Oakland Summer 2018

LET’S PARTY!

Edward Ackerly

Fever Pitch Returns

Running Toward New & Challenging Adventures

Harmonies & Melodies The SOUNDS of

Terry Ciavolella

Karen McCullah

An Enchanted Hollywood Life SUMMER 2018

Visit us in the Copper TTree ree Mall (201) 891-8085 • 350 Ramapo V Valley alley Rd, #29, Oakland

FiveStar Award 2012-2018

NJ REALTORS NJ REALTORS ÂŽ Circle of EExcellence xcellence 2017

Luxur Luxuryy Specialist

Eric Drost Betti Russo Broker / Branch Manager Broker / Sales Manager (973) 219-6923 (973) 650-6415

Elizabeth Hogan Sales Associate (973) 222-1018

*DLO 5LIĂ€DUG Sales Associate (973) 714-0145

David Massola Sales Associate (973) 390-5300

Tara T ara Rodriguez Rod Senior Account Manager ' 'LUHFW ‡ 2I¿FH

LUHFW ‡ 2I¿FH

TRodriguez@ReliantT TRodriguez@ReliantTitle.net itle.net

NJ REALTORS NJ REALTORS ÂŽ Circle of Excellence Excellence 2017

Michael Kaplan Ka Sales Associate (201) 951-3221

Tanairi “T Tana� ana� Cruz Sales Associate (973) 330-1279

NJ REALTORS NJ REALTORS ÂŽ Circle of Excellence Excellence 2017

Amy Gilbert-Pagan Sales Associate (973) 851-5318

Steve Galasso Sales Associate (201) 481-1040 Anthony nthony “T “Tony�

Tony� ony� Germano Mortgage Loan Originator & &HOO

HOO

AGermano@RHFunding NMLS #314290

Licensed by the NJ Dept. of Banking & Insurance - License # 9964632. NMLS #34973. This is not a commitment to lend. All rates, fees and loan terms are subject to a formal loan appli application, credit risk, appraisal evaluation and other lending criteria. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.

$ !"

0 0

" ! !

$ ) "

#

$ #$") 0 $ $ 0 $/# $

$ &#

$ #!"

$ ) $

0 0

4

) %" #

#.

- #$ " ' # ! $ $

.

18672 :<;-:868 $

Dr. Richard L. Bucher, DMD, FAGD

).

Mention This Ad to Receive One of These Special Offers:

(

' $ *

$

57:>

3

*By appointment only. Includes exam, necessary x-rays and cleaning (in absence of gum disease). Reg. Price $395.

$#, >

#$

0

+

"

#% $ $

! !

3

*By appointment only. $150 value.

" #, 6=:9< 0 ''',

#3

*By appointment only. $99 value.

. # "

$ #$")

,

2018 SUMMER Scooby & RILEY Page 06

Photography

Emily B. Wilson

06 This + That 18 Business Spotlights 30 Expert Opinions 32 Know & Tell 34 Terry Ciavolella 42 Edward Ackerly 50 Karen McCullah 56 Only in Oakland 02

OAKLAND MAGAZINE

Expert Health Care Is In Your Neighborhood Build a relationship with your neighborhood doctors.

Navpreet Minhas, MD

Same-day appointments available High quality, compassionate and comprehensive primary care Directly connected with specialists and award-winning hospitals Secure, user-friendly access to online medical records Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health and OB/GYN on site Newly-renovated state-of-the-art facility Accepts most medical insurance plans

Ryan Straseskie, MD

To schedule an appointment please call 973-962-6200.

Atlantic Medical Group Primary Care at Oakland

Jeannette Davison, NP

340 Ramapo Valley Road Oakland, NJ 07436 973-962-6200 amgprimarycareoakland.org

s

SUMMER

Edward

ACKERLY Page 42 Photography

Emily B. Wilson

Inaugural Issue!

2018/#1 Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Albert Stampone Managing Editor/Sales Director Mike Daly Contributing Writer Lauren DePaul Schreiber Contributing Photographer Emily B. Wilson Phone 973.423.3919 4 E-mail StamponePubCo@aol.com www.StamponePublishing.com 4 Facebook @OaklandMagNJ All contents Š 2018 by The Stampone Publishing Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this publication without permission is strictly prohibited.

While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that all information was accurate as of the publication date, The Stampone Publishing Company, LLC, and its employees, agents, clients and distributors shall not be liable for any damages arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information contained in this publication, or from omissions to this publication. Oakland magazine is published quarterly.

OAKLAND MAGAZINE

05

+

THIS THAT Around our town

06

SUMMER 2018

Dog

DAYS

Ryan Schwertfeger’s doggedly determined work to ensure the construction of Oakland’s first dog park is more than just an incomplete grade-school project.

STORY Mike Daly PHOTOGRAPHY Emily B. Wilson

WWW.STAMPONEPUBLISHING.COM

07

Around our town Ryan with Scooby & Riley.

I

IT ALL STARTED with a dog named Scooby.

Ryan Schwertfeger and his parents, Jill and Dirk, rescued the Golden Retriever mix from an animal shelter in 2008. Jill, a devotee of dog behaviorist Cesar Millan (you may know him as “The Dog Whisperer”), took to heart his advice that dogs need socialization and exercise. So Scooby and family began to make trips to the dog park near the Wild Duck Pond at Saddle River County Park in Ridgewood. Ryan was in the 8th grade at Valley Middle School at the time.

“We had a requirement that in order to graduate, you had to have an 8th-grade project,” Ryan recalls, “and it had to be something you did for the community.”

So Ryan decided to spearhead a drive to establish a dog park in Oakland. He circulated petitions among the businesses in town and collected nearly 700 signatures. He took the petitions before the Borough Council, and suggested that a property now known as Stewart’s Woods—a green space across from the town’s first aid squad headquarters—would be a good location. “I was told that there was a whole backstory to that piece

08

SUMMER 2018

of property, and a dog park couldn’t go there,” Ryan says. “However, I learned that if I waited a bit, the town was going to buy what is now Great Oak Park—the former site of the Pleasureland swimming complex and Muller’s Park—and we could try and put the dog park there.”

The borough, using a combination of state Green Acres grant money and revenue raised from a municipal open space tax, purchased the property for $2.2 million in 2010.

Pleasureland had been closed since an infamous gun battle between rival New York gangs occurred there in August 1985.

Ryan says it took several years for the economy to rebound before the borough could implement plans to transform the 40-acre tract into usable open space. In fact, Ryan says

it wasn’t until Linda Schwager was elected Oakland’s mayor in 2011 that the borough even began to plan for the transformation of the site into a public park. Mayor Schwager and Mike Guadagnino, who chairs the borough’s recreation commission, were aware of Ryan’s dog park dream and brought him in as a stakeholder in the future of what would become Great Oak Park.

Suddenly, he recalls, town halls were held, presentations were made and committees were formed. Ryan’s 8th-grade project had stretched its way into his junior year of high school, but he was determined to see it through, especially when his mother Jill, a dog lover who supported Ryan’s dream, passed away from cancer in August 2012 at the age of 48.

284 North Franklin Turnpike, Ramsey

Spring is Finally Here!

Time to Plan Eye Exams for the Entire Family!

