, Abrams said. Heyward drove northbound on the Garden State Parkway at a high speed.

Police chased Heyward into New York, Abrams said. They broke off out of concern for how fast Heyward was driving.

A Montvale police officer found the Mercedes shortly after. It had crashed on Old Nyack Turnpike in Nanuet, N.Y., Abrams said.

Neither occupant was injured, Abrams said.

Heyward was charged with eluding, speeding and reckless driving. His passenger wasn't charged.

An appellate panel ruled Wednesday that the Englewood Cliffs zoning board failed to consider how a proposal to build a 143-foot tall building in the borough would impact the surrounding area, particularly the Palisades Cliffs.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS -- An appellate panel ruled Wednesday that the Englewood Cliffs zoning board failed to consider how a proposal to build a 143-foot tall building in the borough would impact the surrounding area, particularly the Palisades Cliffs.

The panel, in a decision written by Judge Douglas M. Fasciale, sent LG Electronics' plan for a new headquarters on Sylvan Avenue back to the Englewood Cliffs zoning board.

The Englewood Cliffs zoning board "fail[ed] to address the historic and scenic importance of the unique location of the proposed project," the court said.

The board in 2012 granted LG variances allowing it to exceed the town's 35-foot height limit on buildings. Englewood Cliffs residents Carol Jacoby and Marcia Davis challenged the ruling in court shortly after, and were joined by a coalition of environmental groups and individuals concerned about how the building would affect views of the Palisades Cliffs.

John Taylor, a spokesman for LG, said the company planned to send its plans back to the town anyway. LG reached an agreement with several environmental groups in June to lower the height of the planned building to 70 feet.

"Our plan all along after the win-win settlement was to move forward through the process in the town with the amended plan," Taylor said.

The plans for the shortened building must go through the local approval process again. LG expects to present its redesigned plans in the next few months, Taylor said.

The decision said local boards must consider the impact new buildings have on "the surrounding neighborhood."

"We have long recognized that a zoning board's duty to consider the 'surrounding neighborhood' encompasses more than just consideration of the municipality itself or the immediate vicinity of the structure,'" the court said.

Michael B. Kates, the attorney who represented the Englewood Cliffs zoning board, said the board couldn't have known that included views from across the Hudson River.

"That's new law and I don't think the board can be faulted for not anticipating new law," he said.

LG reached its settlement with Scenic Hudson, the New Jersey Federation of Women's Clubs, the Natural Resources Defense Council, New Jersey Conservation Foundation and New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. Englewood Cliffs residents Marcia Davis and Carol Jacoby were not included, and kept the legal fight going in the appellate court.

Michael Lubin, who represented Davis, said the decision officially killed plans for a 143-foot-tall building and made clear the standards LG and the board would have to apply in any redesign.

"The court, in its 30-page decision, clearly articulated in significant detail the obligations of LG as the applicant and the failures of the board," he said.

Eileen Swann, policy manager for the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, said the decision affirmed the concerns the foundation and other groups had with the building in the first place.

"The conservation groups are pleased with this and look forward to moving ahead with the win-win solution," she said.

A Lodi man broke into a Chichester, N.Y. home early Sunday, New York State Police said.

A Lodi man broke into a New York home, Oct. 18, 2015, police said. (File photo). 

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- A Lodi man broke into a Chichester, N.Y. home early Sunday, New York State Police said.

State troopers arrested Kevin J. Tryanowski, 37, outside the home at about 1 a.m., police said.

Tryanowski used a ladder taken from a garage on the property to enter a second-floor bedroom window, police said. The man and woman living there were home.

The man and Tryanowski got into a fight, police said. Tryanowski put him in a headlock before leaving the house, police said.

Tryanowski knew the residents of the home, police said. No one was hurt in the confrontation. Chichester is about 100 miles north of Lodi.

Tryanowski was charged with burglary and harassment. He was released after an arraignment in the Town of Shandaken Court.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Area bands gearing up for the State Championships at Rutgers on Oct. 31.

SOMERVILLE -- Somerville High School Pioneer Marching Band and Color Guard, which is preparing to compete in the USBands State Championships at Rutgers University on Oct. 31, recently hosted its 35th Annual Marching Band Home Show.

