Clifton Merchant Magazine - September 2010

629 Clifton Ave • Clifton

973-777-7364459 Chestnut St • U

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470 Clifton Ave • Clifton

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Clifton Merchant Magazine is published the first Friday of every month at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400

September 2010 • Clifton Merchant 4

16,000 Magazines

are distributed tohundreds of Clifton

Merchants on the firstFriday of every month.

Subscribe Page 70

$27 per year $45 for 2 years

Call 973-253-4400

Editor & PublisherTom Hawrylko

Business ManagerCheryl Hawrylko

Graphic Designer

Rich McCoy

Staff Writer

Joe Hawrylko

Contributing WritersIrene Jarosewich, CarolLeonard, Rich DeLotto,Don Lotz, Jack DeVries© 2010 Tomahawk Promotions

1288 Main AvenueDowntown Clifton, NJ 07011

Come October, this magazine will be 15 years old.From our founding, we have evolved from a 24 page cir-

cular (first edition pictured here) into a full fledged com-

munity magazine. I am proud of this and thankful to all

who have contributed to our success.

Some years back, we introduced a slogan, used above

as our headline. It came from the fact that we look at this

magazine as a diary for our community. Every month,

we try and document the changes, offer historical

accounts of sports and social events, and to write per-

sonal stories about life and living in Clifton today.

“No matter your race, creed or color,” I wrote in a

column in October, 1998, explaining the idea behind the

slogan, “be part of Clifton and contribute to help make

our community a better place to live, work and raise a

family. And remember, As Clifton Grows, So Do We...”Some 180 months into this personal yet very public

journey, Clifton Merchant continues to meet our mis-

sion. We offer a package of stories, photos and adver-

tisements that you will not find in any other publication.

This month, our cover promotes the 2010 Mustang

Athletic Hall of Fame. We catch up with these folks and

relive their time in history. That section is followed by

features about our current high schoolers as they take

the field to represent the Maroon and Gray—and per-

haps to find their place in Mustang history. After that,

stories on the arts, business and social events.

This month we are especially proud to have an essay

by Christopher de Vinck which sets the tone for this

back to school time of the year. It’s the mix of news and

information you have come to expect us to deliver.

We get feedback on what we do here in a variety of

ways. Readers look for the book the first Friday of every

month at our 75 or so distribution points. Merchants

continue to sponsor us as they use our publication to get

their business message out. Letter writers use our pages

to share their views. Former Cliftonites that want to stay

in touch with their hometown get the magazine delivered

all across the USA.

To all of you, I offer thanks and pledge that we will

continue to create a great publication. With your support

and input, we will produce a magazine that truly reflects,

reports and acknowledges all of what is going on in our

community. Our goal is to continue to be the diary of

Clifton, and to continue to grow and change with our

city. Clifton Merchant Magazine is here thanks to you—

and thus, we are here to serve our community.

So please, stay in touch, do good things and remember,

As Clifton Grows, So Do We...”

azine 7011

e.net

or

by Tom HawrylkoAs Clifton Grows, So Do We


f

o


Last week I received a note fromHelen Berkenbush from Botany.“Picked up an oldie but goodie from

your rack at Hot Grill,” she began,

citing a 2006 edition in which the

issues of community pride and clean

neighborhoods were discussed.

“I know I sound a little harpsie,”her letter continued, “but maybe

the city as a whole needs a general

review, not just Botany. Our town is

getting very dirty and not only

because of garbage in the streets. I

think what we lack is a general sense

of ownership. It seems there are too

many people—residents and busi-

ness owners—who come and go and

never look at their space or care.”

Knowing Helen, she is not one to

sit back or be a little harpsie. She

and her husband of 52 years, Roy,

pictured here, are doers. For

decades, they have been involved in

Scouting. Since its inception, she

has represented Botany Village on

the ACTION committee. And while

kids are long gone from their home,

Helen is a literacy volunteer in the

media center at School 17. Good

people, those Berkenbushes.

“One person who does nothing

on a block can change the whole

neighborhood,” she said, citing a

few examples of decay on certain

streets around town.

We all know neglected buildings,

weed covered lots and areas of blight

in our city that needs some extra

enforcement. “We used to call it

creeping cruds when I was a kid,”

she explained in a follow up phone

call. Seconds later, in that same

conversation, the voice of Helen the

optimist was heard: “The opposite is

true as well. One neighbor who

takes pride in their yard and their

home can also be contagious.”

And that’s what Helen

Berkenbush wants residents, busi-

ness owners and elected officials to

know. It’s time for all of us to again

make Clifton the City That Cares.That can also be contagious.

by Tom Hawrylko

Clifton Merchant Magazine1288 Main Ave. Clifton 07011

[email protected]

to theEditor

2010


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The other day, as I was driving to Clifton High School,I saw seven swans flying in the high distance. I have

seen in my life perhaps two or three times a single swan

in flight, but never seven. I pulled off the highway, not

to make a call on a cell phone, but to admire the graceful

expanse of muscles and feathers that kept those great

birds aloft until they disappeared over Paterson.

As I pulled back onto Route 80, I thought of the

Grimm’s fairy tale, “The Six Swans.” In the story the

wicked stepmother transformed her six stepsons into

swans following her jealous rage. Of course the step-

mother forgot about her stepdaughter, the little girl who

wanted to save her brothers. The girl discovered that all

she had to do was not speak for six years, sew six little

shirts made of asters, and after the six years, all the

swans had to do was slip on those magic shirts and they

would be transformed back into six happy brothers.

How great it would be if happiness could be attained

by simply slipping on enchanted shirts made from

petals. And while it does take many years for human

beings to be nurtured into their own sense of happiness,

those lessons are not created with magic wands and

secret spells, but rather with the kind words and loving

embraces of caring adults.

My first grade teacher was Sister Elizabeth Anne, a

young, happy Dominican nun, and I know for sure that

she was the first person, beyond my mother and father,

who stood before me as a model of goodness and gen-

tleness, an icon perhaps who has stayed with me

throughout my life.

Sister Elizabeth Anne taught me how to read and

write.

“There was a happy man,” Sister said to the class one

morning as she drew a circle on the board, and in the cir-

cle she created two dots for eyes, and a smiling face.

She then told a story about this man, and how he

wanted to become a clown, and so Sister drew a clown’s

hat. But there was more. She explained that this hat is

exactly what the letter “A” looked like.

Sister Elizabeth Anne created the “A” sound. We

repeated the sound, and then for the next few days, she

created these little stories and drew pictures on the

board that wove in the different letters.

“F” was a flag. “J” a fisherman’s hook.

Within two weeks, we knew the alphabet, and then

she taught us how to write our names. When I wrote just

plain “Chris,” Sister Elizabeth Anne, in her wonderfully

scented black robe and veil leaned over me and said,

“Oh not just Chris. Here, let me show you.

“C-H-R-I-S-T-O-P-H-E-R. Always write your whole

name and be proud of who you are.” I looked up to the

powerful, holy woman as she looked down at me with a

smile and whispered, “Christopher.”

In third grade I was attacked by a bully.

This stallion of a boy began chasing me with a raised

fist and I ran for the oak tree jutting out in the middle of

the school property where the boy and I began a cat and

mouse dance around the tree.

And then, suddenly, there was this booming voice:

“What is going on here?”

In Flight...Returning Again to the Classroom

by Christopher de Vinck


My teacher, Sister Lillian came rushing out of the

building. Her habit waved in the wind. Her rosary beads

clanked against her robe. The older boy ran off and I

stood there not knowing if I dared let go of the oak tree

when Sister Lillian asked if the tough boy hurt me.

“No sister.” And then she called me over to her. She

extended her arms and embraced me and said, “Don’t be

afraid.”

“Yes sister,” I said and then with her angelic smile

she said, “I love you Christopher.” She was much better

protection than an oak tree.

Sister Elizabeth Anne and Sister Lillian both slipped

onto my back magical shirts made not of asters, but of

love and goodness.

On November 22, 1963 I was sitting in my seventh

grade spelling class. My desk was pushed right up

against the teacher’s desk. I was filling in a worksheet

when the principal quietly stepped into the classroom,

walked up to my teacher and whispered “President

Kennedy has been shot.”

The teacher and I were the only ones who heard what

the principal said, and when the principal walked out of

the room, my teacher whispered to me, “Don’t worry,

Chris.”

In high school I was horribly insecure and lonely. In

my English class, somehow the subject of raccoons

came up and I sheepishly raised my hand and said that I

have pictures of the raccoons that I feed at night. “You

feed raccoons?” My teacher asked, and I explained how

I open the basement window when the raccoons knock

over the garbage cans and I feed them grapes. “They

really like grapes.”

After class, my teacher stopped me and said, “I’d

love to see those raccoons, Chris.” The next day I

brought in the picture. I was so proud of them, and after

the teacher admired the silly creatures gobbling grapes,

he suggested that I join the Junior Prom committee. It

was the first time someone asked me to join something.

I helped my classmates transform the cafeteria into the

classic “Kingdom Beneath the Sea,” and I made my first

friends, and it changed my life.

During my third year of college, as I was walking out

the door of one of my classes, the professor stopped me

and said, “You know Chris, you’re a smart kid.” No one

had ever said that I was smart at anything. It changed

my life.

My father, Jose, was a professor of French and

Philosophy at Seton Hall University many, many years

ago. Today he is 98 years old. Over the years he collect-

ed bits of his personal philosophy about life, things that

he wanted to teach his students and his own six children:

“Loving our children consists, not in giving them

everything, but in giving them what they need, mostly

ourselves.”

“Teaching consists, not in imposing acquired facts

upon students, but in offering them the principles that

will reveal truth within their minds. It is not a filling of

tanks, but an opening of vistas.”

Teaching consists,not in imposing acquired facts upon students, but in offering them the principles thatwill reveal truth within their minds. It is not a filling of tanks, but an opening of vistas.

—Jose de Vinck

“What all teachers should do is take the young people

in their ignorance, confusion and alienation and slowly

build up in them a sense of values, responsibilities,

personal worth, hope and love, in the midst of a world

that is chaotic by nature, but open to infinite

possibilities.”

When I was a graduate student at Columbia

University, one of my professors said that an excellent

teacher has three overriding, and similar characteristics:

they know their subject matter, they deeply care about

the academic and social successes of their students, and

that have a distinctive and distinguished personality.

Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist, and the

founder of analytical psychology wrote “One looks

back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with

gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The

curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but

warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for

the soul of the child.”

Children all over the country and children here in

Clifton are returning to school this month.

They will buy notebooks and new shoes. They will

be excited to see their friends again, and sad that the

summer is over, but above all else, the children will be

anxious to know who their teachers will be this year.

They will find Clifton teachers who are warm,

compassionate, brilliant and kind who will open to them

infinite possibilities.

My seventh grade teacher tried to protect me from

Lee Harvey Oswald.

My high school teacher brushed the lint off my Junior

Prom tuxedo and said “I am proud of you, Chris.”

My college professor shook my hand when I received

my BA degree.

Let us celebrate the Clifton Schools and the teachers.

Let us thank the board of education, the parents and the

taxpayers for all they do to try as best they can to

provide the children with teachers of brilliance, teachers

of goodness, teachers of compassion.

“S, Christopher. See how the letter S looks like a

swan?”

Dr. Christopher de Vinck, a graduate from Teachers College,

Columbia University, is the Language

Arts Supervisor at Clifton High School;

an adjunct professor of English

Education at Montclair State

University, and the author of 12 books.

His best know work is The Power of the

Powerless (Crossroad Books) a book on

the struggles and joys of loving his

severely disabled brother.



Every town has a Lou Poles, Clifton’s greatest

sports historian and fan said modestly a few years

back. “Guys like me are the ones people like to talk

sports with. We help them remember a great game or

player from their past. What’s nice is that I often wind

up becoming lifelong friends with the people I talk to, or

at least lifelong friendly acquaintances.”

He’s lying. Every town does not have a Lou Poles—

they’re rare individuals, filled with a love of sports and

city that goes far beyond that of a normal fan. Poles is

a maroon and gray original, Clifton’s own. And that’s

why this 1951 CHS grad is being inducted into the

CHS Athletic Hall of Fame as Historian.

“People say I know a lot about sports,” says Harry

Murtha, another treasure trove of Mustang Knowledge.

“While I may know what a quarterback did in a big

game, Lou knows what he did... along with the brand of

toothpaste he used the night before.”

While such praise may seem beyond Pole’s reach, a

conversation with Lou brings forth a dizzying array of

games, stats and players—each flowing from one story

to another. “My initials are L.P.,” he adds. “Some peo-

ple says it stands for Long Playing.”

It’s nearly impossible to not get swept up in the

Mustang sporting world of Poles—the enthusiasm

bouncing along with his rapid fire staccato voice. He

remembers Coach Joe Grecco’s halftime speeches (Lou

listened by the field house window), Bobby Holly and

Ray “Ditch” Malavasi appearing in the Super Bowl, or

Dave Szott lining up for battle for his beloved Jets.

He’ll toss in a few anecdotes about the long gone

Scussel Brothers, Eugene and Henry, who Lou never

saw play but whose stories he now treasures as his own.

And that’s just five minutes of conversation. “As

you know...” he’ll say, beginning another tale. His lis-

teners often do not know, but Lou continues.

But that’s the beauty

of Lou Poles. He is a

story teller and the

important thing to him

is that Clifton History is

shared and Mustang

athletes live again. On

the following pages,

you’ll find stories on

Mustangs from various

eras and sports who are

part of our city’s athletic

history, tales that Lou

Poles has shared.

On Oct. 17 at noon at the Brownstone, these

inductees will join generations of other Mustangs when

they are installed into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

The public is invited to the affair which includes lunch

and beverages. Tickets are $40 and are available by

calling CHS at 973-470-2282 or 973-470-2324.

Lou PolesCHS 1951, Historian


Ralph Cinque Jr. was not just a star in one sport.Whether it was football, hockey or soccer, the

1993 CHS grad, he excelled. Cinque said his success

was due to his large size and his father, Ralph Sr., who

made sure that his son was playing any sport that he

was interested in.

“The best thing that my father ever could have done

for me was put me in everything,” said Cinque. “I even

played basketball as a kid growing up. I didn’t play it

in high school, but as a kid, I played everything.”

“He was athletic. He grew up in Hudson County

and was a big football guy,” said Cinque. “There was

the fact that I was pretty big at a young age and he saw

there was some potential. He also got me into playing

hockey at a young age. It helped me with my hand eye

coordination and agility, just learning to skate.”

Cinque began playing hockey at around six years

old, playing at a rink in Secaucus.

“When I was growing up, they had a clinic on

Sunday mornings,” he recalled. “I used to go there to

play with a lot of the older kids. I was big for my age,

so I was able to play with them. It makes you better, it

makes you more hungry, more aggressive. Just a better

competitor.”

Hockey also gave Cinque discipline. To secure ice

time, hockey players typically must get to the rink at

obscure hours... pre-dawn skates are a staple of the

sport. And it gets more competitive as you get

All individual profiles in this section written by Joe Hawrylko

Ralph CinqueCHS 1993, Football, Baseball, Hockey


older. Cinque recalled his father logging many hours in

the car as they went to over 70 games for traveling

games.

When he finally got up to the high school, Cinque

found himself lining up in different positions frequently.

“We didn’t have a lot of guys on the team,” said

Cinque, who typically played center or defense.

“Danko was supportive of me and gave a lot of ice

time. I played whatever the team needed.”

Though the Mustangs were a .500 team for most of

his playing career, Cinque fondly recalled his time

spent with the team on and off the ice.

“You build a lot of different bonds with these guys,”

he explained. “Sometimes you see guys around town:

‘Awww, you remember 92-93 when this happened?’

It’s fun. It’s the memories, you know?”

Cinque finally got to taste victory on the ice years

later in 2001 as an assistant coach, as the Mustangs went

on to win the State Sectional Group 4 Title.

“Danko and LaDuke were coaching,” he recalled. “It

was pretty interesting. They gave me a lot of opportunities

and I’m very greatful that they let me coach.”

At CHS, Cinque also excelled on the football field.

It was on the gridiron that he had his most memorable

athletic day ever: Against Paramus Catholic, he carried

the ball 28 times and rambled his way to 288 yards and

three TDs on the ground. That, combined with a 30

yard reception and 12 tackles from his linebacker

position, gave Cinque one of the best days in Fighting

Mustang history.

“It was cool. I got some accolades for it,” he recalled.

“But we lost the game. It would have been nice if I ran

for 80 yards and won instead, that would have been a lot

better.”