Jeffrey R. Van Inwegen, M.D. Medical Director, Ophthalmologist

Robin E. Hauck, O.D. Optometric Physician

NJ License # 25MA06364300

NJ License # 27OA00638500

Routine eye examinations, treatment of your medical eye conditions, replacement of your old glasses, updates to your contact lens prescriptions, or surgical vision correction...we offer it all at NJREC! Our office is located across from the entrance to Interstate Shopping Center

201.327.3006 Visit QUALITY OPTICAL, INC. Bergen County’s Premier Optical Store We’re available for appointments on weekdays, as well as Tuesday & Thursday evenings, & most Saturdays.

www.NJEyes.com

Around our town

Ryan, Scooby & Riley with Oakland resident Nima Ashtyani (left) & his pooches at the site of the proposed dog park.

Ryan says his initial thought after his mom’s passing was to step away from the project. He thought it would be too great a burden to bear on top of everything else.

But he quickly realized he couldn’t do that. “I decided that I had to do this for Mom,” he admits. “I have to get this done now.”

Ryan also decided that the dog park should be named in his mother’s honor. “She was the one who encouraged me to get a dog park,” he says. “It became a passion project. It became very personal.”

Jill Schwertfeger had set an example for her son by being active in the community. Her volunteerism included work with a local Meals on Wheels program, as well as Therapy Dogs International. She had Scooby trained as a therapy dog, and the two of them would regularly visit the Oakland Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, as well as Oakland Public Library’s therapy dog program for children.

So Ryan, now 23, continues his work on his 8th-grade project, but there are still several obstacles to overcome.

On the property there are trees to clear, asphalt and concrete to dig up and remove, fences and signs to be erected, and a required water line to be run. Because a 10

SUMMER 2018

stream runs through it, the proposed site of the dog park must be approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Guadagnino speculated recently that the borough won’t hear back from the DEP on the matter for about a year.

And then there is the not-so-small matter of money.

Ryan says the borough finally gave him the green light to start raising funds at the end of 2016. “The town told me, ‘You put up the funds to build it, and once it’s built, we’ll pay to maintain it,’ ” he says.

The focus now is on holding fundraisers, seeking out donations from local businesses and applying for grants.

The financial goal is $80,000 to $100,000. As of last month, Ryan says, the dog park fund had around $23,000 in the bank, and another $25,000 in pledged donations. “We’re about halfway there,” he says. “The problem is getting the other half.”

Optimistically, he hopes to see the Jill Schwertfeger Memorial Dog Park opened by the end of 2019. At that point, he will have spent 10 of his 24 years on Earth trying to make it happen. It would be especially sweet if Scooby and his pug companion, Riley, could be its first visitors. f

Celia Riggio Broker Associate

201-819-5842 Cell criggio@tocr.com | criggio.tocr.com

Proud Oak kla land Resident

3 bedrooms, 2 batthr hrooms Offfe f red at $319,000.

2 bedrooms, 2.5 batth hrooms Offfe f red at $579,900.

3 bedrooms, 2 batthr hrooms Offfe f red at $542,999.

4 bedrooms, 1 batthr hroom Sold for $425,000.

395 F Fran ranklin Avenue, Wyckofff, New Jersey 07481 201-891-0100 | www.tocr.com For more information, please contact Celia Riggio

Around our town

Village of INCLUSIVITY

The Oakland Community of Commerce promotes, supports and advocates for Oakland businesses, community groups and non-profit organizations throughout the state

STORY

Mike Daly PHOTOGRAPHY

Emily B. Wilson

MOST TOWNS WITH thriving business districts have a chamber of commerce. In fact, Oakland used to have one, but it became dormant for several years until Oakland resident Peter Kikot came up with the idea of promoting the interests of local businesses by starting the Oakland Community of Commerce in 2012.

That’s right, it’s not the chamber of commerce, but the Oakland “Community” of Commerce. What’s behind the distinctive name?

“The Community of Commerce is just that—a community,” says Peter, who serves as the group’s chairman.

“It takes a village when you incorporate the three aspects of town that we do—the arts community, the recreation community and the business community. We wanted to essentially partner up with organizations like Oakland Recreation, Oakland Public Events, the Rotary Club and any other non-profit in town, to put on events that benefit the town at little to no expense. We wanted to spread the costs out so that whatever monies were available, 12

SUMMER 2018

more people could participate at the lowest cost. Certainly, the events that we do are all free to the community.”

The Oakland Community of Commerce is involved in three major events over the course of each year.

Fever Pitch, held in June, celebrates the end of Oakland’s recreational baseball and softball seasons with rides, games, food and fun.

The American Dream Car Show in September brings classic automobiles, and classic auto enthusiasts, into the center of town for an evening of nostalgia, music and a remembrance of 9/11. Last but not least, there’s the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Foundation campaign event at the end of the year.

“We collect the most toys of any of the Marines’ stops,” says Peter, “and we’re certainly among the most active stops. We’ve gotten upwards of 1,000 people on this day, and we

collect thousands and thousands of toys. It’s amazing the kind of participation we get.”

The Community of Commerce meets—usually on the first Tuesday of each month—at the Oakland Public Library. While planning these major events consumes a lot of the meetings, the group also discusses the best ways to promote the members’ individual businesses.

“A lot of what we do at the monthly meetings is networking,” Peter tells us. “There’s also the camaraderie and social aspect. The group is entirely inclusive. Every resident of Oakland can be a member of our group. Non-business owners won’t get a vote, but we’ll certainly listen to what they have to say. They can have a voice and participate in what we do.

Residents have brought their concerns to us. They have opinions and ideas, and we like to hear from them.”

For more info about the Oakland Community of Commerce, visit their website at www.oaklandcofc.org. f

FROM LEFT: Community of Commerce Chairman Peter Kikot & members Christine Sutton, Neepa Sikdar, Heather Lorenzo, Peter Havel & John Gould.

Around our town

Grand SLAM FOR FAMILIES IN many communities across America, the annual Memorial Day parade signals, in large part, the impending change from spring to summer, and in that sense, Oakland is no exception.

But not many places drive that feeling home with another community-based gathering in early June.

In Oakland, that event is called Fever Pitch.

On Saturday, June 2, the Oakland Community of Commerce (OCOC) and the borough’s Public Events Committee will again join forces for the 5th Annual Fever Pitch, an event that in just a few short years has woven itself into the fabric of Oakland life. “It’s really our recreation spectacle that takes place every year, where all the kids from kindergarten through 4th grade march down the field,” says Recreation Commission Chairman Mike Guadagnino.

14

SUMMER 2018

Ballplayers end their season with Fever Pitch

The day begins with the Annual Baseball and Softball Parade at 9 a.m., in the “Canyon of Heroes” at the Oakland Recreation Complex on Lawlor Drive.

Mike tells us the celebration got kicked up a notch when the Community of Commerce reached out to the borough in 2014 and expressed an interest in becoming involved. What emerged was Fever Pitch, complete with a bounce castle, deejay music, a photo booth, a dunk tank, a martial arts/fitness demonstration, a Frisbee throw and other activities sponsored by OCOC member businesses. Hot dogs, cotton candy, snow cones, fresh fruit and other refreshments add a distinctly summer flavor to the day.

“It’s really just a great event,” Mike says, “and when the weather is perfect, it makes it that much better.”

There are also free raffle giveaways, and the Community of Commerce

distributes hundreds of their nowfamous reusable “goodie bags” that are provided by ShopRite of Oakland. The bags contain coupons and treats from member businesses.

Oakland Community of Commerce Chairman Peter Kikot says Fever Pitch has enabled the town’s business community to build a rapport with the community at large. Community of Commerce member businesses are invited each year to participate. They can promote their businesses by reserving a table, or by providing a coupon or special offer to celebrate the event. Or they can volunteer to help prepare and distribute the goodie bags to the families that attend.

