FRB’S SYLVAN PARTY ALPINE • CLOSTER • CRESSKILL • DEMAREST • ENGLEWOOD • ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS • HARRINGTON PARK HAWORTH • NORTHVALE • NORWOOD • OLD TAPPAN • ROCKLEIGH • TENAFLY
Flat Rock Brook Nature Center’s year-end social event IS filled with joy and laughter, and the love of a screech owl
PAGE 14
JANUARY 2026
THE HEART OF A GIANT
ENGLEWOOD
HOSPITAL
NORWOOD
SCOUT’S
MERGER THE FALLEN AIMS AT Hero Dexter Lawrence surprises OT standout Liam Volz completes Sam Bilali with $10K grant, bowl tickets Troop 120 service BOOSTING project; memorial ACCESS reads, ‘All gave some, SALUTE TO
Englewood Health touts world-class academic medicine, expanded community programs, in agreement with RWJBarnabas system
RWJBarnabas Health and Englewood Health announced Monday, Jan. 5, that they have signed a definitive agreement that would bring Englewood Health into the RWJBarnabas system, a move the organizations say is aimed at expanding access to services across Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties. The proposed transaction still requires multiple state and federal approvals before it can be finalized, and officials said the review process is expected to extend into 2027. Under the agreement, RWJBarnabas said it would make significant capital investments in Englewood and would bolster Englewood Healthʼs outpatient network and community health programs. The systems said the goal is to strengthen Englewoodʼs role as a regional provider while expanding access to specialized services and community-based resources. Mark E. Manigan, president and CEO of RWJBarnabas
See MERGER page 164
some gave all’ BY JOHN SNYDER OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
Dexter Lawrence II was joined by Samuel A. Taylor, MD, a sports medicine surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and associate team physician for the Giants, and Scott Hallenbeck, CEO and executive director of USA Football, in honoring Bilali as the 2025 USA Football Heart of a Giant award winner. The award is presented by HSS and the New York Giants. Credit: USA Football, New York Giants and Hospital for Special Surgery.
N
EAST RUTHERFORD
EW YORK GIANTS nose
tackle Dexter Lawrence II surprised Northern Valley Regional High School at
Old Tappan junior Sam Bilali with Super Bowl tickets, a trophy, and a $10,000 equipment grant for the schoolʼs football program during a locker-room presentation at MetLife Stadium
on Dec. 12, 2025. Lawrence was joined by Samuel A. Taylor, MD, a sports medicine surgeon at Hospital for
See GIANT page 64
A new Battlefield Cross memorial has been installed in Norwood, completed in October 2025, as the Eagle Scout service project of Liam Volz of BSA Norwood Troop 120. The Battlefield Cross is a symbolic field memorial honoring a fallen soldier, traditionally depicting a rifle planted in the ground with a helmet on top and dog tags hanging from the weapon, with boots at the base. The memorial bears the inscription: “All gave some, some gave all.” Volz described the project as “a journey of service, reflection, and deep gratitude,” telling those gathered for the unveiling that he chose the Battlefield Cross to honor men and women who died in service to the nation. “This symbol made of boots, a rifle, a helmet, and dog tags, represents the bravery, sacrifice, and humanity of every service member who never made it home,” Volz
See SALUTE page 34
SENIORS AND FRIENDS
B ck in time...
It was “all aboard” at the Tenafly Senior Center as more than 100 rang in the New Year with a “Cruising into 2026” party.
It’s a 1930s winter in this scene that looks at the Tenafly railroad station. Just look at those old cars! Kristin Beuscher reports.
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