Knapp Legacy of Service

On February 27, 1960, the day my mom and dad married, they opened R.F. Knapp Roofing. It was a bold move for Dorothy and Richard. But over six decades later, I’m proud to cel ebrate the 63rd anniversary of our family business.

While my brother and I worked together until his death in 2014, I proudly continue our family business. On this page I wanted to share a few photos...and let you know how much the Knapp Family has appreciated your support and trust over these six decades.

At right, in 1990 that’s my family just before my dad died... at the bottom is Richie, a great Skipper and Fisherman...and at right, that’s mom and me in 2007, supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton....

Thank You, Clifton!

- Don Knapp

Members of the

1966—The Girls Club was founded by Donna Aiello, a first for New Jersey. Charles Manella, pictured right, helped support it, offering his East First St. address as the first home of the Girls Club in August. The first official home of Girls Club was 1241 Main Ave. Eventually, the Girls Club purchased their own building–an old post office on the corner of Van Houten and Mt. Prospect Avenues.

1968—A provisional membership certificate for the Girls Club was issued by the national organization.

1970—Full membership for the Girls Club was granted.

Mark Peterson

Chick Barnes

Jalmari Vanamo

Judi Niebuhr

1970s

1974–Dolores Colucci was named executive director of the Girls Club in July. 1978–Clifton’s first after-school day care program is opened at the Girls Club, with 30 children.

A time when the Boys Club tag line was ‘The Club that beats the streets,’ the Clifton Club remained true to its traditions.

The club featured ‘Gym & Swim’ programs as well as its wood shop classes, its ‘802’ room for teen members and the traditional Turkey shoot, Santa House, Winter ‘Penny’ Carnivals, and family movie and Bingo nights.

Camp Clifton in Jefferson Township was in its second decade of serving over 500 day and overnight campers. It was directed by the Golden Chiefs, Severin Palydowycz and Thomas ‘Doc’ Fedor.

The Boys Club membership ranged between 1,500 -- 1,800 youth, with the boys always outnumbering the girls 2 to 1. The club’s operating budget was several hundred thousand dollars and funds came from the United Way, its Annual Golf Outing at the Upper Montclair County Club, Bingo, the Annual Appeal and raffles.

In the early 1970s, the Seahawks competitive swim team, led by coaches Joann Rean and Bill

O’Neill, competed in the New Jersey SwimLeague. In 1976, the club started the Winter Indoor Soccer League, WISL, serving 500 athletes and 48 teams in 6 divisions

The club’s competitive basketball teams traveled to compete against the Garfield, Paterson and Newark Boys Clubs. In 1979, the Teen Center and Social Hall opened to expand services to better serve teens. The Social Hall turned into a community fund-raising hall, which was home to beefsteaks and Chinese auctions. The Teen Center became the place to go for many of Clifton teens.

Clifton