Andrea Icaza “During the journey is when you get brave,” said Andrea Icaza. “You never get brave prior to the journey.” Icaza’s journey in Clifton began 13 years ago. She and her family were looking at towns with strong schools because with four kids, schools were a priority. What attracted them to Clifton was the district’s curriculum organization. The district’s special education department also confirmed to Icaza, 41, that they had made the right decision. “The school district started to work with me when my son was diagnosed with autism and that makes a big difference,” Icaza said. The Lakeview family sent all their boys to School 11. There, Icaza got involved volunteering and eventually became the Home and School Association president. There were five years where she was heavily involved, she said. Icaza realized then that many people who asked her to do certain things either did not voice their concerns or were unaware about the school. “It’s not the job of the superintendent, nor the principal, nor the teacher to come and hold your hand and say, ‘Hey, I really want you to get involved and look into these issues. Do you know the budget? Do you know how they’re spending the money?’” said Icaza. “Nobody’s going to do that. You’ve got to do it on your own.”
Gerard Scorziello Gerard Scorziello, a lifelong Clifton resident, works as a financial advisor for Wells Fargo. He and wife Kim enjoy exploring the many great restaurants in town. Residing in the Richfield section, they are parents to two grown children, Katie and Kevin. Scorziello shared there are “lots of things” to like about Clifton. “We can get to Manhattan, the beach, the country, all within an hour’s drive. Great restaurants, both in town and in neighboring towns. Clifton offers the best of New Jersey.” Scorziello also appreciates the people.
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October 2019 • Cliftonmagazine.com
Getting involved in the HSA was one way she learned what the school received and what it needed. She learned about Lakeview driving through Clifton. Doing that made Icaza more aware of what she wanted to see changed, or rather what she wanted to see become the same. One thing she noticed is that the greenery is “not as updated as the other parts of the town.” Another discrepancy: bicycle lanes. “If you drive from Broad St. then you notice [there are bicycle lanes],” said Icaza. “What?… Our kids don’t drive bicycles? Because we’re close to Paterson and Passaic?” Another benefit of serving on an HSA is that you work directly with the families, so there is an ability to identify the demographics around the city, Icaza said. Social media has changed the way people engage, Icaza added. When she moved to Clifton over a decade ago, it was a “closer, more active community,” where action was taken by people going to meetings. Now, Icaza worries about young people becoming more isolated and people sharing concerns only through Facebook statuses. She maintains that she loves her community and feels connected with her neighborhood. “I don’t have any family other than my husband and my kids, and my husband’s family, which I love, but I was adopted by these neighbors,” said Icaza. “They turned into be my family.” “We live in the Richfield section and have the most amazing neighbors. A lot of people have a tremendous amount of pride in this town. The Clifton Animal Shelter does amazing work and the volunteers are so dedicated and caring.” Scorziello would also like to see city improvements. “Clifton doesn’t have sufficient political representation in the county or state. For a city as large as Clifton, that is unacceptable. Our schools are terrific and both of my children were well served in the public schools. My complaint is only that our school district doesn’t do enough to promote themselves and the great accomplishments (including a lot of representation in Ivy League colleges).