Clifton Merchant Magazine - April 2003 by Clifton Merchant Magazine

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Clifton Merchant Magazine • Volume 9 • Issue 4 • April 4, 2003

1185

Community Schools

Last month, we asked the City Council their opinions on various issues facing the City of Clifton. This month, we asked Clifton residents…

Traffic

Quality Schools

Smart Growth

Appointed or Elected?

Change

Taxes

State of the City

Affordability

Overcrowding

Quality of Life

Rebuild Downtowns

What are You

Thinking

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Difficult Cases May Be Longer.

Dr. Christopher Kutney, DMD Director Dr. Richard Poller, DMD Dr. Vivian Chiu, DDS Dr. Sammi Yeung, DDS Dr. Cory Wanatick, Spec #3888 Periodontist Michael Ayoub, Spec #5147 Orthodontist Andrew Maron, Spec #3814 Oral Surgeon

…on our cover We recently asked the politicians and

APRIL

2003

now we’re asking your neighbors:

inside…

what are you thinking about the big issues facing Clifton? From quality of life topics, to investment in our schools, as well as their position on an elected

What Are Residents Thinking? . . . . . . . . .9-24 Board of Education Candidates . . . . . . .26-34

appointed

Board

Education, a vote which occurs on April 15, we asked a variety of questions. The interviews begin on page 9.

CHS Spring Sports Preview . . . . . . . . . . .37-44 Home Improvement Headquarters . . . .46-52 2003 Optimist Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55-61 Betty Gochman Retires . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62-64

Aboard the USS Kitty Hawk pg. 70

Hamilton House History . . . . . . . . . . . . .65-68 Operation: Iraqi Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . .70-73 Clifton Veterans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 People & Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76-77 Support Sylvia Hyra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Made in Clifton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Cycling, Clifton Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 CHS Academic Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

School Board Elections

April 15, 2003

Clifton Merchant Magazine is published monthly at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400

900 Readers Say:

No More Housing! Petitions with dozens of signatures still come in daily. The message is clear: Clifton is too crowded—we need to stop overdevelopment! And if the Mayor and Council cannot legally enact a moratorium, what will they do to stop the granting of variances which lead to overbuilding? To the Mayor and City Council of Clifton, New Jersey. We, the residents of the City of Clifton, are concerned that the construction of any additional new residential buildings will over-burden our existing schools, roadways and city services, and have a negative impact on our quality of life. This petition, made by Clifton residents, requests an immediate moratorium on the construction of any new residential buildings within the City. Gabriele Abdelhady Charles Alexander Diane Alexander Jennifer Alexander Tom Alverso Yoln Alverso Carol Amoruso Mary Anderson Kathleen Annichiarico Katherine Aquino Nanette Armenta Adelle Autos Romerita Ayala Patricia Azevedo Susan Barchuk Krystle Barcia Judith Bassford Keith Bassford Lisa Bate Robert Bate Mary Bazar Loretta Beirne C. A. Bell Rita A. Bell Jean Belski Eileen Beltran Cheryl Bender Barbara Bendlin Eva K. Bendlin Robert R. Bendlin Marie Benfante Joanne Bennett Ray Bennett 4

Claudia Bergen Kevin Bergen Pam Bielen Steve Bielen A. Bizub Frank Bizub Francine Block Christopher Bloetjes Joan Bloetjes Robert Bloetjes Margaret Bolcar Kevin Brady Sherry Brand Crystal Brannen Donald Brown Naryse Brunett Betty Bsarany Joseph G. Bsarany Helen Bua Mildred Bucco Robin Buchan Frances Buongiorno John Buongiorno Blanche Burke Robert F. Busha Amparo Caamano Anthony Campanile Carol Campanile Lillian P. Cantor Beverly Carey James Carlin Maria Carparelli Jeanette Casiello

April 2003 • Clifton Merchant

Nick Casiello Doris Champy Joan Cheini Maureen Christie Carmela Citero Samuel Citero Abigail Clavijo Dawn Collo Lydia Collo Dorothy Constantin George Contreras Dolores Coremin Lee Corritore Diane Coyle Paula Cruz Chris Cullen Edward Curtin Florence Curtin Linda D’Alessio Linda Dandorf William Dandorf Lorraine DeFeo Angie Degen Scott Degen Maria J. DeGraaf Alice A. DeLiberto Robert DeLiberto Robert DeLillo Jim Del Papa Lois Del Papa Patricia DelTerzo Irene DeLuca Dorothy De Peri

Roman Derivolkov Doris DeVries Emily Diamond Peter Diamond Jennie DiLonardo John DiLonardo Claire Di Nicola John Di Nicola Dominick Di Paolo Julia Di Paolo Roger Di Paolo Steve Ditzig Agnes Donohue John Donohue Kenneth Draney Carol A. Drape James Duddleston Karen Duddleston Stacia Dudra David Duffy Lisa Duffy Matthew J. Duffy Dorothy Dutko Beth Egyed Doris Engelbrecht Josephine Errico Felina C. Evangelista Donna Falsetta Donna Falsetta Ruth Faria Louise Fasano Faye Fazio Andrea Fenelon

JoAnn Ferry Patrick Ferry Jim Filippone Michelle Filippone Mary Ann Finn Melva Finn Joseph Fisher Ramona Fisher Tom Fisher Eleanor Florian Rich Friedhoff Ellen Friedman Frank C. Fusco Joseph P. Gabel Doris Galofaro Andrew R. Garcia Lisa Garruto Ardell Gaudreau Arthur Gaudreau Emma Gaydosti Keri Gerlach Jules Gesco Mary Giacobbe Mary Giannetti Violet Gil Marie Giunta Mario Giunta Dorothy Glinkin Howard Glinkin Josephine Gnozzio Mary Godri Francesco Gomez L. Gomez

Thomas Gordon Judith M. Gorny Pauline M. Gostyla Charlotte Grabler John Grace Marion Grace Donna Gradzki Michael Grasso Mark D. Green Clementine Gulla Evelyn Gulywasz John Gulywasz Estelle Hallick Ramona Hallick Josephine Hamer Raymond Hamer Denise Hammer Harry Haring MaryAnn Haring Katherine Harlak Hildegard Hartung Luisa P. Hatem Madeline Hatem Marcelle Herlan Joan Hewitt Darin Hirst Rose Hobler William Hobler Janice Hoogmoed Robert Hoogmoed William Hotz Karen Hrina Mike Hrina Ronald Huber Doris Iannicelli Thomas Iannicelli Irene Ignay Antoinette P. Jacobus Clifford Jacobus Lillian Jacobus

Thomas R. Jacobus JoAnn LaGala John A. James Lillian La Gala Julie James Philip La Gala Joseph Jandura Jeanette Laky Irene Jaremkof Bernice Laugel Joy M. Jaspar Louis Laugel Rita Jonas Ruth Lay Michael Kalincsak Lucille Lehmkuhl Toni Karaginnis Marguerite Lehmkuhl Anne Kasni LouAnn Lesenko Frank W. Kasper Sherry Lesch Irmgard Kasper Anthony Lewis Ralph Kasper Gladus Lewis Abraham Kaufman Angela Ligos Dawn Keiser Domenic LoMarro Anne Kellman Rosemarie LoMarro Evelyn Kemp John Lopez Nicole Kerns Robyn Sue Lord Cynthia Kester Janina Lukas Robert Kester Rose Marie Lyons Albert F. Kircher Thomas Lyons Sr. A. J. Kiviecinaki Mary Macejka Leslie Klingler Beverley Mariso Michael Klingler Richard Mariso Barbara Koehler M. J. Martinique Robert Koehler Amy Martino Kathleen Korczynski John Martino Donna Kosnatowski Dawn Mascelli Arnold Kostomaj Hanna Masse Ernestine Kostomaj Leonard Masse Tiffany Kostomaj Fred Mattheiss Rosa Koulovits Lydia Mattheiss Janemarie Kovarcik Julia Maurer Paul Kovarcik John Maxwell Jean Koziar Judy Maxwell Michael Kranych Artie Maydel Anna Krauze Grace McEwin Marion Krieger F. A. McGuire Rob Krieger Gladys McGuire Barbara McMahon Helen Kubik

The city is overdeveloped! The schools are overflowing and the taxes are out of control. The streets are dirty with litter. We need more people to care about what is going on and to get actively involved in city matters. A lot of us care, but we need to make our voices heard and correct some situations ASAP! Thank you for this effort! Helen Kubik With all the empty buildings on Bloomfield Avenue, why couldn’t one of them be renovated into a school instead of building a new one? We better hope they put a traffic light at the new Acme on Allwood Road. Getting out of Styertowne there now is a death trap! Cynthia Kester Thank you Tom and staff. We are so lucky to have you and your great magazine. No More Housing! Traffic and schools are already clogged! Angela & Domenic Puleo

