Clifton Merchant Magazine - August 2004

Fr Clifton Merchant Magazine • Volume 10 • Issue 8 • August 6, 2004

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Where are Clifton’s Cliffs?

AUGUST

2004

inside…

DuBois Resigns as Environmental Chair . . . . .20 A Nature Preserve on Dundee Island? . . . . . .22

In October, 1867, a group of residents walked the town to ponder new names. Inspiration struck Mrs. Charles D. Spencer as she pointed to Garret Mountain and said: “There are your cliffs and the name shall be Clifton.” These days, you might wonder what Mrs. Spencer could possibly have been looking at. Our story follows...

Northern Pike on the Passaic River . . . . . . . . .32 One Way In and Out for Seniors . . . . . . . . . .34 Remembering Camp Clifton . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Career Starters for CHS Students . . . . . . . . . .51 CHS Athletic Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Walk for Lisa Ann Trombino . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Vets Get NJ Service Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Church Picnics, City Festivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Still Plenty of Summer Remains . . . . . . . . . . .78 Birthdays and Celebrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Avenue of Flags. Pg.67

30 Clifton Merchant Magazine is published monthly at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400

Why are there deer on Washington Ave? In mid-June, as I and other parents were taking photos of our kids before the 8th grade dance at CCMS, a deer bounded across Washington Ave., at Fifth St. We couldn’t get a photo of the frightened creature but a few days after, the deer was found dead in Main Memorial Park.

In late July, I was headed on Route 46 West, just past Valley Rd. It was rainy and I cut down the road near Gensingers—and into a river of asphalt, rock and mud.

What the heck is going on? Deer are in Downtown Clifton, a river of mud flows towards our city, thousands of trees have been cut and the mountain has been reshaped. That’s progress and profit in the year 2004!

And that directs us to our city’s namesake, Garret Mountain, where K. Hovnanian’s Four Seasons at Great Notch is taking shape across a former quarry on the West Paterson and Clifton border. The land was mined for decades and is no longer productive for that purpose.

Not too many people could have complained about building housing on the former quarry. I’m guessing, but I think a fair profit could have been realized from building a few hundred homes—let’s say 400 units—in the quarry. But developers said that it’s not economically feasibly to limit the development to the quarry.

So to make room for 810 units of housing, thousands of old trees have been clear-cut and the land left barren.

As the development took decades-old forest next to the reservoir and near Route 46, this is where the project leaped from profit to greed. Do the math: if each home sells for $400,000, K. Hovnanian grosses $324,000,000.

In the past, K. Hovnanian President Joe Riggs has written about Smart Growth and the balance between land preservation and the need to build homes for New Jersey’s growing population. That’s thoughtful.

That’s why it baffles me that K. Hovnanian isn’t building market rate housing in places like Passaic, just past Botany Village. Acres of land with infrastructure and easy access to major highways have been vacant there since a fire in 1984. Why instead do they build on a mature forest just minutes away? You decide.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Opinion

by Editor & Publisher Tom Hawrylko

Welcome Aboard: Dennis J. Kirwan of West Milford was hired as the full time City Planner on July 27. For the last few years, planning has been done by consultants hired by the city on a project by project basis.

With more than 20 years of experience in the areas of civil engineering, land surveying, planning, and GIS (geographical information systems), Kirwan will be a full time steward for the city’s planning efforts. “We haven’t had any aggressive planning going on and a city of our size needs a full-time planner,” said City Manager Barbara Sacks, who is Kirwan’s new boss.

“Dennis will help us coordinate economic development, preservation of open space and residential development.

In addition, the planning board will have a planner to make sure that what they approve actually gets implemented,” Sacks said. Kirwan has some political chops, too. He is also a West Milford Twp. council member.

A Development/Planning Team: Kirwan will work with Economic Development Director Harry Swanson, City Engineer Jim Yellen and Sacks to provide a team approach to shape a vision for Clifton. “We are in dire need of having a coordinated approach to pull all the pieces together so that Clifton in the 21st century is the best Clifton ever,” commented Sacks.

Back to the Master Plan: For months last year, we wrote about the City’s Master Plan. When the document was being prepared, we asked City Council members their opinions. Here’s what Steve Hatala, chair of the Council’s Economic Development subcommittee had to say: “I want a plan with strategy—neighborhood by neighborhood. It should be detailed, with periodic benchmarks to grade ourselves. What do we want our neighborhoods to look like two, three, 10 years down the road?

If it is vague, it is not worth the paper it is written on.

That... is how we lose control of our community.”

Tomahawk Promotions 1288 Main Avenue Downtown Clifton, NJ 07011 973-253-4400 • Tom.Hawrylko@verizon.net

EDITOR & PUBLISHER Tom Hawrylko BUSINESS MANAGER Cheryl Hawrylko GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andre Olave EDITORIAL INTERN Elaine Sanchez WRITERS Jack DeVries, Joe Torelli, Fran Hopkins, Raymond Tulling, Daniel Wolfe

From Clifton’s Lost Control File: We’ve not published photos of 1300 Main Ave. over the last few months in hopes that the developer, who is also my neighbor, would actually do what he said he was going to— build a three story medical center.

But the pictures here tells the truth: it is an eyesore. And while there is one hard working contractor on the job, the developer, for whatever reason, is not serious about getting the project done. This former Firestone building, at the corner of Main and Hillman, has been vacant for over a decade. Three years ago, the property and an adjacent home on Hillman were purchased, to be replaced by a medical center. While the plan was deficient by 20 parking spaces, the City Council and Administration hardily endorsed the project and the Zoning Board granted variances to proceed.

Variances have since expired and the developer was granted extensions but nothing is getting done.

Back to the Master Plan, Part 2: So let’s review 1300 Main Ave. The city endorses and approves the project. Permits are issued and then extended—twice, I believe. City officials, both appointed and elected, drive past the property daily.

Does anyone notice the lack of progress here? Is there any one city official managing open permits, following up? And as far as the benchmarks to grade neighborhood progress? Councilman Hatala needs to visit Downtown Clifton.

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What’s Happening to Our Mountain?

––––––––––––––––– Story by Fran Hopkins ––––––––––––––––– he tale of how Clifton got its name is a familiar one to long-time residents. As the story goes, in October, 1867, a group of residents walked the town, then still called Acquakanonk, to ponder new names. (Former portions of Acquakanonk had already renamed themselves Passaic and Paterson.)

Various possibilities based on family names or local features were considered. Names like Weasel, Garrison, Vreeland and Claverack were tossed around and rejected.

Finally, inspiration struck a Mrs. Charles D. Spencer. Directing the group’s attention to Garret Mountain, Mrs. Spencer famously exclaimed, “There are your cliffs and the name shall be Clifton.”

But if you’re on Route 46 near Great Notch or at St. Philip’s on Valley Road, you might wonder what Mrs. Spencer could possibly have been looking at.

Where are Clifton’s cliffs?

T

6

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

A Hole in the Mountain “Quarrying for decades has taken down much of what used to be the cliffs,” said Joe Labriola, former vice chairman of Clifton’s Environmental Protective Commission and a member of the Commission since 1995. “By the late 1980’s, the highest point, Washington Rock, was gone.”

Washington Rock was so named because George Washington purportedly used the vantage point as a lookout during the Revolutionary War. It was the 600foot-high looming presence that once dominated the landscape across the street from St. Philip’s parish and Paul VI Regional High School on Valley Road.

Thousands of trees have been clear-cut on a 98 acre tract of land which straddles the West Paterson and Clifton border. Developer K. Hovnanian expects that by the year 2008, the new active adult community, Four Seasons at Great Notch, will offer 810 units of housing. What will be the impact of such a project to our community and environment?

Yet to truly see what’s happened to the mountain, you need to venture up the bumpy quarry trail off Valley Road, something this writer did recently.

Follow the stream of dump trucks bouncing up the mountain until you come upon what looks like a barren moonscape.

The beep-beep-beep of the trucks and the scraping of the backloaders, the leveled areas

“Right now there’s access via Valley Road and a second road through the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) property to Rifle Camp Road.

We want a third road to Notch Road to move traffic to Route 46 in West Paterson,” Mayor Anzaldi said.

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next to deep wide caverns, make an incongruous contrast to the breathtaking panoramic views of New Jersey and the New York skyline; to the surrounding dense treetops, alive with birds in song and flight.

What is this devastation?

This pitted flatland, most of which is located in West Paterson, is the future home of K. Hovnanian’s Four Seasons at Great Notch. As open space becomes increasingly scarce in New Jersey, developers are taking a second look at more challenging properties, such as former quarries, as home sites.

“Hovnanian is essentially buying a hollowed out hole in the ground,” Labriola said.

Status of Four Seasons According to Doug Fenichel, public relations director for K. Hovnanian, grading of the site is now being done by the quarry owner, Tilcon, which has mined the land for basalt, which is crushed and used in road making “We don’t own the property yet,” Fenichel explained.

“We won’t purchase the first portion of the property until all permits are in place and until the owner has met certain terms of the contract, including preparing the land.

The property is being filled in up to a certain grade. And in the southern portion, ‘dynamic compaction’ is being done – the ground is being tamped down to make it suitable for construction,” Fenichel said.

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There are actually multiple property owners, including Dell Contractors Materials Inc. (Dell is owned by Tilcon, said spokesperson Karen Edgar); Wahl Co. LLC; and Agatha Wahl, according to Clifton tax assessor Jon Whiting.

Although the property looks desolate now, Fenichel said that Hovnanian’s objective is to change that, and soon. “We like to create developments that make potential

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

buyers say ‘wow’ all through construction,” which will occur in four phases, Fenichel said. “We tend to plant a lot of trees.”

Tree clearing was one of the activities that got Hovnanian in trouble last Fall, when the portion of the site visible along Route 46 in West Paterson was cleared of trees before Hovnanian had issued the required “start work” order to the Hudson-Essex-Passaic Soil Conservation District.

Hovnanian also hadn’t installed erosion control measures to prevent storm water from washing away the soil and possibly flooding the roads.

“Three or four acres of wooded slope were cleared along Notch Road,” said Glen Van Olden, Director of the Soil Conservation District. “We had them seed and hay mulch the slope. There have been some minor washouts but it’s in pretty good shape. We’re also keeping on eye on dust problems and tracking of soil onto local roadways.”

In addition to the highly visible removal of the trees near Route 46, “about 10 acres of woodland were cleared along Valley Road in Clifton,” Van Olden said. Clifton Mayor Jim Anzaldi said that, on the Clifton portion of the property, Hovnanian obtained the proper permits for tree removal.

Van Olden couldn’t estimate how many trees were destroyed in the process of clearing the Four Seasons at Great Notch site. That’s because while topographic maps show the acreage that formerly contained trees ,it never counted the number of trees. But even the casual observer could see it was a significant amount.

He did note, however, that “7590% of the property is existing quarry.” In any case, all mandated erosion control measures are now in place, Van Olden said, and Hovnanian is in the process of installing drainage pipes under Notch Road that lead from the storm water detention basins on the site.

“We’re on site monitoring things every week,” he said.

Fenichel agreed that the clear-cutting of the West Paterson slope “shouldn’t have happened.” He was unable to quantify the number of trees removed but said, “There weren’t that many.”

Photos on these pages and in previous editions counter that claim as the number may have been in the thousands. He stressed, however, that Hovnanian will be planting 600 shade trees, 860 flowering and ornamental trees, and 1800 evergreen trees in the development.

Approved...But...

Trees are also a concern of the Passaic County Planning Board, which granted administrative approval for the development to Hovnanian on July 15. According to

Lauren Vande Vaarst, Planning Board chair, 291 trees on adjacent Rifle Camp Park were cut down by Dell in 2000. “No one knows” why the trees were cut down, Vande Vaarst said.

“This is in the hands of the Passaic County Counsel. The property owner

(Dell) has to remediate the situation.

Hovnanian is as frustrated as we are that the trees were cut down,” Vande Vaarst continued. “They can’t get unconditional approval from us until the County is adequately compensated for the loss of 291 trees.”

☛

The Valley Rd. slope on facing page, includes the clear-cutting of old, large trees. Here, a view from Route 46, looking towards Clifton.

Clifton Merchant • August 2004

11

1966

A look back at Paul VI Regional High School when it was being constructed in 1966, with Washington Rock in the background, and the same perspective today.

Today

Administrative approval means that Hovnanian doesn’t need to go back to the Board again; assuming they take care of the technical details specified by the Board, “there are no more issues for the Planning Board to address,” Vande Vaarst said.

Once these conditions, which involve things like permits, traffic issues, drainage and the like (not to mention the trees) are met, Passaic County Board staff can grant unconditional approval.

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In the meantime, Vande Vaarst said that site work such as demolition, excavation, and grading can proceed. Fenichel concurred that the project is “moving along,” with Hovnanian in the process of satisfying state, county and local “administrative details.”

He expects that a sales office will open on the site in Spring 2005 and projected that the first phase of the project, at the south end of the property towards Route 46, will be open in early 2006.

But it will be “a few years” before the entire project is complete. “Opening in phases is a way for K. Hovnanian to reduce our risk and spread out our expenses,” Fenichel said. “It makes us a healthier company financially.”

