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Clifton Merchant Magazine is published the first Friday of every month at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
MOMENTS of GRACE
The 4th of July By Christopher de Vinck
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Day with fireworks. The odd part was that these few years ago, as I was flying home from the mid-west following a book tour I had just exploded in silence. Sitting in my seat in the jet I completed, I looked out the window as the jet could not, of course, hear the booms and bangs, or the began its slow roar of the crowds in descent over New approval, but I could “There are those, I know, who will say Jersey, approaching see the little fountains Newark Airport. of light bursting up that the liberation of humanity, the freedom There, far below, I like Walt Disney of man and mind, is nothing but a dream. saw wide bursts of mushrooms all over They are right. It is the American dream.” light: greens, the state. Then I yellows, reds. They thought of my were, of course, grandmother. Archibald MacLeish fireworks for I was During World War returning home on II, Nazi SS troops the 4th of July, flying banged on the door of over Warren, Morris and Essex County. my grandmother’s house in Brussels searching for my grandfather, an officer in the Belgian Army. He Town after town was celebrating Independence July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
managed to escape, but was soon captured and sent to a Spanish prison. My grandmother often spoke about how she and my mother fled Brussels, and ended up in a small, French coastal city: Dunkirk. They witnessed the evacuation of thousands of Allied troops across the English Channel, and continued their escape to southern France, but, after four months, they returned to Brussels and endured the Third Reich’s occupation for four years. “Bombs always seemed to be falling,” my grandmother said. She and my mother even remembered hearing the distant explosions from the Battle of the Bulge, the last attempt of the Nazi forces to overtake Europe, and the most horrific battle in the war where over 19,000 American troops died. One of the last summers my grandmother was with us here in New Jersey, I was sitting with her in the dining room playing cards. It was the 4th of July. We were playing Gin Rummy. For no reason, I began humming John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” perhaps the most famous march in the world, recognized as
the official march of the United States (U.S. Code, Title 36, Section 304). “Da, daa, da, da, daa, da, da, da, da da,daa,….” As I hummed, my grandmother picked from the deck of cards, and then she began to quietly hum the march as well. I picked from the deck, and began to whistle the tune. She picked her next card and began to hum louder. I looked at her. She looked at me. I started to hum louder as I reached for the salt shaker and began pounding the table as if it was a drum accompanying my humming. She placed her cards on the table, “Gin,” and then she grabbed the pepper shaker and banged the tune on the table along with her singing. The two of us then gave out our best impersonations of full Marine bands, belting out the grand march. We whistled, clapped,
banged the salt and pepper shakers on the table, and at the final crescendo, we ended together on the last, resounding note, and we both felt fine. Then, suddenly, the first fireworks exploded over at the Allendale baseball field, a huge BOOM! BOOM! And my grandmother looked at me and said quietly, “I never liked fireworks. They sound so much like the bombs dropping during the war.” I asked her if she’d like to play another round of Gin, “Yes,” she said with a smile. As I dealt the cards, she looked out over her reading glasses and said in French, “Vive l'Amérique.” And we both hummed “Stars and Stripes Forever” all over again. All across New Jersey, all across the nation, Boom! Boom! Boom! Vive l'Amérique!
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 at Montclair State University, and the author of 12 books. His best known work is The Power of the Powerless (Crossroad Books) a book on the struggles and joys of loving his severely disabled brother. This essay is from his latest book ‘Moments of Grace: Days of a Faith Filled Dreamer.’ Find it at Barnes & Noble or amazon.com.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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THE MEMORY KEEPER CHS Class of 1941 lives on in JoAnn Morici’s Scrapbook By Joe Hawrylko
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’m a sentimental romantic,” JoAnn Morici states as she unzips an old blue bag from the Passaic General Hospital Center. This little pouch is usually tucked away in the back of a closet at her Van Houten Ave. condo, but in celebration of the CHS Class of ’41 it was plucked from its resting place so that Morici could relive its historical contents. The Senior Scroll, the Class of ’41 yearbook, is the first item to come out. It’s a gorgeous, dark maroon hardcover book, the pages still crisp decades after classmates wrote their personal messages. However, the real treasure is the personal scrapbook that Morici first started to put together as a student at School 1 on Park Slope. The very first entry is a photo of the graduating 8th graders in 1937. Morici was one of 120 students who received a diploma from Principal Charles Sheenan on Tuesday, June
JoAnn Morici pictured today, and at right, in the CHS Class of 1941 yearbook. She’ll be 87 in August.
22, 1937, after listening to a riveting speech by guest speaker William Missbach. The entry is accompanied by a clipping from
The Herald-News and a ticket from the graduation ceremony. Morici continued to fill her book with clippings, photos and other momentos during the next four years at CHS, now Christopher Columbus Middle School on Piaget Ave. These are items not found in the Senior Scroll, containing many more personal memories and snippets of life as a teenager growing up in the shadow of World War II. By her own account, she hasn’t even opened the book since moving to her new home a decade ago. Pouring over the pages brings back a wave of fond memories with classmates and friends.
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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A photo from Class Day, 1941. Above, from left, is Pat Zirpoli, Emmarie Zanetti, JoAnn Morici and Louise Romaglia. Above right, Bob Sipos, Cesira Marchesin, Sal Latteri and Viola Frey. At right is the dance card from the CHS Class of 1941 Junior Prom, Nov. 17, 1939.
“I remember in 1939, we cut class Sabatini, Ohland, Louise Romaglia, and went to the World’s Fair,” Robert Sipos, Frank Wolack, Eddie laughed Morici. “We took a red bus Artim, Lester Kuzmik, Jerry Rosen on Van Houten Ave. to Manhattan and Ernest Weiner. for 50 cents. I don’t remember how Photos of the crew during the high we got to the fair school years line when we got there, the many pages maybe trolly or of Morici’s bus or something. scrapbook, hangWe didn’t get ing out together, caught when we participating in came back either, the school perbut we couldn’t formance of You spend much Can’t Take It money because it With You and wasn’t cheap.” other events. Her partners in Morici and many Frank Wolak with JoAnn Morici at crime that day of her pals their 50th reunion on May 18, 1991. were members of remained close the ‘Italian and Polish Mafia’: Sal after graduating from CHS on June Latteri, Marie Calderoro, Anette 20, 1941. Like she did for her School 10
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1 ceremony, Morici saved photos, the ticket, articles, even the tassel from that memorable day. “We all got an excellent education and we had more than 30 kids in the class,” said Morici. “We all did well. We had doctors, lawyers, engineers and nurses. My two best classmates (Helen Link and Francis Eswood) because nurses.” Like her two friends, Morici also set out to become a nurse and enjoyed more than 60 years in the health care industry as a practising RN, administrator and teacher. “When I left high school I was just 16,” said Morici. “I wasn’t old enough to go into nursing yet at St. Joe’s, so I had to wait the whole
The ticket to the June 20, 1941 CHS Commencement, and at left, Mike Pochna, Tom Rigg, Frank Wolak and Herb Rachesky.
year. My mother (Francis) got me a job through a cousin of hers at Federal Sweets, wrapping chocolate candy. It was freezing cold that winter and I thought I was
going to die! I then went into St. Joe’s in 1942. In October, I took the state board of nursing exam and got my RN license.” Even after graduation, Morici
continued to fill her scrapbook with clippings as classmates relocated, got jobs, became married and started families. As she and her classmates aged, Morici kept track of reunions dates with photos and stories, and in later years, she started adding obituaries of old friends who have since moved on. By her own count, less than a handful of Morici’s 256 classmates are still around. But their stories and memories will live on through the pages of the CHS Class of 1941 scrapbook.
Mario’s is Clifton’s Oldest Restaurant & First Pizzeria We were founded by Mario and Emma Barilari on July 4th 1945 and have become famous for our thin crust pizza, especially our very thin Emma Style. In keeping with Mario and Emma’s tradition, we continue to be a casual family friendly restaurant, one that serves fresh traditional Italian dishes at reasonable prices. Our private dining rooms, which can accommodate up to 300 people, continue to serve as gathering place for families, businesses, non-profit organizations and clubs. Our affordable party packages and friendly service has made us your number one choice for celebrations, from birthdays and rehearsal dinners to club meetings and fundraisers. Having been rated New Jersey’s Best Pizza many times, Mario’s is considered to be a Passaic County dining landmark and an important part of so many peoples’ lives. As we approach our 70th anniversary, we are committed to honor that legacy and look forward to serving you in the years to come.
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ROLLING DOWN ROUTE 51 By A. J. Sartor
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ost CHS alumni recognize The Rotunda as the name of the high school’s yearbook. However, the Class of 1951 opted for something a little different, going with “Route ’51”. This term was chosen specifically by students that year because they said it represented the final “route” of their high school careers. CHS still had two graduating classes back in 1951 also—one in January and one in June. However, not every member of that class was able to attend graduation ceremonies. Seniors Pvt. Russel G. Craig, Pvt. Anthony Geigges, Pvt. Edward Van Hine and P.F.C. Vincent J. Phalon had went off to serve their country in the Armed Forces prior to receiving their diploma. With war on their minds and gratitude in their hearts, the class of
1951 respectfully set aside a page in the yearbook for the men stating how proud they were. Another monumental event that year was the dedication of the long awaited Clifton Memorial Stadium, one of the highlights of the a rapidly growing city. Since then, the stadi-
um has been the gathering point for so many memorable moments, including sporting triumphs under legendary coaches like Joe Grecco, Bill Vander Closter, and more recently Ron Anello, who left this district this year after bringing home the first championship since the 70s.
From left; Irene Schmidt, Walter Tencza, Elizabeth Talamini, Joseph Randazzo, Dolores Mendello, Lou Poles and Barbara Ayers
From left; Peter Ciolino, Arlene Macaluso, Thomas Pivirotto, Joan Reisch, Eugene Pami, Jean Pollara and Danilo Dominquez 12
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There have also been several decades worth of graduations, band performances, Fourth of July celebrations and more. But many aren't aware that the site had much similar recreational use even before then. In fact, the use of the area goes all the way back to when Native-Americans inhabited the land. The Indians used the spot for a number of things, but mainly fishing and hunting. Dutch children of the 17th century explored around the pond and surrounding woods to pass the time. And the land was even host to racing events, both for horses and cyclists. In 1951 though, the sports stars of the domain were the Fighting Mustangs football team, among others. Warriors like Floyd Porter, Bill Lennon and Joe Scannella led the team to a tie for third in the conference. Modern, sleek and yet classic, the dedication of the Clifton School Stadium on Oct. 14, 1950 included students doing a Dutch dance, above left, and an Indian dance. The Fighting Mustangs walloped Dickinson of Jersey City, 18-6, in the first contest on the field, which is now named for their Coach, Joe Grecco.
View The Giblin Report Thursday at 9 pm, Channel 76
Proud to Represent Clifton Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin 1333 Broad St., Clifton, NJ 07013 office: 973-779-3125
www.assemblymangiblin.com
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A JERSEY SHORE THING Lois Fisher & Dr. Harold Geene met in a Bay Head Chapel By Joe Hawrylko
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ois Fisher had gone most of her life without “I said, ‘Would you like to go to lunch with me’ and meeting “the one”. Over the years, she found we were like glue after that,” laughed Geene. “We basino man interesting enough to stray from her own cally had a 12 hour date. We went out on the boat and pursuits. Work, friends and family, traveling and sailthen did lunch and dinner together.” boating, which consumed most of Fisher’s free time. Following the passing of his wife, Geene initially By the time she retired from didn’t think much of the Union Carbide in 1985 and prospect of remarrying, but moved down to Point the chemistry he shared with Pleasant to further indulge Lois made him reconsider in boating, the 1951 CHS his stance. alum had assumed that she “My wife had been would never walk down the deceased for about three aisle. months,” said Dr. Geene. “The thought of mar“I’d cry on my drive down riage, it just really never to the shore and on the way entered my mind,” she said. back up. Then lo and But decades later on Oct. behold, I met Louis. I can’t 7, 2001, a chance meeting at say, ‘Hold on, I’ll be back in The Bayhead chapel with a a year.’” stranger who happened to be “I think for me, it was a a fellow boating enthusiast natural growing of our relaand CHS alum led to an tionship, which blossomed Dr. Harold Geene and Lois Fisher were wed May 7, 2005. unexpected romance at a into a love affair,” said time in life when many couples are celebrating anniverLouis. “We have the same religion, same Dutch nationsaries. ality, similar upbringing and values.” At the time, Dr. Harold Geene was still grieving over The couple also happened to share many mutual the passing of his wife of 50 years. The 1952 CHS friends. graduate also owned a home in the area, where he could “In 2002, he had his 50th and was on the committee,” often be found when not working at his Broad St. denrecalled Fisher, who did not know Geene in high school. tistry practice. Lois went over to give her condolences “I knew just about everyone on the committee that to her fellow church-goer and ended up in a lengthy year.” conversation with Geene about their shared passions for After three years of dating, Geene felt comfortable enough that he decided to remarry. He called up Lois’ boating and the mutual connection to Clifton. cousin, a jeweler, and had him ship over some samples Both came to mass that day for different reasons, and for his wife-to-be could select a ring to be sized. unexpectedly came home in love. 14
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A few weeks later on Aug. 7 2004, Geene took Lois out to dinner to present the ring that Lois still believed was at her cousin’s jewelery store. “We went to The Raven and The Peach in Fair Haven, which was rated the number one most romantic restaurant by NJ Monthly Magazine,” recalled Geene. During dinner, he excused himself from the table and returned with the ring that Lois had selected a few weeks earlier. “People came over and congratulated us, they sent over a bottle of champagne,” he laughed. “We went back to the restaurant the next year and they recognized us as the couple that got engaged.” Lois and Geene were wed the following year on May 7. “I never
married, never had kids,” said Louis. “Now I have three children and five grandkids.” One of the couple’s main hobbies is traveling. They’ve had the luxury of going on numerous vacations over the last decade, including a recent cruise of the Baltic Sea. “We spent my birthday at the Hermitage at St. Petersburg,” added Louis. However, the annual trip to The Netherlands has emerged as their favorite. Since both Fisher and Geene of Dutch descent, they particularly enjoy exploring the culture of their ancestors, and have even gone and visited the village of their relatives. While away, other couples often assume that, because of their age, Geene and Lois are celebrating a
Golden Anniversary, not marking six years. “I tell my people I take my wife away every year,” Geene laughed.