Sixteen New Jersey high school bands competed in the competition earlier this month, including  Bernards, Ridge, North Plainfield, Union, South Plainfield, Cranford, Colonia, Morristown, Fair Lawn, Watchung Hills, Point Pleasant Borough, Immaculata, Passaic, New Providence and Bridgewater-Raritan.

The competition showcased various types of music from classical to rock, from traditional to original scores performed by the bands.

All bands were scored in five areas: Music (ensemble and individual), Visual (ensemble and individual), Overall Effect, Color Guard and Percussion.

In addition to the total score, there are five categories that a band can win: Best Color Guard, Best Music, Best Overall Effect, Best Percussion and Best Visual.

The results can be found on the USBands website.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A large crane crashed into parked cars and overturned in a lot along Kinderkamack Road Wednesday, borough police said.

ORADELL -- A large crane crashed into parked cars and overturned in a lot along Kinderkamack Road Wednesday, borough police said.

The driver told authorities his brakes possibly failed before he lost control while going east on Soldier Hill Road, according to police. The vehicle crashed at 600 Kinderkamack Road around 1 p.m.

There were no injuries, police added. Three cars in the parking lot were crushed.

Borough firefighters, the New Milford Fire Department and Bergen County Hazardous Materials team responded to contain a fuel leak from the crash, police said. None of fuel leaked into the nearby Oradell Reservoir.

Roads in the area were open as authorities worked at the scene, police said. An investigation was continuing and no summonses have been issued.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The RealtyTrac report found 13.8 percent of residential properties in the state were seriously underwater, a decline from a year ago.

The share of "seriously underwater" properties in New Jersey declined from a year ago, according to a new report, but more than 240,000 homes still fell into that category in the third quarter of this year.

Residents owed at least 25 percent over what what their home is worth on 13.8 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage in New Jersey, the report from Irvine, Calif.-based housing firm RealtyTrac found. That's down from 14.6 percent in the previous quarter and 15.9 percent a year ago.

But the share of seriously underwater homeowners in New Jersey remains above the national average.

The more than 6.9 million homes that were seriously underwater nationwide in the third quarter of this year represent 12.7 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage, according to the report. That share has declined from 13.3 percent in the previous quarter and 15 percent a year ago. 

Nevada, Florida and Illinois had the largest share of seriously underwater homes among the states. 

Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac, attributed the national drop in seriously underwater homeowners to a recent uptick in homes sales volume and average home sales prices.

The RealtyTrac report also analyzed the number of properties that were equity rich, meaning they had at least 50 percent equity. The share of homes in that category also fell in the third quarter of this year, which Blomquist said is evidence that more of those homeowners are "leveraging their equity through a refinance, move-up sale or by completely cashing out of the housing market."

Some 19.2 percent of properties were equity rich in the third quarter of 2015, down from 19.6 percent in the second quarter of 2015 and 20.1 percent a year ago.

In New Jersey, 20.8 percent of homeowners were equity rich, down from 21.1 percent in the previous quarter and 21.6 percent a year go.

At the local level, Atlantic County had the largest share of seriously underwater homes in New Jersey, according to the RealtyTrac data, and Cape May County had the greatest share of equity rich homes in the third quarter of 2015.

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

It's the second time in less than a year the KKK has tried to recruit in the area

A member of the Ku Klux Klan is seen in a file photo. Ku Klux Klan fliers were left in front of houses and apartments in Lyndhurst last weekend, according to a report. (Associated Press File Photo) 

LYNDHURST -- Ku Klux Klan recruitment fliers were distributed in the township over the weekend, according to reports.

Fliers were placed in a plastic bag weighed down by a small stone and left on properties, NorthJersey.com reported.

It reads, "Join the Klan and Save our Nation." There is an illustration of a Klansman aboard a horse as well as a Confederate flag and a flag with 13 stars, the website reported. A phone number for the Pelham, N.C.-based Loyal White Knights of the KKK and a website address are also included.

The fliers were dropped late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, News12 New Jersey said.