More Units for Clifton The latest figures are that 114 of the total of 810 units will be located in Clifton, Fenichel said. There will be a mix of single-floor “garden homes” and two-floor “townhomes,”

This view of the project from across Route 46, photographed in Fall, 2003.

with two or three bedrooms and two baths each; many of the homes will have New York skyline views. The community will be geared to “active adults” age 55 and over.

The gated community will have a 22,000-square-foot clubhouse with an indoor pool, game rooms and a fitness center as well as an outdoor pool, gazebo, putting green, shuffleboard, tennis courts, and bocci courts, Fenichel said.

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A recent boundary exchange between West Paterson and Clifton made it possible for the 114 units to be located in Clifton, said Mayor Jim Anzaldi. Previously, there were fewer units in Clifton and that meant less ratables for the city.

“It’s not a net loss or gain (in terms of area),” tax assessor Whiting explained. “Clifton tried to get more ratables to make the project more acceptable.”

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Issues about Access While the Passaic County Planning Board has granted administrative approval, Anzaldi said that Clifton’s Planning Board (of which he is a member) won’t approve the development until a third access road is added.

“Right now there’s access via Valley Road and a second road through the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) property to Rifle Camp Road. We want a third road to Notch Road to move traffic to Route 46 in West Paterson,” Anzaldi said.

Clifton’s Planning Board has a long history with the Hovnanian development. The Board first reviewed the application in 2000 and denied it in July 2001, Anzaldi said. It was denied for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of Clifton’s concerns about inadequate access for fire and police personnel.

Hovnanian filed suit in September 2001 but the case was

Hovnanian’s Fenichel agreed that the clearcutting of the West Paterson slope “shouldn’t have happened.” He was unable to quantify the number of trees removed but said, “There weren’t that many.” He stressed, however, that Hovnanian will be planting 600 shade trees, 860 flowering and ornamental trees, and 1800 evergreen trees in the development. eventually settled and most of the differences between the City and the developer have been resolved.

“We’re concerned about emergencies,” he explained, noting that the PVWC road will not be accessible at night. “Without a third road, it won’t pass in Clifton,” Anzaldi said.

Joe Bella, Executive Director of the Passaic Valley Water Commission, said that the PVWC road will be accessible 24 hours a day, but to emergency vehicles only; otherwise, it will be a “limited access by card” road during the

hours of 7 am through 7 pm. Bella confirmed that Hovnanian agreed to pay the Commission $2.9 million for an easement to improve the existing road.

Bella said that the Great Notch Reservoir in West Paterson will not be affected by the development.

“The Hovnanian development will be at an elevation of 320 feet. The Reservoir is at an elevation of 425 feet,” Bella said. The 210-milliongallon reservoir serves many area towns, including Paterson, Passaic, Clifton, Nutley, and Newark.

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Clifton’s Natural Resources Inventory, published in May 2003 by Clifton’s Environmental Protection Commission and the Passaic River Coalition, has this to say about Garret Mountain: The largest undeveloped region of Clifton is on Garret Mountain, which runs along the western boundary of the City. Garret Mountain has primarily been preserved due to its high percentage of steep slopes (in excess of 15 degrees), which are protected by municipal regulation. The forest cover with many mature trees is important in the maintenance of slope stability. An assessment of Garret Mountain, conducted in 1988, found that approximately 76 percent of its surface has slopes in excess of 15 percent and 65 percent of the mountain has slopes in excess of 25 percent.

The Natural Resources Inventory also noted that Garret Mountain is an environmentally significant habitat. It is covered by oak-hickory forest and also provides water resources to three watersheds: the Third River, Weasel Brook, and a small, unnamed stream, which all flow into the Passaic River. …Garret Mountain is part of a migratory bird pathway along the Atlantic Flyway, especially for warblers, sparrows, and hawks. Over two hundred species of birds have been sited in the vicinity of Garret Mountain. Wild turkeys are often seen. The best natural habitat for mammals is found in the mature forests on Garret Mountain. Deer populations have been growing. Red foxes and coyotes have been spotted…

For more information about the environmental features of the Mountain, we contacted “Mr. Garret Mountain,” Peter Both, who is a member of the Friends of Garret Mountain, a 300-member organization which seeks to “preserve, protect and enhance the natural beauty of Garret Mountain Reservation and Rifle Camp Park, in cooperation with Passaic County officials, recognizing the hemispheric significance of the varied wildlife habitats for migrating birds in these public lands”.

We asked Both for his thoughts about the Hovnanian project. “We’re concerned with the natural part of the parks,” Both said. “We’re down a dozen species of birds that used to nest there, including the blue wing warbler, the black and white warbler, the worm-eating warbler and the yellow throat warbler. And we couldn’t find any house wrens nesting in Garret Mountain this year.”

“We don’t like to see another development,” he concluded. “They’re grooming the place now – doing rock work. But the first thing they did was knock a batch of trees down. There should have been more of an outcry.”

Hovnanian’s Fenichel said that he was unaware of Clifton’s demand for a third road. He did note that the agreement with PVWC will make that road accessible only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and that it will be an exit only. “We don’t want to see substantial traffic going through it,” he said.

Another Clifton planning board member, Phil Binaso, agreed that “the whole issue of full secondary access is still not resolved. West Paterson approved (the project) with no way in or out except in Clifton.”

The West Paterson Planning Board approved the project in April 2003, close to three years after the project was first brought before them.

Clear-Cut Reaction Last Fall’s clear-cutting of the Route 46 slope disturbed many.

“The tree removal shook a lot of people up,” Labriola said. “Now people could see what was happening from the highway. They didn’t have to cut all of them down.”

Binaso agreed, indicating that “some of us on the Planning Board were upset when they took the trees down. We don’t want them ripping the mountain down and letting it sit there for three years.” The majority of the property is not under Clifton’s control because most of the development’s 98 acres are in West Paterson.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Despite the environmental controversy, one adjacent property owner, St. George Greek Orthodox Church on Valley Road, thinks that Hovnanian will be a good neighbor.

“One of the lots the church uses for parking for parishioners was owned by Wahl,” said John Foukas`, vice president of the church who is also a longtime Clifton Board of Adjustment member.

“Hovnanian owns it now but they said that we can still use it for parking. They did ask us if they could access the property there to bring up equipment and we agreed. They may pave it for us. We’ve heard that they’re very good with charities and churches,” Foukas said.

Anzaldi noted that Clifton residential property owners near the quarry are also happy that quarry operations will be phased out. “The quarry does recycling of things like old sidewalks —they’re crushed there,” Anzaldi said. “The truck traffic and noise are very bad.”

An illustrated view of the mountain as it appeared in a 1857 newspaper.

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EPC Chair Quits l DuBois, a 16-year member and currently the Chair of the Clifton Environmental Protective Commission, has announced his resignation from the Commission.

“With the ongoing development of nearly all of our open spaces in Clifton, the impervious paving with asphalt (to be number one in the state with parking lots) at City Hall, Allwood Road, etc., and the raping of Garret Mountain, I can no longer serve on an ‘Environmental Protective’ Commission that hasn’t protected anything and is ignored, forgotten about, and never asked to interact with the City Council, planning and/or developmental committees within our City,” DuBois stated in his July 20 letter of resignation to Commission Secretary Macil J. Homza.

In another part of his missive, DuBois continued: “Our Commission consists of many professionals who care about Clifton and are concerned about environmental stewardship, sustainability and environmental justice. However, the Commission is ignored and development continues for the interest of big business and political expediency.”

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We asked DuBois, an environmentalist and lifelong champion of Clifton’s natural treasures, what led to his decision to resign. “It was watching Garret Mountain be destroyed,” he said. “Clifton could have kept a ridgeline there. Or they could redevelop the ridgeline. That used to be a landmark.”

“Thousands and thousands of trees were cut down across the street from St. Philip’s,” DuBois said of the Valley Rd. and Route 46 interchange. “Trees are being cut down all over the place and they’re being replaced with trees that are worthless. Dwarf trees are cosmetic; they provide no shade, they don’t support wildlife, they don’t hold groundwater, kids can’t climb them. They get about 20 feet tall and then they die.”

DuBois said he feels strongly that it has become apparent that city officials value development above preserving what little open space is left in Clifton.

“The entire Anderson tract should be preserved,” he said. “But no, we need another hotel, we need another Costco exit, we need more retail stores. After they develop the property along the highway, there won’t be much left to preserve.”

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He’s also upset with the growing number of parking lots at the municipal complex. “That area was supposed to be preserved as a historical site,” DuBois said. “It should have had plantings, gardens, permeable walkways. They paved too many areas.”

“And the constant building of homes and condos. The Council tried to pass an open space fund.

That’s a joke. There is no open space left to preserve,” DuBois said.

DuBois said that the Commission “wasn’t accomplishing anything.”

“They’d ask us to talk to children about the environment,” he said.

“What good is educating children when we can’t even educate our leaders? What good is an Environmental Commission that’s supposed to preserve and protect land in the City of Clifton?” DuBois asked. “The City’s not doing that.”

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What’s Going On With Dundee Island?

Two acres of Dundee Island, which has a nature preserve created by the State upon the completion of Route 21, are already owned by Clifton.

But the preserve is closed to the public. Why?

––––––––––– Story by Fran Hopkins –––––––––––

undee Island is the name for 13 acres of land surrounded on three sides by the Passaic River. If you don’t know where it is, or if you’ve tried to find it but can’t, that’s not surprising; the public currently isn’t allowed access, unless you happen to be doing business with the Safas Corp.

Aside from the Safas complex, the majority of the property is undeveloped and forested. Trees flourish on the banks of the Passaic and include silver maple, black willow, river birch, eastern cottonwood, and American elm trees, according to Clifton’s Natural Resources Inventory. Many species of waterfowl and songbirds make their homes on Dundee Island.

While construction of several hundred apartments or condos on the Island was avoided during the past year, the future of the property is still in flux.

Owner Akbar Ghahary intends to expand the facility by 50,000 square feet, but would also like to sell several undevelopable acres to Clifton.

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A Nature Preserve?

Two acres of Dundee Island, featuring a nature preserve created by the State upon the completion of Route 21, are already owned by Clifton. But the preserve is closed to the public and we asked City Manager Barbara Sacks why.

“It’s not very safe to go there right now,” Sacks said. “It’s not a safe, maintained area – somebody could step on something. And we don’t have a safe way in and out, other than to trespass on people’s property.” That’s not exactly true.

Right now a battered metal gate next to the Safas property blocks access to the preserve, although it’s possible to crawl beneath it.

But Clifton hopes to expand the preserve for eventual enjoyment by the public by purchasing some of Ghahary’s adjacent property. “The Passaic River Coalition has been negotiating with Ghahary for the last couple of months on our behalf,” Sacks explained.

Ella Filippone, Executive Administrator of the Passaic River Coalition, confirmed this.

“The Passaic River Coalition is in negotiations to acquire property on the Passaic River from Dr. Ghahary,” Filippone said. The Coalition is negotiating for Clifton.

Asked when the negotiations might be completed, Filippone responded, “I have no idea, but we have a willing seller and (negotiations) are moving along.”

“I am planning to expand my (manufacturing) facility,” Ghahary said, “but at the same time, we are talking to the Mayor, the City Manager and the Green Acres people about converting the border of the property to a park.” Ghahary said that his expansion plans will be 24

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

The Dundee Canal and Dam is jointly owned and managed by United Water New Jersey and the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission.

presented to the City within 30 days. “But I’d love to see the part of the property we can’t use become part of a bird sanctuary,” he said. “I will cooperate with (the City). If Clifton can’t pay the full price, I may consider giving them a much lower price.” Ghahary estimated that the size of the property he’s looking to sell is about three acres.

Sacks said that funds for the purchase of Ghahary’s property are being sought from the State via a Green Acres grant.

In addition, Filippone said, funds may be available from the Passaic County Open Space and Recreation Committee. “We have a meeting with them in August,” she

said. Filippone indicated that the County funding will be available through April 2005.

Although Filippone would not disclose the amount of land being sought from Ghahary, Sacks indicated that the City is looking to purchase 3.7 acres. “I am very optimistic that this will happen,” Sacks said.

As for Ghahary’s previously expressed plans to expand the Safas complex, Sacks said, “I haven’t seen any expansion plans come in, but he hasn’t told us that he won’t be expanding.” Assuming that the purchase is made and Clifton will own 5.7 acres of Dundee Island, we asked Sacks what the City’s

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Federal Mortgage Offers Senior Citizens A Reverse Mortgage

F

or some 32 years now, Anthony A. Accavallo, shown here, has been helping make the American Dream become a reality, right here in Clifton.

As President of Federal Mortgage & Investment Corp. at 1111 Clifton Ave., Clifton, he and his firm have written millions of dollars worth of mortgages which have allowed people to purchase homes. And while that work has been fulfilling, Accavallo said he is getting his greatest satisfaction these days by helping senior citizens with reverse mortgages.

A reverse mortgage is a special kind of mortgage loan for seniors. “It is a safe, easy way to turn your home equity into tax-free cash,” he continued.

“Unlike a home equity loan, you do not have to make monthly payments.

Instead, a reverse mortgage pays you.

More importantly, you do not have to repay the loan for as long as you live in the house. It’s a great way to keep your home and get money from it at the same time.”

The name “reverse mortgage” describes exactly what the mortgage is — it is the exact opposite of a conventional mortgage. That is, with a conventional mortgage the borrower pays the lender but with a reverse mortgage, the lender pays the borrower.