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eDiToR & PubliSHeR Tom Hawrylko buSiNeSS MaNageR Cheryl Hawrylko aRT DiReCToR Fabian M. Calvo WRiTeRS Jack DeVries, Joe Torelli, Kevin Grasha, Christopher Sadowski, Devon McKnight, Paula Zecca Clifton Merchant • April 2003

I was confused with conflicting statements from Councilmen Ed Welsh and Frank Gaccione in response to questions posed to them last month. Gaccione spoke about the Athenia Steel site that ‘the city would like to use for open space and recreation’ and supported the development of Athenia Steel for industrial or commercial use. Welsh stated that ‘we are building 125 units (for senior citizens) on the Athenia Steel site. We’re all very proud of it.’ Does Welsh have inside information that Gaccione does not? Elizabeth Czyzewski Over the last few years, we reported that the council has plans to develop the 35-acre Athenia Steel site into a total of 250 senior units, several soccer and baseball fields and walking trails. The 125 units Welsh mentioned are the first phase; work was supposed to begin last September but it did not; we’ve heard that it will actually start in April. No timetable exists for completion of the second 125 units of housing, nor the ballfields or open space. Gaccione has gone on record as being opposed to those plans. The city agreed to purchase the land in 1999 for $5.5 million but does not have total access to the 35 acres; there are a number of reasons for that—financial, legal and environmental—and the deal is so strange I would need Geraldo Rivera on staff to investigate it. Tom Hawrylko 6

April 2003 • Clifton Merchant

Lisa Meltzer Rosetta Mendoza John Mendyk, Jr. John G. Mendyk III Lisa Mendyk Henry R. Menegus Wm. H. Middleton Dorothy Mikalovic Stephen Mikalovic Mary Miskevich Pam Mitthauer Ida Moissinac Patricia Molinaro Angela Montague Ed Montague Doris Monteita Kathy Moore Maryann Morgenfruh Michael Morgenfruh Robert Morgenfruh Gregory R. Motta Robert Motta Zita L. Motta Alicia Munoz June Muska D. Mycek Meena Naik Carolyn Neubauer John Neubauer Kathleen Neubauer Michael Neubauer Dolores Nichols Julia Niejadlik Sigmund Niejadlik Helen Niemos Lottie Nieradka Josephine Obser Robert Obser Regina O’Neill Mary Oresido Mary Orlando Karen Osellame Sarah Otto Joseph M. Patti Joseph N. Patti Marie Patti Patty Pavick Marilyn Perez Emily V. Perovic Edward J. Petersen Alex Phillips

Nancy Phillips Allyson Piccolo Mira Piszczalko Thaddeus Piszczalko Helen Podmokly Stephen Podmokly Evelyn H. Post Bob Prendergast Jean L. Pressner Patie A. Pressner Frank Puglise Michele Puglise Susan Puglise Angela F. Puleo Domenic B. Puleo Barbara R. Quinlan

Michael D. Rice Robert Riggi Valerie Riggi Rob Rigolosi Terry Rivera Diane Robinson Patricia Rodio Jocelyn Rodriguez Judith A. Roe Alvaro Rojas Carol Roscoe Henry Roscoe Peter Rosolen Agnes Ross Gladys Rowens Daria Rudakewycz

Jere Quinlan Patrick Quinlan Rose Rabkin Carol Ragnoni Dolores Randall Harry Rater Julia L. Rater Peggy Recchia Denise Regalado Joann Reitz Michael J. Ressetar Nancy Ressetar Tanya Ressetar Allie L. Reynolds Mark V. Ricciardi Karen A. Rice

Lydia Rudakewycz Walter Rudakewycz Paul Russell Pat Russo Peter Rymut Gary M. Sabak John Sabak Marie Sabak Mary Salensky Mary Salerno Catherine Samarati Joanne Samarati Robert Samarati Christina SanAngelo Sandra SanAngelo Eunice Sanfilippo

Pat Santiago Anthony Scangarello Terry Scartelli Helen Scelba Andrew Schimpf Ellie Schimpf Robert Schimpf Mathilda Schmitz Dorothy Schneider Kristi Schneider Tom Schneider B. Scholock Raymond Schulle Elisabeth Scolamieri Michael Scolamieri Joe Scotto

Susan Scotto Ann Semchak Mary Serino Joe Serk Alice Seyka John Seyka Kristin Seyka Helen Sgambat Marguerite Shackil Herman Shapiro Ruth Shapiro Caroline Shaw Walter Shaw Louise Shoemaker Bella Sidoti Bob Sidoti

Donna Sidoti Jeff Sidoti Karen Sidoti Tom Sidoti Elsie Siems Mary Skelly Cindy Skiba Gregory Skiba Marie Skowronski John Slivinsky Beatrice H. Smith H. Smith Steve Smith Victor H. Smith Daniel M. Sony Eleanor Sovich

Bryan Muvillo-Stasiak Christina Stefanelli Helena Strzeszewska Edyta Stypula Ashley Stys Joyce P. Sunshine Ed Suscreba Mary Sutak Al Swan Danielle Swede Ron Swede Alice Talamini John Talamini Barbara Tarzillo Joanne Telep Christianne Tempio

Diane Tempio Kathy Terza Sandra Thieme Helen Tokar Eugenia Tomasinski Zozislaw Tomasinski Emma Topps John Topps Mario Toro Patricia Toro Lee Traina Karen Trujillo Josephine Tufano Kathryn Urciuoli Mary Valentino Robert Vanderhoof Marie A. Van W a l l e g h e m Albert Vaxmonsky Betty Vaxmonsky June E. Verhulst Morton A. Verhulst Concetta Vitale Pearl Vozzellla Denise Wahad Beverly Wardell Jon Wardell Claire Wasdyke Mary Weckesser B. Welsh Stacey Welyezko Mary Wiles Joanne Wilson Ruth Wilson Okhui Wong Pearl Worob Edgar Wurch Francine Wurch Eleanor Yanics Eve Yaros Raymond Yaros, Sr. Joseph Yeamans Karen Yeamans Marie Zabchin Wanda Zajac Eric Zakrzewski Helen Zaleski Helen Zapusek Dianne Zecchino Katie T. Zinsmeister Constance Zito

In your March 7 issue, I made a comment that ‘close to 20 people’ responded to an interview process saying they were interested in serving on the Board of Education to complete the term of a vacant position. This process took place in 1994—nine years ago—and there were actually nine applicants for this position. So, I stand corrected. But I still maintain that the great majority of those applicants did state that they would not run a campaign to get re-elected. My opinion has not changed. I still believe Clifton will be better served by an appointed Board of Education. Since 1990, four Board members left and were replaced by volunteers who were not elected, but appointed by the Board. Councilman Stefan Tatarenko I’ve spent most of my adult life in Clifton and have seen this nice little town turn congested. Change is necessary but I feel overwhelmed. There are too many cars, too much congestion and I want to stop the overdevelopment. Dolores Coremin People living near the corner of Clifton Ave and Third are under siege from drivers with loud boomboxes disrupting our quality of life. We have too many cars and too few police to enforce Clifton’s noise ordinance. This is progress? Dave Salvatore Clifton Merchant • April 2003

There Are Cracks In The Foundation ––––––––––––––––––– Opinion by Tom Hawrylko ––––––––––––––––––– Like the mortar and bricks at Christopher Columbus Middle School, the Clifton Public School system has cracks in its foundation. And like the masonry on the 75-year-old structure, our schools need repairs. The opportunity to do that is on April 15 when residents go to the polls. On that date, I urge you to vote yes to pass the budget and yes to a second and separate budget question which would approve masonry and roof repairs at CCMS. Clifton Schools has a well deserved reputation for frugality with the lowest per pupil expenditure of any K-12 district in Passaic County but after years of defeated budgets—11 out of the last 14— our district continues to function but not excel. We are now paying for these failed budgets with overcrowded classrooms. Teachers, students, class size: This budget is primarily about teachers and includes funding for 30 new ones. While this staff addition will not solve all the problems, it will keep things from getting worse. Also within the budget is funding for a personnel director, a professional to help attract and hire quality teachers and nurture and retain them once they join Clifton Schools. The budget also adds nurses so that each elementary school has one on premises. Over the last two years, 600 more students have entered our 10,000-plus-pupil district but the number of teachers has barely risen. As a result, class size has increased, especially at the high school and CCMS. For instance, there are 120 classes with 30 or more students at CHS. What’s more, the district expects to grow by another 1,000 students over the next five years. If this budget fails and no new teachers are hired, class sizes will grow even more, in 8

