Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake
T H E 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 29 ISSUE 44
A ‘SEASCAPE’ FOR JANUARY
Catholic Schools Week
WESTWOOD
BCP stages Albeeʼs Pulitzer winner Jan. 10–18; benefits Hillsdaleʼs Joanʼs Joy
JAN. 25–31
Starts on Page 13
THE FACTS ON KIDS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
A regional community program focused on online safety for children and teens, “Protecting Our Kids: The Many Dangers of Social Media,” is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. in the Pascack Hills High School auditorium. The program is being organized by Jennifer Charnow, MSW, co-coordinator of the Hills Valley Coalition, who serves as PHHS PFA Parent Academy coordinator and Woodcliff Lakeʼs Stigma Free representative. Organizers said the evening is a collaborative effort involving
See SOCIAL on page 114
SCOUT PARTNERS ON LOCAL HISTORY
Bella Tirri with Troop 321 earns council nod on vital preservation project at Heritage Society
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
PASCACK VALLEY
ʻProtecting Our Kidsʼ forum April 8 at Pascack Hills High School; weʼre planning a series
JANUARY 12, 2026
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Directed by Tenafly’s Dottie Fischer, “Seascape” mixes comedy, drama and absurdity as retired couple Nancy (Leslie Darcy of Oakland) and Charlie (Owen Sheridan of Leonia) meet human-sized lizards Sarah (Katie Maul of Fair Lawn) and Leslie (Ian Murphy of Dumont) emerging from the sea. Richard Frant cast photos. and head to the sunny sand as Bergen County Players (BCP) raises the curtain on Seascape, which earned playwright Edward Albee his second Pulitzer Prize in 1975. The limited run of five performances is directed by Dottie Fischer of Tenafly. The show opens Jan. 10 and runs through Jan. 18 at the Little SCAPE THE COLD
Firehouse Theatre in Oradell. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and $28 on Sundays. They can be purchased at bcplayers.org, by calling 201261-4200, or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.
The play blends elements of comedy, drama, and absurdism, using a fantastic scenario to explore profound human truths. It opens on a deserted beach, where a recently retired couple is relaxing in the sun, chatting idly and then seriously about some of lifeʼs biggest issues – like what they will do with their
Continued on page 25
Troop 321 Life Scout Bella Tirri earned fans at Borough Hall and further afield, Dec. 16, 2025, outlining for the governing body her Eagle Scout proposal to renovate the Westwood Heritage Societyʼs museum room inside the historic train station. Her idea is straightforward, and roll-up-your-sleeves tough: turn a room that functions more like storage than an exhibit into something closer to a gracious space showcasing decades of irreplaceable “Hub of the Pascack Valley” history. That theme came through in the questions from Mayor Ray Arroyo and councilmembers, who pressed her on the practical things that make or break any volunteer project: painting, prep work, storage and how artifacts would be handled while the room is cleared, reorganized, and renewed. Addressing the dais, Bella described a plan to remove and organize materials, refresh the room, improve shelving and storage, and return items in a more
See HISTORY on page 134
PIANO POWER
B ck in time...
The Woman’s Club of Westwood draws some 100 people to its Third Annual Dueling Pianos fundraiser at Lolita’s, for a high-energy night of Flying Ivories music, dancing and camaraderie. PAGE 10
A late-1800s Etna (now Emerson) property dispute made New York headlines after storekeeper’s wife Emil Buerk defended her claimed home and business with a hickory club. Kristin Beuscher reports. PAGE 4