Less than two percent of Lyndhurst's approximately 20,500 residents are black, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Whites comprise 71.6 percent of the southern Bergen County town's population.

In December, at least 75 KKK fliers were left on driveways in nearby Rutherford.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Build fast, build efficient says top architect and designer

Lou DiGeronimo's Sandy recovery plan wasn't new. The Paramus architect is an old pro who believed in a common sense solutions: Come up with a few standard models, buy and construct in bulk, streamline the permit process and get people back home.

Rome wasn't built in a day, but Levittowns - soup-to-nut cities of 50,000 people - were built in three years or less. Why should this disaster recovery take so long?

History was on DiGeronimo's side. In April 1906, half of San Francisco's population of 250,000 was left homeless after a historic earthquake and fire. Within months, the U.S. Army and the city parks department hammered out 5,300 durable wooden shacks, first put in camps, then successfully moved to properties around the city. How durable? One just sold in Telegraph Hill for $765,000.

In this century, Marianne Cusato, a designer and professor of practice at Notre Dame's School of Architecture, did something similar after Hurricane Katrina. She designed 14 models of Katrina Cottages, ranging from 600 to 1,200 square feet. Three hundred permanent structures were built in Louisiana; a few hundred of her mobile units replaced FEMA trailers in Mississippi.

She's been lobbying for a national disaster "playbook" ever since.

"We know disasters of this magnitude are going to happen," she said. "Yet, each time we reinvent the wheel. We need a playbook, a streamlined system that will get people back home in every state and every town in every disaster."

After Hurricane Sandy, Cusato attempted to implement her cottage idea in New Jersey. She spent nine months in Union Beach and got six - not 600, six - homes built before she gave up. The levels of bureaucracy, from federal to local, was "disheartening."

"There has to be a way to unpeel these layers and get people back in dignified homes quickly," Cusato said. "But with every massive disaster, we seem to be caught flat-footed."

RELATED:  NJ's Hurricane Sandy rebuild: are we screwing it up again?

DiGeronimo is a Columbia-educated architect and no stranger to the idea of smart, uniformed construction. He and his wife Suzanne own DiGeronimo PC Architects and have 90 years of experience between them. Lou DiGeronimo was a member of the team that wrote the state's uniformed building codes in the mid-'70s.

Since uniformity often translates to efficiency, DiGeronimo saw the Sandy recovery as a chance to build quality houses quickly on the massive scale needed to get people back in their homes.

"The recovery was basically a $3 billion federal housing project and it should have been run that way," he said.

DiGeronimo came up with six prototypes for wind- and flood-resistant houses, all to be elevated on steel helical piles, which would be screwed into the ground and have a steel house frame bolted to them.

"It was cost effective, satisfied all FEMA requirements and could be built all year round," DiGeronimo said. "The supplies - the windows, doors, everything - could have been bought in bulk. The permit and coding process could have been streamlined, and we wouldn't have the mess we have today.

"Instead, it takes every single homeowner nine months to go through the local planning board and get the permits, and submit drawings, and, if one little thing is wrong, you go to the back of the line," he said. "And these people are trying to do this all while they're displaced."

He tried to get the state interested in such a process, but it went nowhere. DiGeronimo isn't even sure where it died, only that the Department of Community Affairs "refused to sit down with us." 

DiGeronimo said this as he walked through Union Beach, where 1,500 homes were badly damaged by Sandy. Now, three years later, the evidence of its impact is all around: vacant lots, boarded-up homes and the sounds of demolition and construction filling the air.

And not just in Union Beach, but in Highlands, where a new demolition contract has just been rewarded to take down a few dozen destroyed properties. And in Mantoloking and Ortley Beach, and Shore Acres in Brick, and the Silverton section of Toms River, and in Beach Haven West and Mystic Island.

In all these places - and in Moonachie and Little Falls, and the Ironbound section of Newark where wrecked homes remain boarded up and untouched - the question remains, "What's taking so long?"

Bill Levitt, the father of modern suburbia, built his cities in less time on potato and corn fields in Long Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The three Levittowns (New Jersey's changed its name back to Willingboro) had about 17,000 homes, new water and sewer lines, roads and sidewalks, and schools and other public buildings.Yet three years after Sandy - and 10 years after Katrina - the scars of destruction remain visible and thousands of people are still homeless.

