Clifton Merchant Magazine - April 2006

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EDITOR & PUBLISHERTom Hawrylko

BUSINESS MANAGERCheryl HawrylkoGRAPHIC ARTISTS

Mary Lalama, Fabian CalvoWRITERS: Jack DeVries,

Cheryl Hawrylko, Joe Torelli, John Bendel,

Robert Wahlers, Gary Anolik,Joe Hawrylko, Alicia Feghhi

commentary by Tom and Cheryl Hawrylko

Since our inception in 1995, Clifton MerchantMagazine has always been an advocate of com-munity involvement and has strongly encouraged

voter participation in all municipal elections.To assist our readers in making informed decisions at

the polls, it has been our tradition to interview candi-dates so that they may tell more about themselves andtheir positions.

We began our coverage of the upcoming May 9 CityCouncil race back in August, 2005, by publishing pro-files of the challengers. Additional interviews appearedin the following months and coverage continues in thisedition with writer Fran Hopkins’ profiles of the remain-ing candidates for Council.

It will be an interesting election, no doubt, as 16 can-didates (pictured above) are vying for seven seats.

But wait, what’s wrong with this picture? Despite the fact that they want you to vote for them,

three of the incumbent Council members have nothingto say. Well... at least not to to Clifton Merchant. Theyrefuse to speak with us.

George Silva Frank Fusco Matt Ward Tony Latona Joe Cupoli Peter Eagler Alam Abdelaziz, Roy Noonburg

2006 COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Vote For Change onTuesday, May 9, 2006

No Response

No Response

No Response

☛

Despite the fact that theywant you to vote for them,

three of the incumbentCouncil members have

nothing to say...

Steve Hatala Gloria Kolodziej Don Kowal Joe Chidiac Jim Anzaldi Stefan Tatarenko Ed Welsh Frank Gaccione

April 2006• Clifton Merchant 4

Why? Perhaps we are too independent or we wouldhave asked them to address issues. Don’t know. ButFrank Gaccione apparently had his mind made up at leasttwo months ago when we were writing about campaignspending limits and he did not return our phone calls.When I ran into him after deadline, he said he wouldn’tbe conducting an interview with this magazine.

Ed Welsh, who, as usual, was at Frank’s side on thatday, was asked if he would be doing an interview with us.He said that he would make up his mind when the timecame. Welsh must have made his decision, since he didnot return our reporter’s repeated phone calls.

And Stefan Tatarenko, in a recent conversation, wasa little more direct: “I really believe the Merchant hasbeen bashing the Council for all these months, maybeyears, and I am not happy with that. I am not going tointerview with the Merchant.” I guess he’s not referringto the years (1998 and 2002) when I helped Stefan withhis campaigns. Oh well, so much for talking issues.

Speaking of campaign help, there have been grum-blings of our involvement in challenger Joe Cupoli’scampaign. We’d like to set the record straight. Yes, Joeis a good friend, yes we support him in his run forCouncil and yes my wife Cheryl is his campaign treas-urer. In fact we applaud Joe and all the challengers forstepping up. Change is a good thing.

Like all of you, we are entitled to our opinions. Whenvoicing them, they will never be published anonymous-ly, and within these pages, they will always be clearlylabeled as commentary, or opinion, along with our

names. Our reporting, on the other hand, will continueto be done in a fair and frank voice.

Clifton Merchant Magazine is a business which servesa diverse purpose. While much of what we publish isdesigned to entertain readers, an important part of ourevolving mission is to keep our community informed andprovide a forum for public opinion.

In that spirit, our opinion pages will always be livelyas we believe that no one individual or organization has amonopoly on ideas for the future of Clifton. Your com-ments are welcomed here, just be sure to sign yourname. The rest of our magazine will feature topics, sto-ries and photos no other publication could possibly cover.In short, Clifton Merchant Magazine will continue to bean advocate for good schools, and efficient, responsiveand fair government.

In that spirit, we do believe that new ideas and politi-cal leaders are needed in Clifton. It is time for change.

Send your comments to [email protected].

No matter if you support candidates 1-2-6, 3-4-5 or anycombintion in between, in this year’s Board of Educationelection (see pages 32-40), on April 18, please vote yes

for the School Budget. Let’s not have our kids suffer while wewage a venomous squabble over a school site.

Over the past three years, Clifton Schools have gainedmomentum by passing budgets. Class size has decreased andfull day kindergarten has been added in many but not all of ourelementary schools. If approved, this year’s budget will cost theaverage homeowner about $112 more per year and add full daykindergarten in three more schools.

Get past the politics and the division and do the right thing.Please vote yes for the budget. Do it for Clifton’s kids.

Vote Yes for KidsSchool Board Elections April 18th • Polls Open 1:30PM - 9PM

Yes, Joe Cupoli is a goodfriend, yes we support him in his run for Council and

yes Cheryl is his treasurer...Change is a good thing.

City Council candidate MattWard, a former member ofboth the Planning Board and

the Board of Education, is advocat-ing abandoning the current Council-Manager system in favor of aMayor-Council form of government.

The city operated under theMayor-Council system of govern-ment from the time it was incorpo-rated in 1917 until voters opted for achange in 1934.

Ward said he believes it is nowtime to return the chief executive’sresponsibilities to a Mayor electeddirectly by the voters rather thancontinuing to vest them in a manag-er appointed by the City Council.

He also proposes transformingthe Council from one comprisedsolely of at-large members to onethat combines at-large memberswith those representing specific dis-tricts, or wards.

Under the current system of gov-ernment, the City Council consistsof seven members who are electedevery four years on an at-large basis,in non-partisan elections.

Council members, at their firstorganizational meeting, then select aMayor from within their own ranks.

The Mayor has no separate poli-cy-making power. Mayoral dutiesare limited mainly to presiding overand voting at council meetings andmaking appointments to a numberof municipal boards and commis-sions (see page 30).

Administrative responsibilitiesare vested in the City Manager whois hired by the Council.

The City Manager is Clifton’schief executive, charged with run-ning day-to-day operations, prepar-ing and administering the annualbudget, organizing and staffingmunicipal departments, and imple-menting the laws and policies estab-lished by the council.

In theory, the Council functionsstrictly as a legislative and poli-cy-making body and is prohib-

ited by law from interfer-ing with the administra-

tive duties of theCity Manager.

Albion Hazel

Botany/Lakeview

Dutch Hill

Montclair Heights/Greglawn

Delawanna

Clifton Center

Allwood/Rosemawr

Athenia/Richfield

Mayor James Anzaldi

Ed Welsh

Frank Gaccione

Gloria Kolodziej

Don Kowal

Steve Hatala

StefanTatarenko


An Issue for Discussion:Form of Government

April 2006 • Clifton Merchant 5

A map of Clifton. Although the seven at-large City Council members live through-out town, none reside among the residents of Delawanna, Dutch Hill,

Clifton Center, Albion, Botany or Lakeview.


W hy would Peter Eagler, already an experi-enced political officeholder at both thecounty and state levels, be interested in a

run for Clifton City Council? In fact, he’s done that too,having served on the Council from 1990-2002.

“People have been coming to me, three to five peoplea day, asking me, ‘Are you running? We need youback,’’ Eagler said. “Many people are not happy withthe current Council. They feel that there’s too muchfighting and that nothing’s getting accomplished.”

By contrast, Eagler believes that his is a record ofaccomplishment for Clifton.

For example, as a state Assemblyman, Eagler saidthat he was instrumental in securing an annual stategrant for capital improvements for school districts likeClifton that are surrounded by Abbott districts. Cliftonreceived $3.3 million this year and will receive an addi-tional 10% each year as a result.

When he served as a councilman, Eagler arrangedfor the city to lease the field behind John Paul IIElementary School from the Diocese of Paterson for useby the Clifton Stallions soccer team.

“I have a record of giving service to the communi-ty, of solving problems,” Eagler said.

At the moment, Eagler’s holding neither county norstate office. Although he was a Passaic County Freeholderfor three terms, including two one-year terms as its presi-dent, Eagler decided early last year not to seek a fourthterm, banking instead on a third bid for Assemblyman fromthe 34th District. (The 34th District includes Clifton, WestPaterson, East Orange, Montclair and Glen Ridge.)Subsequently, however, Eagler could not get support inEssex County and he lost the nomination.

While acknowledging his continuing desire for higheroffice—“If an opportunity arises for higher office, I willrun,” Eagler said and promised to complete his Councilterm if he does attain such an office. Besides, Eagler’s aseasoned dual officeholder.

His Freeholder and Assembly terms overlapped and,for six months in 2002, Eagler actually held three officeswhile completing his third term on the City Council.

Eagler expanded upon the reasons for his Councilrun. “I’m sure that the current Council is doing the bestthey can, but a new attitude is needed in City Hall,” hesaid. “People perceive a lack of dedication on theCouncil’s part. They’re losing confidence in theCouncil. They aren’t planning to support the same sevencandidates,” he said.

“Services in Clifton are deteriorating,” Eagler assert-ed. “The parks are not being cleaned unless people callto complain. Last year, there was no overtime in thebudget and no additional employees were hired to pickup leaves. So they piled up in the streets.”

Eagler said that he’d do a number of things different-ly if he’s elected. “Clifton can work harder to eliminatethe problem of illegal dwellings,” Eagler said. “InGarfield, you need a permit to park in certain neighbor-hoods, which you have to go to City Hall to get. If youdon’t have a permit, you’ll get a ticket, which you haveto go to City Hall to pay. Either way, you have to doc-ument where you live.


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“Passaic does unannounced house-to-house inspec-tions for illegal dwellings,” Eagler continued. “InClifton, we send a letter with the date of the inspection,so people have notice and they clear out before theinspection.”

Eagler also thinks that much more can be done forClifton’s senior citizens. While 20-25% of Clifton’sresidents are seniors, he said, only about 100 seniors aday use the current senior center in the small barn on thecity hall grounds; yet 260 Clifton seniors go to Garfieldfor their seniors’ programs.

He’d also do more to ensure that all eligible seniorsare aware of the state property tax freeze program that’savailable to those at certain income levels. “About 3000Clifton seniors are in the program now, but I’m suremore are eligible,” Eagler said.

Eagler envisions some changes in Clifton’s form ofgovernment.

“I think we should directly elect the mayor,” Eaglersaid. “Clifton is one of the 15 largest cities in the stateand probably the only one that doesn’t elect the mayor.”

He supports the creation of a charter study commit-tee to consider possible changes to Clifton’s govern-ment. “I’d like to put this on a ballot to see if Cliftonresidents want a committee formed to study this. Afterthe committee presents its conclusions, the people canvote it up or down.”

Term limits, however, don’t interest Eagler. “Everytime there’s an election, there’s an opportunity for termlimits,” Eagler said. Although he doesn’t oppose cam-paign spending limits, a “gentleman’s agreement”among office-seekers would be unenforceable; “legally,you can’t tell me what to do with my own money,”Eagler said, adding, “Challengers need to spend moremoney.”

Why should Cliftonites vote for Eagler? “I won’tneed any on-the-job training,” Eagler said, a referenceto his 12 previous years on the Council. “I stand forthree things: accountability, responsibility, and accessi-bility. I’m not afraid to take on an issue.”

“The city is at a crossroads,” Eagler said. “Peoplethink that the ‘wheels are coming off the bus’ betweenthe rising taxes, people leaving, the decline in services,and Council infighting. They don’t see anything hap-pening to keep people staying here.”

Eagler envisions somechanges in Clifton’s form of

government. “I think we shoulddirectly elect the mayor.”

• Stop the Overdevelopment,Plan the Re-development

• Represent ALL areas of Clifton

• Bridge the GAP between City Council & the Board of Ed.

• Manage our City Services to improve our QUALITY OF LIFE

what do you think? e-mail me

[email protected]

In Clifton, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, about1 in 4 residents describes him- or herself as non-white, about 1 in 2 is female and the median age is

just under 39. Given these facts, it’s striking to notehow unrepresentative the City Council is, at least in ademographic sense, of its constituency..

Alam Abdelaziz wants to help change that.“Clifton has been good to us,” Abdelaziz said,

defining “us” as “minorities” when asked for clarifica-tion. “Now it’s time for us to get involved, to givesomething back.” Abdelaziz moved from Paterson toClifton in 1993, a year after he and his family came tothe U.S. from Palestine. He’s proud to note that hebecame a U.S. citizen six months after his arrival inthe States. “I was 17,” he said. “Becoming a U.S. cit-izen meant a lot to me.”

He graduated from CHS in 1994 and is active todayin several careers: he’s a realtor with The Winning TeamRealty in the Athenia section, works as an emergencymedical technician (EMT) for a private company inParamus, and invests in real estate.

He’s 30 years old and lives in Botany Village. Othermembers of his family in Clifton include his father, twosisters, two nephews and a niece.

When asked why he decided to run for a seat on theCouncil, Abdelaziz said, “People want a better life –that’s why they move to Clifton. The schools have beengreat, the education has been wonderful; it’s safe, it’s aclean town.

“These things are very important to a lot of people,”he said. “So we want to help make Clifton even betterin the future.”

Abdelaziz discussed some of the areas in which he’dlike to see improvements.

“The most important issue for Clifton is the schoolsystem,” he said. “The Board of Education has beentalking about a new school; even the Council has beentalking about it. Crowded schools are an issue thathopefully will be solved in the next year or two.

“But the Board needs to focus more on the quality ofour kids’ education to make sure that our kids are get-ting the education they deserve,” he said.

Another issue for Abdelaziz is controlling taxes.“They’re almost double what they were five or six yearsago,” he said.

If he’s elected, Abdelaziz intends to find more grantmoney for the city and will focus on stabilizing taxes.“I think that we first need to look at our revenue, andthen figure out the budget, instead of the other wayaround,” he said. “We need more discipline when weplan the budget.”

Abdelaziz would also like to see more done for thecity’s senior citizens.

“They could use more help,” he said. “They’re notaware of all the services and programs that are out therefor them.” This isn’t unique to Clifton seniors, he said;he’d just like to see more effective communicationabout the various tax breaks that may be available tothem from the state. These breaks could mean the dif-ference between being able to afford to stay in Cliftonor being forced to move out.

“If they get pushed out because of taxes, young fam-ilies with kids will take their place, and that will meanmore school taxes,” he said. ☛


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The subject of crime is on Abdelaziz’s agenda too.“In Clifton, thanks to the police department, the crimerate is nothing compared to other towns around us,” hesaid. “Still, we could do better. In Botany Village,we’ve had a few incidents – robberies, car thefts. I wantto focus on this.”

He’d work for an “increased police presence” in thearea and would like to see Botany implement aNeighborhood Watch program.

Abdelaziz described his efforts to encourage thecity’s Arabic population to participate more actively inClifton life. “There are a lot of Arabs and Muslims inClifton now,” he said. “And they’re all over the city, notjust in one section, like in some other towns.”

However, Abdelaziz estimated that there are onlyabout 1,200 registered Arabic voters in Clifton... as aresult, “We’ve registered about 150 since I started mycampaign,” he said. He’s now working on the next step:the establishment of an Arabic Voter Committee “to getArabs more involved in the community.”

On the election topics of spending and term limits,Abdelaziz supports a spending limit, although he’d set iton the high side – “no more than $50,000” – because“newcomers have to spend more to get their names out,to be able to compete with the incumbents.” A limit ofno more than three terms on the Council seems appro-priate to him too.

“On the one hand, experience is good,” he said. “Buton the other hand, we need to give new people with newideas a chance too.”

Abdelaziz explained why Clifton voters should sup-port his run for the Council.

“I’m 30 years old,” he said. “I have a lot of energy. Ialso understand different cultures. Diversity on theCouncil will help everyone; it will help us all understandeach other better. I’ll work for a more united Clifton.

“I’ll do my best for Clifton. I want to say ‘thankyou’ for all the good things that Clifton has done forus,” he said. “Hopefully, we can make Clifton a betterplace for everybody.”

Abdelaziz estimated that there are only about 1,200registered Arabic voters in

Clifton... as a result, “We’veregistered about 150 sinceI started my campaign.”


W ith the goal of “keeping Clifton Clifton,”Don Kowal described the city he hopes tosee in 2010 and outlined what needs to be

done between now and then to accomplish this.“I’d love for Clifton to be a place that has preserved

as much open space as possible, that’s safe to live in,that has recreation and activities for its youth, andwhere it’s economically feasible for all to live, both newfamilies and our seniors; a place that has abated its spi-raling tax costs,” said Kowal, who’s seeking his fifthCouncil term.

He has no shortage of ideas for achieving this vision.“We’ve had enough expansion,” Kowal said. “I am

not in favor of the conversion of industrial propertiesinto residential; I’d like them to be used either for openspace or kept industrial or commercial. We should lurein the service industries. I don’t want to see any moreshopping malls.”

Something else that Kowal doesn’t want to see moreof is big housing developments. “They’re wonderfulfor the builder,” he said. “They take Clifton’s moneyand they walk away. But what are they building? As faras I’m concerned, they’re just building tomorrow’sslums. Personally, I want to see it stopped.”

Rising taxes are of particular concern to Kowal, butthe city can take steps to restrain their growth.

“We can’t cut services much further back,” Kowalsaid. “But we can successfully manage our city depart-ments. Overtime costs have hurt the city. By maintain-

ing staff at the table of organization (i.e., at the numberof staff allocated to each department), we can reduceovertime expenses.”

Overtime can also be reduced by simply maintainingthe sewer system, Kowal said. He explained that 70-80% of overtime in the Department of Public Works(DPW) is the result of sewer blockages that occur onweekends. “If we successfully maintained our sewersystem,” he said, “we’d drastically cut back on block-ages and save money.”

Illegal residences are another challenge, Kowal said.“We get a tremendous number of complaints about ille-gal housing. Why are these things allowed to exist?” hequestioned.

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Kowal said that recent Council actions were directedspecifically at this problem. “We just upgraded ourhousing ordinances to curb illegal apartments with themaximum fines allowed by law,” he said. “Anotherthing we’ve done is this: let’s say you live in an illegalapartment. The best thing a person living in that apart-ment can do is turn in his landlord. How could that ben-efit the illegal occupant?

“Under the new law,” Kowal continued, “that land-lord is responsible for that occupant’s relocation costs.He’s responsible for that person’s rent at his newaddress for six months. And if an illegal student isinvolved, the landlord is responsible for reimbursing theBoard of Education.

“We’ve now put in place the ordinances to stamp outillegal housing,” Kowal said. “We have the dog thatbites. Now we have to let it out of the cage.”

In Kowal’s view, “letting the dog out of the cage”means hiring more inspection staff to enforce the laws.

“Clifton’s a wonderful town,” Kowal said. “We can’tcontrol who our neighbors are, but one thing we can do ismake sure that the people who live next door to us main-tain the standard of living and the quality of life we expectfrom neighbors in the city of Clifton. (The Council’s) jobis to make sure that we have the staff to do this.”

Kowal discussed the city’s current form of govern-ment and said that he supports a study to consider a pos-sible change. “Under our form of government, the

Council is responsible for setting the budget, the table oforganization for each department, and city policy,”Kowal said. “Councilmen are not supposed to go to cityhall and talk to an employee. We’re not supposed to callthe DPW. I think that everybody (on the Council) wantsto do the right thing, but it’s the city manager who’s sup-posed to do the doing.”

Kowal also said that, if voters favor it, he’d support award form of government. “I think it would put a littlemore responsibility on the individual councilman.”He’d prefer staggered Council terms and supports termlimits. Kowal would also like to see the position ofmayor rotated, with a limit of two terms in a row asmayor, followed by two terms “off” from being mayor,before that person could be mayor again.

Commenting on Clifton’s school space issues, Kowalsaid, “I believe that a school is needed; there is over-crowding. But I really don’t think (the Council) shouldbe involved in the Board’s policymaking.”

Kowal said that voters should support his quest for afifth Council term for several reasons. “I think peopleshould reelect me because I know my job, I know whatI’m to do, I understand that Clifton is undergoing ametamorphosis,” he said.

“It is the need to manage that change for Clifton’sbetterment that I want to get across to people: that I cando it, that I am doing it, and that I will do it, within theparameters of my elected office.”


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S teve Hatala hopes to be part of the team that willshepherd Clifton from this decade into the next.That’s because he believes that, over the next few

years, how well Clifton manages the issues it faces willset the course for the city’s future. “Clifton is a city intransition,” Hatala said. “We have an opportunity rightnow, if we can address the housing, the ratable base, theservices, to position ourselves so that Clifton remains anattractive community.”

Along with the challenges that confront any maturingcity, Clifton is also undergoing significant culturalchange, Hatala noted. “We have people from a varietyof ethnic backgrounds, families with children, movinginto the community. By 2010, I envision a Clifton that’scome together to upgrade and improve our city.”

Among the difficulties, not only for Clifton butstatewide, is the redevelopment of old manufacturingplants, Hatala said. “When owners want to sell theseproperties, what happens?” he asked. “Clifton is soadvantageously located near New York City that every-body wants to build housing.

“But do we want large-scale housing developmentanymore? Not really,” Hatala continued. Instead, “Wetry to get stable ratables, ones that create job opportuni-ties for the community; not only as primary employ-ment, but for second incomes and for high school andcollege kids,” he said. “We try to bring in the best rata-bles that we can, but it’s not perfect.”

Hatala chairs the city’s Economic DevelopmentCommittee and pointed to Clifton’s successes in thisarea. “At one time, the (commercial) vacancy rate wasover 15%. Now it’s a little less than 5%. We’ve reno-vated buildings, helped bankrupt companies stay afloat,we’ve done façade programs.