Like other sports, he started young. “I played at like

five years old,” recalled Cinque. “I grew up in North

Bergen and moved to Clifton at seven. I was always a

bigger, chubby kid and got stuck playing line so I gave up

football for a while.”

However, in middle school, the Cliftonite had the

opportunity to join the now-defunct Colts, which played

in an unlimited weight league except for skill positions.

Cinque was still being used mostly on the line until the

end of the season.

“We had two extra exhibition games against Montclair

and Passaic,” recalled Cinque. “I begged the coach to

give me a chance at running back and did ok at it. I

thought maybe I was a little fast for my size and weight,

and I thought it would be a good position for me and it

worked out.”

The Cliftonite also excelled on the baseball diamond.

Using his size to his advantage, Cinque eventually

become a very good pitcher on a great Mustang squad.

“In high school, I got to play for one of the best

baseball coach I’ve ever come in contact with, Paul

Pignatello,” said Cinque. “He taught us a lot about

accountability—that’s a huge thing that some of these

kids today lack. He taught us respect for yourself and

your teammates, being on time and he taught us a lot

about baseball.”

18141814

Proud toRepresent CliftonAssemblyman Thomas P. Giblin1333 Broad St., Clifton, NJ 07013office: 973-779-3125www.assemblymangiblin.com

View The Giblin Report Wednesdays at 8 pm, Channel 76


As the catcher for the Lady Mustangs,Jamie Farley was one of the key

components to Clifton’s dominating squads

from 1998 to 2002.

As an incoming freshman, Farley recalls

seeing members of the legendary 1997-1998

Lady Mustang squad ply their craft on the dia-

mond. Clifton was still in the midst of a win-

ning streak that spanned nearly two years and

included two State Sectional Titles.

“I remember that time, it was absolutely

draining,” she added. “That was what you

wanted to be. Freshman year, they were still

on that winning streak. It was stuff that most

people don’t get to experience in high school

or ever. I was really lucky to be a part of it.”

The following season, the Hall of Famer

came in as a sophomore and started, and her

career took off. As a catcher, Farley was part

of a Lady Mustang squad that defied critics by

capturing the League and County titles before

bowing out in the State Finals.

Story by Joe Hawrylko

JamieFarley

CHS 1993, Softball,Basketball

“I think that whole season, we came in as underdogs,” she

recalled. “We didn’t win a title our freshman year and Jamie

Anzaldi pitched really well for us. Going from underdogs to

making it to the State Finals... I can’t even break it down. There

wasn’t just one memory, but the season was great as a whole.”

For Farley and the rest of the team, the unexpected success

was a relief. While talented, the girls were always compared to

their predecessors. The bar was set high.

“That 97-98 team, that’s who you wanted to be,” said Farley.

“They were the celebrities of the town. That was great watching

them growing up. We definitely tried emulating them.”

Watching Lady Mustang games was an event as a

child. Farley recalled seeing some of her idols on the

diamond at a young age and was inspired to one day be

like the stars at Clifton High School.

“I started when I was about six years old,” she

recalled. Farley said that she started with t-ball and

eventually moved onto the Clifton Charmers.

“Clifton was such a big softball town when I was

growing up. Coach Rich La Duke was harvesting the

program,” she continued. “The big thing to do was to

go watch the County Tournament at Main Memorial

Park. I know myself and other players would go there.

That’s where we would meet—I think it was Memorial

Day Weekend.”

Besides the team’s championship year, one of

Farley’s favorite memories was playing for the much

heralded coach La Duke.

“You would just see this softball legend,” she

explained. “You’re going to play for him and he kind

of influenced everything in the sport itself. He stressed

the importance of things I had to do.

Not just sports, but academically, what

you had to do to succeed in life. Not

only being a good ball player but a

good person.”

“I owe him a lot,” Farley laughed. “ I

hope he knows that. I got to go back there

and tell him that he’s such a great guy.”

After Farley’s career at CHS con-

cluded in 2002, she went on to play at

Rider College, where she anchored at

first base. She still plays in a competi-

tive fast pitch league and currently

works as a physician assistant in ortho-

pedic trauma surgery at University

Hospital in Newark.


(973) 772-8451Roofing • SidingSeamless Gutters

Additions • Alterations


He was a four year starter forthe Mustangs, and one of

the finest goal keepers in the

team’s lengthy history.

For Lester Lembryk, being

inducted into the CHS Hall of

Fame for his feats on the pitch is a

dream come true.

“Probably around five or six,

my father, Stan, who is from

Poland, he pretty much started

bringing me to all the local soccer

games,” said Lembryk.

“I remember going to some

Cosmos games and from that

point on, I grew to love the sport

and opportunity I had I was

always playing.”

“I love the sport so much I would

actually play out the game when I

got home in my backyard,” he con-

tinued. “I would pretend that I was

certain players that I knew from my

older brother. I would play all night

until my mother would tell me, ‘Get

inside already.’

The graduate of the Class of

1994 first got a taste of playing soc-

cer, thanks to his big brother, Stan.

“I actually started playing

goalie as a kid,” said Lembryk. “I

remember my brother (current

CHS girls coach, Stan) shooting at

me and I just took a liking to it and

from that point I just played goal.”

He would play youth soccer and

as he grew closer to high school

age, Lembryk became more seri-

ous about practicing.

Lester LembrykCHS 1994, Soccer, Basketball


Prior to joining the Mustangs,

he was training with his brother

and other CHS soccer stars at

Richardson Oval for two hours

every morning, from 6 to 8 am. It

was a tradition he carried until

graduation—and ultimately, it

paid off.

“I was pretty fortunate.

Coming up into high school, I

really got involved with a lot of

the players on a varsity level,”

said Lembryk. “I was training

with them early in the summer

sessions. I really worked hard for

that. It was a goal I had set for

myself. I wanted to be on

Varsity—my older brother Stan

did it, I wanted to do it too.”

When he finally got to the high

school, Lembryk’s game was fur-

ther refined under the tutelage of

one of the school’s all-time coach-

ing greats.

“Coach Fernando Rossi was

one of the best coaches of all

time,” Lembryk stated. “He gave

me an opportunity and I pretty

much tried to take advantage of

that opportunity. Thinks just fell

into place from that time on.”

“It’s not fair to forget to men-

tion my father, Stan Sr.,” said

Lembryk. “He was a tremendous

impact on me. My father and my

brother, Stan, besides Fernando

Rossi, were two of the figures I

looked up to in the soccer world.”

Lembryk is currently coaching

boys soccer at Union High

School. He previously was an

assistant at Jersey City University.

Lembryk is married to his wife,

Nicole, and is currently receiving

his Masters in education online.1232

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Almost ten years after he graduated CHS, and many

of Robbie Vargo’s marks still sit near the top of the all

time leader board. His 133 wins and 10 losses were once

Clifton and County records, and he’s still near the top of the

list. His success stems from early exposure to the sport.

“I started out wrestling in Clifton youth between the

ages of five and nine,” explained Vargo, who left the team

for club wrestling. “My dad actually owns a wrestling

school. I remember days when I was with my father and

my brother, traveling all across Pennsylvania up to

Michigan... you name it, we were going there for

wrestling tournaments when we were younger.”

His father, Ron, actually picked up the sport so he

could better understand it. “My father was definitely my

greatest influence, both in wrestling and in life,” said

Vargo. “I’ve been wrestling longer than my father, but he

became one of the best teachers I had in wrestling. He started to wrestle when I

was 10 or so and picked

it up. He just because a

student of the sport and

started to teach us.”

“He knew me better than anyone else, what my

tendencies were, what my strengths and weaknesses

were,” he continued. “He didn’t need to know a great

amount at the time—like he does now—but he what

was important is that he knew what I was going to do

before I did it.” However, that never helped the older

Vargo defeat his son—and least that’s what Robbie says.

“I don’t know if he ever beat me,” he laughed. “I

was always bigger than him. I always had 30-40

pounds on him, so it really wasn’t a fair match up. But

he had good technique. He not only taught me, I

wrestled him. I knew what he was saying was coming

from the heart and knew that what he was telling me

was right.”

Vargo participated in club wrestling up until high

school. But even as be began competing as a Mustang,

he’d find himself logging extra hours by practicing

with his old team. Initially, Vargo started out as a 140

pound freshman wrestling against juniors and

Robbie Vargo

CHS 2001, Wrestling


Almost ten years after he graduated CHS, and many

of Robbie Vargo’s marks still sit near the top of the all

time leader board. His 133 wins and 10 losses were once

Clifton and County records, and he’s still near the top of the

list. His success stems from early exposure to the sport.

“I started out wrestling in Clifton youth between the

ages of five and nine,” explained Vargo, who left the team

for club wrestling. “My dad actually owns a wrestling

school. I remember days when I was with my father and

my brother, traveling all across Pennsylvania up to

Michigan... you name it, we were going there for

wrestling tournaments when we were younger.”

His father, Ron, actually picked up the sport so he

could better understand it. “My father was definitely my

greatest influence, both in wrestling and in life,” said

Vargo. “I’ve been wrestling longer than my father, but he

became one of the best teachers I had in wrestling. He started to wrestle when I

was 10 or so and picked

it up. He just because a

student of the sport and

started to teach us.”

“He knew me better than anyone else, what my

tendencies were, what my strengths and weaknesses

were,” he continued. “He didn’t need to know a great

amount at the time—like he does now—but he what

was important is that he knew what I was going to do

before I did it.” However, that never helped the older

Vargo defeat his son—and least that’s what Robbie says.

“I don’t know if he ever beat me,” he laughed. “I

was always bigger than him. I always had 30-40

pounds on him, so it really wasn’t a fair match up. But

he had good technique. He not only taught me, I

wrestled him. I knew what he was saying was coming

from the heart and knew that what he was telling me

was right.”

Vargo participated in club wrestling up until high

school. But even as be began competing as a Mustang,

he’d find himself logging extra hours by practicing

with his old team. Initially, Vargo started out as a 140

pound freshman wrestling against juniors and


seniors in Varsity competition. “I saw the jump in

myself in my work ethic and just everything when I

made the jump from my freshman year to sophomore

year,” he explained.

Another year of experience, combined with more

power at 145 pounds, and Vargo became a dominant

power in the state. “I think I had maybe one loss going

into the state tournament that year,” he recalled. “And I

blew out my knee at the state quarters. The guy blew out

my knee off of an illegal move.”

Vargo was ahead in the match, and a victory would

have guaranteed him a finish of no worse than sixth place.

Instead, he had to withdraw from the tournament.

“I wrestled the same kid in the quarterfinals of my

junior year,” added Vargo, who wrestled at 152 pounds in

this third season. “I beat him. Same exact round, same

exact kid. It was a big deal to me and everyone involved

because they knew it was a dirty move the previous year.”

The Cliftonite went on to the semis, where he lost and

ultimately took home third place.

As a senior wrestling at 171 pounds, Vargo had his

sights set on the all time win record and a state crown.

Though he ultimately earned both the Clifton and Passaic

County records, Vargo bowed out of the State

Tournament in Atlantic City in fifth place.

His Mustang career came to an end in 2001, with a

final record of 133 wins and 10 losses. Among his many

accolades, Vargo was a four time Passaic County

Champion and a two time All-State honoree.

The impressive resume attracted various suitors and

Vargo earned a full ride to Seton Hall University.

However, the school cut its wrestling program that year

but honored his scholarship. Still, Vargo left for

Montclair State for the opportunity to wrestle.

However, he eventually quit the team to focus on his

studies. Vargo graduated and then went on to Rutgers

Law in Newark, where he graduated in the top 10 of his

class in 2008.

Vargo is currently with the firm Lowenstein Sandler,

which specializes in general business and construction

litigation. He is married to his wife, Chelsea, and has a

four month old son.

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seniors in Varsity competition. “I saw the jump in

myself in my work ethic and just everything when I

made the jump from my freshman year to sophomore

year,” he explained.

Another year of experience, combined with more

power at 145 pounds, and Vargo became a dominant

power in the state. “I think I had maybe one loss going

into the state tournament that year,” he recalled. “And I

blew out my knee at the state quarters. The guy blew out

my knee off of an illegal move.”

Vargo was ahead in the match, and a victory would

have guaranteed him a finish of no worse than sixth place.

Instead, he had to withdraw from the tournament.

“I wrestled the same kid in the quarterfinals of my

junior year,” added Vargo, who wrestled at 152 pounds in

this third season. “I beat him. Same exact round, same

exact kid. It was a big deal to me and everyone involved

because they knew it was a dirty move the previous year.”

The Cliftonite went on to the semis, where he lost and

ultimately took home third place.

As a senior wrestling at 171 pounds, Vargo had his

sights set on the all time win record and a state crown.

Though he ultimately earned both the Clifton and Passaic

County records, Vargo bowed out of the State

Tournament in Atlantic City in fifth place.

His Mustang career came to an end in 2001, with a

final record of 133 wins and 10 losses. Among his many

accolades, Vargo was a four time Passaic County

Champion and a two time All-State honoree.

The impressive resume attracted various suitors and

Vargo earned a full ride to Seton Hall University.

However, the school cut its wrestling program that year

but honored his scholarship. Still, Vargo left for

Montclair State for the opportunity to wrestle.

However, he eventually quit the team to focus on his

studies. Vargo graduated and then went on to Rutgers

Law in Newark, where he graduated in the top 10 of his

class in 2008.

Vargo is currently with the firm Lowenstein Sandler,

which specializes in general business and construction

litigation. He is married to his wife, Chelsea, and has a

four month old son.


The 1997 Lady Mustangs softball team went 31-0 on its way to capturing the program’s second state group title. From left

in the back row, Tamara Tinajero, Lara Foster, Kim Alongi, Jamie Anzaldi, Candice D’Andrea, Danielle Brill, Jen Carlo,

and Laura Tynio. From left in the middle row, Kim Anzaldi, Bobbi-Jo Gonnello, Coach Dianne Besser, Coach Rick LaDuke,

Coach Tom Danko, Megan Dozci and Amanda Bongiorno. From left in the front row, Melissa Butler, Renee Anderson, Cara

Lady Mustangs1997 & 1998 Girls Softball Teams

The 1997 Lady Mustangs softball team went 31-0 on its way to capturing the program’s second state group title. From left

in the back row, Tamara Tinajero, Lara Foster, Kim Alongi, Jamie Anzaldi, Candice D’Andrea, Danielle Brill, Jen Carlo,

and Laura Tynio. From left in the middle row, Kim Anzaldi, Bobbi-Jo Gonnello, Coach Dianne Besser, Coach Rick LaDuke,

Coach Tom Danko, Megan Dozci and Amanda Bongiorno. From left in the front row, Melissa Butler, Renee Anderson, Cara

Boseski, Stacy Veech, Aimee Calise and Amanda Smith.

Rich LaDuke had seen this before. When Toms

River East loaded the bases with one out in the

bottom of the ninth of a scoreless Group 4

Championship Game on June 9, 2007, LaDuke knew

Clifton would get out of the jam. After all, he had

taught them how to do it. Well, maybe he didn’t teach

the girls on the 2007 version of the Lady Mustangs

softball team. But as the architect of the dynasty he

was about to witness Clifton reclaim, LaDuke was as

responsible for the escape as anyone wearing Maroon

and Gray on the field that day. “The kids found the way

to play defense and they didn’t make the big error,” he

said. “That’s the way Juli and Cara were.”

Juli and Cara are Juliann Magliarditi and Cara

Boseski — two women who played for LaDuke before

taking over the head coaching reigns following his

move to the athletic director’s office in 2001.

Magliarditi was on LaDuke’s team until she graduat-

ed CHS in 1989. Boseski was a senior on the Lady

Mustangs squad that captured the Group 4 champi-

onship in 1997.

They both learned the fundamentals of the game

during the three month clinics Coach LaDuke

(who retired as athletic director this past summer)

organized every spring. Some may have referred to

these as “softball season.”

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“When kids came to practice, they were worried about

so many other things, so I’d try to do the same thing

everyday for the first 30 minutes,” said LaDuke. “This

way they’d remember they were at softball practice.”

LaDuke instituted this policy as soon as he became

varsity head coach in 1982. He had played baseball at

Canton High School and St. Lawrence University in

northern New York before being hired in 1977 to coach

Clifton’s new ice hockey team.

LaDuke also replaced Pat Vantrell as coach of the

freshman softball squad. At that time, the varsity girls

were led by Jackie Pami and her uncle Frank Pecci. After

five years as an assistant, LaDuke became varsity head

coach in ‘82. He took over an average program that had

only been around for about a decade.

The first thing he did was bring in assistant coaches

that really knew the game. They included Howie Nolan,

pitching coach Maryann Goodwin and retired Clifton

baseball coach John Hargreaves.