In the past, a senior citizen in need of money would have to take out a loan against their house and immediately start making monthly payments again or sell their home.

How do I qualify for a Reverse Mortgage?

It’s simple. You and your co-borrower must be at least 62 years old.

You must own your home free and clear or have just a small balance on your existing mortgage. Best of all, there are no income or credit requirements to satisfy.

How can I receive my money?

You can receive it in several ways: •Equal monthly payments as long as you live in your home •Equal monthly payments for a certain period of time •As a line of credit you can draw upon as needed, for whatever reasons •As a lump sum draw at closing •A combination of the above, to meet your requirements.

But a reverse mortgage allows seniors to borrow against the equity they already have in their home... and they never have to make a monthly payment.

Each reverse mortgage candidate is required to attend a free counseling session with a local independent housing agency approved by FHA (Federal Housing Administration).

Candidates are encouraged to bring other family members with them to help in the decision-making process.

“This process ensures that the borrower understands the program fully and aides them in determining whether or not a reverse mortgage is for them,” said Accavallo.

When must I repay the loan?

You must repay the loan if you no longer live in your home.

In the event of your death, your heirs can choose to repay the loan and keep the house or sell the house and repay the loan, What are interest rate charges & fees?

•An adjustable rate of interest is charged on reverse mortgages •Closing costs are typical for any mortgage closing and all may be financed •No out-of-pocket expenses at closing Are Reverse Mortgages safe?

•Yes, FHA and FannieMae guarantee the payments you receive •FHA and FannieMae also guarantee you will never owe more than your house is worth — no debt left on estate

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Look for

on the lower level in the former Rowe-Manse Building.

Opening Soon!

Rising some 20 feet, the Dam offers a spectacular sight as it diverts water to the Canal and back to the Passaic River.

As the water cascades downriver, it provides some good fishing spots and it is used frequently by local anglers.

A Vision for the Passaic Dundee Island is adjacent to Dundee Dam, which is jointly owned and managed by United Water New Jersey, headquartered in Harrington Park, and the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, according to United Water spokesperson Rich Henning.

“The improvement of degraded... stream corridors to a natural condition will improve water quality and the health of the ecosystems,” noted the Natural Resources Inventory, published by the Passaic River Coalition and the city’s Environmental Protective Commission. “It may even make it possible to swim or fish in some of the waters in Clifton in the future.”

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Rising some 20 feet, the Dam offers a spectacular sight as it diverts water to the Canal and back to the Passaic River. As the water cascades downriver, it provides some good fishing spots and it is used frequently by local anglers.

Unfortunately, Henning said, the waters in Dundee Lake and Canal currently meet standards for industrial use only.

“The water is used by the Marcal and Recycled Paperboard plants,” he said. “The long-term vision, however, is for Dundee water to be able to be supplied to the area for use as potable (i.e., suitable for drinking) water.”

While many waterways in Clifton are polluted and not safe for swimming or fishing the New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection warns the public not to “consume any fish from the Passaic River and Third River waters”, the City and the Passaic River Coalition also hope to eventually reclaim the River for recreational use.

Acqu

plans would be for the property.

“We’d sit down with the Passaic River Coalition to determine the best way to make it into a nature preserve,” Sacks said. “We’d like to obtain Green Acres funding for preserving the land as well.”

Clifton isn’t the only city looking to take advantage of the natural beauty afforded by the area.

Across the river in Garfield, that city will receive a $1.8 million Green Acres grant from the State to create a “passive park” called Passaic River Front Park, with a lookout point for viewing of the river. The Passaic River Coalition is also providing assistance to Garfield with these efforts.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Safas Corp., located on Dundee Island, just off the Ackerman Ave. bridge and near the entrance to Route 21.

About the Safas Corporation...

Founded in 1988, the Safas Corp., a growing company that now has about 70 employees, manufactures and markets granite-like polymers used to make such products as kitchen and bath countertops, sinks, bath tubs and furniture. One of their products, Granicoat®, was invented and patented in the early 1990’s by CEO and Chairman of the Board Akbar Ghahary, Ph.D. The Safas facility includes about 100,000 square feet of industrial buildings, while the rest of the land remains wooded and undeveloped. Ghahary says he now has plans for an expansion of the company.

After leasing the property for many years, Ghahary purchased it in 1998 from Island Equity, a partnership of Clifton’s Tom Cupo and several investors from New York, who Ghahary said had been planning to build a beachfront development on the island.

The property was zoned for high-rise residential housing and light manufacturing until an outcry last year when the Town & Country Developer’s proposal for 540 units of housing surfaced and was stopped.

After some discussion, the City Council unanimously voted to change the zoning density which made the project economically unfeasible for any housing project to be constructed on the peninsula property.

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Paddling on the Passaic River –––––––––– Story and photos by Tom Hawrylko –––––––––

e drive past it and make jokes about it and so the Passaic River is like the Rodney Dangerfield of waterways.

It gets no respect. That may change thanks to the Passaic River Patrol, a coalition with the Hackensack Riverkeeper, the NY/NJ Baykeeper and Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic to clean up and give back the old river to area residents.

“The Passaic River has languished for too long,” asserted Captain Bill Sheehan, who founded Hackensack Riverkeeper in 1997 with support from NY/NJ Baykeeper. “Many people think the Passaic is a lost cause; they don’t realize what it once was. The Passaic River Patrol was started in order to get people interacting with the river, using it for recreation.

Clifton and the entire area needs to know that the waters do not belong to polluters, it belongs to them.”

W

30

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Riverkeeper Sheehan wants to do for the Passaic River what was done for the Hackensack River.

Hackensack Riverkeeper started as a subsidiary of NY/NJ Baykeeper.

Baykeeper Andrew Willner supported Sheehan’s mission to make people aware of Hackensack’s

beauty in order to bring attention to the use of wetlands in the Meadowlands for new development. He started offering boat rides along Hackensack River in a 15-seater pontoon boat, following a similar strategy Baykeeper Willner used on the Raritan River.

To let people know the Passaic is really user friendly, Clifton Merchant Magazine and friends kayaked a portion of the placid river, from a launch in Elmwood Park to the Dundee Lake, on July 22. Paddlers included Joe and Tom Hawrylko jr., Nick and Greg Barchuk, Joe Cupoli, Andre Olave, Gil Hawkins and Jared Eudell.

The trip offered some great views of urban wildlife and heavy industry in water which was not dirty but far from clear, that ranged in depth from six feet to six inches.

The Passaic River begins in Mendham where small streams merge. It grows and meanders for about 90 miles through seven counties and 45 municipalities before emptying into the Newark Bay.

The 17-mile stretch, from Clifton’s Dundee Dam to Newark Bay, is designated a Superfund site due to dioxin contamination—the worst in the entire US—and it is this portion which will be the focus of the Passaic River Patrol.

For more about the Passaic River or to become involved in the clean up, call the Hackensack Riverkeeper at 201.968.0808 or via email at www.hackensackriverkeeper.org or the NJ Baykeeper at 732.888.9870 or via www.nynjbaykeeper.org.

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P H O TO S : J O S E P H A . L A B R I O L A

orthern Pike are among the species of fish which can be found in the Passaic River. Just ask John Cesaletti of Knapp Ave. who caught this 22 inch one on a live shiner on June 13, which was NJ Free Fishing Day, a day which no license or trout stamp is required for fishing the public waters of the Garden State.

Cesaletti is a regular angler on the Passaic River and has a few favorite locations around the Dundee Dam. Among the species he regularly sees are sunnies, catfish, carp and an occasional trout. He cautioned that while the fish pulled from the river look healthy, there is currently a health advisory for human consumption.

As far as the Northern Pike, they were stocked by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife in upstream portions of the Passaic and Pompton Rivers during 1994-2000. They have since made it over the Paterson Falls and Dundee Dam and now thrive in the upper tidal reach of the Passaic River between Clifton and Garfield. Pike up to 30 inches have been caught by anglers.

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Athenia Steel Update It’s been discussed for years as the potential site for a school, a recreation complex, and/or more senior citizens housing.

But until the major issues of site cleanup and adequate access to the property are resolved, it’s anyone’s guess as to when the potential of the 35 acre city-owned Athenia Steel property will be realized.

Clifton recently was notified it will receive a $600,000 Green Acres grant for use in creating a recreation complex on the property. But the money won’t be received until until the central portion of the site—the area intended for ball fields and so forth—is cleaned of industrial contaminants. In addition, access to the

The only entrance and exit to the new senior housing and future recreational center are two 15 foot wide roadways which offer access from Clifton Ave., near Paulison Ave., next to a rail road bridge. Directional signs and curbing may help drivers.

property, on which a senior citizens complex has already been built, remains limited to one narrow entrance/exit off Clifton Ave.

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Will the city use eminent domain to purchase this business at the intersection of Paulison and Washington Aves. to create an entrance to the former Athenia Steel property? Photo at right: at the intersection of Fornelius and Svea Aves., this dead end offers a direct link into the middle of the 35 acre tract. The latest from city hall? The street may be opened—but for emergencies only.

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It’s been agreed that at least two more access roads are needed to accommodate the various plans for the property. Opening the dead-ended Svea Avenue seems like a logical means of creating a second access; however, one City official has indicated that, if this were to be done, it would be for use as an emergency exit only.

This official also confirmed that the City is considering the use of eminent domain to acquire a Paulison Ave. business as a means of creating another access point, with a traffic light, at Paulison and Washington Aves.

National Standard, a now defunct firm which Clifton entered into an agreement to purchase the Athenia Steel tract in 1999, is responsible for cleanup of contaminants on the property but has been moving slowly.

“They (the new owners) have to get approval from the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) for the cleanup plan,” said City Manager Barbara Sacks, adding test results are due “in the next several weeks.”

“What we’ve heard so far is encouraging for the northern portion of the site,” she said, “but we’re not certain about the central portion yet. We’re still in the process of ascertaining what needs to be done there.”

Already plotted out on paper thanks to a $250,000 grant last year from the Passaic County Open Space Trust, plans for the recreation complex include baseball diamonds, soccer fields, basketball courts, a playground, field house and walking paths on the former industrial property.

Although it’s not currently known how long the property cleanup will take, once it is completed, the recreation facilities can be up and running in a year or less, said Albert Greco, Director of Health and Welfare.

Greco said that the state has encouraged Clifton to reapply for more Green Acres funding in January 2005.

“The State can fund up to half of the cost of the project,” Greco said. Total cost of the recreation complex is estimated to be $3 million.

Athenia Steel & Latteri Park Studies?

The northern portion of the Athenia Steel site is still being studied by the Board of Education as a possible site for a 1700-student grades 8-9 school. President Joe Kolodziej has said that a school will not be built there unless the issues of contamination, access, and noise can be resolved quickly enough to relieve the increasing overcrowding in Clifton’s upper grades.

Kolodziej had hoped that the results of environmental and traffic studies for Latteri Park and Athenia Steel would be available to the Board in time for its July 28 meeting, but the results were not yet in at the meeting.

The Board voted to obtain additional studies at the two “finalist” sites, Latteri Park and Athenia Steel, at its June 9 meeting.

Kolodziej also said that one of the City Council’s agenda items for its August 4 meeting is the remediation of Athenia Steel. “My guess is that, the following week, there will be a committee meeting between some City Council members and some Board members to exchange results and information and get an update as to the progress of these matters,” Kolodziej said.

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Public attendance at the July 28 Board meeting was sparse, and Board members Marie Hakim and Norm Tahan were absent. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Latteri Park-area residents and Clifton Unite members Jeff Gruen and Steve Goldberg both spoke, thanking the Board for “doing a good job” and for its “hard work.”

Also among the dozen or so meeting attendees was Bob Wittmann, spokesman for a group that collected 3500 signatures in support of building the school at Latteri Park, who did not speak at the public meeting.

“The Latteri Park people came to the meeting to praise the Board for going down the wrong road, for spinning their wheels,” Wittmann said the next day.

“We have a process,” he continued. “The Community Advisory Committee recommended Latteri Park and the Mayer building to the Board. Let us vote on the Committee’s recommendations.”

Wittmann expressed concern that the Board and the City Council are not as separate as they should be.

“In my opinion, the Board is an extension of the City Council,” he said.

Board member John Traier said that the Board hopes to have a decision by Labor Day so that a referendum can be presented to voters with the April board election.

He said that passage of the December referendum on the Mayer building, which would accommodate 500 high school students in Sept. 2006, is “critical.”

Both the 500-student school and the 1700-student school are needed to solve the impending overcrowding crisis in Clifton’s upper grades, Traier continued.

While the Board will meet on August 25, Kolodziej said that as many as four Board members may miss that meeting because of vacation plans.

Echoing Traier’s sentiments, Kolodziej said: “I anticipate that the Board will take a vote in September regarding placing a site for a 1700-student middle school on the ballot as a referendum in April.

e hope you had a wonder midsummer month of July. August will hopefully bring as many beautiful days to all of you.

W

By the time you read this we will have attended the JA jewelry show in NYC. At the show we purchased many new and exciting pieces which will be arriving in the store for the fall and Holiday season. We will update you in next month’s column.

Pink has been one of summer’s most popular colors and all signs are that it will continue to be strong throughout the year.

The seller this summer has been ankle bracelets in both white and yellow gold. We have a variety of styles both with and without gems that add to summer’s fashion fun.