“And when you talk about economic development, it’snot just industry,” Hatala said. “How many homes did werenovate with our CHIP (Clifton Housing ImprovementProgram) program to make the neighborhoods look nicerand bring up property values?” He also praised theaccomplishments of both the Main Ave. and Botany

Village Special Improvement Districts (SIDs) in trans-forming their neighborhoods.

Hatala said that the Economic DevelopmentCommittee has asked the planning board to create a rede-velopment plan for Lexington Ave. “Not only Lexington,but from Nash Park into sections of Botany toward thePassaic border,” Hatala said. “[City planner] DennisKirwan has been working on a plan; he’s gone out intothe neighborhoods. We have ideas, but we want to knowwhat business owners and residents would like to see.”

We asked Hatala for his thoughts about the city’scouncil-manager form of government. “What’s thedownside to the form of government we have now? Youhaven’t seen any improprieties with this City Council orwith any City Council in the past,” Hatala said. “I likethis form of government because I have to be concernedabout every part of the city.”

In fact, the ward form of government can make thingsmore political, Hatala believes. “One of the things I’veseen with ward government is that all of a sudden, youpolarize a city. If I’m in a ward, I’m going to worry aboutmy ward. You’re going to get four people to get together,and you’re going to have a political block.” Hatala does-n’t see the need for term limits. “Iif you’re not doingyour job, the public will limit your term for you.”

Another TermMakes it Three


Hatala views Clifton’s school issues as city issuestoo. “The town is getting younger,” he said. “That’swhy the Council needs to work closely with the schoolboard. We need to keep our school system vibrant andattractive to young couples.”

A former school board commissioner, Hatala knowswhat the job is like. “It’s tough. They have their workcut out for them. I support their going forward anddoing what they were elected to do and that’s to choosea school site so that the electorate can decide.”

Concerning the status of police and firefighter con-tracts, Hatala said that contracts with the two policegroups—superior officers and rank and file—are settled.The firefighters’ contract is in place, but is up for renew-al later this year, he said, adding, “(The city) will start totalk with the firefighters after the (Council} election tosee what we can iron out before the contract expires.”

Hatala was asked for an update on the implementa-tion of recommendations made after a managementstudy of the fire department. “The deputy chief positionwas put back. We renovated an existing firehouse withsome equipment. We’re in the process of establishingan emergency management facility,” he said.

About other recommendations—the addition of athird ambulance and the consolidation of firehouses—Hatala said, “We have continually asked the chief for arecommendation about a third ambulance. He hasn’t

made one. We haven’t heard from him about consoli-dating firehouses either,” Hatala said. “The Councilacts on recommendations from the chief through thecity manager.”

We asked Hatala about efforts to increase city work-ers’ contributions to their benefits. “One union’s newemployees do contribute toward their benefits; but withthe unions that have binding arbitration [police and fire-fighters], we haven’t been successful. It then becomesvery difficult to go to everybody else and ask for whatwe haven’t been able to get from those groups. Everyyear we look to increase contributions, deductibles,copays, but it’s difficult; it’s not like private industry.But we do try,” he said.


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“We have continually askedthe chief for recommendationabout a third ambulance. Hehasn’t made one. We haven’theard from him about consol-

idating firehouses either.”


A lthough he’s a newcomer when it comes topolitics, City Council challenger RoyNoonburg is hardly a rookie when it comes to

familiarity with Clifton’s people, neighborhoods andinstitutions.

“I’ve been involved in the city for 25 years,” saidNoonburg, who retired in July 2004 from a quarter-cen-tury career as an officer with the Clifton PoliceDepartment. He’s also a licensed funeral director, a pro-fession he practiced during his law enforcement yearsand which he continues to practice today.

As a police officer, Noonburg served the city’s youngpeople by originating, coordinating and teaching thedepartment’s DARE (Drug Abuse ResistanceEducation) program. During the 1990s, he said, “Itaught DARE in 21 schools at once.” Before that, hewas a supervisor for the department’s “OperationSecond Chance” program, which redirected kids whobroke windows or wrote on walls into community serv-ice and away from the court system.

About his career choices, Noonburg said, “I’vealways been service-oriented.” So continuing his serv-ice to Clifton, but in a different capacity, feels like a log-ical next step to him.

Noonburg is convinced that it’s time for a change inthe city’s political scene.

“We need some new, creative ideas,” Noonburg said.“I’ve talked to many people; a lot of people are talkingabout the need for change. My philosophy is, change isgood.”

While stating about the current Council, “I havenothing against any of them – they have given their allfor the town,” the father of three explained where hethinks change is needed.

“I’m very concerned about the city’s infrastructure –roads, sewers,” Noonburg said. As an example, he men-tioned the problem of frequent sewer blockages. “Two orthree times a year, the sewer’s clogged because of treeroots in the sewer. But the city doesn’t want to take downthe trees,” he said. Noonburg would remove the trees.

Something else he’d change once he is elected,Noonburg said, is what he views as excessive relianceby the city on “outside experts.”

“There are a lot of talented people in the city. Wedon’t utilize our own people enough.” In general,Noonburg believes that there are “too many studies, butnot enough solutions.”

Noonburg cites illegal housing as a problem for thecity and doesn’t believe that action is consistently takenwhen such housing is identified.

“The police and firefighters go on calls and discoverillegal basement and attic apartments. We write it upand give it to the housing department. They’re verybusy…we’re not all working together,” he said.

In general, Noonburg thinks that there are “commu-nications issues” among the city’s elected officials andadministration. “We’re very quick to condemn, but noone’s coming up with solutions,” Noonburg said. “Weneed more communication – sitting down and talking.There’s too much petty politics.”

He’s particularly disturbed by the “fingerpointing”he’s observed between the Council and the Board ofEducation during the search for a school site. “Peopleare so disgusted,” he said. “We need a new school.”


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City services are an area in which Noonburg believesthat more “focus” is needed. “We want the DPW(Department of Public Works) to work in the parks, on thestreets. They’re not even picking up leaves. They cameto pick up the leaves after the snow fell,” he said. “Theywork hard, but I don’t think the DPW has enough people.”

Noonburg also wants to ensure that the city gets“more bang for its buck.” About taxes, he said, “Weneed to utilize the taxes we collect—we collect a lot oftaxes—more efficiently.” In addition, if he’s elected,Noonburg will work to see that the city pursues morecounty and state grants.

On topics related to the Council races – campaignspending and term limits – Noonburg has definite opin-ions. “There should be spending limits,” he said. “Thatwould give new people more opportunity. I can’t go outand spend $30,000 for a $4000-a-year job.” He’s alsostrongly in favor of term limits, asking rhetorically, “Doyou really want a mayor who’s been there for 30 years?”

That’s why Noonburg thinks that it’s time for a change.Referring again to the incumbents, he said, “I respect themall, but I think we need some change. Maybe my voice orsomeone else’s will be part of that change.”

“I don’t need the mayor’s head on a platter,”Noonburg said. “I think he’s a good guy. But I’m avoice for change, whether it’s one or two people or thewhole Council. We’ve gotten to this point with these

Councilmembers; maybe we could do something elsewith different people. They’re good, but there might bebetter out there.”

Noonburg explained why voters should support hisCouncil bid. “I’m a very hard-working person,” he said.“I would work many, many hours for the city to getsolutions. I’m very dedicated….I’m not afraid of takingon anybody. I take pride in the town. But Clifton’schanging, and I’m excited about being part of thatchange. This is our Clifton – it’s not my Clifton,”Noonburg said. “That’s the type of fighter they’d haveif they vote for me.”

Noonburg is disturbed by the“fingerpointing” he’s observed

between the Council and theBoard during the search for

a school site. “People are sodisgusted,” he said.

“We need a new school.”



Y ou would think that, after a quarter century onthe City Council, Gloria Kolodziej would beout of steam. You would be wrong. Kolodziej

remains energized and optimistic about the city’s future.In fact, she believes that the next four years must beones of action, not talk, if the city is to become theClifton she envisions in 2010.

“By 2010, I think we should certainly have putbehind us the idea of identifying the city’s problems,”Kolodziej said. “We know what they are. Where Ithink this Council has failed is that we have not deviseda workable plan to address them.

“In the next four years, if the majority of the Councilputs its mind to putting a plan of action in place, then by2010 we should have addressed most of the problemsthat have been identified,” she said.

Taxes, Kolodziej believes, are uppermost in resi-dents’ minds. “People say to me, ‘Why do our taxeskeep going up if we have all this development goingon?’ Because every time we have more development,we need more police, more firefighters. How do youstay ahead? You don’t.

“This idea of ratables, ratables, ratables, only createsa vicious cycle,” Kolodziej said. “OK, I have ratables,but now I also need more firehouses, police officers,DPW workers, I need, I need, I need, and we don’t havethe ability to recoup those costs.”

Kolodziej recognizes that her stance on overdevelop-ment doesn’t sit well with developers in town, but that’sfine with her. “My constituency feels that they’ve beensold out to developers,” she said.

She gave an example. “I was the only one to voteagainst lifting a deed restriction on the mountain thatmany Councils over the years have respected. Now wehave two houses going up on Valley Rd. because thisCouncil lifted the deed restriction. I was told that theyhad to lift the restriction because we need ratables.Now you’re going to tell me that two houses are goingto make a big difference?”

Also draining taxpayers’ wallets are the costs of cityworkers’ employee benefits. “Most of our budget—67%—goes into salaries and benefits for city employ-ees, far outstripping the private sector, where wages arebeing frozen or cut,” Kolodziej explained.

The entire budgeting process needs to be revamped,Kolodziej said. “For years we’ve talked about zero-based budgeting, privatization, shared services. Thetime for talking is past. The new Council will have tohit the ground running with their sleeves rolled up andthey’re going to have to get to work on July 2, the dayafter the swearing in.”

Kolodziej is also troubled by what she observes as agrowing inability among both Council members andresidents to “disagree agreeably.”

“People’s frustration levels have reached an all-timehigh. We no longer listen,” Kolodziej said. “It’s easi-er to participate in character assassination or lies orinnuendo or worse yet, to fan the flames of prejudiceand bigotry. That’s never been acceptable in this citybefore and by 2010, I would expect that all of thatshould be gone.”

Kolodziej believes that the city’s council-managergovernment would be working better if it weren’t being“totally diluted.”

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“I believe that the beauty of this form is that theCouncil is supposed to set policy, then step aside. Theprofessional city manager is supposed to integrate thatpolicy into the day-to-day workings of government.

“In my opinion, there are Council members who haveoverstepped their bounds and are interfering too much inthe day-to-day workings of the government,” Kolodziejsaid. “So until we restore the integrity of this form ofgovernment, it would be difficult for me to say it doesn’twork. If it’s done the way it should be, it can work.”

She thinks that direct election of the mayor “makessense” and “loves” the idea of staggered elections.However, “I have to laugh at the idea of term limits,”Kolodziej said. “An elected official is only as good asthe people they represent. When the public thinks thatI no longer have anything to offer, I will gladly take mywalking papers.”

On the issue of adding a third ambulance to the city’sfleet, Kolodziej said, “One of the initiatives we hope totake in this year’s budget is to put a third ambulance intoservice. We’re working on how to make it happen.”

Clifton’s school space issues will be resolved soon,Kolodziej believes. “If we’re going to pass a referen-dum and give kids relief, we’re going to have to putaside personal desires and get a win-win solution for asmany segments of our population as we can.” In themeantime, the Council has begun the process of applying

for Green Acres funding to purchase Latteri Park from theBoard of Education. “Saving open space and parks is apriority with me,” Kolodziej said.

About the May election, Kolodziej is philosophical. “Iknow that, in certain circles, I’m viewed as the problem,”Kolodziej said. “But that’s what an election is all about. Ijust need to know how many people still value what Ivalue: balance, fairness and compassion.”

“...there are Council memberswho have overstepped theirbounds and are interferingtoo much in the day-to-day

workings of the government.So until we restore the

integrity of this form of gov-ernment, it will be difficult for

me to say it doesn’t work.”

Joe Chidiac, a 25-year law enforcement veteran,doesn’t like what’s happening in the city. “Prideand morale are down in the fire department, the

DPW (Department of Public Works), and the police,”said Chidiac, a Federal employee affiliated with theNewark Division of the Postal Inspection Service whoworks as a postal police officer at the NJ Internationaland Bulk Mail Center in Jersey City.

According to Chidiac, what’s discouraging these cityemployees, as well as Clifton residents in general, istheir perception that, when it comes to city government,favoritism and preferences are the rule. It’s their feeling,claimed Chidiac, that everything— from your crossingguard assignment to when your street gets paved to get-ting elected to the Council or Board of Education—depends on who you know and/or where you live.

“The DPW, the police, fire, city hall workers getblamed for things, but they don’t make the equipmentand manpower decisions,” Chidiac said, citing factorsthat affect morale.

“Why do some roads get paved and others don’t?Why do some areas look bad and others are so well-maintained?” Chidiac asked rhetorically. “The nicerareas—where Council people live—get more and betterservices. They take care of their own.

“There can’t be ticket fixing, there can’t be trying toget people off jury duty,” Chidiac said. “There’s a rightand a wrong way to do things; let’s do what’s right.

“I’m for fairness, not favoritism,” he added. A seaton the City Council, he believes, “should be about whatyou know, and votes; not about who you know, andmoney. It’s about what you want to do, not what youwant to be.”

As a postal police officer, Chidiac is assigned to pre-vention of both internal and external theft at the MailCenter, through which such pilfer-prone shipments asgold, coins, checks, medicines, and credit cards routine-ly pass. During 10 of his years with the postal police,Chidiac also worked security for Passaic CountyVocational-Technical High School in Wayne.

Chidiac wants to utilize his professional skills andexperience to increase the safety and security of Clifton.“This is a very serious agenda to me,” Chidiac said.

For example, he’s concerned that critical expendi-tures, particularly in the fire and police departments,have been postponed.

“We should have the best fire equipment, the bestpolice equipment,” he said. “We need to be prepared.”

If he’s elected, Chidiac will immediately seek to 1)inventory equipment and manpower in all city depart-ments; 2) review the results of that inventory; and 3)ensure accountability by those responsible for theseareas.

In general, Chidiac believes that the city could besafer and more secure in a number of areas. He worriesthat the current ambulance fleet (only two are in serviceas of this writing) may be inadequate to meet the needsof senior citizens for emergency services. “We’re agrowing population and a ‘growing older’ population –with no hospital.

“We need to increase safety and security for childrenand seniors,” Chidiac said. For kids, he would take anumber of steps: “The parks have to be childproofedand safety-proofed; we need railings around them andpadding on the fences. They should be cleaner.”


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Chidiac cited other examples too. “At gas stationsthere are lots of used cars and debris. There’s more rub-bish and more buildings are being let go. And three orfour times, I’ve seen people walking around with bottlesof alcohol.”

His own van, Chidiac said, was vandalized right infront of his house.

“Letting things go says ‘We don’t care and that’sacceptable,’” Chidiac said. “It’s a quality of life issue.”

Chidiac said that more authority and control must beexerted at CHS to ensure the continued safety of theschool environment. “There should be an assembly atthe beginning of the school year,” he said. “It could bea talk by the mayor, with two cops. Start with the fresh-men!” Authorities should use these assemblies to estab-lish the ground rules early on, Chidiac believes, foracceptable and unacceptable behavior.

“There are drugs and alcohol at the high school,”Chidiac asserted. “What’s it going to take for parents toget up in arms? A rape in the high school like in GlenRidge?”

That’s why the city, Chidiac believes, needs a newCouncil. “A new broom sweeps clean,” he said. “Thecity needs leadership.” About the current Council,Chidiac said, “All of them have good in them; there isn’tanybody bad. But are these people ‘movers and shak-ers’? Are they leaders?”

Chidiac’s run for the Council is actually his second,having made an unsuccessful attempt in 1982. Heprides himself on the fact that he is accepting no cam-paign contributions. “I’ll be spending about $4000-$6000 of my own money,” he said. He also supports alimit on the number of Council terms one person mayserve because “there are so many people with so manyideas, with new energy and new approaches.”

Voters, Chidiac said, should elect him to the Councilfor a number of reasons. “I’m a no-nonsense candidatewith a serious agenda. I answer to a higher authority. Ioffer trust and integrity,” he said. “I hope that voterswill shop and compare, that they’ll look at qualificationsand experience and separate them from the politics.”

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services,”claimed Chidiac.


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T o Jim Anzaldi’s way of thinking, length of serv-ice in government matters. Anzaldi views his 24years on the Council (including 16 as Mayor) as

an advantage. In a wide-ranging two-hour-plus inter-view, the Mayor illustrated his point with a Clifton-based anecdote.

“Sometimes longevity in government is very good;it builds relationships with people in large corporationslike IT&T,” Anzaldi said. Several years ago, IT&Tintended to leave Clifton. The company had sold itsproperty here and found a new location outside the city.When that deal fell through, however, IT&T had noplace to go.

Anzaldi’s long-term acquaintance with the presidentof IT&T’s Clifton location enabled them to devise asolution that kept IT&T in town. “Sometimes you’reable to have a relationship where somebody can pick upthe phone and say, ‘What do you think about this?’ Ithappened to be Hank Drisse (president of IT&T’sClifton office).”

As a result, a plan was developed whereby IT&T wasable to buy back part of its property and remain inClifton. “That was a big win for us,” Anzaldi said.

It’s not difficult, then, to guess Anzaldi’s position onterm limits for Council members. “Term limits aremade by the people, especially local government,” hesaid. “It’s not a detriment, it’s a plus to have a long-term congressman, assemblyman, or state senator.People become more influential because they’ve beenthere longer.

“I think people can term limit you if they want to.They did it to me one time!” he laughed, referring to hisdefeat in 1982 after his initial election in 1978.

We asked Anzaldi what he foresees for the Clifton of2010. “Four years from now, I think the problems withthe schools will be settled,” he said. “I envision thatwe’ll have more properties that are preserved for thefuture. We’ll probably be greener because of a hugetree-planting program that’s been going on. We’ll havemore road building, curbs where needed, sewer repairs.

Neighborhood improvement programs will continue.There’ll be the continuation of the park improvementprogram.”

Anzaldi also expects there to be another SpecialImprovement District (SID). “Probably the right placefor the next SID would be Market St. or Van HoutenAve.,” he said.

Clifton’s top challenge, Anzaldi believes, will betaxes. “We’ve lost ratables because of the industrialbase loss,” he said. “But in the last four years, there’sbeen a lot of building, a huge amount of ratables thathave offset the loss of ratables in the industrial sector.But I don’t think there’s a whole lot more places tobuild.”

Asked if new businesses and housing don’t also leadto tax increases by creating the need for more services,Anzaldi said, “There’s some truth to that and some fal-lacy to that.

“The truth is, a place like Clifton Commons, whenthey built the Target store, they gave us money for anextra policeman for five years. The theater has an off-duty police officer on busy nights and during theChristmas season that they pay for themselves. Duringbusy seasons, county sheriff’s officers are assigned tothe Commons,” Anzaldi said.

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As for housing’s impact, he said that most of thecity’s new housing doesn’t affect school space needsbecause the units have only one or two bedrooms.

“At River Walk, there’s 240 units and seven chil-dren,” he stated. “In Cambridge Crossings, there are 10in there right now that go to the public schools.”

Providing needed city services while minimizingtheir tax impact is required because of the state’s capson municipal spending, Anzaldi said.

“People say, ‘Put on more people in the DPW(Department of Public Works), the fire department, thepolice department,’ but you can only spend so muchwithout special permission (to exceed the caps).”

About the problem of illegal housing, Anzaldi said,“There’s no tolerance here for it. Last year, $250,000 infines were collected from people doing work withoutpermits.” He sees little risk that the problem will leadto the deterioration of Clifton’s older neighborhoods.“It can only happen if we allow it to happen,” he said.

A study of Clifton’s form of government and possiblechanges were discussed. “The council-manager govern-ment has been good for Clifton,” Anzaldi said. “Cliftonhas been scandal-free. It’s nonpartisan. There’s nopatronage.”

He sees no need to switch to ward-type representa-tion. “You hear, ‘we should have wards,’ but if you lookat where Councilpeople live now, they’re pretty muchspread around the community,” Anzaldi observed.

He’s against staggering Council elections—whereindifferent Council members would run for four yearterms every two years—because of the expense:“Elections every two years would only cost taxpayersmore money.”

“Any time there’s a proposal to do some kind ofstudy, I would never be against it,” Anzaldi said. “Mypersonal opinion is that this form of government hasbeen successful for Clifton. But you can make it better,you can call for new ideas.”

Assessing his prospects for reelection next month,Anzaldi said, “I have no fear of putting my future in thepeople’s hands, no fear at all.” He’s also optimisticabout Clifton’s future. “Do we have problems? Everytown does,” Anzaldi said. “But the positives are sogood here. It’s the best place in the world.”

“You hear, we should havewards,’ but if you look at

where Council people live now,they’re pretty much spreadaround the community,”


L es Herrschaft, the former threeterm City Councilman, Boardof Education Commissioner

and godfather to many of Clifton’scurrent politicians, is pictured herein an old campaign photo with his

long gone mutt Baby. These days,Herrschaft, 80, is much thinner andnot as active as he once was but stillhas a voice in politics. He says hewants to keep Clifton on track, justlike his old campaign slogan.

For the past two City Councilelections, Les has handicapped therace and compiled some good per-centages. In a recent interview,Herrschaft offered his card for theMay 9 Council race in which sevenincumbents and nine challengers viefor seven seats. Herrschaft, firstelected in 1986, then again in ‘90and ‘94 before stepping down in1998, also offered some othernuggets in our discussion.