And for those who argue that cookie-cutter homes would be an aesthetic insult to the Jersey Shore ... please.

Excise beachfront mansions from the equation and you'll find that many of the beach and bay-front communities devastated by the hurricane were developed in exactly the same way. Quickly, uniformly and efficiently.  

DiGeronimo and Cusato both think such an approach would actually improve the aesthetic.

In Union Beach, DiGeronimo stood at the beachfront, where he envisioned two vacant lots being turned into a welcoming green space that opens the vista of the Raritan Bay. The mishmash of homes nearby - some still vacant - do not reflect a style or period, such as, say, a place like Ocean Grove.

"We had a chance to build it safer and better, and we blew it," said DiGeronimo. "Instead, we have chaos."

"We had designs that treat the home with reverence," Cusato said. "They fit the architecture of the area. These were not shipping container homes or art school projects. They were dignified structures."

Cusato asks why disaster recovery is not a national campaign issue. It's a good question, considering the magnitude of problems with Katrina and Sandy during two administrations.

"We haven't gotten this right," she said. "And it's going to happen again. We need a preemptive plan, so when the disaster happens, we're ready with home models that can be adapted to the region."

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook. 

A Republican State Assembly candidate for the 38th District, who initially dropped out of the race over a slur-filled book he authored, responded to the controversy at a campaign forum Wednesday night.

A view of the state Assembly chambers at the Statehouse in Trenton as Gov. Chris Christie gives the State of the State Address in January. (Amanda Marzullo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

"I'm going to get right to it and address the 800-pound gorilla in the room," said Anthony Cappola, the only Republican to attend. "In my 20s as a young comedian, I wrote a raunchy, insensitive, often hurtful satirical book."

Cappola said he was not a bigot despite the language in his self-published book "Outrageous."

"I say comedian not to try and get me a pass," he added. "I am a comedian now and I was then, but I chose to write that book and I take full responsibility for it."

"I don't hate Asians," Cappola said. "I don't hate gay people."

The other Republican candidate, Mark DiPisa, did not attend the forum. In a statement read by the League of Women Voters moderator, DiPisa criticized Democrats for showing up at the Paramus High School forum.

RELATED: N.J. Assembly candidate who wrote book filled with slurs campaigning again

"They chose to validate his candidacy and his views by sharing the stage with him," DiPisa's statement said, referring to the Democrats.

While Cappola spent much of his opening statement addressing the book, Democratic incumbents Joseph Lagana and Tim Eustace never referred to the controversy.

Most of the debate focused on policy issues, including the school funding formula, pensions, transportation funding, taxes and flood control.

The candidates were asked why Republicans did not vote to overturn vetoes by Gov. Chris Christie. Cappola said he "wasn't in the room" and didn't know why lawmakers didn't override the governor on Port Authority transparency legislation.

"That's on their conscience," Cappola added. "That's what they thought was the best thing to do."

Lagana said Christie had a hold over the GOP caucus.

"I can tell you exactly why they didn't vote to override the veto; because they were told not to," he said.

ALSO: Republicans drop lawsuit to replace N.J. Assembly candidate

Republican lawmakers have been unwilling to go against Christie on bipartisan bills, the Democrat added.

"What we have seen since [Christie's] presidential aspirations is that he's more likely to do what's good for people in the Midwest and elsewhere than what's good for people in New Jersey," Lagana said, referring to a gun control bill.

Eustace said he and his fellow Democrat were not party-line voters.

"We stand up for our constituencies and sometimes that gets us in trouble, but it's worth it," Eustace said.

Cappola, a former teacher, called for reforms to the state school funding formula to help lessen the tax burden on suburban districts.

"We have a spending problem," Cappola said. "Not a revenue problem."

Lagana and Eustace also called for changes to school funding. Eustace said the governor should fully fund local districts.

"We support additional funding for our schools and unfortunately it's been cut out of the budget," Lagana said.

The candidates all said they supported funding Planned Parenthood for women's health services, but Cappola said more transparency was needed in the organization.