This month we will continue our mini sidewalk sale. Items will include costume, sterling silver and Swarovski jewelry. Come take a look - you just might find something to suit you or a friend!

The birthstone for August is peridot. Peridot was mined in Egypt centuries ago and was brought back to Europe by the crusaders. It was believed that peridot helped develop ones mental abilities. Today, most peridot is mined in the state of Arizona.

Have a good month of August and we will talk to you next month.

1416

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remembering

By Adeline DeVries

Camp Clifton As I rummaged through a box of memorabilia, I found a small iron-on patch that read: “Even the Chipmunks have fun at Camp Clifton.” I began reminiscing about the summers of 1969 through 1976 when I was camp nurse at Camp Clifton, the Boys Club camp in Jefferson Township.

A

s a registered nurse and mother of four young sons, I was medically skilled and certainly qualified. After I completed an Advanced First Aid and CPR Course, we drove to the woods with our goldfish sloshing in its bowl, beginning a camp adventure.

The camp was beautiful. Eleven log cabins housed 100 campers, ages 7 to 14, along with 50 staff members, most of them teenagers and young adults. The camp was rustic and rural, nestled in the rolling hills of Morris County, just off Route 15.

The dining hall had a resident moose head that seemed to supervise the activities. Lake Fortis, a manmade lake abundant with fish and wildlife, was the focus of the camp. Various other cabins and a large

playing field added to its charm. Surrounded by untouched forest, this was nature at its best… a wonderful setting for a summer camp.

My first challenge was to provide the best medical care and insure a safe and healthy environment for the children. Medical records were reviewed prior to the campers’ arrival. Any medical conditions, medications needed, sleepwalkers, bed-wetters, or special needs campers were noted.

Happy squeals of laughter preceded the bus as it rumbled into camp on the first day. Excited boys tumbled out, wearing a variety of hats, clutching fishing gear, assorted handbags, and snacks and, for the younger ones, teddy bears.

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Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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Assembling on the ballfield, they were assigned to their respective counselors. As names were called, I developed an ability to remember each child’s name. When I saw them next and said, “Hi, Johnny,” or “Hi, Peter,” that child was less likely to be homesick—a lesson I learned quickly. I wore many hats—nurse, health and safety inspector, mediator, teacher, and psychologist. I also soon realized that I was surrogate mom to 150 campers and staff… a role I accepted very seriously.

A Typical Day My day started with breakfast in the dining hall and a visit to each table, greeting campers with a “good morning smile.” I noted if the campers were dressed appropriately for the day’s weather, were eating their breakfast, or if they seemed ill, troubled, or homesick.

Medications, as ordered by their parents, were administered.

The infirmary was always available to the campers and staff, and I was on duty 24 hours a day.

I treated poison ivy, cuts, abrasions, bruises, upset stomachs, colds, bee stings, and homesickness. Camp inspection was part of my duties, especially the kitchen and the “dew-drops,” our two bathrooms and bath houses.

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Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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Walking about the camp daily, I observed the campers in their many scheduled activities.

Happy campers greeted me…it was as if “Mom” had stopped to encourage their accomplishments. Lunch, rest period, and the busy activity resumed. The program was excellent, affording swimming, nature activity, athletics, archery, riflery, canoeing, and other activities.

After dinner, there were softball tournaments, skit nights, fishing contests, and other events—all fulfilling the fun of a camp experience. At 9 pm, it was “lights out.”

My typical day as a mother of four sons had certainly changed!

Keith Oakley Recalls...

On July 20, 1969, four ill campers and I watched the first man land on the moon. Wrapped in blankets and staying overnight in the infirmary, the sick we brought a small portable television into the main room. I don’t remember their names but it was a memorable event—one that I’m sure those four campers never forgot.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Longtime Cliftonite Keith Oakley has a storied history with Camp Clifton, courtesy of his mother, Mary Oakley, a longtime Boys Club employee, and his father, Lew, who often helped out at the camp. He dedicates these memories to his parents, whom he calls “one of the first families of Camp Clifton.”

“I was one of the first kids to see Camp Clifton when the Boys Club bought it, and one of the

last adults on the property when it was sold. I was a camper, counselor-in-training, counselor, and on the camp committee and the board of trustees for the Men’s Club.

“I had many first at Camp Clifton—my first kiss, first broken leg, first driving lesson, first job, and many others. It was a family, which is still intact today.

“I remember campfires, teaching Indian lore (my favorite activity), and spending Christmas Holidays there (where my dad and mom played Mr. and Mrs. Claus). My ultimate honor was being inducted as an honorary Golden Chief with a full headdress and war paint.

“I was also on the board when we sold the camp—a decision that some still hate me for.

“We still have a part of camp at the Boys and Girls Club. Behind the pool in the hallway are all the Camp Clifton award plaques.

“To thank Camp Clifton for all my memories, I give our big camp cheer: ‘How-How!’”

Cultural diversity, a buzz word of today, was unknown at Camp Clifton, but it certainly existed. Our campers represented all racial and ethnic groups, were privileged and underprivileged. Based on Indian lore, the camp program stressed integrity, acceptance, achievement, tolerance, and teamwork.

At the final campfire, applause by parents, campers and staff proved that all campers were equal.

It was a happy time. Beautiful starlit nights evoke memories of camp. I can still close my eyes and picture the bus rolling into camp…so many memories return— like that of Danny, the tiny, blonde, blue- eyed, combative seven-yearold who exited the bus, fighting and punching everyone in sight.

In desperation, the counselor brought the angry child to me. He stated, “Leave me alone, I’ve had a

1459

rough life.” This child was a product of a dysfunctional family. A hug and reassurance, along with the kind empathy of his counselor, eventually changed this child as he was accepted into the camp program. We couldn’t alter his home situation, but hopefully, his camp experience gave him some security to deal with it.

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At the camp “Olympic Day,” a special swimming event was created for the camper who could float for the longest time period.

Our most obese camper, Tommy, who did not excel athletically and minimally participated in other programs, won the competition—as we knew he would. I can still recall his happy smile as the Olympic medal was placed around his neck.

Another young boy, George, who reluctantly participated in camp activity, entered the fishing contest.

He complained, as he placed his pole in the water, “I never win anything.” Suddenly, his pole moved and he reeled in the biggest catfish and won the prize. He was the hero of the camp that night and his own self esteem rose to new heights.

Another memorable event included the panic that ensued when

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

our cook quit, and we were suddenly faced with 150 hungry campers and staff. Camp director, Severin Palydowycz, called his mother Myra who could turn government issued-beef into a gourmet delight and remained the camp cook for many years. She also introduced Ukrainian culture and soon campers were singing Ukrainian folk songs.

Program Director Russ Triolo set up a Camp Clifton Radio Station, WHAT, awakening the camp with songs of the seventies. Not exactly Indian lore, but the campers loved it.

Wocanda’s Whisper, the camp newspaper that detailed the many camp activities and was eagerly awaited by campers and staff.

Ironically, my son Jack, a feature writer for the Clifton Merchant was the editor…his successful career as a writer began at Camp Clifton!

I also remembered when the camp would change. Boys camp would end after six weeks and girls camp would begin. Girls camp featured beautiful voices and guitars around the campfire and brought a new image to the camp, one of softness, femininity, and…tears!

The boys had quickly settled their disputes physically. Girls, however, needed mediation. I remember watching them create beautiful arts and crafts projects; athletically, they were as tough as the boys were.

Our high-school age counselors also needed attention. I ironed shirts when they had a night off and became “Dear Ann Landers” as I listened to romantic problems.

Teenage crushes, years later, turned into happy marriages. I helped them cope with their role of being responsible to a cabin full of campers.

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Other special memories included...

Lake Fortis, where brown iron deposits in the water clung to all body hair. Emerging campers resembled furry creatures. In 1971, a welcomed Olympic size pool was built. Pool Director John Gogick capably and safely supervised all pool activities. To the delight of the campers, Lake Fortis continued as a nature treasure containing largest snapping turtles, fish and frogs.

Bee Stings: Counselor Keith Oakley and his campers accidentally stepped on a beehive. The woods resounded with screams. Keith rolled his campers in mud, and they ran, at top speed, to the infirmary for first aid.

Fortunately, there were no reactions, but it took a day to clean the infirmary of mud.

Henry Sabot: Henry was an adult staff member who, dressed as Indian Chief Great Wocanda,” would announce “Do you want to go on a bear hunt?”

Campers would scream with delight, clapping hands and stamping feet as they escaped from an imaginary bear…a highlight of any campfire. Once, Henry, a volunteer fireman, answered a call to duty, driving away from camp wearing his war paint and Indians costume.

And so, it has been 35 years since I began my camping adventure. I still keep in touch with many of my former campers, and am proud of their achievements.

Many have become physicians, teachers, nurses, attorneys, business people, and engineers and, yes, even a Clifton councilman.

Whatever their endeavors and measure of success achieved, I believe their experience at Camp Clifton contributed to their accomplishments. Though the camp has been sold and is now called “Camp Jefferson,” its spirit lives on… especially when the memories come alive in the hearts of all who spent their summers there.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

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Camp Clifton

By Jack DeVries

memories

T

hough it exists only in memory, the Boys Club’s Camp Clifton was once a big part of the city—a place where a kid could spend two weeks away from home and return changed forever.

It was a country oasis nestled in distant Jefferson Township—a place far from Clifton’s busy streets, one that offered city kids their first chance to paddle a canoe, shoot a rifle, launch an arrow… or snatch a slimy bullfrog from its hiding place.

It was also a place where boys and girls spent their first time away

from home—without their parents—living for two weeks in log cabins with nine other children.

At the end of those two weeks, they would leave as brothers and sisters, remembering an experience that taught them the value of selfresponsibility and gave them confidence to face the school year.

The kid returning to Athenia, Botany, or Lakeview could now hike through the deep woods, swim without fear, and face down any monster—including the campfire legend of the Green Ghoul.

Jack DeVries, left, his brothers Chris, David and their mom Adeline, the camp nurse.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

A former lodge and hunting grounds during the twenties, the 96-acre facility operated as a private summer camp, Camp Ranger, from the late forties to 1957. It remained dormant until it was purchased by the Clifton Boys Club in 1962. The first overnight camping season was held the following year.

Camp Clifton featured 23 buildings, including a huge dinning hall and 11 cabins that held 10-12 campers and two teenaged counselors. A large ball field, basketball and tennis courts, archery and rifle ranges, and an arts and crafts building hosted activities, as did a large amphitheater that sat alongside an eight-acre lake.

“Lake Fortis,” named for Johnny Fortis, a Clifton child who drowned at another location, was Camp Clifton’s centerpiece. The spring-fed lake featured dark brown water colored from iron deposits lying below.

Campers used the lake to swim, canoe, and fish—catching an eager supply of sunnies, catfish, and bass.

The lake was also a reptile hunter’s paradise, filled with frogs, snakes, and prehistoric-looking snapping turtles. During the seventies, Camp Clifton added an Olympic-size pool, leaving the lake to the slimy creatures.

Every two weeks, about 100 campers would arrive from the city (cost for the two weeks in 1967: $55). During most summers, boys camp was held during the first half, with girls camp taking up most of August.

After being divided into cabins by age, the campers would follow a two-week program, based on Native American lore. By passing different activities skills tests, they looked to earn the ranks of Blue Brave, Red Brave, Gold Brave, Council Warrior, and the nearly-impossibleto-achieve Warrior. During Girls Camp, “squaw” replaced “brave.”

At the final campfire, feathers were awarded but only to deserving campers. Camp Clifton also featured special event days, like Olympic Games, North and South competitions, scavenger hunts, and overnight camping and canoe trips.

Personal responsibility was also part of the daily activities.

Every child was required to keep his or her personal area neat, including making beds with “hospital corners” and serving as the cabin’s waiter for a day during meal times.

In the late eighties, interest in the camp began to wane, and Camp Clifton closed in the early nineties.

Through targeted by developers, it was purchased from the Boys and Girls Club by Jefferson Township in August 1998 for $800,000 and converted into a recreational facility.

Today, “Camp Jefferson” features a skateboard park and is the center for many township activities.

art of Clifton— to be in the he ud . ro p re a e W 49 years now Ave.—for over n te ou H ... n ts even on Va at these two We’ll see you

t. 12 Picnic, S, eyp ty n a K won’t n ou h o St. J of fun ts lo d n a od Picnic t fo

For grea nty Parish e St. John Ka th s is ted on m to t wan t 1pm. Loca a g in in eg b Houten on Sept. 12, block of f Van e on is h ic ple h Speer Ave., w is a celebration of the peo ic d n un ed Ave., the pic Kanty. First fo n h Jo .

St of 1936 and the parish tiful church was built in u ea 37. in 1928, the b on April 25, 19 d te a ic ed d and of ficially

9 Sept. 1Se , ir a F t e e tr S e. on pt.

Athenia n Houten Av a V to e m co will be to

Yet the ghost of Clifton remains, visible in the children’s names carved in the doors of the old cabins. While its totem poles have faded and the Olympic-size pool is no more—the decades of enjoyment live on in the adults who once called Camp Clifton their summer home.

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SchoolsCareers Clifton Special Needs Students Experience the World of Work ylan Musella’s premature birth and other complications of his delivery 18 years ago resulted in multiple disabilities that have kept the Clifton teen in special education classes throughout his school career.