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NO MORE CLIFTON THAN THESE MUSTANGS By Tom Hawrylko
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f you want to talk Clifton nostalgia, then get down to Lexington Ave. and order two all the way and a plate of fries with gravy at the Hot Grill. And if you need guides to mine the history of our city, its schools and sports, politics and deal making, the end of farming and the beginning of housing developments, then share a booth with Joe Padula, John Celentano and Bob Stier. These three guys from the June 1951 Class have been at the center of much since they were skinny and scared freshman at the CHS Annex (then on Clifton and First) before they went on to the ‘big’ High School, which today is Christopher Columbus Middle School. From there, they took different paths and their lives took off but they stay connected and they participated in the ever evolving growth of Clifton. They know the little details in the history of our community so breaking bread with these Mustangs is a treat. And on top of those facts, each has his own distinct personality. Start with ‘Sarge’ Padula. He was a Clifton Cop for decades—his friends claim he is the city’s longest continuous serving public servant— 16
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Hot Grill Manager Bill Pappas is wondering how Joseph Padula, John Celentano and Robert Stier got behind the counter.
and today still works for the city as a liaison between the municipality and court offices of Passaic County. It’s summer, so Sarge is missing his trademark fedora but he still has a line up of toothpicks on the table, picking one off at a time. And when Sarge stands to greet a reporter, he works those cop muscles atop his short body and pops a guy twice his size with his shoulders to let you know he still got the juice. “What’d ya want babe?” he points at a tray and asks Hot Grill Manager Billy Pappas to take an order. Sarge is always the first guy to dig in his pocket.
“You didn’t see those guys move, huh?” Sarge laughs as he shoves a thumb back at Celentano and Stier seated in the booth before he peels out a few bills from his wallet. “Who takes care of ya babe?” At the table, Bob Stier, whose family founded Styertowne Shopping Center and developed acres upon acres of Clifton and north Jersey into homes and apartments, is the same modest person he has been for decades. Voted best smile in 1951, he looks back at fond memories of Scouting with Troop 65, where he attained the rank of Eagle with Three Palms.
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Scouting took Stier around the world in an era when travel was out of the ordinary. He went to camporees in nearby Towaco, then to New Mexico before he participated in the 7th World Scouting Jamboree in Bad Ischel, Austria in 1951. Stier attended the Newark College of Engineering before he was drafted and served in the US Army as a Supply Sergeant in the 78th Regimental Combat Team during the Korean War, from 1953 to 1955. “I was friendly with Allan Swenson during those years and he was a US Army Captain,” Stier recalled. “He’d call me every week but I couldn’t figure out what the purpose was. He was always gung ho. Great guy. Finally I asked if his calls had anything to do with the CIA. He never really said yes. But today, he is one of two CIA people in Kennebunkport, Maine. You can figure out who the other one is.”
The guides to the past as they appeared back in 1951. From left to right is Joe Padula, John Celentano and Robert Stier.
Swenson and Stier were thick as thieves as seniors. Every second Tuesday of the month, they’d play hooky and hitchhike up to Hackettstown. “Allan’s family had a farm up there and there would be a cattle auction on the second Tuesday. We’d get a big homecooked meal, pie and chocolate milk for a dollar-fifty. I think all the teachers knew where we were,” Stier guessed, then added: “But we were good students. I still was in
the top 10 percent of the class. I got a gold C. Allan got a bronze.” Service to the community always appealed to Stier but he took another route—he was ordained a minister in the New Apostolic Church in 1957. He served at the church in Botany Village and became a District Superintendent or Bishop in charge of 19 congregations, from Montague to Absecon. “I used to drive that in a day,” he recalled of the ministry he retired from in 1999.
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
Schedule your surgery at Clifton Surgery Center. We are a three room state of the art, nationally accredited, physician owned facility. Smaller and more service oriented than hospitals, patients and their families benefit from the convenience and lower cost. HAVING SURGERY? You are not alone. Every day at our center, dozens of your friends and neighbors have surgery. Most operations are not emergencies and are considered elective surgery. The physicians at Clifton Surgery Center want you to learn about your operation and we also want you to be active in your health care. From procedures, to anesthesia to recuperation and your follow up, even issues regarding insurances and payment—don’t be afraid to ask questions! OUR DOCTORS WELCOME QUESTIONS That means having a conversation. If you do not understand the answers, ask the doctor to explain them clearly. Bring a friend or relative along to help you with your questions and answers. We believe that patients who are well informed about their treatment are more satisfied with the results. If you are facing surgery that is not an emergency, we want to help you and your family understand more about your surgery. Your doctor or nurse also can help you understand what is being done and why.
HOW LONG WILL RECOVERY BE? Our staff can tell you how you might feel and what you will be able to do—or not do— after surgery. Knowing what to expect can help you get better faster. How long it will be before you can go back to work or exercise again? Follow your surgeon’s advice to make sure you recover fully as soon as possible. WHY CLIFTON SURGERY CENTER? Just last year, the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC/ Accreditation Association) distinguished Clifton Surgery Center for providing a safe work environment and the highest quality of care to its patients. AAAHC accreditation is recognized as a symbol of quality by thirdparty payers, medical organizations, liability insurance companies, state and federal agencies and most importantly, you—our patients— neighbors and health care professionals. Status as an accredited organization means Clifton Surgery Center has met nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care. It is a story we are proud to share.
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Pain Management July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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“During my ministry, I was also involved in overseas work, travelling to Cameroon, Liberia, Ivory Coast, South America and Trinidad Tobago in the Caribbean. It was mostly managerial work,” he said of the New Apostolic Church, which has 12 million members worldwide. Stier was married in 1956 to Edith (Daume) and they lived on Nottingham Pl. since. His wife died this year, months short of their 55th wedding anniversary. They have two children and six grandkids. Back at the Hot Grill on that recent summer day, John A. Celentano, Jr. brings the conversation around to a packed football stadium on Saturday afternoons and the crowded, cramped lower level
June 1951 officers included Pete Ciolino, Vice President Sylvia Irene Taylor, Secretary Anna Drew Rydberg and Treasurer Richard Maehl. Left, Class Dreamers Gloria De Koyer and Rudy Wolf.
basketball gym of what is now Christopher Columbus Middle School. Celentano is quiet and respectful and down to his white shirt and pin striped suit, he looks every inch the Chairman and CEO of Clifton Savings Bank. He shared the following essay on his recollections of the good old days at CHS... The Class of ’51 started high school at an exciting time in the country’s history. World War II was over just two years. Agriculture still dominated half of the city. The old 20
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truck farmers— Benkendorfs, Maxes, Plochs, Hamiltons, and others—were still working the land. Sheep still grazed at the Samuel Hird Plant on Clifton and Paulison Ave., as did cows on the Sisco farm on Colfax Ave. Mr. Giaguzzi, Clifton’s last junkman, was still making his rounds by horse and wagon and the 4-H Club was very popular and active. The other half of the city had thriving industries like Bright Star Battery, Fruehauf, Forstmann Woolens, Givaudan, Hoffman LaRoche and Dumont. The baby boom was well underway and the building explosion had started. Each of the old separate sections,
Albion Place, Allwood, Athenia, Botany, Clifton Center, Delawanna, Dutch Hill, Lakeview, Richfield and Rosemawr (surrounding Passaic), had its own butcher shops and small food markets. These sections were soon to fuse into the City of Clifton. For more extensive purchases, one had to take a bus or walk to Passaic or Paterson. There was no fear of walking anywhere. TV did not yet have a major role in the lives of Americans and local sports dominated the free time of the citizens. Joe Grecco’s football teams filled stadiums from Paterson to Jersey City and Perth Amboy. Emil Bednarcik’s basketball fives were perennial contenders for championships. Rutgers would soon have four Clifton starters on its basketball team: Hal Corizzi,
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NEW BOOK PUBLISHED BY FATHER ANTHONY RUSSO, C.SS.R. In Silent Prayer A History of Ministry with the Deaf Community in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was penned by Father Anthony Russo, C.Ss.R., who has devoted himself to the deaf community for over 40 years. Through insightful text, as well as historical documents and photographs, Father Russo, CHS Class of 1951, not only tells the story of the great men and women who have provided this important service, but also looks forward to the coming years and considers how this service can be further shaped and improved. Fr. Russo grew up in Botany and has experienced some degree of hearing difficulty throughout his life. Despite his barriers, in 1955, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, along with a commission in the US Army. Ordained by Cardinal Spellman of New York in 1965, Fr. Russo was sent in 1967 to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where he has dedicated his life to working with and for the deaf.
Teddy Dull, Don Parsons and Ray Van Cleef. The Class of ’51 had its share of stars in many arenas, and that was especially true in academics. LeRoy Costantin finished his outstanding four-year high school career with a flat 96 average. The remarkable part of that record was that he couldn’t do any homework until the noisy Italian bar on the first floor of his second-floor Lake Ave. abode closed. He later commuted to Columbia University in New York City and became a professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. June class president Pete Ciolino had a distinguished career as a lawyer and became an assignment judge of the New Jersey Superior Court. Joan Kuzmich became Miss New York City and a participant in the Miss America pageant.
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The aforementioned Joe Padula went to Korea, returned and set the record for continual service to the city and county, 55 years, and is breaking the record every day. Allan Armstrong Swenson became an intelligence officer for the U.S. following his graduation from Rutgers. Ron Plaza was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals at the age of 16, played Triple-A ball with Rochester and spent the remainder of his career coaching in the majors. When his teams visited New York, he always found tickets for his old buddies. Early Boys’ Club member from the ’40s and star athlete Walt Tencza traded in his spikes and jock for a couple of degrees and went on to a stellar legal career in Passaic. Nick Chanda attended and finished at Fordham and taught in Wood-Ridge. School 3 grad Roy DeBoer went on to Cornell and
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They went on to serve our nation in the US Air Force: Pvt. Edward Van Hine, PFC Vincent J Phalon, Pvt. Russel G. Craig and Pvt. Anthony Geigges.
headed the Landscape Architecture Department at Rutgers. Tony Russo became a priest and Bob Stier, an apostolic minister. Bob also managed New Jersey’s first highway shopping destination, Styertowne Shopping Center. Ann Haroutunian, Class Salutatorian, broke into the maledominated field of medicine. She graduated from NYU School of Medicine and went on to a distinguished career and is still involved
in cutting-edge genomic medicine and pediatrics. Child-bearing and rearing were still exclusively open to women. The unsung heroines of the class were those young ladies who performed those Herculean tasks with no agenda except to do the job right. They set the example. For that we are grateful and say thanks. And like many in the CHS Class of 1951, we are proud of our hometown roots.
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LAST CLASS IN ‘OLD’ SCHOOL
Seniors from the 1961 tennis team, from left: P. Krones, J. Baydin, B. Patterson, T. Kopec, J. Opfer, D. Polderman. Missing from photo is P. Hamelberg. Class flirts Dennis Santillo and Nina Parisi.
By A. J. Sartor
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ne of the last classes to graduate from the old high school on Piaget Ave. (now Christopher Columbus Middle School), the Class of 1961 featured many talented and diverse students who would set out into a changing world and find success. For many, the first step on that path was at
CHS, where students explored their varied interests in a number of exciting clubs and classes. Clifton High School also boasted three particular programs at that time which were popular with many of the soon-to-be graduates: the F.T.A., the F.S.A. and the F.N.A., which stood for the “Future Teachers of America” as well as the future “Students” and
“Nurses”, respectively. These organizations helped students get a hands-on feel for careers they were considering. Aspiring thespians could be found in the Footlights Club, which was the predecessor to the modern CHS Drama Club. Some members from this group joined young, aspiring stars in showcasing their talents
From left; Georgette Bizub, Judith Townes, Karen Krug, Keith Truscott, Linda Thompson, Paul Epstein and Philip Dolcemascolo July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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with a production of “Arsenic and Old Lace”, based on the 1939 play, written by Joseph Kesselring, revolving around a man and his crazy family as he makes a decision whether or not to marry his love interest. The student Council, led by President Joe DeStefano, lent its support to causes such as the benefit “Help Johnny Fortis” campaign and a “Shamrock Swing” to support the March of Dimes. The 1961 Columns yearbook also shed a little light on what was to come for some graduates. Paul Epstein, who would go on to help run and manage his family’s clothing store in Downtown Clifton,
From left: President Eric Chamberlain, VP Dorothy Thompson, Recording Secretary Marlene Rothe, Corresponding Secretary Beverly Smith and Treasurer Sally Gibbs.
was one half of the Best Dressed duo with Karen Krug. Other awards included Class Athletes Ed
Brown and Carol Rubsamen, while Jim Opfer and Sandy Mueller took home the gold for Most Talented.
From left; Raymond Goetschius, Robert Kievit, Robert Prail, Robert Speer, Ruth Breure, Samuel Spektor and Yvonne Alayos
From left; Carol Breure, Chester Grabowski, David Dowds, Dorothy Thompson, Eric Chamberlain, Eve Tuchinsky and Frank Fusco
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THE LITTLE GUY WHO STILL ENJOYS ACTING OUT Paul Epstein: Class of 1961 By Carol Leonard
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hen 67 year-old Paul Epstein reminisces about his days growing up in the Richfield section, he paints a picture quite different than the crowded urban scene that we all know today. The CHS Class of ’61 graduate had farms and fields surrounding his Greendale Rd. home. “You could look out and see horses galloping,” he said.
