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LETTER
July- Time To Explore!
July, our explore issue! Finally! This is one of the most enjoyable issues to put together because, as the theme suggests, we get to explore different activities, people, events and more that we normally wouldn't find ourselves involved in.
Case in point, let's start with our cover story. BriiCombination Wrestling (BCW) is a family friendly professional wrestling organization that provides an electric evening for their fans. I had heard of them previously but once I met owner Anthony Cole, his energy and enthusiasm for what they do left me with no option but to be excited and to know that I had to introduce you to them. They have a HUGE event coming up on Thursday, July 31 (be there for 5:30 pm) at the Mecca in Ridgefield Park. We are all going and would love to see you there too!
We also spent time with Robert Stapf, franchise owner of British Swim Club on Route 46 in Fairfield. You have kids? Then you owe it to them to explore what British Swim Club is all about. The short answer is 'Survival Swimming'. They aren't about floating blow up toys, no, they are there to get your kids to the point they are able to handle the unknown when it comes to being around water- falling in, clothes on, no one around- a nightmare for us parents but THEY are how you will know your kid is safe.
We went on a hike with Polly Powasnik. Talk about exploring. Polly loves her hikes, she loves being in nature so she uses her photography skills to take great photos as she hikes. What a fantastic idea! It lets her enjoy those beautiful views at any point throughout the year.
And we even brought you Erica Breiterman's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. As we stated in the recipe: an irresistible summer treat and one worth exploring.
There are so many wonderful ways to explore our passions and our communities. We showed you a few of them today but now you need to get out there and explore your own path...then let me know what you find. I’d love to hear about it!
PHILLIP BARONE, PUBLISHER @WAYNELIFESTYLEMAG
July 2025
PUBLISHER
Phillip Barone | phillip.barone@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Don Seaman | don.seaman@citylifestyle.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Officially Social | Alison@officiallysocial.com
PUBLISHER ASSISTANT
Amanda Vreelan | wayne@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Don Seaman, Erica Breiterman
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
John Agnello, Polly Powasnik, Greg Pallante, Ayden Acebo & Chad Thompson (Wayne Hills Photo), Brian Krieger (Brian K Photo), Phillip Barone
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Rachel Otto
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsi Southard
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler
inside the issue
BriiCombination
The
BriiCombination Wrestling (BCW) (and Owner Anthony Cole) celebrated their 8-year wrestling anniversary in May. The excitement level and fun for the fans grows even greater at each event. Photography: Brian Krieger (Brian K Photo)
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: Tom Hayden from Servpro hosted an unforgettable networking event at The Back Nine 2: He combined almost 80 networking professionals, delectable food and great virtual golf competitions! 3: Dan Sterba and the BBNG thoroughly enjoyed Waffles & Dreams for their lunch meeting! 4: Dr. Dariusz Nasiek held his monthly Medico-Legal networking. Once again, it was a huge success! 5: Dr. Nasiek provided great networking, delicious wine & phenomenal food for everyone involved. 6: The Totowa Knights of Columbus held their annual golf event, complete with many great prizes! 7: Well over 100 people enjoyed the beautiful weather and a great round of golf.
Photography by Phillip Barone
A WRESTLING development
BriiCombination Wrestling (BCW) Lets You Explore A Different Side To Professional Wrestling
ARTICLE BY DON SEAMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN KRIEGER (@BRIANKPHOTO)
What would you do if you were in an enclosed arena with a 300 pound wrecking ball dressed in spandex rumbling towards you with the obvious intention to separate your soul from your body?
A normal human would likely freeze, flee, or question every single life choice they’ve made to bring them to that moment. And then some.
Yet there are those who see this as completely normal, just another test to their ultimate goal.
Is that goal surviving? No, for them, it’s a championship.
These are the people who choose to be professional wrestlers.
It takes a special type of person to endure everything that being successful in wrestling requires. Let’s face it, as popular as it is, not everyone is cut out for actually doing it. Obviously, you need to be strong, athletic, and exceptionally confident. But so are Michael Phelps and Tom Cruise. It takes something different to succeed in the ring. It takes the right mix of body and mind to be a professional wrestler, and the determination to develop the skills to thrive.
