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 21
Carnival heights
TALKIN’ ‘BOUT A REVOLUTION
AUGUST 3, 2026
HILLSDALE
New horizons as River Vale 14U boys rocket past Wyckoff, 7-2, in final game together
BUILDING FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS
George G. White school overhaul marks milestone with ceremonial beam signing
BY JOHN SNYDER EDITOR@THEPRESSGROUP.NET
The annual Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps Carnival returns to Westwood Plaza. Richard Frant captures the fun. PAGE 20
WOODCLIFF LAKE
‘IT’S THE REALITY NOW…’
Borough agrees to $295K tax refund settlement with Hilton site owners; two payments due BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OLOHAN@THEPRESSGROUP.NET
The borough has agreed to provide a tax refund of approximately $295,000 to the owners of 200 Tice Boulevard, the former Hilton Hotel site, for tax years 2018–2024, according to a stipulation of settlement approved at the councilʼs July 20 meeting. Mayor Carlos Rendo told Pascack Press that the borough was satisfied with the settlement. “Itʼs a good settlement. It
See REFUND on page 134
T
Kickin’ it: The River Vale Revolution was led by Head Coach Richard Kabobjian, with assistant coaches Anthony Selvaggio and Brett Rothenburger. The championship roster: Chase Puzio, RJ Kabobjian, Jack Cooper, Drew Mueller, AJ Katzman, Jake Rothenburger, Keegan D’Arduini, Nathaniel Vallejo, Tanner Lawrance, Ethan Sawyer, Chris Banicki, and Mason Selvaggio. Team photo. HE RIVER VALE Revolu-
tion didnʼt plan this out, play by play. They couldnʼt have. It just feels like they did. After nearly a decade together — from their first days as T-ball players to their final
season as 14-year-olds — the Revolution closed out their run as a team by winning a third consecutive North Jersey Suburban Baseball League championship. River Vale clocked Wyckoff, 7-2, on Friday, July 24, at
Lower Grove Field, the tuckedaway neighborhood diamond that has become a familiar gathering place for players, coaches, and families. For a team that grew together through countless prac-
Continued on page 25
Their names will soon disappear inside the walls and roofline of George G. White Middle School — but they could remain there for the next century. Current and former Board of Education trustees, district administrators and others who helped advance the schoolʼs sweeping renovation gathered at the very active construction site Friday morning, July 24, to sign the final steel beam planned for the new addition. The traditional beam-signing ceremony marked a visible milestone in the transformation of the century-old school. Covered in signatures and brief messages written in paint marker, the beam will eventually be hoisted into place near the roof of the new construction and enclosed within the completed building. Among those taking their turn with the paint markers were current board President Kevin Donatello, Vice President Justin Saxon and trustees Sal Sileo,
See BEAM on page 114
DOELL DELIVERS
B ck in time...
Troop 350 Eagle Scout Nicholas “Nico” Doell opens Westwood’s pilot compost program with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and words of gratitude. PAGE 9
Woodcliff Reservoir was once a place for quiet recreation, complete with a gazebo overlooking the water near the train station. Kristin Beuscher revisits a transformed landscape. PAGE 4