Businesses seeking more info about their potential involvement in Fever Pitch may reach the Community of Commerce at oaklandcofc@gmail.com. f

A NEXT

LEVEL

•

7 Day Per Week Therapy Services

•

Private and Semi-Private Rehabilitation Suites

•

Cardiopulmonary, Orthopedic & Neuro Rehabilitation

•

Guest Services/Concierge Driven Experience

•

Physician Driven Rehabilitation Services

•

Kosher Meals Available Upon Request

Rehabilitation Experience

To T o le learn arn mor more e about our pr eferred preferred rrehabilitation ehabilitation location, ple ase cont act us toda y at please contact today

201.337.3300 A Proud Proud Me Member mber o off Marquis Marquis H Health ealth S Services ervices

20 Breakneck Road, Oakland, NJ 07436 oaklandrehabhc.com oaklandr ehabhc.com

Around our town

Come Together!

June 21

Community CALENDAR Save these dates!

SATURDAY, MAY 19

JUNE 13-16

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

Junk in The Trunk will be held today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Oakland Elks Lodge 2167, 33 Ramapo Valley Road. It’s like a garage sale, but from the trunk of your car! Participants may reserve a spot for $20 or two adjacent spots for $30. Proceeds will benefit the Elks’ charitable programs. Info: 201-337-2170, or oaklandelks2167 @optonline.net.

It’s time for Oakland’s Town Carnival! On Wednesday, June 13 and Thursday, June 14, the carnival will be open from 6 to 10 p.m.; on Friday, June 15, the hours will be 6 to 11 p.m.; and on Saturday, June 16, the hours will be 5 to 11 p.m.

The carnival will take place at the Oakland Recreation Complex, 24 Lawlor Drive. Hosted by the Oakland Public Events Committee, this carnival will have rides for kids of all ages, games, food, great entertainment, fireworks and more. “Pay one price” ride wristbands are $25 per wristband per day, Wednesday to Friday, and $30 on Saturday. Discounted presale wristbands will be available for $20 each at the RE/MAX Traditions office (383 Ramapo Valley Road) and at Borough Hall (One Municipal Plaza). Fireworks are scheduled for Friday night at 9:45 p.m. (The rain date is Saturday.)

There will be a Beatles Lecture at the Oakland Public Library, 2 Municipal Plaza, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Beatles scholar Vincent Bruno will discuss the band’s historic journey “from Liverpool to Abbey Road.” For more info visit www.vinniebeatles.wixsite.com/be atleslecture.

SUNDAY, MAY 27 Oakland’s Memorial Day Parade is slated for today from 1 to 2 p.m.

Sponsored by Oakland Public Events and run by the American Legion Post 369, the parade will start at the intersection of Dogwood Drive and Ramapo Valley Road, and end with a ceremony at Veterans Park. Complimentary food and refreshments will be served at Post 369, 65 Oak Street, immediately following the parade and ceremony.

16

SUMMER 2018

SATURDAY, JUNE 30 Today is the day for the Craft & Vendor Fair. The fair begins at noon and will continue until 5 p.m., at Crystal Lake Beach Club, 65 Lakeshore Drive. Hosted by Pretty Pieces for U, the fair is being held in support of the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge (www.RBARI.ORG).

TUESDAY, AUGUST 14 Sharks Rock: The Magic of Sharks 2 will be held today, 10 to 10:45 a.m., and 11 a.m. to noon, at the Oakland Public Library. For more info visit www.themagicofsharks.com.

Oakland Business

SPOTLIGHT

k

Jager Landscaping

18

SUMMER 2018

--------------------------------------------------

AT THE AGE of 16, Frank Jager purchased a rotary mower at a local hardware store for $40 and started a landscaping business. Today, that business has grown into Jager Landscaping, a highly-successful company that has earned numerous awards over the years from Angie’s List and Home Advisor. In addition, they’ve consistently earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

“My love for working outdoors, and helping my father and grandfather with lawn and garden work, led me to this direction in life,” says Frank. Even though the company has grown through the years, what hasn’t changed are the core values Frank learned a long time ago—quality work done right the first time.

For over 45 years, Jager Landscaping has created and maintained beautiful properties as well as more expansive projects such as paver patios and walkways, retainer walls, gardens, waterscapes and hardscapes.

Since establishing Jager Landscaping as a complete outdoor service company, Frank also created a power washing and deck repair business called All Surface Restoration.

3

231 W. Oakland Avenue, Oakland 3 201.405.1033 3 3 www.jagerlandscaping.com 3

3

Utilizing an exclusive liquid product and technique, this power-washing service uses low pressure and an oxidizing solution to add new life to decks, stained roofs and siding.

Frank says All Surface Restoration has built a strong reputation as a deck restoration business proving to many customers that their old, rundown decks can be restored to their original beauty at a fraction of the cost of building a new deck.

Either service can be reached at 201-4051033. The company is located at 231 West Oakland Avenue in Oakland. f

201-405-1033 www.JagerLandscaping.com

We Design, build and maintain beautiful landscapes, gardens, patios, walkways & more.

We will completely restore your deck. From cleaning & sealing to sanding & board replacement Ͳ We do it all!

201-405-1033 www.AllSurfaceNJ.com

Oakland Business

SPOTLIGHT

k

Oakland Pizza 347 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland

FOR OVER 40 years, Oakland Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant has been a tradition in this town. The homemade marinara is still made daily from the original recipe, as is the vodka sauce. Owner Chris George’s pizza is known for its tasty handmade crust and secret spice ingredients.

Oakland Pizza offers a wide variety of pizzas; there are over 25 in all. Every Monday and Tuesday, cheese pizzas are only $9.50 each.

While Oakland Pizza’s roots are traditional Italian fare and tasty pizzas, you can find many nontraditional items on their menu, including salads and paninis.

And, of course, Oakland Pizza has 20

SUMMER 2018

3

201.337.3955

gluten-free pizza and pasta.

Customers always rave about the awesome lunch and dinner specials that attract so many hungry diners from all around the Oakland area. For lunch, Oakland Pizza offers chicken and pasta entrees for $8.95, and seafood and veal entrees for $10.95. Each is served with their famous pipinghot bread, a side salad and a fountain beverage.

For dinner, Oakland Pizza has their popular “2 for $25” specials Sunday through Thursday nights.

They feature a four-course meal of an appetizer-to-share, two salads, two entrees and two desserts.

BYOB is recommended.

3

www.oaklandpizza.net

Over the years, Oakland Pizza has earned a reputation for excellent catering services. No matter what size party you’re planning, Chris and his staff make it easy with a big selection of deep-dish entrée trays, oversized sub sandwiches and, of course, their popular pizzas. Catering services can also be customized to suit your tastes and budgets.

Eat-in, take-out and delivery is available. Their phone number is 201-337-3955. You can follow Oakland Pizza on Facebook and Instagram, or visit their website— w w w. O a k l a n d Pi z z a . n e t — f o r much more information on menus and catering. f

<RX·OO 1HYHU *R +RPH +XQJU\

x

x

x

x

Over 22 Varieties of Pizza Hot & Cold Subs Chicken Wings Paninis & Wraps

x

x

x

x

Lunch Specials Starting at $8.95 Two for $25 Dinners Piping Hot Homemade Bread Catering

3 4 7 R a m a p o Va l l e y R o a d 201-337-3955 w w w. O a k l a n d P i z z a . n e t

Oakland Business

SPOTLIGHT

k

J-B Pet Supplies

Rick, Tara, Helaine & Regina

22

SUMMER 2018

-----------------------------------------------------

J-B PET SUPPLIES, located at 347 Ramapo Valley Road in Oakland, is an independently owned and operated pet food and supply store offering a superb selection of premium pet food, treats and supplies.