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“We did all the things that kids typically did in those days. We spent every day outside playing football and basketball. We even had a fort in the area that is now Clifton Ave. extension. It was a wonderful life.” Epstein attended three different elementary schools, 2, 6 and 14 before moving on to what was then Woodrow Wilson Junior High School for grades seven through nine.
His grandfather, an immigrant from Poland, started a family business in 1900, a dry goods store, originally located on the upper end of Van Houten Ave. In 1941, his father Charles took over the store and moved Epstein’s to a building he had purchased on Main Ave. For many years, Epstein’s was the place to shop in Clifton. The original municipal complex
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and police station were located just down the street and women who worked in City Hall would often stop in during their lunch hour. It was also a convenient walk for people who lived in the area or could take a bus downtown. Epstein and his brother Steven and sister Ronnie all pitched in at the store, working after school and on vacations. “I can remember putting price tags on the clothes,” he said. On Christmas Eve in 1958, Charles Epstein suffered a stroke while closing the store and passed away shortly thereafter. Young Paul was just 14 years-old at the time. Epstein’s mother Lake took over and kept the business afloat, with the help of the rest of the family. They eventually opened a children’s clothing store next door. While in junior high, Epstein recalled that he was a bit of a troublemaker. “I was a typical little guy who liked to bring attention to himself,” he said. He attributes his behavior to the absence of his father in his life and the fact that he was short and wore glasses. He had his share of scuffles but made it through OK. Epstein went on to attend the original Clifton High School in what is now Christopher Columbus Middle School. The school was on split sessions in those days due to overcrowding, with
half the students attending morning classes and the other half arriving for the afternoon session. Epstein’s grandmother lived in the nearby Village Apartments and one of his fondest memories was when he would get out of school at 11:30 am and could smell her potato pancakes frying. “High school was a lot of fun,” he said. “I had a
lot of good friends and really enjoyed myself.” Epstein ran cross country and spring track while at CHS and two of his best friends were teammates Ricky Chamberlain and Sammy Spector. Following graduation, he enrolled at Marietta College in Ohio, where he majored in business, political science and “fooling around,” he said. “It was a typical animal house environment. We would go on
Top, Paul Epstein and Sandy Hertzberg were married on June 5. In 1961, Epstein was voted Best Dressed and is pictured with Karen Krug. July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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Paul Epstein on Main Ave. in a recent photo.
panty raids and I was constantly in trouble.” After his freshman year, he ditched his glasses for contact lenses and filled out a little more, which made him “socially wild,” he said. After college Epstein returned to work in the store with his mother. He also joined the National Guard. “In those days it was be drafted and go to Vietnam or join the National Guard,” he said. “I chose the National Guard.” While in training at Camp Drum in New York, Epstein met his first wife Sue, who was originally dating his boot camp buddy. Sue was a teacher from Fort Lee and the two hit it off and eventually married and raised two sons, Joshua and Matthew. After 19 years, the couple split up, 30
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but they have remained friends to this day. Epstein avoids elaborating on the reasons for the breakup, but admits, “I was a bad boy. I learned from my mistakes, though.” Epstein moved to Montclair in 1985 and remained single for a while before meeting Harriet, his second wife, through their mutual involvement at their children’s school. The couple was married from 1996 until Harriet’s death from cancer in 2007. Epstein stays in close contact with his step-daughters Annika and Jennifer, and their children. Still a frat boy at heart even into middle age, another of Epstein’s favorite memories is of a 50th birthday party he threw for himself at Tierney’s bar on Valley Rd. in Montclair. He had tee shirts made up for his guests that read, “You’re only
young once, but you can be immature forever.” About a year after Harriet’s passing, Epstein met his current wife Sandy through JDate, a Web site for Jewish singles. The two discovered that they lived only two miles apart in West Orange. “She resisted my advances for several months before agreeing to see me,” he said. “We knew we were right for each other. We both have sisters named Ronnie. We both have sons named Matthew. Sandy’s first husband’s name was Harry and he also died of cancer.” The couple dated for three years and married on June 5. Since 1998, when he closed the store, Epstein has been working as a salesman for Park Ave. Acura in Rochelle Park. “For my entire life, I didn’t want to be there,” he said of working at the family business. “I always knew that I wanted to do something else, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do.” Even before closing the store, Epstein took a part-time job as a representative for a line of women’s clothing. “My wife pushed me to try something new and I realized that I was a good salesman,” he said. “I always liked cars, so the idea of selling cars CHS Class of 1961 is hosting its reunion on Oct. 14, at 7 pm, at the Bethwood in Totowa. The cost is $125 per person and that includes buffet and wine with a cash bar. There will be a live band and plenty of dancing and fun. For more details, or to connect with class members, call Marlene Korman at 973-694-2022 or Bob Prail at 973-934-2584 or email him at cliftonhighschool61@yahoo.com.
really appealed to me.” Epstein said he is mentally ready to retire, but he needs to find something else to do to stay busy. “I started playing golf and tennis, and working out a lot, but I need to find something to keep my mind occupied.” His wife Sandy is a speech therapist. “She loves her job and isn’t ready to retire yet,” he said. Epstein describes his new bride as much more mature than him. “I’ve
grown up, but I still like attention,” he said. “I guess it’s still part of the little guy syndrome.” He doesn’t often see many of his high school classmates, but ironically, he lives right next door to one of his good friends from CHS, Eve Tuchinsky, whose married last name is Friedlander. He was surprised to run into her when he started going out with Sandy and they all enjoy spending time together now.
“Every once in a while I’ll be out somewhere and someone will come up to me and ask me if I’m the guy from Epstein’s,” he said. “I get that a lot.” Despite his life’s ups and downs, Epstein describes himself as very happy. He enjoys getting together with his children and five grandchildren, as well as Sandy’s two sons. “I’m on top of the world,” he said. “I have a beautiful family and I’m a newlywed. What else can I ask for?”
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MUSTANGS DOMINATE THE FIELD By A. J. Sartor
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was a great year in sports. The football team, led by captain Joe Schiavone, who was a tackle on that year’s superb defense, finished just short of a state title but took home a second consecutive P.V.C. Championship. The men’s cross-country team nearly ran the table with an 11-1 record. The basketball and bowling teams both finished 3rd and the track team had a perfect 11-0 season, as Bill Gibson set both a school, as well as a Passaic County record in the pole vault. The Mustang Marching Band reputation grew when they took home a gold medal for their performance at the World Music Festival in Kerkrade, Holland and a stellar performance at the Hearald-
All-state musicians, front from left: Rosemary Franciso, Vickie Yanics, Sue Volgel. Debbie Saladini, Scott Bleaken, Richard Szabo. At right Jayne Tabback, Dennis Daly and Frank Montalbano in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors.
From left; Barbara Feldman, Carole Anson, Richard De Lotto, David Glattly, Dennis Suto, Edward Rossi and Gary Smith
From left; Helen Fedoriw, Jack Genchi, Joan Miketzuk, Karen Renta, Keith Oakley, Lawrence Howard and Maria Moczula 32
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The Art Staff of the Yearbook was feeling groovy... from left: Janice Generalli, Karen Schiano, Joyce Meth, David Pollizzi (advisor), Willie Costello. Back: Pam Knoakes, Kathy Tsang, Jim Hudzik, Kim Hamer, Karen Wallace.
News band festival. Thespians of the class performed Teahouse of the August Moon in which John Perez, Lillian McElwee and Denise Makri showcased their talents. Meanwhile Sue Macy and Tony Ferrara made sure their peers
got the news as staff members of “The Hub” under the direction of Mrs. Patricia Zalesny. The Key Club, including members Elliot Solomon, Robert Farber and President Gary Sacks held a fashion show where models such as
Robin Santin walked the runway. In March of that year The Harlem Globetrotters came to town to play the New York Nationals and the students also defeated the faculty in their game against one another.
Yoga during gym and in drama class, love shines in the eyes of Linda Shahinian and Sal Somma. July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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FROM ‘STRIKE UP THE BAND’ TO ‘QUIET, PLEASE’ Band Piccolo Sergeant is now Paterson Library Director By Irene Jarosewich
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hen, as now, Clifton was a huge high school. The class of ’71 had about 1,200 graduates. In order not to feel lost, said Cindy Czesak, the key was to find your niche. Hers was the Mustang Marching Band. “No doubt,” said Czesak, “I identified with the band culture. It was not for the feint- of-heart, we were driven hard. And, we took great pride in what we were achieving. Besides football games, we competed on all levels, and won” She remembers band director Saul Kay fondly, now understanding how hard it must how been to keep a 100 teens in line and performing with precision. Here, the rules of band hierarchy helped. “I played piccolo and junior and senior years, I was the first chair. My job was to keep all the other piccolos in line!” laughed Czesak. She took several music courses at CHS, even considered music as a major in college, and remembers how it led her to one of the most memorable experiences of her young life – the Mustangs Band 34
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At left, Cindy Czesak in 1971 and today, at the Paterson Public Library where she is the Director.
trip to the Netherlands. “Traveling to Europe was a big deal. We all had to go get passports, earn money for the trip – I think $500, which, for then, was huge,” she recalled. From the Netherlands, they visited Belgium, Germany and Italy. “I remember even now, I spent my 17th birthday in Florence,” she added. Music, however, was not going to be her professional future. Although
she loved music, she was also a bit of a bookworm and loved to read. Now the Director of the Paterson Public Library, Czesak recalls the factors that guided her towards her career. “I’m genuinely grateful for several teachers. I had an amazing Latin teacher, Miss Castigila. I took four years of Latin because of her – very warm, great teacher, encouraged me. And Ina Minor, a great English teacher my sophomore year. She told us that her classroom would be
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run as a ‘benevolent dictatorship’ – with her, my love of reading was appreciated,” said Czesak. It was the opening of the Allwood branch of the Clifton Public Library that probably most influenced her. “I was quite lucky that the branch opened up in my neighborhood. I was a big bookworm. I practiced and practiced my signature so that I could get my first library card.” Cindy and her sister Nancy, (CHS 1974) lived with their parents in the Allwood section. Cindy’s parents still live in Allwood, though she now lives in Parsippany. “Honestly,” said Czesak,” I did not think very far ahead in high school, and we did not have a lot of money. I knew I would go locally to college.” So, many years after she got her first library card, after leaving high school and while attending Montclair State, Czesak applied to work part-time at the Allwood branch and was accepted. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” continued Czesak, “and for a brief period, I worked full time in the children’s section. I then completely realized the importance of finishing my education – so I finished my degree in philosophy from Montclair State. By then, I basically knew I wanted a master’s degree in library science.” Then Czesak went on to work for eight years as a children’s librarian for Clifton public libraries, after which, she became the Director. This position, however, came with a quirky twist of fate. “Clarissa Irwin, a woman we all respected, had been hired,” said Czesak. “However, Clarissa was soon offered a more lucrative position and announced she was leaving. We, her staff, were devastated. So one night, she opened up one of the branches, and about eight of us met there to have dinner together, Chinese carry-out. She gave us a pep talk about how we could and needed to carry on. Near the end of the dinner, we took fortune cookies and my message read: “You have the ability to lead others.” Everyone turned to me and said, ‘That’s it! That’s the answer! You should apply! It has to be you!’ I laugh now, but I’m not so sure I would have applied if it were not for that dinner.” Seizing opportunities is one of the lessons that Czesak hopes that she can pass on to the people with whom she
now works, as well as to the people who need and use the public libraries she directs. According to Czesak, “One of the great things about working in a public library is that you have the ability to touch people’s lives every day. Sometimes it’s easy, make someone happy by advising about a movie or a book. But in Paterson, where I’ve worked for ten and a half years, we are often the only easily accessible lifeline of opportunities – we’re a lifeline for people looking for a job who don’t have their own computer, a lifeline for parents trying to help their kids get a leg up in this world, for adults trying to improve their reading and language skills.” The role of public libraries is changing, she continued, noting that public libraries are no longer a warehouse for books. “We’ve become a resource center, a knowledge center. Technology is changing the role of public libraries and there is great variety in what we do now. We offer ongoing opportunities for people to change their lives. And, every day, I get to feel good. This is not true for every job.”