April 2003 • Clifton Merchant

every level of the district, including elementary schools. Only 15% of us care about schools? That’s about how many of the eligible voters go to the polls in school board elections. Shame on us. Education should be a priority in Clifton, especially among parents who show up at polls in ever decreasing numbers. Parents: don’t let our generation’s legacy be one of Clifton Public Schools’ mediocrity. Your vote makes a difference. If Clifton Schools slip to mediocrity, it will be our badge of shame. What will it cost? If both items are passed—the general fund budget and the cost of the repairs at CCMS—taxes will increase by $285 annually for homes assessed at the city average of $172,000. We should note that 40% of the cost of the CCMS project is funded by a state grant. If we don’t pass the second question this year, the foundation at CCMS will continue to deteriorate and we’ll end up paying much more to do the repairs in the following years. Property Tax Reimbursement: Despite increases, residents over age 65 and people receiving federal disability payments are eligible for the NJ Property Tax Reimbursement. This program freezes property tax bills by refunding the current year’s tax increase. To qualify, 2001 income must be less than $38,475 for singles and $47,177 for couples. Income for 2002 must be less than $39,475 for singles and $48,404 for couples. Get applications by calling NJ Assemblyman Peter Eagler at 973-458-1130. The deadline to file is June 1. I consider it a privilege to vote for my representatives. On April 15, I will be voting yes to keep the elected board and yes to repair the cracks not only in CCMS but also in

What are You

? Nearly Zoned Out

Thinking

––––––––––––––––––– Story by Kevin Grasha –––––––––––––––––––

alter Beck has become familiar with the inscrutable world of zoning regulations. On Scoles Ave., near his home on Lorain Dr., a neighbor wanted to build a twofamily residence on a property zoned for single-family houses. Many of the area’s residents feared the change in zoning would encourage others to convert existing single-family homes to multiple-family dwellings, adding cars and people to an already congested area. So Beck and his neighbors protested. And when the Zoning Board approved the project in July 2002, they appealed to the City Council, who last Fall voted 4-3, with Council members Hatala, Kolodziej, Tatarenko and Anzaldi voting to overturn the Board’s decision, while Council members Welsh, Kowal and Gaccione voted to approve the two-family.

According to Beck, the single-family monstrosity now going up ‘dwarfs everything else around it,’ but yet it is completely legal. This type of project illustrates that the city’s Master Plan and Zoning laws need serious revision. “I’m not a lawyer, but something should be done,” he said. Beck, who graduated from CHS in 1967 and who has lived in Clifton all his life, strongly supports a moratorium on new housing development. He pointed to the Cambridge Crossings development on Colfax Ave. as an example of project that will have long-term impact. “We are truly overburdening the system,” he said. “God forbid you live in that neighborhood, especially when the kids are coming in and out of CHS.” Despite the problems facing the city, all three of Beck’s children still live in Clifton. In fact, two have purchased

homes here. “We’ve had a great town for so long,” he said. “Unfortunately, there are things that are happening that are not in our best interests long term; businesses are slipping away, industry is disappearing.” He added: “We need to take a look at our city—where we’re going. There needs to be some serious discussions about the future of Clifton.”

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What are You

? This is Our Town

Thinking

––––––––––––––––––– Story by Jack De Vries –––––––––––––––––––

n the midst of change, things aren’t all that different for Dorothy De Liberto on Inwood St. She and husband Joe—the street’s unofficial mayor and oneman welcoming committee—continue to enjoy retirement in the house where they’ve lived for nearly 50 years. They’re friendly with their neighbors, and “Dot,” as her friends and family know her, is looking forward to a new arrival coming next door. “It will be wonderful having a baby in the neighborhood again,” she says. But things have changed on Inwood St. The De Libertos’ neighbors were once all white; today, an African American family lives across the street, an Egyptian family resides a few doors down, and the new baby next door whom Dot is anxious to greet will be born to Palestinian parents. “My neighbors are nice people,” she says. “If you give respect, you’re respected in return. We all have to get along.” Which is what the De Libertos has always done. “Clifton is home for us,” she says. “It’s where our children and grandchildren are. I don’t ever see us leaving.” Like her neighbors, De Liberto’s family came to Clifton in search of a better life. “It was the American Dream for a family living in Passaic,” she says. “You make a little money and you buy a home in Clifton.” In 1942, Dot’s parents, Vic and Mary Pollara, bought the house at 75 East Ninth St. in the Lakeview section for $4,000. Vic was an auto mechanic who later worked at Curtiss-Wright; Mary worked as a saleswoman and assistant lingerie buyer for Wechsler’s Department Store in Passaic. She was employed there 33 years, much of it full-time after Dot and her younger sister Marie were in school. “Clifton was a place where I could ride my bike in the street and feel safe,” she remembers. “It was quiet—a place of homes with front porches and backyards.” The family loved their new neighborhood, shopping at Foodtown and at nearby Kohout’s Bakery. “There were lines to get in Kohout’s some days,” De Liberto remembers. “My mother raved about their spice cake, a bargain for 15 cents. Kohout’s was a wonderful place—so different from the Italian bread stores we had in Passaic.” 10

April 2003 • Clifton Merchant

De Liberto enjoyed school as a student at No. 11, then at Clifton High where she graduated in 1950. She next attended the Passaic General Hospital School of Nursing and began to date her future husband Joe, a friend from Clifton High. The romance bloomed after he taught her to drive. “He had the patience of a saint with me… back then,” she laughs. While Dot became a nurse, Joe spent four years in the Air Force. They married in 1954 while he was on leave and were living in California when daughter Donna was born in 1955. They returned to Clifton later that year, first living in the Veteran’s housing on Speer Ave. (now a ball field), before buying their new home, built by local builder Lou Trella. On Inwood St., the De Libertos began raising a family. Daughter Diane followed Donna and sons Joseph and Robert came along later. Joe went to work in the Clifton Post Office, spending 31 years as a letter carrier. When the kids got older, Dot became a Clifton Board of Health nurse, working for 23 of her 29 years as the assigned school nurse for St. Paul School in Clifton Center.

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She also supports the Clifton Merchant-led housing moratorium, saying, “There seems to be no foresight in Clifton—how building will impact our schools, services, and police and fire departments. Clifton has to step back and evaluate where it’s going for a while.” De Liberto also says government should stand up to businesses that infringe on residents’ quality of life. A proposed business expansion in her neighborhood is a source of concern. “Our board of adjustment must be an advocate for the homeowners,” she says. “They shouldn’t allow a business to expand at our expense.” Though she might not agree with every decision made by Clifton leaders, De Liberto remains loyal to her hometown and has no plans to change. “We have wonderful memories here, and wonderful memories still to come.”

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As a retiree, their life is good. Daughter Donna is a teacher in School No. 11, the same one Dot attended as a child. Diane followed in her mother’s footsteps and is now the school nurse at St. Phillip’s in Clifton. Her sons are successful entrepreneurs in the food industry. The De Libertos also have nine grandchildren—six educated in Clifton schools. “I always vote ‘yes’ for the school budget,” Dot says. “My grandchildren go to Clifton schools, and they deserve a good education. But it’s disappointing that all you see at the polls is senior citizens. The parents are the ones who should be voting.” She says parents must be more involved in their schools and support the teachers. “I always believed,” De Liberto says, “it was the school’s job to educate, but the parents’ job to make children upstanding citizens. In our day, the teacher was always right; today, parents often make excuses for their kids. That shouldn’t be the case.” As a citizen who cares about her community, De Liberto has definite political beliefs. She supports an elected board rather than an appointed one, feeling elected board members “have an interest in education,” while appointees are the recipients of political favors. She’s a big fan of Mayor Jim Anzaldi, thinks Gloria Kolodziej is a “wonderful councilwoman,” and likes Don Kowal and former councilman Peter Eagler.