Their philosophy is to sell only the finest, nutritional products, according to general manager Gregg DePhillips. “We wouldn’t sell anything that we wouldn’t feed our own pets,” he says. Best of all, J-B Pet Supplies offers high-quality pet food for any kind of budget.

J-B Pet Supplies is staffed with friendly, knowledgeable pet owners who love pets and are always willing to help their customers select the perfect premium food or item for their pets.

All the things you would expect from a premium pet store can be found here. They offer numerous ways to save money, such as a frequent-buyer program that earns cus-

3

347 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland 3 201.405.0042 3 3 www.jbpet.com 3

3

tomers free pet food, which is a feature not available at the large pet food chains. The J-B Pet Supplies Rewards Club entitles members to 15% discounts every Wednesday, special member-only sales on products, member-only special events and email notifications of product recalls.

J-B Pet Supplies offers same-day or next-day free delivery on orders of $49 or more. They deliver brands that aren’t available elsewhere online. Order online at www.jbpet.com.

Any pet store worth shopping at will welcome owners with their pets. Each pet is rewarded with a treat each time they visit, one of the reasons why J-B Pet Supplies is your pet’s favorite place to shop! The staff at J-B Pet Supplies will even carry your heavy shopping items to your car.

J-B Pet Supplies is open Monday through Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., and on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. f

<RXU 3HW·V )DYRULWH 3ODFH WR 6KRS

Earn FREE Pet Food & Save Money W With Our Frequent Buyer Programs N

ϯϰϳ Z D WK s >> z ZK

Not Available in the National Pet Chain Stores

^ŝŐŶ hƉ ĨŽƌ KƵƌ

ZĞǁĂƌĚƐ WƌŽŐƌĂŵ

ĨŽƌ ^ƉĞĐŝĂů ^ĂǀŝŶŐƐ ǁǁǁ͘: WĞƚ͘ĐŽŵ

W> Edz K& &Z W Z</E' d KhZ KKZ

Green Meadows Landscaping 104 West Oakland Avenue, Oakland

3

201.337.5480

3

www.greenmeadowsinc.com

Oakland Business

SPOTLIGHT

k

THE STAFF AT Green Meadows Landscaping knows there are many landscape construction, design and outdoor living companies to choose from around Bergen, Passaic, Orange and Rockland counties. With that in mind, Green Meadows promises you unsurpassed value and enjoyment compared to other companies with their full-service maintenance, installation and design services.

That’s the promise Green Meadows makes to you, and that’s how they’ve done things for their customers for three decades.

24

SUMMER 2018

There’s a reason Green Meadows is an awardwinning company. If you’re looking for landscaping or outdoor living professionals to bring to life your vision for your back yard or property, Green Meadows can help. They’re fully committed to honesty, integrity and craftsmanship. Other companies may have lost or forgotten these values, but they’re still evident in the day-to-day operations at Green Meadows Landscaping. Most importantly, they’re the reason your job will be done right the first time, guaranteed! f

Imagine

Vacationing

IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD

a nd

104 West Oakland Avenue 2 01-337-5480 201-337-5480 w ww.greenmeadowsinc.co om www.greenmeadowsinc.com

Loving it

Oakland Business

SPOTLIGHT

k

Oakland Hardware 347 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland

26

SUMMER 2018

-----------------------------------------------------

OAKLAND HARDWARE, a full service home supply store, has been serving Oakland since 1957. Residents have long relied on Oakland Hardware to be their “go-to” place for all types of home-related products and projects.

According to owner-operator Jim Maggio, Oakland Hardware features over 20,000 quality brand-name products, plus expert advice from an experienced, knowledgeable staff. You’ll find a complete selection of lawn and garden supplies, tools, plumbing, electrical and building supplies, home improvement needs, houseware items, the highest quality barbecue grills and accessories, and much more.

Oakland Hardware offers the finest name brand items such as Stanley Tools, Scotts and Ortho lawn products, and barbecue grills by Weber, Big Green Egg and Traeger. They also have Generac portable generators, Glidden Paint, Cabot stains, ShopVac vacuums,

3

201.337.8068

3

www.oaklandhardware.com

Rubbermaid storage products, Bona Wood Floor products, plus many hard-to-find items. Also offered are novelty items including those popular “As Seen on TV” products.

Oakland Hardware is a store for all seasons. In spring, they carry a full line of Scotts lawn and garden products, plus many tools and accessories. Summer means more fun in the outdoors, so you’ll find pool supplies and a wide assortment of grills and accessories. In the fall, Oakland Hardware has everything from leaf bags to blowers. Winter needs range from salt bags to snow blowers to gloves and snow shovels.

Customers will love Oakland Hardware’s services such as screen repairs, mail box installation, grill repairs, lamp repairs, shade trimming, pipe cutting, key cutting and rekeying, propane exchange, knife and scissor sharpening, and delivery services.

Here at Oakland Hardware, you’ll get everything you need with advice that’s free! Conveniently located at 347 Ramapo Valley Road in Oakland, just off Routes 287 and 208, Jim and his crew are proud to be the area’s neighborhood hardware store. f

ϯϰϳ ZĂŵĂƉŽ sĂůůĞLJ ZŽĂĚ

ϯϰϳ ZĂŵĂƉŽ sĂĂůůĞLJ ZŽĂĚ Θ ϮϮϬϬϴϴ ::ƵƵƐƐƚƚ ŽŽīī ZZŽŽƵƵƚƚĞĞƐƐ ϮϮϴϴϳϳ Θ

ϮϮϬϬϭϭ--ϯϯϯϯϳϳ--ϴϴϬϬϲϲϴϴ ǁǁ ǁǁ ǁ͘​͘KKĂĂŬŬůůĂĂŶŶĚĚ,,ĂĂƌƌĚĚǁ ǁĂĂƌƌĞĞ͘​͘ĐĐŽŽŵ ŵ ǁ

Oakland Business

SPOTLIGHT

k

Visions Federal Credit Union

28

SUMMER 2018

-----------------------------------------------------------

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE between banks and credit unions? More than you may think.

At the most basic level, credit unions are non-profits owned by members. That means they answer to and share the profits with them as opposed to stockholders. Those profits go into the two major benefits of credit union membership: dividends on savings (even checking) and low-interest rates on auto, home and personal loans.

Credit unions are locally based, which means loan approval is done close to the branch and not in corporate headquarters that may be hundreds of miles away. Members receive individualized decisions instead of a “yes or no” rubber stamp.

Visions Federal Credit Union has been dedicated to its communities from the start. Founded 50 years ago by eight IBM workers who chipped in $5 each, Visions was even run by volunteers during its early years.

That spirit of “people helping people” helped the credit union grow into what it is today. Visions believes “money matters to people and people matter to us.” That means more than 180,000 members get trusted guidance and monetary stewardship in addition to fair financing. But that’s not all.

3

3

3 Post Road, Oakland 3 www.visionsfcu.org 3

As you may already know, credit union savings earn dividends to keep your personal finances growing. With Flex Checking Plus, you can actually earn dividends on your checking as well. Also, the nationwide network of CO-OP credit unions gives members access to more than 30,000 fee-free ATMs. Visions’ First-Time Homebuyer program offers new homeowners 100% financing and no money down. You’ll have a difficult time finding lower annual percentage rates on loans than credit unions. It’s just one of the ways they share profits with members.

The only requirement for Visions membership is that you live or work in Bergen, Morris, Sussex, or Warren counties. So stop in your local office today or become a member online! f

Robert Wilkens Insurance Agency

J

No Obligation, No Aggravation, No Agency Fees!

