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 26 ISSUE 34
Words of praise
NOVEMBER 7, 2022
HILLSDALE
CROSSING A MILESTONE
Hillsdale police, school cheer guard Dot Higinson, 90
PANTRY’S TURKEY DRIVE NOV. 19
Helping Handʼs annual tradition kicks off the holiday season; pantry marking 30 years
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
Local author Shane Svorec is pulling in awards on her recent titles. SEE PAGE 24
PASCACK VALLEY
MAYORS SNUBBED ON AIRCRAFT COMMITTEE
Sought seat at table in Teterboro as flight noise complaints rise; regrouping on Nov. 9 BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo said that the Pascack Valley Mayors Association would devise a new plan at its Nov. 9 meeting in its fight against noise pollution from private jets that overfly the Pascack Valley on their way into Teterboro Airport. At the Oct. 26 meeting of Teterboro Aircraft Noise Abatement Advisory Committee, or TANAAC, Rendo said he and other local mayors were told that they would not be allowed a seat on the TANAAC board to repre-
See MAYORS on page 224
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Happy birthday! Hillsdale school superintendent Robert V. Lombardy Jr. and police chief Robert Francaviglia organized a surprise 90th birthday treat for veteran George G. White School crossing guard Dorothy “Dottie” Higinson on Oct. 28, complete with kids, cheers, a plaque, and bouquet. HPD photo BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
OT MUCH GETS past crossing guard Dorothy “Dottie” Higinson, whoʼs been shepherding students safely to and from George G. White School, 120 Magnolia Ave., in all seasons — arrivals and dismissals — for 32 years. So on Friday, Oct. 28, when, following her morning post, police chief Robert Francaviglia asked her to accompany him into the school — Come on, I want to show you something — she knew it was important.
“I thought, ʻOh, whose toes did I step on?ʼ and then I see heʼs happy... so we went inside there, and we went into the gym, and I saw all the kids in the bleachers, and I thought, ʻWhatʼs this?ʼ” Then the kids — fifth- and sixth-graders — launched into the birthday song, then chanted her name as only a gym full of youngsters can. “And they asked how old I was. When they were told Iʼm 90, they nearly dropped dead,” Higinson said. Higinson, who started as the schoolʼs crossing guard at the busy Magnolia and Liberty inter-
section in October 1991 (following a stint crossing for St. Johnʼs Academy), also accepted a plaque honoring her years of service “and as a reminder of how lucky the students of Hillsdale were to such a dedicated and loyal crossing guard.” The gesture was the idea of superintendent Robert V. Lombardy Jr., who had no trouble convincing Francaviglia, Dottieʼs supervisor, to take part. Higinson told Pascack Press Nov. 1, “I had tears in my eyes. The police give you something
Continued on page 31
Helping Hand Food Pantry Turkey Drive 2021 fielded 350 donated frozen turkeys and a generous haul of side dishes and other food donations. This year, with the bite of Covid felt less sharply in the Pascack Valley but demand on the grow, organizers hope to see an even greater turnout. The event, held Saturday, Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hillsdale United Methodist Church, which hosts the pantry as a mission, will keep volunteers of all ages busy on donation day. Save the date and donate what you can. Itʼs an extra-special event: Helping Hand Food Pantry, 349 Hillside Ave., is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022. Coordinator Mark Loblanco tells Pascack Press the turkeys will be given out for Thanksgiving and Christmas. “This turkey drive has always kicked off the holiday season. During this time of the year, It is not about what you receive but what you already have is what is important to remember,” Loblanco says.
See PANTRY on page 84
A TEAM FOR ALL
B ck in time...
Valley Chabad Friendship Circle launches its 2022 Fall Sports League, giving volunteer and special-needs kids a chance to shine.
In November 1892, Republican Frederick Van Riper and Democrat Gilliam Ackerman made an election wager that would see the loser wading miles of the cold Pascack Brook. SEE PAGE 4
SEE PAGE 10
