Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake VOLUME 24 ISSUE 6
TURNING IT AROUND
PA S C AC K VA L L E Y ’ S BEST H O M E TO W N N E W S PA P E R
APRIL 27, 2020
PASCACK VALLEY
A COMMON THREAD Teens’ T-shirt fundraiser will benefit area hospitals BY HILLARY VIDERS SPECIAL TO PASCACK PRESS
When a canceled Easter egg hunt left Our Lady of Mercy with a pile of unused supplies, they turned disappointment into delight for hospitalized kids. SEE PAGE 13
CELEBRATE WESTWOOD Amid pandemic, boroughʼs volunteers have come through
BY LISA BONTEMPS SPECIAL TO PASCACK PRESS
Itʼs never been truer to say that Westwood is a community of volunteers. From support of front-line healthcare workers and first responders, to emergency vehicleled car parades; from shopping for neighbors to financial contributions for local non-profits—every day we are lucky to be able to celebrate Westwood and all its heroes who meaningfully contribute in ways small and large. As a grant-funded initiative of Meals on Wheels North Jersey, Westwood for All Ages has been working to shine a light on the great work being done to support
See CELEBRATE on page 64
Pascack Valley High School juniors Emma Petkovich (left) and Kayla Garfinkel have organized a campaign to sell T-shirts to benefit area hospitals.
EDUCATORS STEP UP
The Emerson Education Association, representing the districtʼs teachers, secretaries, and building custodians, has been doing its part to help others. SEE PAGE17
The Covid-19 virus has turned our world upside down and forced us to make changes that we never imagined we would have to make. Yet, amidst all the fear and isolation, the pandemic has also brought forth enormous waves of generosity and ingenuity. A shining example of this is how two 16-year-old Pascack Valley High School students, Kayla Garfinkel and Emma Petkovitch, created a fundraising campaign to sell T-shirts to raise funds for local hospitals. The light blue unisex shirts, manufactured by CustomInk, come in a large variety of sizes. They have a striking logo of a person wearing a mask and sporting the message, “Be Together Apart.” Garfinkel, a River Vale resident, explains, “Emma and I were both interested in pursuing a career in medicine, so it was natural for us to want to help the medical community. I am also involved because my grandparents tested positive for Covid-19. The hospital workers on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic are heroes and they deserve everyoneʼs support!” Emma, who lives in Hillsdale, is also enthused about the project. “The T-shirts cost $23, and we hope to sell 50 of them by May 3.
See TEENS on page 94
B ck in time... This week our tour of the region’s schoolhouses moves to Westwood, where a wooden building on Old Hook Road served kids for generations. SEE PAGE 4