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll create a policy thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tailored to YOU based on YOUR needs!

Auto 3 Home Renters 3 Umbrella Boat 3 Motorcycle Commercial Property Small Business Liability Workers Compensation Commercial Auto

AUTO INSURANCE 3 HOME INSURANCE 3 BUSINESS INSURANCE 3

Consistently providing the best combination of coverage, price and service to North Jersey residents and businesses for over 30 years

Main Office

Branch Office

52 West Main Street Bogota 201-343-1741

71 Washington Avenue Dumont 201-374-1901 Branch Office

200 Diamond Bridge Avenue, Hawthorne 973-310-3046 Robert Wilkens Insurance Agency A Full Service Insurance Agency Serving NJ, NY & PA

Office 201-343-1741 3 Fax 201-343-2814

J

Visit Our Website

www.wilkensagency.com

john@wilkensagency.com

Expert pinions Ou

Brought to You By

Excel Physical Therapy 100 Bauer Drive 3 Oakland 3 www.exceltherapy.com 3 201-651-0121

READY, SET, TRI!

Bryan Del Rio PT, MSPT

bdelrio@exceltherapy.com 10-Time Wyckoff Triathlon Finisher 2-Time Ironman Finisher (Soon 3) 3-Time Half-Ironman Finisher (Soon 4) Completed Over 20 Triathlons Overall

Jeff Ziegler PT, MSPT

jziegler@exceltherapy.com Finisher of Over 50 Multi-Sport Races of Varying Distances Multiple Time Age Group Winner High School and Master’s Swim Coach Collegiate Swimmer

30

SUMMER 2018

TEAM EXCEL IS very familiar to seasoned local triathletes. Being physical therapists themselves, the founders/ owners of the company wanted to organize a group of like-minded triathletes while they each were training for their own Ironman races.

Current Excel physical therapists Jeff Ziegler, PT, MSPT, and Bryan Del Rio, PT, MSPT, continue the team tradition with their own training, while offering advice in response to the commonly asked questions they have fielded from many triathletes over the course of their professional and racing careers.

They would quickly tell you that they’d rather see you at the starting line than in their office!

Q. Should I kick when I swim?

A. Yes! There is some prevailing thought to “saving your legs” during the swim because you’ll need them for your bike and your run. However, by utilizing a steady kick, you’ll maintain better body alignment, keep your hips high in the water, and actually help your shoulders and neck. Some triathletes will rely on their wetsuit for additional buoyancy, but will panic without it if a swim is non-wetsuit legal. By consistently kicking during your workouts, your swim time and efficiency will improve tremendously.

Q. My main race is flat. Should I bother training on hills?

A. First off, in North Jersey, it’s nearly

impossible to avoid hills. Second, there is always a benefit to training on varying terrain. Hill training will help build overall leg strength, challenge lung capacity, and increase endurance.

If your race is flat, definitely spend some time in the aero position working on your handling and overall comfort being in one spot for an extended period of time. The hills will provide variety and benefit your top-end speed while staying in the saddle.

Q. Do I need separate racing flats from my regular training sneakers for a race?

A. It depends on what your goals are.

Are you trying to win your age group?

Have you raced in flats before? Are you more of a seasoned racer? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then yes, you can probably benefit from using racing flats, which are typically a few ounces lighter. If you answered no, then it’s likely a better idea to stick with your regular training sneakers. There is no right or wrong answer, but if you plan to wear them to race then you need to wear them while training! The answer can also be related to the distance you’re racing; for an Ironman, you may want more support from your shoe, whereas in a 5K, you can get by with something more minimalist.

Do you have more swimming, cycling, or running questions (or maybe just a concern about a nagging ailment you’ve been dealing with)? Email us or message us via our Facebook page (@excellerateyourPT), so we can guide you to a resolution!

It’s What WE DO for the People We CARE FOR That’s how we EXCEL. How do you EXCEL? For Chris and Nina, it was through determination.

PROVIDING THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICAL THERAPY IN BERGEN COUNTY FOR 28 YEARS THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE AMAZING STORIES WE ARE ABLE TO BE A PART OF.

VIEW THEIR FULL ST STORY ORY A AT: T: www.EXCELtherapy.com/stories www.EXCELtherapy.com/stories

As an 8-time Ironman triathlon competitor, the last thing Chris wanted to hear was that he would never be able to compete again after a complicated surgery to his femur.

With the prognosis not in his favor, he chose EXCEL as his physical therapy provider. After a successful surgery and the rehabilitation that only EXCEL could offer, Chris not only fully recovered, but was able to continue his active lifestyle AND compete in 2 more Ironman triathlons.

Following in her son’s footsteps, Nina chose EXCEL for her physical therapy after a fall. She felt so good, aatt the aage ge of 82 she decided to join a ggym ym and exercise for the first time in her life.

Fort Lee / Oakland / Hackensack / Waldwick / Cresskill / Rutherford Montvale / Mahwah / Old Ta Tappan / Hoboken / Ramsey / Summit / Westfield

+

KNOW TELL See something, say a lot !

BY Lauren DePaul Schreiber

AMA, YOU CAN’T make any noise or the bear might find us. We need to be silent and still.” That’s what my son said to me as we huddled together with the rest of his kindergarten class on the floor of the library closet. The alarm had sounded and the school was having a lockdown drill.

The children quickly piled into the closet and locked the door. Twenty six-year-olds sat completely quiet and didn’t move. I, on the other hand, was shaking. My mind was racing. I was with my son, but my older daughter was in another classroom inside the school.

Was she hiding, too? What would happen on the day when this wasn’t a drill?

This was my first time being in the school during a lockdown drill. But these kids had practiced this many times before. For them, this was normal.

On April 20, 1999, I was visiting my sister who was going to school in London. It was the time before smartphones and 24-hour news cycles, so when I landed in Newark a few days later, I hadn’t heard about Columbine. I still remember walking through the airport and the Time magazine cover that stopped me in my tracks. I stood staring at all the various headlines for a long time. My mind had a hard time processing the

M

32

SUMMER 2018

images and what exactly had happened. There was a shooting inside a school? There had to be some mistake.

Could something like that actually happen?

It did happen. And it kept on happening, again and again. On Dec. 14, 2012, my daughter Katie was in 1st grade. She was the same age as the 20 children who were killed that day at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

On that Sunday night before she returned to school, instead of talking about how excited we were that Santa was coming, we were talking to her about an unimaginable tragedy.

We became experts at talking to our kids after a tragedy.

Our children, in turn, have become experts at preparing themselves for what happens when a shooter enters their school. We accepted this as our new reality; we became desensitized. Then came Parkland in February.

Our generation has failed these kids and they’ve had enough. In March, I stood with Katie at the Bergen County March for Our Lives so she could see firsthand what it means to stand up for change. One of the local high school students who spoke that day said, “If the adult leaders act like children, then it’s up to the children to act like adult leaders.” The youth of today are no longer OK with remaining silent and being still. f

THE HOMESTEAD ROOFING CO., INC. SINCE 1930

862-203-2752 FREE ESTIMATES

533 Goffle Road, Ridgewood

24/7 Emergency Service Serving Bergen, Passaic & North Morris Counties www.homesteadroofing.com

WWW.STAMPONEPUBLISHING.COM

33

Emily B. Wilson 34

SUMMER 2018

s y a w l a s a h c i s Mu d o o l b e h t n i n e e b for mother &

business owner

a l l e l o v a i C y Terr

n o p e Ke

r

! â&#x20AC;&#x2122; n i k c o R

Interview By

Mike Daly

s

36

SUMMER 2018

s

C

CUSTOMERS OF Terry Ciavolella’s hair salon in North Haledon are sometimes treated to live entertainment.

