The Personal Injury Attorney in Allendale, NJ, You Can Trust

The Fourth of July in 2025 falls on a Friday and sets the stage for an action packed long weekend in New Jersey of fireworks, parades, concerts and festivals to celebrate Independence Day.

There’s no shortage of July 4th festivities and if you’re making plans for a busy weekend of grilling or visiting the Jersey Shore, we’ve got you covered.

A quick reminder - while some ground-based fireworks are now legal in New Jersey, leave the big pyrotechnics to the pros.

Here’s a rundown of Fourth of July concerts, festivals, fireworks, and parades planned throughout the state.

Atlantic County

Did we miss something? If you have an event you’d like for us to add, send the information to lobrien@njadvancemedia.com or Stephanie Loder sloder@njadvancemedia.com.

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ALLENDALE — Clay-spattered Northern Highlands students completed a two-day stint at the borough's Department of Public Works building on Tuesday, sculpting details for nine historic buildings to be included in a new Centennial Mural.

Ceramics teacher Jessica Thompson oversaw a team of 20 ceramic and art student volunteers working on the next stage of assembling clay pieces for a multi-panel, three-dimensional mural to replace the 1994 Centennial Mural. Painted on the west walk of a commercial/residential building at 83-89 W. Allendale Ave. in the borough's central business district, the mural had faded and was partially plastered over four years ago during a wall-reinforcement project.

The clay outlines of nine buildings, including the face of the borough's clock, each measuring 3 to 5 feet, were laid out on plywood trestle tables in the DPW's garage. The completed forms will be cut into pieces, dried, fired and painted with colored enameled glazes. The tiles will be affixed to prefabricated stainless steel panels.

"We created clay outlines of the buildings from laser templates, and the students are now applying the details such as windows, steps and bushes," said Simon Rigg, a resident sculptor in charge of the project.

According to Rigg, the project has been worked into the curriculum of the district's three schools. Students received an introductory lesson on the history of the mural and its chosen elements. Third graders previously shaped clay animals and birds indigenous to the borough's Celery Farm preserve for the mural.

On Tuesday, student Graham Kaufman struggled to make the steps in front of the Highlands Presbyterian Church form look three dimensional, while fellow student Addison Pavone used a sculpting tool to cross-hatch a section of the base before applying a strip of clay defining one of its windows.

"You have to be careful not to dig too deep or the form will break when it dries," Pavone said.

Students worked in shifts, alternating between time at a work station with snack breaks on the garage's driveway.

Mayor Amy Wilczynski, who is overseeing the fundraising effort for the $100,000 project, was present both days to observe student progress.

"We just had a fundraiser at the Allendale Bar & Grill, and will be doing others in the weeks ahead," Wilczynski said.

A link for donations is posted on the borough's website page for the mural.

ALLENDALE — Ethel Avenue residents are contesting proposed water treatment upgrades on their property's easement by Veolia Water New Jersey as "overburdening" the site.

Superior Court Judge Nicholas Ostuni has ordered a stay on improvements to Well 17, operated by Veolia, pending a December trial, as reported in a two-page May 20 email message from the mayor and council. The legal action resulted from a complaint filed against the utility in February by Kris and Laura Van Der Leeuw of 7 Ethel Ave. The borough has since been added as a third-party defendant.

"Unfortunately the borough has been brought into it," the two-page letter from the Allendale mayor and council said. "Veolia has now been ordered by the court to stop the planning process to filter PFAS at this site, which provides 20% of the water to our residents."

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are called "forever chemicals" because they break down very slowly in the environment. New Jersey formally adopted some of the country's strictest drinking water standards in 2020 and required public systems to begin monitoring their water for the presence of these chemicals in 2021. Similar standards were enacted nationally by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2024.

Public water agencies are now required to measure and report on PFAS levels in their systems on a regular basis, with a limit of 4 parts per trillion, or 4 ppt, in drinking water. According to the newsletter, Well 17 is testing at 8.24 ppt, "more than double the Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level."

Mayor Amy Wilczynski said the borough has five operational wells, with temporary PFAS treatment systems on two of them. The newsletter said Well 17 has been treated with sodium hypochlorite (concentrated household bleach) "to kill potential pathogens" for over 30 years.