You might watch every Wrestlemania event ever held and know the difference between a piledriver and a powerslam. But that doesn’t mean you can do it. It takes training to go from watching to doing - and unlike golf or baseball, wrestling doesn’t offer a driving range or batting cage anywhere to test out your skills on the weekend.
But there is a place to begin your journey into the world of professional wrestling. And it happens to be in our area, in Ridgefield Park. It’s called BriiCombination Wrestling, owned and run by Anthony Cole.
BriiCombination Wrestling is a professional wrestling championship organization, similar to the WWE, AEW, NJPW. They host events here in the NY/NJ area. But it’s not just another wrestling circuitthere’s much more to it than simply “a wrestling show”. BCW events are a full-on immersive entertainment experience.
The latest event, held in May, was a Jurassic celebration - full-on dinosaurs everywhere. Think wrestling by Disney. And the whole set was designed by his daughter, a costume and set designer who’s worked on Broadway shows. Walking into a BriiCombination event is like entering into a VR world - a real-life video game.
They stand out because they do things differently - from the very beginning of a wrestler’s career to entertaining people who might not be wrestling fans.
“I’m sure that you’ve heard of The Rock, John Cena, and Jimmy Snuka. Well, before they become the superstars that we know, they have to hone their skills, figure out what it is that will make a wrestler a great wrestler. That’s where I come in,” explains Anthony. “When you come into the wrestling industry, it’s mandatory that you have training - when you’re first beginning your career and throughout your career. We’ll take kids, we’ll train them, work with them on their skills, talk to them about their ‘gimmick’, set up student shows, all to get them ready for the AEW, WWE’s of the world.”
Anthony began BriiCombination Wrestling nine years ago, as an offshoot of his promotional business, working with hip-hop artists, comedians, and other entertainers. When the idea of entering into the world of wrestling came up, it took off quickly. He went from having the idea in January of 2016 to his first wrestling event in March.
“At the beginning, I had to pitch everyone I’d approached on why BriiCombination Wrestling would be the right company to work with. Nine years later, I don’t have to prove anything anymore. Now, when I call, people are thanking me for asking them to appear in our shows.”
This success has led Anthony to begin work on a full wrestling center all housed in one building, including an Urgent Care facility to ensure the health and safety of all the wrestlers who work with BriiCombination. Unfortunately, not all of the wrestlers have their own insurancesomething that he is looking to change for those who sign with BriiCombination.
BriiCombination holds their wrestling events at the Mecca, 106 Bergen Avenue in Ridgefield Park.
Company owner, Anthony Cole, sees his wrestlers and fans as family
If there were dinosaurs for their Jurassic Celebration event in May, how will they top that next time? Get your “fill” in July!
Anthony is committed to upholding an ethical standard for his business, which along with the healthcare, includes fair pay for all of the participants and a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment in any circumstance. And those are problems that are more common than you’d expect in this world.
In wrestling, being a character matters. In Brii Combination, having character matters more.
This is so important to him due to the very essence of the company. It’s named in honor of his daughter Brittani, who planned her very own business with the same name when she was only 15. It was her inspiration that led him to set up an entire corporation that could be hers one day.
It takes a special sort of mindset to step into the ring and be part of the spectacle of professional wrestling. There’s a bravado there like no other. And it takes a special kind of vision to launch an entire enterprise based upon a teenage girl’s dream and make it successful.
But bringing dinosaurs into a wrestling event? That takes courage to a whole new level.
Their next big wrestling event takes place Thursday, July 31st at the Mecca in Ridgefield Park. Expect surprises even bigger than dinosaurs!
Don’t miss the night everyone will be talking about. Order your family friendly tickets at QOTN6.eventbrite.com
THE drown of SILENCE
“It’s not like in the movies. No one waves their hands in a panic screaming ‘help me, help me!’. Drowning is silent.”
Don’t overlook the lack of drama when it comes to drowning, according to Robert Stapf of the British Swim School.
“All of a sudden, there's nobody there anymore because they're under the water. You don't hear it. You don't see it if you don't pay attention. If you have a pool in the back, don't think you can sit on your phone and if something happens, you will hear it. It's not like that. Get off your phone. A majority of drowning occurs when a parent is within 15 feet.”