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What are You

? Keeping It Green

thinking

l DuBois is committed to preserving a piece of his past. “Every Friday after school,” he recalls, “I’d walk from my house on Manderville Ave. and climb the ridge up majestic Garrett Mountain. My friends and I knew where the bubbling springs were, and we’d drink the clean water flowing up just 100 yards from Valley Rd. Then we’d walk the mountain, sometimes all the way to the candy store near West Paterson.” DuBois often uses the word “majestic” to describe the mountain,

letting it roll off his tongue with reverence. Garrett Mountain is sacred to him—an ecological treasure that defines his community, one, local historians say, gave Clifton its name. But, as DuBois has gotten older, he’s seen the majesty of the mountain gutted and reduced by quarry mining and housing development. “When I run up there sometimes,” he says, “I’ll notice another road, house, or bank that’s popped up. The mountain ridge is not what it once was. But it still could be.” DuBois, the chairman-elect of the Clifton Environmental Commission, has a lifelong love of his hometown’s natural treasures, marveling about how much undeveloped land the city has while located a scant 10 miles from New York City. Hop into our place forThough he laments losing the view of the Passaic River from Nash Park all your wine needs (after the Route 46 highway construction), he says the river’s waters are cleaner today due to the efforts of FINE WINE Clifton and many other towns. Within BEER & LIQUOR the city, he praises the tree farm on Route 3 East, which has provided resStyertowne Shopping Center 1045 Bloomfield Ave. • Clifton idents with thousands of trees, and 973 779-0199 admiringly describes the 12-acre www.bertelli.com Anderson Tract near Costco—a place winemaster@bertelli.com of pristine Clifton wilderness.

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“It’s a haven for wildlife,” he says, “especially birds. It has a stream, known as the Third River, which flows into the Passaic River. The Anderson Tract could become an ecological learning center for schools someday.” DuBois’ family came to Clifton when he was six, moving from Manhattan. Besides his hikes around Garrett Mountain as a child, he experienced much of Clifton’s rural side. His uncle, Dominick DiPaola, raised chickens and grew peaches in his backyard behind Woodrow Wilson Middle School, and his neighbors cultivated gardens and canned their own

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April 2003 • Clifton Merchant

fruit. DuBois also remembers watching his cousin ride horses at nearby Ploch’s Farm. “Up until 1971,” he remembers, “there were a lot of gardens in my neighborhood.” After graduating from Clifton High in 1975, he worked for a time before going back to school and earning an associates degree at SUNY-Morrisville in agricultural and technical studies. Today, he his wife Tina and their seven children live in Albion, the same neighborhood where he was raised. DuBois has great environmental dreams for his city. Besides preserving the Anderson Tract, he says Clifton could create a ‘green way’ near the tree farm on Route 3, complete with two-to-three-mile walking or bike path. But his most fervent wish is to restore Garrett Mountain to the majestic beauty of his youth.

“And we could do it,” he says. “Today, instead of using concrete slabs, towns use natural hills of top soil and compost to create natural sound barriers along roads. Before long, grass and trees are growing. We could do the same with Garrett Mountain, and it wouldn’t be that expensive. There’s always top soil available.” DuBois praises Clifton’s past efforts to guard its natural beauty, citing the tree farm as a positive move by local government. He likes ‘pocket parks’ that restore some greenery to barren lands, but warns dwarf trees, grass, and park benches are no substitutes for wilderness lands. As far as future development in Clifton, DuBois says any building should be carefully considered. “We must preserve our natural environment,” he says. “Clifton should be a model for other communities.”

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What are You

? A Good Accident

Thinking

––––––––––––––––––– Story by Kevin Grasha –––––––––––––––––––

ranklin Newandu said he discovered Clifton‘by accident’ five years ago, when he was driving around New Jersey, looking for a place for himself and his family to settle. “I drove in on Clifton Ave., went up Van Houten Ave. and saw the high school,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘Here it is. This is my town.’ I didn’t even know the name of the town.” Originally from Africa and now an American resident, Newandu, his wife Charity, who is British, and their three children (he calls them a ‘family of united nations’) are here to stay. “We will live in Clifton for as long as it is feasible,” he said. “Right from the onset, I’ve loved it here.” A real estate specialist in investment property and affordable housing for Windsor & Dover Development, LLC, a New York City-based company, Newandu, 47, does not support a moratorium on new housing development. He believes the problems associated with new development could be addressed in two ways: proper planning and requiring developers and 1215

new residents to pay impact fees, the money from which would fund the necessary infrastructure to accommodate new inhabitants. Both developers and new residents would be responsible for paying the fees, so current residents wouldn’t have to bear the burden of the additional cost of new people moving in. “I don’t believe that the way to solve the problem is to stop development,” he said. Newandu, who in 1998 received an M.Sc. in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and who is working on a Ph.D. in Housing Development and Urban Policy from Walden University (a distance learning institution), said: “This is my territory... With an aging population, we need new people coming in.” But, he noted, as new development comes into the city, impact assessments must be done so the rest of the city’s residents don’t end up paying for the costs of new projects. Newandu has two sons in the Clifton school system—one, a junior at CHS, the other, a preschooler at School 9—but he sees overcrowding

only in the sense that there are not enough teachers. He believes the district has the needed physical space. “Adequate infrastructure in not lacking in this city,” he said. “What we need is to provide more services and employ more teachers and support staff.” For the future of Clifton, he would like to see more affordable, singlefamily housing—but ‘affordable’ only through technological innovation, rather than compromising quality. “This is a great city,” he concluded. “I don’t see why Clifton can’t attain that.”

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What are You

? 3,000 Is A Crowd

Thinking

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s Clifton High School overcrowded? “Absolutely,” said CHS Football Booster Club President Maritza Morales. So crowded, in fact, that her son Joshua, the starting quarterback for the junior varsity football team, suffered a bruised chest when he was crushed by a backpack in a school hallway teeming with students. “It took him a week to recover,” she said of the hallway mishap. While some kids can deal with the overcrowding in the halls and classes, a total of 3,000 students in one building is not a positive learning environment for many kids. For that reason, CHS was not the right choice for her other son, Jose Jr., so he attended Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, where he graduated in 2002. Morales and her husband, Jose Sr., feared their older son would have been ‘lost academically’ in the larger classes at CHS. “He’s the one you have to keep an eye on,” she explained. “Teachers with 30 kids in a class were not going to have the time to worry about whether he made it or not.” Morales, who was president of a PTA in Paterson for five years, said while volunteer involvement can help

solve some problems, strong leadership is needed. Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice is the right person to solve the district’s problems, but he needs consistant support from parents, teachers and school staff. “They have to start thinking out of the box,” she said of the board, teachers and administrators. “New ideas have to be considered. And things cannot go on as they have in the past, otherwise, we are going nowhere.” Morales, who works in marketing and sales at Hewlett Packard in Bergen County, agrees with Rice’s ideas about running the school system like a business; for example, by creating a human resources department to manage the large staff and develop talent. “People could be held accountable, teachers and staff could be managed, credentials could be checked and productivity would be brought to a new level,” she said. Most importantly, though, Morales believes the district needs to improve the infrastructure—perhaps even build a second high school or a third middle school to meet the projected enrollment numbers. Morales, who moved to the Lakeview section from

Paterson eight years ago, blamed school overcrowding for ‘driving people away from town.’ Just in her neighborhood, she said three families sold their homes because they didn’t want to send their children to CHS. She fears that, because ‘good people are moving,’ the quality of Clifton’s neighborhoods is in jeopardy. Furthermore, Morales is adamantly opposed to additional residential development. She said simply: “We don’t want any more housing. Clifton will become just like Paterson or Passaic. There’s just no way we can handle more people in town.”

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Federal Mortgage Offers Senior Citizens A Reverse Mortgage

or some 30 years now, Anthony A. Accavallo, shown here, has been helping make the American Dream become a reality, right here in Clifton. As President of Federal Mortgage & Investment Corp. at 1111 Clifton Ave., Clifton, he and his firm have written millions of dollars worth of mortgages which have allowed people to purchase homes. And while that work has been fulfilling, Accavallo said he is getting his greatest satisfaction these days by helping senior citizens with reverse mortgages. A reverse mortgage is a special kind of mortgage loan for seniors. “It is a safe, easy way to turn your home equity into tax-free cash,” he continued.

1319

“Unlike a home equity loan, you do not have to make monthly payments. Instead, a reverse mortgage pays you. More importantly, you do not have to repay the loan for as long as you live in the house. It’s a great way to keep your home and get money from it at the same time.” The name “reverse mortgage” describes exactly what the mortgage is — it is the exact opposite of a conventional mortgage. That is, with a conventional mortgage the borrower pays the lender but with a reverse mortgage, the lender pays the borrower. In the past, a senior citizen in need of money would have to take out a loan against their house and immediately start making monthly payments again or sell their home.

