WEST NEW YORK AND BEYOND--Gov. Chris Christie visited West New York's Memorial High School Wednesday morning alongside state School Development Authority CEO Marc Larkins to announce their approval of the purchase of St. Joseph's school in order to expand the city's currently overcrowded Memorial High School.

But they still have to wait for the pope to approve the sale.

"We are in the midst of active negotiations with the archdiocese," Larkins said. St. Joe's is a parochial school, and any sale or purchase of such a school requires papal approval. "We hope to finalize the purchase within the calendar year."

The project was approved by the SDA around four weeks ago, Christie explained in response to a question as to whether or not his visit to West New York had anything to do with town Mayor Felix Roque's recent endorsement of Republican candidate for senator Joe Kyrillos only one week before, over local Democratic incumbent Bob Menendez.

Christie also said he chose to visit the school because of the uniqueness of the plan to purchase an entirely separate building to meet Memorial's needs.

For more details, read this weekend's edition of the West New York Reporter. --Gennarose Pope

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