The initial turning point of the LaDuke regime came

after the team went 12-13 in his inaugural season.

“We started playing defense and making contact on

offense,” said LaDuke, whose Lady Mustangs improved

to 21-5 in his second year, finishing second in the league

and the Passaic County Tournament.

Another turning point occurred when Little League

and summer league softball teams such as the Clifton

Phillies, Charmers and Cobras, the Clark Wildcats, the

Wayne Shilohs and the Hawthorne Explosion began

popping up in the late ‘80s. “If you do nothing

but work on fundamentals during the season and then

play against great competition in the summer, it doesn’t

get any better than that,” Coach said.

Pitcher Diane Besser was the first high school kid to

play summer ball. With her arm, Clifton was able to

get over the hump and win its first NNJIL Division A

league title in 1987. “The toughest thing in the early

years was that we didn’t know how to win the big

games. We were always really close and all of a sud-

den, we knocked off a powerhouse and won a share of

the league,” said LaDuke. “We didn’t look back after

that and everything fell into place.” The team went 29-

1 in Besser’s senior season in ‘89, winning its first of

10 county tournaments. “She was our first state-quality

pitcher,” LaDuke said of Besser. “Pitching is the key

to softball and so we benefitted greatly once we had a

feeder program with pitching.”

Assistant Coach Goodwin established pitching schools

that produced a number of Clifton starters. After Besser,

came Dana DeVito, who LaDuke called the most domi-

nant pitcher in the program’s history. In her junior year

in ‘93, the Lady Mustangs reached the pinnacle of the NJ

high school softball world by claiming their first Group 4

state title with a win over Washington Township.

“We went through a bumpy road that year losing a cou-

ple girls during the season,” said LaDuke. “I made some

decisions and kids didn’t like it so they dropped out.”

But the Lady Mustangs’ most historic run began when

pitcher Laura Tynio arrived on the scene in 1997. Clifton

won the league, county and section before getting its

revenge on Middletown South in the

group final to cap an undefeated 31-0

season.

Tynio, third baseman Boseski, short-

stop Stacy Veech and outfielder Aimee

Calise were named to the all-county

team. The junior hurler was 26-0 with

251 strikeouts, Veech was the county’s

best hitter with a .580 batting average

and Boseski hit .413 and made only one

error in her final two years on the team.

The magic continued in ‘98,

despite the departure of Boseski,

Veech and Calise. Tynio again led the

team to a perfect 31-0 season, defeat-

ing Cherokee in the state final.

Clifton became the first Group 4 soft-

ball team to win back-to-back cham-

pionships since Edison turned the

trick in ‘90 and ‘91.

The Lady Mustangs were victori-

ous in the first five games of the ‘99

season as well, before losing to snap

their stunning 67 game winning

streak. Clifton reached the Group 4

title game again in 2000, but the team

came up short against J.P. Stevens.

In 2001, the Lady Mustangs failed to

win 18 games for the first time in 17 years,

and Coach LaDuke was faced with a diffi-

cult decision at season’s end. He had been

offered a promotion to the position of ath-

letic director, but if he took it, he’d have to

resign as softball coach.


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but work on fundamentals during the season and then

play against great competition in the summer, it doesn’t

get any better than that,” Coach said.

Pitcher Diane Besser was the first high school kid to

play summer ball. With her arm, Clifton was able to

get over the hump and win its first NNJIL Division A

league title in 1987. “The toughest thing in the early

years was that we didn’t know how to win the big

games. We were always really close and all of a sud-

den, we knocked off a powerhouse and won a share of

the league,” said LaDuke. “We didn’t look back after

that and everything fell into place.” The team went 29-

1 in Besser’s senior season in ‘89, winning its first of

10 county tournaments. “She was our first state-quality

pitcher,” LaDuke said of Besser. “Pitching is the key

to softball and so we benefitted greatly once we had a

feeder program with pitching.”

Assistant Coach Goodwin established pitching schools

that produced a number of Clifton starters. After Besser,

came Dana DeVito, who LaDuke called the most domi-

nant pitcher in the program’s history. In her junior year

in ‘93, the Lady Mustangs reached the pinnacle of the NJ

high school softball world by claiming their first Group 4

state title with a win over Washington Township.

“We went through a bumpy road that year losing a cou-

ple girls during the season,” said LaDuke. “I made some

decisions and kids didn’t like it so they dropped out.”

But the Lady Mustangs’ most historic run began when

pitcher Laura Tynio arrived on the scene in 1997. Clifton

won the league, county and section before getting its

revenge on Middletown South in the

group final to cap an undefeated 31-0

season.

Tynio, third baseman Boseski, short-

stop Stacy Veech and outfielder Aimee

Calise were named to the all-county

team. The junior hurler was 26-0 with

251 strikeouts, Veech was the county’s

best hitter with a .580 batting average

and Boseski hit .413 and made only one

error in her final two years on the team.

The magic continued in ‘98,

despite the departure of Boseski,

Veech and Calise. Tynio again led the

team to a perfect 31-0 season, defeat-

ing Cherokee in the state final.

Clifton became the first Group 4 soft-

ball team to win back-to-back cham-

pionships since Edison turned the

trick in ‘90 and ‘91.

The Lady Mustangs were victori-

ous in the first five games of the ‘99

season as well, before losing to snap

their stunning 67 game winning

streak. Clifton reached the Group 4

title game again in 2000, but the team

came up short against J.P. Stevens.

In 2001, the Lady Mustangs failed to

win 18 games for the first time in 17 years,

and Coach LaDuke was faced with a diffi-

cult decision at season’s end. He had been

offered a promotion to the position of ath-

letic director, but if he took it, he’d have to

resign as softball coach.


The 1998 Lady Mustangs captured the program’s second straight Group 4 State championship with yet another unblem-

ished 31-0 record. Back row, from left, Tamara Tinijero, Kim Anzaldi, Danielle Brill, Candice D'Andrea, Jamie Anzaldi,

Jen Carlo, Amanda Bongiorno, Bobbi-Jo Gonnello and Megan Doci. Front row, from left, Kim Alongi, Ashley Gonnello,

Erin Burke, Lara Foster, Vickie Benitez and Jackie Barnes. And lying down in front is Laura Tynio. Photo Kathy Burke

It was already a difficult time in LaDuke’s life. His

father passed earlier that year and so he couldn’t discuss

the offer and the options with his most trusted mentor.

LaDuke spoke with some other people such as Coach

Hargreaves before deciding to take the A.D. job. “There

were lots of mixed emotions,” he said. “You want to

make the right decision for yourself and the kids.”

LaDuke’s assistant coach and former player Juliann

Magliarditi took over as head coach in 2002. He said she

was the perfect candidate to replace him.

“Who else would you want to turn it over to than

someone who already knows the pride of the

program?” said LaDuke, who finished with an

outstanding record of 467-86. The team struggled in

Magliarditi’s first season, though, finishing 16-10.

“There’s a lot of pressure to take over a program that has

been winning so much,” said LaDuke.

Magliarditi agreed. “Coach taught me everything I

know so it was an easy transition, but they were tough

shoes to fill,” she said. “Of course there’s always some

pressure because they have a reputation for being a great

team and Mr. LaDuke is a legend.”

The Lady Mustangs improved in Magliarditi’s next

three seasons, winning three league titles, two sectionals

and reaching the Group 4 final in 2004. But her dad died

in the spring of 2005, and that combined with the stress

of the position forced Magliarditi, a physical education

and health teacher at Woodrow Wilson Middle School,

to step down after the ‘05 campaign.

“It’s not easy to be a young coach in this town,” said

LaDuke. “Guys like me and Grecco and Vandy needed

20 years to develop a program. You got to give coaches

time.” Magliarditi, whose married name is DeLallo, was

replaced by Boseski, who had served as her assistant

coach. Veech became Boseski’s assistant. LaDuke said

it made sense that they would take over—because they

were the best leaders when they were on his team.

In 2007, in just her second year as head coach,

Boseski led the Lady Mustangs all the way to the Group

4 title game at Toms River North High School. And the

man who had taken the CHS softball program from an

embryonic stage to a state powerhouse was on the side-

lines to watch.

So LaDuke wasn’t surprised on June 9, 2007 when

pitcher Deanna Giordano and her defense escaped the

bases loaded jam in the ninth against Toms River East.

He wasn’t surprised when the Lady Mustangs scored

two times in the top of the 10th inning on RBI singles by

Kim Ferrara and Lindsey Moore to clinch Clifton’s

fourth group state championship.

But he was proud. “When I stood on that field, I saw

Cara and Stacey as coaches and I remembered them cel-

ebrating the same way as players,” said LaDuke. “The

program’s really come full circle.”


The Mustangs were a force on the baseball diamondin the early 90s, thanks in large part to the work of Victor

Stojanow. “Both my junior and senior years, we were

State Sectional Champs each year,” said Stojanow. “If

we would have won two more games we would have

been outright State Champs in Group 4.”

Playing both third base and outfield, he was a highly

decorated baseball player who got his start at an early

age. “I was probably like three or four years old, playing

with my dad in the backyard,” recalled Stojanow, who

grew up on Clifton Ave. “But I played organized Little

League when I was seven. I played for Northern

Division at Main Memorial Park.”

At CHS, Stojanow was a three sport athlete—football,

basketball and baseball. However, it was his skills on the

diamond that allowed him to be inducted into the Hall of

Fame. “Coach Pignatello ran these baseball camps in the

summer and I had gone to them for many years, starting

when I was about ten,” recalled Stojanow. “I believe the

team was good before I got there and certainly by my

sophomore year we had a great team.”

He only began starting on the mound at the end of his

sophomore year. “It was just great to make the team. I

was happy for any playing time I got,” he explained.

“The team was stacked with great juniors and seniors. I

got more playing time that summer because of the sum-

mer leagues and the Legion team.”

In his junior year, Stojanow exploded and his was rec-

ognized for his skills at third base. In his senior year,

Stojanow moved to outfield and enjoyed his best suc-

cess. He was named to various honors, including All-

State, and the team won another State Section

Championship.

“It was just a blur of success and winning,” he

laughed. “We played this one game in 1991 I think, it

might have been a County Championship game against

Hawthorne. We came from behind against this pitcher

who threw really hard. That

was a really intense game,

we just got a ton of hits at the

end and pulled it out.”

The memory is up there

with the honor of playing for

the New Jersey All Stars,

who lined up against a New York City All Star Squad in

Yankee Stadium.

“That was pretty amazing,” he said. “I remember that

Billy DeStefano just hit a ball that hit the left center wall

on a fly. It was a shot. The best shot of the day for sure.”

Stojanow said much of his success was due to his

coach. “What I can say for him is that he made it fun for

everyone,” he explained. “Obviously, a baseball team

in Clifton is going to have all different types of person-

alties. He got the best out of everyone in their attitude,

their focus on playing baseball and getting them to make

the most of their talent.”

“There was a pureness to it, a fairness. I think you

felt the kids who were the best and deserved to play

were the ones who played,” Stojanow continued.

“Everyone was as good as they can be because that’s the

coach Pignatello was.” After graduating, he briefly

played college ball at Cornell. Stojanow then attended

UPenn Law. He currently works as a corporate lawyer

for Deloitte.

CHS 1992, Baseball, Football, Basketball

Victor Stojanow


The biggest factor in Ed Curreri’ssuccess as an athlete was his

upbringing. Growing up in

Delawanna, the 1961 CHS alum

often spent his days playing ball

with friends.

For Curreri, sandlot ball was just

how he first learned the game and

made friends. Though he ultimately

ended up playing organized ball, it

was with his pals that Curreri really

honed his skills. It wasn’t until high

school, when the kid from

Delawanna was under the tutelage

of some great coaches, that Curreri’s

potential was realized.

‘We had great football teams.

Joe Grecco was the high school

football coach—very inspirational,”

he said. “He straightened me out

and I learned an awful lot from him.

Ed Sanicki, I want to say he played

baseball for Philadelphia was it? He

was an inspiration as well—it’s an

ex Major League ball player.”

It was on the baseball diamond

that Curreri truly excelled for

Clifton. As the team’s shortstop and

ace, he led the Mustangs and gar-

nered All State honors, in addition

to a number of memories.

“I was a pretty good pitcher and

was undefeated. In my junior year,

I first played against Nutley, which

had a great baseball team. I shut

them out and we beat them 1-0,”

recalled Curreri. “The following

year, we were pretty much playing

for the number one ranking in New

Jersey. They absolutely killed us. It

was the first time I ever really got

beaten badly.”

He began to doubt his skills. But

an intervention by coach Sanicki led

to a turnaround.

“I can tell you I lost my confi-

dence and everything else. But the

coach threw me the baseball and

said, ‘I know you can do it’,’” he

recalled. “I pitched a no hitter and

we beat them 9-0 and won the

Passaic Valley Conference

Championship.”

Though not as successful in foot-

ball as he was in baseball, Curreri

said he has plenty of memories from

his days on the gridiron under leg-

endary Coach Greco. “We played

Montclair and beat them like 36 to 7

or something,” he recalled. “Clary

Anderson, who was a famous coach

at Montclair, said on this given day,

that was the best football team he

had ever seen in high school. That

was a real honor.”

The memories he made while in

Clifton are something that Curreri

will cherish forever.

“I played with a lot of great ath-

letes. It’s a terrific honor to be

inducted into Clifton’s Hall of

Fame,” he said. “Not to demean my

college Hall of Fame, but I played

with better athletes in Clifton than I

did in college. It’s not a putdown.

It’s a terrific honor.”

Curreri attended Ohio Wesleyan

University after CHS. Now retired,

he lives in North Myrtle Beach in

South Carolina with his wife of 40

years, Susan. The couple has been

there for nine years and has two

grown children.


Eddie Joe CurreriCHS 1961, Football, Baseball


Robert Knight still remembers the

day that Varsity coach Emil

Bednarcik pulled him aside after

the JV squad finished their game.

Sweaty and heading to the showers,

he figured the coach was congratu-

lating him.

Instead, he was being sent out to

play a second game with the

Varsity. Knight never went back

down to JV.

That’s how the guard known as

Zeke started his Mustang career.

Knight, a member of the Class of

1958, went on to be named to the

First Team All Passaic Valley

Conference, All-County, and Group

4 All State Third Team.

Despite the accolades, Knight

actually picked up basketball late in

life. Growing up in Dutch Hill, he

honed his skills on the courts of

nearby Weasel Brook Park.

Occasionally, the group—which

included the likes of Johnny and

Joe Scangarella, Charlie Volbe and

Jack Hacinski—would play at the

Passaic YMCA.

However, it was all informal

play—there were no teams, jerseys

or refs. “We didn’t have any of the

things they have today, the midget

league and all that,” said Knight.

It was only when he entered

CHS in 1954 that Knight was able

to finally get more formal coaching

under Eddie Bednarcik, brother of

Varsity coach, Emil. He said he

took his training seriously.

“You were proud to play for

Clifton back then,” said Knight.

“You represented the Clifton

Mustangs. It was a big thing—you

had a Varsity jacket and you were

just proud to play.”

Heading into his sophomore

year, JV coach Bill Vander Closter

—better known as legendary foot-

ball coach Vandy—became

acquainted with his new player and

got him a job at Bubbling Spring

Lake as a life guard. In addition to

getting paid, Knight and his friends

got room and board.

“Coach Vandy was a manager

and used to hire a lot of the jocks to

lifeguard up there in the summer,”

explained Knight.

It was at this camp that the

Cliftonite picked up the nickname

Zeke.

“The little kids would all hang

around the life guard stand. I kept

on saying hey kid, hey kid!. I start-

ed calling them Zeke because I did-

n’t know their names,” said Knight.

“Coach Vandy and Dave ‘Moose’

Bossom hear me saying this all the

time so they start calling me Zeke

and brought it back to high school

in September.”

Back at Clifton, Knight’s career

was progressing. Coach Bednarcik

was impressed with his play and

called him up and the accolades

rolled in. Knight said that his suc-

cess was built upon his short time

with Coach Vandy on the JV team.

“He was the first to mold me as

a player,” he recalled. “I worked

for him in the summer. We had a

real good relationship. He was like

a father figure to me. I had no

father—he died when I was seven.”

After graduating in 1958, Knight

went off to Muhlenberg College.

He then transfered to the University

of Southern Mississippi. Knight

ultimately received his degree from

Fairleigh Dickinson University,

where he also played basketball.

Knight is currently living in

Virginia with his wife of 46 years,

Andrea, where he is a State Farm

agent. They have two grown

children and one grandchild.