How do I qualify for a Reverse Mortgage? It’s simple. You and your co-borrower must be at least 62 years old. You must own your home free and clear or have just a small balance on your existing mortgage. Best of all, there are no income or c redit requirements to satisfy. How can I receive my money? You can receive it in several ways: •Equal monthly payments as long as you live in your home •Equal monthly payments for a certain period of time •As a line of credit you can draw upon as needed, for whatever reasons •As a lump sum draw at closing •A combination of the above, to meet your requirements.

But a reverse mortgage allows seniors to borrow against the equity they already have in their home... and they never have to make a monthly payment. Each reverse mortgage candidate is required to attend a free counseling session with a local independent housing agency approved by FHA (Federal Housing Administration). Candidates are encouraged to bring other family members with them to help in the decision-making process. “This process ensures that the borrower understands the program fully and aides them in determining whether or not a reverse mortgage is for them,” said Accavallo.

When must I repay the loan? You must repay the loan if you no longer live in your home. In the event of your death, your heirs can choose to repay the loan and keep the house or sell the house and repay the loan, What are interest rate charges & fees? •An adjustable rate of interest is charged on reverse mortgages •Closing costs are typical for any mortgage closing and all may be financed •No out-of-pocket expenses at closing Are Reverse Mortgages safe? •Yes, FHA and FannieMae guarantee the payments you receive •FHA and FannieMae also guarantee you will never owe more than your house is worth — no debt left on estate

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1-800-788-1184 www.federalmtg.com Clifton Merchant • April 2003

What are You

Thinking

Goodbye Clifton

––––––––––––––––––– Story by Kevin Grasha –––––––––––––––––––

orn and raised in Clifton, Mike DeVita is certain he will eventually move from the city. Like his older brother who recently bought a house in North Caldwell, he sees himself somewhere else. “It would be good to have a different atmosphere to grow old in, to have my kids grow up in,” he said. DeVita, 25, graduated from Clifton High School in 1995 and for three years has been the senior accountant for the Tenafly Board of Education. He currently lives in Clifton with his parents, who have lived in the city almost their entire lives. He said, however, the community seems to be “going in a different direction than when I grew up.” Like many, DeVita is concerned about the problem of overcrowding in the schools. In

1995, he estimated that there were a little more than 2,000 students at CHS (there are about 3,250 now). “It was easier when I was there— not as many students in the classroom,” he said. “In smaller districts (like Tenafly), teachers can focus on the individual students more.” DeVita is in favor of an appointed Board. He said an elected representative may or may not have experience with the school system, whereas the Mayor could appoint individuals with experience. He suggested that each Board member should specialize in a specific area, so each would have experience dealing with a certain aspect of the district. This, he believed, would give the Board more focus and make it work like a team.

Still, he longs for Clifton’s past. “I’d like to see it get back to how it was when I was a kid, when Clifton was a popular spot,” he said. “I’d like to see the city get that reputation back—not because they have to, but because they want to.”

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What are You

Thinking

Here To Stay

––––––––––––––––––– Story by Kevin Grasha –––––––––––––––––––

rowing up in Passaic, Hector Ayala, 37, heard all the time from Hispanic people in his neighborhood that Clifton was a racist town. But since buying his house on Edwards Ct. in December 1999, he hasn’t seen that. “I feel welcome,” he said. “I’ve been given a fair shake wherever I’ve gone in Clifton.” One of the two factors that convinced Ayala, a New Jersey State Trooper for the past 18 years, to move to Clifton was the police department, which he said has a great reputation throughout the state. The other: the school system. He has two daughters (9 and 10 years old) at School 4, which he called a “great school with great teachers.” Ayala praised Principal Luca Puzzo for having an open-door policy and being very active with the kids. Ayala is especially thankful for how he and his wife, Carmen, were treated by district officials when they first moved here. At the time, there was concern about overcrowding in School 4 and the district initially tried to separate his daughters and send the

younger one to School 2. But after discussing his family’s plight with former Superintendent Bill Liess, the order was rescinded and Ayala’s daughters were allowed to stay together. “That was very helpful to us at the time because we’d just moved in,” Ayala said. Ayala points to overcrowding in the Clifton schools as a major issue facing the city. One of the district’s ‘Key Communicators’ (a group of parents from each school who meet with Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice every two months to discuss important issues), he will be voting for the school budget in the upcoming election. It is obvious, he said, that the district needs the money for additional teachers to help keep class sizes down. “I don’t see any other way to get revenue for the schools besides taxes,” he said, adding: “I don’t have a problem paying for the education of children.” Instead of new housing developments, he believes the city should focus on building new schools, especially another high school to accommodate the influx of new residents.

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Ayala also strongly supports an elected Board of Education: “We should be able to choose people who will voice our opinions... rather than a few who are appointed by one person,” he stated. Living in a neighborhood free of problems like loitering teens or drug dealers, he considers the quality of life in Clifton to be excellent. He also likes the fact that his street is a diverse enclave, with Filipinos, Hispanics and African-Americans all on the same block. “We’re going to stay here for the long haul,” he concluded.. Bring in this ad & SAVE $3 OFF your order of $30 or more*

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What are You

? Voting Yes For Kids

Thinking

bout five years ago, when Joe Cupoli and his wife, Jackie, were debating where to send their daughter Julianne (now 11 years old) to kindergarten, they reached an impasse: Jackie, who attended Catholic schools, wanted her daughter to have a private education, but Joe pushed for School 14. Joe prevailed because the class size at School 14 was smaller—22 students instead of 37 at the private Catholic school. “That’s the last argument I won,” he said. Now, the overcrowding problem at School 14 can only get worse. To accommodate a preschool for handicapped children that also uses the building, the district has two modular units in the schoolyard. This alleviated potential overcrowding in the building, but blatantly illustrated

how grim the future might be for Clifton Schools if voters do not pass this budget. Imagine neighborhood schoolyards filled with trailers instead of open area for recess, he said. Is that the future Clifton wants for its school kids, Cupoli asked. While overcrowding is not yet ‘critical’ at the elementary school level—some of the problems, he said, have been resolved by redistricting as well as the construction of School 17—it is extremely critical in the middle and high schools. Class sizes in those schools are growing and will only get worse if the budget fails. Passing this year’s budget will allow the district to hire 30 new teachers which will maintain class sizes and in some cases actually decrease the ratios.

Cupoli, owner of P&A Auto Parts, is also in favor of a year-long moratorium on new housing, which he said, would give the city some ‘breathing room’ to step back and evaluate all the problems associated with overdevelopment, from school expansion to traffic congestion, and to come up with a broader plan to address the city’s future.

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d d

? Beyond The 3 R’s

Thinking

llen Corbo has dug in deeply. A practicing lawyer with a Princeton law firm, Corbo and her family could probably afford to move to many of the shiny new, upscale New Jersey suburbs, but she is determined to make Clifton a better place. She and her husband (owner of Corbo Jewelers) have decided to settle here for good as they continue to invest in their home in the Albion section of town. Corbo, who has lived in Clifton all her life and is a volunteer on many community boards, has found it to be ‘close-knit, despite its huge size’ and she is proud to be sending her two children to Clifton schools. “The configuration of the school system, combined with the size and diversity of the student body, educates children in many ways besides just reading, writing and arithmetic,” she said. “I personally reaped great benefits from this. By the time I graduated from high school, I was able to comfortably communicate, socialize and do business with all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds... I want to provide this opportunity to my own children.”

As a long-time member of the Clifton Schools Strategic Planning Committee charged with devising recommendations for the long term needs of the district, Corbo is also keenly aware that the school system needs to be improved. “There is no question that our schools are overcrowded, especially the high school, with the middle schools not far behind,” she said, adding: “We need more schools...and the residents of Clifton have to make a decision: invest in our schools and move Clifton back toward the direction of a solid middle class community with an excellent school system, or refuse to invest in the schools and allow Clifton to slide into the realm of the ‘special needs’ districts, such as Paterson and Passaic. The choice is in the hands of Clifton voters,” she said. Another problem with the school system is inadequate funding, according to Corbo, a problem which needs to be addressed by state legislators. “New Jersey will only start sending you money if you first allow your schools to fail and your property values to plummet,” she said. “If, like Clifton, you continue to care for your

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properties and keep your community clean and safe, and despite huge enrollment increases and minimal State funding, you refuse to allow your schools to fail, the State rewards you by giving you even less funding...and forcing your taxpayers to pick up even more of the tab.” Corbo strongly favors a year-long moratorium on new housing. She concluded: “I am afraid that if Clifton does not stop overbuilding, does not stop the overcrowding of alreadybuilt structures and does not begin redeveloping some areas and perhaps even reclaiming some land, we will not keep the next generation here.”