Scary thoughts. But reality can be scary. That’s what inspired Rita Goldberg, a Junior Olympic swimmer for Britain, when she moved to Fort Lauderdale, bringing her British Swim School stateside 40 years ago. Rita discovered troubling drowning statistics about two, three and four year-olds, knowing that it was rather impossible to teach traditional swim strokes to kids younger than five. “Their neck muscles aren’t developed so that they can keep their head above water,” according to Stapf. “So she asked herself - what can be done?”
The British Swim School Method To Saving Lives In Water
ARTICLE BY DON SEAMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY AYDEN ACEBO & CHAD THOMPSON (WAYNE HILLS PHOTO)
“We
teach traditional swimming strokes as well, but survival in the water comes first. And it’s not just kids we teach these skills - adults, people with special needs, this is important for everyone.”
But she dug deep into research, into anatomy. She was determined to help children survive water and came up with the idea that they could learn to turn onto their back and float.
“It became the method that we're teaching at the British Swim School. It’s based upon steps and progressions that are simple yet technical, where even toddlers can instinctively learn to lower one of their shoulders and turn around and float on their back,” Stapf explains.
Survival swimming is the lifesaving skill. Regular swimming is learning the strokes that take you from point A to point B.
“We’re a survival first school,” Stapf says. “We teach traditional swimming strokes as well, but survival in the water comes first. And it’s not just kids we teach these skills - adults, people with special needs, this is important for everyone.”
“Survival swim lessons are when you learn additional skills that you would need if you are in an emergency, because just swimming will not keep you safe or keep a child safe. For example, if you're in the open water in the ocean and get a cramp you can't swim anymore, or you tread water if you fall in. After treading water for 20 minutes you're done - you are exhausted and can't swim anymore. Then you need a skill where you relax and you can stay in that position for a very extended period of time. But you need to learn how to do that. The first thing that we teach is to float on their backs independently without any flotation devices. That's the number one skill we want them to know.”
THE BRITISH SWIM SCHOOL
The British Swim School is at 461 Route 46 in Fairfield. Contact them at 201-6763630 or online at britishswimschool.com/ hudson-waterfront/fairfield-route-46/
Their offices are open every day. The pool is open Tuesdays-Thursdays and Saturdays.
Lessons are open to all ages and swim levels. In addition to survival swim training, the British Swim School also offers traditional stroke lessons. See their website for details on pricing and schedule availability.
Robert surrounded by more heroes of the British Swim School
It removes panic from the equation.
Stapf shares a story of some grandparents who have a pool in their backyard. They were in their kitchen and their three-year-old grandson walked in, drenched to his skin. They asked him what happened and he said that he just fell into the pool. He said that he just turned onto his back and got back to the edge like it was completely normal for him. It was, because he does it every week in class. It’s not something that he even thinks about. He fell in, turned around, then climbed out like it was no big deal. Without survival training he wouldn’t be here.
“We also concentrate on community education. One of our initiatives is something we call the Water Watcher. We have a little lanyard that we hand out. If you have a pool, when there's kids in and around the pool, you need to designate one adult as a water watcher, like a designated driver. You give them that lanyard and say ‘you watch the water’. If you have to use the bathroom, if you have to go to the kitchen to refill your drink, anything that’s going to take your attention away, you give the lanyard to someone else. That way, there's always somebody on duty.”
Thinking “it won’t happen to me” or “it’s only going to be a minute” can be a fatal mistake.
“The statistics are scary. But drowning tragedies are 100% preventable with early and proper training in survival swimming. So any little bit that you can do to make it safe in the water helps,” Stapf advises.
“We have something called Survival Week. It's part of this whole preparation. It’s where we teach the kids not just to swim and float but do that in the street clothes because when you wear street clothes, it's a whole different feeling.You're gonna be dragged down
and we want kids to be prepared, because most of the accidents happen when kids are wearing their clothesshoes and all. We do this every quarter. For this week, all of our lessons are held with street clothes on.”
“We also teach kids rescue skills. One of the first things that we teach is if you see another kid drowning don't jump in after him, because then you could have two kids drowning. We teach them: ‘Throw, Don't Go.’ Throw them something. Use your clothes, or throw them something to pull them out. This is one of the rescue skills we teach.”
