When Leonard Kaiser, the former mayor of North Arlington, died three years ago, it came out of nowhere and many were stunned by the loss of their former leader. But if there was one thing clear after he died it was that something would be done in the borough of North Arlington to honor his memory eternally.
That day came last weekend.
The Borough of North Arlington dedicated Children’s Centennial Park in honor of the late mayor Oct. 27.
The ceremony, at 96 Schuler Ave., was led by North Arlington Council President Mario Karcic, Mayor Daniel H. Pronti and the Borough Council. Family, friends, and neighbors gathered to pay tribute to the late Republican mayor, who served for nearly 20 years.
His widow, Barbara, spoke in his memory.
In 1996, under Mayor Kaiser’s direction, Children’s Centennial Park was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the borough. In recognition of his years of public service and dedication to the community, the recreation house and park is now known as the “Leonard R. Kaiser Memorial Children’s Centennial Park & Recreation House.”
Kaiser served as mayor from 1983 to 2002. Throughout his years as mayor, he may be best remembered for securing $2.2 million in federal funds to infill sink holes to the Schuyler Copper Mines after a collapse in 1989, an initiative that protected the homes of dozens of North Arlington residents.
Following his service as mayor, Kaiser served in the Bergen County executive’s office and became director of the Bergen County Utilities Authority, a position he held from 2002 to 2009. He died in 2021.
“Leonard Kaiser definitely had a passion for North Arlington, especially in the area of redevelopment,” Pronti said. “The recreation house and park will serve as a lasting reminder of his impact and devotion to our borough.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.