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OUR WILD, COLONIAL BOY CHS Class of 1971’s Walter Voinov By Tania Jachens
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olonial Pharmacy is instantly recognizable by its white turret tower. Founded in 1965, this pharmacy has been a Clifton Ave. landmark for almost 50 years. Current owners Walter Voinov (Class of ’71) and his brother-in-law Walter Diduch, purchased the business in 1985 and will soon celebrate their twenty-fifth year of ownership. Voinov, now a proud grandfather of three, attended Rutgers’ School of Pharmacy (Class of ’76) and is a Clifton Rotary Club member. Given this information, it might be surprising to learn that, during his earlier days, Voinov says he had a certain rebellious streak. Born in Passaic, Voinov moved to Clifton at the age of twelve and attended Christopher Columbus Junior High School. “It was a much bigger school than I was used to for grammar school and it was overwhelming at first,” Voinov said. It was during this time that Voinov’s interest in science began to develop, especially in Barbara Krebs’ biology class. “She was a tough teacher,” Voinov said, laughing. “She showed that science courses weren’t easy and wouldn’t be a cake-walk. It was definitely a challenge.” Today, Krebs is one of Voinov’s customers at the pharmacy, but refrains from quizzing him about biology now. Once in CHS, Voinov realized although he was interested in medicine that he did not want to become a doctor. “No 36
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Walter Diduch today and at left, during his wild youth.
one in the family was a pharmacist,” Voinov said, whose father worked at Ford Motors and mother worked for a sewing company. “It was just a decision I made myself.” At CHS, Voinov developed a close group of eight friends who would hang out together: Ken Snagusky, Joe Gruberman, Reed Klutsaritz, Dennis Ditzig, Ralph Pennella, Frank Leccese, Fred Kowal, and Tom Hundt. “I remember the food fights,” Voinov reminisced. “I never started them, but we had a couple doozys while I was there. We also used to cut class for lunch and go to Frill’s Subs on Van Houten.” Voinov remembers getting back to school by going through backyards while being chased by the police. “We’d also cut class in senior year to go play tennis or go down the shore.” Mr. Arthur Rupel, a physics teacher, lasted only one year after teaching Voinov. “He was a
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good teacher in a difficult subject, but after our class, he decided he wanted to go back into industry work,” Voinov said, smiling. Yet one of Voinov’s best memories is surprisingly wholesome. “The ski trips to Vermont, organized by Mrs. Drache, Cynthia’s mom, were a great deal of fun,” Voinov said. “We’d get the bus in Clifton Plaza on Friday evening, get there at night, ski Saturday and Sunday, and come back Sunday night. For bus, room, and meals it was about $65, which was a great deal back then.” After graduation in 1971, Voinov roomed with his high school buddy, Tom Hundt, at Rutgers’ College of Pharmacy. While home on Spring Break in 1975, Voinov was in the Main Clifton Library at the right time. “It was a Friday afternoon and since I had been goofing off all week with my friends, this was the first time I had opened a book to study,” Voinov said. He saw a girl who had a yellow button on her pocketbook that said “I’m Proud to be Ukrainian.” As a fellow Ukrainian, Voinov’s interest was piqued and he asked her out to the movies on Saturday. “And the rest is history,” Voinov concluded. After graduating college in 1976, Voinov returned to Clifton and married Mary Diduch on September 11, 1976. Together they lived in Saddle Brook, where their son Alex was born, but then bought a home in Fairfield, where their daughter Luba was born, and they have lived there ever since. Voinov worked as a full time pharmacist at Rite Aid then Genovese (now Eckerd), but after a few years realized that he wanted to own his own store. “My brother-in-law, Walter Diduch, got the lead that Colonial was for sale and we purchased it from Edward Sudol in 1985,” Voinov explained. “It had been a pharmacy since 1965, but was originally the old firehouse for this area from the early 1900’s.” Colonial’s distinct white tower had been used to string up and dry the hoses and, on Saturdays, the building was used for social functions and dances. To this day, Voinov still enjoys being a small business owner. “You’re your own boss and can make your own policy. You also get to know your patients and clientele better,” Voinov said. “You can make changes that need to be made, which is not always the most pleasant thing, but it has to get done. Essentially, you need to have the motivation to succeed.” Open seven days a week, Colonial Pharmacy also
continues to be a family operation. “My son, Alex, works here full-time as a pharmacist and my wife takes care of the front-end of the store, where the cards and gifts are,” Voinov said. Since running a small business requires quite a bit of staffing, Voinov explains that “having two owners involved is very beneficial in keeping the business moving. While working with my brother-in-law, we’re not stepping on each other’s toes. The fact that someone can come in here and always have an owner present is really great.” Voinov used to work more hours at the pharmacy when he was younger, but now he works fewer evenings. “In the early days, it wasn’t unusual to stay from 8am to 10pm, which were long days,” Voinov explains. “In business, you get out of it what you put in.” Back in the day, Colonial Pharmacy also had a team, composed mainly of Ukrainians, in the North Jersey softball league. “We won the championship in 1995,” Voinov said, proudly, “but then everyone got older and had kids. Since family came first, we pretty much stopped playing in 2002.” As a pharmacist, Voinov enjoys that “time goes by
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enjoys spending time with the family, especially his mother who still lives in Clifton and his granddaughters, Mikaela, Madeline, and Avery. He is very proud of his daughter Luba, who is currently an anesthesiologist at Morris Memorial Hospital. Voinov also likes to eat at the Hot Grill, root for NY Islanders hockey, and go down to his shore house in Avalon. Having gone to CHS’s 30 and 35 year reunions, Voinov isn’t sure if he’ll be going to this year’s 40th reunion. “It was such a big school and so people I didn’t know at the time now come into the pharmacy and I meet them that way.” Even so, hopefully this reunion will be an opportunity for Voinov and friends to reminisce about shenanigans of days gone by.
quickly because every day is different, not a routine. You feel like you help people, who can be very grateful, and it’s this dealing with people that makes my job interesting and rewarding.” We all know Clifton has an overabundance of large pharmacy chains, so what makes going to a small, local pharmacy better? “Just the fact that someone can see a familiar face, get to know their pharmacist, get to know the staff, and be very comfortable asking questions about both overthe-counter stuff or prescriptions is really great,” Voinov explained. “We also know the doctors in the area and we stock special medication that these doctors request. We’re able, should we not have something, to have a driver pick up the medication somewhere else. Since we usually have three to four pharmacists on duty at once, we can fill prescriptions right away, so there’s no wait like at bigger chains.” Colonial Pharmacy also faces stiff competition from mail order prescriptions. “People are losing their freedom to choose by being forced to mail away for prescriptions,” Voinov explained. “Sometimes they want you to change to a different drug because it’s cheaper.” When asked about the future, Voinov said that “as long as we’re healthy, able to have good staff, and pay the bills, we’ll stay here.” In his free time, Voinov
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I WANT MY MTV/DISCO’S DEAD
A look back at the 1981 prom thanks to Dawn and Emil Ihle. At right is Paula Basile with Jeff Angello.
By A. J. Sartor
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oday, the 1980's are often closely associated with one thing: music. And for good reason. Then-favorites like REO Speedwagon, Diana Ross and Bruce Springsteen were all over the airwaves and dominating the Billboard
charts, and remain classics today. But Clifton High School also had some musical talent within its own walls. The CHS Select Concert Band which operated under the direction of Mr. Robert Morgan. And not only did these select, talented students make
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Boyhood of Jesus Vacation Bible School July 11- 15, 6 to 8:15pm
Free But Please Call! First Presbyterian Church of Clifton 303 Maplewood Ave • 973-523-1272 40
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
the cut for the band itself, but some went above and beyond this initial recognition and were given the honor of receiving a chair in the Region 1 Band, more commonly known as the All-State Band. This included band members Donna Siciliano, John Judge, Mike Pazin, Nancy Lake, Jack Titus and Rhonda Levine. It was also a year for the theater for Clifton students. The high school's Drama Club put on an adaptation of the hit TV series M*A*S*H, casted and directed by Mr. Dennis Zahorian. Students David Saunders (Hawkeye), John Ehrlich (Duke) and Beth Mahon (Hot Lips) were among the 29 total students who got up on stage for the performance. Not only was it a great show, but it was for a good cause too; a portion of the proceeds went
From left; Anita Goodlett, Brian Fopma, Diane Puleo, George and Steve Dolak, George Foukas, Herbert Krygsman
From left; Howie Rogers, Lou De Vita, Mark Nouhan, Mark Plishka, Matt Hanrahan, Richard De Marco, and Kelly Zecker
towards new lighting equipment for future productions. After a memorable night, the shows director further complimented the cast saying without their cooperation, as well as their talent, this “would not have been possible.” At the helm of the sports scene that year were
Clifton's own Fighting Mustangs, led by co-captains Garry Becker and Larry Weisal. They surpassed expectations as they fought their way to a 8-1 final record. Unfortunately, they were beaten in the first round of the playoffs by then-rival Passaic Valley.
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KNOWN ON THE PITCH, CALL HIM DOCTOR SOCCER Severin Palydowycz now an Ophthalmologist By Tania Jachens
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r. Severin Palydowycz credits his childhood and education in Clifton with providing the tools necessary for succeeding, both on the soccer field and in the operating room. The son of two educators, Palydowycz was born in New Haven and moved to Clifton because an opportunity arose for his father to become a teacher in the local school system. He attended School 13 and Woodrow Wilson, growing up in a predominantly Slavic and Polish 42
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neighborhood. “As a neighborhood ringyouth, it was great leader for organizing being surrounded by soccer games. so many households “Historically, if you and parents that reallook back at people ly strove to ingrain who went on to play healthy life and study Division 1 soccer in Severin Palydowycz as he ethics,” Palydowycz various leagues, many appeared in the 1981 said. “These were of them came from my CHS yearbook. Above, Palydowycz in Haiti. first generation neighborhood,” he households who saw said, proudly. “At the education as an opportunity for time, soccer was still a peripheral sport at Clifton High. “There were no advancement.” leagues, no travel teams, no little Palydowycz also became the
league for soccer, but everyone played baseball. Yet we played soccer with a passion in school yards and that’s how we excelled.” His father was involved in the formation of the original Clifton soccer program at CHS in 1960’s. “Due to his eastern European background, soccer was very important, so he scrounged for uniforms and searched the hallways for people to fill the team roster,” said Palydowycz. Due to his impressive soccer talent, Palydowycz’s coach and family friend gave him the opportunity to play in Europe for a summer. In the small town of Friane, he participated in the summer tourney in the province of Chieti, Italy. “It really helped transform my skills to play on higher competitive level,” Palydowycz
explained. “We would be playing against incredibly high caliber players and I had to fight to stay on the active roster to compete with them.” After high school, Palydowycz was recruited to University of Connecticut, but instead chose Brown University. “It was the place to best balance athletics, as well as an academic curriculum, which was extremely rigorous and challenging,” he said. While at Brown, Palydowycz continued to excel at soccer, never missing a game and became captain of the team in his senior year when the team was ranked 10th nationally. However, Palydowycz remained focused on academics as well. “From the first day of college, I knew I wanted to have the pre-med avenue avail-
able to me,” he said. “ I felt medicine would offer the greatest opportunity to do some social good as well as be in a position to take charge of my own destiny.” After graduating from Brown with a degree in biology and with honors in organizational behavior and management, Palydowycz was drafted to play soccer for a professional indoor team in Texas. “But then I got accepted to medical school and thought that was a much better career choice,” Palydowycz said. He graduated from UMDNJ (University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ) in 1989 and completed his ophthalmology residency in 1993. That same year, he founded TriState Eye in Milford,
Eat In, Take Out or Delivery MONDAY Pizza Special Large Pie only $7.95
TUESDAY Pasta Special only $7.95 with salad Pasta of the Day $8.95!
Monday - Saturday 11am - 10pm Sunday 3pm - 10pm 755 Van Houten Ave., Clifton 973-928-4500 July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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BOTANY Free Summer Friday Night
Sweeter than Honey
Concert Series Held in Sullivan Square in the Heart of Botany Village starting at 6:30PM Bring a chair and your dancing shoes! JULY
AUGUST
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5
The Apache Twins
The FrostKings
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The Robert Ross Band
Rave On
22 The Midnight Ramblers
29 Jimbeau and the Retrocasters
The Robert Ross Band
19 The Mike Luipersbeck Band
26 Sweeter than Honey
The Mike Luipersbeck Band
All concerts held rain or shine. In case of rain, concert will be move indoors at the Italian American Coop on Parker Ave.
The Apache Twins Friday night concerts funded, in part, by the Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council / the NJ State Council on the Arts / Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Pennsylvania and at one point had four offices within New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, with a laser refractive surgery in Riverdale, New Jersey. Presently, Tri-State Eye can be found in Milford, PA and Middleton, NY. “I wanted every decision to rest on my shoulders and to guide the practice with my ideals of rendering a high level of ophthalmologic care,” he said. A surgical day can be “very intense and stressful because you have someone’s eyesight in your hands,” Palydowycz explained. “But this is the nature of eye surgery, it has a high risk/reward ratio, where skill and precision are paramount.” Palydowycz’s most common surgery is for cataracts, but he also performs various laser surgeries for glaucoma and retinal disease. Yet even with this busy schedule, Palydowycz still makes charity work a priority. “During my entire career I had always wanted to give back to those less fortunate,” he explained, “but as a solo practitioner with two infants at home, I was never able to do it.” Finally, after fourteen years of working to establish his practice, the opportunity arose for Palydowycz to help in Haiti. In the small town of La Miel in the mountainous region near Cap-Haitien, Haiti, Palydowycz goes for nine-day trips in order to diagnose and treat patients, performing over forty pro bono surgeries each time. “It’s exhausting and overwhelming because I work twelve to seventeen hour days a day,” Palydowycz said, “but it’s such a humbling experience that I don’t complain anymore. It really makes you take stock and see how fortunate we are in the States.” “They come dressed in their Sunday best just to see a doctor,” he said, adding that some patients will walk for days to get treatment. “They expect so little because they have so little, so anything you give them is viewed as gift and obviously appreciated.”
While he is not in the office or donating his time in Haiti, Palydowycz still enjoys playing sports, now prefering hockey over soccer. He also coaches his son and daughter in soccer and hockey, and taught them skiing. Palydowycz is also active in the PLAST Ukrainian Scouting Organization. While he is not in Clifton as often as he used to be, Palydowycz still comes to visit with family and friends. He will be attending the CHS ’81 reunion to catch up with friends made in the classroom and on the field. From playing soccer in a schoolyard to saving the eyesight of those in need, Dr. Palydowycz proves that with hard work and determination, anything is possible.
Free Concert Thursday, July 28, 7:30
Jimmy Sturr & his Orchestra Passaic’s Third Ward Park
corner of Van Houten and Passaic Aves.
Sponsors include Wawel Savings Bank, Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union, Garden State Honda, Congressman William Pascrell, State Senator Paul Sarlo, Assemblyman Gary Schaer, Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, Sheriff Richard Berdnik, Rosol-Dul American Legion Post #359 and Slovak Catholic Sokol. This project is funded, in part by the Passaic County Cultural and Heritage Council at Passaic County Community College, through a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department of the State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Park is HandicappedAccessible.
Palydowycz with the late coach Fernando Rossi in 1981.
Call Greg Komeshok for more info: 973 - 473 - 5111 July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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FROM COLOMBIA TO CLIFTON AND BACK CHS Class of 1981’s Luz Escobar By Carol Leonard
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uz Escobar’s life has come full circle. The CHS Class of 1981 graduate recently returned to live in her native Bogotá, Colombia, after completing a successful career with the Passaic County Probation Department and Prosecutor’s Office. Escobar immigrated to the United States as a 10 year-old in 1974. She was brought here by her aunt to join her parents, who had come to the U.S. two years earlier to seek a better life for themselves and their children. Her mother, also named Luz, worked as a seamstress in the garment industry and her father, Gabriel, had a job with a textile company in Clifton. The family also included Escobar’s two brothers, Oscar and
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Luz Escobar in a recent photo. At right is her photo from the 1981 yearbook.