“Most of the adults who come to us are actually afraid of the water. They won’t go near it and sometimes that will impact their quality of life. We use small pools - not super small, but not Olympic size either. We’re not here for that sort of sports training. With small pools, it’s less intimidating. This is how we build confidence for them. When they first start, they will not go into the deep end of the pool for an extended period of time until they really feel safe. All they want is to feel comfortable and be able to swim across the pool and not drown. Once they can do that, they feel much better going on a cruise - maybe even swimming with the dolphins - or simply just going to the beach. To them, it's not a sport, but there are so many people who can't even enjoy a pool party. They don't wanna go to the beach or anywhere next to water. It's such a relief for most of them from something they’ve felt for their whole life. They've had this fear and think ‘oh now I'm 40 years old and now it's too late’. We can help you.”
Watching someone drown - especially if it’s your own child - and not being able to save them can cause a lifetime of regret and heartache. Survival swimming is for everyone.
ROBERT STAPF, OWNER OF THE BRITISH SWIM SCHOOL IN FAIRFIELD
Ellen M. Goodman, Esq. Attorney at Law
shooting for tranquility
Exploring Jersey’s Natural Side
ARTICLE BY DON SEAMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY POLLY POWASNIK, PHILLIP BARONE
It’s nearly a universal human truth that nature, in its purest form, can recharge your soul. Exploring our world, away from the influence of society, reconnects us with something deeper, a clearing of the mind and a respite from everyday stress.
There are no butterflies in your apartment. No birds flying about in your family room. And unless you have an insane pool, no waterfall in your back yard.
So grab your phone - or even a real-life camera if you happen to have one - and go find some nature. Everyone needs to clear out their mind every once in a while.
That’s how it was for Polly Powasnik. She rediscovered the peace that comes from nature after the loss of her fiancé. She started hiking again, “detaching from like day-to-day society, getting that ping-pong mind cleared away,” she says. And it’s also when she broke out her phone to capture what she saw - finding her old interest in photography returning.
For Polly, it’s a perfect way to bring that inner peace that nature provides back with her.
She’s drawn to waterfalls, streams, reflecting pools - the cleansing medium of nature’s most effective solvent. And she’s found beauty in changing perspectives, from the underside of evergreens to flowers. Taking in nature after a rainstorm. Seeing how things look in different seasons. Simple joys.
She’s even explored historical sites, like an area in Chester which President Roosevelt restored with a reforestation project. The cross between history and nature brings her a special excitement.
POLLY POWASNIK
The important thing to her is appreciating what’s out there, just unplugging from normal life and detaching from everyday society for a while.
These are all pictures Polly has taken on her journeys around the state, documenting the interesting sights she’s taken in. And yes, she’s posted on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. You can find her everywhere at hiker_girl90 to see where she’s been and maybe even give her some ideas for some new places to discover.
If you like what you see, she’s even begun to sell some of her pictorial artwork on fineartamerica.com .
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
This magazine exists because Phillip said ‘Yes.’
Behind every City Lifestyle magazine is a leap of faith — someone who chose to shape the story of their city. They saw a chance to inspire, connect, and elevate the voices that make their community shine.
Now, new cities are waiting for someone to say yes. What if it was you?
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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
ARTICLE BY ERICA BREITERMAN
Erica Breiterman’s Irresistible Summer Treat
9 inch pie crust (2 crusts per pie)
• 2 cups flour
• 10 tbsp butter
• Cold water
directions:
Cut butter into flour with pastry blender or in food processor with dough blade. Add water a little at a time and stir gently with a butter knife until dough just begins to stick together. Gather dough into ball divide in 2. Roll out one ball and put into pie plate.
filling/pie:
• 2 cups frozen strawberries with sugar
• 2 cups of cut rhubarb stems
• ½ cup sugar (Adjust to taste)
• 2-3 tbsp of corn starch mixed in a little water
directions:
Over medium heart, put berries, rhubarb, and sugar into large pan. Bring to a boil. Adjust sugar to taste. While stirring, add cornstarch mixture and continue stirring until the mixture clears and thickens. Pour into pie crust. Roll out top crust, cut vents, and place over pie. Moisten edges and seal. Bake at 425 for 15 min. Reheat at 350 for 20 min.