Allendale oversaw its own water system until 2013, when it sold control to Suez Water, which was transferred to Veolia in 2022.

Well and pipes only

The Van Der Leeuws' complaint charges that the wording of their easement, created in 1966, limits its use at the north end of their property on the edge of Ethel Avenue's eastern cul de sac to a water well and pipes.

Their complaint says a November inspection of the current utility shed revealed the installation of chemical tanks, a wash basin, water treatment facilities and a high-powered electrical panel without borough approval. Chemical showers are also proposed.

The complaint further charges that evergreen trees around the current shed have been removed without permission, in violation of the easement's "properly landscaped" requirement. The proposed expansion of the utility shed to 25 by 21 feet would cover so much of the site that "there would not be sufficient area left to properly landscape with evergreen trees, as required by the terms of the easement."

In addition, the complaint says the easement did not provide for on-site storage or use of dangerous chemicals. Sodium hypochlorite and zinc orthophosphate for corrosion control are currently being stored and used on the property, and the addition of liquid ammonium sulfate for disinfection purposes is being proposed.

The complaint concludes that the proposed additions "far exceed the scope of the easement agreement" created in 1966 for a well and pipes.

"The Mayor and Council truly hope there is a mutually agreeable solution and reaffirm our commitment to advocating for the wellbeing of all residents," the email said.

William Strasser, attorney for the Van Der Leeuws, said, "We believe that the law is very strong in our favor on this, and we believe we're going to prevail in the end."

Veolia Water New Jersey spokeswoman Debra Vial said the company is "committed to protecting public health and enhancing water quality and reliability for Allendale residents."

"Since acquiring the system, we have made significant progress by installing two PFAS treatment facilities to ensure compliance, replacing lead service lines and hydrants, and undertaking other essential upgrades," Vial said. "Our work to make necessary improvements for the community is ongoing, and we maintain an open dialogue and close collaboration with the borough on these efforts."

3-minute read

ALLENDALE — David Bannister leaves his home in Paterson in the early morning darkness and starts his workday at Northern Highlands Regional High School long before the first bleary-eyed student has trudged through the entrance.

The Paterson-born chef and his team of 14 cafeteria workers begin prep at 5 a.m. for a food service that will eventually feed 1,300 students.

On one recent school day, the cafeteria team worked with the synchronicity of an orchestra as it sliced fresh vegetables and roasted chicken breasts — exactly 450 cutlets. Then, Bannister turned his attention to the stove where his soup of the day burbled in a stock pot.

This is what he’s known for. The students call him the Soup King. Each recipe is made from scratch, and the ingredients in his latest concoction, Buffalo chicken soup, tingle on the tongue.

“That’s what we do here,” Bannister said with a big smile after taste-testing his latest creation.

'He’s a great asset'

Bannister worked his way up from dishwasher to head chef at Pomptonian Food Service, the company hired by the Allendale school district.

Now he is being recognized with two awards from the National Black Chefs Association in Chicago.

“We wanted to recognize what he’s doing for the school — it’s hard work that starts early in the morning making hot meals for the children and faculty,” said Bernard Talley, president of the trade association, adding that Bannister was nominated by the noted Paterson-born chef Rasul York. “He’s a great asset for the association and the city of Paterson.”

Bannister is a man of few words. His food does the talking, and his dishes speak many languages. In addition to the regular menu, the school cafeteria offers an international station with Chinese sweet-and-sour-chicken, Polish kielbasa and Italian tortellini.

The breadth of his culinary knowledge seems even more impressive considering that he never attended culinary school. Now he is being appointed chapter president in the chefs' association.

The organization, founded more than a decade ago, began giving out awards in 2018 in different disciplines, including for pastry chefs, cake artists, grillmasters, caterers, even ice carvers. In addition to the Hall of Fame honors, Bannister won an award usually reserved for chefs working in traditional restaurants.

“He could work anywhere — he could run a restaurant,” David Pretini, Pomptonian’s food service director, said about Bannister. “But I think he likes what he’s doing because he has the freedom to do what he wants.”

'I trust him implicitly'

Pretini says the workday begins with a brainstorming session with Bannister in which they decide the menu, then he leaves Bannister to his own devices.

