DUI Lawyers in Pompton Lakes, NJ

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POMPTON LAKES — Borough officials are pushing forward with more downtown redevelopment efforts, recently approving a 30-year payment instead of taxes agreement for a four-story, 23-unit apartment complex at 60 Wanaque Ave.

Local officials reviewed the project's financial and municipal impacts in March, including the PILOT or payment in lieu of taxes deal their experts tell them should bring in about $2.5 million in municipal revenue over the next 30 years.

The project by Pequannock-based Soojian Brothers Construction is slated for the former gas station site across the street from the Pompton Lakes Town Square retail complex and adjacent to Tatiana’s Tailor & Dry Cleaners, local records show.

Estimated at a cost of $6.3 million, the development was one of a handful in recent years identified by borough officials as ideal for a PILOT agreement that would provide the borough with annual revenue based on the larger of either a percentage of gross revenue or the amount of conventional property taxes.

Bryan Morris, a borough consultant from Phoenix Advisors, said during a borough council meeting in March that the agreement would generate an estimated average of $83,000 in net revenue over 30 years. With a 20-year agreement followed by typical tax revenue distribution for 10 years, the town might net about $1.75 million, he said.

Additionally, the agreement allows the borough to collect a 2% annual administrative fee, of which 5% would go to the county, during the term of the agreement, he said. Land taxes would continue to be distributed to the county and school district, Morris added.

Steve Mlenak, an attorney with Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis representing the project developer, said that without a PILOT, the project would not happen and the site would remain as it is — responsible for about $5,600 in annual property taxes, according to county records.

The plan for 60 Wanaque Ave. is one of many in a multi-year effort to revitalize downtown Pompton Lakes and establish new tax revenue sources. Once a regional shopping destination, the downtown has struggled in recent decades in comparison to its heyday in the 20th century, according to borough officials.

After being granted a redevelopment plan amendment by council members, the project is expected to have commercial office space on the first floor rather than retail storefronts, a key component of other projects involved in the revitalization program. The new retail space — as well as new residential units — included in downtown redevelopment projects have caused some concern among residents in recent years regarding parking, traffic and the potential displacement of existing businesses.

While the PILOT agreement was approved unanimously by the borough council, Councilwoman Jennifer Polidori said there were some questions that went unanswered on taxpayer impact and council members only received pertinent information on the deal the day of the vote. She called the dissemination of information before the vote "an absolute disgrace."

Mayor Michael Serra said the details were generally left up to the town's consultants, who gave a presentation on the PILOT agreement on March 12, ahead of the vote. The town's consultants are experts in PILOT agreements and negotiated the deal, he said.

"They recommended everything," he said during the council's March 26 meeting. "It didn't come from this council."

Serra said the agreement, one of dozens inked in the region in recent years, is set to bring the town about 95% of the site's property taxes for its duration. The town's 2024 cut was about 25% of total property tax, state records show. The remainder went to the county government and school district.

Angel Mora pitched a masterful three-hit shutout as 11th-seeded Passaic defeated sixth-seeded Pompton Lakes 3-0 in the first round of the Passaic County Tournament in Pompton Lakes.

Mora struck out six and walked just two in 6.2 innings of work to lead Passaic (7-7) to the upset victory. The Indians’ offense provided enough support with 10 hits against Pompton Lakes (8-5).

Passaic broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning when it pushed across a run. The Indians added two insurance runs in the sixth inning to secure the win.

Eriberto Penalo led the Passaic offense with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate and added a stolen base. Randis Rosario went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases, while Franklin Pena contributed two doubles, scored a run and stole a base.

Adrian Fabian delivered two singles and drove in two runs for the Indians.

Vincent Caruso had a strong game for Pompton Lakes, going 2-for-2, while Jack Babich added the Cardinals’ only other hit, going 1-for-2.

Pompton Lakes starter Vinnie Stigliano struck out eight Passaic batters without issuing a walk in six innings of work.

With the victory, Passaic advances to face third-seeded Passaic Valley in the quarterfinals.

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Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff.

Mia Soto has mastered the art of the steal.

The Pompton Lakes senior, known for her contagious energy, doesn't take her foot off the gas on defense despite being her team's top scorer and primary ball-handler. Standing at 5-foot-4 doesn't seem to bother her, either.

Soto had 14 steals last week against Lyndhurst and swiped seven in a Passaic County tournament win against Wayne Valley days later. The DeSales University commit thinks she got into the 20s in an AAU game at some point.

So while she plans to help athletes one day as a pro or college athletic trainer, her hustle and ability to read passes make her a menace to be around in the meantime.

"Defense is my game," Soto said. "I love it with a passion. I thrive off steals, defensive deflections, even the smallest tips to slow down the pass so my teammate can get the steal."

As a basketball player, Soto has taken inspiration from some usual places.

Her family. Her teammates. The late great Kobe Bryant.

Soto models her game after the former Lakers guard even though Bryant retired around the same time she picked up the sport in third grade.

"The day that he passed away, it really affected me even though he doesn't have a clue who I am," Soto said. "Every time before a game, I pray. I just want to be like him as I grow."

Then there are the unlikely sources of inspiration for Soto. Take for example, Hamlet, part of the reading list for interim coach Matt Hennessy's English class.

"I absolutely loved Hamlet and I think that's what helped me honestly play basketball," Soto said. "Every time at practice, I would go up to him and talk about the quiz we just took or what we read during class that day."

Luckily, Pompton Lakes has been far from a Shakespearean tragedy on the basketball court. Even though Soto is often the only senior in the starting lineup, the Cardinals (13-8) are rolling into Saturday's Passaic County quarterfinals. Soto is averaging a career-high 15.95 points as a senior.