The 38th District is considered one race where Republicans could pick up seats in the State Assembly.

Cappola said Oct. 1 that he was dropping out of the race after a report by POLITICO New Jersey detailed the candidate's 2003 book.

The deadline to remove Cappola's name from the ballot had already passed and Republicans filed a lawsuit to replace him with Oradell attorney Fernando Alonso. The party dropped its effort over the $200,000 cost. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Johnny Muller of Glen Ridge was pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree at the university's campus in Newark

Rutgers-Newark will honor a creative writing student who died in a single-car crash on the Garden State Parkway on Sunday. (Tom Wright-Piersanti/The Star-Ledger)

NEWARK — A Glen Ridge man killed in a crash on the Garden State Parkway Sunday was a budding young writer honing his talents at Rutgers-Newark University.

Johnny Muller, 26, had begun pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing, and had been working as a part-time lecturer at the school, according to Chancellor Nancy Cantor.

"Although he was brand new to our community, Johnny already was woven deeply into the lives of students, faculty, and staff, known for his ready smile, his humility even while possessing prodigious talent as a writer in our renowned MFA creative writing program, and his infectious enthusiasm for the life of learning and teaching," she said in a statement.

Muller had come to Rutgers after pursuing his undergraduate degree at nearby Montclair State University, where his writing, ranging from fiction to film criticism, won him praise from both classmates and faculty.

Jayne Ann Phillips, the director of Rutgers-Newark's MFA program, told the Glen Ridge Voice that Muller was "a talented young writer and an astute reader and critic."

"I spoke to Johnny many times as he was deciding which MFA program to attend last spring, and he quickly became a welcome member of our community this fall," she said.

After news of the one-car crash at a Paramus toll both that took Muller's life broke, colleagues in the MFA program also paid tribute to his life and work.

From Johnny Muller's workshop members: We will honor his writing. He was such a great writer and, we're sure, would have been a star.

— Rutgers Newark MFA (@NewarkMFA) October 19, 2015

Muller was also an ardent supporter of Jersey City-based independent radio station WFMU. The hosts of of the station's weekly shows, "Shut Up Weirdo", took to its Facebook page to honor him earlier this week, calling him "one of the kindest, sweetest souls we know."

Muller's funeral is scheduled for Thursday morning in Glen Ridge. Cantor said Rutgers will also host a special reading of his works at 5:30 on Nov. 19 in the Dana Room at the campus' John Cotton Dana Library.

Correction: An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect date for the reading in Muller's honor.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A 48-year-old woman was found stabbed in the driveway of her borough home, authorities said.

MIDLAND PARK -- A 48-year-old woman was found stabbed in the driveway of her borough home in what one resident described as a normally "quiet" neighborhood.

The woman, identified as Suzanne Bardzell, was found Thursday afternoon stabbed in her vehicle, which was parked in the driveway of her Godwin Avenue residence, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said in a Twitter post. Molinelli later confirmed that Bardzell had died. 

A neighbor who lives on nearby Madison Avenue said he saw police in his neighbor's yard and that they appeared to be searching for someone. Police also put up crime-scene tape around his yard but later removed it, the neighbor also said. 

"He wouldn't tell me" what was happening, the neighbor, who declined to give his name, said of an officer he asked about the situation. "I guess it was police business." 

Godwin Avenue was closed off as law enforcement, including the prosecutor's office and local and Ridgewood police, assisted with an investigation at the scene. 

48 year old woman found stabbed in her vehicle in her driveway at 715 Godwin Avenue Midland Park. Victim is SUZANNE BARDZELL dob10.1.67

-- John Molinelli (@johnlmolinelli) October 22, 2015

Midland Park victim is deceased matter is a homicide

-- John Molinelli (@johnlmolinelli) October 22, 2015

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

All of these questions are based on this week's top NJ.com stories.

You're toast in this week's NJ.com News Quiz: I'm just warning you right now. All of the questions are based on NJ.com's most popular stories from the past week, which will make it that much more frustrating for you when you Epic Fail.
Once you complete with this week's quiz, share your score in comments and be honest: On how many of these questions were you totally just flat-out guessing? I just don't see many users getting more than half of these right, much less a perfect score. Good luck ... you're going to need it.

