Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake
PA S C AC K VA L L E Y ’ S H O M E TO W N N E W S PA P E R
VOLUME 28 ISSUE 35
NOVEMBER 11, 2024
WESTWOOD
ROSCOE LEGION THAT THEY MAY ‘COACH’ ADDS NEVER FORGET D RAPER, MANIACI, George White school hosts mobile 9/11 museum 105 93, TO Among the last of the
HILLSDALE
RANKS OF ‘SONS’
Induction honors his dad, a veteran of World War I; also in: proud grandson of a WWII vet BY DENNIS CESA SPECIAL TO PASCACK PRESS
Ninety-three-year-old Frank Maniaci, a longtime Hillsdale resident, was inducted into the ranks of the Sons of The American Legion Squadron 162 on Saturday, Nov. 2. His membership honors the service of his father, Louis Maniaci, who served in World War I. Maniaci was inducted during a ceremony held at the American Legion Post 162, which serves Hillsdale, Woodcliff Lake, and Old Tappan. The event was attended by approximately 50 members of the Legion and Sons of the Legion, along with family and friends. Also inducted was 38-year-old Nick Camerato, in honor of his grandfather, Henry John Millspaugh, a distinguished World War II veteran. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Maniaci lived there until he was 14. His father, who was a dress designer, enlisted in the Army and was assigned the role of company clerk. He served and returned home, but he passed away when Frank was 14. The family then moved to River Vale and later to Hillsdale, where in 1957, Frank
See SONS on page 114
H
famed WWII Tuskegee Airmen, he lived in Westwood and blazed a trail still soaring
HILLSDALE
BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
UNDREDS OF STUDENTS
from grades 5–8 at George G. White Middle School encountered history in a profound way as the 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit stopped at Maher Field for the day, Oct. 18. Sponsored by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the exhibit offered students a look at the heroism and tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, guided by retired New York City firefighters who had witnessed the events of that day. The exhibit, a traveling museum contained within an 83foot tractor-trailer, transforms into a 1,100-square-foot immersive experience. Inside, students observed somber tributes to those who lost their lives. Retired firefighters, including Kieran Burke, shared stories honoring the 343 members of the FDNY who died in the line of duty. Bill Puckett, the exhibitʼs field manager, recounted the story of firefighter Stephen Siller, who ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, fully geared up, to assist at the World Trade Center after hearing about the attack while off duty. Siller,
Continued on page 19
T
BY EDMOND W. DAVIS FOR PASCACK PRESS
Seventh-grade social studies teacher Jessica Allen recounts the events of Sept. 11, 2001 to her students, who heard retired New York City firefighters describe the tragedy’s impact on America. Mike Olohan photo
USKEGEE AIRMEN Flight Instructor Dr. Roscoe D. Draper—affectionately known as Coach, passed away Thursday, Oct. 31 at the remarkable age of 105. Draper is one of the few remaining members of the Tuskegee Airmen, and he was the only one from the Civilian Pilot Training Program of 1940. A pioneering flight instructor and American hero, he leaves a legacy that will continue inspiring generations of aviators and civil rights advocates. Born in Haverford, Pa. during the “Red Summer” of 1919, Draperʼs life was marked by courage, resilience, and groundbreaking contributions that forever transformed our nationʼs history. How do you help in the effort to defeat Nazi Germany only to return home to work at the post office due to racial segregation and Jim Crow? This was the reality faced by Roscoe Draper and countless others in the 1940s. The extraordinary life of Dr. Roscoe Draper, whose dedication See COACH on page 304
‘LIGHTS OUT’
B ck in time...
Relentless 8-1 Westwood Cardinals dominate Lakeland, advance to semifinals — primed to continue remarkable playoff run. PAGE 29
Predawn, Park Ridge, 120 years ago: KA-BLAM! Nobody is more startled than Clarence Stalter and Peter Tarauletti, who live above the post office, where burglars have just blown the safe. PAGE 4