Local Incumbents Reelected, Veterans Day Ceremony Top Fort Lee News

The Fort Lee governing body will remain the same this year—all Democratic—as Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich and Councilmen Armand Pohan and Michael Sargenti were re-elected Tuesday, defeating their Republican challengers, mayoral candidate Judith Fisher and Council candidates Martha Cohen and Alfred V. Norton III.

Sokolich, who will now serve a second, four-year term, defeated Fisher, who was seeking her first after an unsuccessful bid in 2007, in the General Election, 4,161 votes to 1,590.

Pohan, with 3,592 votes, and Sargenti, with 3,700, bested Cohen (2,043 votes) and Norton (1,826 votes), both of whom were seeking their first terms on the Council. Pohan and Sargenti will each serve a fourth, three-year term. (Full Story)

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This year Veterans Day in Fort Lee was forever connected to American patriot and soldier Thomas Paine. Fort Lee VFW Commander Jimmy Viola this week unveiled a new portion of the wonderful monument wall outside the VFW Post known as Veterans Square. 

The new addition is a quote from Thomas Paine and reads, “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, so that my children may have peace.” (Full Story)

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Local veterans from the Fort Lee V.F.W. also visited Wednesday. Fourth, fifth and sixth-graders were treated to a visit from Joseph Buda, Commander James Viola and Gene Iaconetti.

“Commander Viola introduced the veterans, then he spoke to our students about never giving up, pride in our country and how important it is to read,” said School No. 1 Media Specialist Diane Henry. “The veterans then answered questions from our students. The students of School 1 were very excited about meeting our veterans.”

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The held its 8th annual Merit Board ceremony Thursday in ’s council chambers, honoring their own for heroic deeds over the past year, as well as those of civilian members of the department, members and heads of other Borough departments and the public.

“It gives us an opportunity to recognize our brave men and women of our department and others who have performed valiantly during the prior period,” said Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich. “It also gives us and opportunity to brag about the incredible personnel that we have here in the Borough of Fort Lee, which, in my opinion, is the number one reason why we are as special a community as we are … We are the envy of many, many communities, and one of those reasons is the performance of our police department.”

Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli called the annual ceremony “an important event” and a “morale-booster for the rank and file.” (Full Story)

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Fort Lee police say an elderly male pedestrian sustained a “life threatening head injury” after he was hit by an unknown vehicle at the intersection Linwood Ave. and Bridge Plaza North in Fort Monday in an apparent hit-and-run. (Full Story)

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Each year on the Friday closest to Veterans Day, partners with the Jewish War Veterans of Fort Lee, the Gallin-Mazur Post 741, to mark the occasion. This year, Veterans Day happens to fall on a Friday, and Rabbi Kenneth Stern’s efforts—dating back to August—to get U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to speak at the Synagogue’s service paid off earlier this week when he received word that the senator would indeed be able to make it. (Full Story)

The Week in Review appears every Sunday on Fort Lee Patch.