Here is how Les picked them, not-ing: “The way I lined them updoes not mean the position theywill place.” He also decided not tooffer comments on all candidates.James Anzaldi: Very popular...ready to go.

Ed Welsh: I like him... but he hasproblems...

Gloria Kolodziej: Great lady,always a winner.

Steve Hatala: Just watch himmove up.

Stefan Tatarenko: Real gentle-men ...has to work hard.

Don Kowal: Good luck... he willbe in there.

Frank Gaccione: Great person,but that freeholder race will hurthim. Has problems.

Peter Eagler: Quality candidate.I served with him.

Matt Ward: Dark horse.

Anthony Latona: Looks good.

Joe Cupoli: Watch him place.

Les Handicaps the ‘06 Council Election

Is Les On Track? By Tom Hawrylko


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Peter Eagler looks like a winner. Ifhe’s in one of the incumbents is out;who’s going to come up short?

“Eagler will definitely get in. Infact, he’ll be in the top four.Tatarenko, Welsh and Gaccione areweak. But watch Gaccione. Heknows how to raise cash and he’llspend a lot of money to win. Whatdid he spend last time..$53,000?”Why are these three weak?

“People... parents are dissatisfiedwith what is going on with theschools. Gaccione and Welsh cameout hard against that new school.They campaigned against it. It’s agood chance parents and teachers willvote against them.”Why is Tatarenko weak?

“He’s tied in with Gaccione andWelsh. Tatarenko campaigns withthem. He’s lost a lot of his base.”So you see three seats open?

“The last three positions are goingto be like a horse race, neck and neck.A few votes will make the differenceand you got a lot of good candidates.”

What challengers do you like?“Matt Ward can win... he’s a dark

horse. He ran that Clifton TaxpayersAssociation, he ran for Councilbefore.... old timers know him... he’sgot support. He’s a smart kid... thismight be his time.”And who else?

“Your friend Joe Cupoli. Hebecame known from the school issue.He speaks well... nice family, owns aClifton business. And the fireman.(Tony Latona). It’s going to be close.”Who is going to be Mayor? (ed. note:voters select seven candidates and bytradition, high vote getter is namedMayor by the Council colleagues).

“Hatala is moving up... but if Ihad to pick today I’d say Jimmy(Anzaldi). I sat in his office for ahalf hour and 15 citizens came in.That means a lot. But ballot positionmeans everything. Welsh got thenumber 1 slot and Jimmy is 16. Firstand last. That’s good for a couple ofhundred votes for each of them.”

Herrschaft wanted to make his com-ments known regarding the ZoningBoard’s denial of the School Board’sapplication for a 500 student schoolat 290 Brighton Rd.

“The process was a charade, rightfrom the start. For months it wasdone. They (commissioners) all hadprepared statements. The votersspoke. It should have beenapproved. The point is the Board ofAdjustment talked about not losingcommercial space. The fact is thatbuilding was empty and the otherMayer building is now for sale.Look down the road. GlobeProducts... empty. The Pfizer plant...empty. The Fischer Stevens build-ing has 80,000 square feet for rent.For God’s sake, you have about250,000 empty square feet in thatarea. This little school would nothave hurt anyone. Their decisionwill be overturned. The judge isgoing to look at all that empty indus-trial space and the overcrowdedschools and overturn it.”


7-Member City CouncilDevelops Overall Policy(Elected every four years, Political )

It is the role of the Council to establish policy and direct the City Manager to fulfill those wishes.

City ManagerImplements Policy and

Oversees Day to Day Administration(Appointed Non-Political, Professional)

It is the role of the City Manager to fulfill Council directives throughthe management and deployment of the departments & workforce.

PoliceDepartment

FireDepartment

Engineering& Regulatory

Affairs

MunicipalCourt &Admin.

HumanServices

DepartmentPublic WorksDepartment

FinanceDepartment

LegalDepartment

Approximately 20

Boards Commissions Committees(Political Appointees)

With the exception of theZoning & PlanningBoards, which areautonomous, these

groups are advisory.

By theory and law,this is how it works.But in reality, politicsshape the day-to-daydynamics and breaksin this chain of com-mand frequently occur.

How Clifton Government is Designed to Function

City of Clifton Workforce FactsF/T Permanent Employees: 522

P/T and Seasonal Employees: 117

Note: While funded by the city, the Clifton Public Library functions as an autonomous body, with its own staff, employees and budget.

Proud to represent Clifton...Assemblyman Thomas P. GiblinState of New Jersey

1333 Broad St., Clifton, NJ 07013

Call my Clifton office: 973-779-31251814



For some 33 years now, AnthonyA. Accavallo, shown here, hasbeen helping make the

American Dream become a reality,right here in Clifton.

As President of Federal Mortgage& Investment Corp. at 1111 CliftonAve., Clifton, he and his firm havewritten millions of dollars worth ofmortgages which have allowed peo-ple to purchase homes. And whilethat work has been fulfilling,Accavallo said he is getting hisgreatest satisfaction these days byhelping senior citizens with reversemortgages.

A reverse mortgage is a special kindof mortgage loan for seniors. “It is asafe, easy way to turn your home equi-ty into tax-free cash,” he continued.“Unlike a home equity loan, you do not

have to make monthly payments.Instead, a reverse mortgage pays you.More importantly, you do not have torepay the loan for as long as you live inthe house. It’s a great way to keep yourhome and get money from it at thesame time.”

The name “reverse mortgage”describes exactly what the mortgage is— it is the exact opposite of a conven-tional mortgage. That is, with a con-ventional mortgage the borrower paysthe lender but with a reverse mortgage,the lender pays the borrower.

In the past, a senior citizen in needof money would have to take out aloan against their house and immedi-ately start making monthly paymentsagain or sell their home.

But a reverse mortgage allows sen-iors to borrow against the equity they

already have in their home... and theynever have to make a monthly pay-ment.

Each reverse mortgage candidateis required to attend a free counselingsession with a local independenthousing agency approved by FHA(Federal Housing Administration).Candidates are encouraged to bringother family members with them tohelp in the decision-making process.

“This process ensures that the bor-rower understands the program fullyand aides them in determiningwhether or not a reverse mortgage isfor them,” said Accavallo.

How do I qualify for a Reverse Mortgage?It’s simple. You and your co-borrower must be at least 62 years old. You must own your home free and clear or have just a small balance on your existing mortgage. Best of all, there are no income or credit require-ments to satisfy.How can I receive my money?You can receive it in several ways:•Equal monthly payments as long as you live in your home•Equal monthly payments for a certain period of time•As a line of credit you can draw upon as needed, for whatever reasons•As a lump sum draw at closing•A combination of the above, to meet your requirements.When must I repay the loan?You must repay the loan if you no longer live in your home. In the event of your death, your heirs can choose to repay the loan and keep the house or sell the house and repay the loan,What are interest rate charges & fees?•An adjustable rate of interest is charged on reverse mortgages•Closing costs are typical for any mortgage closing and all may be financed•No out-of-pocket expenses at closingAre Reverse Mortgages safe?•Yes, FHA and FannieMae guarantee the payments you receive•FHA and FannieMae also guarantee you will never owe more than your house is worth — no debt left on estate

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––––––––––– Story by Joseph R. Torelli –––––––––––

‘06 Clifton Board ofEducation Candidates

This year’s school board elections on April 18th are shaping up

to be as important as any in Clifton’s history. The overcrowd-

ing issue that has plagued CHS and the two middle schools

for the past 10 years has spilled over into a contentious pub-

lic squabble between Board commissioners, City Council

members and Clifton voters.

We asked the six candidates who are seeking the

three open seats on the school board for a definitive

plan to solve the overcrowding problem. We also

asked them what else they hope to accomplish if they

are elected to the three-year terms.

The six candidates are incumbents Lizz Gagnon,

Joseph Kolodziej and James Smith, who are being

challenged by newcomers Michael Paitchell, Julie

Skolnik, and Michael Urciuoli.

In addition to filling three Board vacancies,

voters will decide whether or not to approve a

$126 million budget for the 2005-2006 school

year. If they say yes, the school budget will add

$112 in property taxes to the average homeown-

er’s annual bill.

School officials attribute the relatively low tax increase to

special Abbott Rim funding from the state, health benefit savings and

cost avoidance initiatives aimed at trimming energy expenses.

On the following pages are the candidates’ responses to our two questions...

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Lizz Gagnon has served on theBoard for ten years. She has adaughter attending CHS and ason who graduated in 2003.

“Expanding elementaryschools, as some of my oppo-nents seem to favor, is a band-aidapproach to the overcrowdingproblem. We need a middleschool and Latteri Park is theonly real viable solution. Everywhere I go in Clifton, thevoters are saying to me that they want the ability to voteon using the park for a school, and that they don’t wantto pay for land they don’t need. We’re desperate for aschool. They put me in office to represent them, andwho am I to say no?

“The stalling tactics employed by some Board mem-bers are extremely aggravating…they don’t want aLatteri referendum.

“I’m interested in the gang problem in our schools,”Gagnon continued. “Security has to be tighter becauseprotecting our students is paramount. Gangs from othertowns are coming in and fighting with our kids. Wedon’t have a big problem now, but we need to nip thistrend in the bud. The police are doing a great job andkeeping the Board informed.”

Joseph Kolodziej is cur-rently the President of the Boardof Education. He also hasserved two terms as Vice-President during his seven yearsas a commissioner.

“I believe we should movethe 6th grade back into to theelementary schools by buildingadditions on the existing facili-


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“The stalling tactics by some Boardmembers are extremely aggravat-ing... they don’t want a Latteri(Park) referendum.”–Commissioner Lizz Gagnon

“I believe we should move the 6thgrade back into the elementaryschools by building additions on

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–Board President Joseph Kolodziej



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ties that can support construction. We can also rentadditional outside facilities and, if necessary, renovateSchool 6. WWMS, CCMS and a refurbished 290Brighton Rd. building could then accommodate movingthe 9th grade out of the high school.

“We should also look at the old Capitol Soap proper-ty across from CHS that sits on 3-4 acres. That landcould support administrative facilities if School 6 isretrofitted for classroom use and can also provide addi-tional parking for CHS.

“Clearly, I’d like to continue the work of the last fouryears which has seen an increase in the CHS graduationrate, better test scores across the district at all grade lev-els, and more cooperative educational programs andinternships for our students.

“Because of Board initiatives, it is now possible forCHS students to graduate withnearly enough credits for onefull year of college. I will con-tinue to shepherd the Board inthe same direction whichincludes expanding full-daykindergarten to all schools.

Michael Paitchell has twochildren, both of whom graduat-ed from Clifton High School.

“I am committed to having a middle school with asmaller park built on the Latteri site as soon as possible.I also plan to aggressively speed up the identificationand removal of illegal students in Clifton Schools; how-ever, even with this reduction we will need to buildanother middle or junior high school.

“For years, the proposed site has been deliberatelyshuffled around, and the vast majority of Clifton votershave been blocked from getting the school built on theone site in the city that happens to be in the correct geo-graphic location for local students to attend and forbussing others. It is also on land large enough to holda logically planned school and that is not in need oftoxic waste cleanup. I will address and improve the cur-riculum in the Math, Science and Applied Technology(SHOP) courses in the Clifton schools. Clifton has fall-en way behind in these areas. Inadequate attention hasbeen given to them.” ☛

“I am committed to having amiddle school with a smallerpark built on the Latteri site

as soon as possible.”–Challenger Michael Paitchell


Julie Skolnik has lived inClifton for nearly four years.She has one son who attends 1stgrade at School 9.

“As a Board member, I willencourage my colleagues toinvestigate ways to expand ourexisting structures - most likelyat the elementary level - alongwith restructuring the grade sys-tem. Expansion of some existing elementary schoolfacilities, along with the use of 290 Brighton Rd., shouldhelp us to solve overcrowding. I fully support the 500student school at 290 Brighton and I supported the refer-endum to expand to 310 and 330 Brighton Rd. as well.

“I will advocate for Clifton’s children and familiesand work to ensure safety in our schools. I remain stead-fast in my commitment to provide the highest education-al standards so all students have an equal opportunity to

be successful. As a special education teacher in Passaic,I know the issues facing working families with school-aged children and I will work to resolve them.

“I’d also like to see the daily educational experienceincorporate more physical activities related to academ-ics. Daily classroom life is too sedentary. Students needto be stimulated; they’re not test-taking robots. I wantfor all children of Clifton the same things that I want formy own child.”James Smith is an elemen-tary school teacher at St.Andrew’s School and has been aCommissioner for 12 years.

“The overcrowding issue wason the table even before I wasfirst elected. Looking atexpanding existing buildings,like we did at the high school,WWMS and School 12, is an

“Expansion of some existingelementary school facilities, alongwith the use of 290 Brighton Rd.,should help to solve overcrowding.”–Challenger Julie Skolnik

“Looking at expanding existingbuildings... It’s not an ideal choice

but without other land available, Ithink it must be looked at again.”

–Commissioner James Smith

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area we should study more closely. It’s not an ideal choice, but withoutother land available, I think it must be looked at again.

“Two years ago, we looked at Capitol Soap across from CHS, but onlyfor additional parking. We should look at it again in terms of building.We’d probably have to change the grade structure if we expanded elemen-tary school buildings. I’m not really in favor of that, but we’re runningout of options. I will continue the leadership I’ve shown over the years insupporting the administration’s efforts to increase test scores, add newsupervisors, and revamp curricula and textbooks. I learned how much con-trol we, as commissioners, don’t have. So much of what we do is mandat-ed by the state. That strains our ability to control the budget. Most of thebudget is contractual; the rest is primarily mandates, but I’ll support thosethings we can control that don’t have a negative effect on students.”

Michael Urciuoli is a lawyer who has lived intown for 18 years and has two children attendingClifton public schools.

“There’s no other way around the overcrowdingproblem than to find additional space, whetherthrough rentals or construction. I support increasingthe number of CHS students who pursue offsite edu-cational opportunities, as well, such as the successfulprogram at Montclair State. We also must createadditional internships, and provide more off-campusindustrial and technical courses to prepare students for the real world.

“This Board has made mistakes by eliminating potential solutions toovercrowding before solving the problem. They need to allow these poten-tial solutions to come before voters. Utilizing Board-owned property is thebest solution. I’d love to see us take a distressed property, turn it aroundand use it for a school; but I don’t think we have the time.

“There is too much acrimony on the Board. As an attorney, I know howto negotiate to achieve compromise and consensus. There are many press-ing issues besides overcrowding that need the attention of a unified Board.You don’t have to be disagreeable to disagree. We can have differences ofopinions, but in the end, I will make it my priority to work with my Boardcolleagues to do what’s best for our students and the entire city.”


“The Board has made mistakes by eliminatingpotential solutions to overcrowding before

solving the problem. Utilizing Board-ownedproperty is the best solution.”

–Challenger Michael Urciuoli

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Having successfully lobbied for $3.3 million inannual state Abbott Rim funds last summer,the Board of Education has produced a2006-07 budget that expands full-day

kindergarten, replaces outdated technology andrepairs schools that are 74 years old on average, allwith the lowest local schools tax increase in eight years.

If approved by Clifton voters on April 18, theschools’ budget would expand full-day kindergartenfrom five to eight elementary schools, with the additionof Schools 5, 8, and 12.

Consistent with its five-year strategic plan, the Boardof Education is working to implement full-day kinder-garten in all elementary schools, within the constraintsof the state’s two-year-old school budget law, its ownoperating budget and elementary space limitations.

With the help of Clifton voters, the Board began itsimplementation of full-day kindergarten in the 2004-2005 school year, intent on joining the 21 of 26 schooldistricts surrounding Clifton that already have full-daykindergarten.

The 2006-07 budget also replaces outdated technolo-gy, including servers, PCs, and software, at a number ofschools. These elements need to remain current to con-tinue to provide Clifton students with the knowledgenecessary to compete both in a college environment andin an increasingly global marketplace, again consistent

with the Board’s five-year strategic plan. Clifton voterssupported the Board of Education’s PROJECT 2000 ref-erendum in 1997.

The 2006-07 budget also addresses a number ofbuilding projects in Clifton’s aging school buildings.

Projects include a complete renovation of the highschool auditorium; replacement of high school gymna-sium bleachers and the beginning of high school lockerreplacement; the replacement of some of the windows ata number of schools, including Schools 2, 3, 5 and 8,and the high school; the replacement of a School 15boiler; and the upgrading of restrooms at the stadium.

Continuing the Progress for Clifton Children

by Michael F. Rice, Ph.D.Superintendent, Clifton Public Schools

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The Board’s budget also includes some masonrywork at School 4 and at Woodrow Wilson; the replace-ment of the Christopher Columbus toilet partitions andirreparable clock system; the replacement of the wheel-chair lift at Woodrow Wilson; and necessary site work atSchools 9, 11 and 15.

The Board plans to complete these building projects,consistent with the Board strategic plan goal of main-taining our aging buildings to the extent that we areable, solely with state Abbott Rim funds.

Last spring, the Board of Education intensified itslobbying effort with the state legislature for Abbott Rimfunds.

The Board had long argued that its proximity to threeAbbott districts—Paterson, Passaic and Garfield—mer-ited consideration for additional state funding. Abbottdistricts receive substantial state funds to address theirchallenging demographics, and our Board of Educationmade the case that Clifton’s demographics requiredadditional funds as well.

With the help of its state legislators—Senator NiaGill, Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver and formerAssemblyman Peter Eagler—Clifton was able to secure$3.3 million in annual Abbott Rim funds.

In the last three years, the Board has approved a num-ber of new programs: the Senior-Year Options Program,which enables eligible high school seniors to take cred-

it-bearing courses at Montclair State University orPassaic County Community College, or to participate incareer internships; fifth grade financial education; full-day kindergarten; and additional college-levelAdvanced Placement (AP) courses.

It has raised TerraNova total battery scores to theirhighest levels of the last four years in all four grades(Grades 2, 5, 6 and 7) that the tests have been giventhroughout this period.

“Given the successful lobbying forstate Abbott Rim funds, the Board

of Education is able to move for-ward with full-day kindergarten,

instructional technology, and build-ing repairs, all for the lowest local

tax increase in eight years…These elements will help continue

the improvements in studentachievement that the Board has

generated in the last three years.”–Clifton Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice

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The Board has raised state math test results duringthis period at all three levels, elementary, middle andhigh school, with the increase on NJASK 4 being awhopping 22 percent.

Eighty-eight (88) percent more students are takingcollege-level AP courses, and 98 percent more APcourses are being taken. In the last three years, studentresults on AP tests have improved as well. All of theseachievement gains are the accomplishments of studentsand educators, working together.

They are also the result, in part, of the support of par-ents and the Clifton community.

As I have noted many times in the past, communitiesrise and fall on their support of their schools. TheClifton community has supported the last three budgets.In so doing, it has helped to complete the addition offull-time basic skills instructors and full-time nurses atall elementary schools.

It has provided funding to expand the implementationof full-day kindergarten and the staff professional devel-opment and student opportunities in the district. It hasallowed us to expand our already outstanding strings

program in the district. It has helped us maintain ouraging school buildings.

Given the successful lobbying for state Abbott Rimfunds, the Board of Education is able to move forwardwith full-day kindergarten, instructional technology andbuilding repairs, all for the lowest local tax increase ineight years.

The increase for the average property taxpayer underthis budget would be $113, roughly half the increase forthe average taxpayer in Wayne ($224) and less than thatestimated in most surrounding Passaic County schooldistricts. These elements will help continue theimprovements in student achievement that the Boardhas generated in the last three years.

As many of you are aware, the Clifton Board ofEducation spends less in total cost per student and lessin administrative cost per student than any other K-12district in Passaic County.

The Clifton Public Schools remain an outstandinginvestment, as do our Clifton children. Our partnershipwith you, for the benefit of our children, continues.

Please vote on April 18.

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Every time I come home fromClifton lately, my stomach isin a knot and I can’t fallasleep. It’s hard to watch

what this terrific city is doing to itself.What began as an effort to stop con-struction of a school on Brighton Roadhas exploded into an ugly crusade forthe head of Dr. Michael Rice.Presumably responsible people areclaiming that he—Rice, personally—is dividing Clifton.

On the contrary, the people makingthose charges, the people who sprunginto action to stop the school at 290Brighton Rd. are the dividers. Dr. Riceis trying to solve Clifton’s problems;they’re trying to stop him. It’s calledobstructionism.

Rice’s “crime” is trying to relieve the criminal over-crowding in Clifton schools. He hasn’t flinched frompoliticians trying to derail whatever school option hap-pens to be on the docket. Rice ignores special intereststhat work against a new school, keeping his eyes on theprize – the children and the school. He’s smart, he’s ded-icated, and he treats all people equally. That’s particular-ly galling for some of his enemies.

Those people resent the way Cliftonis changing, but it’s changing anyway.They can’t stop it. Ironically back-ward-looking policies and campaignsagainst smart, talented people like Dr.Rice only increase the rate of change.Many thinking middle-class familieswould rather not see their kids inClifton public schools.

Both sides in the Great School SiteDebate have legitimate concerns, butthose concerns are not of equalimportance. Both sides have the inter-ests of the city at heart, but how bigare their respective hearts? I’d like tosay that both sides are right, but itsimply isn’t true.

Clifton’s problem is overcrowdingin Clifton schools, especially in the high school. Theproblem is thousands of city kids are being short-changed day by day, semester by semester, year by year.Overcrowding and the debates raging around it take aserious toll on the city. It’s desirability as a place to liveand raise a family is on the decline.

