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 14
Buldo delivers
CRASH COURSE IN CONSEQUENCES Agencies rally to give Pascack Valley, Westwood Regional seniors lifesaving lesson
A River Vale birthday boy, 3, gets the surprise of a lifetime when his hero — sanitation truck and all — joins the party. PAGE 19
NEW PLAYGROUND CONNECTS
The West Ridge PTO has officially opened a new upper elementary playground designed to give fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students a dedicated place to stay active, socialize and connect during the school day. The PTO said the project grew out of a need for age-appropriate play space for older elementary students. Existing playground equipment primarily served younger children, while uppergrade students needed a place where they could move, gather and play, including students who might not gravitate toward organized sports.
See PTO on page 184
WESTWOOD
POLICE ABSORB PARKING ENFORCEMENT ROLE
Urge ʻcompliance, not defianceʼ; parking enforcement officers to certify as SLEOs, wear body cams BY JOHN SNYDER EDITOR@THEPRESSGROUP.NET
PARK RIDGE
West Ridge PTO celebrates new upper elementary school amenity — says it meets a vital need
JUNE 15, 2026
A
Project Crash brought together student actors, first responders, and medical personnel for realistic impaired-driving crash simulations at Pascack Valley High School on June 8, and Westwood Regional High School on June 10. Photos by Anthony DeRosa. BY JOHN SNYDER EDITOR@THEPRESSGROUP.NET S GRADUATION SEASON
approaches and students prepare to celebrate milestones with newfound independence, two regional school districts turned to a dramatic
teaching tool to deliver a lifesaving message: One poor decision behind the wheel can change everything. This week, seniors at Pascack Valley High School and Westwood Regional High School witnessed realistic mock crash demonstrations designed
to show the consequences of impaired and distracted driving. At Pascack Valley High School on June 8, emergency responders staged Project Crash, a simulated prom-night collision involving student actors, firefighters, police officers, EMTs
Continued on page 26
Parking enforcement operations in the borough have moved under the supervision of the Police Department, a change officials say is intended to improve safety, training and efficiency as competition for limited downtown parking continues to grow. The transition took effect June 1 following action taken by the mayor and council at its May 6 meeting, according to borough officials. Under the new arrangement, enforcement, maintenance and collection functions previously handled by the Westwood Parking Utility have been absorbed by the Police Department. According to a joint statement issued by Mayor Ray Arroyo and Police Chief Michael Pontillo, the borough will retain the Parking Utilityʼs administrative structure for policy recommendations and financial oversight. Officials stressed that the utility remains self-funded and does not rely on taxpayer dollars. See POLICE on page 304
THEATRE KIDS WIN
B ck in time...
Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills theatre students land major honors at the 2026 MSU Foxy Awards, with their joint production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical.” PAGE 16
The congregation of the Upper Montvale Church is driven out by a swarm of bees crashing the weekly prayer meeting, and services had to be concluded in a grove nearby. Kristin Beuscher reports from June 1899. PAGE 4