Ricky, who stayed back in Colombia for a few more years after she was reunited with her par-
ents, but eventually came to join them. A third brother, Gabe, was born here in the U.S. The family initially lived in Passaic, where Escobar attended Holy Trinity School from fifth through eighth grades. When she came to this country, she didn’t speak any English, but by the time she finished sixth grade, she was speaking quite fluently. “I got thrown right in with all the English speaking kids, so I had to learn quickly,” she said. “I remember there was this girl, Sarah, who was from Cuba, and she helped me learn English.”
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Escobar also attended a speech class on Saturdays to help her learn the language. Her parents were learning English at the same time, attending classes in the evening, so they all helped each other. In 1976 Escobar’s parents bought a house in the Botany Village section of Clifton. After completing eighth grade in parochial school, she enrolled in the ninth grade at what was then Christopher Columbus Junior High. “It was a big change for me,” she said. “I went from a class of 24 to this huge building with lots of kids. It was quite daunting.” The adjustment to her new school was made easier for Escobar when she decided to go out for the girls basketball team. “I was very
much into sports,” she said. After moving up to Clifton High School, she continued her sports career under the guidance of long time varsity basketball coach Al Carline. “Coach Carline played a big role in my life,” Escobar said. “He was more than a coach to me. He was a mentor and a good friend.” The most memorable part of playing basketball for Escobar was the successful run the team had during her senior year before succumbing to Ridgewood in the state sectional final game. For a number of years after graduation, she enjoyed returning to CHS for the annual alumni game and seeing her former teammates and coach. While many of Escobar’s high
school friendships revolved around the basketball team, her two best friends weren’t basketball players. One of her first friendships in junior high was with Maureen Egan, who was in Escobar’s homeroom. “We really hit it off,” Escobar said. She later met Jackie Festa, who was a co-manager of the boys soccer team with Egan, and the three spent a lot of time together in high school. “We all liked watching soccer so we would go to the Cosmos games at the Meadowlands,” she said. “We also liked to hang out in Brookdale Park and go to the Dairy Queen on Main Ave. for ice cream. I had a great time in high school.” Following graduation from CHS, Escobar enrolled at William Paterson College (now William
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n a beautiful, suburban setting experience privacy in your one bedroom or studio apartment with supportive services while remaining independent with dignity. The Miriam Apartments, located on the 13-acre campus of Daughters of Miriam Center/The Gallen Institute, are available to seniors age 62 and over and/or persons with mobility impairments. Independent living at the apartments is just one facet of the continuum of care offered at Daughters of Miriam Center. Whatever your needs might be–independent living, rehabilitation, or skilled nursing care–the Center offers it all, in a Jewish environment, in one location. Apartment Features: • • • •
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If you have a disability & need assistance with the application process, please call Linda Emr at 973-253-5311. July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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Paterson University). To pay her tuition and college expenses, she continued her part-time high school job at what was then the Grand Union supermarket on the corner of Allwood Rd. and Broad St. After her second year of college, though, she was dismissed from William Paterson because of poor grades. “Unfortunately, I spent more time partying and having fun than I did studying,” she said. “I thought I could get by just showing up, but that didn’t cut it. It was a tough lesson to learn.” Knowing that she had to make a living, Escobar took a second parttime job working for UPS, loading trucks from 11 pm to 2:30 am. It was hard work, but it paid $12 an hour, which at that time was a very good salary. After a year of just working, Escobar knew that she had to get back into school if she was ever going to make something of herself. She enrolled at Bergen Community College and, after completing her associate’s degree, she re-enrolled at William Paterson to study criminal justice. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1988. “That was a big year for me,” she said. “It was also the year that I became a U.S. citizen and I started working at the Passaic County Probation Department.” Escobar first worked as an investigator for the Probation Department and a year later was promoted to probation officer, a position she held for three years. In the latter role, she had an opportunity to interact with the Passaic County Prosecutors Office on occasions and she became very interest-
Lady Mustangs in 1981, rear from left: Donna Perretta, Amy Jandura, Capt. Luz Escobar, Maura Honan, Maureen Miller and Coach Carline. front: Sue Stockinger, Capt. Lynn Massenzio, Capt. Sue Stein and Diana Less.
ed in the work of that department. She pursued this interest and was hired as a detective for the Prosecutor’s Office in 1995. This required her to attend the Division of Criminal Justice Police Academy for 12 weeks. Her first assignment was with the Special Victims Unit, where she investigated cases of child and sexual abuse. “It was very rewarding, but also emotionally draining,” she said. After three-and-a-half years with the SVU, Escobar transferred into the White Collar Crimes Unit, where she dealt with cases of fraud and corruption. She stayed in that unit for four years before moving on to her last assignment with the Narcotics unit. “That was the most fun,” she said. “It was very intense, but also very interesting. We did a lot of surveillance work and wire taping, and I had a chance to work with different agencies.” One of her most memorable cases involved working with the
Clifton Police Department on a case last year that uncovered a prescription drug ring in which more than 70 people were arrested. Escobar was also certified through the Prosecutor’s Office as an instructor for new detectives in the department. She went on to receive a master’s degree in education from Seton Hall University. When her parents divorced a number of years ago, Escobar’s mother eventually returned to live in Colombia. With enough years in to qualify for a pension, Escobar decided this year to apply for early retirement from the Prosecutor’s Office and go back to live in Colombia. It will enable her to be with her mother and to pick up on a love relationship she developed while visiting her mom over the years. She also hopes to take some more graduate courses and to teach criminal justice or English in a university. “I’m looking forward to starting a new career and a new life,” she said. July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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FROM BACKYARD CARNIVALS TO THE GLITZ OF HOLLYWOOD CHS Class of 1981’s Stefan Kalinka By Carol Leonard
CHS ‘81 alum Stefan Kalinka makes his living as an actor. He is pictured here as Prince Valiant. Below, as he appeared in the CHS yearbook.
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ive years after finishing high school, Stefan Kalinka packed his bags, took a small stash of money that he had been saving and headed to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of an acting career. Thirty years later, the CHS Class of 1981 grad describes a life in which he has combined his passion for performing, with his talent in fine arts and his interest in health and fitness. 50
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Over the years, Kalinka has appeared in films with Hollywood notables Danny DeVito and Kathy Bates, and among his TV roles were stints on China Beach with Dana Delaney. He also has had numerous stage roles in Los Angeles theater, and recently completed a pilot for a new television series.
Although he doesn’t get back to New Jersey very often, Kalinka enjoys reminiscing about his days growing up on Campbell Ave. in the Athenia section, where he lived in a two-family home with his parents, May and Alfred, sisters Mary and Kim, and brother Eddie. His aunt, uncle and cousins lived upstairs, and his grandmother and another aunt lived next door. It was pretty much a storybook life of neighborhood games of kickball and wiffleball, and just hanging out with his friends, siblings and cousins. While growing up, Kalinka was always doing something creative like painting or drawing, and he even won a 10-speed bike in the Kelloggs Stick Up for Breakfast poster contest. “I loved music and art, and I liked to decorate our house for Halloween and Christmas,” he said. Like most kids, Kalinka looked forward every year to the carefree days of summer, when he would be outside from morning to night.
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“I couldn’t wait for the summer to come,” he said. “I would put together carnivals and invite everyone to come over.” Kalinka attended School 13 and what was then Woodrow Wilson Junior High before moving up to the high school. Like many young teens, he found his junior high school years to be an awkward time, in which he often was the victim of teasing and bullying. “As soon as I got into 10th grade and went up to the high school, things changed for me,” he said. “I made really good friendships and I started to blossom.” Kalinka credits his drama teacher, Dennis Zahorian, now a student assistance counselor for the school district, with helping him find his niche as an actor. “He was very tough, but he instilled a sense of discipline in me that you need if you want to go into the field,” he said. “I really learned a lot from him. He was the best director that I have ever had.” Kalinka recalled that he landed a role in the first play that he auditioned for at the high school. It was a called Jabberwock and it depicted the life of author and playwright James Thurber. “It was a wacky comedy,” he said. “That’s when I met my very best friend in the whole world.” Kalinka was referring to Nancy Bartlett, who still lives in town and is a designer for her family’s longtime floral and garden business on Grove
From left at CHS, Stefan Kalinka, Dave Jackson and Dave Saunders. Below, Kalinka is pictured with Dana Delany on the set of China Beach.
Street. She played the role of Kalinka’s character’s mother in the show. Bartlett is one of the few members of his class with whom Kalinka has kept in close touch over the
years, and he always stays with the Bartlett family when comes back to visit Clifton. In his senior year, Kalinka got the lead role in Tinnacle, a musical written by classmates John Ehrlich and Nancy Pekar. “It was a wonderful show,” he said. “John wrote all the music.” He speaks very fondly of his good friend, Ehrlich, who went on to attend
Yale University and become a Broadway composer. Kalinka doesn’t see him often, but surprisingly ran into to him when Ehrlich was in LA a couple of times. “It was great to get together with him,” Kalinka said. “We picked up right where we left off in high school.” In addition to his involvement in theater, Kalinka sang in the high school choir and was a member of the Madrigal Singers at CHS, and he enjoyed traveling with the choir to Bermuda and New Orleans. “It was a magical time for me,” he said of his high school years. He also keeps in touch with Joyce Arlook, his guidance counselor at CHS, who helped launch his acting career by introducing him to stage and screen star Olympia Dukakis. Arlook took Kalinka to see a July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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play at the Whole Theater Company in Montclair and introduced him to her famous actress friend. Dukakis offered Kalinka a scholarship to attend the summer theater program at the company, which she helped found, and later directed him in a show in which he performed. After graduation from CHS in June 1981, Kalinka enrolled in the acting and directing program at Montclair State University, appear-
acting classes,” he said. His three years studying in New York provided Kalinka with an opportunity to meet interesting people in the acting business and to work on his confidence and self-esteem. “It gave me a chance to learn from those with more experience and others who were better than me,” he said. “I learned what it was to have focus and drive, and that’s very important in this business.”
At left is Kalinka in Relative Strangers, with Beverly D’Angelo. At right, he is pictured with Farrah Fawcett.
ing in seven stage plays. After two years of attending college, he dropped out and decided to pursue other avenues for his acting career. He consulted with Dukakis and she suggested some top acting coaches in New York City for him to contact. In 1983 he began studying with a private coach who had trained some of the top models and actors in the city, including Kathy Ireland, Sela Ward and Corbin Bernsen. To help support himself while he studied acting, Kalinka worked a variety of jobs for about three years, including bussing tables and doing construction work. “I even had a stint as the Easter Bunny at the mall to help pay for my 52
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By 1986 Kalinka decided to move to LA to seek work in television and films. “I had no connections, I didn’t know anybody there and I was really nervous,” he said. “Everything I knew was back at home. But it was a pretty cool thing for a skinny kid from New Jersey to be there where all the action was.” Much to his surprise, Kalinka was chosen for the first part for which he auditioned. It was a role in a documentary about teenage suicide, which won a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award. To prepare for the part, Kalinka actually went to a teen suicide prevention center to interview the clients and staff and learn more about the issue.
Kalinka went on to replace an actor who had the lead role in a gritty prison drama called The Cage. The original actor decided to leave the show just days before it was set to open. “I went from being the brand new understudy to having the lead, with 67 pages of dialogue to remember in three days,” Kalinka said. “Somehow, with a lot of luck and shear will, I did it.” The opening scene was of Kalinka’s character being stripped searched by the female jail warden. “This was in front of all the major critics, including one from the Los Angeles Times,” he said. “Welcome to Hollywood!” Kalinka’s performance made the cover of the LA Times entertainment section and caught the attention of an agent in the audience who helped him land the role in China Beach as well as parts in the late 1980s hit TV series, Thirtysomething, and some soap opera roles. More recently, he appeared in the 2006 film, Relative Strangers, starring DeVito and Bates, and he also has done a lot of theater work in the LA area. Like many actors who have gone to Hollywood hoping to make it big, Kalinka found the experience to have its ups and downs. “It’s a wacky, random kind of life,” he said. While some of his roles were financially very lucrative, others were not and he came to realize that his bills needed to be paid in order to live. In 1994 he decided to put his passion for art to work by starting a small business called How Nice? Greeting Card Company. Using different materials, he hand designs each custom-made card. “Over the years, I’ve made and sold over 75,000 handmade greeting
cards to many retail stores, including Nordstrom’s,” he said. Around the same time that he started his greeting card company, Kalinka also put his growing interest and knowledge of health and wellness to use by becoming a fitness and nutrition consultant for private clients. Another of his ventures has been as a liquidator for estate sales. “I have this ability to sell,” he said. “I know how to turn people’s items into cash.” Kalinka feels that all of his work experiences have added to the dimensions of his life. “All these offshoots that I been involved in represent humanity in different forms,” he said. “They have helped me become a better actor.” Having a chance to work with some of the entertainment world’s most well known actors and actresses has been very exciting for
Kalinka. But meeting Farrah Fawcett when he was just 23 yearsold was the thrill of his lifetime. First known for her 1970s TV role in Charlie Angels, the late actress later appeared to high acclaim in Extremities, an offBroadway stage show. “I was in an acting class and I read that she was going to be in Extremities,” Kalinka said. “Ever since I was a kid, I just loved her. She was my idol, so I knew I had to go see her.” Kalinka had tickets for opening night and he took the liberty to send Fawcett three roses. While at the show, he saw Fawcett’s parents sitting in the audience. He recognized them from a photo he had seen in a gossip column. “I just went up to them, introduced myself and told them how much I admired their daughter,” he said. “They brought me back stage
to meet her. I couldn’t believe it. She was so gracious.” Kalinka told Fawcett that he had sent her three roses and she replied, “oh, you mean those,” pointing to the flowers and thanking him for the gesture. “I walked back to Port Authority on a cloud,” Kalinka said. “I remember thinking that no one is going to believe me about this.” Over the years in LA, Kalinka had a chance to encounter Fawcett on a number of other occasions and he attended her funeral when she passed away of cancer in 2009. Today, Kalinka is trying to focus on his acting career again. He recently played the role of Prince Valiant in a stage play in Santa Monica, and he’s hopeful that the TV pilot that he had a role in will turn into a successful series. For now, he is sworn to secrecy about the details of the new show.