A privately-funded, professional public affairs cam-paign has polarized the city, and now some people won-der how the school board could possibly have


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Commentary by John Bendel

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T he quote highlighted at rightis how Councilman Ed Welshbegan an attack on Dr.

Michael Rice at the March 21 CliftonCouncil meeting. Clever eh?

But Ed had assumed his leader-ship role even before he took aim atthe schools superintendent. Ed pro-posed a new anti-drug policy forClifton schools.

Ed wanted Clifton’s CityCouncil to recommend that theSchool Board require any studentinvolved in extracurricular activi-ties be subject to random drug test-ing. The policy would apply toeverything from the football teamto the chess club. It’s alreadyschool policy in Pequannock, saidEd, who put his proposal in theform of a motion.

With virtually no discussion, theresolution passed on a 4 to 3 vote.

So now the Clifton Council is onrecord officially asking the CliftonSchool Board to institute a drugtesting policy for kids in extra cur-ricular activities.

Why? Apparently because EdWelsh said it’s a good idea and, hey,Pequannock is doing it. What elsedo you need to know?

That was enough for FrankGaccione, who voted for it.

Stefan Tatarenko brought aninteresting perspective to themotion. The council can’t makeschool board policy, so it’s only arecommendation, he said.Tatarenko voted in favor.

Mayor Jim Anzaldi reiteratedTatarenko’s take on the motion andvoted to approve. After all, it’s anti-drug and only a recommendation.How could you vote against it?

But Steve Hatala, GloriaKolodziej and Don Kowal did justthat. I cheer them and so shouldClifton voters.

The recommended policy maybe a great idea, but how could thefour who approved it possiblyknow that? It wasn’t really dis-cussed and seemed to be new to allbut Ed Welsh.

Could Frank, Stefan and Jimhave voted on more than a hunch?If the only consequence of the rec-

ommended policy was to ferret outdrug users, that would be one thing.But such a serious policy will sure-ly have other impacts.

For example it will steer somedrug users—even first time experi-menters—away from extra curricu-lar activities. As a result, those kidswould lose contact with the coach-es and special activities teacherswho often develop trusting relation-ships with kids.

Youth drug problems are onlysolved one kid at a time. Drug test-ing, random or mandatory, shouldbe a serious, well-considered step,not a reflex reaction.

Then there’s the idea expressedby Stefan and Jim that non-bindingrecommendations are no big deal.After all, they were only askingtheir colleagues on the CliftonSchool Board to consider an idea.

For the sake of their own credi-bility they should have consideredit themselves. —John Bendel

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gone ahead with construction planswhen the zoning variance had notyet been granted. What on earthwere they thinking?

Well, they were thinking of edu-cation. They were thinking of chil-dren. They were thinking they wereon the same team as the CityCouncil and its appointed boards.Moving ahead aggressively madeall the sense in the world. Theyweren’t awaiting approval fromD.C. or the mother planet. Theyonly needed the approval of fellowCliftonites who surely understoodwhat was at stake.

Approval seemed a reasonableassumption considering the lack ofmajor opposition to the December2004 referendum that approved theschool.

Somehow, between that electionand the Board of Adjustment hear-ings, industrial property in Cliftontook on the sacred nature of ashrine.

But the truth is that a school isunmistakably a beneficial use of290 Brighton Rd.. And the schoolwould be opening this Septemberbut for the interference of politi-cians and the eventual length of thehearing process itself—totallyattributable to William Van Ness.Van Ness and the “professionals” hepaid tried to make up in sheer vol-ume what his case against the vari-ance lacked in substance.

Now those who fought hardest tostop what Clifton needs most – andthese people are the real dividers inthis city—are attacking the peopletrying desperately to meet that need.

On one side of this regrettabledivide you have a majority of theschool board, a very capable super-intendent, and a terrific faculty andstaff. You have the New JerseyDepartment of Education, whichclosely monitors schools in the state.You have many parents of schoolage children and many children

themselves who could care lesswhere a new school is built; theyjust want it done.

Children truly come first withthese people. Educators and parentsby definition are about children, notjust their education but the qualityof their lives and above all theirsafety.

On the other side you haveWilliam Van Ness, a wealthy busi-nessman who wouldn’t live inClifton on a cosmic bet, and hispublic affairs firm whose web sitelists its staff under the heading“professionals,”—what people whodo ugly things for a living like tocall themselves.

If you believe these guys have thesafety of Clifton’s children at heart,if you believe the education ofClifton’s children factors into theirstrategy at all, I’ll forward you an e-mail from a Nigerian zillionairewho’ll give you $1,000 if you’ll justdo him one little favor. ☛


Then there are those Cliftonites who believe it’s lessimportant to build a school than to protect ratable prop-erties. They may be people I would trust with a key tomy house. But in this case, they’re simply wrong.

Then you have that portion of any population whosepolitics are defined less by actual values than by whomthey hate. Dick Cheney, Hillary Clinton, DonaldRumsfeld and Ted Kennedy are popular objects for suchrancor. These people have decided they hate Dr.Michael Rice. They’re quite proud of themselves in thisregard and they will not be dissuaded.

So what’s to be done? From where I sit, the first itemthat needs to be addressed is the issue of Latteri Park.For the sake of the city, it needs to be resolved. Thearguments against using Latteri Park as a school site aresubstantial. But so are arguments for it.

Whether or not you think it should be, the LatteriPark issue is front and center right now. If the SchoolBoard and City Council act to take that option off thetable, an already bitter atmosphere will worsen. Cliftondoesn’t need that. Clifton does need an up or down voteon Latteri Park.

Next come elections. We consistently supportedschool board efforts to build a new school wherever thesite. We supported the December 2004 referendum tobuild a satellite school at 290 Brighton Road. We sup-ported efforts to get the necessary variance.

We supported the larger effort to buy more land onBrighton Road and build a large new high school.

We continue to support the school board’s appeal ofthe unfortunate decision of the board of adjustment.Despite that, however, it is clear that the school board’sBrighton Road strategy has not worked. We need a revi-talized school board with ideas, energy, and the strengthto face down inevitable opposition.

Meanwhile, I offer Dr. Rice and his fans my supportfor what little it’s worth, and I’ll try to get a good night’ssleep before my next trip to Clifton.

write to John Bendel at [email protected]

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T he last meeting in the 290Brighton Rd. school appli-cation finally arrived onMarch 16. That meeting

dragged on much like the series ofhearings themselves had. Will VanNess and ProLogis were throwingeverything they could buy at theschool board’s application to build a500-student satellite school.

The hearings ran from late sum-mer through the holidays and wellinto March, almost into spring. Thefinal vote didn’t begin until thatThursday until 10 pm. I was sur-prised to see that so many support-ers of the 290 Brighton Road schoolwere still there, still holding their“We said to built it!” signs.

But as Commissioner Farinellaspoke in support of his vote to denythe school board application, it was

clear the cause was lost – at leastbefore this board. People rose andbegan shuffling out.

In the end only two commission-ers voted to grant the needed vari-ance, Commissioners Abill andMacko.

Commissioners Varcadipane,Graupe, Lataro, Farinella andVeliky voted to deny.

After Board chair Nick Velikyspoke, adding his voice to the major-ity, the room began to empty.“Shame on you!” someone shouted.

It was another in a string of baddays for Clifton. In January, the planto build a much larger new schoolon Brighton Road was voted downat the polls. Now, the 500-studentsatellite school approved by thesame electorate in 2004 had beenstopped by the Clifton ZoningBoard of Adjustment.

Shame indeed.It was clear from the outset that it

wouldn’t be clear sailing for theschool board’s application.Commissioner Graupe questionedthe application more aggressivelythan the lawyers for either Van Ness

Commentary by John Bendel

March 16 Zoning Board meeting

Ratables vs. Kids:in Clifton, Kids Lose

Steven Abill: For the school. It wasn’t acomplicated question for Abill, whoclearly saw the greater good the schoolwould provide.

Frank Farinella: Against the school.Farinella commented that the attemptto site a school at 290 Brighton Rd.“boggles the mind.”

Paul Graupe: Against the school. Nosurprise. Graupe asked more questionsthan anyone else and telegraphed hisopposition from the outset.

Steve Lataro: Against the school.Lataro nervously read a preparedstatement supporting denial of theapplication.


or ProLogis. Nick Veliky faulted theapplication in his publication, and itwas obvious that some in city hall weredoing their best to stop the project.

In the beginning school board attor-ney Tony D’Elia objected to irrelevantand repetitive questions. Almost all ofhis objections were sustained. Butsoon, the objections stopped and thehearings took on the plodding pace thatcame to characterize them.

Van Ness and ProLogis producedone paid witness after another. D’Eliadealt with each in turn, discreditingtestimony as he went. Some referred toBrighton Road as if it were a busyInterstate. Kids would choke on dieselfumes. Industrial noise would makelearning impossible. Clifton’s industri-al redoubt will have been breached; herindustries would all flee.

It was nonsense—all of it. But noone has the power to wave his arm andstop the semi-judicial work of theZoning Board of Adjustment. So thehearings went on – 17 in all – whileVan Ness and ProLogis heaped testi-mony on testimony looking to thecourt case to follow. The idea: givethe judge as many opportunities aspossible to find in their favor. ☛

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Of course, that’s my opinion. Theopposition saw things differently,and just as passionately. The opposi-tion summation by the Van Nesslawyer was tedious. It was supportedby exhibits, charts and such, placedon easels for the commissioners.

The ProLogis lawyer while feistymade a most curious reference.Building the school, she said, wouldnecessitate the removal of trees andgreenery – this in the district that hadbeen depicted as heavily industrial.

There was anger in the room onboth sides as the commissionersspoke in support of their votes.

But there were no serious disrup-tions. School supporters cheeredafter Abill voted to grant the appli-cation. Veliky used his gavel andcorrectly warned attendees tobehave. That was the last significantoutburst.

The actual motion to deny theapplication stood logic on its head.A no vote was in favor of the school,a yes vote against. CommissionerSteve Lataro, clearly agitated, gotahead of things. He asked to read aprepared statement to which he laterreferred when he actually voted.

Among other things, Lataro saidthat school attorney Tony D’Eliahad made the hearings political,though Lataro did not elaborate. Hesaid the school board had not donedue diligence before buying theproperty at 290 Brighton Road. Hetalked about diesel fumes and pro-posed school windows that couldnot be opened. Lataro voted yes todeny the application.

Also voting against the applica-tion was Commissioner JamesVarcadipane. He too read from alengthy prepared statement, some ofit quoting property law, in supportof his vote.

Nicholas Veliky: Against the school.Veliky wasn’t smiling a little later whenhe cast the last vote for the resolutiondenying the application to build a 500student school at 290 Brighton Rd.

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Steve Macko: For the school. No sur-prise. About halfway through thetedious, 17-meeting ordeal, he momen-tarily lost patience and noted that kidshave long attended schools surroundedby commercial building and trucks.

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Commissioner Steve Abill votedagainst the resolution, in favor of theapplication. Abill said he would liketo know what all Van Ness’s paidwitnesses would say “if they werepaid by the other side.”

Commissioner Macko agreedwith Abill, voting no, in favor of theschool. He dismissed objections tothe industrial nature of the site,pointing out that there was a resi-dential neighborhood just acrossBrighton Road.

Then an angry Macko addressedWill Van Ness: “You don’t even livein Clifton,” he said.

Commissioner Graupe was next.There had never been any doubtwhere he stood. Leaning into themicrophone and sounding much likeJames Earl Jones, the voice of DarthVader, Graupe reiterated safety con-cerns. Probably more to the point,he said, Clifton “cannot afford tolose any more industrial property.”

Commissioner Frank Farinellasupported the resolution denying theapplication, adding more than oncethat the very idea of building aschool at 290 Brighton Road “bog-gled his mind.” He recited his rea-sons for denial to the backs of peo-ple leaving the room in disgust.

Commissioner Veliky votedagainst the school before a smallercrowd. He made his disdain clear.The whole fiasco was the fault of theschool board, at least those on thatboard who supported the idea ofBrighton Road for a school.

So now, as expected, the schoolboard will appeal the Zoning Boardof Adjustment ruling to the PassaicCounty Superior Court in Paterson.The battle will be fought over againin a courtroom. According to schoolboard attorney Tony D’Elia, theBoard of Adjustment’s decision was“arbitrary and capricious.”

The case will go to the assign-ment judge, who might take the casehimself or assign it to another judge.The judge who gets the case willreview the transcripts and exhibits,then schedule a conference with theschool board attorney and objectors.

This can take some time. D’Elia said he wouldn’t expect a

ruling until late summer at the veryearliest.

That means even a September2007 opening date may be out ofreach. Clifton’s school overcrowd-ing nightmare could extend into2008, or even the end of the decade.

James Varcadipane: Against the school.Varcadipane read a very long preparedstatement rarely looking up.

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Sorry Tom, but I do not believe that the battle for anew school on Brighton Rd. was lost because of theopposition waged by Van Ness Plastics. I believe thatwe citizens lost that battle back in the late 80’s whenthe problems we are now facing first surfaced. If thecitizenry approved the expansion of School 12 on

Clifton Ave. back in 1988, would there have been aneed for School 17? But, that was in the past, as is thelost referendum on the former Shulton property, nowCambridge Crossings. I think it’s not Van Ness, ratherit is the lack of city-wide long-range planning that is atthe heart of the problem.

Back to the issue at hand: the need for a 500-studentschool suddenly grew to a need for a 1,700-student schooland, incidentally, with a rush to complete construction.

Crowding is the cry. Yet there seems to be a modicumof a solution if an additional walkway were to be built atthe high school. Additionally, the former Athenia Steelsite would be the ideal location for a school as it is clos-est to CHS and therefore students would have the possi-bility of traveling between buildings for instruction.

One final note: while I love the historical sports sto-ries by Jack DeVries, since when is Sperling Park (CMMarch, pg. 55) in Athenia? When I weeded and pickedbeans on those farms, I know I was in Richfield.

Henry De Vos (ed. note: the writer served as an appoint-ed Board of Education commissioner from 1984 to 1990.)

Board of Education members should be ashamed ofthemselves. How dare they have a referendum this pastJanuary for yet another school on Brighton Rd. when theyhad not yet received a use variance for the 290 BrightonRd. project? What did this mess cost taxpayers?

I estimate it to be well over $100,000. And howmuch more will the Board’s appeal cost taxpayers?What is happening to this city? We must vote out thepeople who are wasting our time and money. It’s abouttime we think about our children and grandchildren.Why doesn’t the Board of Education and City Councilpay attention to the wishes of the citizens?

Joyce P. Sunshine

As a former Cliftonite, it saddens me that the so-called‘Case for School Space’ has not made any headwaysince my girls were in CHS—and they graduated in1995 and 1998. Thank you for keeping all of us wellinformed in a fair and balanced way.

Mary Scilla, Kinnelon


Clifton Merchant Magazine1288 Main Ave. Clifton 07011

[email protected](note new address)Letters

to theEditor

It has been a strange year without our friendRev. Hank Dwyer, the rector of St. Peter’s EpiscopalChurch from Dec. 13, 1998 until his death onMarch 24, a year ago.

An incredible per-son who made such animpact on the world,Hank was loyal to hisfamily and to hisfriends, and was acrusader for humanrights and dignities.

Hank had a mis-chievous Irish senseof humor, loved theNew York Yankeesand carried a torch forthe American Blues, agenre of music whichhe enjoyed so much.

We miss Hank’s passion, strength, sly winks andhis marvelous sermons, complete with his Yankeevestments. Most of all, we miss his infectious pas-sion for life. Hank was the Everyman—the belovedparish leader who was also the director of St. Peter’sHaven, Clifton’s homeless shelter and food pantry.

While his death leaves a void in our community,we can keep Rev. Hank Dwyer’s fierce dedication tosocial causes alive through our own works anddeeds. One way to do so is to send donations or bringgifts of non-perishable food to St. Peter’s Haven, 380Clifton Ave., Clifton, NJ 07011.

John Muller

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Martin Bania, CHS ‘64, a Denver-based engineer with Union PacificRailroads, pictured here 110 miles west of Denver at the end of the GoreCanyon, writes: “Although I’m 2,000 miles away, your magazine bringsme back home to Clifton, every month. Thanks from the ColoradoRockies.”

Clifton... a City That Cares... or atleast that’s what the signs say as youenter our community. Obviouslythe caring gets lost when it comes toour children. Those in decisionmaking seats certainly seem to careabout industry and retail develop-ment, allowing the same to occupyevery available space within the city.

What bitter disappointment I feltfollowing the March 16 denial bythe Zoning Board of Adjustment.

My grandchildren are fourth gen-eration attending the Clifton schoolsystem and within the next fewyears will be affected by this outra-geous rejection of the district’sattempt to alleviate the overcrowd-ing at the high school.

The members of this appointedboard that voted “no” should be soashamed of themselves. Their voteshave shown the entire communitythat what matters most in Clifton isindustry, retail development and, ohyes, I forgot to mention condos andtownhouses, but not our children.

Lois Wienbrock

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Harry Pruzansky, picture here with his wife, started his plumbing &heating business in 1910, determined to be the best service providerin the area. His son, Sidney, 85 is still here every day to lend hisinvaluable advice.Grandson Stewart is now at the helm, and together with greatgrandsons Alan, Gregg and Marc, and great granddaughter Roby,they proudly maintain the high company standards the namePruzansky has always been know for: Superior Services with Value and the Highest Integrity.

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We would like to extend ourthanks and appreciation to allthose who participated in the Rockin’for Ryan benefit fundraiser held atthe Boys & Girls Club on Jan. 29.

We would like to especially thankLizz and Bill Gagnon, Steve Hatala,Kelly Eckart, Norman Tahan andTony Latona for organizing the event.

Other thanks are in order for thosewho offered their time or providedservices, including Agamie’s Deli,

Wine Country Liquors, The Accents,DJ Rocky Notali, Pete DeLorenzo,and the members of the CliftonMoose Lodge, Chapters 657 and 941.

Our son Ryan, (pictured at left)also received lovely cards, each witha penny in it from the kindergartenstudents at St. Phillips School.

Finally, thanks to all the residentsand business owners who came outand contributed to the fund.

Rich and Kathy Klein


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The time has come for us—the voters—to get rid ofany and all of our Board of Education and City Councilmembers who have done nothing more than cost usmoney and waste time in regards to the schools.

The elected politicians are supposed to listen to ourwishes but they do not even pretend to do so. Have theyreally bothered to look at options other than BrightonRd? Or are they just dead set on having their own way,at whatever cost to us and the children?

It appears to me that, with all the time that has beenwasted on putting or not putting a school on BrightonRd., by the time a decision is made and a school is built,the enrollment in our schools will probably go backdown and we will no longer need as many schools andwe will be closing one or more of them. After all, was-n’t that the position we were in just a few years ago?

About 30 years ago, I purchased my home in Cliftonand was proud to become a Clifton homeowner.However, there is no longer any pride in our city.

Our latest battles with the Board of Education areenough to send us—voters and residents—over the edge.They have wasted a great deal of our tax dollars and con-tinue to do so. I and many others who feel as I do are tiredof seeing our tax dollars wasted on the appeal process.

Esther Fernandez

Your historical sports stories are wonderful. I wasespecially delighted to again read the stories about theDoherty Oval, Babe Ruth and his visits to the Dohertyhome near Third St. and Washington Ave. I lived at thatresidence from about 1943 to 1961. During 1961, mywife, the former Beverly Rubsamen (CHS’55) and I,with our baby daughter, moved into the apartment abovethe detached garage pictured on page 45 of last month’sissue. We were aware of the historical significance andmentioned the story to many of our friends. Keep upthis unique service to your community.

Tom Sabatini, Brandon, VTCHS Class of ‘56

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The 2006 Clifton Boy’s Volleyball team has a lot ofnew faces, but the same goals as past years—attain-

ing League, County and State Championships. Following the 2005 campaign, where the Mustangs

accomplished two of those goals and lost in the third gameof the State Finals, this young team has a great deal to aspireto. Although a number of these players have yet to play ina Varsity match, they have a great deal of practice and courttime which will help them improve as the season goes on.

Senior returnees Michael Hwang, Mateusz Paluch andElvis Cabrera provide this team with great play and solidleadership. Paluch and Cabrera team up to be one of themost devastating middle combos in the state this year.

New seniors to the varsity team Risto Nikolic, KrisJurgowski and Ravi Desai will provide specialty playwhich will be a great benefit to this team. JuniorsDaniel Sorber, Jonathan Prado, Christopher Seitz andMatthew Tietjen have all excelled at the JV level and

Pictured are members of the 2006 Boy’s volleyball team. Top row, from left: Mateusz Paluch, Omar Zevallos, Daniel Sorber,Matthew Tietjen and John Acosta. Middle row: Michael Hwang, Christopher Seitz and Ed Colon and in the bottom row isJonathan Prado, Ravi Desai, Anup Patel and Risto Nikolic. Is this the year that the boys finally capture the elusive State Title?


have been playing continuouslysince the end of last season.

Sophomores Ed Colon and AnupPatel move from solid players at thefreshmen level last season to impor-tant Varsity contributors this year.Freshman newcomers John Acostaand Omar Zevallos add a great dealof height and athleticism to one ofthe biggest lineups in the state.

The team’s biggest obstacle islearning coach Michael Doktor’sgame plan and being able to imple-ment it quickly.

“The varsity level moves at aquick pace,” said Coach Doktor“Players have very little time tomake adjustments, so discipline andunderstanding of the game makegood players great.” This team hasan enormous amount of potentialand needs to work as a team to reachthat potential and that elusive statetitle, he added.