But thanks to the efforts of Barbara Milewski, who serves as transition coordinator for the Clifton Public Schools’ Special Education Department, Dylan will have the experiences and skills he needs to move into the world of work when he graduates from Clifton High School next June.

Dylan is one of 10 special needs students whom Milewski supervised this summer in a federally-funded summer employment program for low income or special needs teenagers. The program is administered through the Passaic County Private Industry Council.

D

The students were paid the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour for 25 hour of work a week for five weeks, from June 28 through July 30.

Under Milewski’s watchful eye and guidance, the youngsters took on a number of helpful projects at Clifton High School this summer, including repainting the numbers on more than 400 staff and student parking spaces on the sprawling campus.

They assisted in the Summer School Office, collecting the daily attendance from each classroom, delivering books, and assisting teachers with photocopying and collating tasks.

Two of the workers were assigned to the clinic, where they signed-in summer school students who needed to see the nurse, and helped unload supplies for the upcoming school year. Dylan spent part of his time at the school district’s transportation garage on a painting project and bus detail work.

“We also completed a big project at the administration building, alphabetizing and organizing hundreds of files of students who no longer are in the district to be placed in storage,” Milewski said. This was the third summer that the Clifton students have been involved in the summer work program.

☛

Nicole Olivari and David Armenta work with program coordinator Barbara Milewski in the Board of Education Meeting Room at the district administration building on a project to organize old student files for storage.

Clifton Merchant • August 2004

51

For some of the students, it was their first experience in paid employment. Dylan and a couple of others were enrolled in the program all three summers.

“Many of our special needs students have multiple disabilities that limit what they’ll be able to do after they leave school, but programs like this offer them a chance to prove to themselves and to others what they’re capable of accomplishing,” Milewski said. “It gives them self-confidence and a sense of becoming responsible adults.”

Other special needs students are highly intelligent, but have severe physical disabilities that confine them to a wheelchair.

Such is the case of 16-year-old Dipan Naik, another member of the summer work crew. “This youngster has a condition known as fragile bone syndrome, but he’s a whiz on the computer,” Milewski said.

“We assigned him to several projects where he could use his com-

Bus mechanic Craig Chananie looks on as Dylan Musella washes up one the district's school buses outside of the transportation garage.

puter skills, and he did a wonderful job for our Counseling and Special Education departments.”

Milewski initiated the district’s involvement in the Summer Youth Employment Program as part of the transition services that are federally mandated for all special ed. students.

“Some years ago, the government realized that it wasn’t enough to just provide these youngsters with special classes and services, such as speech and physical therapy,” she said. “They need a plan to help them make the transition into post-secondary school options, whether

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These 10 special needs students took part in a federally-funded summer employment program for low income or special needs teenagers.

The CHS program is administered through the Passaic County Private Industry Council. that’s further education or training, or some kind of employment.”

Throughout the school year, Milewski arranges with local employers to have her students go out to their sites for voluntary work sampling. The youngsters try out different jobs to get a feeling for what they can handle and might like to do when they finish school.

“It also gives these employers an opportunity to see that, with a little

Michael Papuzenski, left, and David Kelter work with Barabara Milewski repainting numbers on the parking spaces at Clifton High School.

support and guidance, people with challenges, such as these youngsters, can contribute and become valuable, responsible employees,” Milewski said.

As a result of his job sampling experience this past school year at Brookdale Shop Rite in Bloomfield, Dylan will spend his senior year in a program where he’ll attend the

classes he needs to graduate from CHS in the morning and work at the supermarket in the afternoon.

Milewski hopes to develop more work opportunities for her students during the coming school year.

Local employers who would like to become involved in the program may contact her at 973-574-9070. story & photos by Carol Leonard

the

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Register Now for Fall Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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Back to School: The first day of school is Thursday, Sept. 2. With 17 schools and over 10,500 students anticipated, getting around the Clifton Public Schools system can be daunting. So if you are new to town or if your children are just reaching kindergarten age, you’ll need to take a few steps to register your kids for school.

To enter kindergarten, a child must be five years old on or before Oct. 1, 2004, and to enter first grade, he or she must be at least six years old by Oct. 1.

The first thing is to have your child’s immunization records in English. You’ll also need to bring a dwelling certificate, three proofs of

When the new School 17 opens on Sept. 2 in the Botany/Lakeview section, it will provide full day kindergarten, a pilot program which voters approved this past spring.

Clifton residency, the child’s birth certificate and a transfer of records from their last school.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

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Registration is held at Clifton High School (333 Colfax Ave.) during hours listed. For more specifics on the process, call 973-470-5697.

Public School Registration Aug. 23, 1-7 pm Aug. 24, 10 am-1 pm Aug. 25, 1-7 pm Aug. 26, 10 am-1 pm In addition to the kindergarten through 12th grade program, Clifton Public Schools also operates a federally-funded pre-school program for eligible three-to-five year-olds. The pre-school program is for students who have been diagnosed with a variety of physical and developmental disabilities.

Clifton Merchant Magazine is proudly a WasteWise endorser.

This program is an EPA effort that focuses in three areas: waste prevention, recycling collection and buying or manufacturing recycled-content products. For more info on how to help, call Clifton’s Recycling Coordinator Al Dubois at 973-470-2234 or go to www.epa.gov/wastewise.

2004 CHS Softball Team: (from top left) Varsity coach Juliann Magliarditi, assistant coach Kim Alongi, Dominique Russo, Nicole Lavender, Amanda DiAngelo, Ashley Terhune, Brianne Moore, Toni Melillo, Jamie Davella, JV coach Cara Boseski, freshman coaches Bill Cluney and Tom Danko, Nehidy Cruz, Sarah Block, Captain Diana Shekitka, captain Jennifer Carrara, Jilian Fueshko, Danielle Lorenzo. Not pictured is Allison Murray. Photos courtesy of Hellen Carrara.

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They’ll Be Back: The CHS softball team capped another great season with its seventh trip to the Group 4 Championship finals June 6 at Toms River East HS. The Lady Mustangs came up short in their 3-1 loss to Steinert’s Spartans, but CHS finished with a 27-4 season. “We might have lost this game but we walked away extremely proud,” said first baseman Diana Shekitka, who along with Sarah Block, Jennifer Carrara and Jilian Fueshko were the only graduates. Fire power returning next year include catcher Danielle Lorenzo, a senior, and right handed pitching ace Brianne Moore, a junior. The Mustangs last state title was in 1998 behind the throwing arm of Laura Tynio.

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Where are they now? CHS Class of ’98 softball ace Laura Tynio now resides in suburban Philadelphia.

Keiko Tokuda, a fellow ‘98 grad and international tennis sensation, calls NYC home. In next month’s magazine, we’ll update you on their lives since CHS. Why? Because they and other Mustangs will be inducted into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 10 at noon at the Brownstone.

Other inductees include Louis Andreotta, Class of June ‘49; Edward Bednarcik jr., Class of ‘75; Edward Klimek, Class of ‘87; Larry Kondra, Class of ‘69; William Lahanas, Class of ‘88; Sam Poulis, Class of ‘91 and Brian Torres, Class of ‘94. The Girls Cross Country team from 1986 and the Boys Basketball team from 1945 and 1946 will also be feted. Call Bob Zschack at 973-345-0618 for tickets.

Keiko Tokuda, CHS Class of ‘98, will be among the Mustangs inducted into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 10.

To honor Coach Joe Grecco’s legacy, friends and former Mustangs from his teams during the forties, fifties, and sixties have established the Joseph Grecco Scholarship Fund. One CHS football scholarathlete will receive the gift annually.

Please send donations to the Joseph Grecco Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1524, Clifton, N.J. 07015.

Coach Joe Grecco and players on Thanksgiving Day, 1955: Clifton 34, Garfield 0.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

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Named “Bergen-Passaic’s Most Preferred Hospital for Overall Quality and Image” since 1996 by people from Bergen and Passaic counties. People who responded to an independent survey by the National Research Corporation, one of the nation’s top researchers. People who recognized Hackensack University Medical Center as a leader in quality healthcare. People who voted Hackensack University Medical Center as their most preferred medical center for an unprecedented eight years in a row.

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Clifton Merchant • August 2004

57

Love, Hope, Memory and a Cure: Janet Mozolewski remembers Lisa Trombino and hopes you will too.

That’s why on the weekend of Oct. 2 and 3, Mozolewski will trek 26.3 miles in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City to raise funds to help eradicate breast cancer.

She’ll also walk to perpetuate the name of Lisa Trombino, who on Jan. 28 died from stage IV breast cancer, a disease she had since 1997.

It is one of the many bonds Mozolewski shared with Trombino, a familiar Clifton name. Lisa’s dad Francis ‘Joe’ Trombino was among the nine city residents who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11/01.

The American Cancer Society reports that in 2003, about 211,300 women in the U.S. were diagnosed with breast cancer and about 39,800 deaths were attributed to the disease. Breast cancer also occurs in men and this year an estimated 1,300 new cases will be diagnosed.

Because there is no known cure, awareness, education and early detection are our best defenses against the disease. According to the ACS, there is a 97% survival rate when breast cancer is caught early, before it spreads to other parts of the body. For more info, call 1-800-ACS-2345.

Janet Mozolewski, a cancer survivor pictured above left, will spend Oct. 2 and 3 at the NYC Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in memory of Lisa Ann Trombino, at right, who died at the age of 37 from the disease on Jan. 28 of this year.

Mozolewski had breast cancer in 2002 at the age of 42, was treated and now has a clean bill of health.

“Lisa was my inspiration. She gave me hope, love and support even as she suffered,” recalled Mozolewski.

“After going through this experience, I discovered that I am blessed with an amazing circle of family and friends. This was shown to me as people came out of the woodwork to offer love and support. This event is one way that I can offer some support back to those who need it.”

The Avon Walk is one in a series of weekend fundraising events taking

place to help raise awareness and funds for access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer.

Thus far, Mozolewski has raised $8,800 but she’s not stopping there.

She’s asking readers to either participate or contribute to the cause.

Checks can be made payable to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and mailed to Mrs. Janet Mozolewski, 78 Scoles Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07012.

Funds donated are managed and disbursed by the Avon Foundation, an accredited 501(c)(3) public charity.

For details on donations or the walk, call Mozolewski at 973-773-5744.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Fmr. Clifton Police Lt. Pete Newarski

The Friends of the Clifton Public Library is a not for profit, 501 C-3 organization whose members raise funds to subsidize the needs of the Library system. Join the group on Oct. 11 in a fundraiser to the Trump Plaza Casino in Atlantic City. Cost is $25 per person; roundtrip transportation, $15 in coin and a $3 food voucher included. Leave from the Allwood Library at 10 am and return at 10 pm. For info, contact Dr. Donald C. DeFabio at 973-777-2536 or write via drdefabio@aol.com.

The Women’s Guild of the General Hospital Center at Passaic established a fund of $40,000 to help nursing students pursue their studies at Passaic County Community College. Scholarships will be awarded annually. PCCC’s nursing program is among the best in the area. The Women’s Guild was founded in 1966 to raise money for Passaic General Hospital by Mrs. Miriam Stier. With the recent dissolution of the Guild, according to its most recent president, Mrs. Eleanor M. Moran, members wished to use the remaining fund balance to address the current nursing shortage in the area.

St. Peter’s Haven is getting kids in need ready to get back to school. With the help of the community, they will distribute fully loaded backpacks in mid-August to 110 kids. Call St. Peter’s Haven at 973-546-3406 to determine how to make this happen. Since it was established in 1986, The Haven, which is associated with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on Clifton Ave., has provided emergency transitional housing for more than 85 families, and food for hundreds of individuals in need each month. Fund raising efforts for the shelter and the food pantry are ongoing. Those in need or those who would like to volunteer or contribute can always call.

Our Sept., 2002 cover commemorated those from Clifton who perished in the World Trade Center attack on 9/11/01.

Rev. Carlise Dickson of First Presbyterian Church, Maplewood Ave., is planning the third annual inter-faith memorial at Lambert Castle, Valley Rd., at 7:30 pm on 9/11/04. All are invited to participate in the event and in the week before, are encouraged to do Planned or Random Acts of Kindness—PRAK. “Run a voter registration drive, conduct blood drives,” suggested Rev. Dickson. For info and details, call 973-523-1272.

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While those of us in Clifton watched fireworks on July 4th, John DeGraaf and his two sons, John and Alec, volunteered to work in the hills of West Virginia, repairing homes and distributing food and clothing to some of the poorest people in our bountiful country.

As the Director of Development for the Passionist Missionaries which is based in Union City, it is DeGraaf’s job to raise money to support the work of the organization. The group’s mission is to support the poor and marginalised persons, worldwide. In the past, he has worked in other parts of Appalachia as well as Haiti.

Courtney Percy and her dad, Ron.

John DeGraaf and his sons Alec, a 7th grader at CCMS and John, a CHS freshman.

12 year old Courtney Percy wrote an essay for her dad as a gift and it was chosen as one of the 25 winning entries in a national contest put on by the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. Her prize? An all expense paid trip to the Ripken Youth Baseball Academy in Baltimore, MD. She wrote the essay with after school help at the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton. Here’s a portion of what she had to say: I want to be like my dad because he shows respect to me and others. He is a great role model and all of my family looks up to him. You don’t get anywhere in life without working hard is the most important thing he showed me.