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Jennifer Henkel, Director • First Presbyterian Church 303 Maplewood Avenue, Clifton • 973.523.7704 July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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1991: THE DAWN OF THE INTERNET By A. J. Sartor
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or some, the year 1991 brings up memories of technology. It was in that year that the internet was made available for unrestricted commercial use, eventually reaching one million computers on the net later that year. Few in CHS cared then, but 20 years later, most alum actively use it for its intended purpose: Facebook, networking for the reunion and dredging up old photos and memories. Speaking of memories, does anyone remember what they were thinking when they voted for Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby as best song for the yearbook? Students did make some tasteful choices in The Simpsons and Michael Jordan for best TV and athlete show respectively. Seniors that year were governed by Class President Mike Frappier,
Above is Jessica Gulardo and Jason Riley. At left is Lou Fraulo and his daughter, Sarah.
Vi c e - P r e s i d e n t Mike Lombardo, Treasurer Matt Guzzo, Recording Secretary Josh Rosenberg and Corresponding Secretary Jennifer Liss. The year 1991 was also a memorable for many Mustang sports teams. The girls cross-country team finished with an 11-2 record, and with the help of second-team All-County
stars Jen Swan and Kristin Pelcher, they finished 2nd in the league as well as in the county standings. The boys cross-country team, although with a less glamorous 8-5 record, also managed to fight their way to 3rd in the league. Finishing with a 13-7-3 record, the boys soccer team also had a season they could be proud of with wins over state-ranked Montclair and Bergen Catholic. Captain Pat Lucignani and Joe Grczek were
From left; Thomas DeVita, Ettalee Harris, Maher Fattah, James Federle, Christine Gaccione, Gary Young and Wendi Kropinak 54
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From left is Steve Corrubias and Kari Hemerick (best dressed), Chris Ognek (most versatile) and Judi Chi and Johnathan Alboum (future Millionaires)
selected to 1st Team All-League, County, and State. Andreas Skounakis was named to secondteam on all three. The boys basketball team had a
attention-grabbing season as well. Although they finished with only a .500 record, they had done so for the first time in over a decade. Led by 1st Team All-County
selection Sammy Poulis, who averaged 24 points per game, the boys basketball squad also defeated rival Kennedy High School for the first time in 15 years.
, a h r t e From left; John Lesler, Lori LoGioco, Monique Marco, Frances Pecorelli, Andrea Pekaar, Jodi Peveler and Andrew Ponikowski
From left; Chris Anzaldi, Kevin Colavitti, Kevin Collucci, Michele Cox, David Martin, Joseph DeAndrea and Wayne Demikoff July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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THE HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD CHS Class of 1991’s Danielle Day Beazley By Chrissie Cluney
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any events took place in 1991 in the world, but for Clifton High School graduate Danielle Day, the world was a place full of opportunities after high school. Day, daughter of Denise and Billy Maurer, saw blue skies filled with promise and opportunity. “I attended Bergen Community College majoring in Early Childhood Education and Montclair State University where I earned my CDA Credential,” said Beazley. Danielle Day married Christopher Beazley who was also a CHS graduate. They didn’t know each other during high school, but they met at Casey’s, which is now Bliss Lounge on Allwood Road. “We will be celebrating 10 years of marriage in June,” said Danielle. Currently Christopher Beazley works as a capacity planner for GAF Materials Corporation in Wayne. This company is North America’s largest manufacturer of residential roofing and commercial roofing (sold under the GAF brand). 56
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At left is Danielle Day Beazley in 1991. She is pictured above with her husband, Christopher, son, Christopher, Jr. and daughter Mackenzie.
One of Danielle Day Beazley’s goals in life was being a mother. She has two children: Christopher, 7, and Mackenzie, 4. “Christopher is 7 and in the first grade at Memorial School in Totowa. He is a bright and active
and is a straight A student,” said Beazley. “Christopher has a love of video games, skiing, and is a sports fanatic. He plays football, hockey, and baseball.” Mackenzie attends Grove Hill Nursery School in Clifton. “She is very bright and extremely curious. Mackenzie is your typical little
girl,” said Beazley. “She loves playing dress up and shopping with Mommy. She is also very artistic and enjoys coloring, painting, and drawing.” Beazley had an early experience in caring for children with her sister, Ashley Maurer, who is 11 years younger. “I feel that she has had a lot of practice “raising” me,” said Maurer. “She is a fantastic mother and by far the best sister I could ever ask for.” Beazley said her only complaint is the lack of free time. “The hardest thing is finding time for me. Being a stay at home mom is a 24 hour 7 day a week full time job. I can’t call out sick or go in late. There are no vacations or personal days with this job,” she explained. “Many people think that stay at home moms sit around all day that is so not true. My day starts at 6 am and never ends. The benefits are so worth it though!” Beazley enjoys having the ability to see her children frequently. “I drive my kids to school and I am here for them when they come home. I have the opportunity to
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never heard. Now when I have something to say I say it and people hear me,” said Danielle. “I think I have changed for the better. In high school I was very quiet and kept to myself. I had a small group of friends and still have some of those friends today. I am more outspoken now and fight for what I believe in,” said Beazley. It is her hope that her own kin believe in the same mentality. “I have learned to always do the right thing regardless of what others are doing and that is something I pass on to my own children,” said Beazley. “My hope and dreams for my children is that they grow up and achieve everything they set out to. I want them to have opportunities I never have and do not want them to regret anything in life. I hope they show the world what happens when you set your mind to something,” Among all of the descriptive titles Danielle Day Beazley has: a wife, daughter, sister, and friend; the greatest title in the world to Beazley is that of mother. “I am a proud mom” said Danielle.
volunteer for school activities when needed,” she said. “I feel very lucky and fortunate to be a stay at home mom and I would not give it up for the world.” Being a stay at home mom also affords Beazley the opportunity to help assist her parents. Beazley’s father, Billy Maurer, has had Multiple Myeloma which is cancer of the blood since 2005 and since then he has also had two strokes. Beazley and a family take her father to each physical therapy appointment. Looking back on her time in Clifton High School she said, “My fondest memories are the times I spent with friends. CHS is a large school with a lot of students. It is easy to get lost in the crowd. I felt lucky to have the group of friends I did and cherish those memories.” During those high school years, Beazley wishes she stood up for herself more and not let others put her down. “The main thing I could say is going to CHS taught me to speak up more and not let others put me down. CHS is such a large school and quiet ones like me were
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ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER Lori Ann Lo Gioco 1991 By Joe Hawrylko
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ori Ann Lo Gioco grew up thinking she wanted to be just like her dad, former Clifton Police Chief Frank Lo Gioco. But after graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in criminal justice and psychology, the CHS 1991 alum had a change of heart. She left the field all together to pursue a career in medicine. “Oddly enough, my mother always told me I should be a nurse,” laughed Lo Gioco, an oncology RN who will be returning to school later this year for advanced degrees. “I never listened to her. Always listen to your mother. She’s always right!” Like criminal justice, the allure in medicine was the ability to help others. But unlike her previous job, Lo Gioco no longer had to see the ugly side of the human race. “I was working for a criminal attorney and just found that my heart wasn’t in it at all,” she said. “I had come from college and had an opportunity to work for a criminal lawyer. I was very unhappy there. I have too much heart to listen to the horror stories. I really 58
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Above is Lori Ann Lo Gioco and her fiance, Todd Zayatz. At left is Lo Gioco as she appeared in the 1991 CHS Rotunda.
didn’t know what direction I was going in.” Looking for a change, Lo Gioco began researching options in the medical field and planned on going into nursing. To help get her started, Lo Gioco’s father, Frank, spoke with Steven LePuff of the Immedicenter to see if there was openings for part time work so his daughter could see if the medical profession better suited her tastes. “The Immedicenter is what paved the road for me to follow a
career in the medical profession,” she said. “It didn’t happen right away. Once I started advocating for patients by doing insurance pre-certifications, I became involved with patients and their stories of illness. I got really interested in it.” Lo Gioco, who received her associates in nursing from Bergen Community College in 2005, worked at the Broad St. health clinic from 1995 until 1999, when she left for another practice in Verona. “It was a hematology and oncol-
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each other when we passed each other by, but never any in depth conversation between us. But we’ve found that we’ve really circled each other our whole lives. “ There were some odd coincidences that linked the pair as well. At the 1991 prom, Lo Gioco had to get a last second dress from the store. “So I go to prom and—the horror—there’s another girl wear-
ing the same dress as I!” she recalled. The girl’s date happened to be Todd, who was attending as a junior. That was just one of many memories the two talked about after reconnecting on Facebook in Nov. 2009. “We chatted for a better part of two or three hours and said this is silly, why don’t we meet up?” she recalled. “The rest is history.”
Todd Zayatz, CHS 1992.
ogy practice, and that’s where I really discover that I love oncology,” she said. “A lot of people have a difficult time understanding why I do what I do. Despite the fact that oncology patients are often at the end of the road and very ill, the fact that you can really make a profound difference in their lives when they need it the most is so rewarding to me,” explained Lo Gioco. “Just to ease their suffering, give them an ear when they need someone to talk to, hold their hand to lessen their fears and educate them about the dying process is one of the most rewarding things in the world. You sit by someone’s side and allow them to die with dignity.” In January, Lo Gioco will return to school to pursue her bachelors at Felician College. However, before that, she will be getting married on November 11 at 11 am to Todd Zayatz, a CHS 1992 alumni. “We met when I was in the first grade and he was in kindergarten,” she said. “We would say hello to July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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2001 SENIORS DOMINATE SPORTS
Seniors on the Clifton High School ice hockey team had a thrilling final season, as the team won the public school State Championship with a win over Bayonne 2-1
By A. J. Sartor
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n 2000, Clifton was perhaps best known for its soccer program in the high school sporting world. However, by the end of the winter, the Clifton Ice Hockey Team had established itself not only as a top pro-
gram in the school, but in the entire state of New Jersey. With their captivating run through the year earning fans in and outside of Clifton, Clifton marched to a 176-2 record under the direction of Captain Marcin Dziubek and head coach Tom Danko. And while the team’s regular season record was certainly impressive
From left; Chris Sadowski, Chelsea Blasko, Chamise McGlashan, Matt Stuart, Rachel Franken, Scott Liloia and Will Morton.
From left; Mike Ponikowski, Erin Burke, Kim Puleo, Danielle Swede, Chelsea Melilo, Gina Grosso and Rose Castaldo. 60
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At the CHS Prom, Janyn Vega and Mike Ricca, Priscilla Santos and friends at the Skylands Ballroom and some unidentified members of the gymnastics squad.
for the unheralded squad, it was Clifton’s post season run that turned heads. Clifton rode the tides of momentum in the tournament and emerged as New Jersey State Public School Champs with an upset victory over rival Bayonne by the score of 2-1. When asked what made that year so special, Head Coach Tom Danko attributed the success to “Hard work, consistency, communication and support.” Falling just short of the same feat that year was the girls tennis team. With the guidance of Head Coach Chad Cole, captains Ashley Tomesko, Eva Salerno and Sangitha Desai led the team to a 12-5 overall record while finishing 2nd overall in the Passaic County Tournament. The Boys Basketball Team also had a surprise season that year. Though they ended the regular season with a 13-14 record, the team qualified for States and were led to the State Sectional Semi Finals by Senior Captain Doug Barger. It was the furthest Clifton had gone since 1974, according to coach Pete Vasil. Budding thespians of Clifton High re-enacted the musical comedy Pippin in 2001. Lead Player Renee Schnaidt and Scott Liloia (Pippin) put on a brilliant performance and left the audience not only admiring the cast and crew’s dedication, but also their talent. The year 2001 was also the last time that West Wing Vice Principal Michael Chomiak roamed the hall ways. Chomiak retired at the end of the school year after 33
years of service. Although a sad occasion for many, we can assume that Mr. Chomiak went out happy and on his own terms; for when he was asked what song seemed like it was written specifically for him, he responded with “I did it my way” by Frank Sinatra.