That’s because Terry usually sings while she’s coloring or cutting someone’s locks. Whether the client is a fan of current or classic rock, 1950s ballads or World War II-era big band music, Terry has both the range and the repertoire to please.

But Terry, a master colorist and trained musician, can only show off part of her musical talents in her shop.

She’s also a drummer, a percussionist, a pianist and a guitarist.

A three-year resident of Oakland, Terry has a son, Christopher, who is finishing his junior year at Indian Hills High School, and another son, Dylan, who is a senior in college. With the demands of motherhood and running a business, you might wonder where she finds the time to be the lead singer and guitarist in a rock band. But as you’ll learn, Terry is as close as a person can come to being a born musician, and for her, juggling multiple passions results in a spiritually enriching and fulfilling life.

OAKLAND: How are you enjoying life in Oakland?

TERRY: I love Oakland! It’s a really great town. It’s very family oriented. It’s a beautiful place. The people are really nice here.

They have a good school system and great programs for the kids. I love it!

Let’s talk about your childhood and your musical upbringing.

I lived in Glen Rock when I was a young girl. My parents, Debbie Lang and Lou Ciavolella, were in the Glenn Miller Orchestra. They ended up getting divorced when I was in grammar school, and my mother and I moved to Hawthorne. I graduated from Hawthorne High School, and then I went to William Paterson College in Wayne for music. I was a percussion major.

I was the first woman in seven years accepted into that department, under Prof.

Ray DesRoches.

We were going to ask you whether your interest in hair or music came first, but you’ve already answered that.

Music was always my first love. My mother was the lead singer for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and from the time I was born, I mean, I was sitting on her lap and she was transposing music. But by the time I got into college, I didn’t really know what music theory was. I had no clue, really. I had it in high school, but it was very brief.

Once you get into college, it’s a whole different ball of wax. And so there I was

sitting in this class, thinking, “What the heck is going on?” [Laughs] But as time went on, I started to get it. And the professor ended up saying to me that I was the best music theory student he’d ever had in 25 years of teaching it. I attributed that, now as an adult, to me sitting on my mother’s lap while she was transposing music. They say that things like that start when you’re little, and I guess being near her, watching her do that, when your mind works the way a musician’s mind works…

You absorb things.

Yeah, you really do; you pick up on a lot of things. I started playing piano when I was four. I started playing drums when I was eight. I started playing guitar when I was 11.

The first time I sang in public was in a jazz choir with my mother at the Cathedral of St. John the Devine in New York City, and at six years old I sang with the same choir at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At first, my mom taught me, and then I took lessons at Victor’s House of Music in Ridgewood. My mother was the voice teacher there, and I took piano, guitar and drums there, too. By the time I was 11, I was playing in drum corps, and I was also leader of the guitar group at St. Catharine’s Church in Glen Rock. I did that until I was in high school, and once high school came, band took over, so I was a drummer in the band. I also was a first soprano in choir. And then I went on to William Paterson. After that, you know, I had to work. [Laughs] I mean, I had been in a lot of bands; I was in my first band at age 12. But you get married and you have kids…

Are you playing in a band now?

Yes, the Blue North Band. These guys are really great. We play rock. We have a gig at Shortway’s Barn in Hawthorne on May 19, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s going to be our first time out, and it’s my first time out playing guitar since I was 19 years old!

We do a lot of different music, from the Beatles all the way up to P!nk.

How many of your customers at the salon, Terry’s Mane Street, know you’re a musician?

[Laughs] I think almost everybody knows I’m a musician!

I just love my music. I’ll sing all day long. It’s a great job I have, really. I’m very blessed. I get to hang with people, I get to sing all day long, I get to do what I love. How much better does it get?

38 + Summer 2018 + Oakland magazine

What’s been the highlight of your musical career?

You know, I’ve never really even thought about that, to tell you the truth. The greatest thing I think I ever did was play with my dad on his 60th birthday with the guys he was in the Glenn Miller Orchestra with. I played drums. I was pregnant with Dylan, so it was 1998. It was great. I was very intimidated. I told him:

“Oh, Dad, no, don’t make me get up! I can’t play jazz with you guys! Are you crazy?!” And he said, “Just play anything.” “Really?!” Because they were big shots, and I was just a little shot. I’ve gotten to do a lot of cool stuff, but the coolest thing, I guess, was playing with my dad, because I really only got to do that one time with the group. f

WWW.STAMPONEPUBLISHING.COM

39

“ 40

SUMMER 2018

t s o m l a k n i h t I m ’ I s w o n k y d o everyb ician! a mus . c i s u m y m e I just lov long.” ’I ll sing all day

Loans for what matters.

Throughout life, we don’t realize the potential value of the purchases we make. Sometimes that purchase is more than just a financial transaction. It’s an opportunity.

At Visions Federal Credit Union, we believe a good investment should pay back in priceless memories. visionsfcu.org Federally insured by NCUA.

Serving

Mexican Cuisine

All Day—

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 197 Diamond Bridge Avenue

Hawthorne

973-427-0124 www.elgallonj.com

Let us Cater Your Party!

OAKLAND MAGAZINE

41

The

RUNNING

Man

Emily B. Wilson 42

SUMMER 2018

Edward Ackerly

is an Oakland husband, dad and granddad who loves to run. the tougher the race, the better!

333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

W 44

WE WALK (or run) through our lives, encountering scores of people as the days, weeks and months go by. For the most part, not too many of these folks stand out. But some do. For example, you see a guy like Edward Ackerly working in an office in New York, commuting to and from his home in Oakland, and volunteering as a member of the borough’s Board of Adjustment. But could you guess just by looking at him that he comes home from work every night, changes into his track clothes and sneakers, and runs eight miles—and twice as far on weekends? Could you even imagine that he once ran 151 miles through the Sahara Desert? Or that he could enter marathons every weekend, but would rather do fewer of what he calls “ultra” competitions that test the limits of human endurance?

Not likely.

Edward, who recently turned 50, started running seriously while attending Monroe Woodbury High School in Monroe, N.Y. He did his undergraduate and graduate studies at Iona College in New Rochelle. In between,

SUMMER 2018

Interview Mike Daly

Edward and his wife Monica, with daughter Michelle and grandson Lorenzo.

he trained with aspirations of becoming an Olympic marathoner, until serious injuries made that impossible.

Edward is the information technology manager for a German/Italian bank in New York. He and his wife Monica have lived in Oakland for 15 years. Their daughter, Michelle Marceca, also lives in Oakland, about a mile away from her parents, with her husband and son; that makes Edward a grandfather, though one unlike most. He’s living proof that you really can’t judge a book by its cover.

OAKLAND MAGAZINE

45

OAKLAND: You’ve been pounding the pavement for quite a long time. Tell us about your love of running.

EDWARD: I primarily started in high school; that was when I got a little bit serious, I guess I’d say. And then I ran Division I college—I ran pretty competitively in college.

And then after that, I was training for the Olympic marathon trials in between undergraduate and graduate schools, and I ended up doing some serious damage to my body. I was forced to take about six years off because of it.

But then I got back into things and took it up just to stay in shape. I like running, but I like the competition more, so I started taking it a bit more seriously again as I got to be about 30.

The seriousness of your runs must have progressed fairly quickly.