After almost capturing the cham-pionship last year, could this be theseason the Mustangs finally go thedistance?

CHS Boys

Volleyball

Apr 3 Bloomfield 4:00 pm

Apr 5 at Hackensack 4:00 pm

Apr 8 Clifton Tournament 9:00 am

Apr 10 at Passaic 4:00 pm

Apr 12 Eastside Paterson 4:00 pm

Apr 15 at Eastern Tournament 9:00 am

Apr 17 Belleville 4:00 pm

Apr 19 at Don Bosco Prep 4:00 pm

Apr 20 Montclair 4:00 pm

Apr 21 Bridgewater 4:30 pm

Apr 24 at Teaneck 4:00 pm

Apr 26 Kennedy 4:00 pm

Apr 27 Barringer 4:00 pm

Apr 29 at Eastern 10:00 am

May 1 at Bloomfield 4:00 pm

May 2 at Fairlawn 4:00 pm

May 3 Hackensack 4:00 pm

May 8 Passaic 4:00 pm

May 11 at Belleville 4:00 pm

May 15 Don Bosco Prep 4:00 pm

May 17 at Montclair 4:00 pm

May 18 Teaneck 4:00 pm

May 19 at Eastside Paterson 4:00 pm

May 22 at Kennedy 4:00 pm

May 24 at Barringer 4:00 pm

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The 2006 Mustang baseball team. Back row, from left: John Tejada, Aldrich Perez, Anthony Yelovich, Matt Shumko, MattBarrett and Mike Vinciguerra. Sergio Irizarry, Pete Movilla, Pat Erico and Kevin Weiss. The Mustangs are under the guid-ance of first year head coach Angelo Intile, who has over 25 years of experience within the Clifton baseball program.

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Despite a successful spring after going 12-7 lastyear, 2006 promises to be a season of change for

the Mustangs. The departure long time head coachRich BelBruno, coupled with the loss of several keystarters on Varsity could be the makings of a long2006 campaign. However, the perfect successor toBelBruno has already been located.

With over 25 years in the Clifton baseball program,new head coach Angelo Intile inherits a team thatretained just two regular starters.

Mike Vinciguerra and Pat Erico, the only seniorswith Varsity experience, will be the leaders withoutquestion. Vinciguerra, a shortstop who batted .361 in2005, will also return as the Mustang’s top hurler.Erico, who batted .280 while playing third base last

year, has shifted to second base, where Intile figures hewill be a better asset to the team.

The rest of the team consists of many juniors whoplayed together on the JV squad but did not see muchtime on Varsity. This has resulted in a bevy of positionbattles across the roster. The Mustang’s inexperiencecould effect their play this season.

“We have a young team, it depends on how much welearn as we play,” said Intile. “If our pitching holds welland we play good defense, we will be in most games.”

Behind home, there is a duel to find the number onecatcher. Senior Sergio Irizarry currently holds a slightlead over junior Johnathan Satokwski for the starter’sspot, but nothing is for certain just yet. At first, juniorsMike Urcuoli and Ryan Gourney will look to prove


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CHS Boys

Baseball

Apr 1 at Bloomfield 3:00 pm

Apr 5 at Barringer 4:00 pm

Apr 7 at Kennedy 4:00 pm

Apr 8 Wallkill Valley 1:00 pm

Apr 10 Bergen Catholic 4:00 pm

Apr 13 at Passaic 4:00 pm

Apr 17 Eastside Paterson 4:00pm

Apr 18 Montclair at

Cooperstown 4:30 pm

Apr 20 PV at Jackal Stadium 4:00 pm

Apr 21 Teaneck 4:00 pm

Apr 24 University HS 4:00 pm

Apr 25 at Don Bosco Prep 4:00 pm

Apr 26 at Nutley 4:00 pm

Apr 28 at Ridgewood 4:00 pm

May 1 Kennedy 4:00 pm

May 3 at Belleville 4:00 pm

May 5 at St. Joseph 4:00 pm

May 8 Barringer 4:00 pm

May 10 Montclair 4:00 pm

May 12 Passaic 4:00 pm

May 15 at Eastside Paterson 4:00 pm

May 18 Hackensack 4:00 pm

May 22 Paramus 4:00 pm

All stories & photos by Joseph Hawrylko

themselves as a true starter. Also fig-uring to be in the mix for the positionwill be first year senior Matt Barrett.

Although Vinciguerra is definite-ly the starter at short stop, his dutiesas the top pitcher require him tohave an adept back up when he is onthe mound. Stepping up will besophomore Ryan Akers, who hasproven himself as more than capableto fill the senior’s shoes.

Rounding out the infield at thirdis junior Mike Huk. Senior KevinWeiss will challenge] him for time.

While the infield seems to have atone of uncertainty regardingstarters, the outfield seems a little bitmore definite. At left field, sopho-more Kyle Terry will get the nod.He will be backed by first year sen-ior Anthony Yelovich.

Marc Ortiz, another sophomore,will be shagging balls in center field.He will have senior Pete Movilla ashis back up this season.

At right field, senior AldrichPerez was the winner of the positionbattle with junior Thomas Lesceh.

On the mound, the top pitchersbehind Vinciguerra will be juniorGabriel Moreta and Ortiz. The posi-tions behind these three will bedetermined as the season goes on,however, in the hunt for time atpitcher is Gorney, Urcuoli, Ackers,Lesch, Weiss and first year seniorJohn Tejada. Batting DH this yearwill be senior Matt Shumko.

A new feature this year is theaddition of games at venues, such asthe legendary Cooperstown. Theseextra games was due to the work ofIntile, who organized a booster clubto fund such special events.

“I had the privilege of playing inminor league parks in college,” hesaid. “I hope that these kids go on toplay in college but if they don’t, thisis their chance to play in nice stadi-ums like Cooperstown.”


First year head coach CaraBoseksi inherits a talent laden

squad that went 21-6 in 2005. Withreturning star senior Brianne Mooreand a slew of other players, Boseksi,an assistant coach last year, has ateam with the potential to make adeep playoff run. However, onething you won’t get out of her is

speculation into just how far thisteam could go in 2006.

“We really have to take one gameat a time,” said Boseksi. “You can’tread chapter 30 if you don’t read theother 29.”

Although their coach remainsquiet, the Mustang’s past perform-ance speaks for itself.

The Lady Stangs returned fromtheir annual Florida trip with arecord of 4-3-1 against nationalcompetition.

The intense competition inFlorida is where the play of ath-letes can determine who will be astarter this season and who willhave a break out year. One of

First year head coach Cara Boseksi takes over the Lady Mustangs, who are pictured above. Top row, from left: JaneMartinez, Amanda Caparso, Ashley Terhune, Deanna Giordano, Kim Lope, Allison Termyna and Jaclyn Saltamachia.Bottom row from left: Merideth McGinley, Jill Leonard, Kim Ferrara, Jessica Perez, Tiffany Marin, Jenny Sichel, JamieDavella and JennaLynn Pizzimenti.

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those players is junior pitcherDeanna Giordano, who Boseksisaid was simply dominating inspring training. Combined withMoore, the Mustang’s ace, theytwo form an imposing duo on themound that few teams can match.

Behind them is a very solid teamwith experience and depththroughout. Behind the plate isjunior Jill Leonard, who enters herfirst season as a starter behind theplate. She played Varsity at firstbase in 2005.

Around the diamond, seniorJennalynn Pizzimenti will handlethe duties at first base and fellowjunior Merideth McGinley willhold down second. At shortstopwill be another junior, JessicaPerez, and rounding out the infieldat third is Amanda Caparso, also ajunior.

While the infield is made up ofmostly younger players, the out-

field is much different, with twoseniors leading the way.

Ashley Terhune, an experiencedVarsity starter, will return to rightfield. She will be playing oppositeJamie Davella, who resides in leftfield. A pleasant surprise this yearhas been the play of sophomoreKim Lope, who has performedwell enough to snag the startingspot in center field.

Although the starting field hasbeen pretty much laid out, Boseksiadvised that with so much depth onthis squad, no player has a true lockon a position. With each girl push-ing one another to do their best, theLady Mustangs should once againbe a top contender this spring.

“Our team is solid, everyone hasa part,” she said. “The girls workreally well together. I think it isimportant they are like thatbecause it gives them motivation toplay for each other.”

CHS Girls

Softball

Apr 1 Bloomfield 3:00 pm

Apr 5 Barringer 4:00 pm

Apr 7 Kennedy 4:00 pm

Apr 12 at Montclair 4:00 pm

Apr 13 Passaic 4:00 pm

Apr 17 at Eastside Paterson 4:00 pm

Apr 19 Holy Angels 4:00 pm

Apr 21 at Teaneck 4:00 pm

Apr 22 Clifton Classic 5:30 & 7:00 pm

Apr 26 Nutley 4:00 pm

Apr 28 Ridgewood 4:00 pm

May 1 at Kennedy 4:00 pm

May 3 Belleville 4:00 pm

May 5 IHA 4:00 pm

May 8 at Barringer 4:00 pm

May 10 Montclair 4:00 pm

May 12 at Passaic 4:00 pm

May 15 Eastside Paterson 4:00 pm

May 17 at Paramus Catholic 4:00 pm

May 18 at Hackensack 4:00 pm

May 22 at Paramus 4:00 pm

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Coming into the 2006, the CHStennis team faces some uncer-

tainty. After posting a 17-5 mark inthe previous season, the Mustangsgraduated a core group of seniors,bringing in to question the depth ofthe team’s roster. Their departureleaves many holes in the starting lineup that Coach Andrea Bobby, whoenters her 17th season, says will bedetermined by position battlesbetween team members. Leaguerules allow for five singles playersand two doubles teams and athletescannot participate in both events.

“We have been trying out doublesteams,” confirmed Bobby. “Thescrims we have scheduled before theseason will give us insight into whatwe have to work with.”

Junior Zach Ontell is the onlyMustang with a lock on a position.Bobby said that Ontell, who playsyear round at the Clifton RacketClub where he works, will be count-ed on as the go to guy when they

need a win. The Racket Club alsoopened their gym to the rest of theteam when the weather did not per-mit them to practice outside.

The other Mustangs who will bevying for playing time consist ofmany relatively inexperienced play-ers who saw some time last year butwere not been full time starters.

Seemingly distancing himself thepack for the number two spot is sen-ior John Salierno. After sitting outhis sophomore year due to healthissues, Salierno bounced back in hisjunior year and expected by hiscoach to be a team leader.

Also in contention are Erald andTino Bido. The junior twins havehad a strong preseason and willsurely be in the mix when the rosteris finalized.

Bobby also expects seniorsSmarth Shah and Brian Barberra tobe in the hunt. Juniors AnthonyVinci and May-Ank Patel could alsoget some Varsity time this spring.

Since a majority of the team is com-prised of unseasoned JV players wholack Varsity experience, projecting theMustang’s fortunes is difficult, saidBobby. Getting a few matches undertheir collective belts will go a long wayto determining the type of season theMustangs will have.

The Mustangs boys tennis team. Which one of these guys will step up to be CoachBobby’s top player this year? From left: Tino Bido, Zach Ontell, Smarth Shah, JohnSalierno, Brian Barberra, Anthony Vinci, Erald Bido and Jeff Laux.

CHS Boys

TennisApr 1 at Bloomfield 3:00 pmApr 6 at Barringer 4:00 pmApr 7 at Kennedy 4:00 pmApr 10 Bergen Catholic 4:00 pmApr 12 Montclair 4:00 pmApr 13 at Passaic 4:00 pmApr 17 Eastside Paterson 4:00 pmApr 19 at Don Bosco Prep 4:00 pmApr 21 Teaneck 4:00 pmApr 26 at Nutley 4:00 pmApr 28 Ridgewood 4:00 pmMay 1 Kennedy 4:00 pmMay 3 at Belleville 4:00 pmMay 5 at St. Joseph 4:00 pmMay 8 Barringer 4:00 pmMay 10 at Montclair 4:00 pmMay 12 Passaic 4:00 pmMay 15 at Eastside Paterson 4:00 pmMay 17 Paramus Catholic 4:00 pmMay 18 Hackensack 4:00 pmMay 22 Paramus 4:00 pm


Considering the accoladesCoach John Pontes’ teams

have received over the last 21 years,his 2005 record of 4-4 might beconsidered slightly disappointing.However, in the nothing comeseasy—especially when you are thereigning winter champion and havethe whole league gunning for you.

“This season will be difficult,”said Pontes. “Our league is loadedand since we won indoors, everyonewill be looking for us.”

With around 55 boys trying out,many of whom are returning athleteswith honors, Pontes will have a largearsenal at his disposal. Senior StevenKlett, one of the top runners in thecounty, will set the pace for the dis-tance squad. Joining him is fellow sen-ior Sunny Kasabwala, who Pontes saidis one of the most dedicated athletes onthe team. The coach said that heexpects Kasabwala to be a role modelfor his younger teammates.

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Pictured above are seniors on the 2006 Boys Track Team. From left: Steven Klett, SunnyKasabwala, Matt Haley, David Chin and Darren Farinas. These five runners areexpected to lead the Mustangs as they seek to improve over their 4-4 mark last year.

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While the senior class alreadyprovides an excellent distancegroup, Pontes said that his juniorsare the squad that will field the mostformidable athletes, due to theircombination of skill and depth.

Led by Alex Anolik, an outstand-ing runner who has been turningheads since his freshman year, Pontesexpects the junior class to be a lock toscore points in meets. Anolik willreceive support from classmates

Chris Bienkienciwz and MikeTanyan, two other solid distance run-ners who will see plenty of time.

Pontes added that Ryan Gabel hasbeen a pleasant surprise thus far.The sophomore has stepped hisgame up and will be a part of thedistance squad in meets this year.

Leading the sprinters are seniorKen Baison, who also happens to bethe Mustang’s top long jumper andDavid Chin. One athlete setting him-

self apart is junior Justin Perez, who,Pontes said, will be a key contributor.

Rounding out the other eventsare senior hurdlers Bilal Mian, whois also a jumper, and DarrenFarinas. Senior Matt Haley willalso be counted on in the long,triple and high jump. Junior BowenHu will be in the mix too. Thethrowers are led Mike Fego andRay Dogum.

“We have a young team with abig freshman class,” said Pontes onthis season’s outlook. “They have alot of enthusiasm. They are outthere every day and show a lot ofpromise for the future.”

New girls track head coach AndyPiotrowski takes over a team thathad an outstanding 2005 season,going 5-2 while earning the leaguechampionship. The scary thing aboutthe team this year is that they aren’trebuilding—they are reloading.

“We are trying to go undefeated thisyear,” said Piotrowski, who was anassistant coach for the boys for the pastsix years. “We have a solid, youngteam with coverage in every event.”

CHS

Track

CCooeedd VVaarrssiittyyApr 1 at Kearney Relays 9:00 amApr 4 at BC/DBP/IHA 4:00 pmApr 8 at Passaic C. Relays 9:00 amApr 11 Kennedy/Barringer 4:00 pm

Apr 18 at Passaic/Montclair 4:00 pmApr 25 Eastside Paterson 4:00 pmApr 29 at Invitational Relays TBAMay 6 at Bernards TBAMay 13 at NNJIL Champs TBAMay 17 at Passaic C. Champs 3:30 pmMay 18 at Passaic C. Champs 3:30 pmMay 24 at NJSIAA Sectionals TBAMay 25 at NJSIAA Sectionals TBAJun 2 at NJSIAA Groups TBAJun 3 at NJSIAA Groups TBAJun 7 at Meet of Champs TBA


While that statement might comeoff as brash, with the potential thistalent-laden squad has, it is definite-ly a possible outcome at the end ofthe season.

Upon closer review, it becomesapparent that Piotrowski is true to hisword—the Stangs’ has solid depthacross both the track and field.However, with a team that relies heav-ily on underclassmen, the Mustangswill be in need of bonafide leaders toprovide experience and maturity.Luckily for the girls, there is no short-age on that in the 2006 edition of thegirls track team.

Senior Connie Musleh provides agreat role model for athletes on thefield. Musleh, who won the indoorshot put this year, is one of the topcompetitors for her event in the coun-ty and will be looking to take homeanother title this spring.

In sprints, look for senior MarissaRoss, who runs the 100 and the 200, toguide a young group of runners thisyear. Although not running this in herfinal season due to a severe ankleinjury, senior Becky Weiss has optedto remain on the team as a managerand her presence will surely be amoral boost to the team. Piotrowskisaid her injury is a huge loss and willleave a large void that must be filled.

As luck would have it, the Stangs’have just the person to fill the role.Sophomore Kristen Venning, who

runs in the 100, 200 and 400, will stepin to fill Weiss’ shoes. Piotrowski saidthat Venning is one of the best sprint-ers to come out of the Clifton pro-gram in a while. Junior JasmineAdams, who is also a lock for a posi-tion on the relay team, will also becounted on to pick up the slack.

Another young star to look out for isMichelle Telofski. The sophomore hada breakout season in the winter, whereshe was the pole vault County Champ.

Even with the talent spread aroundthe team this year, it would seem thatthe distance squad is the strong point

of the Mustangs. The trio of seniorsDiane Szaflarski, C.J. Zoccali andMegan White are poised to continueto dominate distance events.Szaflarski has been running solid andPiotrowski expects her to be a topcontributor again this season.

After going over his depth chartonce again, Piotrowski reiterated hislofty expectations for his team.

“We will have another stellarseason,” reassured Piotrowski. “Ourgirls work hard and we expect tobreak records and hopefully finishas champs.”

Some of the seniors from the Girls Track Team. Top row, from left: Marissa Ross,Rebecca Weiss and Connie Musleh. Below them, from the left, is Megan White, C.J.Zoccali and Diane Szaflarski. With a strong returning squad, the girls are an earlyfavorite to repeat as League Champs.

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Coming off of his first season ashead coach of Mustang boys

lacrosse, in which they went 4-10,Brian Armstrong thinks the future isbright for his young team despitetheir lackluster performance in ‘05.While graduation stripped theStangs’ of their most experiencedmidfielders, the replacements atArmstrong’s disposal are mostly jun-iors and seniors that may have notplayed full time last year but dounderstand his system. Now with afull year under their belts, there isnot much of learning for the team,and their play should reflect that.

Running the midfield will be sen-iors Anthony Shackil and FrankDeLorenzo, both who saw time lastyear on Varsity. Supporting themwill be a large group of juniors—thecore of the team this year—whichincludes Rob Johnson, Omar Saleh,Brett Vitilaro and Jeff Dingman.Several other juniors could get play-ing time this season as well.

“We have a ton of athletes,” saidArmstrong, who credits his assistantcoaches for the team’s growth. “It isjust a matter of developing theminto lacrosse players. That’s what Ifind exciting.”

In 2006, the strength of theMustangs lies with the long poles,which was the only facet of the teamthat was not hit that hard by gradua-tion. Returning seniors AdamMurray, Pat Ferry, Matt Meade andJorge Mendoza will keep the creaseclear for the goaltending duo ofChris Donini and Corey Bleaken.Both goalies also starred in wintersports, with Donini just wrapping upthe ice hockey season in net andBleaken taking home the bronze atthe State Wrestling Tournament.

Junior Jimmy Hamadi could alsosteal a few games in between the

Under the guidance of second year Coach Brian Armstrong, the Mustangs Lacrosse team hopes to aim for their first playoffberth in nearly a decade. Pictured from left is Pat Ferry, Sean Yip, Matt Meade, Jorge Mendoza, Anthony Shackil, Dan Burns,Frank DeLorenzo, Tony Nunno, Brian Salonga, Corey Bleaken, Enrique Percino and Adam Murray.

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pipes from his senior teammatesshould he prove himself in presea-son. Armstrong confirmed thatthere will certainly be a position bat-tle for starting goalie, which willmost likely not be decided until thefirst regular season game.

At attack, the Stangs’ return someseasoned veterans in seniors TonyNunno, Sean Yip and Dan Burns.Nunno was the Mustang goalsleader last year and will be expectedto head up the scoring barrage.Junior Tim Jacobus, who has lookedgood in preseason, could usurp astarting spot from one of the seniorsshould they not perform up to par.

As it is with every sport, Cliftonplays in a very challenging leaguedue to the school’s population,which stands at over 3,400 students.

The Stangs’ will face their tough-est competition in the first half ofthe season but the schedule still pro-vides many strong clubs in the sec-ond half as well. Still, Armstrong isconvinced that his boys’ will be inthe thick of it by May 15, the cutofffor the State Playoffs, where a .500record guarantees a berth.

“We like playing powerhouseteams, it helps us build our skillsup,” said Armstrong. “We will gelas the season goes on, it will hap-pen—I know it.”

CHS Boys

Lax

Apr 1 at Indian Hills 2:30 pm

Apr 3 Ridgewood 4:15 pm

Apr 6 at Montclair 4:00 pm

Apr 8 at Bergen Catholic 11:00 am

Apr 10 at Wayne Valley 4:00 pm

Apr 12 DePaul 4:00 pm

Apr 13 at Boonton 7:00 pm

Apr 18 at MKA 4:00 pm

Apr 21 St. Joseph 4:00 pm

Apr 25 at Madison 4:00 pm

Apr 28 at Nutley 4:00 pm

May 1 Don Bosco Prep 4:00 pm

May 5 at Sparta 4:00 pm

May 9 at Paramus Catholic 4:00 pm

May 13 at Blair 2:00 pm

May 16 at Millburn 4:00 pm

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good advice.

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Classes beginSeptember, January and May.