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Clifton Merchant • April 2003

What are You

Thinking

om Fieldhouse moved to Clifton in 1980 after he got married and intends to stay for the rest of his life. But to keep the next generation here, he believes the city needs to “enhance everything that we are doing now,” like making the Athenia Steel project a reality—a project that will include building baseball and soccer fields on the site. “In order to keep people in town, you have to upgrade the city,” he said, adding that the overcrowding in the school system also needs to be corrected. “We have excellent teachers in our system,” he said. “But we can't expect them to continue with the size of the classrooms that they have.” Fieldhouse, a data specialist at the Verizon Business Office who is

Moving Forward very involved in the city as a voluteer, supports a year-long moratorium on residential development. “More residential building means more problems for Clifton right now,” he said. He favors purchasing undeveloped land in the city and converting it to parks. Furthermore, the city, he said, needs to stop talking about doing things and start acting. For example, he would like to see School 6 (now used for Board of Education offices) converted back into a school. “I’m sure we could find an empty commercial property for the Board offfice somewhere,” Fieldhouse said. He also called using the Boys and Girls Club of Clifton as an annex to the high school a ‘band-aid fix.’ “The new school being built on the little

Weasel Brook Park is a step in the right direction, but by the time it is completed, it will be filled to the maximum,” he said. “We have to invest in the Clifton school system...because the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”

His Own Castle

own the street from his store, Castle of Nuts, on Main Ave., Jamal Alazizi has seen many businesses close or move—including some that had been in the neighborhood for 12 or more years. He cited the lack of parking as a possible cause. “It’s tough for businesses to survive in Clifton,” Alazizi said. “This (business) doesn’t make me rich, but it makes me live good.” And, he said he’s not expecting anything more than that. Originally from Jordan, Alazizi came to the U.S. in 1990 after living in Kuwait for about five years. After a few weeks in Kearny, he moved to Clifton. In 1993, he bought a house in the Delawanna section, where he is 22

April 2003 • Clifton Merchant

surrounded by people of different backgrounds—mostly Irish and Italian, with some Indians. “I am the only Arabic around there,” said Alazizi, who is divorced and has no children. Still, he finds Clifton to be a ‘friendly town,’ and he feels ‘more safe’ here than in some of the surrounding areas. “It’s a nice town. Nice and clean,” he said, adding: “Here, the rules are strict. In some towns, it’s easier to break the rules.” The only time he ever experienced hostility was after 9/11, when he was received a barrage of verbal threats. One ambitious vandal even scrawled obscenities in magic marker on the

window of his store. He is grateful, however, about how he was treated by the Clifton police, who subsequently would check up on the store. Anyway, he said, after 9/11, he made more friends. “I have a lot of friends here, all different kinds of people,” he said and then listed just about every ethnicity.

A Quick Update School Budget: The Board of Education unanimously approved a $101 million preliminary budget in late March, which includes funding for 30 new teachers as well as full-time nurses at every elementary school. The budget will go before voters on April 15. A proposal will also be placed on the ballot asking if the district should revert to an appointed School Board. Resident Joe Cupoli said: “We might as well be living in Iraq,” if city residents give up their right to elect Board representatives. Grove St. Development: At a March 27 Planning Board hearing, C&L Developers presented drawings for eight single-family houses to be built on a 2.5-acre property along Grove St. Hundreds of residents had organized intense opposition to the developer’s initial plan to construct 17 townhouses on the site. It is not yet clear whether C&L intends to withdraw their application for the townhouses. “We don’t feel like we have a victory, yet,” said Denise Kashey, who is leading the fight against a townhouse development. Athenia Steel Site: After over two years of negotiations, crews will soon start breaking ground at the former Athenia Steel site for a 125-unit senior citizen housing complex, said City Manager Al Greco. He added that a ceremonial groundbreaking will likely be held at the end of April. The developer, Regan Development Corp., cleared the county planning board’s final hurdle by addressing line-of-sight problems surrounding the development’s exit onto Clifton Ave. While the city has purchased title to the property, it will not do the actual construction. That task was awarded to Reagan Development, a Yonkers, NY company that has been involved in several public-private housing projects throughout the region. Cambridge Crossings Grows: According to Lori Nelson, Director of Sales for Cambridge Crossings, they have closed on 43 of the 191 townhouses (all have been sold) in the first section. Construction continues on all three sections of the project, while many units remain at varying stages of completion. Also, sources have told Clifton Merchant Magazine that we only ‘scratched the surface’ in last month’s article about Cambridge Crossings, in which we discussed allegations of zoning irregularities regarding the development and in which Councilman Don Kowal said he was calling for an investigation by NJ’s Department of Community Affairs. “Something stinks,” said one source.

Lyon?s Den By Murray Blumenfeld The birthstone for April is diamond so I am devoting my entire column with some important information. The majority of diamonds we sell come with GIA certificates. The GIA is the highest authority on diamonds. When they appraise a diamond and put their seal on the report you know what you’re getting. Here is an explanation to help you understand GIA certificates. Color - The color chart starts with the letter D and goes all the way to Z. K thru Z are varying shades of yellow. D,E,& F are colorless and considered the best color grades and naturally the most expensive. G,H,I & J are near colorless and this area tends to be the most popular. Clarity - This pertains to the amount of flaws, called inclusions, in the diamond. Flawless is the best followed by Internally Flawless. Next comes VVS1 and VVS2. VVS stands for Very Very Slight inclusions. Then comes VS1 and VS2. VS stands for Very Slight inclusions. Next comes SI1 and SI2 which stand for Slightly Included. Imperfect stones are the last clarity grade where the inclusions are visible to the naked eye. Cut - This part of the description of a diamond is based on mathematical formulas that affect the way light is refracted inside the diamond and reflected back to your eye. It is described on the appraisal as Depth percentage and Table percentage. Girdle - This is the edge of the diamond. More of a descriptive device than anything else, anywhere from Thin to Thick is OK. When a diamond is described as Extremely Thin or Extremely Thick, those are stones we choose not to consider. Culet - This is the point at the bottom of the diamond. No culet or a small culet are the most common and with technology in cutting today there are not many described larger than that. Polish & Symmetry are self explanatory. The majority of stones are described with Good Polish and Good Symmetry. There are some stones that are described as Very Good and even some that are graded Excellent. Fluorescence - Under certain light a stone with fluorescence will emit light when exposed to long-wave ultraviolet light. I’ve tried not to get too ‘wordy’ and give you the highlights of buying a diamond. You can call me or come in and I will gladly answer any questions you might have. Have a good month of April and let us all hope and pray there is peace in the world. May God Bless America

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Clifton Merchant • April 2003

What are You

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Korean War veteran and active in all kinds community affairs, including the Moose Lodge, Tom Miller, who has lived in Clifton since 1955, is wiser than most and is in tune with what needs to happen in the city. He will be voting in favor of the school budget in the April 15 elections. “If we don’t pass it, we could lose the half a million dollars for the new roof at Woodrow Wilson Middle School,” he said. And for those who vote against the budget? “That’s their prerogative,” he said, although he believes, based on the people he’s spoken to around town, that it will pass. “But I’ve said that before and I was wrong,” he said, adding: “If anyone is going to hold it back, it’s going

Sage Advice to be the seniors in this town. They’re up to their throat with property tax increases. With limited income, they just can’t absorb any more.” He is also in favor of an elected Board of Education. “If you want an office, I think its worth running for,” he said. “I don’t like one person holding power over the Board of Education.” Overcrowded? “We’re saturated,” he said. In addition to the illegal students he says live in town, “people are buying homes, having children and their children end up using the schools’ (resources).” Miller, who is the Supervisor of the Veteran’s Advocate/Internment office at the Passaic County Board of Freeholders, said he is certain there

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are illegal students in his neighborhood, some even in the apartment building on St. Andrews Blvd. he’s lived in for about 20 years. Most importantly, though, education is ‘a must,’ he said.“Without education, the next generation will

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School Board Election ––––––––––––––––––––––––– Story by Joe Torelli ––––––––––––––––––––––––––

he upcoming school board election on April 15th undoubtedly will be the most intriguing in years. Besides deciding on whom among eight candidates will fill three seats on the school board, Clifton voters will cast ballots on a $102 million district budget, and they will determine whether they want to continue conducting school elections after this year. Among the eight candidates for school commissioner are incumbents Joseph Kolodziej and James Smith. Non-incumbents seeking office are former commissioners Lizz Gagnon and Bertl Nelson, along with newcomers Maria Crespo, Frank Fusco, Keith Krebs, and Bob Sidoti. Commissioner Wayne Demikoff, whose term is expiring, decided not to run this year.