It just kind of evolved. I went from one thing to the next, to the next, to try and find a new challenge. It’s easy for me to go out and just do 5Ks and 10Ks every weekend, because I run nine to 10 miles every single night, so that’s nothing.

But you’ve got to find something a bit more out of your comfort zone, a bit more challenging, so now I’m purely sticking to the “ultra” stuff.

Let’s go back to the reason you had to stop running for six years. What kind of damage are you talking about?

I had five stress fractures. I fractured my pelvis, and both my legs—both upper and lower bones. So I was in a really bad place.

[Laughs] Just from training?

Yeah, I was pounding 110, 120 miles a week for probably three months, mostly on roads, with pretty hard pacing. I was trying to get in shape and find a decent fast marathon distance race, because I was trying to make the Olympic trials when I was in my twenties. I just kind of destroyed my body at that point. It took years to heal. I had the option of either going for surgery and completely breaking the pelvis, and pinning it about three or four times—which would take anywhere from three to six months to heal—or letting my body heal in its most natural way. That’s what took about six

years. In hindsight, I probably should have just had them pin it. [Laughs] During that time, did you feel like you were jumping out of your skin? Running had become part of your DNA, and suddenly you couldn’t do it.

It was tough, but I was starting grad school at the time, so I was able to focus on that.

And then I just jumped into working, and that’s where I hurt myself even more! I started working full time, 12 to 15 hours a day, getting my career going. Going from wearing sneakers to wearing dress shoes was a challenge, because I developed a lot of problems with my feet. I have chronic plantar fasciitis now. I have heel spurs. I have all these things that came from joining the work force and walking around in dress shoes all day. It even affected my calf muscles a lot, and still does. So now, basically, I have to go for a massage every single Saturday to keep my legs straight.

You say you’re still running nine to 10 miles a day. That’s not exactly taking it easy.

No, it’s not taking it easy. And most Sundays I try to run at least 15 to 20 miles. That’s my longer day.

Obviously, in order to do this kind of thing the way you do it, you have to love it.

For me, honestly, if I don’t run every single day, it’s kind of like I’m lost. I need that just to decompress every day. I can go out, make a run, and I come back completely wiped out, but I come back a completely new person.

You don’t only run, but you’ve entered a lot of triathlons, which combine running, cycling and swimming, right?

Yeah. When I started running again, it was kind of a struggle trying to run on a daily basis, because it was still hard

getting back into it. So I had to find a way to crosstrain a little bit. I took up biking, and the next thing you know, if you can run, and you can bike pretty well, then, I know how to swim. I don’t swim well, but if you put the three things together in a decent enough way, then you can actually compete pretty well. So I started doing triathlons.

It sounds like you won’t even get out of bed to run a traditional marathon anymore.

I like the marathon. I still want to do what’s called the seven majors. It’s the seven major marathons—the World Marathon Corp. runs this thing. I did New York City, and I did it pretty well, and I want to do the others. But I’m looking for something a bit more challenging, something that puts you more out of your comfort zone. I’m talking about 50- to 100-mile races, off-course races, Ironman distance stuff—it really takes you to a place that most people can’t go.

What’s the toughest competition you’ve ever entered?

I did the Marathon des Sables, across the Sahara Desert, in 2010. It’s a 151-mile race. You have to bring all your food, all your clothes and all your gear in a pack, and you’ve got to carry your pack with you for the entire 151 miles! That was probably the most challenging event, just from dealing with the extreme heat to the almost freezing cold at night, to the sand. You know, sandstorms. Everything you could imagine comes at you.

Is that also the competition you’re most proud to have entered?

I liked that one. It was pretty unique. That was quite a WWW.STAMPONEPUBLISHING.COM

47

Besides the Sahara, where else have these competitions taken you?

Well, my current nemesis, let’s say, is a race called the Barkley Marathons. It claims to be a 100-mile race, but it’s really more like 130.

The race is run down in Tennessee. It’s been quite publicized in recent years. It’s basically five loops of a 25-mile course, off-trail and unmarked. You get a map, a compass and the directions, and you have 12 hours to do each loop. I’ve done it twice. Well, I’ve attempted it twice. [Laughs] It took me two 48

SUMMER 2018

3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

challenge. When I was training for it, I was training with a backpack, and all my friends would shove everything that they could into it, just to weigh me down. [Laughs] I was training with my wood stove in the basement at 100 degrees on the weekends, running three hours on a treadmill and sweating my head off!

years to figure it out and dial it in. It’s been running since 1985, and it’s only been finished by 18 people in the history of the race.

Wow! Now that’s a challenge.

Yeah. People don’t understand that race, but it’s really unique. A lot of people can do these real “ultra” races that are very well known, but Barkley Marathons is probably the most unique in the world. There are only 40 people a year who can enter. Those 40 are picked out of a few thousand applicants. There’s a very secret application process involved. You have to write an essay to get in.

An essay?

Yes. Hopefully, I can say the right thing to get back in there and give it another shot. The last race was just brutal; the weather was terrible. There was torrential rain for four hours straight at one point. There was unbelievable fog, where you couldn’t see more than a couple of feet. We had temperatures start pretty warm, and then before we knew it, you get to the top of the mountain and it’s literally snowing, and you’re freezing, because you’re soaking wet.

It was so brutal.

Let’s switch it up a bit. What do you love about Oakland?

Really? That’s an easy one. We were living in Long Island and everything in Long Island is flat—flat and sandy. We owned a house here; it was really just an investment property. But we’d come out here on the weekends and think, “You know, we really like it here.” We liked the mountains and all the trails. It was like coming to the country every weekend. It’s really just a nice town, and the people are nice. We couldn’t have better neighbors. It’s just a really nice place to raise a family.

What is it about your makeup that makes you feel like you need to test your endurance to these extremes?

Well, it’s just like anything, I think, in life. If you don’t challenge yourself, then what are you doing? A lot of times, too, it’s not just the challenge. Sometimes, you get to see another part of the country; you get a different look at the outdoors. I don’t want to follow the norm. I don’t want to wake up, go out and just do the average thing. I’ve always got to try to find something a bit more unique.

It seems like you would need a lot of support from family and friends to enter all these races.

I couldn’t do any of this without the continuous support of my family. My wife and daughter have given up many vacations and weekends over the years to follow me around. They’ve made tremendous sacrifices to be part of what I do, and to not acknowledge that would be missing the biggest reason I’m able to do what I do. f

3RQGV &KXUFK " £¹ ª ¯Ê¼ ª {¯¼À À|¯Ó ¼ Æ ¯Ú ¯ £

; ; ;

; ; ; ; ;

;

www.pondsreformedchurch.org

If ideas can move mountains . . . what moves ideas?

OAKLAND MAGAZINE

49

a i n r o f i l a C m a e r D Hollywood screenwriter Karen McCullah has penned some of our favorite romantic comedies of the last 20 years (Legally Blonde, anyone!?), thanks in part to some of her experiences growing up in Oakland.

Summer 2018 d Oakland magazine d Page 50

By Mike Daly

WHEN KAREN McCULLAH lived in Oakland, the borough didn’t have much of a downtown shopping district. “I just remember a Grand Union, and the roller-skating rink, and a pinball place called Replay,” she says.

Indeed, Oakland’s thriving business community of today bears little resemblance to the borough of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a teenage Karen lived with her family on Cherokee Trail. It’s certainly a world apart from the Hollywood Hills, where the successful screenwriter

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

W

and novelist resides today.

She may enjoy Southern California’s beautiful sunsets and beaches now, but Karen fondly remembers the movie theater at the Long Hill Mall, which was built in 1974 and now primarily houses Shop-Rite of Oakland. (The theater was within walking distance of the Phoenix Diner, a popular place for teens at the time.)