Some of the girls from the inaugural Lady Mustangs lacrosse team. From left: BasiaKwiatkowski, Stephanie Valdivia, Shannon McCracken, Justine Jensen, Kaitlyn Dinzes,Katie Pawlik, Arielle Saltzman, Charlene Lopez, Jackie Purisima and Teila Krahn.

Beginning this spring, CHSsports junkies will have a new

team to watch: the Lady Mustangslacrosse team. The first year pro-gram, which has a Varsity and JVteam, was started by CHS AthleticDirector Rick LaDuke.

Chosen to be the first coach of theprogram is Dan Chilowicz, who hashad plenty of coaching experienceboth in lacrosse and in other sports.He has a history of starting up newteams and developing them intocontenders.

“Rick LaDuke asked me tocoach,” said Chilowicz, a formerCoach of the Year in soccer. “Ithought what a great opportunity toenfranchise girls who have neverplayed the fastest growing sport inAmerica before.”

With a team that has no lacrosseexperience at all, the Mustangs willhave to rely on their athleticism andtheir ability to learn the game on therun. To give the team an identity

and a source of leadership,Chilowicz named captains who haveshown a grasp for the game. SeniorsKaitlyn Dinzes and ShannonMcCracken have been selected toguide the team through their inaugu-ral season.

“For many of these girls, this isthe last sport they will play in highschool,” said Chilowicz. “It’s achance for them to have a little funbefore they graduate.”

It is also an opportunity for themto help define the future of the pro-gram.

Sophomore Charlene Lopez waschosen as a third captain and will bea key player as the Lady Mustangscontinue to develop over this seasonand the next.

Looking ahead at the bigger pic-ture, Chilowicz acknowledged thatfor the program to truly flourish,Clifton must generate interest andbuild a feeder program similar tothat of soccer, football and other

popular sports. He took the firststep by donating 30 girls lacrossesticks to the Boys & Girls Club tostart a youth program. Now,Chilowicz is ask for volunteers tostep up and help coach.

“Everyone has jumped on boardand been very supportive,” he said,adding that boys lacrosse headcoach Brian Armstrong and his staffhave been very helpful. “Theadministration and students havebeen very gung-ho.”

To volunteer or coach in the girlslacrosse feeder program, contactDan Chilowicz at 973-696-0569 oremail [email protected].

CHS Girls

Lax

Apr 8 Old Tappan 10:00 amApr 17 at Morris Knolls 4:00 pmApr 20 at Holy Angels 4:00 pmApr 22 at JP Stevens 10:00 amApr 24 at Marlboro 4:00 pmApr 26 at Manalapan 4:00 pmApr 29 at Old Tappan 4:00 pmMay 2 Morris Knolls 4:00 pmMay 5 at Morris Hills 4:00 pmMay 10 Holy Angels 4:00 pmMay 11 Morris Hills 4:00 pmMay 13 at Cranford 4:00 pm



Ask your Clifton Neighbors why they chose Paramus Catholic.

www.paramuscatholic.org

F or families in Clifton, there are manyoptions where to send your childrenfor their education. To give an exampleof the opportunities available at

Paramus Catholic, here are the stories of fourSeniors who live in Clifton who chose PC astheir high school.

Senior Elizabeth Drozdowski is a four yearsoccer standout with first-team All League

honors. In addition to being an exceptionalathlete, Drozdowski is an Aquinas Scholar andis a member of the National and InternationalLanguage Honor Societies. She also is a NJBloustein awardee who scored 2080 on herSAT. In her spare time, she volunteers at St.Andrew the Apostle School in Clifton.Although undecided about where to furtherpursue her education, Drozdowski plans tostudy either Communications or InternationalRelations at one of the competitive collegeswhich are offering her scholarships.

Christine Aguilera’s portfolio is full of achieve-ments. She is an Aquinas Scholar at PC, whichrequires that a student maintain a 90 averageannually while taking the most advanced of PC’s115 different courses. Aguilera is also a memberof the National Honor Society (scoring 1960 onthe SAT) and the Spanish International HonorSociety. She also volunteers her time at variousgroups and places, such as Habitat 4 Humanity,which builds homes for those who cannot affordthem, and Midnight Run, which distributes foodand clothes to the homeless in New York City.She also helps at St. Agatha’s Field Day, as a rolemodel for young orphans and at CampSnowflake, where she works with mentally dis-abled patients. She has been accepted tonumerous colleges, including Cornell, BostonCollege and NYU, as well as Rutgers and TheCollege of New Jersey to which she has beenawarded full four year scholarships. Aguilera hasnot decided where she will attend, although shewill study psychology.PC Seniors Elizabeth Drozdowski & Christine Aguilera


425 Paramus Road Paramus, NJ201.445.4466 • www.paramuscatholic.org

1318

Chris Perro is also an Aquinas Scholar. He is a

Bloustein awardee who scored 1900 on his SAT.

Aside from academics, Perro’s interests are reli-

gious. He serves on Campus Ministry, where he

is a retreat leader. Perro is also an Eucharistic

Minister and a Catechist for Confirmation. In

addition, he volunteers his time at Clifton

Safety Town in the summer, where he is track

leader. Perro will be studying Engineering at

Manhattan College where he received a sub-

stantial four year scholarship.

For Salvatore Farino, his experience at PC has

been diverse. Academically, he has challenged

himself with several of PC’s 12 AP courses, while

holding his position as Student Body Vice

President. Farino was also involved in track and

wrestling. He also is active in Campus Ministry

as a retreat leader, Eucharistic Minister,

Confirmation Catechist, and altar server. In his

hometown of Clifton, Farino volunteers his

time at Safety Town and is also a proud Eagle

Scout and Assistant Scout Master of Troop 23.

Farino will be attending the United States Air

Force Academy, for which he just received an

appointment by Congressman Bill Pascrell. PC Seniors Chris Perro & Salvatore Farino

FULL LIST OF CLIFTON PC SENIORS

Christine Aguilera

Lesley Allen

Samuel Arana

Michael Bracke

Robert Csigi

Rickin Desai

Elizabeth Drozdowski

Salvatore Farino

Cindy Gonzales

Vanessa Guerrero

Meaghan Handel

Jessica Kovacs

Ahmet Kulaksiz

Adonis Malachowski

Samantha Martinelli

Jennifer Montanile

Christopher Perro

Alexandra Sartoga

Valerie Wiley

40 CLIFTON STUDENTS ARE REGISTERED FOR THE CLASS OF 2010


From left: Kevin McDonald, BarryTsouhnikas, Dan Faller, Brian Bartok,Frank Vogas, Mike Cetinich, RobMeyer, Andrew Hlavaty, AnthonyWrobel and John Butas.

Despite going 14-8 in 2005, CHSgolf head coach Chad Cole was

not expecting to be in the hunt for aleague crown this season after gradu-ating his top three duffers. Althoughthe incoming freshman class doeshave talent, he believed that theywould be at least a year away fromfielding a competitive squad.

However, after a just a few out-ings on the links in the preseason,Cole conceded that he was wrongabout his team.

“These kid really worked hard ontheir games over the summer andhave improved quite a bit,” he said.“We could be in competition for theleague title.”

This year’s top golfer will beBrian Bartok, a senior who has beenconsistently breaking 40.

“He will play a big leadership rolewith all the rookies we have,” Thecoach said of Bartok. “He playedVarsity last year and I hope he canhelp some kids along. He has alsoimproved himself quite a bit.”

While Bartok has the top spotsecured, behind him is a three-waybattle for the number two slot.Junior Anthony Wroble and sopho-

mores Andrew Hlavaty and RobMeyer will have to bring their topgames to the links in the preseason ifthey want to have sole possession ofsecond place on the depth chart.

Other golfers who will have anopportunity to see some action willbe senior Joe DeSomma and juniorsJohn Butas and Frank Vogas.

The Mustangs face the staunchestcompetition of the season early,starting with perennial powerhousesBergen Catholic and Ridgewood.However, after dueling the two for-midable squads, the Stangs’ squareoff against other schools that will bemore on their level.

“We will be respectable thisyear,” concluded Cole. “I’m happywith the progress we have made.”

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CHS

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Apr 26 at Ridgewood 4:00 pmMay 1 at Belleville 4:00 pmMay 3 at Paramus Catholic 4:00 pmMay 8 at St. Joseph 4:00 pmMay 10 Barringer 4:00 pmMay 15 Paramus 4:00 pmMay 17 at Passaic 4:00 pmMay 22 at Kennedy 4:00 pmMay 24 at Nutley 4:00 pmMay 26 Bloomfield 4:00 pm


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For over 550 CHS students,April 11 will be an evening toremember as they are honored

at the Academic Awards Dinner atthe Westmont Country Club in WestPaterson. Guest speaker for thenight will be Jihea Hong-Park, aCHS ‘97 grad. She is a talentedconcert pianist who attends TheJulliard School in New York City.

To receive the DistinguishedAcademic Award, a student mustmaintain a 90 average or above.Freshman must uphold this gradefor the first two marking periods;upperclassman must maintain it forthree of the last four. Students fromevery academic level may be recog-nized, from those with special needsto those in advanced courses.

“This year will be one of thelargest dinners ever,” said VicePrincipal Sue Peters, who is incharge of the event. “I consider itthe highlight of the academic year.”

Many of the students who willreceive awards will be returning forthe fourth consecutive year. Theywill be rewarded with a special pinfor their achievement, which theirparents will place on them.

To put a face on the CHS scholarsthat will be receiving the awards, wehave chosen four students from dif-ferent backgrounds to exemplify thediversity in the school.

Ken Biason, like many of thosebeing honored, is an outstandingathlete, as well an excellent student.In his three years on the track team,Biason received Second Team All-County and Honorable MentionAll-League honors in 2005 and in2006 he was named to the FirstTeam All-League.

In the classroom, Biason set outto challenge himself, taking APcourses in Biology, Psychology andEnglish. Even with the extra work-load, Biason, who attended St. PaulSchool, was still able to maintain ahigh enough average to be acceptedinto the National Honor Society andattain a top-20 class ranking.

“This award means a lot to mebecause it takes a great deal of effortand time,” he said of his achieve-ments. “You have to maintain yougrades all four marking periods forfour years. I think that it’s an amaz-ing accomplishment.”

Biason plans to attend RutgersNew Brunswick in the fall for eitherPre-Med or Pharmacy.

Christina Atiya believes her life’ssuccess is due to the joy she getsfrom learning.

“I find studying a good way togain knowledge,” she said. “Everytime I take an AP class, I find myselflearning more and more and I reallyenjoy the experience of learningchallenging material.”

Atiya spends her spare time invarious clubs relevant to her inter-ests. The CHS Valedictorian listsher in school activities as theAcademic Decathlon, Botany Club,Math and Science Leagues andKnights of Pythagoras. Atiya is alsothe President of the Spanish Cluband is the editor-in-chief of theClifton Hub, the school paper.

While that may seem like plentyto keep occupied, Atiya, who lovesto read fictional novels almost asmuch as she loves Star Trek, alsovolunteers her time at various placesincluding St. Mary’s Hospital, the

Some of Clifton’s four year Academic Awards recipients, from left, Ken Biason,Christina Atiya, Stephanie colangelo and Michael Garbrandt.

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Clifton Public Library, HamiltonHouse Museum and the EgyptianCoptic Christian Education Centerat her church, which plays a veryimportant role in her life. She alsostill finds time to do paid work,tutoring kids for English and Mathat the Kumon Learning Centers.

Atiya plans to continue her stud-ies at Columbia University in thefall, majoring in Biology.

The key to Michael Garbrandt’ssuccess, he says, was a choice that hemade in eighth grade. “My parentstold me I could go to any high schoolI chose,” he said. “I could have goneto a Catholic or Private school, but Ichose CHS. Looking back, I thinkthat I made a good choice.”

Garbrandt said that CHS taughthim that he could achieve successhimself. It also opened the door tomany new opportunities, such as themany different sports programs.Garbrandt plays on the first line forthe ice hockey team, an experiencethat was invaluable to him. “The

coaches and my teammates inspiredme to never quit,” he said. “Theyalways pushed me to be better,”

The most important thing toGarbrandt is the relationships thathe has developed with faculty andstudents. He added that the schoolspirit at CHS is an incredible experi-ence. Although he has not decidedon a college, Garbrandt plans onstudying automotive technology.

Stephanie Colangelo said thatbeing persistent and always chal-lenging herself is what allowed herto achieve such high marks. Thehonors courses that she enrolled intook diligent work, however, in theend her hard work was rewardedwith her being named to theNational Honor Society.

Keeping herself busy throughoutthe year is also important toColangelo, who is an aspiringdancer. In addition to dancing,which she has done since she wasfour years old, she stays involved inschool through the talent show andthe annual Christmas shows.Colangelo has also been the captainof the gymnastics team for the pasttwo years.

“I look at the award as a visibleaccomplishment,” she explained.“It is something I can look backupon and that say that I did my bestin high school.”

Colangelo plans to attentMontclair State University in thefall with a double major in Danceand Elementary Education.

“My parents told me I could go to any high school Ichose,” said Micheal Garbrandt, who achieved much

both on the sports field and in the classroom. “I couldhave gone to a Catholic or private school, but I chose

CHS. Looking back, I think that I made a good choice.”

CHS Principal Bill Cannici, who

retires this June aftera 40-year career in

education, learned thepower of following your

dreams early in life. As a boy, Cannici wanted to

become an artist, a passion evidencedby the murals and sculptures thatgrace Clifton High School.

At age 12, he read an autobiogra-phy about his hero, artist NormanRockwell, and decided to seek thegreat man out for advice.

By knocking on his front door.In the 1950s, Rockwell worked

in a studio in Stockbridge, Mass.,close to where Cannici spent sum-mers with relatives. Rockwell’sstudio was in the downtown sectionof town, and Cannici’s book had apicture of the studio, letting him

know exactly where it was. “Iwalked up the steps and rang thedoorbell,” Cannici remembers. “Atall, thin man came out. Looking up,

I could see he had a prominentAdam’s apple. On his easel, he wasworking on a painting that wouldbecome a cover for the SaturdayEvening Post.”

What happened next would influ-ence Cannici for the rest of his life.

“I was just a kid,” he says, “andhe was working. He could havetold me to go away—but he didn’t.He was warm, invited me in, andshowed me his work. He signed mycopy of his Four Freedoms in thatfamous block signature of his. Ieven took a picture of him with myBrownie Hawkeye camera.

story by Jack DeVries

A photo of Norman Rockwell taken by a 12-year-old Bill Cannici.

“I never forgot how Norman Rockwell treated me. Most people want to help others—

sometimes all you have to do is ask. By knocking on that door, it convinced me to

follow my dreams, to keep reaching for them.That’s something I tried to teach my students.”



“I never forgot how NormanRockwell treated me. Most peoplewant to help others—sometimes allyou have to do is ask. By knockingon that door, it convinced me to fol-low my dreams, to keep reaching forthem. That’s something I tried toteach my students.”

Though his thoughts of an artcareer faded, Cannici alwaysremembered meeting America’smost beloved artist.

As a teacher, he encouraged stu-dents to write letters to famous peo-ple, asking questions about what theywere studying in school. Manywrote back. Responses came toClifton High from people likeMargaret Mead and J. Edgar Hoover. “I wanted my stu-dents to see that if you believe in yourself, you can besuccessful,” he says. “And when my students becamesuccessful, like the people they contacted, it was theirjob to pass their success on to others.”

For 40 years, Bill Cannici—the son of an educatorand ex-Marine turned teacher—has been passing alonghis personal success for generations of Clifton children.Next September will mark the first time in four decades

he will not be there to greet them. Though his passion for educa-

tion still burns, he’s decided to doother things with his life.

Surrounded by his office fullof memories, in the school heloves, he sighs, “I decided it wastime.”

In the BloodBecause of his father’s career,

many might have predictedCannici would end up in educa-tion, but his path wasn’t alwaysthat clear.

The office is a clue. Canniciwill tell you its museum appear-ance puts students at ease—they’re more likely to open up to

him after talking about his knight’s helmet or theHarley Davidson motorcycle gas tank. But the objectsand artwork also say much about the man.

There are framed posters honoring Monet andEinstein. Articles about Clifton Mustangs sports teamsare carefully clipped from newspapers and taped to adoor behind his desk. Every space is crammed withmemories and interests—a train tucked in a bookcase, aCivil War horse in another.

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The 1961 Passaic High School grad.

☛


Though Cannici defines himselfas a teacher and administrator, hisoffice suggests he’s more a championof the human spirit. And this iswhere he nurtures that spirit—thisschool, his life’s work, is what giveskids a fighting chance to succeed.

William Cannici was born inPassaic and lived at 212 HowardAve., near Third Ward Park. Hisfather Peter—ironically a CliftonHigh graduate who later becameprincipal at Passaic High School—started as a biology teacher in thecity. The elder Cannici would alsoserve as superintendent of Passaicschools.

His mother Caroline met Peter inher hometown of Pittsfield in west-ern Massachusetts. After gettingmarried, they moved to Passaic andraised two sons: Bob, a formermayor in Rochelle Park, and Bill,two years later. Both would go onto Passaic High while their fatherwas principal.

“My brother used to see him inthe hallways,” Cannici recalls, “andcall him ‘Dad.’ I’d see him and say,‘Hey, Mr. Cannici.’ I put a differ-ent spin on it—I wanted to be oneof the kids.

“My father was a damn goodteacher and highly regarded in thecommunity. Today, I still get compli-ments about him from Clifton peoplewho went to school in Passaic.”

Cannici says he was a B-, C+ stu-dent. Unsure of what he wanted todo with his life, he applied to hisfather’s alma mater, TusculumCollege, and was accepted.

“It was like a movie set,” Cannicidescribes the small Tennesseeschool,” with the mountains in thebackground. It was beautiful, and Idecided to go there.”

He spent two years at the school,gaining a love for education. He beganto achieve high grades, motivated by hisprofessors, especially Dr. Schroeder, a77-year-old teacher who taught varioussociology courses. “He was stimulat-ing, just fantastic,” Cannici says. “Hereally turned me around.

“I was inspired by dynamicteaching. Profs like Dr. Schroedertaught from the gut, taught with pas-sion—qualities I wanted in myselfas a teacher and the teachers in thishigh school. You shouldn’t be ateacher if you don’t love the kidsand your material, and have the abil-ity to marry them together.”

Deciding to get a diploma from alarger school, Cannici transferred tothe University of Tennessee atKnoxville (he would graduate with adegree in social sciences). When hebegan student-teaching, he found hislife’s calling.

“I taught in a little town in themountains called Clinton,” he says.“The school had been blown up fewyears before by the Klu Klux Klanbecause they decided to integrate.The only part of the building that sur-vived was the auditorium, and thenew high school was built around it.”

The story of the high school’sintegration and destruction was laterfeatured on the CBS TV program,See It Now, hosted by Edward R.Murrow. The show stirred the bitterfeelings that remained in town, cre-ating an atmosphere Cannicidescribes as “on the edge.”

“But that high school,” he says,“turned me on to education. I got infront of a classroom and it wasthrilling. I remember preparing forhours and hours, not because I hadto, but because I wanted to.”

USMC Boot Camp, 1965.

☛

Though at peace with his retirement decision,Bill Cannici knows he’s leaving behind

unfinished business. School overcrowding isalways on his mind, and he worries about

students, teachers and vice principals “goingdown” in the crush of hallway traffic and

being injured. He’s also worried about the rift that’s developed over the new school debate.


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Cannici also remembers the corporal punishmentdoled out to misbehaving students.

“They didn’t suspend kids,” he says, “they paddledthem. Only one person did it—the principal, Mr.Human, whose name was ironic for what he did. Hewas a nice older gentleman, who would take the kids inhis office and whack them with a paddle for whateverthey did. And then it was over.”

On the day he left Clinton, he remembers going to thebus stop and students waving out theschool windows, saying good bye to “Mr.C.” “It was that experience that con-vinced me to go into teaching.”

But before making the jump to full-time teacher, Cannici joined the U.S.Marines in 1965.

“I think I was inspired by the old JohnWayne war movies, or a bit brainwashed.But I believe in the Corp, and if we hadbeen activated (to serve in Vietnam),

there’s no outfit I’d rather be with.” Cannici served inG Company, a reserve outfit based at Picatinny Arsenalin Morris County.

“G Company was a ‘grunt outfit,’ the infantry and,obviously, I have short legs. Everything was running,forced march—things I absolutely hated to do. But youhad to do it.”

Cannici did his 11 week boot camp at Parris Island,the legendary Marine training ground.

“It was brutal—like nothing else,” hesays. “If you did something wrong, thereaction was physical. At the rifle range,if you shot a ‘Maggie’s Drawer,” whichis a miss, they’d say, ‘Drop your rifle,private.’ After you dropped it, they’drabbit punch you and you had to comeback up and fire again.

“It was very physical, but all that’schanged now,” he recalls. “Still, it was ahelluva experience.”Bill Cannici at the helm of Clifton’s teachers strike in 1973.


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Clifton, not Passaic, and got a teaching job at the highschool. “I wanted to make it on my own,” he saysabout applying first at Clifton, “not through myfather.”

For the next 15 years, he would teach at CliftonHigh, becoming one of the first teachers in the statecertified to teach psychology and later writing theschool’s anthropology course, still used today.

CHS Psychology teacher Bill Cannici.

☛


Cannici felt at home in the classroom immediately. “Agood teacher is not a clock-watcher,” he says. “I saw itas five shows a day, 180 days a year—and I enjoyed it.”