A former New York City police officer jumped in front of a train after he allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend outside her Midland Park home Thursday, authorities said.

UPDATE: Ex-cop accused of murder loses legs after jumping in front of train, report says

MIDLAND PARK -- A former New York City police officer jumped in front of a train after he allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend outside her Midland Park home Thursday, authorities said. 

Arthur J. Lomando, 44, of Centerreach, New York, is accused of attacking Suzanne Bardzell, 48, with a machete-like knife as she pulled into the driveway of her Godwin Avenue home around 3:30 p.m., Prosecutor John L. Molinelli told reporters at a news conference from the scene.

Lomando smashed the window of Bardzell's Volkswagen and stabbed her several times, the prosecutor said. Bardzell, a special education teacher in Teaneck with two teenage sons, died at the scene.

Molinelli said late Thursday that Lomando threw himself in front of a subway train at the Amsterdam and St. Nicholas avenue stop in Manhattan. His collision with an empty A train happened around 4:30 p.m., according to a report by the Daily News. Service was cutoff between 168 and 207 Streets until just after 5:30, the report said.

Lomando suffered "severe" injuries to his head and legs, Molinelli said on Twitter. The accused killer was in surgery at Harlem Hospital. 

Authorities issued warrants charging Lomando with murder, weapons offenses and violating a restraining order Bardzell filed against him, according to Molinelli.

RELATED: Woman fatally stabbed in her Midland Park driveway, authorities say

Molinelli said there was a history domestic violence between Lomando and Bardzell. The pair dated for about three years and met online, he added.

Bardzell obtained an order of protection against Lomando, according to the prosecutor.

Thursday, neighbors said police swarmed the area around 3 p.m., searching yards and blocking off streets.

Bardzell was divorced and her ex-husband came to the scene, he added. 

On Oct. 10, dozens of police officers also searched for Lomando in Midland Park, according to authorities. 

"Recently, he was reported as missing," Molinelli said. "Midland Park police were searching for him...He ultimately turned himself in. We believe that that occurrence was the result of having restraining orders issued against him."

Lomando previously sued then-NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly to be reinstated with the force, according to the prosecutor and court records.

Lamondo, a 10-year veteran of the NYPD, was fired in 2004 after several documented misconduct issues and mental health concerns, according to Molinelli and an ABC report.

An NYPD spokesman could not immediately provide further information about Lomando. His condition was also unclear. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Arthur J. Lomando, 44, of Centerreach, New York, is accused of attacking Suzanne Bardzell, 48, with a machete-like knife as she pulled into the driveway of her Godwin Avenue home around 3:30 p.m., Prosecutor John L. Molinelli told reporters at a news conference from the scene.

UPDATE: Ex-cop accused in killing was fired for misconduct, had depression

MIDLAND PARK -- A former New York City police officer who jumped in front of a train after he allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend outside her Midland Park home Thursday has had his legs amputated, Eyewitness News ABC reported.

Arthur J. Lomando, 44, of Centerreach, N.Y., is accused of attacking Suzanne Bardzell, 48, with a machete-like knife as she pulled into the driveway of her Godwin Avenue home around 3:30 p.m., Prosecutor John L. Molinelli told reporters at a news conference from the scene Thursday evening.

Lomando smashed the window of Bardzell's Volkswagen and stabbed her several times, the prosecutor said. Bardzell, a special education teacher in Teaneck with two teenage sons, died at the scene.

Molinelli said late Thursday that Lomando threw himself in front of a subway train at the Amsterdam and St. Nicholas avenue stop in Manhattan. His collision with an empty A train happened around 4:30 p.m., according to a report by the Daily News. Service was cutoff between 168 and 207 Streets until just after 5:30, the report said.

Lomando suffered "severe" injuries to his head and legs, but he was in surgery at Harlem Hospital Thursday night, Molinelli said on Twitter.

According to ABC, both of his legs were amputated above the knee.