The school budget, if passed, will add $258 in property taxes to the average homeowner’s annual bill. The increase will be used to hire 30 new teachers to reduce the severe overcrowding conditions in several district schools, most notably Christopher Columbus Middle School and Clifton High School. It will also pay for increased salaries and health benefits, and it provides for a Personnel Director to coordinate hiring, benefits, and teacher training across the district. In addition to electing three commissioners and saying ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ to the proposed budget, voters will be presented with a referendum asking if they want to continue school board elections in the future, or return to a system of

letting the mayor appoint school commissioners. The answer to that question will have far-reaching impact. If voters decide to return to an appointed board, they will forfeit their right to vote on future school budgets. According to state law, in districts with appointed boards, the school board together with a separate Board of School Estimate also appointed by the mayor, are responsible for determining school spending. As a service to voters, we asked each candidate for school commissioner to answer a series of questions concerning the issues that seem most pressing to the school district. We polled them during the week of March 17-22 and here are their responses:

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Why should voters elect or re-elect you to the Board of Education? Crespo: I am a committed person who has been an educator for a long time. I was elected to Who’s Who Among American teachers and I am a radio correspondent on educational matters for Argentina Radio. I will provide a much-needed link between the board, teachers, students and the community. Fusco: I want to give something back to the city. I’m a lifelong Clifton resident and a product of the public school system. I am also excited about the future. We elected two new board members last year who have contributed new ideas and we have an excellent new superintendent. I want to join my professional skills with theirs to secure a brighter future for Clifton’s children. Gagnon: I was a board member for seven years so I can offer Clifton voters the invaluable experience that many candidates don’t have. I’m also a concerned parent with children attending district schools. I am closer to the dayto-day issues facing our students, teachers and administrators because my kids are affected directly. A parental perspective is important in determining school policy. Kolodziej: I came to the board four years ago, delivering the message that we needed change in terms of our accountability and our responsiveness to the entire community. I believe I have been instrumental in implementing that change, and the board is far more effective today as a result. I hope that voters recognize my efforts in this area and grant me the privilege of serving them for another term. Krebs: I’ve always taken an interest in the community and have contributed a lot of ideas and plans to the board and the superintendent. I am direct on the issues, so people won’t have to wonder where I stand. I am committed to bringing leadership to the board and helping it move away from the caretaker approach of the past that has left us with a host of unresolved problems and unhappy taxpayers. Nelson: I would bring a unique perspective to the position in that I’m a senior citizen with two children in the Maria Crespo is a graduate of William Paterson University’s music conservatory and teaches music education in Paterson. This is her first campaign for public office.

Frank Fusco is a Clifton attorney who is running for state senate on the Republican Party ticket in addition to seeking a seat on the school board. public schools. I also have solid professional credentials, previous school board experience, and I hold a PhD in educational management. I’ve taught English at the college level and I have written and produced training videos, as well. Sidoti: I have a genuine concern for the community. Since my own children attend Clifton schools, you can be sure I will be vocal on every issue that has an impact on education, not just those that come directly before the Board. For instance, I will attend Planning Board meetings to object to new housing starts that would contribute to school overcrowding. I will also make sure that the Board has a say in the city’s master plan. I don’t think the board has done that in the past. Smith: I’ve demonstrated leadership and dedication to the district and its students in my nine years as a commissioner. I’ve also remained actively involved in community youth services which keeps me informed of issues relevant to students. I served as school board vicepresident for three years, and have been a leader in the board’s work on residency and reducing overcrowding. And I’ve made a number of recommendations that enabled the district to reduce expenses for energy, telecommunications and water usage. The proposed school budget will add $258 to Clifton property taxes. What will you do to stem the continual growth of taxes and still maintain a quality education for our students? Crespo: This budget should be approved. It is really making up for past failures and is necessary. When you divide it into the number of students in the district, it is not too high. Investing in our schools is an investment in the community. The budget would have a better chance of passing if people could see the line items so they’d know exactly where the money is being spent. They can’t be expected to vote if their eyes are closed Fusco: I will view everything with fiscal responsibility to ensure we balance all expenditures with the needs of our taxpayers. I’ll look at each line item individually to

Clifton Merchant • April 2003

make sure that what we spend is absolutely necessary and that there is no fat. Part of our current fiscal problem stems from the voters rejecting 11 of the last 14 budgets. That has caused us to fall behind and we now have to play catch-up to fund the system properly. But we must make sure that we play catch-up intelligently. Gagnon: We have to make sure the budget is sound for all schools. We can’t continue to assume that what we spent last year must automatically be spent this year. I pushed for a zero-based budgeting approach previously and I am still convinced that is the way to go. All expenditures must be justified with each new budget proposal, not just the amounts in excess of the previous year. Kolodziej: This year’s budget is the first budget that I will be supporting in my four years as a commissioner. While it calls for a significant tax increase, I believe it is the first honest budget we will put before the taxpayers. It addresses many problems left over from past failures and will deliver

Lizz Gagnon is Clifton’s assistant tax assessor and previously served on the board from 1995-2002.

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more value for our tax dollars. It includes a Personnel Director position that will greatly improve accountability among school employees. That will result in ongoing savings for the district, and it demonstrates how this board will continue to exercise professionalism in the future. Krebs: I believe strongly in budget transparency. Budget line items must be available to the public so they don’t have to go through a bureaucracy to get information that should be readily available. Accountability and reconciliation of expenses to budgets also needs to be a priority so people know that money earmarked for specific programs actually is spent on those programs. As a former EDP auditor for the state, I uncovered a number of problems with reconciliation procedures, and I will bring that skill and knowledge to the board. Nelson: Clifton’s problems are not with the budget, itself, but rather in the way the budget is funded – through property taxes. We should not be using local taxes to fund education, and senior citizens who no longer work should have their tax contributions frozen. Public education is a state function and the state should be paying for the bulk of it. The school board needs to continue petitioning Trenton to change, but we must have the backing of every citizen in Clifton. Trenton will respond if enough people speak out. Sidoti: That’s a difficult question to answer as a challenger. Incumbents have an advantage in that they are

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privy to budget line items while I am not. But I promise Clifton’s voters that as a commissioner I will exercise fiscal responsibility by scrutinizing every line item. I will have no problem fighting to cut expenses where they can’t be absolutely justified. Smith: I will continue to examine expenses, looking for ways to save money without cutting services. Employing a full-time grant writer for the district is something we should look at more closely. And we need to remain very strong and vocal in our discussions with state legislators, continuing to press them to move away from funding education through property taxes. I encourage all Clifton residents, especially parents, senior citizens and the city council to form a united Clifton front in this area. Are you satisfied with the scores achieved by our students on the most recent state-mandated standardized tests? What should be done to improve them? Crespo: I haven’t seen the latest scores but there is always room for improvement. Clifton teachers do an excellent job although students’ test scores don’t always reflect that for a number of reasons. Test scores are not the best way to measure academic achievement. Fusco: While this year’s scores indicate that Clifton students have not regressed dramatically since last year, I believe there is always room for improvement. Gagnon: No parent or taxpayer should be completely satisfied with test scores, no matter how good they may be. I will push for extracurricular academic programs similar to those that we have for athletics. These programs can often be funded by grants, making it unnecessary to pay for them with local tax money. I will make sure our grant writers place extra emphasis in this area. Kolodziej: I’m not satisfied. This year’s test scores are another indicator of our need to change the way we have been educating our children. The board has commissioned a curriculum audit team that will outline areas for improvement. We also want to add a curriculum director within the school system to ensure consistency in what is being taught. We removed that position from this year’s budget in favor of funding for additional teachers and a personnel director; however, the position is important and we’ll look to add it next year. Krebs: I’m dissatisfied with the trend that shows scores consistently heading downward. The number one factor to increasing test scores is reducing class sizes. Smaller classes are a proven link to better performance. Also, we need a director to be responsible for the district’s curriculum to ensure that all subject matter is synchronized and

Joseph Kolodziej is a Clifton businessman who has served on the school board for the past four years.

taught consistently throughout the system. The recent decision to have an independent audit of our curriculum is a step in the right direction. Nelson: I will never be satisfied. But we need to recognize that Clifton is a city in transition. More than 30% of our students come from homes where English is not the first language. Test scores reflect the socio-cultural background of the community, and not necessarily what the schools are teaching. Scores are not predictors of future success and, historically, they require a lot of time before showing dramatic improvement. Sidoti: No, I’m not satisfied. There is always room for improvement. But a lot of our test scores, especially those in the 8th grade and High School, don’t truly reflect a Clifton education. Many of today’s older students went to elementary schools in other towns where the early education is not as good as ours. Clifton provides an excellent education; that’s why my children attend