Passaic Special Education teacher Elaine Potkalesky,one of Cannici’s first students at Clifton, remembersCannici taking over from an older teacher and injectinghis classes with enthusiasm. “He was a talentedteacher,” she says, “and it was obvious he cared a lotabout the material.”

Using magic and juggling to illustrate his lectures,the young educator fired up his students about school.He became known for “Gluck,” a duck he trained toplay the piano. “We also conditioned the duck to playping pong, hitting the ball back to us with a paddleheld in its beak and conducted other conditioningexperiments.”

He learned a variety of things about his craft duringhis first few years.

“At first,” he remembers, “I taught to please the kidsand became oversensitive about how they’d react or ifthey said anything critical. I didn’t realize that a kidcould have a bad day. Some kids were going throughthings like a divorce at home.

“After the third year, I changed my philosophy andbegan to teach to please myself. As a result, I won morekids over because I was more relaxed. My enthusiasmfor teaching increased even more.”

Cannici had many memorable experiences. As pres-ident of the Clifton Teachers Association, he led the firstand only Clifton teacher’s strike in 1973. The two-daywork action brought much media attention… andthreats to Cannici.

“It was very difficult,” he says, “something nobodywanted but had to be done. I was extremely proud ofour teachers.”

Another memorable experience was landing in themiddle of a bank robbery at the former Midlantic Bankon Clifton Ave.

At the bank before the first official day of school,Cannici got into a conversation with a teller and formerstudent about her classes at Montclair State. As he wasleaving, three gunmen raced into the bank, demandingmoney. One gunman pointed a 38 caliber pistol at Cannicias the others gathered money from behind the counter.

“The muzzle of the man’s gun was moving, so I knewhe was nervous,” Cannici says. “I slowly moved mybody sideways so there would be some bone betweenme and the bullet in case the gun went off.

Bill and his wife to be Lorraine, back in the 70’s.

The famous Gluck the Duck with an unidentified student from back in the day. ☛

“When the bank robbers left, theClifton Police arrived and shotswere fired. The girls in the bankwere hysterical, and I did my best tocalm them down.”

When Cannici got to school, noneof his fellow teachers believed hisrobbery story. “Not until they readabout in the paper the next day,” helaughs.

A Lead TeacherIn 1981, Cannici became vice

principal for both ChristopherColumbus and Woodrow WilsonJunior High. Five years later, hebecame vice principal at the highschool, a position he would hold forthe next 17 years.

While Cannici missed the class-room, he saw his administration jobas that of a “lead teacher.”

“I began teaching in a differentway,” he says, “at faculty, studentcouncil, and board of educationmeetings.”

In 1995, Cannici believed he wasready for his ultimate role: Clifton

High School principal. But it wasn’tto be. “First time I apply, I don’t getit,” he says. “I’m extremely upset—I thought I deserved it.”

To take his mind off not gettingthe job, Cannici drove to ParamusPark Mall. A small rock paper-weight with an inscribed wordingcaught his eye. “It was $15 and way

overpriced. It didn’t matter—Ibought it. The words on it say:‘Never, Never Quit.’ It stopped mefrom feeling sorry for myself and Isnapped out of it.

“Three years later, the principal’sjob opens again and I have a differ-ent philosophy. I go for it wholehog. Instead of saying ‘if I get


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Bill with his sons Bill and Matt in 1984.

☛


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the job’ during the interview, I say‘when I get the job...’ And I’ll bedammed but I get it.”

As Clifton High’s principal,Cannici began instituting new initia-tives. Like he had done as a teacher,he encouraged students to paintmurals in the hallways, seeing theschool as a canvas.

“We have tremendous talent,” hesays, “and the murals deinstitution-alize the institution.”

He also brought sculpture piecesto the school grounds, along with awaterfall and gazebo—donated by awoman who won it on the TV showThe Price Is Right. Eagle scoutsbuilt benches near the gazebo, mak-ing it a place where teachers couldhold class on hot days.

“Aesthetically,” he says, “we’vecreated a more college-type ofenvironment.”

To cope with Clifton’s growingschool population, he implementedan early start program for deservingupperclassman, letting them beginclasses at 7 am and dismissing themjust past noon without a lunch—aprivilege they must earn. Eight-hundred Clifton students now par-ticipate in the program.

Other initiatives Cannici cham-pioned are increasing the numberof advance placement courses andhelping students earn college cred-its from Montclair State Universityand Passaic County CommunityCollege. This year, 100 studentsare taking advantage of the oppor-

tunity, a number Cannici predictswill rise. “We pay 40 percent of thetuition,” he says, “and kids takecollege courses with other collegestudents taught by real professors.And they earn credits they cantake with them after the graduatefrom Clifton High.”


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☛

Bill’s late father, Pete, the Principal ofPassaic High School who also servedas Passaic Schools Superintendent.


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Cannici also instituted programswhere students can study to becomeEMTs or pursue an internship in manydifferent fields. “If you’re devoted toschool,” he says, “it will pay off beforeyou graduate. A kid can’t lose.”

Though he loves his role, Canniciadmits the job comes with unique pres-sures. Because of the school’s size, hisjob is one of the most difficult principalpositions in New Jersey.

“I make major decisions that affectkids’ futures—no question about it.But I always believe in the kids. Mostkids will turn around—you just can’tpredict when. Even when the kid’sbeen in trouble with the police, youmust believe in the kid—most aregoing to come through.”

However, there are some thatnever do.

“I’ve had kids dead at 17, manymore times than I care to remember,from drugs and alcohol behind thewheel. While we must alwaysbelieve in kids, sometimes we don’tcatch them in time. They’re notbuying what we’re selling.”

He believes parents can make atremendous difference in theirchild’s life. “Unfortunately, someparents let things go—things likecurfew and who their child hangs outwith. Knowing about your kid is soimportant.

“As a parent (Cannici and wifeLorraine, a former Clifton teacher,have two sons, Billy and Matt), I laydown parameters. I wanted my kidsinvolved in a sport—their choice,and an activity, again their choice.And I want productivity, whichmeans good grades.”

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ment decision, Cannici knows he’sleaving behind unfinished busi-ness. School overcrowding

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is always on his mind, and he worriesabout students, teachers, and vice princi-pals “going down” in the crush of hallwaytraffic and being injured.

“We were criticized the other night at aplanning board meeting. Someone said,‘Look at them, Clifton High School, despiteall this stuff, their test scores are going up.’Test scores go up because we have a greatstaff here. Over-crowing is counter-produc-tive to education.”

He’s also worried about the rift that’s developed overthe new school debate.

“There is vile bile between good people… and it’s ashame,” he says. “Good intelligent Cliftonites are ateach other’s throats, and I’d like to do something to helpthem get together.”

To those Cliftonites, he says, “In Clifton, we’re‘site poor.’ There’s no ideal site—everyone’s notgoing to agree on any one of them. So get together—agree to disagree—but come up with a compromise.Put it to the voters—the voters should have the rightto decide on something.

“Don’t talk about Globe, don’t talk about AtheniaSteel, which are polluted—we’re not putting kids there.We have to talk about available properties of whichthere are very few. I understand why people want tofight for their park—I do. But we need a solution.”

Clifton’s changing population is another issueCannici copes with, a change he believes is good for hisschool and community.

“Cultural diversity adds a wealth of background toyour school population,” he says. “It’s a tremendousadvantage. It reflects society—especially we wholive in the great megalopolis of New York. ☛

Using magic and juggling to illustrate his lectures, the young educator fired up his students about school... he became known for ‘Gluck’, a duck Bill Cannici

trained to play the piano...

We’re richer for the diversity.When I went to school in Passaic,it was far more diverse thanClifton High School. I grew fromthat.”

About his diverse student popu-lation, he says, “The kids are over-whelmingly are wonderful. Theyrealize the way to grow up in soci-ety is through education—they getthat.”

However, Cannici also believestoday’s students must deal withunique pressures.

“It’s harder for kids today toachieve, than say 1974. Divorce,early marriage, and various diseasesare more in the population. Kids aregetting in trouble because they’remore mobile. Kids are in gangs,which we didn’t have in the seventies.

“The philosophy here is this:We’re in neutral territory. Don’tmess around with gangs here, don’trecruit, and don’t become violent. Ihave a hell of a lot of power behindme and I’ll use every inch of thatpower if I have a problem with you.I have state law on my side, boardpolicy on my side—don’t interferewith a teacher’s inalienable right toteach, which is sacred. I also wantevery student to show respect.

“With those two things under-stood, we have so many resourcesto help students. Last year’s grad-uating class received $7.5 million

in scholarships. I want to surpassit this year.”

Says Clifton Superintendent ofSchools Dr. Michael Rice: “Bill isan enthusiastic advocate for chil-dren. He loves the high school andhe loves the students. He can stillstay on as principal—I’d be delight-ed if he did. But he’s made his deci-sion and we have to find someoneelse to move us along.

“Good high school principals arenot a dime a dozen,” said Rice“They’re increasingly rare individu-als, like Bill. As a principal, noteverybody will love you—if theydid, you wouldn’t be doing your job.

“I wish him well.”

Next PhaseCannici says when he finally

retires, he has plans to get him throughhis adjustment period. This July, he’lljourney to Shanghai where son Billywill be completing a course in interna-tional law as part of his law schoolstudies. The Cannicis will then visitother cities, like Bejing or Tokyo, ormaybe make a stop in Vietnam.

He also wants to pass on his suc-cess, like he taught others to do, byteaching graduate courses in schooladministration at Montclair State,near his home in Glen Ridge, orStetson University in Florida, wherehe and Lorraine have a winter home.

As far as his legacy, Canniciwants to be remembered for “mak-ing this the most vibrant educationcommunity I could, hiring talentedteachers, and giving them a greatplace to teach. Because the betterthe teacher, the better it is for kids.

“When Admiral Nimitz immor-talized the Marines who fought atIwo Jima, he said, ‘Uncommonvalor was a common virtue.’ I liketo think at CHS, ‘Uncommon teach-ing is a common gift.’”

Lorraine and Bill in a current photo with their two sons, Billy and Matt.

As far as his legacy at Clifton High School, Bill Cannici wants to be remembered for “making this the most vibrant education

community I could, hiring talented teachers andgiving them a great place to teach. Because thebetter the teacher, the better it is for the kids.”



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CHS 2006 Athletic Hall of FameInstallation Luncheon on April 23 at the Brownstone

Eugene PamiClass of 1951

Natalie PopowiczClass of 1999

Joseph HaroClass of 1998

Dana DevitoClass of 1994

Robert KrzanowskiClass of 1986

Stacy VeechClass of 1997

Wrestling Coach Stephen LePage 1983-1986

Kimberly Ziolkowski-KiseloskiClass of 1992

George PasterchickClass of 1949


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The 1953 CHS Track Lettermen pictured above, (aswell as the 1952 and 1954 track and field teams—all ofwhich went on to be PVC League Champs) along withthose individuals pictured on the facing page and thelegendary 1959 Fighting Mustangs—NJ State Football

Champs—will be inducted to the CHS Athletic Hall ofFame at a luncheon at the Brownstone on April 23 atnoon. For tickets ($35), call CHS Athletic Director RickLaDuke at 973-470-2280 or to place an ad in the journalfor the event, call Jack Whiting at 973-478-8668.


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Many people have never received a telegram,now considered a very outdated method ofcommunication. To put the age of the Clifton

Midget League in perspective, we reprinted the telegramNew Jersey Governor Robert Meyner forwarded to theCML when he “sent his regrets” for not being able toattend the group’s fundraiser dinner on Nov. 27, 1956.

Founded in 1953 as anindependent baseball littleleague by the late Henry‘Hooks’ Brower (at left) andhis wife, Eva, the CliftonMidget League was designedwith the premise that all kidswho enrolled would partici-pate, regardless of ability. Inaddition to basketball andbaseball leagues that are cur-

rently offered, the CML introduced thousands of Cliftonkids to bowling, cheerleading and football—all ofwhich originated under Hook’s leadership.

Based in Albion Park, off of Maplewood Ave., theCML is rich with history. Countless youths have passedthrough the many leagues at the neighborhood park.Athletes from the 1960’s will surely remember TheClifton Midget Leaguer, the league’s official newspaperwhich was circulated to 1,400 homes around the city.

The Leaguer offered sports related news, scores ofgames, fundraiser information and anything else thatpertained to the CML.

Other generations of CML athletes also have manyfond memories of the league. Those that are in collegenow will remember when Hooks was honored with therenaming of the baseball diamond in the corner of thepark as Brower Field in 1997. The field was a testamentto his life-long dedication to baseball and volunteeringfor kid’s recreation. It was also a final goodbye forsome, as Hooks passed away the following year.

For the almost 300 athletes from all over Clifton whoare currently in CML baseball, the future looks promis-ing, as the league continues to grow.

by Joe Hawrylko

CliftonMidgetLeague

☛


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CML President Brian Murphy and BaseballCommissioner Stephen Shukaitis along with the Board ofDirectors members and past President Nick Mangone,Vice President Ken Barilari, Treasure Deana Shukaitis,Secretary John Soto, Trustees Kevin Lord, Mark Garruto,Stuart Brody and Ken Ingwersen recently approved themerger with the Cal Ripken Baseball program.

Although the league had operated independently fornear 50 years, joining the new baseball program offers

kids the opportunity to compete in district and regionaltournaments at the end of the season.

The annual opening day parade on April 8 at 10 ambegins at the Masonic Lodge on Van Houten Ave. andends at Albion Park. Former CML members are beingencouraged to submit memorabilia, photos and com-ments from their playing days for the website.

for info, visit www.eteamz.active.com/cmlbaseball/or call Nick Mangone at 973-684-1180.

On this and the page prior, some of the CML teams through the years.


Rubber Souls, pictured above,return to Joey’s in Clifton onSunday May 21st along with

Brookwood, DJ Lugghead and TheFlying Muller Brother to do anotherUNICO benefit. Expect a rollickinggood time for six hours.

After appearing as a 2 pieceacoustic rock-duo for benefits forthe Waldorf School and for UNICOin 2004, Rubber Souls added punchand vibe when Clifton drummerTommy Mulligan and bass guitaristMichael Ward joined guitarists JerrySantucci and Jan Larsen for last

year’s UNICO benefit at Joey’s.Since then the band has performedat benefits, clubs and private parties.

Rubber Souls is collage of musi-cal talent with diverse roots andbackgrounds, ranging from theshores of Denmark to the cliffs ofClifton. This band will please mostrock music palates as they performtunes from America to ZZ Topincluding Beatles, Stones, Rockpile,Skynard and more.

The four “Souls” are JerrySantucci (guitar, sitar, harp andvocals), Michael Ward (bass guitar

and vocals), Tommy Mulligan(drums and percussion) and JanLarsen (guitar and vocals).

Jerry Santucci is a multifacetedmusician with a keen sense of har-monies who grew up playing in var-ious Beatles inspired bands in NewJersey as well as performing solo inCafé settings.

Tommy Mulligan gained hisrhythmic feel and tempo in localbands, like Fester and The Sparkand is equally comfortable layingdown the beat to Rush and Ringo.

Michael Ward is a well knowname in CBGB’s and on the rest ofNew York City’s club scene, wherehe has performed with Surface,Knowhere, Chemical Wedding andother original rock acts.

Jan Larsen earned his musicalspurs performing British inspiredrock in Danish rock bands Firewoodand Tracks before settling down inClifton. In Rubber Souls they unitetheir talents to create an upliftingperformance of great songs.

If you like rock, Rubber Soulswill get your night rolling at 6 pm onMay 21 at Joey’s. For tickets, callJoeys at 973-773-2110 or DavidD’Arco t 973-417-0731.

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Join us on our Journey! Who hasn't taken the journey with Judy Garland as Dorothy as she makes her way down the yellow brick road in ‘TheWizard of Oz?’ Or the trek with Moses to the top of MountSinai in Cecil B. DeMille's ‘The 10 Commandments.’ The Christian season of Lent and is all about journeys -- not unlike those of Dorothy and Moses -- taking us to the resurrection on Easter Day. What you might not know is thatactress Judy Garland and director Cecil B. DeMille were alsoEpiscopalians. They were in good company: So too were GeorgeWashington; Betsy Ross, the famed flag maker; Natalie Cole, daughter of vocalist Nat ‘King’ Cole; Buzz Aldrin, who stepped on the Moon right after Neil Armstrong in1969, and Clifton’s first mayor, Clarence Finkle. Come join St. Peter’s Episcopal Church --Clifton’s only Episcopal parish -- as its marks the joy of Easter.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 380 Clifton Ave.Sunday services at 8 and 10:15 a.m.; Sunday School at 9 a.m. • 973-546-5020

The Clifton Jr. Mustangs Wrestling squad endedtheir season on a high note, with over 20 Clifton boystaking home medals at the Northern New Jersey JuniorWrestling League Tournament at Pequannock HighSchool. In the other end of season tournament, thetraveling team took home third place at the PassaicCounty Youth Wrestling League Tournament. The Jr.Mustangs Wrestling Program is open to all Clifton stu-

dents from first to eighth grade. Weight classes beginat 45 pounds and increase at 5-pound intervals, withage divisions separated by two-year intervals.Coaches are Jack Whiting, Tony Santorelli, MauriceMarsilla and Chris Botta. Registration for next seasonbegins in November. Practices are held in the CliftonHigh School upper gym. For more info on registra-tion, call Jack Whiting at 973-478-8668.


17th Annual Presentation

Palm Sunday April 9th at 4 pm

Tuesday, April 11 thru Good Friday, April 14 at 8 pm

Felician College Auditorium262 So. Main St. • Lodi, NJ

FREE ADMISSIONNo Tickets Required, although Reserved and Group Seating is Available

by calling 201-288-4139 ext 13

Due to the intensity of this program, no children under age 8 will be admitted.

A Free-Will Offering will be taken

A Production of Bible Baptist Church Drama Ministries

www.bbcjesusstory.com 201-288-4139 ext 13

“For God so loved the worldthat He gave His only Son.”

~ John 3:16

School 15 HSA hosts a Tricky Trayon April 19 at 6 pm at the WayneManor. The $30 ticket includes din-ner and a sheet of main prize tickets.Donations are still being accepted.Call Nancy Delaney at 973-951-5024 for tickets or info.

School 16 hosts a Tricky Tray onApril 19 at the Valley Regency at 6pm. Tickets are $38 and must bepurchased in advance. Dinner isincluded. Call 973-744-6855.

The Clifton Boys & Girls Club isonce again offering juniors fromClifton High School the opportunityto research future job options by par-ticipating in the Career ExplorationDay program, which is on May 11.The goal is to have students shadowcareer professionals in the workenvironment to get an introductionto a possible career. If you wish tohelp some students by offering yourtime as a volunteer career profes-sional on May 11, call DebraLesnick at 973-773-2697, ext. 20.

CHS Principal Bill Cannici will befeted at a retirement dinner at 6 pmon May 16 at The Venetian inGarfield. Tickets are $55 for dinnerand a gift; there will be a cash bar.Checks should be made payable tothe Clifton Board of EducationInternal Fund and delivered ormailed by April 30 to AngelaMacchiarelli at Clifton High School,Colfax Ave., Clifton, NJ 07013.

The Phenomenal Grandmothersseek plush toys appropriate forEaster baskets. Checks are alsobeing accepted and can be sent toColleen Murray, President, 184Randolph Ave., Clifton, 07011.Earmark the checks for “Easter bas-kets.” The group meets the firstWednesday of each month at theMain Memorial Library, 6:30 to8:30 pm. Info: 973-473-6693.

A Beefsteak Fundraiser for WilliamMaurer is on May 12 at the Boys & GirlsClub. Maurer, at left, has been diag-nosed with multiple myeloma, which is

cancer of the plasma cell. Doors openat 7 pm and music will be provided by

DJ Lou of Star Entertainment. The $50donation will benefit the William MaurerFund. Donations can also be dropped off at

Hot Bagels Abroad, 859 Clifton Ave. Fortickets or more info, call Danielle

Beazley at 973-812-6653 or TomGunderman at 973-772-2248.


1154

Now Accepting Registration for September!43 Clifton Ave. Clifton • 973-546-4695

call for information or visit our website at www.sacredheartclifton.com

Educating For Life - Faith, Family, Values, Traditions

SS ACREDACRED HH EAREAR TTSS CHOOLCHOOL

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• Hot Lunch Program

• Modern Air Conditioned Facilities

• Outstanding Technology Program

• Summer Camp

Brian Dunphy and Daniel Walsh recently achievedthe rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 12, affiliated with St.James Church in Montclair. For his project, Dunphydeveloped an oral history about a group of 14 Navy vet-erans. His work was donated to the Veterans’ OralHistory Project and the Battleship New Jersey Museum.Walshs’ Eagle Scout project was the construction of arailroad-type trestle bridge over a stream in Camp GlenGray in Oakland which took 135 hours to build. Hikerscan see the bridge on the camp’s Yellow Trail.

Peter Eagler has a way with baking and his treats of nut,poppy seed and apricot rolls, as well as butter cookies,babkas and rice cakes, will be featured in an Easter BakeSale sponsored by his parish, the Holy Apostles Churchin Saddle Brook, on April 8 from 2 to 4 pm. For orders,call 973-949-4631 or 201-845-7259.

Bob and Donna Sidoti, as well as their three children,are among the large cast which perform in The JesusStory, a riveting musical drama, professionally staged atFelician College, 262 So. Main St., Lodi. Produced bythe Bible Baptist Church Drama Ministries, the play,which tells the story of the passion of Jesus Christ as hefaces his crucifixion, is now in its 17th year. Showtimesare on April 9 at 4 pm and on April 11, 12, 13 and 14, allof which start at 8 pm. Although tickets are not required,seats are limited and can be ordered in advance with a$10 donation per seat. Call 201-288-4139, ext. 11.