Karen was part of a military family that moved to Oakland from Japan in 1979. She spent her 8th-grade year at Valley Middle School, and then the next four years at Indian Hills

-------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------52

SUMMER 2018

y 53

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------High School, where, except for a season of running track, she wasn’t very involved in school activities.

No, instead, she held down a parttime job at the McDonald’s in Wyckoff.

“I loved working at that McDonald’s,” she says. “It was really fun!”

Years later, she says, her friends from high school reminded her that she wasn’t the most attentive student. “I would sit there and write notes to them, and just make up funny stories,” she recalls. In fact, Karen pinpoints this time period as the beginning of her interest in writing. This was also the point in her life when she began to keep a series of diaries.

After she graduated from Indian Hills, Karen’s family moved to Virginia and she began attending James Madison University where she majored in marketing and earned a business degree. “I worked in public relations and marketing in Washington, D.C., after college,” she says.

Karen subsequently got married and moved to Albuquerque, N.M., where her then-husband had been transferred. Because there weren’t any jobs in her new town comparable to those she’d had in Washington, D.C., Karen decided to try her hand at writing a novel, but she soon got bored with that.

“Then I found a book called How to Write for Film and Television,” she says. “I read that and thought, ‘This is what I’m going to do. This is how I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life.’ So I just kept reading more books like that, and reading every script I could find. I ended up taking a weekly workshop with a retired TV writer who lived in Santa Fe, and I just kept writing scripts until I sold one.”

That first script was 10 Things I Hate About You, a 1999 teen romantic comedy that starred Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Larisa Oleynik. While the screenplay was a modern retelling of William Shakes-

54

SUMMER 2018

Karen with her screenwriting partner Kirsten Smith in 2008.

peare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the title was derived from a list Karen had compiled in one of her high school diaries about her boyfriend at the time. It was called “10 Things I Hate About Anthony.”

“When I decided to write a teen movie,” Karen recalls, “I went back and read all my high school diaries to get myself back in the mindset of a teenager.”

In its opening weekend in late March 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You was the nation’s second most popular new release (right behind The Matrix). It drew praise from many critics, including Roger Ebert, and has since been included in an Entertainment Weekly list of the 50 Best High School Movies.

From there, Karen—mostly with her writing partner, Kirsten Smith—went on a tear. She wrote the screen adaptation of Amanda Brown’s novel for the 2001 Reese Wither-

Above: Karen with the stars of Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon & Selma Blair. Below: At work at the Wyckoff McDonald’s while in high school.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------spoon smash hit Legally Blonde, which also starred Selma Blair and Luke Wilson.

Ella Enchanted with Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy came next in 2004, followed

by She’s The Man in 2006. The House Bunny, starring Anna Faris, Emma Stone and Colin Hanks came out in 2008; The Ugly Truth, with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler, in 2009; and Crazy Kind of Love in 2013. Karen also found time to publish a novel in 2006 called The Bachelorette Party, which she adapted into a screenplay that has yet to be produced.

Last year, Karen did some uncredited work on the movie Girls Trip. She recently signed on to write a screen adaptation of Rosie Nixon’s 2016 fashion-based romantic comedy, The Stylist, and is also working on a movie about The Mydols, a real-life, all-mom surf-punk band from Detroit.

Now firmly ensconced in Hollywood, Karen has returned to the Oakland area several times over the years to attend Indian Hills Class of 1984 reunions, as well as gatherings of her old workmates from McDonald’s.

Asked what she would say to a current high school student who’s toiling at a fastfood joint much like the one where she once worked, she told us: “Anything’s possible. You’re not going to be making French fries forever!” f

OAKLAND MAGAZINE

55

Only inOakland I Love This Town!

A place that’s perfect for young families, seniors and everyone in between? Must be Oakland!

By Linda H. Schwager

Oakland Mayor

UR BEAUTIFUL TREE-LINED community runs alongside the Ramapo River and around the Ramapo Mountains. Originally a farm community, in the 1950s Oakland earned the title “The Valley of the Homes.” Today, our community is home to more than 12,000 residents who enjoy the beautiful surroundings, yet are within close proximity to New York City via commuter bus lines and highway travel thanks to routes 208 and 287.

Oakland is best known for our high-quality schools and outstanding recreation programs and facilities.

New Jersey Magazine recently rated Oakland the #1 community in New Jersey when it comes to the best places for young families to live. Oakland was even ranked the #2 top small city in New Jersey.

We have many volunteer groups to satisfy everyone’s interests. Our energetic volunteers support activities throughout the year. We have open space, parks, trails and fields—something for everyone. Our 40-acre Great Oak Park is the future home of our Great Lawn where concerts will be held. Crystal Lake Beach is occupied by many families during the hot weather. The perimeter of our recreation complex features a walking trail and outdoor exercise equipment. Within the recreation complex is our senior center offering free programs and activities daily.

O

56

SUMMER 2018

In Oakland, you don’t have to go too far to find a great restaurant. We have many fine restaurants, fast food eateries and coffee shops. Our downtown is a work in progress that includes a focal point called Station Park, site of the original railroad station.

Visit Oakland’s website (www.oakland-nj.org) and our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Borough-ofOakland-NJ) to learn more about our beautiful town. f

TRADITIONS REAL ESTATE 383 Ramapo Valley Road Oakland, NJ 07436 201-337-6600

WORLD

RE/MAX Traditions

Oaklandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s # 1 Real Est

NOBODY IN THE

ate Office

SELLS MORE

12

REAL ESTATE THAN

Consecutive Years

The SIGNS You Want

FOR SALE

SOLD

Traditions Real Estate

Traditions Real Estate

The AGENTS You Need Distinguished Sales Club Quarter Century Club RE/MAX Hall of Fame 2018 Bergen County Top Agents

Michelina (Michele) Belfiore GRI, ABR/M, BPOR, CNE, SFR

Eileen Weaver Bassi Salesperson

Broker/Owner

201.739.6774

Lic. NJ & NY

ewbassi@yahoo.com www.eileenbassi.com

973.725.0672 michelebelfiore1954@gmail.com

MISSION STATEMENT To provide the finest quality service on every consumer contract and to have an unparalleled environment for our team to achieve optimum success.

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT 280 LANC., PA 17604

Traditions Tr aditions R REE

TEAM

Lisa Kennedy

Patrick Varelas

Transaction Coordinator

Realtor® Associate MCNE NJ’s Youngest

Datte! he Da Save tthe Sav Choptoberfes t 4 Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018

Thomas “Chopper” Russo Broker Associate MCNE NJ’s First

Gene Russo

Salvatore Cozzupoli

Jessica Bunone

Realtor® Associate CNE

Realtor® Associate MCNE

Realtor® Associate CNE

A Te Team T eam of of Pro Pr Proven oven Pro Pr Professionals ofessionals

5

All All

associa associates tes have have earned the CNE( C Certified ertified Negotia Negotiation tion Exper Expert) t) Designation.

Desig nation.

Cell: C ell: 201.240.5200 • Office: Office: 201.337.6600 chopper@chopperrussogroup.com chopper@chopperrussog roup.com www.chopperrussogroup.com www.chopperrussogroup.com EEach ach offic officee is independently independentl endentlyy owned owned and and operated. oper erat ateed. at *

ReMax LLC 3/1/18

+++++ + ++++ 5-STAR 5-ST AR AGENT

#1 Team Team in Nor Northern thern Ne New w Jerse Jersey y*

only tteam eam with 3 MCNE associa associates tes