With school out, he figured it was a good time to get his kids involved. Among their projects, they installed a sink and cabinet for a single mother and her son who had not had running water for years.

“We stayed and played basketball with her 16-year-old son who was longing for someone to talk to,” said DeGraaf. “It’s funny.

Before you go down where these mountain people live you think, wow, they are so different. But when you begin to talk to them and spend time with them you realize they are just like you and me.”

To support the Passionist mission, call DeGraaf at 1-888-806-6606.

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

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Dorinne and Herb Krygsman recently trained kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton regading violence prevention and personal safety, a free program offered by the Passaic County Sheriff’s office called RAD Kids.

Passaic County Sheriff’s Officer Herb Krygsman teaches kids there are ways to escape from harmful situations and sometimes its as simple as stomping on someone’s toes.

As part of a national program— RAD Kids (Resisting Aggression Defensively)—he is training Passaic County youth in practical skills to recognize, avoid and escape violence, abuse and abduction.

He and his wife Dorinne, lifelong Dutch Hill residents, recently conducted the 10 hour program over a period of five days at the Boys and Girls Club of Clifton.

In addition to the physical skills, the course also teaches home, fire, bike and dog safety. Geared to children between the ages of 5 to 11, the program is offered free by the Passaic County Sheriff. To schedule a session for a group, call Officer Krygsman at 973-389-5900 ext 238.

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Clifton Merchant • August 2004

61

Test Your Smoke Alarms!

Sponsors needed for 2004 Fire Safety Publication Clifton’s FMBA Local #21, working with Clifton Merchant Magazine and Tomahawk Promotions, will again publish a fire safety coloring book to be distributed to Clifton school kids during October, which is national Fire Safety Month.

‘Test Your Smoke Alarms!’ is the theme of this year’s publication. The pages will feature illustrations and easy to read safety basics to tell families how to stay safe and prevent fires at home. As in previous years, 10,000 copies of the coloring book will be distributed through public and private elementary schools in Clifton.

Sponsors are needed to help pay for this publication, which is provided to the community at no cost to the city nor taxpayers. Covers of the previous publications are reprinted below. Call Tom Hawrylko at 973-253-4400 for sponsor information.

Do You Really Need A Reason?

62

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Clifton attorney Ricky E. Bagolie appeared before the New Jersey Senate Labor Committee recently to testify in support of the Firefighters with Cancer Bill.

Sponsored by Senators Adler, Vitale and Coniglio, Senate Bill S520 makes it easier for firefighters who contract cancer as a result of workplace exposure to carcinogens to obtain workers’ compensation.

“It is well documented that firefighters are more likely than the general public to suffer from lung disease and cancer due to their exposure to smoke, fumes and known carcinogens,” said Bagolie.

“This bill will be in line with the majority of States that presume the connection between lung disease and firefighting.”

Bagolie, a partner in Bagolie Friedman law firm, encourages firefighters and those civilians who care about the health of firefighters to call their state representatives and ask them to vote yes on this bill.

Clifton Fire Lt. Nick Marchisello is the president of FMBA Local #21.

Nick Marchisello has again been elected president of Clifton FMBA Local #21, the union which represents 139 rank and file firefighters.

He previously served in the post from 1998 to 2003. The CFD provides fire, ambulance and hazardous material services and responds to 13,000 calls per year. This past spring, the City Council spent $60,000 for a national firm to conduct a productivity study of the department, a report expected soon.

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“There are many areas which need attention which I expect the study will address fair and square,” he said.

For instance, Clifton fire engines are currently deployed with three men while the industry standard is four.

Another issues is that Clifton, a growing city of over 80,000 people and traversed by several major highways, has just two ambulances currently in full time service, said Marchisello, “and many residents and professionals feel that a third one is needed immediately.”

“With the massive building of both commercial and residential units going on in Delawanna,” he continued, “it is clear a third ambulance is needed there to protect that section of the city.”

“I don’t expect the report to be bias one way or another and I look forward to discussing the results with the chief and the city manager to see how we can offer the best protection to residents and our firefighters,” Marchisello concluded.

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Linda Caruccio, Director Clifton Merchant • August 2004

63

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Clifton Merchant Magazine • Volume 10 • Issue 1 • January 9, 2004

What’s in store for

2004 2003 in Review • Developments • Schools People to Watch • Is the Grass Greener in Wayne?

Have Clifton Merchant Magazine mailed to your home.

In Clifton: $15/year or $25 for 2 years • Out of Clifton: $25 per year or $40 for 2 years Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________________________________________________State:_______________________________ Zip_______________________________________Phone:___________________________________________ __________________________

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Not too early to start planning: Clifton’s Annual Veterans Parade is on Nov. 7 at 2 pm. The line of march will begin at Sheridan Ave. and proceed along Main Ave. through Downtown Clifton to Main Memorial Park.

Ceremonies will be at the War Memorial Monument. Those groups and individuals interested in participating should call Keith Oakley at 973-777-0264 or John Biegel at 973-471-8828.

Clifton veterans will visit the new WW II monument and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC on Sept. 20. The city is providing transportation on two busses and it is likely that they will fill up fast.

Veterans and their spouses who would like to get aboard should call Tom Miller at 973-881-4173 for all the details. There is a $10 fee and payment must be made in advance.

John Biegel is hosting a Washington tour: Visit the WW II, Korean War and Vietnam Memorials as well as Arlington National Cemetery and other sites on Oct. 23-24. A price of $140 or $190 per person includes bus transportation (lavatory equipped) from the Clifton Masonic Lodge and overnight accommodations. Call 973-893-1234.

Jack Kuepfer and Ed Noll.

Kudos to Ed Noll. The NJ American Legion recognized him for his public relations work on behalf of Clifton’s Quentin Roosevelt Post 8.

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On July 15, at the Athenia Veterans Post on Huron Ave., 210 Passaic County veterans received NJ State Military Awards for their years in service. Veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Persian Gulf and Operation Enduring Freedom were acknowledged for their service to America.

Here is a list of Cliftonites who received awards: VARIED SERVICE AWARDS SPEC. 4 JOHN ANDERSON, ARMY SGT. KENNETH J . DONOHUE, ARMY SPEC. 5 WILLIAM J. EAKINS, ARMY AIRMN. 1ST CLASS FRANCIS FAHEY, AIR FORCE SEAMN. THOMAS J. FIORE, NAVY CPL. JOSEPH F. GRAHAM, ARMY AIRMN. FRANCO D. GRAZIADIO, NAVY TECH. 4TH GRADE ANGELO GUERRA, ARMY S/SGT. STEPHEN J. HALAS, ARMY PVT. 1ST CLASS EMERICK J. HANZL, ARMY PVT. 1ST CLASS JAMES R. HARTLINE, ARMY SGT. ARTHUR A. KOVOLESKY, ARMY P.O. 3RD CLASS FRANK G. LACKI, NAVY SPEC. 4 ALBERT MAZZOLA JR, ARMY SPEC. 4 HENRY A. MCCORMICK, ARMY S/SGT. WILLIE PITTMAN , ARMY SPEC. 4 SALVATORE SELLITTO, ARMY 1ST CLASS P. O. JOSEPH S. SOLTIS, NAVY MERCHANT MARINE MARTIN TANI SPEC. 5 JOSEPH F. TARANTINO, ARMY POSTHUMOUS AWARDS SGT. 1ST CLASS HANS J. BECKMAN, ARMY P.O. 2ND CLASS MICHAEL BYCHEK, NAVY CPL. LOUIS C. CALO, ARMY PVT. THOMAS COLDIRON, ARMY GUNNY SGT. JOHN C. TOTH, USMC

Clifton veterans at the ceremony included Pete DiModica, Henry H. Spohn, Emil Soltis, Edward Kovacs, Emil Csejka, Bill Csejka, John Biegel and Tom Miller.

Miller, the Veterans Advocate for Passaic County, noted that the VA Outpatient Clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital will open on Aug. 12. For info, call 973-881-4173.

KOREAN WAR SERVICE CPL. JOHN ARTEMIK, ARMY PVT. JOHN E. BIEGEL, USMC CPL. ROBERT L. BRADLEY, MARINE CORPS S/SGT. KENNETH H. COMTOIS, AIR FORCE AIRMN. WILLIAM DEMETER, NAVY PVT. 1ST CLASS PETER DIMODICA, ARMY CPL. DOMINICK DIPAOLO, MARINE CORPS STF. SGT. JOHN W. FINLEY, MARINE CORPS CPL. ADOLPH R. FRINCO, ARMY CPL. JOSEPH F. GRAHAM, ARMY SGT. RUDOLPH A. HUDAK, USMC CPL. JOHN E. JACOBOWITZ, ARMY CPL. LOUIS F. KOLEK, ARMY STF. SGT. MICHAEL G. KOST, AIR FORCE SGT. EDWARD J. KOVACS, ARMY CPT. THADDEUS J. LAZAS, AIR FORCE SEAMN. ROBERT A. LUCIANO, NAVY

PVT. 1ST CLASS ALFRED MAITA, ARMY SPC. 4 EDWARD MATUSZCZAK, ARMY PVT. 1ST CLASS JOSEPH L. PIERANTOZZI, ARMY S/SGT. ERICH K. POESCHL, USMC P.O. 3RD CLASS RICHARD E. RICCIARDI, NAVY CPL. WILLIAM H. RICHMOND, ARMY SGT. 1ST CLASS EMIL J. SOLTIS, ARMY PVT. 1ST CLASS HENRY H. SPOHN, ARMY SGT. 1ST CLASS ANTON TOLOCHKO, ARMY PVT. 1ST CLASS JOSEPH G. VALVANO, ARMY CPL. ROBERT G. WILLIAMS, ARMY CPL. WILLIAM E. ZIMMERMAN, ARMY

Family members or veterans who would like to be considered for an award should call Kathy Burek at the NJ Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs, 1-800-624-0508, press 7 or via patricia.richter@njdmava.state.nj.us.

Quentin Roosevelt Post No. 8, The American Legion If your son or daughter, friend or acquaintance is currently serving our nation, please let them know Post 8 offers Free Membership to Active Duty Personnel.

Regular meetings on the first or third Monday of each month.

16 West First Street, (Just off Main Ave., near Corrado’s) Clifton

JOHN GRACE • COMMANDER For more information, call (973) 523-9933 1718

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Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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Shevchenko managed to continue writing, both in prose and poetry, but upon his release, Shevchenko was not the same man. Forced from his home in Ukraine, he was soon re-arrested and then banished to St. Petersburg, the capital of Russia, where he was forced to communicate in Russian. He remained under police surveillance until his death at the age of 47 in 1861.

Kyiv Rus, the historical ancestor of Ukraine, was established by Vikings, yet in the year 988 A.D., Prince Volodymyr the Great ‘baptized’ the nation when he became a Christian.

From the 10th through the 13th century, Kyiv was the center of a powerful state that dominated eastern Europe.

Internal dissension weakened the state which ended with Mongol invasions in the mid-13th century although the Kozaks were able to establish an autonomous Ukraine.

During the 17th century, Ukrainian culture enjoyed a great revival. Religious and educational activity flourished and there was a high rate of literacy.

By the late 18th century, 85 per cent of Ukrainian land had fallen back under Russian control. After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Ukraine was engulfed in a chaotic civil war. While sovereignty was declared in 1918, a Bolshevik victory brought most of Ukraine under Soviet rule.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy of Ukraine was the artificially created famine of 1932-1933 in which 8 million perished in the country often called the breadbasket of Europe. During World War II, Ukraine bore the brunt of the Nazi drive to Stalingrad and the Red Army counteroffensive. Four million civilians were killed and 2.2 million were taken to Germany as laborers.

Senior Health Partners B OARD C ERTIFIED Michael P. Lewko, MD

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

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Ukraine’s Independence from Russia in 1991 will be noted in Clifton on Aug. 24 with a raising of the blue and gold flag at city hall before the city council meeting.

Covering 233,100 square miles of golden wheat fields and beautiful blue skies, Ukraine is the largest country completely in Europe.

Ukraine is bordered in the north by Belarus, in the northeast by Russia, in the southwest by Moldova and Romania and in the west by Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.

As Ukraine continues to evolve as Taras Shevchenko an independent nation, Ukrainians worldwide reflect on their past for a rallying point of nationalism. And often people look with pride to poet and painter Taras Shevchenko.

The Bard of Ukraine was born to a serf family in Moryntsi in 1814 and was orphaned as a teen. By 1938, his talent and a Russian patron gained him a seat in the St. Petersburg Academy of Art where he interacted with Ukrainian and Russian artists and writers.

His first collection of poems, Kobzar, (The Bard), was published in Ukrainian and celebrated the history and folklore of Ukraine. Soon his poems evolved from nostalgic to an indictment of rulers and sympathy for the oppressed.

Shevchenko moved to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in 1846 and became a member of the Brotherhood of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the first modern Ukrainian organization with a political ideology.

He was arrested in 1847 and sentenced to 10 years in Siberia when a collection of his unpublished poetry satirizing the oppression of Ukraine by Russia and the russification of his homeland were discovered

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From Lakeview Ave • Enter on Mina Ave • Exit on Rosalie Ave Clifton Merchant • August 2004

69

Why Fight The Holiday Traffic?

