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 30 ISSUE 6
Dylan does it
BIGGEST ASK OF HIS LIFE Former Emerson Mayor Steve Setteducati reaching out for a living kidney donor
Emerson’s Dylan Reithmayr, 12, wins his third youth wrestling championship. PAGE 20
Community rallies for Hillsdale resident on the force in Norwood
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
A 25-year veteran of the Norwood Police Department is facing an aggressive cancer diagnosis, prompting colleagues and community members to rally around him and his family. Sgt. Thomas Tobin, a patrol sergeant and firearms instructor, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that has spread to his liver, according to the department. “We have some difficult news
See FIGHT on page 264
HILLSDALE
COUNCIL REJECTS VERIZON LEASE AT SWIM CLUB 4-2 vote against 130-foot cell tower at Stonybrook; coverage woes remain
BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
HILLSDALE
‘One of our own’: Area sergeant’s cancer fight
APRIL 20, 2026
S
Steve Setteducati is CEO of New Concepts for Living, a nonprofit serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His family says its focus is on finding that one potential living kidney donor out there who could save his life. Courtesy.
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
TEVE SETTEDUCATI has spent years helping families plan for the future. Now, facing kidney failure, he is asking for help himself — something he says does not come easily.
“I just donʼt like to be the one asking for help. I never was in my lifetime,” said Setteducati, a former Emerson mayor and CEO of New Concepts for Living, a nonprofit serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Setteducati, who turns 65 this month, has been living with
a progressive kidney disease for about two years. His condition has worsened to the point that he said he expects to begin dialysis within weeks. A transplant could change that — but the wait for a deceased-donor kidney can
Continued on page 18
After nearly an hour of public comment opposing a proposed cell tower at Stonybrook Swim Club, the Borough Council voted 4-2 on April 14 to reject a fiveyear lease with Verizon for a 130foot monopole at the site. All 21 residents who spoke opposed the tower, though most supported improving cell service in the boroughʼs northeast section, where unreliable coverage affects residents and emergency communications. The issue has drawn sustained attention, with similar opposition voiced at the April 7 meeting and several earlier sessions. Verizon representatives said in mid-March the Stonybrook site was the best option to address longstanding gaps. Residents largely objected to placing the tower at the swim club, a wellused and profitable borough asset. Voting against the lease were councilors John Ruocco, Clemente Osso, Robert Colletti Jr.,
See VOTE on page 184
EMERSON TOPS
B ck in time...
The Emerson Boys and Girls Club 8th grade girls basketball team finishes a 12–0 season by defeating Paramus, 29–27, to win the BTBL Navy Division championship. PAGE 22
If you lived in the Pascack Valley 90 years ago and had 15 cents to spare, Westwood’s Casino theater was one grand option for a Saturday evening out. Kristin Beuscher reports.
PAGE 4