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 18
JULY 18, 2022
For the HER LIFE’S WORK troops POWERS ON Kalfus, Larghi are ʻDominiqueʼscholarship winners T
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
GFWC/NJSFWC The Woman’s Club of Westwood holds Christmas in July at CVS.
SEE PAGE 19
EMERSON
LAWSUITS TIGHTEN AROUND EMERSON STATION
Work toward a trial could be ready by fall; parking garage, foundations rising BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
The borough attorney says construction on Emerson Station, the 147-unit residential mixed use complex, including 15,000-square foot of retail space downtown, is progressing — but the legal process between the redeveloper and borough is moving along much slower. Both the borough and redeveloper have filed dueling lawsuits, the redeveloper alleging delays and
See LAWSUITS on page 314
WO
YOUNG
‘HUB’ OKS DOWNTOWN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS Residents take the lead on project; Arroyo says borough timing ʻexactly rightʼ on trend
LADIES
whoʼve just graduated area high schools and are planning to go into the medical field have been helped along by scholarships in memory of someone who would have recognized them as kindred spirits, and been delighted to help them succeed. Receiving Dominiqueʼs Journey Scholarships of $2,500 each at June senior awards nights were Park Ridge High Schoolʼs Nicole Larghi and Pascack Valley High Schoolʼs Lauren Kalfus. Both wrote winning essays answering how they planned to contribute to changing the world for the better — and in so doing showed that they would continue Dominique Francoʼs legacy of giving and kindness. On Feb. 16, 2019, thirdyear nursing student Dominique Ann Franco, 21, died suddenly at the University of Rhode Island, leaving hundreds of family members, friends, and acquaintances in shock and grief. Dominiqueʼs funeral Mass, at Our Lady Mother of the Church in Woodcliff Lake, drew nearly 1,000, including her sorority sisters. Sister to four brothers, she was president of her sorority chapter, Zeta Tau Alpha. She was a graduate of
WESTWOOD
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
Dominique Ann Franco, 21, died suddenly at the University of Rhode Island in 2019. The Park Ridge resident’s dream job was to work at St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital. Her family’s foundation, Dominique Franco’s St. Jude’s Journey, with its annual scholarship. supports similar passions. Park Ridge High Schoolʼs class of 2016. Her parents, Gina and Mike, and their family, through the Dominique Francoʼs St. Judeʼs Journey foundation, have continued to support Tomorrowʼs Children at Hackensack hospital in her memory. Gina told Pascack Press of the scholarship, “We raised more than $4,000 in donations in gift cards and monies despite Covid. This is a charity my
5FRANCO FAMILY PHOTO
daughter began a toy drive for at 16 and continued even when she was in college at URI for nursing.” She said Dominique organized her first fundraiser at 7, passing along thousands of dollars for cancer research at Hackensack Meridian Healthʼs Tomorrows Childrenʼs Fund and St. Jude Childrenʼs Research Hospital. She raised funds against childrenʼs cancer for
Continued on page 10
The governing body on June 28 adopted resolutions authorizing the boroughʼs electric vehicle charging station initiative to move forward, including project management, design services, working with charging provider Blink, and striping of the charging stalls. The move follows action taken April 5 when the governing body approved a plan presented by councilwoman and Parking Authority liaison Cheryl Hodges to install four dual Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations in the boroughʼs three public parking lots: north, south, and Fairview. The Westwood Parking Authority endorsed the plan at its April 12 meeting. According to Mayor Ray Arroyo, each EV charging location will provide four charging ports, enabling 12 vehicles to be charged simultaneously in the Central Business District. Level 2 chargers offer 40–65 miles of travel with every hour of charge. Arroyo said the upgraded elec-
See HUB on page 234
EMERSON WINS!
B ck in time...
Congratulations to Emerson softball’s 3rd and 4th grade summer travel team, which just won the Ramsey Rumble softball tournament.
Pine Lake in the Township of Washington is a widely cherished memory by longtime residents of the Pascack Valley. Kristin Beuscher brings out so much of this site’s story. SEE PAGE 4
SEE PAGE 21