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schools here. But we need to strengthen programs like the curriculum audit team to ensure that the proper material is being taught at all levels. Smith: I think the fact that 89% of our graduating classes go on to higher education is a better measurement of the district’s effectiveness than test scores alone. However, we do need to continually improve district performance. one way is through staff development, encouraging our teachers to continue to develop their professional skills, and helping them to do that with funding. I also think our assistant superintendent should be given full responsibility for curriculum development. That would ensure coordination of efforts among all department heads without incurring the expense of a separate curriculum director. A recent survey predicts school enrollment will grow by nearly 1,000 students over the next five years, exacerbating the overcrowding problem. What should be done to alleviate and resolve this issue? Crespo: overcrowding eventually effects student achievement. We need to look at some different and innovative options such as redistricting and realignment of boundaries to relieve overcrowding. As a temporary measure only, modular units on school property provide needed space at a reasonable cost. We should also investigate programs where we pay private schools to accept students on a limited basis. of course, this would only be done with parental consent. A number of states, including Texas, have programs like this and they work very well. They are more cost-effective than building new schools. Fusco: Adding new teachers and utilizing existing space would help relieve classroom overcrowding. As our buildings reach capacity, we have to do two things; provide more space by adding on to existing schools, and convert the administration building for use as a high school annex. Many of our existing school sites can

Keith Krebs is an information technology consultant who is running for state assembly on the Republican Party ticket in addition to seeking a seat on the school board.

April 2003 • Clifton Merchant

Bertl Nelson is a health care system manager who previously served on the school board from 1993-1997.

accommodate expansion, a far cheaper alternative to putting up new buildings. Leasing office space and bringing the administration building online for classroom use will also be less expensive. Gagnon: I don’t like the idea of renting or leasing classroom space. I’d rather lease office space for the administration. We should investigate the feasibility of selling School 6 to raise funds for a new middle school. Conversion of that building back to classrooms would be too costly and it wouldn’t provide the space we need. With senior housing getting started across the street on the Athenia Steel property and with the upgrade to the nearby commuter train station, we should be able to get top dollar for the building. Kolodziej: The board needs to abandon its search for the perfect solution, end the debate over what to do, and take action. We should assess which buildings in the district are capable of handling additions and start expanding them. That will eliminate the cost of land acquisition. We should also convert School 6 back to classroom use and lease office space for the administration. And we need to remain open to leasing classroom space like we do at Sts. Cyril & Methodius, a program that I introduced several years ago Krebs: This issue needs to be addressed on two fronts: now, and for the future. Realistically, we need another middle school to remove the bottlenecks that exist today. And we should also think about creating magnet schools that are dedicated to an honors program or to a special discipline such as science or math. Magnet schools often become the jewels in the crown of a city’s educational system. As for the future, the board needs to tackle problems head-on and take decisive action a lot sooner. More foresight and leadership is needed. Nelson: This problem is not a recent phenomenon. Demographic studies in 1993 predicted significant population growth in Clifton through 2009; yet, we failed to address its impact on our schools. We missed a real opportunity by not acquiring the Shulton property for school use. We should be looking at long-term leasing to resolve the issue now. We need to find

builders willing to construct proper school facilities and lease from them. That way, the city has a ratable, and we can walk away from the lease or buy the property later on as the situation dictates. Sidoti: We should continue to pursue acquiring the former Paul VI school facilities on Valley Road. I know the Paterson diocese said no to that proposal on more than one occasion. However, if all other efforts to relieve overcrowding fail, I would be in favor of using the eminent domain laws. Under those laws, the Council would condemn the property and pay fair market value for it to the diocese. That would be a dramatic step, but if it turns out to be the absolute best course to solving our problems, we should take it. Smith: I continue to be a strong advocate for a third middle school and think we should be taking a more aggressive approach to acquiring property for that purpose. We may have to look at re-districting, also, as a means of enabling better use of the facilities we already have. There are no easy answers and we need to consider all feasible approaches.

Illegal students – Is the problem real or is it being overstated? What should we do? Crespo: The problem is real but I don’t think it’s as bad as some people claim. Clifton has excellent residency programs but the community needs to help more by identifying illegal students to the board. Everybody deserves an education but it should be in their own districts. Re-registering students when they move from elementary to middle school, and middle school to high school, would help in this area. Fusco: The problem is real. Clifton is a leader in tracking down illegal stu-

dents but we need to do more. We have to remain vigilant and aggressive in pursuing students who don’t live in town. If we can cost-justify it, we should look into adding one or two additional residency investigators to the existing staff. Gagnon: The full-time residency investigator that we’ve hired and the automated tip line have been getting good results. We are succeeding in rooting out illegal students and I think we will continue to succeed. Another complete re-registration, similar to the one we had a couple of years ago, would be too costly at this point, and would not produce significantly better

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10-12 people live in a home or apartment that should have only 5 or 6, it causes severe overcrowding in our schools. We need to ensure that our existing housing remains legally occupied. Smith: This problem is never going to go away, entirely. The number of illegal students that we continue to uncover proves that it exists throughout the entire school year. our residency programs have been effective and we need to continue them. I also support the addition of a truancy officer to ensure that all Clifton students are receiving the education they deserve. How will you establish or strengthen alliances with other commissioners to enhance your effectiveness? Crespo: When working with others I always approach things as a team player. The only way to make changes and be productive is by working together and respecting everyone’s opinions. When we all recognize that

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results. Kolodziej: Clifton is the recognized leader in identifying and removing illegal students. While the problem is not as large as some say it is, we need to stay on top of the issue to ensure that we’re paying for the education of Clifton children only. We’ll never catch every illegal student or identify every illegal apartment, but we need to continue to be aggressive. Krebs: The problem is both real and overstated. A district like ours that has a highly regarded system and is bordered by several Abbott districts will always attract illegal students. It’s a natural phenomenon and you can’t put up border guards to prevent it. The programs we have now are very effective. Adding additional resources without guaranteed results is unfair to taxpayers. There’s no proof that adding those resources will uncover more illegals. Nelson: The problem is real but the cost is overstated. This is a complex issue that requires more space to address than this interview can provide. However, I will be glad to discuss my views with anyone who is interested. Sidoti: The problem of illegal students is real but I don’t think it contributes as much to overcrowding as illegal housing does. School overcrowding comes from within the city as well as from without. our population is now cycling, with larger families moving into homes formerly owned by senior citizens. A lot of them are occupying homes intended for smaller families. When

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we’re working towards the same goal of providing the best education for our children, we will be successful. Fusco: I will always act professionally and consider everyone’s opinion, just as I do in my profession. I believe in working with people to win them over rather than taking an antagonistic stance when I don’t agree with them. It is much easier and really enhances the communication process. Gagnon: As a former commissioner, I understand as well as anybody that there are nine unique individuals on the board. The situation in the past was never as bad as people made it out to be. There are a lot of valid opinions on the issues and I try to listen to everyone. With my prior experience, I’ll be able to hit the ground running when it comes to relationships with my fellow commissioners. Kolodziej: Many people talk about forming alliances in order to be effective and I think that is wrong. We don’t need alliances as much as we need professionalism. I will continJames Smith has served three terms on the school board. He teaches computer courses at St. Andrew’s Elementary School and is seeking a Masters Degree at Montclair State.

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ue to stand shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues, listening to their ideas and paying them the respect to which they’re entitled. That’s more effective than trying to form alliances that can turn out to be counter-productive. Krebs: I’ve already established solid relationships with several commissioners through my interactions with the board and administration. Many of them share my views and my desire to improve the quality of our system. I’ve also worked closely with legislators at the state and federal levels and that will be advantageous in keeping Clifton’s needs in front of them as legislation is developed. Nelson: The answer is simple. I will abide by the code of ethics governing school board commissioners as I have always done in the past. Commissioners are hard-working people who dedicate tremendous amounts of time without remuneration. Each individual deserves respect and I guarantee they will have mine. Sidoti: My sole purpose in running is to help the community. It’s about making sure Clifton schools continue to provide the best education for my own children as well as for others. I believe most school commissioners share that goal and I will have no problem working with those who do. Smith: If there’s one thing I’ve done consistently in my nine years as a board member, it has been always to vote my conscience. My colleagues know that I will always support what I believe is best for the district and our students, and they respect that. In return, I maintain respect 1286

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