Authorities issued warrants charging Lomando with murder, weapons offenses and violating a restraining order Bardzell filed against him, according to Molinelli.

RELATED: Woman fatally stabbed in her Midland Park driveway, authorities say

Molinelli has said there was a history of domestic violence between Lomando and Bardzell. The pair dated for about three years and met online, he added.

Bardzell obtained an order of protection against Lomando, according to the prosecutor.

Thursday, neighbors said police swarmed the area about 3 p.m., searching yards and blocking off streets.

On Oct. 10, dozens of police officers also searched for Lomando in Midland Park, according to authorities.

"Recently, he was reported as missing," Molinelli said. "Midland Park police were searching for him. ... He ultimately turned himself in. We believe that that occurrence was the result of having restraining orders issued against him."

Lomando previously sued then-NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly to be reinstated with the force, according to the prosecutor and court records.

Lamondo, a 10-year veteran of the NYPD, was fired in 2004 after several documented misconduct issues and mental health concerns, according to Molinelli and an ABC report.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

KKK recruitment fliers were distributed around Lyndhurst last weekend, according to reports.

A member of the Ku Klux Klan is seen in a file photo. Ku Klux Klan fliers were left in front of houses and apartments in Lyndhurst last weekend, according to a report. (Associated Press File Photo) 

LYNDHURST - Mayor Robert Giangeruso says fliers distributed around town promoting the Ku Klux Klan are protected by the First Amendment, even though their message is intolerable, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.

"Lyndhurst is a community that respects and honors diversity," Giangeruso said in a statement obtained by the website.

"Freedom of speech sometimes brings with it the discomfort of hearing things that make our blood boil," Giangeruso said. "Racism, hatred and bigotry is never something we should tolerate. We trust this recruitment drive in Lyndhurst will be unsuccessful and our diversity will continue to be celebrated."

RELATED: KKK recruitment fliers left on doorsteps in N.J. town, report says

The mayor did not immediately return a call from NJ Advance Media Friday morning.

KKK recruitment fliers were distributed around the township last weekend, according to reports.

The fliers read, "Join the Klan and Save our Nation." There is an illustration of a Klansman aboard a horse as well as a Confederate flag and a flag with 13 stars, the website reported. A phone number for the Pelham, N.C.-based Loyal White Knights of the KKK and a website address are also included.

An official with the Bergen County NAACP has denounced the fliers, has called KKK activity in Lyndhurst "domestic terrorism," according to NorthJersey.com.

 

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Many of the 300-400 displaced residents claim fire alarms in the building did not work, even when they pulled them.

PASSAIC -- Investigators are combing through records and recordings of emergency transmissions and 911 calls to determine if fire alarms were disabled during an eight-alarm blaze that ripped through a Gregory Avenue apartment building Wednesday.

Many of the 300-400 displaced residents claim fire alarms in the building did not work, even when they pulled them.

"We have the same statements and the same concerns from tenants that are being reported to you," Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost Sr. said Friday. "The investigation is ongoing."

RELATED: Red Cross helping hundreds displaced by massive Passaic apartment fire

The blaze broke out shortly before 9 p.m. and quickly went to multiple alarms as firefighters scrambled to help evacuate residents. Portions of the roof collapsed on the building, which had about 60 apartments.

Investigators are waiting for information from the building's alarm company to determine the condition of the fire alarms. Trentacost was not sure when the building had last undergone a fire inspection.

Also at issue is whether the building had a sprinkler system.

Ray Lonabaugh, of the National Fire Sprinkler Association, says he doesn't think so.

"I can tell by looking at the photos this building was not sprinklered," Lonabaugh said. "When sprinklers are involved, fires do not get to this point."

The chief said sprinklers are not required by law.

While the fire department is investigating, their efforts have also gone toward cleanup, Trentacost said.

Trentacost said 700 gallons of water a minute from seven lines were poured for four hours into the building to douse the blaze.

"You can imagine the amount of cleanup that's involved," the chief said, adding that water was still being pumped out of the first floor on Friday morning.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A former New York City police officer accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death outside her Midland Park home Thursday was fired from the department and sought disability retirement after reporting that he suffered from mental health problems, court records show.

