Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake VOLUME 24 ISSUE 46
PRIZED BY DESIGN
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 PASCACK VALLEY
EMERSON
VETERAN OF THE WEEK Hillsdaleʼs George DeRosa nabs county honor
Westwood’s Bill Martin takes an architecture industry honor. SEE PAGE 8
PASCACK VALLEY
VACCINES
Mayors team up to secure a local supply
FOR VALLEY BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
The mayors of Woodcliff Lake, Park Ridge, and Montvale have banded together to provide alternatives for residents hoping to secure a Covid-19 vaccine apart from the stateʼs sprawling and under-supplied network of vaccination sites. But one hiccup remains: they must locate a supply of vaccines. That remains the key holdup to opening any Pascack Valley regional vaccination site, said the mayors, noting theyʼve reached out to county and state health officials and area hospitals to partner with them to offer the vaccines. So far, the lack of vaccines to distribute remains the biggest stumbling block to opening a convenient
See VACCINES on page 394
GEORGE M. DEROSA, a past commander of General Leonard E. Wood American Legion Post 162, is recognized at the county level for his patriotic wartime service and his leadership in improving the lives of his fellow veterans and their families. BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
Congratulations to George M. DeRosa, recent New Jersey Fifth District Hero, an American Legion Post 162 past commander—and ongoing recruitment dynamo—and all-around Hillsdale-area champion. To his long list of life
FEBRUARY 1, 2021
accomplishments he adds Bergen County Veteran of the Week for the week of Jan. 13, 2021. Bergen County Commissioner Steve Tanelli took evident delight in announcing DeRosaʼs honor, first explaining that Bergen County Veteran of the Week is a project in collaboration with the Bergen County Division of Veteran Services to collect, pre-
PHOTOSET OF GEORGE DEROSA COURTESY COUNTY OF BERGEN
serve, and make accessible the personal accounts of American veterans for future generations. DeRosa is on a growing roster of recipients, along with Bergen County Director of Veteran Services Ariel “AJ” Luna of Fair Lawn, Joseph “Mighty Joe” Maugeri of River Edge, Dionisio Cucuta Jr. of
See VETERAN on Page 34
BOROUGH GETS TO WORK
ʻFamily Townʼ mourns; leans into 2021 agenda
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
Mayor Danielle DiPaola and the boroughʼs two new councimembers addressed the 117th Annual Reorganization Meeting of the Borough of Emerson on Jan. 4, with the mayor reporting on an uptick in Covid-19 cases—and progress toward permanently funding more than $6.8 million in debt that had been issued over the past five years New members Michael Timmerman and Carl Carbo, who replaced Jim Bayley and Pat Dinallo, spoke of their pride in getting to serve the “Family Town,” and thanked their families and other supporters.. DiPaola reported on positive cases of Covid-19 for December 2020: In the borough, there were 142 positive cases in total: 125 in residential homes and 17 in longterm care facilities. For the first four days of January, she said it was reported that Emerson already had 22 new positive cases: 16 in residential homes and six in long-term care facilities. “So, I will once again urge you again to wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands, and if you are sick, please stay home,” she said. She also discussed the great demand for vaccines, and said, “There are no plans for the Borough
See BOROUGH on page 344
CARING NEIGHBORS
B ck in time...
In Woodcliff Lake, Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley hosts a drive up–drop off food drive for the Tri-Boro Food Pantry.
Assistant Editor Kristin Beuscher takes us on a tour through the full, rich life of the Borough of Montvale’s iconic Octagon House.
SEE PAGE 16
SEE PAGE 4