Robert KnightCHS 1958, Baseball, Basketball

The Lady Mustang soccer teamhas evolved into quite a program

over the last decade or so, and Nikki

Krzysik might just be the finest play-

er ever to lace up for Clifton.

The 2005 graduate is not just a

great local talent, she’s one of the top

talents in the State of New Jersey,

and has received plenty of media

coverage to prove it. She grew up in

the Stallions program and rapidly

moving up. Before she even hit high

school, Krzysik was a 13 year old in

the Olympic Development Program.

The Cliftonite shunned soccer

powerhouse IHA for Mustang

Maroon, and became a star

midfielder/defender at CHS.

Krzysik helped lead her team to

several League and County titles,

and an appearance in the State Final

in 2001. She also racked up numer-

ous personal accolades over her

Clifton career, and was a Parademagazine High School All-

American. In addition, Krzysik was

a standout in track, particularly the

800 meter event, and was a four year

honor student.

After graduation, Krzysik

received a full athletic scholarship to

the University of Virginia. She cur-

rently plays for the Philadelphia

Independence of Women's

Professional Soccer and the U-23

US National Team.

Nikki KrzysikCHS 2005, Soccer, Track


The Lady Mustang soccer teamhas evolved into quite a program

over the last decade or so, and Nikki

Krzysik might just be the finest play-

er ever to lace up for Clifton.

The 2005 graduate is not just a

great local talent, she’s one of the top

talents in the State of New Jersey,

and has received plenty of media

coverage to prove it. She grew up in

the Stallions program and rapidly

moving up. Before she even hit high

school, Krzysik was a 13 year old in

the Olympic Development Program.

The Cliftonite shunned soccer

powerhouse IHA for Mustang

Maroon, and became a star

midfielder/defender at CHS.

Krzysik helped lead her team to

several League and County titles,

and an appearance in the State Final

in 2001. She also racked up numer-

ous personal accolades over her

Clifton career, and was a Parademagazine High School All-

American. In addition, Krzysik was

a standout in track, particularly the

800 meter event, and was a four year

honor student.

After graduation, Krzysik

received a full athletic scholarship to

the University of Virginia. She cur-

rently plays for the Philadelphia

Independence of Women's

Professional Soccer and the U-23

US National Team.

Nikki KrzysikCHS 2005, Soccer, Track


They were descended from Coach Joe Grecco and

Bobby Boettcher, nephews of the 1950s great stars Billy

DeGraaf, George Telesh, and Roger Fardin. They saw

their big brother Tom Papa crack his helmet during

Clifton’s last undefeated season in 1962, and flew along

with Gary Shenton in 1969, soaking in the crowd’s roar

at Clifton School Stadium.

They learned the Clifton style of play in Pee Wee

Football, and refined their game as members of Frank

Pecci’s Junior Mustangs. And, when it was their turn to

play for Clifton High, the 1972-73 players showed every-

one just how good a team could be.

In fact, they became the best there ever was.

“The 1972-73 teams were the culmination of all the

ones before them,” says their coach, Bill Vander Closter.

“I believe they’re the two most outstanding teams in

Clifton’s history. They didn’t have one star like Boettcher

or Telesh—they were a team with many stars.”

It’s hard to argue with Vander Closter. From 1972

through 1973, the Mustangs scored 708 points while

giving up only 70. The result was an 18-0 record, two

state championships, and a legacy that endures nearly

four decades later.

“I hope,” says Joe McGonigle, offensive lineman and

captain of the 1973 team, “that another Clifton team

comes along that’s even better than we were. I hope that

for Clifton.”

A nice wish, but an unlikely one just the same.

Clifton’s 1972 season started with uncertainty. Booted

out of the Passaic Valley Conference because of high

1972 & 1973 FootballTeams

A 2002 photo of some of the members of the only back to back undefeated Fighting Mustangs in CHS history. In front,

holding the ‘73 jacket is Bob Bais and Greg Wichot is holding the ‘72 jacket on the right. At center with trophy which

states ‘Clifton 9-0 Star-Ledger Poll #1 1973’ is Joseph McGonigle. Left rear, Charles DiGiacomo, Paul Nebesni, the

late Coach Bill Vander Closter and Dennis Mikula.

by Jack DeVries

Fighting Mustangs


enrollment, the Mustangs were ordered by the New

Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association to join

the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League to play

against Group IV teams. But, because of commitments to

play Garfield and Passaic through 1973, Clifton was

barred from contending for the NNJIL title.

Newspapers said Clifton would finally “get what’s

coming to them” against the bigger schools like

Bergenfield, Paramus, and Fair Lawn.

“When school started,” remembers 1972 offensive

lineman and team captain Dennis Mikula, “Principal

(Aaron) Halpern called me in his office and said princi-

pals of other schools told him they were going to wipe the

floor with Clifton.”

With Vander Closter calling the 1972 season a

“rebuilding year” in the papers, the talk of the NNJIL’s

tougher competition affected the players.

“That summer (before the season),” says Mikula, “a

bunch of us used to meet at night to work out. We’d go

over to the stadium, hop the wall, and run on the track,

even though we weren’t allowed to be inside. We had to

run two miles on the first day of camp and wanted to be

ready. We’d also run the stairs and do wind sprints—

sometimes even play a scrimmage.

“After working out, we’d talk about the new league.

We figured we’d be about 5-4.” Clifton started the year

by traveling to Fair Lawn and beating the Cutters, 25-7.

Junior quarterback Dale Oostdyk began his All-State sea-

son by throwing touchdowns to Bob Conrad and Rich

Forte. Junior running back Jim Jenkins scored on a three-

yard run, and Paul “Mooch” Millar blocked a punt and

went in for a TD.

Fair Lawn passed for a meaningless touchdown in the

fourth quarter. “After they scored,” says Mikula, “the

coaches made the decision that nobody was going to

score on us again.”

The next week, the Mustangs backed up their decision.

They shut out Wayne Valley, 27-0, ignited by an

Coach Vander Closter with Capt. Dennis Mikula.


85-yard punt return by John Cordasco, 28- and 38-yard

TD runs by Dom Fego, and another Oostdyk to Conrad

strike. Vander Closter’s talk quickly turned from rebuild-

ing to “shooting for the state championship.”

After allowing a late touchdown against their second

unit to Teaneck in a 49-7 rout, the defense began pitching

shutouts again. They beat the Paramus Spartans, 19-0,

with linebackers Denny Kleber and Millar both returning

after a bout with the flu to lead the defense, and blanked

Bergenfield, 28-0, at muddy Clifton School Stadium, led

by their “spiritual leader,” 5’4”, 160 lbs. defensive cap-

tain Joel DiOrio.

“I was quicker than everybody else,” says DiOrio, a

lineman. “Bergenfield lined up with a foot between each

lineman, so I shot the gaps and was in the backfield all

day. The whole defense had a great game.”

Vander Closter’s 4-4-3 defense was patterned after

Notre Dame University’s and built around his quick, tal-

ented linebackers—juniors Millar, Kleber, Ken Ritoch,

and senior Steve Weiss. Other defensive starters were

lineman Al Lisowski, John Prueh, Paul Nebesni, and

DiOrio, and defensive backs Fego, Cliff Miras, and

Mike Duda.

The offensive team was loaded with weapons, includ-

ing Jenkins, who ran for nearly 700 yards and seven

scores, and Oostdyk, who passed for 1,008 yards and 13

touchdowns that season.

“My being the captain,” says Mikula, “and Dale being

the quarterback, a player who is usually the team leader,

created an awkward situation. One day before practice, I

pulled him aside and said, ‘You’ve got to take control of

the team in the huddle. Don’t worry if a guy starts up with

you, I’ll back you. But you’ve got to start getting on these

guys,’ which he did.

“During one game, our line was doing a great job of

protecting Dale. His uniform was clean, and he hadn’t

been touched all day. But after one play, he comes in the

huddle and yells, “You guys better start blocking!”

Mikula quickly assumed his captain’s role. “I looked at

him and said, ‘Who are you to say that to us?’

Mikula’s response surprised Oostdyk. “Dale’s eyes

almost popped out of his head,” Mikula laughs. “When

he saw how angry I was, he pointed to Vandy on the side-

lines and said, ‘He told be to say that!’

Other offensive standouts included running backs Jeff

MacPeek, Craig Whalen, Pat Donahue, Cordasco, and

Fego, who led the team with 48 points scored, and junior

linemen Charlie DiGiacomo, Chris Conrad, and

McGonigle, and senior tackles Mikula and Nebesni. The

Mustangs also had a potent receiving core, featuring

Forte, Bob Conrad, and Jerry Andrewlavage, who starred

as the team’s place kicker and punter, arguably the finest

in Clifton’s history.

“An advantage we had,” says Mikula, “was our depth.

Most of us played only one way (with the exception of

Nebesni). Says Vander Closter, “We’d bring some of our

offensive lineman in for goal line stands, but they (the

offense and defense) were two different units. That was

also true of our special teams—we used different players.”

Though Vander Closter called Hackensack the “tough-

est game on our schedule,” the Mustangs rolled over the

Comets, 47-0, holding them to 26 yards rushing and 60

yards passing on their home field. With 4:05 left in the

fourth quarter, the Hackensack band played “Taps” in

surrender.

The next game featured a grudge match against

Passaic Valley. Some of the Clifton players had faced

Passaic Valley once before as members of the Christopher

Columbus freshman team. In a 1969 game, Columbus led

at halftime, 14-0, but PV came back to win.

“When they left the field,” says DiOrio, “they were

laughing at us. I had the PV game marked on my calen-

dar for the entire season.”

Dale Oostyk unleashing another long one.


PV coach Steve Gerdy realized his team had almost

no chance against the Mustangs. His game plan includ-

ed reverses, jump passes, and running the old single

wing offense—not seen since the days of Grecco’s

1940s teams.

Clifton was unimpressed with the nostalgia, blanking

PV, 44-0. The Mustangs gained 306 yards of total

offense, with Jenkins rushing for 95 yards and two touch-

downs—giving DiOrio sweet revenge.

“We rolled those guys,” remembers Oostdyk.

A 55-0 laugher over Garfield followed, setting up a

season ending contest against Passaic on Thanksgiving

Day, also Vander Closter’s 48th birthday.

Much of the town was at Clifton School Stadium for

the Passaic Game, which saw the Mustangs hammer the

Indians, 35-6. Despite the win giving the Mustangs their

undefeated season, the game remains bittersweet for

DiOrio.

“The play I remember 30 years later,” he says, “was

the long pass to (Ken) Slappy that went for a touchdown

on their first possession. That was the first points anybody

scored on our first-team defense. I tipped that ball as it

went by, but I didn’t get enough of it.”

Says Mikula about the play, “It was an icy field, and

our safety slipped.”

Based on their perfect season, the Tastykake Dunkel

Top Twenty rated Clifton as the best team in the state with

a 77.7 score, ahead of Summit, Brick, Westfield, and

Hasbrouck Heights. Oostdyk gained first team All-State

honors, Bob Conrad was selected to the All-State second

team, and Jenkins joined the pair on the All-Metropolitan

Team, with other Mustangs grabbing All-NNJIL honors.

For McGonigle, the 1973 season would have a strange

beginning. “Late in my junior year, I cut school,”

McGonigle remembers. “I got a message the next day

that Coach Vander Closter wanted to see me in his office.

I thought, ‘I’m dead—he must have seen me at the sweet

shop the day before.’

“When I got there, he said, ‘Congratulations, you’re

my captain for next season.’ I couldn’t believe it—what

an honor. I’d gotten about three-quarters of the vote.

Later, I found out that when Coach found out who’d won,

he told them to count the votes again. I think he wanted

either Denny Kleber or Dale Oostdyk to be captain, but

he got stuck with me.”

As captain, McGonigle says he got along well with his

coach.

“I respected Vandy,” he says. “It wasn’t until my sen-

ior year that I got to know him. As a sophomore and jun-

ior, he seemed kind of aloof—maybe that was his way of

maintaining discipline. But as a senior, we talked, and I’d

express my opinion if I felt something wasn’t right.”

Becoming captain also had a positive effect on

McGonigle.


“Having the responsibility of captain

thrust on me made me act differently,”

he says. “I had to set an example and

look after the guys. Anytime you get a

lot of recognition, it changes you,

and that season changed me.”

“Joe McGonigle,” says

Kleber, “was a good leader. He

wasn’t loud or pushy—he was

solid as a rock. He set a great

example in practice. He worked

hard and didn’t cheat. Everyone had

a lot of respect for him.”

Though many of his core players and

stars were returning, Vander Closter wor-

ried before the 1973 season about overcon-

fidence—reminded by the fate of another

Mustangs team a decade before.

Like the 1972 squad, the 1962 state

championship team had gone undefeated and

was a squad loaded with talented juniors. The

1963 Mustangs opened against Paterson Central,

a team they had whipped the year before, 49-6, ruin-

ing the coaching debut of Coach Joe Biscaha. But this

time, Biscaha wrecked Clifton’s hopes of another unde-

feated year as Central pasted the Mustangs, 20-7.

Clifton finished the 1963 season a lackluster 6-3.

“I thought about the opening of the 1963 season,” says

Vander Closter, “and might’ve even mentioned it a few

times to the team. The 1973 team was similar to the

1963 team in many respects, and I didn’t want

another opening game loss. But I probably wor-

ried about it a lot more than the players did.”

“We knew about the 1963 team,” says

Kleber. “The coach would tell us about all

the great teams and players of the past to

motivate us.”

The ghost of the 1963 Mustangs did

not bother the 1973 squad. They opened

the season by pounding Fair Lawn 56-24,

with Oostdyk hitting Fego on a 25-yard score

with only 1:40 gone in the first quarter. Jenkins

ran a kickoff back 88 yards and Fego added

two more touchdowns. Vander Closter told

reporters the team looked even stronger than

the 1972 squad.

“After the Fair Lawn game,” says

McGonigle, “a lot of us were quiet. We won,

but our defense had given up more points in

one game than we had all last season. They’d

come mostly against our second team, but we

were still disappointed.”

Jerry Andrewlevege on the carry.


Starting for Clifton’s 1973 defensive unit were line-

backers Ritoch, Kleber, Millar, and Allan Kanter; lineman

Karl Buttner, Pat Daly, Mike Molner, John George, and

Pete Dubniczki; and defensive backs Bob Bel Bruno,

Greg Wichot, and Ed Evers. The offensive starters were

linemen Charlie DiGiacomo, McGonigle, Chris Conrad,

Bob Lucas, and Chet Stuphen; receivers Ritoch and

Andrewlavage, and offensive backs Oostdyk, Jenkins,

Fego, Jim Radcliffe, and Bob Kuper. The team’s disap-

pointment was short-lived as Clifton settled into its famil-

iar routine of revving up before games, dominating oppo-

nents, and celebrating afterwards.

The pre-game routine went like this: The Mustangs

would blast the heavy metal music of Led Zeppelin and

Black Sabbath in their field house and pound in unison on

their lockers. Just before they would take the field,

Vander Closter would speak with the team, starting quiet-

ly, but building to a motivating roar.

“They were his ‘Knute’ talks,” says DiGiacomo of the

Knute Rockne-type speeches. “He’s get us so pumped up,

we were ready to run through walls.”

Vander Closter also used other ways to motivate his

players. “Near the end of the year,” says DiGiacomo, “he

would talk with the seniors. He might talk about the play-

er’s father or grandfather if they played for Clifton, or

simply thank the player for what they meant to the

Mustangs. It was very moving.”

Not all the players got ready the same way.

McGonigle prepared quietly, as did Oostdyk. “I didn’t

mind the music,” he says. “Using it to get psyched was

more of a lineman’s psychology. But I had to think about

what I needed to do before the game.”

After the game, the players had a standing invitation

for free hot dogs, burgers, and fries at the Red Chimney

on Route 3. The team, coaches, and cheerleaders would

go their after every game, the guests of Lou Trella, father

of former 1966 Mustang Ron Trella.

“It was hard to appreciate everything as high school

kids,” says Kleber, “all the glory, limelight, and appreci-

ation the city had for us. As I’ve gotten older, I realize

how significant those seasons were to people—my dad

loves to talk about those days.”

After beating Fair Lawn, Clifton silenced Wayne Valley,

21-0, on the strength of Jenkins 118-yard, two touchdown

performance and another stellar defensive effort. After the

game, Wayne Valley coach Ken Sinofsky refused to shake

Vander Closter’s hand at midfield because Clifton was

driving for another score late in the game. “You really

needed that last one,” Sinofsky said as he stalked off.

