Clifton Merchant Magazine - March 2017

March 2017 cover_Layout 1 2/21/17 10:10 AM Page 1

March 2017 cover_Layout 1 2/21/17 10:10 AM Page 2

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

3

That’s Anzaldi at the podium in Allwood on Memorial Day, 1996, with Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole and his wife Elizabeth, along with Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, at the right.

After a quarter-century, Clifton’s mayor is still a hometown guy, ready to help all in his beloved city.

When people need Jimmy, they usually find him in his second floor office in Clifton’s City Hall.

James A. Anzaldi’s office is nearest to the steps, complete with a loud “MAYOR” sign projecting into the hall. Inside, his cluttered space is filled with awards, memorabilia, and former City Manager William Holster’s old desk, half-buried in papers.

Behind his chair is collage of faces – Christmas and holiday cards taped to the wall.

16,000 Magazines are distributed to hundreds of Clifton Merchants on the first Friday of every month.

1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton, NJ 07011

973-253-4400 • tomhawrylko@optonline.net turn our pages at cliftonmagazine.com © 2017 Tomahawk Promotions

Visit cliftonmagazine.com for current & past issues

4 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Subscribe $30 / year / $50 for 2 Call 973-253-4400 Contributing Writers Jack De Vries, Joe Hawrylko, Irene Jarosewich, Ihor Andruch, Tom Szieber, Michael C. Gabriele, Douglas John Bowen

Editor & Publisher Tom Hawrylko Art Director Ken Peterson Graphic Designer Aly Ibrahim Business Manager Gabriella Marriello

n

o h r

d

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

5

Above, Jim Anzaldi, his brother Sal and his wife Barbara, their father Vince who died in 2001, Jim’s sister Mary Jo and her husband Bob Foster, and Jim’s brother Ross and his wife Gerry. Below, on election eve, 2014 with Joe and Dot DeLiberto, Sarah Lombardo, and Dorothy Marmo.

It’s late January, but it’s doubtful the cards will be coming down soon. These are his hometown folks, the people who depend on him. Stay a bit and you’ll see a few knocking at his office door, needing a few minutes to talk.

Since his election in 1990, Jimmy’s been in his office, the longest serving mayor of a comparative-sized city. For 10-to-14 hours each weekday, with more time spent on weekends, the mayor is working, listening, and bringing about “compromise and consensus” to move the city forward.

And he does this all for a part-time salary of $4,500, including benefits. Many scratch their heads and wonder why or how. In short, it’s because Jimmy loves Clifton.

Outside of the annual New Jersey State League of Municipalities Conference in Atlantic City, the mayor, a lifelong bachelor, rarely leaves the city. “The last time I was on a plane,” he laughed, “was to see a football game in Tampa in 1990. I tell people my vacation and my vocation are here.”

He loves Clifton so much that he’s made the parttime mayor position into a constant one, sacrificing a business career and living frugally to make it happen.

6 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Outside of a long-ago failed campaign for Passaic County Clerk, he’s also declined to run for higher office, though he has had offers from party leaders. “I believe being mayor is God’s plan for me,” he said.

To make ends meet, Anzaldi has relied on real estate and financial investments, along with savings earned during a 12-year small business career. Continuing to live in his childhood home has also helped.

“I worked since I was 9,” he said, “so I know how to save and invest. Other than giving to charity, I don’t throw money away. My largest bills are the taxes

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

7

on my house. I also drive a 2004 used car, and thank God for Social Security, which I began collecting at 62.

“When my last days come, my estate won’t be very large,” he acknowledged. “But I came in this world with nothing and maybe I’ll leave with nothing.”

However, his city will have gained much through his leadership.

When Anzaldi took office as mayor in 1990, Clifton had a population of more than 72,000 and was enduring difficult economic times.

Today, the city is home to 85,000-plus people with a host of new businesses along Route 3, new housing throughout, and a planned medical school coming for the Hoffmann-La Roche site along the Clifton-Nutley border.

While some may yearn for Clifton’s past, Anzaldi believes the new ratables have saved city taxpayers an average of $2,000 on their home property tax bill, and the medical school will be welcomed by Clifton job seekers.

“I wasn’t alone,” Anzaldi said, regarding bringing about change. “I had many colleagues on the council and administrators, like the city managers, who had

View The Giblin Report Thursday at 9:30 pm Cablevision Ch. 77 (Clifton Local Access Channel)

& FIOS Ch. 40 Check with your Cable Provider for Other Listings

Proud to Represent Clifton Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin 1333 Broad St. • 973-779-3125

www.assemblymangiblin.com 8 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Safety Towne volunteers at School 2 with Scout Wil DeVito and Anzaldi in the 1990s.

vision and foresight. The worst thing is to have vacant buildings and properties; they cause systemic problems and we don’t have those problems. Through compromise and consensus, we came up with plans for projects that we would have never imagined.”

While he is quick to recognize others for their contributions, some of that progress can be attributed to his decades of steady leadership.