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WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY CHS Class of 2001’s Chris Sadowski By Joe Hawrylko
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eath and destruction is what we do everyday.” Such is life for a freelance photographer Christopher Sadowski on the night time beat for the New York Post, smack in the heart of the Big Apple, the world’s largest and most competitive media market. “There’s something about the city at night... it’s romantic in a way,” said Sadowski. “You’re documenting death and destruction, but I try to do it in a way where it’s art. I don’t like taking pictures of dead bodies.” The odd hours, tight deadlines and unsettling scenes make this a job not coveted by many. But for Sadowski, who grew up fascinated with the media, it’s a dream come true. “You’re driving into the city and you don’t know if you’re going to a double homicide or trying to get a photo of Christie Brinkley outside of her place,” he said. “You never, never know what you’re gonna do.” When he first envisioned himself working in the media 10 years ago, Sadowski had a much different goal: writing. His first gig was at this
Christopher Sadowski in 2001 and today in NYC.
publication, where Sadowski was instrumental in the development of Clifton Teen, a limited publication geared to local students. Sadowski’s work later earned him a scholarship as he set
off for Caldwell College in 2001. Originally majoring in journalism, he eventually transfered to Montclair, where he received his degree in communications. Sadowski also began to focus July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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more on photography, gradually building a portfolio while doing work for weekly publications in Passaic, Bergen and Essex. It was during his college years that Sadowski had his big break. “Martha Stuart was being sentenced for the stock scam and the day before, one of the weeklies in Essex County threw out the idea of me going out where to shoot it,” said Sadowski. “I think they were paying about $25. I scoffed at the idea, it’s not worth it, but then I said let me give it a shot.” Sensing an opportunity, Sadowski called around to bigger dailies and wire services to see if he could sell the photo elsewhere. “I called the AP and the lady literally laughed,” he recalled. “She said, ‘Do you think I’m not going to have anybody on this? I have seven people on this?” Of all the outlets he called, Sadowski only received interest from the New York Post, which told him to return if he lands anything unique. “I didn’t think I had a chance in hell,” he laughed. Sadowski almost didn’t even have a chance to take the shot. NYC cops set up a waiting area for press to await Stuart, and the officers were going through to filter out members
without New York City press passes. On assignment from Essex County, Sadowski figured his journey was over already. “I hear his voice go down the line, ‘you’re good, you’re good, you’re good,” he recalled. “Then I hear his voice pass me.” Shortly after, Stuart walked out, with Sadowski placed near the rear of the rabid pack of veteran photographers. However, she suddenly decided to go on the other side of the barricade, meaning Sadowski now found himself in prime real estate for an unobstructed shot. “I called into the Post to say I got these photos and they told me to park out front,” he recalled. “The editor came down and I show him the picture on my laptop, which is on the trunk of my car. He sees my plates and goes, ‘Oh, you’re from Jersey? We need people in Jersey.’” Within a week, Sadowski was out on New Jersey assignment for the New York Post. With each successful shoot, he gained the trust of his editors and earned more steady hours, eventually making his way to the night time beat. “Maybe they need you to find a person and sit in front of their house for a stakeout, or you come in and just listen on the police scanner,” he
explained. He sometimes brushes shoulders with some highly influential people: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Chris Christie and others. “I was taking photos a couple feet away from Paul McCartney last month,” he said. “This is a guy my mom idolized, I still listen to The Beatles and here I am in his presence. That is insane.” But despite the enthusiasm, he admits that the job is not always glamourous or fun. Sadowski has been berated and chased from scenes by news subjects bothered by the presence of outsiders from the media. Dealing with police can sometimes be difficult. The long wait just to get a few photos of the darker side of New York City can take a toll as well. “The stress can be there too,” added Sadowski, who rigged his car as a mobile office. “You’re waiting for a photo and the photo materializes. Now you have to remember there’s a deadline.” But the end result makes it worthwhile. “The greatest thing is when you open a newspaper and see your name and photo in print,” said Sadowski. “The newspaper is going to be archived. You’re writing the first draft of history. You just can’t beat that. It’s going to be around long after you’re gone.”
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FOLLOWING IN HER FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS CHS Class of 2001’s Angelina Tirado By Joe Hawrylko
Angelina Tirado, a 2001 CHS grad and former Marching Mustang, was sworn in as a Clifton Firefighter last year. She is following the lead of her father, Alberto, a former Passaic Fire Fighter who died in the line of duty in 2001.
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ngelina Tirado remembers how nervous she was when she first decided to follow her father’s footsteps and pursue a career as a fire fighter. “I didn’t tell any family members. I didn’t tell anybody at all,” she recalled. Tirado’s father, Alberto, a Passaic Firefighter, died in a blaze while trying to save some children a little more than a month
before the 2001 CHS graduation “I just decided to go see if I could pass then test and if I like it, continue on.” As a young girl, Tirado would eagerly listen as her father spoke of battling fires across Passaic. “If he was on a job, sometimes we’d go and watch on the street,”
she recalled. Tirado knew that civil service was something that interested her, but it took time to summon up the courage to register for the test. In fact, her first option was to become a cop. After leaving CHS, Tirado graduated from Passaic County Community College in 2003 with a degree in criminal justice. Having difficulty finding a job, she began looking at the health care industry and worked as an EMT in Passaic, which led her to reconsider taking the Firefighters test. “You go on calls with cops and firemen and you see more and more how they handle things,” she said. “I just said to myself, that’s something I’d like to do.” In 2006, she decided to sign up for the Clifton test in secret. She began training for the test, going on daily runs with a weighted vest, which eventually tipped her mother off about her plans. Tirado ultimately passed the test, and then began a long waiting process. However, when she heard nothing for over a year, she figured that it was time to move on and began looking at other options. In January 2009, Tirado enrolled July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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in PCCC again to study nursing. “I gave up. I thought it wasn’t going to happen and decided I had to do something else for myself,” she said. “I didn’t know I get preference after veterans until after I started getting put on lists.” By June of that year, Tirado had moved up to 23 but was still short— Clifton invited her to fill out applications despite intending to only take nine recruits. “I finally got the official call in December of 2009 to do interviews,” she recalled. Tirado’s dream was nearly derailed when she initially failed a stress test for her heart. However, after visiting her private physician a few times, the issue was cleared up. In February 2010, Tirado informed administrators at PCCC that she would be taking a leave to pursue fire fighting. “When I first told my family, I don’t think they really had an opinion. I don’t think they thought it would be possible,” she laughed. “Once I got hired, I think they were in shock, but very happy for me. I had waited four years just to hear anything.” During the wait, Tirado kept in touch with her late father’s friend, Kenneth Martinez, a deputy chief in the Passaic Fire Dept. where Alberto
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From left is Petric Cassidy, Tirado and John Bradley. All three were hired by Clifton at the same time
Tirado, Sr. worked. “He always told me to keep my head up when I feel down,” she said. “Sometimes you’re just going to feel discouraged over things and you just have to find a different way of doing it.” “I think it’s tough. People expect certain things of me. I feel like there’s always an eye on me. I feel like I can’t mess up,” she said. “I haven’t really had big fires yet. Car fires, small house fires. I still feel
my adrenaline pumping on the way out to a call, not knowing what to expect. But any time you go in, your officers give instruction on what to do. You’re never by yourself. You’re always with a more experienced officer.” “People will look at me and then all the sudden recognize me. I get a lot of the ‘you go girl!’ from other women and the guys bust my chops,” she laughed. “They make a bigger deal than I think it is, but guys tell me it is a big deal, but I just can’t see it from my point of view.” Tirado still wonders what her father would think of his daughter pursuing the same dream he did. “He wanted me to be a doctor,” she laughed. And while she enjoys helping others, Tirado finds this particular job to be most rewarding. “I think it’s a combination of everything,” she said. “I don’t consider myself an adrenaline junkie, but I guess fulfilment after you can see you really helped someone, touched them in a certain way. It’s something you can’t describe. You see someone who genuinely needs help and once you do it, they’re genuinely thankful. People send us letters. I don’t know if you can put words to it.”
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Tom Kievit: Tom Kievit is still a familiar face in town, spending his weekdays working with his father, Kent, at Athenia Mason Supply off of Mina Ave. in Lakeview. Kievit began there in high school, and worked through college while studying mechanical engineering at NJIT, where he graduated from in 2007. Tom was married last May to Darlene, a girl he met at his place of worship, Franklin Lakes Netherlands Reformed Christian Church.
Tom Kievit and his wife, Darlene, whom he met at a church in Franklin Lakes.
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Alaina Scordilis: Ten years removed from graduation and Alaina Scordilis has found success owning her own business, Acupuncture Through Serenity. The 2001 grad shares the Allwood Rd. office with her brother, Peter, and her father, George, who own Scordilis Chiropractic.. “I do love it, I love to work with my family. It’s very comforting,” said Scordilis, who opened her own practice in October 2010 after graduating from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in August of that same year. “We share the same office but have our own rooms,” she explained. “I work there Wednesday and
Alaina Scordilis owns Acupuncture Through Serenity, which shares the same Allwood Rd. office as Scordilis Chiropractic, which is ran by her father, George, and her brother, Peter.
Saturday, and then I work at two other doctors offices during the week doing pain management.” At her practice, Scordilis tries to bring in patients for general wellness maintenance, but also addresses other issues such as mental disorders, digestive problems, insomnia and weight loss. “It’s all about helping people,” she said. Now a kindergarten teacher at School 2, Erin Burke is the third educator in her family, joining her mother Kathleen, a history teacher at Christopher Columbus Middle School, and her aunt, Alana Pollastro, a first grade teacher at School 2. This June, Burke completed her third full year at the school while simultaneously studying for her Masters in K-5 special education at Montclair State University, where she also holds Bachelors in psychology. “I wanted to be a child psychologist,” said
Burke, who, after graduation, worked in the field for a year while subbing in Clifton. “It wasn’t something I enjoyed as much as I thought and I was enjoying subbing a lot more.” Hiring through the district’s alternate route, Burke reentered school for certification and her Masters. “I’ve been mentored along the way by teacher who is actually retiring this year, Donna DeLiberto,” explained Burke, who currently lives in Woodland Park. “I do enjoy working with students with special needs and it’s just beneficial to have.” Burke is also on the committee for the 2001 reunion, which is on Nov. 26. Kim Puleo is currently employed by the American Cancer Society as a director of special events. “I was always involved in non-profit volunteering over the years and kind of ended up in this,” she said. “I have personal ties to cancer and I think this is an amazing cause.” A
graduate of Northeastern University, Puleo studied communications and first started working in the non-profit sector with Make A Wish. She started at ACS earlier this year. Puleo, who still lives in Clifton, is part of the reunion committee which includes some longtime friends like Jan Stevens, Jasmine Castro and Erin Burke. Jazmin Castro Foglio is in year two of a three year residency program at Newark Beth Israel and St. Barnabas. The Penn State graduate is studying to be a pediatrician specializing in Gastroenterology. Foglio attended the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and started her residency program in May 2010. Foglio just recently moved to Lyndhurst from Clifton with her husband, Christopher. “As the former Student Council President, I’d like to see everyone at the reunion to see what everyone is up to,” said Foglio.
Friends Erin Burke, Kim Puleo and Jazmine Castro at an April fundraiser for the CHS 2001 reunion party, which will be held on Nov. 26. July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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tered dietician since 2006. Prior to opening her own business, D’Alto worked as the Production Assistant to Ellie Krieger, star of “Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger” on the Food Network. Currently still living in Clifton, she plans on moving to South Jersey in the near future.
Elisabeth D’Alto is a registered dietitian and owner of D’Alto Nutrition.
Elisabeth D’Alto is the owner of D’Alto Nutrition, LCC (www.daltonutrition.com), a nutrition and consulting company which was formed last October. D’Alto had been inspired to become an entrepreneur by her father, Mauro, the late owner of Dalto Ristorante in Clifton. D’Alto graduated from Montclair State in 2005 with a BS in Dietetics, and completed her dietetic internship the following year at UMDNJ where she received the Outstanding Dietetic Student Award from the New Jersey Dietetic Association. She has been a regis-
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
Casey Podczerwinski is now an agent with Castle Realty in Clifton. Podczerwinski, who graduated from Seton Hall with a degree in finance and economics, has been in the industry since 2005, when he began as a part time realtor after learning about the profession while working in City Hall. After graduating a from SHU, Podczerwinski worked on Wall Street for three
Casey Podczerwinski works as a realtor for Castle Realty in Clifton.
years before leaving New York to return home to Clifton to sell homes full time. “I just got so busy doing this that I left the city,” he said. Podczerwinski still lives in Athenia.
SAVE THE DATE Class of 2001 Ten-Year Reunion
November 26 The Park Ridge Marriott 7pm - 11pm Tickets: $65 for the first 100 people; $70 after Visit www.chs2001.rsvpbook.com For More Info
CLIFTON Events…
Founding and Charter Members of the Red Knights NJ 19 at a recent Rutt’s Hut Bike Night. Pictured left to right are: Steve Lambiase, Greg Pavan, Stan Novak, Woody Campbell and Ernie Berthold. Below, David Porter.
Knights for Day Red Knights Lead the Way for David’s Day
M
aybe you’ve seen them in the Tick-Tock Diner, or at a local charity event and wondered, who are those leather clad, burly bikers? These imposing individuals might not seem like someone you’d approach on the street, much less call on for assistance... or would you? The Clifton based motorcycle club so aptly named The Red Knights NJ, Chapter 19 are a group of fire fighters from Clifton,
Nutley, Passaic, West Paterson, Lodi, Little Falls and Totowa. This local group of riders was founded in October of 2005, by Ernie Berthold, Woody Campbell, Steve Lambiase and Greg Pavan. Originally, the four friends, firefighters and bikers had set out to find a firefighter riding
club to share many happy miles of camaraderie. However after looking at the other regional groups, it was decided that they would found their own club. Berthold started researching, gathered people and petitioned the Red Knights, and the NJ Chapter 19, Clifton was born. July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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CLIFTON Events… Many of the group’s 13 original members still ride today in memory of their fallen brother Chapter 19’s Chaplain, the Reverend Don Bakelaar of the Clifton Fire Department, who passed away suddenly just 6 shifts before he was scheduled to retire in June 2010. While the main goal of the group is to ride the many great roads across the country, another important function is volunteering. The Red Knights are frequently involved in charitable events around the area, including support in carnivals to benefit Clifton’s middle schools and more. But the Red Knights take special pride in helping carry out the wishes of the late David Nicholas Porter, a young boy who lost his 14 month battle against cancer
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
(Wilms’ Tumor) on Aug. 25, 2006. A fan of fun, motorcycles and all things green, his family celebrated the first David’s Day in his honor in July 2006 as a way for the boy to finally have a normal day like any other child. Though he passed away just a month later, the Porter Clan vowed to keep his legacy alive through The David Nicholas Foundation, which lends financial support to families currently battling pediatric cancer. David’s Day, which features games, green decorations and his favorite item, plenty of motorcycles, is the main fundraiser for the Foundation. The Fifth Annual David’s Day will be held on July 9 at the Clifton Masonic Lodge at 1476
Van Houten Ave. The event will kick off with ride registration at 9 am. Then at 11:30 am, the Red Knights will lead riders onto the open roads for the fourth year in a row before returning back to the Masonic Lodge at 1 pm for the family picnic. Tickets are $25 for riders and $15 for passengers. Non-riders can attend the picnic only for $25; $15 for children. There will be live music from The Past Masters and The Caledonian Pipe Band of Kearny. To donate to the Foundation, or to purchase tickets, visit www.thedavidnicholasfoundation.org. Checks can also be made to The David Nicholas foundation and mailed to 22 Greendale Rd., Clifton, 07013.