The charge of “running up the score” would dog

Vander Closter and Clifton throughout the season and was

played up by the Bergen Record. While Vander Closter

would tell the papers, “We’re like the Yankees—everyone

is out to beat us,” the criticism was hard to avoid.


“We were playing sometimes 60 to 70 players a

game,” he says. “You couldn’t tell the second team play-

ers to ease up—they wanted an opportunity to shine, too.”

Kleber agrees. “Our second teams were hungry,” he

says. “We scored a lot because we never wanted anybody

coming back to beat us.”

In the third game against Teaneck, Clifton romped to a

47-0 victory behind Jenkins’ four TDs and four intercep-

tions by the defense. The next game, after Bergenfield

took a 6-0 lead, the Mustangs scored the next 33 for the

win. A 40-8 dusting of Paramus followed, setting up a

match against 4-1 Hackensack, who had beaten undefeat-

ed Ridgewood the week before.

Like other teams that season, the Comets were no test

for the Mustangs. Behind the ferocious Ritoch—who

most consider the greatest linebacker in Clifton’s histo-

ry—the Mustangs shutout Hackensack, 34-0. Despite

suffering from tonsillitis the day before, Jenkins ran for

128 yards and three scores. “Jimmy Jenkins,” says

Vander Closter of the player who rushed for 1,113 yards

and 22 touchdowns in 1973, “was as good a running back

that ever played for Clifton.”

Passaic Valley (7-0) was Clifton’s next opponent, and

the newspapers predicted a tough battle. They were

wrong. Clifton rolled up 384 offensive yards and didn’t

punt the entire day, blasting the Hornets, 39-0 before

6,000 fans in Little Falls. Though Garfield played

inspired ball against the Mustangs in the next game, bat-

tling to a 0-0 tie until 2:35 remained in the first half,

Clifton won, 34-0.

Despite a damaged navicular bone in this throwing wrist,

Oostdyk again enjoyed another tremendous year, throwing

for 1,384 yards, completing 79 passes in 144 attempts, and

passing for 19 touchdowns.

The quarterback suffered the injury in a scrimmage

before the season started when

The 1972 Fighting Mustangs during their 20 year reunion in 1993. Third row, from left, Chris Conrad, Mike Molnar,

Bob Belbruno, Dennis Kleber, Greg Wichot, Dominick Fego. Second row, from left, Ken Ritoch, Paul Millar, John

George, Kyle Huziarski, Joe Mc Gonigle, James Jenkins, Bob Lucas, Karl Buttner, Bob Davis and Greg Pavan. Bottom

row, from left, Charles DiGiacomo, Lou Capuano, Coach Vander Closter, E. Chaky and Lischak.

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he was pushed and fell after completing a pass. Though

his wrist hurt for a week, he learned about the injury

later in the season when he was having trouble shoot-

ing baskets. His mother took him to the doctor, and the

injury was discovered.

“Before the PV game,” says Vander Closter, “I met

with his parents. They asked he be allowed to play

because the injury hadn’t affected his throwing. Because

they were supportive, I agreed.”

Clifton’s last game was their traditional match against

Passaic—“a scary game,” according to DiGiacomo

because so much was a stake. Clifton had a right to be

scared. With its shotgun offense, Passaic only trailed, 14-

12, at the end of the first quarter. But the Mustangs put

their fear to good use, rolling to a 75-12 victory behind

Jenkins four touchdowns’ and Ritoch’s three.

Besides the various honors for the Mustangs players—

including All-State selections for Oostdyk and Ritoch and

Kodak National High School “Coach of the Year” for

Vander Closter—the Mustangs finished as the Star-

Ledger’s choice for New Jersey state champion, scoring

379 points while giving up 50. The Tastykake Final

Dunkel Top Twenty also rated Clifton as the state’s best

team with a 90.1 score, good for third best in the nation.

The players give a lot of the credit for their success to

their coach and his staff.

“Vandy,” says Kleber, “created the environment, the

expectation to win.”

Says DiGiacomo of Vander Closter and his staff,

“There were never any negative comments, only positive

reinforcement—no yelling or screaming in your face.

Vandy and the other coaches talked to you as an adult.”

“What struck me about Vandy,” Oostdyk says, “was

the way he handled his coaching staff—Emil Chaky, John

Lischak, Joe Green, and Bob Roberts. They were strong

individuals, head coach material. But he was able to del-

egate and work with them, and they complimented each

other. They were a very cohesive group.”

As was the entire Mustangs team in 1972-73.

“We never believed,” says Kleber, “that anybody

could beat us.”

1972 & 1973 Fighting Mustangs from page 41


CHS 1994, Swimming, Baseball

Scott Orlovsky was a force for theMustangs on the baseball diamond in the

early 90s. The Cliftonite was the ace hurler

for the high school, racking up All-State,

All-Area and All-County awards for his

pitching prowess. Orlovsky was a true ball

player, capable of playing catcher or right

field as well. His love of the game was

fostered by his father, Dennis, who owns an

auto repair shop at the corner of Lakeview

and Piaget Aves.

“I really didn’t want to do it when I first

got signed up,” said the Hall of Famer, who

started around the age of five. “I really wasn’t very good

at all, but my father took me out and taught me. He’s

probably the reason for my success. I don’t think I

would’ve done it without his original prodding and fol-

lowing through.”

Raised in the shadow of Nash Park, Orlovsky grew up

with the game, and continued to play for various teams as

he attended School 12 and CCMS. But it was at Clifton

High School that his skills really emerged under renown

coach Paul Pignatello. “He knew a lot and was a great guy

to play for,” said Orlovsky, who also swam. “He was a

religious man; he would never curse. If he

got upset, he would substitute other words

for curses, but he had that personality where

you’d listen.”

It was under Pignatello that Orlovsky had

his greatest season as a senior, accumulating

numerous accolades including All-State hon-

ors. The Mustangs as a whole were a great

squad, compiling a 28-3-1 record and mak-

ing a deep run into the State tournament.

That entire senior season still stands out in

Orlovsky’s mind.

“I could not have accomplished an ERA

of 0.47 without the excellent defense that included Bob

Capo, Bob Lucien, Chuck Kline, Lou Magliarditi, Kevin

Dobko, Greg Rakvorian and Anthony Destefano,” he

recalled. “We gelled as a team and the entire team should

be honored for all of their contributions to the extraordi-

nary Mustang season.”

After graduation, Orlovsky attended John Hopkins

University, where he was inducted into the school’s Hall

of Fame. Orlovsky, now married with one child, current-

ly teachers history at CHS, and coached swimming for

over seven years.

Scott Orlovsky


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Batting CagesPro Shop

Lessons

Fall Sports ’10


Entering his seventh year at thehelm of the Fighting Mustangs,Ron Anello has left his stamp on

Clifton Football. The incoming

freshman are fluent in the team’s

huddle language, familiar with all the

nuances of Anello’s antiquated, yet

still effective Wing-T offense and the

stifling 4-4 defense.

“We’re reaping the benefits of doing

things at the youth level. The kids

coming up are all familiar with our ter-

minology. Some guys have been play-

ing for seven years,” he explained.

“We used to take three to do a play in

practice. Now it takes one.”

These are the little things that are required to build

winners. The difference between being a flash in the pan

and a perrennial contender.

“The attitude now is that last year is not who we are,”

stated Anello. The Mustangs finished 4-6. “We’re better

than our record was.”

And perhaps he’s right. Inexperience, injuries and ros-

ter changes plagued Clifton in the beginning of the sea-

son, but team closed out with three straight victories over

Hackensack, Montclair and arch-rival Passaic in the

annual Thanksgiving Day clash. Those teams aren’t

exactly doormats, and Clifton is returning a number of

younger athletes who earned a large maroon “C” in 2009.

Quarterback Pat Ferrerra has already logged two sea-

sons at the helm of the Varsity squad. Though the Wing-

T is designed to facilitate running, it will open up ample

opportunities for the junior to display his skill. That

should keep defenses honest due to the thread of junior

Andre McClain on the ground. “He’s real good,” added

coach. “He played as a sophomore.”

McClain will be the featured piece in Anello’s running

back stable—a concept the coach has utilized with suc-

cessduring his tenure. Junior Joey Chiavetta is another

strong back who is quick enough to also play defensive

back as well. Sal Farhan and Ryan Harrington, two more

juniors, will also be in the mix. Senior Angelo Mennucil

will clear holes at fullback.

The line is of the upmost importance in the Wing-T, and

one of Clifton’s strengths as the team returns three starters

in seniors in Mark Cruz (Sr., T), David Ricca (Sr., G) and

Chris Rogers (Jr., G). Senior Tom Trommelen has a lock

on the opposite tackle spot while center is a position bat-

tle, with senior Matt Vail having an edge over his class-

mate Juan Beltran and skilled sophomore Alex Tirado.

Anello plans to bolster the line by

regularly running a Jumo offensive

set as well, which allows the

Mustangs to hide their athletic tight

ends in a formation ty: Junior Timmy

Brown and seniors Josh Peralta and

Ahmad Alfawair.

“If we were to start the season

tomorrow, those three would have to

get in the game.” explained coach.

Wideouts will be led by returning

starter Alex Alicea. Although running

is the Mustang identity, Anello said he

is confident in his passing game and

will utilize spread formations to keep

defenses honest. Expect to see plenty

of Max MacDonald (Jr.) Mo Ramadan (Jr.) and John

Sunday (Sr.). Timmy Brown, a convert to TE, gives extra

flexability in this set.

Defensively, Anello has stuck to his philosphy of

building from the line first. “The D-Line, I think we’re

strong,” he explained, adding that many Mustangs play

two ways. “We’re young at linebacker and we’re experi-

enced but young in the secondary.”

The interior will be anchored by Tom Trommelen and

Diaa Khalil (Sr.), with senior Nick Drozjock coming in

off the bench. David Ricca and Chris Rodgers are the

senior anchors at end, and will be relieved by John

Sunday and Chris Acevedo, a sophomore who has

impressed Anello.

The linebacking core has potential, but is limited by

experience. Junior OLB Mike Naideck is the veteran,

with only three starts under his belt. Classmate Sal

Farhan (OLB) missed most of last season due to injury.

Anello said sophomore Joe Cupoli has greatly impressed

on the outside. The interior backers are junior Kevin

Martinez, Angello Menucci and Mike Duesler (Jr.).

Anello returns his entire secondary from the 2009

campaign. Seniors Ryan Harrington and Mo Ramadan

are the corners, with juniors Tyler Holmes and Andre

McClain waiting in the wings.

Max Egyed will once again be a ball hawk at free safe-

ty. The strong safety, which plays a signifigant role in run

stopping in the 4-4, will be Joe Chiavetta. Though slight-

ly undersized, Anello didn’t hold back in praising one of

his best two way players.

“You know guys who could probably play at a D1 level

if they were a bit bigger?” he said. “The kid’s got a 4.0.

He’s smart. He’s got heart. And he’s probably the tough-

est kid out there. He gets everything out of his body.”

Sept 11 @ PCT 7:00 pm

Sept 16 @ Teaneck 7:00 pm

Sept 24 Eastside 7:00 pm

Oct 1 Bergen Tech 7:00 pm

Oct 9 @ Ridgewood 2:30 pm

Oct 16 @ Fair Lawn 1:00 pm

Oct 29 Kennedy 7:00 pm

Nov 5 Don Bosco Prep 7:00 pm

Nov 25 at Passaic 10:30 am

Mustangs

FootballFootball

Stories by Joe Hawrylko


delete


In reaching its third State Final inthree years, Clifton is on the cusp of

high school soccer history.

“I believe Kearny’s teams in the

80s were the only ones to win four

straight sectionals,” said coach Joe

Vespignani, the maestro of each of

those prolific squads.

But the Mustangs have not had

much luck in the State Finals, only

emerging victorious in 2007.

“We talk very openly about it. It’s

important that we don’t make it an

obsession, but it’s certainly our

focus,” he said. “It’s a matter of

resiliency. It’s very easy for us to sit

back and say we tried.”

Vespignani shouldn’t have any

trouble motivating his players—for

many, this is the last shot at a Title.

“I think that’s the one thing that a

lot of teams may have not known

about us in the States, we’re one of

the younger teams,” he said. “A lot

of seniors are going on their fourth

campaign with me. Many are in

their third year. They all know the

rigors of the playoffs, and for the

most part, all they know is winning.”

Vespignani is confident that he

will once again have a balanced

team from the net out. Senior

Anthony Tsouhnikas returns after

logging a staggering 16 shutouts and

.54 goals against average in ‘09. He

was flawless in the playoffs except

for one goal in the final.

The stout defense is led by senior

centerback Joe Borrajo. He will be

flanked by Stephen Bienkiewicz,

heralded by coach as a premier

marking back. Junior Brendan

Guzman fits in on the backline or as

a defensive middie.

Matt Miazga, a sophomore who

trains at the Red Bull Academy, is a

talented and large defender who is

blessed with technical ability.

“There’s a big hole in the back and

we feel Matt can do it for us,” said

coach.

Mustangs

Boys SoccerBoys Soccer

Sept 11 Don Bosco Prep 4:00 pm

Sept 13 Passaic 4:15 pm

Sept 15 @ Eastside 4:15 pm

Sept 20 Wayne Hills 4:15 pm

Sept 22 @ Kennedy 4:15 pm

Sept 25 PCT 12:00 pm

Sept 27 Kennedy 4:15 pm

Sept 28 @ Bergen Tech 4:15 pm

Sept 30 Wayne Valley 4:15 pm

Oct 4 @ Don Bosco Prep 7:00 pm

Oct 7 @ Passaic 4:15 pm

Oct 11 @ Millburn 6:00 pm

Oct 15 Eastside 4:15 pm

Oct 19 @ PCT 4:15 pm

Oct 21 Passaic Valley 4:15 pm

Oct 26 @ Lakeland 4:15 pm

Oct 29 @ West Milford 4:15 pm

Mustangs seniors, top row from left: Joel Hernandez, Valdrin Seci, PaulJadamiec, Marcin Blazon, Igor Petrovic, Oscar Gonzalez and BrendanGuzman. Kneeling: Stephen Bienkiewicz, Anthony Tsouhnikas, JoeyBorrajo, Danny Herrera and Christian Castro.

Cont’d on page 52...


Senior Mustangs, top row, fromleft: Shannon Siedzik, ItatiAburto, Michelle Lima andMegan Ferrara. Seated: JamillaHemeid, Bianca Rodriguez,Elizabeth Finkler and ErykaBaez. Turn page for story.

Mustangs

Girls SoccerGirls Soccer

Sept 11 IHA 10:00 am


Sept 17 Holy Family Acad 4:00 pm

Sept 20 @ Wayne Hills 4:00 pm

Sept 25 @ PCT 10:00 am

Sept 27 Bergen Tech 4:15 pm

Sept 30 @ Wayne Valley 4:15 pm

Oct 2 @ Pascack Valley 11:30 am

Oct 5 @ IHA 4:15 pm

Oct 12 @ Watchung Hills 4:00 pm

Oct 14 @ Eastside 4:15 pm

Oct 19 PCT 7:00 pm

Oct 21 @ Passaic Valley 4:15 pm

Oct 28 Lakeland 4:15 pm

Nov 2 West Milford 4:15 pm


Midfielders include seniors Christian Castro (4g,

3a), Paul Jadamiec and Marcin Blazon. A key piece

will be senior Oscar Gonzales (12g, 11a), who can

play at midfield or attack. “He’s arguably going to be

the best player in the state this year,” said Vespignani.

“He’s had double digit goals every season and he’s

the reigning Passaic County Player of the Year.”

Also a factor in the midfield will be Jamie

Montero, a junior who returned to Clifton after

spending last year in Peru. Coach said Montero

would have started last year if present, and he expects

the junior to earn a prominent role.

Up front will be senior forwards Igor Petrovic

(10g, 5a) and Valdrin Seci (7g, 6a). Sophomore

Danny Herrera got time last year and coach expects

the underclassman to continue his progress.

“We just have to be very focused and

determined,” said Vespignani. “and we’ll get the

result that we want.”

It’s year two of the Stan Lembryk’s second stint with

the Lady Mustangs, and expectations are as high as

ever for Clifton.

“One of the things we’re tying to do is to create a

culture, a family culture,” said Lembryk, who has

coached for seven years total. He noted the constant

interaction between the boys CHS program and it’s

youth counterparts. Lembryk recalled his own

experiences as a young Mustang ball boy, dreaming of

one day playing with the big team.

“We’re tying in with our youth coaches and

traveling teams,” he explained. The coach has also

enlisted the help of former players who were with

Lembryk in 2001 when he coached the Lady

Mustangs to a State Sectional title.