“I’ll tell him to make chicken-and-rice soup and he makes it however he likes,” Pretino said. “I trust him implicitly — I know it’s going to come out right.”

Lunch begins at 11 a.m., but students begin lining up at the counters much earlier. In fact, the issue of students sneaking off to the cafeteria became so prevalent that the head office had to institute a rule not to sell food before a certain hour.

“The teachers all complained that students were coming to class late,” Pretini said.

This isn’t the cafeteria food that most people endured as schoolchildren. No mystery meat is on the menu. This is restaurant-quality food. And if the students of Northern Highlands weren’t so generous with their gratitude, it would make a person envy them.

Instead, the walls of the kitchen are lined with thank-you notes addressed to Bannister and student-drawn portraits. Brooke Xu, a junior, even wrote a story about Bannister for the school newspaper.

The most ostentatious display of the school’s appreciation for Bannister is a banner hung in the lobby, right next to the trophy case where the Highlanders boast their athletic and scholastic achievements.

“He’s an institution here,” Scot Beckerman, the school’s superintendent, told Paterson Press. “We wanted to make sure the parents and kids, when they come to school, know he’s being recognized.”

Beckerman said that in his 30 years working as an administrator, he’s never met a chef of Bannister’s caliber working in the school system. The superintendent said he is so fond of Bannister’s comfort foods like meatloaf and chili that he no longer needs to leave the premises for his midday break.

“I used to go home for lunch,” he said. “Now I eat lunch in the cafeteria with the kids.”

Darren Tobia is a contributing writer for Paterson Press.

2-minute read

Blame it on the water or an alignment of the planets — no one can say what is responsible for the astounding 11 sets of twins in this year's Northern Highlands graduating class of 340 students.

Principal Joe Occhino called it near-unique in the history of the regional high school, which serves students in Allendale, Upper Saddle River, Saddle River and Ho-Ho-Kus.

"This group of twins is certainly a record-breaker for Highlands," Occhino said Wednesday. "This sensational group is truly a microcosm of what the Class of 2023 represents — unique, special, fun-loving and confident! I am honored to be their principal."

Interviewing 22 high school seniors at once would be a challenge on any day, but on the last day of classes the group was additionally distracted by signing yearbooks, which include a two-page spread on the twins because the occasion was so momentous. A spontaneous chorus of "Sweet Caroline" erupted among the students between classes as they waited for slow-moving brothers and sisters to arrive.

None of the identical twins will admit to switching classes while growing up to fool their teachers.

There was general consensus that an overarching advantage of being twins is two-for-one privileges: two sets of phone calls for snow day closings, and two sets of tickets for graduation. A general disadvantage is that the keys of the family car are always missing, or that whoever drove the car last left it in the driveway with no gas. Also that one twin is always being compared to the other.

From there, opinions diverge on the best part of making people see double.

"Someone always has your back," Tom Scornacchia said about twin sister Sarah.

"You always know somebody the first day of school," Anthony Gentile said of twin brother Kyle.

Highlands apparently makes no effort to keep the pairs separated. Justin and Roman Dario said they had five classes together this year.

"Yes, but I did all the homework," Roman said, while Justin attempted to administer a half-nelson wrestling hold. "Don't tell anyone."

Among the disadvantages: impromptu clothes sharing.

"You miss a bunch of sweatshirts," said Juliana Lavino. Brother John denied that any such borrowing took place.

Whether the twins will stay close or go their separate ways in college got diverse answers. Andre Johnson said he was headed to Penn State while brother Gabe would be relatively close at Lafayette, also in Pennsylvania. On the other hand, Olivia Flynn is headed for Virginia Tech while sister Arden is going to the University of Georgia. Isabel Padilla chose Savannah College of Arts and Design in Georgia while brother Tommy will attend High Point University in North Carolina.

As the students departed for their classes, Tommy stayed behind to emphasize that telepathy between twins is "very real." And what does Tommy think was in the water that produced so many twins?

"Lead," Tommy said without hesitation.

The twins are:

Graduation at the school is June 22.

Editor's note: The twin experience is not unique for this school as there were 16 sets of twins in the class of 2021.