Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake VOLUME 24 ISSUE 20
PUT TO THE TEST
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
AUGUST 3, 2020
MUSIC IN THE AIR: ‘Arts on the Avenues’ adds ambiance in Westwood
Township of Washington firefighters teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corps for a day of fitness challenges for new recruits. SEE PAGE 14
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON
MASK, GLOVE LITTERBUGS COULD SEE DAY IN COURT BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
Improper disposal of used surgical masks and gloves—used by residents to protect others and themselves from potentially spreading coronavirus—will officially be illegal and punishable by a fine or jail time under a new ordinance introduced at the July 13 council meeting. The ordinance is up for a public hearing Aug. 10. Moreover, the ordinance sets maximum penalties of up to $2,000 or 90 days in jail, said Borough Attorney Kenneth Poller July 13. “Any used masks and gloves are potentially soiled/contaminated and could be transmitters of Covid-
See LITTER on page 64
so lively.” The organization behind Arts on the Avenues is Celebrate Westwood, a volunteer operation that supports residents, organizations, and small businesses through creation and promotion of community activities. The series has been generously funded by Westwood for All Ages. “We extend our sincere thanks to the governing body, local businesses, and talented artists that took a leap of faith as we brought the first week of live arts programming to downtown Westwood,” organizers RoseAnn Ciarlante and Lauren Letizia wrote in a joint letter to Pascack Press. The series draws patrons to local businesses that have had some challenging months, while also giving a boost to area artists who have seen their live shows drop off amid social distancing. Westwood residents Guitarist Gordon Roehrer in an acoustic solo. have featured promiAdding to the ambiance is nently in the lineup. The series kicked off with Arts on the Avenues, an initiative that has seen artists in a variety of Liv Lion, a singer and pianist, genres giving outdoor perform- who has since given four more ances Thursdays through Sun- performances. A composer as well days. With restaurantsʼ outdoor as a performer, Liz is a lover of tables filled, people strolling on classical, jazz and indie music. Westwood Avenue, and music res- Her setlists included both covers onating through the air, as Mayor and originals that she belted out in Ray Arroyo put it, “Summertime a sweet and haunting voice. Pianist Agustin Tecalero has in our downtown has never looked It wasnʼt too long ago that downtown Westwood was a ghost town. Between people staying at home and many businesses being shuttered, this spring the crowds were eerily absent from the avenue in a way that weʼve never seen before. Now all that has changed. Warm days have brought life back to Westwood, and especially now, with outdoor dining expanded, the downtown has become a vibrant place once again.
DINNER AND A SHOW: Top, guests enjoy an outdoor meal on Fairview Avenue as the Street Corner Singers perform on the opposite side of Westwood Avenue, July 25. Bottom, Westwood resident Liv Lion performs during Arts on the Avenue’s opening weekend. appeared each weekend with piano classics, ragtime, jazz and more. Watching this virtuoso perform, itʼs difficult to believe that he started playing piano just over 18 months ago as a student of Westwood Music Studios. The multi-talented Theresa Abou-Daoud, a singer, songwriter and pianist who is also a Westwood native, joined the lineup for weekend number two. You might recognize her lovely voice from the boroughʼs New Yearʼs Eve celebration.
Each weekend Paramus resident Garret Wishnick, the first visual artist of the summer, has awed passersby with the way he was able to sculpt blocks of clay into recognizable characters in mere minutes. The soulful melodies of guitarist Gordon Roehrer of Montvale have brought a style reminiscent of Bob Dylan. Strumming all over the downtown in appearances across three weekends, his solo acoustic shows have included a PHOTOS BY FRANT VISUALS
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HOUSING PLANNED
B ck in time...
Hearings continue on a 170-unit active-adult senior complex proposed for a wooded lot off Summit Avenue in Montvale.
Long before the TV series—and televisions in general—local kids had their very own Mickey Mouse Club at the Pascack Theater.
SEE PAGE 12
SEE PAGE 4