From Paramus Catholic to Yale... By Tom Hawrylko
S
pend an hour with Damian Stobierski and you’ll walk away impressed. Spend three years teaching him and you may keep his papers to share with future students. Mid-June, Stobierski visited his 2007 alma mater, the Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton. News of his visit buzzed the Valley Rd. building. The quiet lad is fresh off the stage of the IZOD Center where he delivered the Valedictory address to 4,000 in attendance for Paramus Catholic High School’s Commencement on June 6. This 17 year old Cliftonite came to say hello to school founder Vincent De Rosa. Soon teacher Georgette Mandarakas ushered him into a classroom to showcase a legend. She even produced one of his reports she still uses for other students to emulate. “What a wonderful writer,” she said. “So articulate.” Others share that admiration. Stobierski will be attending Yale University in the fall, thanks to a mix of scholarships, financial aid and the support of his parents, Polish immigrants Natalia, a teacher in the Garfield Schools, and Marion, a worker at a factory in Fairfield. At Paramus Catholic, Stobierski finished with a GPA of 101 and earned 2360 on his SATs, a near perfect score. While at PC, he helped found the Robotics Club, and participated in Science and Math League,
Paramus Catholic H.S Valedictorian Damian Stobierski with Vincent De Rosa and Georgette Mandarakas at the Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton.
Quiz Bowl Team and Chess Club. He was also a PC Ambassador and a member of the National Honor Society and International Language Honor Society. Stobierski sees Yale as the first stop on his path to becoming a physician. He hopes that after Yale in 2015, he’ll earn a seat at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “I’m a little nervous about it,” he admitted. “I know it will be competitive but meeting new people and new instructors will be exciting.” Looking back on his 12 years of education—he also attended Clifton’s School 13 and School 1 before PC—Stobierski said he recognizes he has a gift for learning that was first inspired by his parents. “They taught me the value of education, that education is life-
long,” he said. “As we grow older, we will constantly be exposed to new and sometimes radical ideas, and we must keep an open mind to them,” he advised. In that spirit, Stobierski expects to study Spanish at Yale. He is already fluent in Polish, conversational in Ukrainian and knows more than a little bit of Latin, thanks to the Classical Academy. While at PC, he had many inspiring instructors and courses, ranging from World Religions to AP Biology. He also cited a summer program he attended between Junior and Senior Year at Amherst College where he studied mathematics nine hours a day. “It broadened my view of teaching and learning mathematics and the opportunities it offers.” July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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CLIFTON Events…
The Knights of Columbus Tank Pull took place on June 26 and raised over $100,000 thanks to 25 teams and numerous donations. Donate at www.tankpullkofc.org.
Since August 2010, the Clifton Cares Committee has collected and packaged over 600 parcels of items have been sent to US soldiers and sailors serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Organizers Dona Crum, Lizz Gagnon and Chris Liszner said the project is ongoing and expect to ship out the packages during July. Thus, there is a need for freezer pops and liquid powered drinks, white socks, foot powder,
Visine, deodorant, shampoo, healthy snacks such as nuts and power bars, cookies, candy, gum, word searches, Suduko and playing cards. Clifton Cares is also in need of funding to mail the packages so if you would like to donate the cost of one package ($12.95) mail your check, made payable to Lizz Gagnon, at Clifton City Hall Tax Assessor’s Department 900 Clifton Ave., Clifton, NJ 07013.
Take Back the Parks is a summerlong initiative to restore the beauty of the city’s parks. It is a weekly cleanup taking place each Saturday at a designated field in Clifton. Upcoming cleanups are: July 9, Zelenka (10 Carol St.), July 16, Oak Ridge (1061 Clifton Ave.), July 23, Albion (201 Maplewood Ave.) and July 30, Gregory Manor (180 Patricia Ct.) and Hillside (91 Paterson Ave.). Each cleanup will run from 10 am to 1 pm. Bring gloves and a water bottle. Call for a full list of clean up sites. The Rec Dept. also sponsors Play It Forward. From Monday to Thursday each week through August, the Rec Dept. will have bags of bats, balls, frisbees and other gear for families to enjoy for free at a designated park each day from 6 to 8 pm. The site rotates frequently. Get a complete list by calling 973-470-5956. Musicians Wanted: The August Clifton Merchant Magazine will features stories about those make up the music scene in Clifton. We’re interested in all types of acts and bands. Call 973-253-4400 or email tomhawrylko@optonline.net
772-8451
973Roofing • Siding Seamless Gutters Additions • Alterations 74
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
The Clifton Rocket Club will begin its fourth eight week session in September. Children of all ages learn how to assemble a toy rocket, which is launched more than 1,000 feet into the air. Created and directed by volunteer Norm Tahan, a total of 18 kids have turned out for the club, which meets each Sunday from 10 am to noon. The $25 fee includes a rocket kit with engines. Call the Rec Dept. at 973-470-5956. The Athenia Veterans Post Classic Car Night is on Mondays from 5 to 9 pm through the summer at the Post, located at 147 Huron Ave. Entry is free, and there is a menu with a selection of BBQ food. The Post will also hold its annual Labor Day Picnic on Sept. 4, from 1
Children from the Clifton Rocket Club pose with rockets they assembled and launched. The club was formed by volunteer Norm Tahan, who is also a Deputy Clifton Fire Chief. To join the next class, call the Rec. Dept. at 973-470-5956.
to 6 pm. Tickets are $20 for this allyou-can-eat and drink event which includes clams, burgers, hotdogs,
sausage, peppers and onions and more. Call 973-778-0931. Eighteen time Grammy Award winner Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra will perform on July 28 at 7:30 pm at Passaic’s Third Ward Park, corner of Passaic and Van Houten Aves. Be sure to bring chairs and blankets while listening to the group dubbed ‘the #1 Polka Band in the Country,’ For more information, call Greg Komeshok at 973-473-5111.
Jim Melzer (far left), was a former Cliftonite who excelled in football and baseball at CHS from 1968 to 1971. Forty years later, his son is also dominating in athletics. On May 30, Wyatt Melzer, a junior at the University of Virginia, won the lacrosse National Championship as his team prevailed over Maryland 9-7. Pictured above is Melzer, his son, Griffin (a high school lax standout in Florida), wife, Debra and, Wyatt. Melzer, who grew up in the Allwood section, is a district representative for Macy’s and resides in Davie, FL.
Members of the CHS Class of ‘71 will be among those celebrating on Nov. 4 at the Parsippany Hilton for a joint reunion for graduates from 1970 to 1974. The event will run from 7 pm to midnight and features a cocktail hour, buffet dinner and desert, four hour open bar and entertainment. Tickets are $99. For more information, or to register for the event go to www.reunionsunlimited.com. July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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CLIFTON Events… The Clifton Police National Night Out Against Crime is Aug. 2 from 5 to 9 pm at City Hall. Clifton cops, equipment and vehicles will be there and members of Operation Porch Light will give away a low energy light bulb for each home. There will also be free food and refreshments, a DJ, and parents can get ID cards and finger printing for children. Call Crime Prevention Officer Jim Flanagan at 973-470-2245.
On June 18, dozens of Boys & Girls Club of Clifton members joined community gardeners, volunteers and Amway staff to plant an organic garden and participate in healthy eating activities. Clifton was one of five Clubs around the nation selected to participate in Amway’s Positive Sprouts program. The project teaches youngsters about nutrition, organic gardening practices and cooking from the garden. It supports and celebrates Boys & Girls Clubs commitment to enabling youth to lead healthy lifestyles and achieve great futures.
St. Peter’s Haven Food Pantry celebrated 25 years of helping those in need on June 18 with an appreciation night for the many volunteers who help run the facility that currently provides assistance to 2,800 people on a six week rotation. Food is distributed Tuesday through Thursday, as well as Saturday, from 9 to 11 am. Back row, from left: Milton Millis, Barry Rochester, Kathy Aldheit and Debbe Breen. Front: Evelyn Post, Linda DiLeone, Elizabeth Zapata and President Pamela Fueshko. To volunteer or donate, call 973-546-3406. 76
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
The 15th Annual Free Summer Concert Series, sponsored by the Clifton Board of Recreation, is on Sundays at Main Memorial Park at 7:30 pm. Prior to each show at Main Memorial, join a walk around the park at 6:30 pm. In case of rain, concerts are cancelled. Producer Bob Obser recommends guests bring their own chair. Call 973-470-5680.
VFW Post 7165 on Valley Rd. honored several Clifton residents at a ceremony on June 26. Among them were Alvin Kipnis, pictured above, as Outstanding Citizen, Mark Zidiak, EMT of the Year, Lt. Patrick Tanski, Firefighter of the Year and John Biegel III, City Employee of the Year. For more on the Post, call Cmdr. Rip Van Winkle 973-279-1991
James J. Marrocco was appointed to the NJ Board of Mortuary Science by Governor Chris Christie. Marrocco is a fourth generation funeral director and is the owner and manager of the Marrocco Memorial Chapel & Powell-Marrocco Funeral Home on Colfax Ave. He is also the owner of the Faithful Companion Pet Cremation Service by Marrocco.
The Friday Night Free Concert Series in Historic Botany Village continues through August. The event starts at 6:30 pm in Sullivan Square, and moves to the Italian American Cooperative Hall if there’s rain. The lineup: July 8, The Apache Twins, July 15, The Robert Ross Band, July 22, The Midnight Ramblers, July 30, Jimbeau and the Retrocasters and Aug. 5, The Frost Kings. For info: www.historicbotany.com. Cliftonites supported some good causes this month. On June 4, 39 teams and over 700 participants raised more than $88,000 at the Relay for Life event at Clifton Stadium, which is pictured at left during the later hours of the walk. Over 900 luminaries were lit around the track, representing those who have battled cancer. At right,
Walter Diduch, B.S.R.P.
Clifton Police Lt. John Burke bears the Special Olympic torch, as he runs down Main Ave. with supporters. Burke was one of 3,000 officers to carry the torch to the Games which were held on June 10 to 12 in Trenton.
Walter Voinov, B.S.R.P
Lisa Saeman, B.S.R.P.
Paramus Catholic High School President James P. Vail was elected to the National Executive Board of the Secondary Department of the National Catholic Education Association. For his three year term, Vail will represent Region 3, which encompasses all Catholic high schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He has been at PCHS for 14 years.
Alex Voinov, Pharm-D
Dorothy Duffy, B.S.R.P.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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CLIFTON Events…
The 9th Annual Free Outdoor Concert featuring the Clifton Community Band is on July 9 at 6 pm on the City Hall campus. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy an evening of classic American music, showtunes and more under the baton of Marching Mustang Band Director Bob Morgan. Call 973-777-1781 or write to CliftonBand@optonline.net. Dance Under the Stars in Downtown Clifton July 8, from 6 to 10 pm, when the big band Swingman and the Misfit-Mutts create a night of dancing and fun at the parking lot at Clifton and First Aves.
Presented by the Downtown Clifton Economic Development Group, there will be dance contests, events for the kids, food vendors and a DJ. www.downtownclifton.com or call 973-253-1455. Raindate July 15.
The City of Clifton’s Independence Firework Show is on July 9 at 7 pm at Clifton Stadium. Prior to the show, enjoy the City Picnic next door at Main Memorial from noon to 6 pm. Call 973-470-5757.
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305 973-317-7020
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0002956341-01 PREAKNESS HOSPITAL Thu, Oct 28, 2010 3 cols, 5.70 x 5.40" Process Free Marge Krampf The Record/Herald News pu w chng Cristina This ad is copyrighted by North Jersey Media Group and may not be reproduced in any form, or replicated in a similar version, without approval from North Jersey Media Group.
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Nicholas Calvo is 2 on July 11. Herbert ‘Poppie’ Schwartz celebrates his 88th Birthday on July 4th. Christina Tacchi turns 17 on July 29th and Jenna DeLiberto turns 17 on July 8th
Birthdays & Celebrations
Send dates & names...tomhawrylko@optonline.net Amanda Di Angelo............. 7/3
Derek Dobol..................... 7/16
Ray Merced ....................... 7/3
Jessica Dobol.................... 7/16
Chris Torrao ....................... 7/4
Joanne Gursky.................. 7/17
Robyn Sue Lord .................. 7/5
Carrie Szluka ................... 7/18
Frank Rando....................... 7/5
Alexander Razvmov .......... 7/19
Lori Lill ............................... 7/6
Ryan Saccoman................ 7/19
Ron Curtiss ......................... 7/7
Cocoa Saccoman ............. 7/19
Angelo Grippo ................... 7/7
Ashley Jacobus ................. 7/19
Edward Sepulveda.............. 7/7
Linda Portaro.................... 7/20
Jenna De Liberto ................. 7/8
Megan Suaifan................. 7/20
Joyce Sunshine ................... 7/8
Kaitlin Vinciguerra ............ 7/22
Happy Birthday to Harry Quagliana on July 23rd.
Kristi Schopfer .................. 7/10
Harry Quagliana .............. 7/23
Eva Gasporowska............. 7/25
Anthony Zaccone.............. 7/13
George Shamar................ 7/23
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Alyssa Marie Misyak......... 7/14
Kayla Lord........................ 7/24
Joseph Lopez.................... 7/27
Ann Schamble .................. 7/15
Anna Schubert.................. 7/24
Ornella Ganoza ............... 7/27
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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CLIFTON Events…
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant
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