MIDLAND PARK -- A former New York City police officer accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death outside her Midland Park home Thursday was fired from the department for misconduct and sought disability retirement after reporting that he suffered from mental health problems, according to a New York judge's ruling.

Arthur J. Lomando, 44, of Centereach, Long Island, a 10-year NYPD veteran, sued the department for reinstatement and to retire with an ordinary disability pension, N.Y. State Supreme Court Judge Doris Ling-Cohan said a 2005 ruling.

Lomando faces charges that he fatally slashed 48-year-old Suzanne Bardzell with a machete-like knife as she pulled into her Godwin Avenue driveway, authorities have said. Bardzell and Lomando dated for about three years in a relationship marked by domestic violence.

Prosecutors say the accused killer jumped in front of a Manhattan subway after fleeing the crime scene and was hospitalized in New York City. According to Eyewitness News, both of his legs have been amputated above the knee.

A spokesman for the NYPD said Lomando was still in critical condition as of Friday morning.

Lomando's history as a police officer was detailed in his unsuccessful lawsuit against the force.

The NYPD filed internal disciplinary charges against Lomando in December 2000 for violations, including refusing a sergeant's order, insubordination, making false statements to a sergeant that he was on scheduled vacation for an overtime detail and taking a 15 minute unapproved leave from an assignment, according to Ling-Cohan's ruling.

In November 2001, Lomando was put on "restricted duty" after complaints that he was suffering from depression, the ruling stated.

An NYPD disciplinary trial found Lomando guilty of three administrative charges and recommended his termination, it stated.

Lomando in September 2003 filed for disability retirement, claiming "he was unable to perform his duties as a police officer because he suffered from depression, insomnia and fatigue," according to Ling-Cohan's ruling.

An NYPD psychologist found him "psychologically fit and recommended that he be restored to full duty," according to Ling-Cohan's ruling. About a month later, the former officer called in sick for psychological reasons and was ordered to again be examined by the department.

"Shortly thereafter, [Lomando] was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and panic attacks," Ling-Cohan stated in the ruling, though it was unclear if police psychologists made the diagnosis.

The ruling stated Lomando's diagnosis was "Personality Disorder NOS" and his disability claim was approved.

RELATED: Woman fatally stabbed in her Midland Park driveway, authorities say

The NYPD later launched an investigation to determine if Lomando worked an off-duty job as a delivery driver while on sick leave in 2003, it stated.

The police pension fund's medical board again found in April 2004 that Lomando "could not perform the duties of a police officer," but an internal departmental probe continued, Ling-Cohan stated in the ruling. That review led then-NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly to approve firing Lomando in July 2004.

The suit alleged Lomando was fired to nix his disability retirement.

"Petitioner contends that the NYPD's termination of his employment, days before his ordinary disability retirement was to take effect, was in bad faith and with the intent to frustrate his disability retirement," Ling-Cohan's ruling stated.

The judge, however, ruled in favor of the NYPD in 2005.

The police department argued that Lomando lied to a superior about working another job while on probation and modified assignment. 

"Moreover, [NYPD officials] argue that they had a good faith basis to terminate petitioner because he made false and misleading statements to his commanding officer during an official departmental investigation, and as such, his termination was not effected with a view toward frustrating his application for disability retirement," according to the ruling. 

Bergen County authorities have not detailed evidence against Lomando, but said Bardzell had an order of protection against him. 

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A robber with a painted-on beard stole nearly $5,000 from a River Road bank Friday morning, authorities said.

NEW MILFORD -- A robber with a painted-on beard stole nearly $5,000 from a River Road bank Friday morning, authorities said.

Borough officers responded to a robbery at the Hudson City Savings Bank around 9:40 a.m., police said in a news release.

The bandit handed a teller a note demanding money and escaped with cash in a shopping bag, according to police. He was last seen heading eastbound.

Police described the robber as 5-foot-5, around 28 years old, average build, with dark eyes and a painted-on beard. He was reportedly wearing a green cardigan sweater with a tan shirt, khaki pants and light blue-tinted prescription glasses.

Anyone with information was asked to call borough police at 201-261-1400.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.