Join Us For the th Annual

“FESTIVAL IN THE PARK” Sponsored By The Botany Village Merchants Association Friday Sept rd pm pm Saturday Sept th pm pm Sunday Sept th pm pm Monday Sept th Noon pm

At Randolph Park Botany Villiage Clifton (Randolph Park next to Sacred Heart Parish) For more information visit our website:

www botanyvillage com Bring the coupon on facing page and receive FREE ticket per child for a ride of their choice Limited amount of tickets available A minimum of FREE tickets will be given out on a first come first served basis

• Food • Kiddie Rides • • Carnival Rides • • FREE Raffles • • Entertainment • • Plenty of FREE Parking • 70

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

A Ferris Wheel which offers great views of Clifton and plenty of other mechanical rides are among the attractions at the annual Botany Village Festival in the Park on Sept. 3-6.

Held over Labor Day weekend for the fourth year in a row, the Botany Festival gives families an inexpensive afternoon or evening out.

There are a dozen or so rides, ranging from the Tilt-a-Whirl to a Carousel that’s perfect for young kids. There’s a midway of games and plenty of food, from cotton candy and caramel to hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage and peppers.

Covering Randolph Park, which is located near the intersection of Parker and Clifton Aves., there’s plenty of nearby free parking. On Friday and Saturday, village merchants will be open in and around the Square, pictured at right, so come early and stroll the historic shopping district.

The Festival is open until 10 pm every night.

The Botany Village Festival in the Park is sponsored by the Botany Village Merchants Association which is working with the Botany Village and Botany Plaza property owners and businesses with plans to create a Special Improvement District in the near future.

GIANT PEST CONTROL

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“FESTIVAL IN THE PARK” • Carnival Rides • Great Food • • Plenty of FREE Parking • Bring this Ad and receive FREE ticket per child for a ride of their choice Limited amount of tickets available

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A minimum of FREE tickets will be given out on a first come first served basis

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S ACRED H EART S CHOOL 43 Clifton Ave. Clifton • 973-546-4695 Continuing a Half Century of Quality Catholic Education Pre-School to 8th Grade • Middle States Accredited • Hot Lunch Program • Modern Air Conditioned Facilities • State of the Art Computer Labs

• Now Taking Registration for our Pre-School & Pre-K www.sacredheartclifton.com Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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• State Certified Child Care (all year round, 6:30 am- 6 pm) • Full Day Kindergarten • Full Day Pre Kindergarten – Pre-School

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Clifton Adult Evening School

November 2, 2004 is Election Day...

dream dance paint think sew exercise sail learn design compute graduate

Call for our Fall Catalog 973.470.2438 In person registration at Clifton High School Thursday, Sept. 2nd & Thursday, Sept. 9th – 6 - 9 PM Senior Citizen registration 3:30 - 5 PM Classes Begin Monday, Sept. 20th & Thurdsay, Sept. 23th

www.clifton.k12.nj.us 72

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

Register to Vote!

V

oting is about more than politics and promises; it’s about free expression and effecting change. Your kids will have to live in the world they create, and they can start making their voices heard as soon as they turn 18.

Tell your kids that one of the best ways they can express themselves as individuals and influence their world is by registering to vote.

To make it easy for anyone to vote, we’ve published a Voter Registration Form so that those of you who are not registered can.

It is a simple form and all it will cost to complete is a minute of your time, (a copy if you don’t want to tear out the page) an envelope and 37 cents to mail.

Election Day is Nov. 2 and we will vote for a President, our US Congressman, Passaic County Freeholders and Sheriff.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the process. It is an amazing American right. Make your voice heard, Clifton: be sure to vote.

registered to vote where you live now, Voter Registration: If you are not you may register by completing this form.

Mail to: Passaic County, Commissioner of Registration, 311 Pennsylvania Ave., Paterson, NJ 07503 • 973-881-4516 Print clearly in Ink. Use ball-point pen or marker Qualification of an Eligible Applicant You must be a citizen of the United States and, by the date of the next election, at least 18 years old and a resident of New Jersey and your county for at least 30 days.

The Commissioner of Registration will notify you upon receipt of this form.

The Registration deadline to vote at the next election is 29 days prior to election day.

Check if you wish to be a board worker/poll clerk ❑ in future elections.

Check if you are permanently disabled, unable to go to the polls to vote, and wish to receive information on ❑ an Absentee Ballot.

Sign or Mark

➮

If applicant is unable to complete this form, print name and address of individual who completed this form.

This page is brought to you as a community service.

For questions regarding this Voter Registration Application, call the Passaic County Superintendent of Elections at 973-881-4516.

Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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Stroll on Van Houten Ave. Van Houten Ave. will be closed to vehicular traffic from Huron Ave. to the Passaic border on Sept. 19 (raindate is Sept. 26) due to the Athenia Business Association’s Street Fair.

This is the second annual event for the ABA and the plan is to once again turn Van Houten Ave. into a pedestrian marketplace.

Family fun is the theme as there will be a petting zoo with pony rides and other animals. Street vendors will be selling food and merchandise.

Arrangements are being made to create a midway of rides and amusements for the kids. Businesses along the Avenue will also be selling their merchandise outdoors. Interested vendors and sponsors should call 973-473-0986 or 973-773-0802.

The Athenia Business Association is an organization charged with improving the Van Houten-area commercial district.

Over 100 businesses can be found in the Athenia Business District—and the area is to many the Heart of Clifton.

Late in 2002, the long dormant Athenia Business Association was revitalized and its directors have since focused on maintaining and improving the commercial district.

President Matt Grabowski leads the group. There is also Vice President Gina Yarrish of the LaCorte Agency and Treasurer Greg Lacki of Lacki’s Jewelers.

Other Board Directors of the Athenia Business Association include

Fred Barnes of Dingo’s Den, George Shevchuk of the Window Mill, Keith Oakley of the Window Depot, Krystyna Bladek of Krystyna Travel Tours, Alberta Lacki of Lacki’s Jewelers and Donna Buron of Bergen Passaic Respiratory Care.

Kathryn Collins Dance Studio 238 Colfax Avenue • Clifton (across from CHS) • 973-473-3343

• Tap • Ballet • Jazz • Modern • Hip Hop • For ages 3 to adult 1389

1102 Main Ave • Clifton • 973-779-5885

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

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Register Now Classes Begin Sept. 13

1334

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Styretowne Shopping Center Sidewalk Sale: From novels and magazines to wine and clothing, merchants at the center will be offering great savings on merchandise at the annual outdoor sale on Aug. 12-14. Call 973-591-5222.

St. John Kanty Picnic, Sept. 12.

The smell of Polish and American foods and the sound of polka music will fill Athenia on Sept 12, from 1 to 7 pm It’s all at the church grounds on Speer Ave. The picnic will be followed by a dance from 7 to 10 pm. All are welcome.

St. Brendan’s Church Carnival at the corner of Lakeview and Crooks Aves. opens on Sept. 23 from 6 to 10 pm and parties on through the weekend until Sunday night, Sept. 26.

The 50/50 offers $2,500 in prizes.

For info, call 973-772-1149. The Church picnic is Oct. 3 from 1 to 6 at Holy Face Monastery.

Ukrainian Orthodox Holy Ascension Church, on Broad St. in Clifton holds its annual parish picnic on Sept. 19. All are welcomed.

Call 973-471-8131for details.

St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, 216 President St., Passaic, is holding its parish picnic on Sept.

12, from noon to 8 pm. Homemade foods and sweets along with draft beer and soda. Children’s games, live Ukrainian orchestra.

The Annual Elmer Goetschius Fish ‘n’ Chips Dinner is Sept. 24 at 5 pm at First Presbyterian Church, 303 Maplewood Ave. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Takeout available. For info, call 973-523-1272.

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The first rank seargent of the International Band Festival Champion 1970 Mustang Band salutes all of you who carry on the proud tradition.

Hail to “Our Director”, Bob Morgan!

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Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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C. J. M. Financial Services Ensuring your Financial Future If you’re like most Americans, you have many questions relating to financial planning matters that are very important for your current and future financial health.

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With thousands of investment, insurance, and mortgage products available in the market place today, choosing the right one is not easy.

The path to financial security may not always be straight forward. It is vital today, in the midst of the world’s economical problems for you to have the proper direction to be able to meet your goals and needs. Your ability to meet your objectives will depend on how you manage your finances. To learn more, call today!

Syed Hussain has been named Assistant Treasurer & Branch Manager of the Greater Community Bank on Getty Ave., in the Corrado’s Shopping Plaza.

Greater Community is a $799 million financial holding company headquartered in Totowa with 15 branches in Bergen, Passaic and Morris counties. They provide commercial and retail banking Syed Hussain of services to small businessGreater Community Bank. es and consumers.

Artisans Touch is moving its gallery upstairs at Styertowne Shopping Center after three years in lower level retail space, said owner Mike Bertelli.

Now a ‘showcase gallery’ on the second floor, Artisans Touch continues exhibits by local artists, as well as its custom framing and art services. In addition, Bertelli will add workshops and classes, as well as community art outreach. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 4 to 8 pm, and by appointment, the studio is handicap accessible. Group and bus tours welcome. Call 973-471-0001.

HIBACHI or SUSHI?

Joseph G. Bionci Independent Registered Representative

973-472-1707 www.financialfuture4you.com Securities are offered through C. J. M. Planning Corp., 223 Wanaque Avenue, Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 www.cjmplanning.com MEMBER NASD, SIPC, MSRB

Mortgages are offered through C. J. M. Mortgage Corp. and are not available in all states.

Insurance is offered through C. J. M. Insurance Brokerage, LLC. 1715

76

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

•COCKTAILS •SUSHI BAR •FRESH SEAFOOD DAILY

IZUMI Hibachi Steak House

973

Mutual funds, annuities, and other investment products offered through C. J. M. Planning Corp. are not insured by the FDIC, or any other government agency, are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, any bank or any affiliate and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal amount invested and are not insured by any Federal Government Agency.

628-1888

Route 23 Service Rd. Wayne

Dog Day Afternoon: Clifton’s Rec Dept. keeps all members of the family involved. Earlier this summer, in cooperation with the Friends of the Clifton Animal Shelter, an event was held at Chelsea Park to celebrate

our canine pals. There were prizes for best behaved and demonstrations for doggie first aid, at right. The Friends is a non-profit volunteer group which provides shelter to homeless animals of Clifton at the pound behind city hall. Volunteers 16 and older are needed, as are donations of both cash or pet food. To help out, or to adopt an animal, call the shelter at 973-470-5936.

PCTI

In-Person

45 REINHARDT ROAD • WAYNE

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 6:30 - 9 pm September 14, 15 & 16

PA S S A I C C O U N T Y T E C H N I C A L I N S T I T U T E

Adult Education Over 50 Evening Trade Courses to choose from!

Plus these programs listed below.

Adult High School • (973) 389–4101 Apprenticeship Programs • (973) 389–4101 Licensed Practical Nurse Program • (973) 389-2020 Passaic County Learning Center: We offer Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language and courses to earn a GED. For information call (973) 684–0106.

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Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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Still Plenty of Summer: Grab a friend and dance under the stars at the Sunday evening Concert Series in Main Memorial Park. Stroll Morris Canal Park, pitch horseshoes in Weasel Brook Park or jump on a train and go... to Hoboken? Here is a round up of some activities...

Mix roasted marshmallows with games and activities on a summer night in Albion Park and you have the recipe for Clifton’s Family Camp Out, which begins at 6 pm on Aug. 20. Families bring sleeping bags and tents (optional) and spend an evening under the stars.

Camping is great family fun but many of us can’t find the time to escape to the wilderness. Right here (pictured below) on Maplewood Ave., rekindle outdoors knowledge, like building a fire and using a compass. The event is affordable—only $8 for a family of four or $3 per person. Register at the Clifton Rec. Dept., 2nd floor, city hall.

Calling All Girls: If Albion Park is not your idea of a real camp out, the Lenape Girl Scout Council has something more adventurous. Earn a camping badge during a week long program run in cooperation with the Scouts. From Aug. 16-20, Clifton Girl Scouts will do plenty of hiking and other age appropriate outdoor activities right here in Clifton. Girls in grades 1 to 3 go from 9 am to noon and those in 4th to 6th go from 1 to 4 pm. Then on Aug. 23 and 24, the Scouts will head up to Lake Rickabear in Kinnelon for an overnight camp out. A fee of $79 covers all activities, including transportation and meals, tee shirt, and merit badge. Try it out—no need to officially join Scouts to go camping.

Call 973-470-5956 for details.

Gambling Problem? call 1-800-Gambler or visit

www.800gambler.org 78

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

All Aboard, Clifton: Looking for an inexpensive evening of fun?

Take a train ride! For about $7 round trip fare, half price for kids and free for little ones, you’ll get a 30 minute excursion from Clifton Station into Hoboken. Along the way, you’ll cross bridges—like the one above—swamps and rivers and see egrets, ducks, geese and more.

Once in Hoboken, have an ice cream at the historic station and watch trains, busses, taxis and commuters converge. For a few more bucks, take a ferry ride on the Hudson River and go into lower Manhattan—or just tour historic Hoboken. Trains leave/return about every hour until 8:30 pm. For schedules, call 1-800-772-2222 or go to www.njtransit.com.