“We’re using people who have been there before,

who know what it takes to get there,” he said. The

volunteer assistants include former players like

Mariana Moore-Tuesta, Amanda Fabiano, Annette

Bednarz and Jess Oliva.

Lembryk doesn’t want to win it this year. He

expects to be a major player every year going forward.

And so far, the pieces are in place.

Clifton completed its 2009 campaign with a 11-7-2

record and a County Championship before bowing out

in the State quarters. But after going that far with a

relatively young, inexperienced team, Lembryk thinks

that the Mustangs are primed for a deep run.

“Everyone buys into the team concept,” said

Lembryk. “It entails a good team defense, possession of

the ball and picking the right moments to go for goal.”

In goal will be Eryka Baez, who emerged as a

starter last year as a junior. She will be pushed for

time by juniors Mariana Rodriguez and carly Podula,

and freshman Rachael Egyed.

“Defense is one of our strong points,” explained

Lembryk. “We’re returning most of our starters.”

Seniors Michelle Lima and Shannon Siedzik will

anchor the back line, with support from juniors

Samantha Pedraza and Kimberly Douglass. Though

those are the likely starters for most games, Lembryk

added that he will not hesitate to bring in senior

Elizabeth Finkler or sophomore Katie Brody in relief.

“Everyone’s got a real strong concept of what it

means to be a team. They’re familiar with our

system,” he explained. “We have a lot of depth. It’s

definitely one of our strengths.”

Lembryk stated that number of talented athletes on

the backline and across the team as a whole will

enable him to deploy different tactics depending on

the opponent.

Seniors Itati Aburto and Jamilla Hemeid will

control the flow of the game from center midfield.

They will be joined by junior Gina LoBue, a returning

starter, and sophomore Delana Pasquale, who did

receive Varsity time last year. Lembryk said he

sometimes deploys dedicated attacking or defending

midfields, so certain girls may get playing time if the

Mustangs are ahead or deadlocked.

Those that will come off the bench for midfield

include junior Marissa Fragapone, sophomore Annette

Malysa and sophomore Shannon Guzman, who saw

ample time as a Varsity reserve as a freshman.

Lembryk is looking for the underclassmen to possibly

step up into a full time role this season.

Starting strikers will be sophomore Jenny Hornstra

and senior Megan Ferrara. Hornstra was the lone

starting freshman on the Lady Mustangs last year, and

Lembryk is expecting the underclassman to continue

to improve. Coming off the bench will be

sophomores Victoria Vale and senior Bianca

Rodriguez.

“We’re in a good league,” explained Lembryk.

“But I think we’re a good, balanced team. We’re

going to do well this year.”

Boys Soccer (Cont’d from page 50)

Mustangs Girls Soccer...


Top row, from left: Tiffany Astengo, Emily Guzman, Melanie Poplawski, Silvia

Siposova, Zeina Halwani and Nikoleta Sragova. Bottom, left: Callie Shanahan,

Melissa Merino, Meghan Fahy, Holly Kocsis, Renee Korczynski and Kelly Young.

Though not as successful as theprevious campaign, dropping to a

14-11 record in 2009, the Lady

Mustangs are poised for a big

rebound this season. Coach Mike

Doktor returns a number of

athletes, many of whom are still

underclassmen with Varsity

experience.

“We’re returning a lot of kids

who were sophomores,” explained

coach. He said he has eight jun-

iors on the roster. “A lot of them

got Varsity time last year.”

And it’s not as if the Mustangs

had a bad 2009 campaign by any

means. Dealing with a restruc-

tured league that gave the

Mustangs a much tougher sched-

ule according to Doktor, the team

finished second in the league

behind IHA—a perennial power

that has won the last three

Tournament of Champions.

“I really think that this year and

the next, we’re going to make

some very, very big strides,”

Doktor stated. Senior Silvia

Siposova, a setter, will be one of

the leaders on this year’s squad.

Nikoleta Sragova, a middle hitter,

is another key returning senior.

“We’re a good strong team all

around really,” explained coach.

Outside hitters include junior

Kelly Young and Melanie

Poplowsky, who Doktor described

as, ‘The toughest player that

you’ll ever find.” Poplowsky

garnered All-County honors in

2009. Junior Callie Shanahan will

also play outside hitter, as well as

defensive specialist.

One youngster to keep an eye

on is Emily Guzman, a 5’11

sophomore middle hitter.

“She’s going to be making

contributions,” said Doktor.

“She’s got a lot of talent.”

Junior Christine Peskosky will

line up at the opposite position.

Defensive specialists include sen-

iors Holly Kocsis and Melissa

Merino and junior Megan Fahy.

“One of the things we cell at is

that we’re a very good passing

and serving team,” explained

Doktor. “We won’t block

everything, but in girl’s volleyball

it’s more about being efficient and

not making mistakes than power.

We’re looking forward to a good

year.”

Mustangs

VolleyballVolleyball

Sept 13 IHA. 4:00 pmSept 14 @ Passaic 4:00 pmSept 16 Eastside 4:00 pmSept 20 @ Ridgewood 4:00 pmSept 21 @ Wayne Hills 4:00 pmSept 23 Kennedy 4:00 pmSept 24 @ PCT 4:00 pmSept 25 Clifton Tournament 9:00 amSept 28 @ Bergen Tech 4:00 pmSept 30 @ Wayne Valley 4:00 pmOct 2 Wayne Valley Tourn 9:00 amOct 5 @ IHA 4:00 pmOct 7 Passaic 4:15 pmOct 12 @ Eastside 4:15 pmOct 15 PCT 4:00 pmOct 19 @ Passaic Valley 4:00 pmOct 21 @ Kennedy 4:00 pmOct 22 Lakeland 4:00 pmOct 25 Ridgewood 4:00 pmOct 27 County Semis 6:00 pmOct 30 County Finals 7:00 pm


Just last season, coach JohnPontes seemed pretty convinced that

his boys were heading for a rebuild-

ing season. Even the girls, he was a

bit skeptical.

The records for 2009? The

boys:12-3 and the Girls: 11-4. Each

squad won its league, and was on the

verge of County glory as well.

Clifton just happens to be a city

where there’s a pipeline of young

runners eager to learn from one of

the sport’s coaching greats. People

like Pontes get the most out of their

athletes and it shows. Mustang

rebuilding years aren’t nearly as

harsh as they are in other cities.

“They’ve just gone through the

first week of practice now and it’s

gone real well,” said Pontes, who

credited his assistant Mike Rogers, a

CHS history teacher, with helping

him achieve that success.

The boys will be led by senior

Dan Green, who collected First

Team All-County honors in 2009.

junior David Monclova (Second

Team All-County) will battle with

senior Wojciech Losof for the sec-

ond position. Junior Ryan Dziuba

will also be in the mix.

Pontes is high on sophomore

Jessie Boria. “He was the freshman

County Champion,” said coach.

“We’re looking for him to move

right on up and be great for us.”

Other Varsity runners include sen-

iors Kevin Calalpa and Dylan Wong,

and sophomore Karol Oldziej.

The girls are a bit younger, with

Cross CountryCross CountryMustangs

Sept 11 at Eastside 10:00 am

Sept 14 Kennedy. 5:00 pm

Sept 17 Season Opener Inv 4:00 pm

Sept 20 Passaic 4:30 pm

Sept 25 Passaic County Inv 9:00 am

Sept 28 Passaic Cty Tech 5:00 pm

Oct 1 Maroon Invittational 3:30 pm

Oct 4 Bergen Tech 5:00 pm

Oct 13 Big North League 4:00 pm

Oct 22 Passaic Cty Champs 3:30 pm

Oct. 28 W. Milford & Manch 4:00 pm

Nov 6 State Sectional TBD

Nov 13 State Group Champ TBD

Nov 20 State Meet of Champ TBD

Some members of the girls cross country squad. Front, from left: Ektaa Rana,Priya Shah and Ana Carballo. Back: Indira Silverio, Kriss Zambrana, AmandaGreco and Felicia Castillo.

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sophomore Yuria Yuasa (First Team

All-County) coming in as the top

runner. Seniors Priya Shah (Second

Team All-County) and Indira

Silverio round out a solid top three.

The next four positions are up for

grabs. Pontes said senior Ektaa Rana

is a team leader and will see time.

Two newcomers are sophomores

Taylour Mauro and Gabriella

Gonzaga, who both run in the spring

and winter.

Other runners vying for a top

seven spot include seniors Ana

Carballo and Kriss Zambrano, junior

Jillian Swisher and Monika Miazga

and sophomores Elizabeth Los and

Ivone Boria.

“We’d like to contend for

everything we did last year,” said

Pontes. “They work hard and the

attitude is great.”

The boys cross country team.Front, from left: Ronak Pathak,Vatsel Shah and Dan Green. Back,from left: Kevin Calalpa, WojciechLosos and Dave Alburo.


After graduating his number oneand number three singles players,

head coach Chad Cole expects a

rebuilding year. However, the coach

said he has faith in the replacements.

Senior Ruchi Shah ended the 2009

season as second on the singles depth

chart and Cole believes the Mustang

co-captain will be number one.

Jessica Kunadia, a senior who

played doubles last year, will be one

of three Mustangs on the Varsity

singles roster, but Cole hasn’t

decided where his co-captain will

Sept 7 IHA 4:00 pm

Sept 14 @ Passaic 4:00 pm


Sept 21 @ Wayne Hills 4:00 pm

Sept 23 Kennedy 4:00 pm

Sept 24 @ PCT 4:00 pm

Sept 28 Bergen Tech 4:00 pm

Sept 30 @ Wayne Valley 4:00 pm

Oct 5 @ IHA 4:00 pm

Oct 7 Passaic 4:00 pm

Oct 12 @ Eastside 4:00 pm

Oct 15 PCT 4:00 pm

Oct 19 @ Passaic Valley 4:00 pm

Oct 21 @ Kennedy 4:00 pm

Oct 23 Lakeland 4:00 pm

Oct 26 West Milord 4:00 pm

Nov 2 @ PCT 4:15 pm

Mustangs

TennisTennis

play. Hemakshi Mandania, a junior

who was the number one JV singles

player in 2009, is the third starter.

Doubles teams have still not mate-

rialized. Cole will use a combination

of Seniors Hiral Patel, Anar Naik,

Divya Patel and Zalak Patel, and jun-

iors Marchela Stancheva and Payal

Handiwala. Coach said freshman

Natasha Mendoza looks to be prom-

ising. “I’m optimistic,” said Cole.

“A lot of the girls played over the

summer and everyone got better.”

Back row, from left: Anar Naik, Hiral Patel, Jasmine Lao and Divya Patel.Front: Jessica Kunadia and Ruchi Shah.

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It’s another year of turnover for

the gymnastics squad, but the team

has retained that contagious

optimism: Support each other and

everyone will improve.

“I always tell them, if you keep

putting effort in, you will get

better,” said coach Judy D'Argenio.

“We set realistic goals and our

scores get better.”

The coach relies on experienced

seniors like Nicolette Camacho (All

around) Maritza Domenack (Vault,

Bar, Floor) and Camille Buscar (All

around) to mentor younger gymnasts.

Other top Mustang gymnasts

include juniors Karina Rojasso (Bar,

Floor, Vault) and Kaitlyn McCracken

(Floor, Bar, Vault). Junior Gabriella

Cruz (All Around) sophomore

Simone Stilley (All Around) will like-

ly be Clifton’s top scorers this season.

Sept 13 @ Butler 5:00 pm

Sept 15 Wayne Valley 4:30 pm

Sept 22 Wayne Hills 4:30 pm

Sept 24 @ Indian Hills 4:30 pm

Sept 27 @ Ridgewood 4:30 pm

Sept 29 @ West Milford 4:30 pm

Oct 5 Pascack Valley 5:00 pm

Oct 13 @ Montclair 5:00 pm

Oct 15 Passaic Valley 4:30 pm

Oct 28 NJGL B @ W Milford 5:00 pm

Nov 1 PCCA Tourn @ WH 5:00 pm

The Mustang gymnastics team. Bottom, left to right: Nicolette Camacho,

Maritza Domenack and Camille Buscar. Second row: Karina Rojasso, Simone

Stilley, Gabriella Cruz and Kaitlyn McCracken. Third: Jacqueline Vasquez,

Carla Ayala, Samantha Rios, Bianca Greem, Yelitza Diaz, Samantha Ruiz and

Sally Duran. Top: Tatyana Genoves, Natalia Dymora and Martiza Santiago.

Mustangs

GymnasticsGymnastics



The three Mustang Cheerleading squads recently attend-

ed Pine Forest Cheerleading Camp where they learned new

cheers, dances, and stunts that they will use throughout the

year, reported Coach Christy Greco.

“While at camp Senior Samantha Sonzogni was named

a UCA All-American for the fourth year in a row,” coach

added. “Samantha displayed superior cheer, dance and

jumping skills in order to receive this honor.”

Clifton Cheerleaders received recognition in other areas

while at camp. “The Freshman cheerleaders were named

the most improved team at camp,” coach noted. “I’m so

proud of them... and the entire CHS cheerleading program

was awarded the Top Banana for the high level of spirit,

effort, and enthusiasm they displayed at camp.”

The cheerleaders started practicing the first week in

August. Veteran cheerleaders have been teaching the new

girls cheers, chants, and band dances as they prepare them

for the upcoming season. They have also been working on

improving other cheerleading skills such as jumping and

stunting. In addition to the seniors pictured above, four

juniors are also on Varsity: Katie Amoruso, Michelle

Antello, Laura Jaramillo, and Kelsey McGinley.

CHS Varsity senior Cheerleaders, rear from left: Julianne Lorenzo, Katrina Abdelhady, Nicole Villegas, ValentinaCorrea, Jamie Lynn France, Christy Zoecklein, Samantha Sonzogni, Erica Mason, and Lina Jaramillo. Front left: Brittany Murphy, Stefania Pica, Tracey Gomez, Bianca Madrigal and Stefanie Castanza.


m

m


They have been in camp finetuning their

marching and music, from fight songs to the

national anthem. Come Sept. 11, CHS

senior and this year’s Drum Major Kristofer

Alvarez will high step it onto the PCTI field,

leading the 72nd edition of the Marching

Mustangs. Other seniors include Ludelys

Acevedo, Brian Bender, Karina Carmichael,

Stephanie Cherico, Kelly Degen, Michael

Gabriele, Nicholas Gordon, Anthony

Gretina, Christina Ihle, Emily Komarczyk,

Maggie Larsen, Steven Loeber, Austin

Mancenido, Preeti Rana, Nicole Rhodes,

Dean Scordilis, Nicholas Surgent, Jay

Tailor, Andrew Tichacek, Allyson Wiles and

Amanda Zaccone. Under the baton of

director Robert Morgan since 1973, the

Marching Mustangs will also be seen at the

Clifton Halloween Parade, Clifton Veteran’s

Day Parade, North Jersey Band Festival

(Oct. 24) and the West Milford Tattoo show.

For more on the Showband of the Northeast,

visit cliftonmustangband.com.

Marching Mustangs


Pictured on these pages are seniormembers of the Marching Mustangs.


Clifton Arts Center @ 10Many governmental complexes in New Jersey serve a functional role – the

practicality is clear but the character is often sterile. The Clifton MunicipalComplex is a showpiece with art at its core. Start at the Clifton Arts Center and walkthe 26-acre site... the pulse of life is ubiquitous with a sculpture park containing theworks of 35 pieces located throughout the grounds.

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Have Clifton Merchant Mailed.$27/YEAR SUBSCRIPTION

Sorry but due to problems with Bulk Mail Delivery we no longer offer a $16 rate for Clifton Subscribers.

Since January 6, 2000, the Clifton Arts Center has

been a haven where Clifton celebrates the arts. Ten

years later, the board, staff, volunteers and community

look back to acknowledge the contributions so many

have made to make the dream of the Clifton Arts Center

a reality. “The Clifton Arts Center has truly become

Clifton’s millennium gift—a cultural gem in the heart

of our City,” wrote Director Roxanne Cammilleri.

To mark the 10th anniversary milestone, the CAC

will host a gala reception and fundraiser on Oct. 17 at 4

pm at the Upper Montclair Country Club. There will be

cocktails, tricky tray gift prizes, a buffet dinner, cash

raffle, cash bar, entertainment and presentations to a

individuals and organizations. The CHS Strings under

the direction of Natalie Babiak, will perform. Tickets

are $70 or $135 per couple; children ages 5 through 12

are $30. To purchase tickets or for more info, call

973-473-8122 or 973-472-5499.