Chef Peter Bakarich and others affiliated with BoyScout Troop 3 at the United Reformed Church of Cliftonand Passaic host their Annual Spaghetti Dinner on April29 from 4:30 to 7:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall, cornerof Clifton Ave. and First St. Tickets are $7 or $4 for kidsunder 12. Purchase of tickets before the dinner preferredbut tickets will be available at the door. For tickets, callBakarich at work 201-587-9004, at home 973-340-3395or Scoutmaster Keith Oakley at 973-777-0264.


We’re devoting this column to April’s birthstone, “Diamond.”

The majority of diamonds we sell come with GIA certifi-cates. The GIA is the highest authority on diamonds. Whenthey appraise a diamond and put their seal on the reportyou know what you’re getting. Here is an explanation tohelp you understand GIA certificates.

Color - The color chart starts with the letter D and goes all theway to Z. K thru Z are varying shades of yellow. D,E,& F arecolorless and considered the best color grades and natural-ly the most expensive. G,H,I & J are near colorless and thisarea tends to be the most popular.

Clarity - This pertains to the amount of flaws, called inclusions,in the diamond. Flawless is the best followed by InternallyFlawless. Next comes VVS1 and VVS2. VVS stands for Very VerySlight inclusions. Then comes VS1 and VS2. VS stands for VerySlight inclusions. Next comes SI1 and SI2 which stand forSlightly Included. Imperfect stones are the last clarity gradewhere the inclusions are visible to the naked eye.

Cut - This part of the description of a diamond is based onmathematical formulas that affect the way light is refract-ed inside the diamond and reflected back to your eye. It isdescribed on the appraisal as Depth percentage andTable percentage.

Girdle - This is the edge of the diamond. More of a descrip-tive device than anything else, anywhere from Thin to Thick isOK. When a diamond is described as Extremely Thin orExtremely Thick, those are stones we choose not to consider.

Culet - This is the point at the bottom of the diamond. Noculet or a small culet are the most common and with tech-nology in cutting today there are not many described larg-er than that.

Polish & Symmetry are self explanatory. The majority ofstones are described with Good Polish and GoodSymmetry. There are some stones that are described asVery Good and even some that are graded Excellent.

In closing, March 8 marked two years since Morre's passing.To all our wonderful customers—we want to thank you forall your continued support and for helping us keep Morre'svision alive. We still feel his presence everywhere and thisbrings us great comfort. He will forever remain in our hearts.

Have an “Amazing April.” Talk to you again next month.

JEWELERS

RICHFIELD SHOPPING CENTER

1354 CLIFTON AVE • CLIFTON • 973.777.4329www.morrelyons.com

1295

This column was originally started by ourfounder, the late Murray Blumenfeld.

In his spirit, we continue its publication.

Copiers, Printers & Fax MachinesFor All Your Printing/Copying Needs

Business Cards • EnvelopesLetterheads • Typesetting & More

Call Victor Terranova Today!

973.478.61801642

The 17th Annual Child Health & Safety Fair is onMay 13 from10 am until 2 pm at School 16 on GroveSt. The fair is to be held both indoors and outdoors withgroups providing health and safety demonstrations andscreenings to kids and parents. In addition, informationabout summer recreation programs for children will beoffered. The annual event is presented by the CliftonFire Department in cooperation with the Clifton PublicSchool. Free admission. Organizations which wouldlike to participate by providing a display or interactiveactivity should contact Deputy Fire Chief Tom Lyons at973-616-2570 or via [email protected].

How would you react in an emergency situation?To help give individual skills on how to react appropri-ately to a sudden illness, head and spinal injuries, or asimple fall, the American Red Cross is hosting a FirstAid Rally on April 12 at 6 pm at the Clifton Rec Centeron Main Ave. There is a $15 fee. To register, callClifton Recreation at 973-470-5958.

That’s Katie Webb, McGruff the Crime Dog and an unidenti-fied individual at last year’s Child Health & Safety Fair.

Making the decision toleave one’s home is tough.However, if one decides

to move into a retirement communi-ty and then finds out that in thefuture, they require nursing care....another move to a nursing home isdevastating. One move to FritzReuter is all that it will ever take andyou’re taken care of for your entirelife. Isn’t that what you or yourloved one deserves?

Located in North Bergen, NewJersey with over 108 years of experi-ence speaks for itself. Fritz Reuterwas founded as a retirement homefor people of German descent in1897. “The majority of our presentresidents still share that Europeanbackground,” says Noreen Wendt.

“In addition to attracting peopleof German descent, many of our res-idents have Italian, Hungarian,Polish, Swiss, Irish, Yugoslavian,Prussian and Lithuanian roots,which is an excellent starting pointfrom which to build their friend-ships. Our residents have workedhard all their lives, saved theirmoney, or sold their homes to movehere, because they enjoy theEuropean atmosphere we’ve cap-tured and they fit right in”.

The facility offers three levels ofliving, all under one roof whichmeans there’s never the need tomake another move into anotherfacility if additional care is everneeded. “We think that offers greatpeace of mind,” says Wendt.

“We are a not-for-profit organiza-tion, offering the highest quality ofcare without a high price and nevercharging extra for temporary andfull time nursing care if and whenneeded,” she continued, notingreaders are invited to tour the facili-ty and see for themselves.

Classic European atmosphere isvisible in all of the levels of care.....independent living apartments, resi-dential 1 or 2 room suites and a fullystaffed skilled nursing facility.

“Residents feel safe about theirfuture here, because they know that,no matter what direction theirhealth takes, we will always be therefor them,” says Wendt. “They willnever be asked to leave our commu-nity to go into a nursing home.”

Fritz Reuter has healthcarealliances with local hospitals andthere is a staff medical director, anda podiatrist, dentist and physicaltherapist visits regularly.

On site are two beauty parlors,two dining rooms, banking facility,toning equipment, billiards and acommunity room, arts & crafts,chapel, greenhouse, library, shuffle-board and a solarium with a pond.

One may chose to live in theindependent apartments or start outin the in the residential facilitywhere three meals daily are serveddaily and all laundry, housekeeping,and medical is provided at no extracharge. Residents can drop theirsecondary health insurance whenthey move from the independentapartments or start out in this level.“We pay their medical bills and thesame is true when and if they everrequire permanent skilled nursingcare,” said Wendt. “Guaranteed lifecare is what we’re all about.”

“We are a not-for-profit organization, offering the highest quality

of care without a high price and never charging extra for tem-

porary and full time nursing care if and when needed.”

Fritz Reuter offers activity rooms featuring computers, crafts and other amenities.

Retirement at Fritz Reuter...Retirement at Fritz Reuter...


194 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell • 973-403-9968 –– 2 Union Ave., Paterson • 973-595-1647

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1380


In 2003, when Hillman St. resident David Kidd firstattended the Zoning Board meetings regarding plansfor the old Firestone building at 1300 Main Ave.,

next to his home, he believed that his new neighborwould be a nice addition to Downtown Clifton.

When Frank Carlet, the lawyer for the propertyowner, presented the developer’s proposal for the site,Kidd thought that he was getting a fair shake and agreedto the plans. However, three years later, constructionhas stopped and started often, the new building at 1300Main Ave. remains unoccupied and the rear yard of theproperty—the side facing Kidd’s well maintainedhome—still looks like a construction site.

Kidd said that many of the items he agreed to remainunfulfilled and in short, he’s not a happy neighbor.

For instance, the plans for 1300 Main Ave.called for a lot that was level with his, withlights facing away from Kidd’s house. It alsocalled for a six foot privacy fence, which Kiddclaimed that Carlet promised before the ZoningBoard that Kidd could select. By walking downHillman St. today, it is evident that promisesmade in 2003 differ from today’s reality.

Most notable is the height differencebetween the two properties—almost a full twofeet. The new building’s property was dug

Not A Happy Neighbor

Hillman St. resident David Kidd, standing in theunfinished parking lot facing his home, lives tothe rear of this building at 1300 Main Ave.

by Joe Hawrylko

down so that there would be a moresubtle transfer between the road andthe parking lot. The result is a messalong the border line—with debrisand bricks strewn about. That fenceis the same old, metal one that wasthere in 2003, not the promised pri-vacy fence. The lights, while not yeterected, were placed on the oppositeend of the parking lot—they’ll shinedirectly at Kidd’s home.

To try and remedy the situation,Kidd has spoken to the propertyowner who promised it would beresolved but nothing has changed.He contacted various city depart-ments however, the individual hewas in contact with has since leftand the matter remains in limbo.City Manager Al Greco said that anyagreements made at the ZoningBoard would be up to the ZoningOfficer to enforce but he was notavailable as we went to press.

Kidd said the 1300 Main Ave.project has also impacted others.When the home which was once onthe parking lot was demolished, amassive dust cloud carryingasbestos disbursed in the area.

Then, this past summer, Kiddclaimed that several residents com-plained when an oil tank was dug upand left to drain on the edge of theproperty. The stench made itunbearable to go out in the humidweather for neighbors, he said.

Kidd is clearly frustrated. He hasbeen making improvements to hishome and yard, only to have theunfinished construction deterioratethe value of his property.

All Kidd wants is for the devel-oper to finish the project as it wasoriginally agreed upon and to cleanup the lot so that he can once againhave privacy in his yard. “You thinkthat three years is enough time tofinish this,” said Kidd. “Just giveme my fence and get it done.”

•Your thyroid gland is one of the endocrineglands which make hormones to regulate phys-iological functions in your body.•Thyroid disease is very common, affecting mil-lions of Americans. The most common are hyperthy-roidism, an over-active gland, or hypothyroidism, anunder-active gland, both which may cause the thyroid tobecome enlarged. Patients may also develop lumps ormasses, which can either be benign or malignant.•Diagnosis is done by taking a medical history and exam-ining the neck. A doctor may recommend a fine needleaspiration biopsy, a thyroid scan, an ultrasound, a CT scan,an X-ray or a blood test.•Treatment varies for each condition. Your doctor maytreat a mass with medication known as suppression ther-apy to shrink it. He may also recommend surgery toremove part or all of the thyroid.

Ear, Nose, & Throat Centerof New Jersey

Dr. Oliver S. Youssef MD, FACSDr. Jan S. Youssef, MD

925 Clifton Ave. • Suite 203

973-773-92501746

Doctor, what is a...

ThyroidGland?

Ear, Nose & Throatof New Jersey

We can help you cure your illness,from Snoring to Ear Aches.

Back in 2002, the former Firestone building at the corner of Main and Hillman.



1036

Visit us in Downtown Clifton: 1103 Main Ave • 973-473-4999

Visit us in Athenia: 802 Van Houten Ave • 973-473-1997

We Don’t Sell Parts……We Sell Service

Machine Shop On LocationNo Order Too Large Or Small FREE DELIVERY

Two Stores In Clifton973-473-1997

802 Van Houten Ave • CliftonMon-Fri 8-6pm • Sat 8-5pm • Sun 9-1pm

201.843.8040136 Essex St • Rochelle Park

Open Sundays

201.391.33335 Hawthorne Ave • Park Ridge

New Location

201. 261.041159A E. Ridgewood Ave • Paramus

New Location

973.338.92921278 Broad St • Bloomfield

New Location

973-473-49991103 Main Ave • Downtown Clifton

Mon-Fri 8-6pm • Sat 8-5pm • Sun Closed

201-845-8353101 Route 46 West • Saddle Brook

Open Sundays

973-857-2600614 Pompton Ave • Cedar Grove

New Location

973-694-22281168 Hamburg Turnpike • Wayne

New Location

973-423-170093 Goffle Rd • Hawthorne

New Location

Our Other Locations:

Newlyweds! Kellie C. Patterson and

Joseph A. Torelli were married on March 25.

Happy Birthday!Jillian Mangone celebrates

her 10th birthday on April 26.

Happy Birthday!Timothy Hayes . . . . . . . .4/1Hetal Patel . . . . . . . . . . .4/1Raymond DeDios . . . . .4/3Carl DiGisi . . . . . . . . . . . .4/3Eric Homsany . . . . . . . . .4/3Matt Sagui . . . . . . . . . . .4/3Joey Scotto . . . . . . . . . .4/4Bo Franko . . . . . . . . . . . .4/5Wafa Othman . . . . . . . .4/5Mark Peterson . . . . . . . .4/5

Happy 21st Birthday toDaniel Leigh Magaster,

4/7/85-10/16/03

Bob Tanis . . . . . . . . . . . .4/5Joe Franek . . . . . . . . . . .4/6Jessica Mondelli . . . . . .4/6Luke Kulesa . . . . . . . . . .4/7Patricia Colman . . . . . .4/8Sheryll Franko . . . . . . . . .4/8Jackie Henderson . . . . .4/8Emma Gretina . . . . . . . .4/9Brian Firstmeyer . . . . . .4/11Leila Gasior (woof!) . .4/11Felipe Rivera . . . . . . . .4/11Erin Smith . . . . . . . . . . .4/11Debbie Tucker . . . . . . .4/11Josh Ontell . . . . . . . . . .4/13Lisa Kulesa . . . . . . . . . .4/15Adam Pienciak . . . . . .4/15Robert Monzo . . . . . . .4/16Linda Humphrey . . . . .4/17Peter Fierro . . . . . . . . . .4/18Jason Dubnoff . . . . . . .4/19Bryan Rodriguez . . . . .4/19Alicia Rose Aste . . . . . .4/22Lori Hart . . . . . . . . . . . .4/22Alyssa Tucker . . . . . . . .4/22Danny Gorun . . . . . . . .4/23

John Pogorelec, Jr. . . .4/23Marc Scancarella . . . .4/23Katie Michelotti . . . . . .4/25Brianna A. Pastore . . .4/25Stephanie Magaster . .4/26Daniel Ricca . . . . . . . .4/26Elise Termyna . . . . . . . .4/26

Michael Press . . . . . . . .4/27April Graham . . . . . . . .4/28Paul Colman . . . . . . . .4/29Heather Halasz . . . . . .4/29Christine Klein . . . . . . .4/29

Wedding Anniversaries...Joe & Darlene Franek .4/6

celebrating on 4/28...John & Donna HawrylkoCharlie & Frances Stek

Birthdays & Celebrations!

The Fifth Genardi!Corey, Michele, Ava and Gia welcome Bianca Eda

Genardi who was born March 2, 2006, weighing

in at 7 lbs, 2 ounces.

Peter & Eileen Fierro celebrate their 30th

anniverasry on April 18 (the same day Pete turns 66)

Egon & Shirley Kotcelebrated their

60th wedding anniversary on March 15.

Richard & Tracey DeMarcowill celebrate their

20th wedding anniversary on April 12th.

Look who’s turning 40...Donna Mangone, 4/7

Lt. Jeff Camp (CPD), 4/20


Birthday Brothers: the Hawrylko boys will partythis month... Tom Jr. turns 19on April 16 while Joe will be

21 on April 27. Their pup, BobMarley, turned 2 on April 4.


350 Boulevard, between Broadwayand Oak Streets, in Passaic

Main Number: (973) 365-4300Emergency: (973) 365-4489

Member Beth Israel Health System

A neighbor you can count on.

With the best doctors in the neighborhood - Doctors you can count on.

1687

Best wishes to the PBIRMC Medical StaffIn celebration of National Doctors’ Day


The American Hungarian FolkMuseum, at the Reid Library onThird St. in Passaic, marks the 50thanniversary of one of the mostimportant events in the Europeannation’s history and culture—the1956 Hungarian Revolution. Theuprising is of political significanceas it was a precursor to the downfallof Communism and it initiated vari-ous social, artistic and culturalchanges in Hungary and Europe.

The Museum, in two rooms onthe second floor of the publiclibrary, features an eclectic collec-tion of artifacts of Hungarian histo-ry and culture. The goal is to keepand preserve the Hungarian cultureand folklore.

Working with the America LisztSociety, the Museum presents a pianoconcert featuring Balázs Szokolay, oneof Hungary’s best pianists, with GergelySzokolay, also a noted pianist, chamberplayer and conductor from Hungary, onApril 7 at 7:30 pm at Lambert Castle, onApril 8 at 7:30 at the KlavierhausConcert Hall in NYC and on April 9 at5 pm at the Presbyterian Church of NewBrunswick. Tickets are $15 or $10 forstudents and seniors. For tickets andinfo, call 973-478-5926, 201-836-4869or email [email protected]

Hungarian Reformed Federation of Americais proud to serve Our Community.

We are a Fraternal Life Insurance Society offeringfinancial protection and cultural preservation to the

Hungarian-American community for over 100 years.

• Term Insurance • Tax-Deferred Annuities• Whole Life Insurance • Student Aid• Children’s Insurance • Cultural Activities

Home Office: 888-567-7884 • www.HRFA.org

1437

Hungarians marked the 1848 peaceful revo-lution and Independence of this Europeannation with a flag raising on March 15 at 10am at Clifton City Hall.

Local Representative: Ted Harsaghy, Branch Mgr. • 973-340-9075


Coming this SpringBig changes for our office...

Mon • Wed • FriChiropractic Health Center

241 Crooks Ave • Clifton • 973.253.7005

Dr. Moore’s patient of the month isKristian Diaz a long time patient whomaintains his health with regular spinal check-ups.

Dr. David R. Moore, Chiropractor

www.fitspine.netwww.fitspine.net

1576

Come meet the Easter Bunny and enjoy breakfast at theHot Grill (fee) on April 15 beginning at 7:30 am.

After you eat, head over to Nash Park, where therewill be plenty for kids of all ages to do.

At 9 am sharp, kids will be sent out in three agecategories for an Easter egg hunt. Each child is enti-tled to one egg only.

Except for the 3 to 5 year old age group, parentsare not permitted to help out.

At 10:30 am, your pooch can get involved, withtheir own egg hunt. Dogs must be licensed with

the city and be able to calmly interact with otherdogs and people. There'll also be a visit to Mrs. Bunny’sPlayground, as well as the Bunny Bounce, a Bunny Hop,

a Bunny Beauty Parlor and other Easter-themed events. For more info, call the Rec Department at 973-470-5958.

Heidi Lynn Avron may have set a record back in April 2002 with 368 Bunny Hops in five minutes!

The Clifton

Bunny Bash!

1540

CLIFTON: Move-In condition Ranch renovatedin 2005 offers 3 BR, EIK, w/ CT, new BA , H/Wfloors, & summer kitchen in basement.$369,900.

Mike Bocu, Broker of [email protected]

CLIFTON: All brick ranch in Allwood section ofClifton offers 3 BR, LR w/ fireplace, DR, Office,KIT, and C/A. $392,000.

CLIFTON: This large 2 family home offers 6+6and is conveniently located near schools,transportation and shopping. $399,900.

CLIFTON: Immaculate 2 family w/ 2 BR oneach floor and 2 in the fnshd attic, 3 BA. Youdo not have to do a thing...just move in.$529,000

CLIFTON: Botany Village Square Mall. 2-fourfamily homes. +2 offices on 1st floor (1600sfDoctor's office & 1600sf Tae Kwon Dooffice).+8 units. Excelle. Invest. $1,395,000

CLIFTON: Large 2 family home offers 7+5 w/finished basement, enclosed porch, largeback patio with stone pavers. $584,900

WEST PATERSON: MOVE IN CONDITION! NewEIK w/ceramic tile, finished basement, newlarge deck, above-ground pool, & garage.$359,900.

PATERSON: Perfect for first time buyers. Amother daughter. Renovated, finished base-ment, 3 BA, ceramic tile, new siding. $279,000

WAYNE: True move-in condition Ranch. 2004Renovation. 4 BR's, large LR, new EIK, fullbsmt & large deck w/fenced in yard. Parkingfor 4 cars. $349,900

WAYNE: Very nice 2 bedroom home withupdated kitchen, located in quiet neighbor-hood. Full basement. Deck, & fenced property.$259,900.

WAYNE: Prestigious Pointe View Estates. LakeFront colonial.4 BRs, 2.2 baths. New highenergy HVAC. Too many features to list.$679,000

BUTLER: Updated Ranch offers 4 BR, new KIT,finished basement, H/W floors and garage.$429,900.

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BE PART OF THE HISTORY!Charming Brownstone VictorianFarm House. Possibly one of theoldest houses in Clifton built in 1693however updated. Features 7rooms, 3 bdrms, 2_baths, 2 cargarage w/driveway space for 8 cars.

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WELL-KEPT ONE FAMILY HOMEConsisting of LR with bay window,DR, KIT, 2bdrms and bath on 1stfloor, additional bdrm with full bathon 2nd floor. Full bsmnt has recroom w/bar, summer KIT, laundryarea

CALL 877-833-2365

STORE PLUS APARTMENT1st floor consists of commercialspace. Newly remodeled, was asalon. 2nd floor apartment consist-ing of LR. Kitchen, 2 bdrm, and bath,with extra bedrooms on 3rd floor.Storage rooms behind salon.

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GREAT 1 FAMILY HOME!Spacious LR with skylight & wood-burning stove, open dining room,eat-kitchen w/ moveable island, 2full baths, walk-up attic, newerabove ground pool, back porch. Askfor Carol Lopez

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LOVELY COLONIALSituated in Lakeview. Features 3bdrms, Fin. Partially bsmnt, EIK, pri-vacy fence, storm door, storm win-dow, and all appliances included.Ask for Nancy Rodriguez

CALL 877-833-2365

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Clifton Merchant Magazine - April 2006

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Transcript of Clifton Merchant Magazine - April 2006