REPOSSESSED COPIERS • Inventory Warehouse Clearance at our Clifton location!

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Free Sunday Evening Concerts: The Boisterous Banjos, pictured at left, will get you to sing along as they wrap up the Clifton Concert Series on Aug. 29. Held at 7:30 on Sunday evenings at Main Memorial Park, come and dance under the stars or bring a lawn chair and just sit back and enjoy the sounds. Shows cancelled in case of rain. Here is the line-up leading up to the finale: Aug. 8: Ablemen Polka Music Plus Aug. 15: Island Breeze Calypso Aug. 22: Reminisce 50’s Harmony

Clifton’s Sculpture Park is a real gift to the city. It is perhaps one of the most condensed displays of sculpture in this area. The works here have been created by nationally acclaimed artists. Park your car at the top of the hill, near the Arts Center. Wear comfortable shoes, preferably sneakers; hiking up small, grassy hills is required to get close to many of the sculptures. Fill a water bottle at the well before starting your trek. Sculptures, found all over the park, are marked with the artist’s name and title of the work. While touring the 26 acre complex, take time to view the 14 historic brick and stone barns which once housed the US Quarantine Station for animals entering this country. The buildings are on the National Register of Historic Sites. The Sculpture Park was conceived by Dr. Jerry Raphael and it opened in 1994. For info, call the Clifton Arts Center at 973-472-5499.

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•Family Discounts •Birthday Parties

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Back To School Splash: Kids go back to school all day on Thursday, Sept. 2 this year so the Rec Dept. is sponsoring a day of skating and swimming on Aug. 25. Start at Bellins Pool on Main Ave. at 10 am and then head over to the SkateZone on Third St. at 2:30 pm. A combined ticket cost $5. Call 973-470-5956 for details.

MEMBER ELITE DANCE FORUM & PROFESSIONAL DANCE TEACHERS ASSOC.

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Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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Visit us in Athenia: 802 Van Houten Ave • 973-473-1997

We Don’t Sell Parts… …We Sell Service Machine Shop On Location No Order Too Large Or Small FREE DELIVERY

Two Stores In Clifton 973-473-1997

973-473-4999

802 Van Houten Ave • Clifton New Location

1103 Main Ave • Downtown Clifton New Location

Our Other Locations: 201.843.8040

201-845-8353

136 Essex St • Rochelle Park Open Sundays

101 Route 46 West • Saddle Brook Open Sundays

201.391.3333

973-857-2600

5 Hawthorne Ave • Park Ridge New Location

614 Pompton Ave • Cedar Grove New Location

201. 261.0411 59A E. Ridgewood Ave • Paramus New Location

973.338.9292 1278 Broad St • Bloomfield New Location

Stan Lembryk’s Training of Champs Soccer Camp for boys pre-k to 8th grade is Aug. 9-13 and for girls pre-k to 8th grade, on Aug. 16-20, from 9 am to noon, at WWMS. CHS ‘87 grad Lembryk is the CHS girls soccer coach credited with not only bringing direction to the program but also producing numerous team wins and individual accomplishments. He is also director of USA Soccer Academy and head coach of the NY/NJ U-18 Metro Stars (MLS).

Cost is $120. Call 973-686-1764.

Joe Vespignani’s Soccer Camp for kids ages 3 to 10 is on Aug. 9-13, 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Camp is at the CHS varsity soccer field. The fee is $80 for one week, which includes a t-shirt. Mustangs Boys coach Vespignani has thus far achieved a 99-14-6 record, two Passaic County Championships, two league titles, and was twice a finalist in the state sectional. For info on the program, call 973-334-0207 or write him at VespignaniSoccer@aol.com. hair nails color

973-694-2228 1168 Hamburg Turnpike • Wayne New Location

973-423-1700 93 Goffle Rd • Hawthorne New Location

Visit us in Downtown Clifton: 1103 Main Ave • 973-473-4999 80

August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

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Call Latife at 973.365.0220 to make an appointment.

88 Market Street, Clifton

Coach Corrections: In last month’s magazine, we published a history of Fighting Mustang Football Coaches.

But corrections are in order and here they are: Clifford S. Hurlburt served 1922-23 and Al Lesko was at the helm from 1935 to 1940. He was followed by Vic Dragon who served from 1941 to 1944. Thanks to Bob Zschack for the clarification.

Charlotte Agosta earned first place in the National Seniors Championship, Class A division for bowlers 70 and over at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada. Over a 40 year career, the Clifton resident has won 11 gold medals in state and regional events and took home two silvers and three bronzes in national events.

The New Jersey Senior Olympics is for those active adults who may never have experienced formal sports competition before as well as competitive athletes.

Events are Sept. 11-12 at Freehold Township and surrounding areas. Advance $25 entry fee entitles participants to compete in up to three of the 15 events offered.

Athletes compete in age divisions beginning at 50-54 and continue to 90 and over. Besides the Olympic–type sports such as track and field and swimming, the Senior Games offer horseshoes, table tennis, boccie, darts and softball throwing. To register, call 973-618-1111.

Phenomenal Grandmothers should attend a meeting at 6:30 pm on Aug. 11 at the Main Library, Piaget Ave., to discuss the formation of a Clifton club by the same moniker. Once organized, the chapter will work to benefit chronically ill children and children with special needs. Inquiries: Colleen H. Murray at 973-253-9579.

Passaic County Make-A-Wish Foundation hosts a beefsteak on Sept. 10, 7 pm at the Boys and Girls Club.

Tickets are $35. Call 973-684-5768. The mission of the group is to ‘grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.’ Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and is now a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 110,000 children worldwide.

R.F. K NAPP C ONSTRUCTION ROOFING • SIDING • GUTTERS • LEADERS

973- 777-1699 • 14 Pilgrim Dr.• Clifton

FREE ESTIMATES • OVER 40

YEARS

• FULLY INSURED

The Davis Academy of Irish Dancing

IRISH DANCING LESSONS

Mrs. Davis with some of her champions at the 2004 World Championships, including Clifton’s Timothy Kochka, winner of the World and All-Ireland contests.

One of the most successful Irish Dancing schools in the tri-state area, the Davis Academy accepts children from the age of four for instruction in this beautiful art form, made popular by “Riverdance” and Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance.”

Clifton Classes every Thursday at 5 p.m. at St. Peter’s, Clifton Ave. Classes at other locations: Monday - Old Bridge Wednesday - Manville Saturday - East Rutherford

For Information , Call: Mrs. Davis, 973-340-9026 Meg Hill at 973-628-0915 Sharon Crowley at 973-887-2472 1717

Clifton Merchant • August 2004

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Happy Birthday To: Karen Lime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/2

Stephen J. & Mary Ann Menconi celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary on 8/17.

Michael Urciuoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/2

Luis Olave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/11

Kevin Ciok. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/4

Emily Hawrylko. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/12

Peter Tatarenko. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/5

Michelle Smolt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/14

Mark W. Mikolajczyk. . . . . . . . . . . 8/5

Yuko Angello. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/15

Ed Gasior Sr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/6

Christopher Antal. . . . . . . . . . . . 8/15

Sean McNally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/6

Peter Bodor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/15

Charlie Stek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/6

Tom Hawrylko s r . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/15

Steven Riccardi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/7

Theresa & Tom Albanese celebrate their 51st wedding anniversary on 8/8.

Chiara Cristantiello. . . . . . . . . . . . 8/9

Jessica Oliva. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/15

Cameron J. Popovski. . . . . . . . . 8/26 Ann Soltis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/26 Adam Brandhorst. . . . . . . . . . . . 8/27

Maria Pinter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/15

Peter Fierro,Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/28

Daniel Wolfe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/15

KathleenMcKenny. . . . . . . . . . . 8/31

Alexandria Veltre. . . . . . . . . . . . 8/19

Hisham Obaid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/31

Michael Melendez. . . . . . . . . . . 8/20

WRITER/EDITOR

Doggie Autumn Ressetar. . . . . 8/20

Happy Birthday to...

Danielle Swede 8/13/83 Nicholas Swede 8/29/85 Rachelle Swede 8/20/92 ...from Grandma Lucille Martineau

Reaghan Alexa Vasilenko turned one on 7/30/04!

Eileen Gasior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/26

Nancy & Michael Ressetar celebrate their 23nd wedding anniversary on 8/15.

Mayas Dalko. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/23 Cara Cholewczynski. . . . . . . . . 8/24 Joanne Pituch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/24 Robbie Lucas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/25

Clifton Merchant Magazine seeks a staff writer to cover municipal meetings, social events and more. write to: Tomahawk Promotions 1288 Main Ave. Clifton NJ 07011 tom.hawrylko@verizon.net

Dr. David R. Moore, Chiropractor Pictured with Dr. Moore is Bob Santillo. Bob benefits from Chiropractic care and stability exercises that he has learned at Dr. Moore's practice. This along with his active lifestyle has made him Dr. Moore's Patient of the Month. For more information, please visit our web site: www.FITSPINE.net

Mon • Wed • Fri Chiropractic Health Center 241 Crooks Ave • Clifton • 973.253.7005 Tue • Thu • Sat Elmwood Park Athletic Club 690 River Dr • Elmwood Park • 201.794.0155

1576

www.fitspine.net www.fitspine.net

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August 2004 • Clifton Merchant

East Ridgelawn Cemetery... ...invites you to visit our Mausoleum on Main Avenue to see the inspirational art adorning our new building. Within the Mausoleum, our artist has painted a serene and peaceful view, entitled ‘Eden’, pictured above, where visitors can pause to celebrate the lives of those who have passed.

At the Mausoleum...

Visits are unlimited and unaffected by the weather. Crypts are located in the building and convenient for elderly and handicapped.

Mausoleum internment provides greater Peace of Mind & Security.

• non-sectarian • niches

• mausoleum • garden graves

• monumental graves • no obligation pre-need counseling • financing available one-year at no interest on easy monthly plans

East Ridgelawn Cemetery 255 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07014 for more information with no obligation call:

973.777.1920

Tomahawk Promotions 1288 Main Avenue Clifton, NJ 07011

PRSRT STD US Postage PAID CLIfToN, NJ PeRMIT No. 1185

NICK TSELEPIS Broker/Owner

TOP 1% REALTORS Direct Line 973-340-1107 Selling? Call Nick and start packing!

Buy or Sell A Home With Us & Use This Truck!

Most Homes Sold In Clifton! * *Nick had most listings sold in Clifton, more than any other Agent. (Source IMS Incorporated/GSMLS)

Free Report #1

Find Out What the Home Down the Street Sold For To hear a brief recorded message call

1-866-831-4517 ID# 1741 Call anytime 24/7

Clifton

$319,000

Clifton

$445,000

Clifton

$319,900

Lovely Colonial, LR w/fireplace, FDR, kitchen, sun room, 2 Bdrms, ceramic tiled bath, Full finished bsmnt, 1/2 bath, 1 car garage, Private yard, Well maintained, Close to all amenities & schools, Will not last, Must see!

Taste plus Space – Popular design w/ sensible touches everywhere Well-proportioned rooms mean easy living. corner lot is very well manicured w/ 6 rms, 3 Bdrms, 1.5 baths, & full basement.

Treasure Chest - Cozy 1930’s 4Bdrms, side hall colonial with real original fireplace mantel, sensibly sized rooms, 2 F/ baths, 1car garage. Near all major highways, schools. Call Sophia for more details.

Call Gladys 973-859-7506

Call Sophia 973-859-7500

Call Sophia 973-859-7500

Free Report #2

Moving Up! How to Avoid Getting Stuck with Two Homes To hear a brief recorded message call 1-866-826-9875 ID# 1772

Clifton

$319,900

Clifton

$285,000

Clifton

$319,900

All Large 5 Bdrms, LR, DR, EIK Home in the Lakeview Section of Clifton, Also 2 Full/2 Half Baths.

Large enclosed Porch. Big yard.

Colonial 1family, 5 rooms, 2Bdrms 1 _ baths, EIK, driveway, full basement. Very well kept house, & Very clean. For more details.

Move Right In – Well maintained, Corner lot with 7 rooms, 3 Bedrooms whirlpool bath. For all other extras.

Call Bobby 973-859-7516

Call Angie 973-340-1202

Call David 973-859-7513

Call anytime 24/7

Free Report #3

Selling?

27 Quick & Easy FixUps to Sell your Home FAST & FOR TOP DOLLAR! To hear a brief recorded message call 1-866-831-4517 ID# 1723 Call anytime 24/7

Clifton

$449,000

Clifton

$449,900

Clifton

$439,900

3 family-1st/2nd floor-LR, DR, EIK, 2 bedrooms and bath.3rd floor-has LR, Kitchen, 2 bdrms and bath corner property, Driveway easily made if wanted.

Newer 2 Fam ranch style home.

Mod 2 br apt. in front w/M/D set up in rear. Mod Kit & D/A. 2 Lrg Bdrms & bath which can be combined w/ground level Lrg Rec Rm Summ Kit, 2 bdrm & Bth. All negotiations through listing broker.

Move in condition all updated, large rooms, fin bsmnt with ceramic tiles, main bath with jacuzzi, large deck & yard, near NY tran. Quiet Res Area. A pleasure to show!

Call Sophia 973-859-7500

Call Nick 973-340-1202

Call Maria 862-262-1980

Visit us online at:

www.NoOneSellsMore.com