Built in the early twentieth century and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places, the former location

of the U. S. Animal Quarantine Station has been skillful-

ly updated. The brick barns that serve as home to the

Arts Center have been joined together by a modern, airy

atrium creating a venue for visual and often performing

arts. Regular exhibit hours are Thursday through

Saturday noon to 4 pm and Sunday 1 to 4 pm.



Other North Jersey communi-

ties, such as Montclair and

Ridgewood, have long had a close

association with the arts. However,

Clifton is quickly moving ahead

through its unique partnership

involving public and private sector

promotion of the arts.

“The Clifton Arts Center has

enhanced the cultural landscape of

our community since we opened the

doors in 2000. For many years var-

ious groups and individuals always

thought, ‘why doesn’t Clifton have

a designated place for the arts?’ said

Jeffrey Labriola, President of the

Clifton Arts Center since its incep-

tion. “The opening of the Clifton

Arts Center answered that need and

has provided enjoyment and educa-

tion to the residents and visitors

from surrounding municipalities.

The Clifton Arts Center services the

visual needs of our diverse commu-

nity—children to adults.”

The 31 year-old resident who is

also a art teacher at CHS said he

believes the reputation of the com-

munity will only grow as more and

more people become aware of it.

“The arts need to be nurtured

and finally Clifton has embraced

that concept with open arms. The

arts center provides a haven in the

heart of our diverse community to

unite and celebrate the arts.”

The Clifton Public Schools com-

ponent was essential in the develop-

ment, he added. “We need Clifton

children to receive a full education

and the arts play an important role

for like skills. Each year the Arts

Center hosts many school groups—

particularly visits from advanced art

students in CHS.” In addition,

Clifton art students showcase their

work in the gallery each spring for a

six-week exhibit.

The Turkish Bath, a self portrait oil byJames Carlin was part of the first oneperson exhibit at the CAC in Feb., 2000.At right, an illustration by JacquiKiernan of Point of View, aka Cliff Hall.


Looking back 10 years or more,

Labriola said there were many who

contributed to make the CAC hap-

pen. “There was the DPW, and

companies such as Home Depot

and Athenia Mason and individuals

who have a deep love for the arts.

The Arts Center is the culmination

of a 20 year vision ever since the

city took ownership of the property

from the federal government.”

“The City Council played a

major role in supporting this proj-

ect,” added Labriola. “The leader-

ship of the late Dr. Jerry Raphael

for his tireless commitment in mov-

ing ahead with the sculpture park.

The sculpture park really provided

the necessary momentum for this.

We are also tremendously thankful

for the Clifton Association of

Artists, who have upheld a high

level of artistic quality in the city,

helping to lay the groundwork in

the formation of an Arts Center.”

Dr. Raphael served on the city’s

Beautification Committee and


played an instrumental role in advo-

cating the development of arts in

Clifton. He led the effort in the place-

ment of sculptures on the grounds of

the municipal complex starting with

the stainless steel piece entitled “One

City One Nation” by Miklos L. Sebek

which celebrated the multiplicity and

diversity of the city.

After that came the popular

installation of “Point of View” by

Seward Johnson. Showcased in front

of City Hall, the statue was of an

engaged citizen reading a newspaper

and it became a favorite of the com-

munity and was somehow renamed

“Cliff Hall.” After a few years being

exhibit here in Clifton, the piece is

now on a tour and being displayed at

venues across the world.

To begin to celebrate and thank

the many who contributed to the

success of the Clifton Arts Center,

the Board on Oct. 17 will honor the

following individuals and organiza-

tions at the 10th anniversary gala,

said Labriola. They include:

Clifton Association of Artists and its members were some of the biggest supporters from theconcept of a community art center. Many of the Association members have and continue toserve as CAC volunteers (Ralph Boult, Eugenia Gore, Marie Hyman and many others…).Clifton Beautification Committee was responsible for the Sculpture Park, incorporatedunder the auspices of the CAC in 1999. The Committee will be recognized for their vision of theSculpture Park, and continued efforts to make Clifton a more beautiful place in which to live.Clifton Community Band, under the direction of Bob Morgan, hosts a wonderful concert onour lawn each July. Their love of their respective instrument and respect for one another are afew of the reasons why we are recognizing this special group of arts minded individuals. Clifton Public Library Board last year generously assumed the salary of the Gallery Directorwhen the City was faced with the elimination of the position. Since the CAC has only has oneemployee the elimination of the director would have meant the closure of the Arts Center. Clifton Public Schools has partnered with the CAC since 2000 to promote and encouragethe arts within the school district. Each Spring the advanced HS art students display their workin our gallery and year round, students from the schools volunteer in the gallery as interns, andhelp out during art classes and other special events. Rich Ashton is the man behind the “image” of the CAC. In 1999 he won the Clifton Arts Centerlogo contest. Since then, he has been one of our most dedicated volunteers. Every postcard,banner, poster, and piece of graphic material produced for the Arts Center has been created byRich. He is a humble and sincere man who is always willing to help us. Rich is to be applaud-ed for this beautiful work. Without Rich, the image of the Clifton Arts Center would not be asdefined and recognizable within the community and beyond.MaryAnn Baskinger, recently retired Clifton Schools Supervisor of the Fine and Performing ArtsK-12, has served on the Advisory Board and non-profit boards since 1998 and is dedicated, car-ing and wants all of Clifton to recognize how fortunate it is to have its own arts center.” Al Greco worked with the founding CAC board members in 1998 on the development andopening of the Arts Center. Now City Manager, Al has great pride in his contributions to the ArtsCenter and will be recognized for his ability ‘get things done’ in a practical and timely manner.”Gloria Kolodziej is an essential reason for the opening of the Arts Center. Although not a visu-al artist herself, Gloria can ‘see’ the beauty when it isn't there. As a longtime City Council mem-ber, she is responsible for the formation of the Arts Center Advisory Board Her vision for a morebeautiful Clifton is seen throughout town but significantly with the Sculpture Park and the CAC.


Clifton Historian Don Lotz has curated an exhibit at theCAC entitled Clifton’s Walk… Through History. Usingphotographs, artifacts and memorabilia from decades past,Lotz (pictured here with a map of Beantown, the Valley Rdarea) and members of the Clifton Historical Commissionhave created a highly personal tour of our community’s his-torical and chronological past.

“Stroll through Clifton’s history starting from its naturalbeginnings following a chronological walk up to the firstdecade of the 20th century,” wrote Lotz. “The projectexhibition is to help increase the City’s historical identityand create a special view of early Clifton life before Cliftonwas incorporated as a City.” The exhibit opens on Sept. 22,and will be on display through Oct. 30. A reception open tothe public is on Sept. 25, from 1 to 4 pm. Admission

donation/ fee is $3 fornon-members.

Gallery hours areWednesday throughSaturday, 1 to 4 pm.Group tours areavailable by appoint-ment. For more infogo to www.clifton-nj.org or call theClifton Arts Centerat 973-472-5499.


What’s That Buzz on Lincoln Ave?Story and photos by Joe Hawrylko

It’s somewhat unsettling to think about if you’re a bitskeeved by bugs. Over 60,000 bees in a hive that’s

probably a shade under three feet tall—a massive swarm

of honey producing insects, armed with stingers, boarded

on two sides by normal looking, suburban backyards.

But in reality, these winged insects are hardly a menace

to society. The bees peacefully dwell in the backyard of

Brian Eromenok Sr., an amateur beekeeper who got into

the hobby two years ago after retiring from the Clifton

Police Department, a job he had for over three decades.

Eventually, his son, Brian Jr., a 2002 CHS graduate,

developed interest and their collection has grown from

one to over a dozen hives, including four in Clifton and

several more in Vermont. Beekeeping—also known as

apiculture—is a hobby that requires little time investment.

“The less meddling, the better,” explained Eromenok

Sr., who maintains hives locally at his home, his mother’s

home off of Lexington Ave., the Community Gardens and

Richfield Farms. “Normally, you’re just checking up on

it once a week or so.”

But the reward is plentiful. Hives can yield several

pounds of sweet honey and beeswax, which has a number

of uses. The insects’ stingers can be used in holistic med-

icine. And, most importantly, apiculture provides shelter

for these vital insects, which have had a massive decline

in population, much to the dismay of gardeners and farm-

ers who rely on bees pollinate plants.

Getting started was simple. Looking for ways to pass

the time in retirement, Eromenok heard about beekeeping

(also known as apiculture) and his wife, Cindy, paid for a

weekend crash course at Rutgers University.

Armed with knowledge, he enlisted the help of his son

and mail ordered a queen and 10,000 workers from a farm

in Georgia.


“I figured someone’s going to have to be the heir to the

beekeeping throne,” laughed Eromenok Jr.

Next, the Eromenoks purchased the foundation for the

bees to build (the boxes at left, known as Langstroth

hives) which contain removable frames. These frames

have a wax honeycomb outline that induces the bees to

build to a certain size or shape, depending if the slide is

for honey, or if it is a brood frame for eggs and larve.

Ideally, brood frames are at the bottom, as to not disturb

the queen when collecting honey.

After the initial set up, which costs around $200, little

maintenance is required.

“They’re so self-reliant,” said Eromenok Jr. “They

take care of themselves. It’s like a utopian society.”

With ample food sources, the hive will grow at a reg-

ular rate, with additional Langstroth boxes providing

room for expansion. Weekly maintenance is all that is

typically required, with the work usually being limited to

rotating frames or checking to ensure that no wax moths

or parasites have infiltrated the hive. The bees can even

survive with little assistance in the winter, as the insects

huddle together for warmth.

The basics are easy to grasp, but nuances take time to

learn. It takes experience to recognize that a queen is

about to leave with half of the hive in a swarm.

“The most time consuming part is processing the

honey,” said Eromenok Jr. To do that, frames with honey

cells are removed and the caps scraped off. The frames

are then placed in a large cylinder, which spins rapidly

and draws the honey out into a collection bin. The emp-

tied frames are then placed back in the hive for reuse.

Honey production naturally rises in May and June,

when flowers are plentiful. However, prolonged rain can

inhibit collection and as a result, slow hive growth. But

after the storms, a spike is usually seen.

Output and taste is also effected by the type of plant—

the Eromenoks with a blend of flavors they’ve dubbed

wildflower. Commercial keepers will sometimes pair up

with a farmer to pollinate a crop field and the honey takes

on the a flavor reminiscent of the plant primarily used.

“We put a hive in a blueberry field in Vermont,”

recalled Eromenok Sr. Apiarists like him are essential to

those in agriculture, as the feral bee population in the

United States has drastically declined in recent years.

“California is looking to get people to come and polli-

nate its crops. They lost almost $1 billion,” explained

Eromenok Sr. “Even in Clifton, I’ve noticed more bees

since we’ve placed the hives.”

The type of bee used also effects everything from

honey yield to pollination rates. Locally, the Eromenoks

use Italian bees, which are hardly aggressive even when

provoked—Brian Jr. often does his regular inspection

barefoot, with nothing more than his suit top on.

In Vermont, the Eromenoks use Russians, which

aren’t as inviting to guests but have a higher yield.

Ultimately, the father-son duo would like to turn this

hobby into a profitable side business through pollination

and wax and honey production, and the abundance of

space on their cabin property is ideal for keepers. Honey

and other products can be purchased at Richfield Farms

or by emailing [email protected].

Bees also hold a medicinal value, which Brian Jr. has

been experimenting with. Most often, apitherapy is

associated with the use of bee venom.

“It’s a holistic thing, kind of similar to acupuncture,”

said Eromenok Jr, who has experimented on friends

with minor muscular issues, with positive results. “It’s

good for arthritis and multiple sclerosis, as well as

inflammation. You won’t really see any results until the

second or third visit. When it swells, that’s positive.”

However, the focus for Eromenok and his father is

on the turning the hobby into a business. But in the

mean time, they are quite happy with their hobby.

“All it takes is a couple of square feet in your back

yard and you can be a beekeeper,” said Eromenok Sr.

‘That’s the idea, to turn it into something profitable, but

if all we get out of it is enjoyment and some honey,

that’s good too.”

?

Brian Eromenok, Sr., and his son Brian hold the waxframes that are in the Langstroth boxes, which make thehive foundation.


On Sept. 25, men will walk side byside with women from the NJ

Coalition for Battered Women and the

Prosecutor’s Office in protest rape,

sexual assault and gender violence.

The march will begin at 11:30 am

(registration is at 10 am) at Jubilee

Park. Men are encouraged (but not

required) to wear women’s shoes. Donation is $50 for

adults and $25 for children. According to Frank Baird,

founder of the march, one in three women has experi-

enced gender violence in her lifetime and a woman is

raped every 90 seconds in America. For more info, call

Theresa Bivaletz, DVRT Specialist at the Passaic

County Women’s Center, at 973-881-0725, ext. 16.

9/11 Remembered: There will be two events commem-

orating the terrorist attacks on this country in 2001 that

took the lives of nine Cliftonites: Edgar H. Emery,

Edward C. Murphy, Kyung ‘Kaccy’ Cho, Ethesham U.

Raja, Zuhtu Ibis, Francis Joseph Trombino, John P. Skala

and brothers Timothy and John Grazioso. On Sept. 10,

members of City Hall will meet at the on-campus memo-

rial for a moment of silence. That evening at 6 pm, rain

or shine, there will be a complete name reading of all of

the victims from the attacks. For info, call Mayor Jim

Anzaldi at 973-470-5757.

In Loving Memory of our Founder

Joseph M. Shook, Sr.March 15, 1924 - June 9, 2008

Shook Funeral HomeInc.Over 55 Years of Service,

Still Proudly Family Owned & Operated

639 Van Houten Ave • Clifton973-471-9620

Roy B. GarretsonManager , NJ Lic.#3550

Nancy Shook GarretsonPresident, NJ Lic.#3657

St. John Kanty Picnic, Sept. 12

Beginning at 1 pm, enjoy delic

ious piero-

gi, golumbki, kielbasa and mo

re, served at

the Parish Center on Speer Ave.

, just off Van

Houten. Outdoor Grill, Games

of Chance,

White Elephant Booth, and a Su

per 50/50

Raffle. Fun for the kids in

the School

Parking Lot & Live Music!

Athenia Street Fair, Sept. 19

Pony rides, a petting zoo, am

usements

and great food are among th

e attractions

at this annual event. Stroll

Van Houten

Ave. to shop, enjoy the day a

nd meet old

friends. There is also a classic c

ar show and

entertainment by Brookwood

& Total Soul.

In case of rain, the Street Fair is

on Sept. 26.

We’re proud to be in the heart of Clifton—

on Van Houten Ave—and hope to see

you in Athenia at these two events!

Susan Bivaletz helps her husband Steven get into apair of high heels. Also wearing pumps for the causeis Bryan McGuire.


Fr. Raphael Zwolenkiewicz, pastor

of St. John Kanty Church, is the

2010 Marshal of the Passaic-Clifton

contingent of the Pulaski Day

Parade. He will be honored at the

73rd Annual Sash Night on Sept 19.

at 3:30 pm at the Polish-American

Cultural Center, 1-3 Monroe St.,

Passaic. Tickets to this semi-formal

event are $40 and include a buffet.

For tickets, call 973-777-5149.

The 24th Annual St. NicholasParish Picnic is Sept. 12, from

noon to 8 pm at the church, 217

President St., Passaic. Tickets are

$3 per person—children under 16

are free—and open up a world of

culture, fun, entertainment and food.

Liquor will also be available. There

will be a 50/50 cash with five prizes

as well. St. Nicholas will celebrate

its Centennial Jubilee on Oct. 24

with a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at

1:00 pm, followed by cocktails and

dinner at 4 pm. Call 973-471-9727

or go to www.stnicholasucc.org.

The Ukrainian Orthodox HolyAscension Church Annual Picnicwill take place on Sept. 19 at noon on

the grounds of the Broad St. parish.

Call 973-471-8131.

Fr. Raphael Zwolenkiewicz, pastor of St, John Kanty Church


Who knew that going green was as good for your

business as it is for the environment?

Gary Sciarrino, the superintendent of East

Ridgelawn Cemetery, is now reaping the benefits of the

solar array that was recently installed on his Delawanna

burial plot.

The 79 acre property, which includes Sciarrino’s

office and living quarters, the crematory, mausoleum

and maintenance garage is entirely powered by the sun.

Three solar stands—each comprised of 25 individual

panels—sits on low lying corner of the property near

the East Ridgelawn entrance on Main Ave.

Solar energy has been around for a number of years.

However, advancements in technology have improved

efficency, and the sheer amount of grants available at a

local, state and federal level have spurred a renewed

interest in going green.