"I've been around the program for like 20, 25 years," said Hennessy, who's calling the shots again with head coach Britney Flynn on maternity leave.

"(Soto is) as good as a player that we've had and one of a small handful to go on to play at college. The way she goes, we go."

Soto spent her freshman year at Immaculate Heart before returning to her hometown school as a sophomore. She plays shooting guard for the North Jersey Bucks AAU team, but runs the point for the Cardinals with field hockey star and fellow Athlete of the Week Krista Lilienthal out dealing with knee issues.

Soto won’t be the first athlete in her family to reach the college level. Her brother Luis Soto played some Division III football at Springfield and her father, Luis, roamed the soccer fields at New Haven.

As the story goes, a young Mia wanted to be a gymnast early on but fell in love with basketball when her mom signed up her for a rec league instead.

Now, with her time at Pompton Lakes winding down, Soto is tapping into her experience as a vocal captain – one who Hennessy said is comfortable hyping up or calling out a teammate.

When words aren't enough to fire up the team, Soto can often do it with a steal.

"I love it," Soto said. "I don't think about the fact that I'm leaving in a few weeks or months. I just think about how can I prepare this team for next year and the years following. I take all the freshmen under my wing. I love helping all the young ones."

Mia Soto

Sport: Basketball

School: Pompton Lakes

Class: Senior. Age: 17

Accomplishment: Soto finished with a double-double against Lyndhurst, racking up 23 points and 14 steals to go with five assists. She had 22 points and seven steals against Wayne Valley.

Also nominated: Noemi Simon of Passaic Tech and Gabriella Mittelman of Demarest for basketball.

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The last time Calyx Carfi played a flag football game on the artificial turf at Pompton Lakes’ stadium — May 1, 2024 — she had to be carried off it.

The double whammy of her right foot getting caught in the turf and two opponents trampling her at the exact same instant led to the obliteration of her right knee.

After significant and painful reconstructive surgery and rehab, Carfi returned to that field Tuesday.

On Pompton Lakes’ first snap of 2025, against Elmwood Park, the junior running back replaced one never-to-be-forgotten moment with another.

Carfi took a handoff from QB Alyssa Bailey going left. With a pre-snap look, Carfi noted the Elmwood Park linebackers were stacked inside. Without hesitation, she dashed to the edge and turned upfield. A couple of jukes later, she was in the end zone, completing a 60-yard, scoring run.

Carfi discovered that no injury is truly healed until an athlete, regardless of gender or sport, can do what comes naturally.

In that moment, as she throttled to full speed, instinct superseded fear.

“Right then, I knew I was back,” Carfi said.

Of course, the touchdown was big, but not nearly as important as the fact that Carfi didn’t fret about her knee — not once.

“She looked exactly the same as she did last year,” said Pompton Lakes head coach Julie Williams. “She was as fast as she was. She cut as hard as she always cuts.

“In the moment, I wasn’t thinking about easing her mind and giving her the ball on the first play. Honestly, I called the play I thought would give us the best chance to get off to a good start.”

As fate would have it, Williams, unknowingly, did both.

“Coach called the play, and I prepared myself a little,” Carfi said Wednesday. “I took a deep breath and told myself, ‘I got this.’

“I felt like I was running really slow and really fast all at the same time,” she explained. “Until I heard the whistle and turned around, I had no idea I was in the end zone.

“All I did was run.”

It was a feel-good story right out of a Hollywood script. Girl blows out knee. Girl rehabs knee. Girl scores TD on the first play of her return.

All it needed was dramatic music, a little slo-mo on the celebration and a fade to the credits.

The only element to spoil the story were the three interceptions Elmwood Park returned for touchdowns in the second half for a 19-12 victory.

“Really, it was like something out of a movie,” Williams said.

Her teammates raced to meet her.

“High fives all around,” said Carfi, who had her own rooting section including her anxious mom.

“For the returning teammates who saw what she went through, it was the Calyx we all remembered,” Williams said.

Carfi carried eight times for 85 yards. She also caught two passes for 30 yards.

It was a game against Lyndhurst, on the first day of last May, when Carfi went down and was unable to get up.

Ironically, Carfi was playing defense for the first time that day.

“I was blocking after an interception,” she said. “My cleats got hung up in the turf. If I hadn’t gotten hit by two Lyndhurst players, I think it (her foot) may have come loose.”

But it didn’t. The force of the impact sent her body falling one way while her knee remained trapped in the artificial grass.

“I heard a pop,” she said. “I’ll never forget that sound.”

Carfi was helped off the field by a teammate and Pompton Lakes’ athletic trainer. Her right leg dangled uselessly.

“The trainer initially thought I would be okay,” she said.

However, x-rays and an MRI days later revealed extensive damage. A completely torn ACL, a torn meniscus, and a sprained medial collateral ligament required surgery to repair.

“My mom got the call at work, and she told me when she came home,” Carfi said. “I immediately became upset.”

Carfi said her ACL was repaired with a piece of tissue from her patella tendon.

What she didn’t realize was that the severity of her injury has become more common as high school sports, particularly flag football, continue to grow.

According to the National Library of Medicine, there are approximately 400,000 ACL reconstructions every year in the United States.

In athletes, the female-to-male ratio has been reported to be 4.5:1. Female athletes tend to get ACL ruptures at a younger age.

While limited, Carfi was able to be a cheerleader for the Pompton Lakes boys team. She also spent the winter getting ready for the spring season.

She kept Williams apprised of her progress as the months passed.

“She is such a hard-working kid,” Williams said. “She put her mind to getting back. She was always in good spirits. She never questioned why it happened to her.

“I’m proud of what she did to get back on the field.”

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Joe Zedalis covers the Shore Conference for NJ.com. He can be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com.

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