“We’re a non-profit, so we have to put money back

into the business,” said Sciarrino, who has been at East

Ridgelawn since 1989. “We were looking for ways to

cut our electric bill. We had thought about it before in

the past and the solution was to go green.”

Solar installs can be expensive investments—this

project ran some $250,000—but the return on

investment is quick. Depending on the size of an array,

solar energy can pay for itself within half a decade.

When planning such an investment, it’s important to

carefully search for a reputable company that will

thoroughly explain the different options and help find

funding through grants. A good company will also

make sure the right array is installed. Sciarrino opted

for a ground unit after his installer determined that the

cemetery buildings, which date back to 1905, would

not support a roof array.

“We checked out a few different companies before

we settled on Bysolar, a company out of Denville,”

explained Sciarrino. He added that the selection was

due to the price, customer service and the quality

materials used, which originate from Germany.

Nationwide, governments are pushing for businesses

and homeowners to go green through various grants.

New Jersey is one of the leading states in the Green

Race, second in installed capacity next to California,

and because the Garden State pays homeowners the

Power fromthe Heavens


East Ridgelawn Cemetary joinsthe solar powered movement.

The Dutch Hill ResidentsAssociation opens this season with

a meeting on Sept,. 16 at 7:30 pm.

Join and participate in a discussion

of community information related

to this neighborhood and Clifton as

a whole. Meetings at the Family

Federation, at the corner of De

Mott Ave. and Second St.

Refreshments will be served. For

information, call 973-365-2577.

New Jersey Music and Artspresents Fall Fest 2010, a

celebration of the season with

performances of music, drama and

dance at the YM/YWHA on Scoles

Ave. on Nov. 7 at 4 pm. Among the

performers will be the New Hope

Players and the Kennedy Dancers.

For tickets, call 973-272-3255 or

go to http://njma.homestead.com.

The Second Annual History Dayat Lambert Castle is on Oct. 2, 10

am to 5 pm at Lambert Castle on

Garret Mountain. Hosted by the

Passaic County Historical Society,

representatives from the society’s

Genealogy Club, the Passaic County

Film Commission, the Clifton Arts

Center, The Manor and Forges of

Ringwood, the Long Pond Iron

Works, the North Jersey Highlands

Historical Society, the Hamilton-

Van Wagoner House, The Botto

House, The Paterson Library, Coro

D’Italia, town historians and other

groups will present literature, arti-

facts, storyboards and books about

their corner of the county’s history.

Free Call 973-247-0085, ext. 200.

The Clifton Community BloodDrive will help to insure that the

transfusion needs of area patients

will be met. The drive is on Sept. 20,

from 5 to 8 pm at the Allwood

Branch Library, 44 Lyall Rd., in

cooperation with Community Blood

Services. Any healthy individual,

age 17 through 75, and weighing at

least 110 pounds can donate blood.

Donors should eat a moderate meal

before donating and must bring iden-

tification showing signature. All

donors receive a complimentary

cholesterol and glucose screening

with every blood donation. A free

tee shirt will also be given out. Call

201-251-3703.

Send us news and notes on yourcommunity events. Mail files and

info to [email protected]

or call 973-253-4400.


most in the nation for solar renewable energy credits—

essentially cash for energy produced.

“We got a state rebate,” he explained. “We didn’t get

a federal rebate because we’re a non-profit. If we were

profit, we would get a third off of our income tax.”

Bysolar has calculated that the investment will pay for

itself within seven years. “The company helps with that

stuff, figuring out how long it will take to pay off with

grants,” he explained. “That’s what they sell you on.”

In total, it took two months to construct the array,

which was finished in mid-August. Sciarrino says he’s

already noticed a lower bill from PSE&G, which buys

back his excess energy. Overall, he’s satisfied with

green technology.

“Once it’s installed, there’s no maintenance,” he

stated. “You really just put it there and forget about it.”

Clifton’s Jenny Sichel is thecoxswain on the crew team thatwill represent the United Statesat the 2010 World RowingChampionships in LakeKarapiro, New Zealand laterthis month. Sichel graduatedCHS in 2008 and was the DrumMajor of the MarchingMustangs among her manyaccomplishments.


The Passaic-Clifton Chapter ofUNICO National recently presented

10 scholarships, a total of $7,000 in

awards this year. Chapter President

David D’Arco is proud when the

chapter can award or donate to the

school children of Passaic and Clifton

or to local charities. “This was

UNICO founder Dr. Anthony

Vastola’s dream back in 1922... to cre-

ate an Italian American service organ-

ization to engage in charitable works,

support higher education, and perform

patriotic deeds. That’s what we are

doing here, giving back to the com-

munity which has given us all so

much.” For info on UNICO, write to

[email protected]. UNICO

will also host its Columbus Day

Fundraiser with the Clifton Stallions

Soccer Club. A Pasta Dinner/Tricky

Tray is on Oct. 1 at 6 pm. Tickets are

$20 and live music will be performed

by Clifton’s own, Kayla’s Krew and

Brookwood. Call Dave D’Arco at

973-685-7479 or Stallions President

Bobby Cardillo at 973-614-1694.

Alumni from CHS classes from

1971 through 1974 host a reunion on

Oct. 30 at the Regency House Hotel

in Pompton Plains. The $85 ticket

includes cocktails, buffet dinner,

dessert, entertainment and an open

bar from 7 pm to midnight. Visit

www.chsreunion71-74.com or call

Bill Geiger at 973-557-3613 Diane

Gangi Ohland at 973-284-1054.

The Passaic High School Classesof 1964 and 1965 will host a com-

bined reunion on Oct. 9 at the

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Fairfield. The

event will run from 7 to 11 pm. For

info, call Charles Cannata, PHS ‘64

at 973-773-7769 or Paula Rudolph,

PHS ‘65, (973-339-9102 or by email

at [email protected].)

It’s a massive challenge—weighingin at 80,000 pounds to be exact. On

Sept. 12, teams of up to 20 individu-

als will compete in the The Knights

of Columbus 0645 Tank Pull, which

is from 8 am to 4 pm at Oak Ridge

Park on Clifton Ave. Chair John

Hughes said the primary goal of the

Tank Pull is to raise awareness and

funding for troops coming home.

“Guys are coming back and they

need support, they need jobs and they

need friends,” he explained. The

Knights are still seeking volunteers

to assist with the event, or to donate

additional funds. It’s also not too late

to sign up a team for the Tank Pull.

To help out, call 973-472-0061 or

visit www.tankpullkofc.org.

Tifereth Israel, 180 Passaic Ave.,

Passaic, offers a new and used cloth-

ing sale on Sept. 5, from 10 am to 6

pm. There will be a selection of

skirts, suits and winter jackets, plus a

great inventory of back to school

clothes and jackets for boys and girls

of all sizes - all below $20. For info,

call 973-953-7892.

Clifton’s Anthony DeSomma was

named All-Colonial States Athletic

Conference (CSAC) Second Team

Designated Hitter after hitting .391

(43-for-110), with 24 runs, nine dou-

bles and seven home runs for the

Centenary College Cyclones. He led

the team with 42 RBIs, the second-

best single-season mark in program

history. He slugged .664, walked 15

times and recorded an on-base per-

centage of .451. Defensively he tal-

lied a 1.000 fielding percentage with

76 putouts and eight assists.

DeSomma was just as successful off

the diamond. He received ESPN the

Magazine/Cosida Academic All-

District 2 First Team and the CSAC

All-Academic Team accolades and

earned Dean’s List honors for both

the Fall and Spring semesters.

The Boys and Girls Club of Cliftonhas announced the Class of 2010

inductees to its Hall of Fame. They

include: 1950’s: Al Carline and John

Gogick. 1960’s: Kent Bania and Ed

Welsh. 1970’s: Tom Di Donna, and

Gary Hughes. 1980’s: Rob Haraka

and MaryAnn Goodwin. 1990’s:

Jennifer Paci and Steve Sokolewicz.

2000’s: Nicole Krzysik and Chris

Karcz. They will be feted at the

Club on Oct. 22 from 7 to 11 pm in

a catered affair with music, food,

nostalgia and more than a few tales

from the past. Advance tickets are

$40. Call 973-773-0966 for info.

Super Double Session Bingo Game on Friday, September 10th with a $6,000+ cash prize payout. Call Joe Holmes (973) 773-0966 ext 21 any time or Linda (973) 773-2697 ext 34 during bingo hours.

END OF SUMMERTIMEDOUBLE HEADER

Friday September 10th

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBOF CLIFTON

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Chris Liszner is on the CHS 1961 50th

class reunion committee and writes: “We

are hoping to do a then and now digital

presentation of all our favorite places and

the changed places in Clifton since 1961.

We’d like to get photos of kids at Poppy’s,

School 7 and 10 and other locations. Can

you and your readers help?” The digital

slide show will be presented at the

reunion on Oct. 14, 201, at the

Bethwood. To attend and for more

details, send your information to CHS

Class of 1961, PO Box 3749, Wayne,

NJ 07474, call 973-650-2719 or email

at [email protected].

Many who attended CHS

between 1958 and 1968

remembers Poppy’s. In fact, the milk

bar and luncheonette (pictured above

in 1970, but today where the Bizub

Quinlan Funeral home is) became

such a popular spot that it was fea-

tured in Seventeen Magazine, a

national publication geared to

teenagers.

Teachers, parents, local politi-

cians, and folks from all walks of life

were drawn to the place by the home-

made ice cream, milk shakes, burgers

and fries served up by Poppy’s staff

of attractive young waiters and wait-

resses in starched white shirts and

aprons. No doubt about it, Poppy’s

was the place to go in Clifton.

We’d love to do a story on

Poppy’s but other than this one pho-

tograph Bob Zschak provided, we

have none. We know that many of

you Mustangs gathered there after

school, following football games or

after a Saturday night date.

So if you have special memories

and photographs you’d care to share

of Poppy’s, please share them with

us. Call 973-253-4400, send to the

address above or mail them to us at

1288 Main Ave., Clifton, NJ 07011.

Ice Cream fromPoppy’s?


Fernando Rossi Scholarship Fundand Alumni Game: Severin

Palydowycz may be called the

granddaddy of Clifton soccer, but

Fernando Rossi (pictured above)

was the coach who took the program

to new heights.

Upon his arrival in 1978, the

Italian-born coach molded Clifton

into a perennial state powerhouse.

His tenure was marked by a stifling

defense and a talented, opportunistic

offense. Rossi’s grand achievement

may be the 1994 team, ranked num-

ber three in the United States.

Leading up to his 2001 retirement,

Clifton remained a force on the pitch,

winning five consecutive Passaic

County Championships. His final

record stood at 353-95-51, but there is

no count of the number of hearts he

touched, both as a coach and an educa-

tor at CHS where he taught Italian.

Friends and family will honor

Rossi, who passed away this past

February at the age of 60, with a

memorial unveiling on Sept. 25 at

1:45 pm at the Varsity field following

the regualr season game.

After the ceremony, an alumni

match will follow. Former Mustangs

are asked to participate and donate to

a new scholarship fund in Rossi’s

name. Contact Coach Stan Lembryk

at [email protected].

Michael Capwell...............9/1Allison Di Angelo .............9/2Bill Federowic...................9/3Dave Gabel ......................9/3Jennifer Martin .................9/3Sharon Holster..................9/4Joseph Shackil .................9/4Eric Wahad .......................9/4Christy Gordon.................9/5

Mohammed Othman .......9/5Ana Stojanovski................9/6Greg Martin......................9/7Helen Albano ...................9/8Eddie Bivaletz ..................9/8Shannon Carroll................9/8Geoff Goodell ..................9/9Annamarie Priolo..............9/9George Andrikanich .......9/10Nicole Moore .................9/10Ronnie Courtney ............9/11Tammy Csaszar...............9/11Andrew Orr ....................9/11

Amanda Ellen Garretson & Gary Francis Sardo will wed on October 2 at St. John Kanty Church.Cheryl and Carly Hawrylko share a September 12 birthday. Mom turns 52 and Carly is 15.


Birthdays & CelebrationsSend dates & [email protected]

Belated Birthday Greetingsto Tom Tresca who turned22 on August 24.

y

TOM - DOYOU KNOW THIS PER-SON??? The son sent itlast year. make sure she’snot deceased or delete it.

Alexandra Krynski turns 8 on September 12 whileher sister Olivia will be 5 on September 26.

Andrew Shackil...............9/11Lee Ann Doremus ..........9/12Wayne Funke..................9/12Naoma Martin ................9/12Sarah Bielen ...................9/14Anthony Dorski ..............9/14Jayde Gouveia-Hernandez..9/14Emily Duchnowski ..........9/15Manny Monzo ................9/15Stacey Corbo .................9/16Nancy Ann Eadie ...........9/16

Joe Genchi .....................9/16Jaclyn Scotto..................9/16Cindy Murcko.................9/17Kathleen Gorman...........9/18Amanda Meneghin ........9/18Dawn Smolt....................9/18Daniel Smith...................9/18Gloria Turba ...................9/18Mickey Garrigan.............9/19James Graham ...............9/19Rickie Ojeda...................9/19Louis DeLeon .................9/20

Sgt. Darren Kestercelebrates his 30th Birthdayon September 7.

Happy Anniversary to Mike& Karen Hrina onSeptember 20.


1036

Sara Gretina ...................9/21Lynne Lonison ................9/21Annamaria Theresa Menconi..9/21Peter Skoutelakis............9/21Valerie Carestia ..............9/22Beverly Duffy ..................9/22Timothy St. Clair.............9/22Keith Myers ....................9/23Brian Salonga .................9/23Brian Engel.....................9/23Pam Bielen .....................9/25Deanna Cristantiello.......9/25Donato Murolo...............9/25Corey Genardi................9/26Saverio Greco.................9/26Richard Van Blarcom ......9/26

Kenneth Chipura ............9/28Barbara Mascola ............9/29Thomas E. Moore...........9/29Mary Perzely...................9/29Lauren Hrina...................9/30Ryan Lill ..........................9/30

Happy Birthday to LizTresca who will turn 18 onSeptember 8.

Happy Anniversary toJim & Anna Shubert whowill be married 12 years onSeptember 11.

Dorothy Knapp turns 75 on September 12.


Brook Van Beveren’s worldchanged this past Junewhen the 23

year old learned that she was diag-

nosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Now, the community is coming

together to support the 2005 CHS

graduate and her family through this

time of need. The Clifton VFW Post

7165 on Valley Rd. will hold a

fundraiser on Sept. 19, from 10 am to

2 pm. Paulison Avenue ShopRite

owner Rafael Cuellar is among those

donating goods and services, includ-

ing carving stations, salads, fruit plat-

ters and refreshments. Tickets are

$20. Proceeds will help alleviate the

numerous costs associated with the

various procedures. Van Beveren is

currently enduring her third

chemotherapy session. After one

more, she is scheduled for 37 radia-

tion treatments. For more info, call

973-523-9762.

Motorcycle Ride for a Cure: The

Phenomenal Grandmothers 1036

Ride for the Cure to benefit chil-

drens cancer research is on Sept.

12. However, riding isn’t neces-

sary to participate. Donations are

as follows: Riders $25, passengers

$15 and non-riding supporters $25.

Registration starts at 12:30 pm and

send off will be at 2 pm from City

Hall, 900 Van Houten Ave. A com-

plimentary hot Italian buffet will be

awaiting upon return. For info, call

973-253-9579.

The Passaic County 200 ClubBeefsteak Benefit to honor local

police, fire and EMS workers is on

Sept 27 at 6 pm at The Brownstone.

Entertainment will be provided by

Uncle Floyd and while it is a lot of

fun, the group is the first on the

scene in the event if a public safety

officials is killed or injured. Tickets

are $60. Call 973-733-0777 or visit

www.pc200club.org.

The Dutch Hill ResidentsAssociation Flea Market is on

Sept. 18 at Weasel Brook Park on

Paulison Ave. Spaces are $35 if

reserved prior to Sept. 8 and $40

after; cash or check accepted. The

event runs from 9 am to 4 pm. Call

973-413-5007 or 973-470-0679.

The First Presbyterian Church,303 Maplewood Ave, will host a

fish and chips dinner on Sept. 17

from 5 to 7 pm. The event will be

catered by Tastefully British.

Tickets are $12.50 and $7.50 for

children. Take-out orders and walk-

ins welcome. Call 973-523-1272.

sds

Tomahawk Promotions

1288 main avenue

Clifton, nJ 07011

PRSRT STDUS Postage

PAIDPaTeRSon, nJPeRmiT no. 617

Clifton Merchant Magazine - September 2010

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Transcript of Clifton Merchant Magazine - September 2010