Not a bad achievement for a kid from Day Street.

The road not crossed James Anthony Anzaldi was born on Feb. 15, 1950, the third child of Josephine and Vincent Anzaldi,

t s s

s

,

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

9

Anzaldi’s first campaign card with nephews and nieces in 1978. Above in the early 1990s with Ellen DeLosh and Elsie Siebert. Below, with Clifton Savings President Kenneth Van Saders in 1998 opening CSBK’s Van Houten Ave. headquarters.

formerly of Passaic. The family included older brothers Ross, who became a postman like his dad; and Sal, a Clifton school principal; and baby sister Mary Jo Anzaldi-Foster, the early childhood director for the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton.

The future mayor’s world centered on his neighborhood near School 1. Memories included kickball games in Chet and Blossom Zygmunt’s driveway and hide-and-seek games. “People were patient and kind with us as we’d run through their yards,” Anzaldi said.

“We always had close relationships with our neighbors.

In fact, my next door neighbor Ann Dunleavy has lived there since I was born.”

But no place was as special as nearby Main Memorial Park.

“I’d follow Sal to Main Memorial Park,” Anzaldi remembered. “We’d get there at 9 a.m., go home for lunch, and go back in the afternoon – that was our summer. We were lucky to have a neighborhood like ours.

Parks are so important in people’s lives.”

In school, Anzaldi was not interested in class politics, never running for student council. But outside of school, that would not be the case.

Though Anzaldi’s parents stayed out of politics, their son was drawn to the 1964 presidential campaign between President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Republican opponent Barry Goldwater.

“I heard another kid talking about working on the campaign,” he remembered, “and thought it would be fun.”

10 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

11

Jim Anzaldi with Drew Horn of the Turn A Frown Around Foundation, mid-2000s. Right, with Jerry Zecker and an unidentified individual at Glattly’s Grove, for Anzaldi’s first fundraiser at the former picnic ground on Grove St.

But working at LBJ’s campaign office meant crossing busy Route 46, something the 14-year-old was not allowed to do. When he discovered Goldwater’s office was on the near side of Route 46, Anzaldi headed to the Republicans.

“Julie Olczak, who was in charge of the campaign headquarters, was like a mother to everyone,” he recalled, “especially the five or six kids working there.

Dick and Joan Stockinger were nice to me, as was [future Clifton judge] Harry Fengya. They made me an honorary member of the Clifton Republican Club because I was too young to join.”

After graduating from Clifton High, Anzaldi became an accounting major in college, but soon switched to political science, earning his degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1974.

During college summers, he worked in jobs that would influence the rest of his life. The first was caring for Clifton parks as a seasonal employee; the second, working for the city in a business development position.

“The job was to help create a better business environment on Main Ave.,” he said. “I met wonderful people there, especially (clothing store owner) Mrs. Lake Epstein and her son Paul. The Midtown Grill (the recently-closed Lucky’s Steak Plate) was like my headquarters. (Midtown’s owner) Tommy Foukas became like family to me.

“Even after my summer job was over, I stayed to help. That job made me want to be involved in the city.”

Anzaldi’s work ethic, honed since his days as a Herald-News paperboy, was not lost on longtime City Manager Holster, who recruited him for a job as an 12 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

administrative assistant with the DPW. “I told him that I wanted to be a councilman,” remembered Anzaldi. “He said, ‘Forget about it. The election isn’t for a long time.’ So I went to work for the city for four years and relished it.”

Friend Bob D’Arco, who ran Anzaldi’s first council campaign, believes this experience was invaluable.

“That job prepared him for council service,” said D’Arco. “He got to know the ropes, how things worked. It also gave him exposure to department heads.”

Valuable experience Anzaldi also prepared to serve in other ways. From 1970 through 1978, he was constantly serving on boards and committees, both civic and charitable. One of his favorites was working with the Clifton Girls Club.

“I got involved with the Girls Club in 1973,” he said.

“Rose Bondinell, whom I met on the Youth Week committee, said, ‘Jimmy, we need guys on our board.’ So I agreed. So did Gerry Zecker, Stanley Zwier, George Bayeux, and others.

“Back then, the Girls Club was a storefront place to meet and do crafts. We wanted to get a bigger place for them, and a former post office became available on the corner of Van Houten and Mount Prospect (now a Pizza Hut). Dolores Colucci (Girls Club executive director) persuaded me to be the general contractor for the new club, and I learned so much about construction.”

Anzaldi began asking local businesses and tradesman to donate material and time. He also worked himself – ultimately getting a late-night scare.

“It was about 1:30 am, and I was in the bath-

� e e

l

d s t

m n e s

I e

o r e a ) w

-

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

13

The late Les Herrshaft, who Anzaldi cited as a mentor.

At right, Sept. 14, 1980, at the dedication of the current City Hall.

room working on a ladder,” he said. “I was putting up pink and green flowered wallpaper and had left the front door unlocked. I heard a noise and thought, I hope it’s not a rat. Then the bathroom door slowly opened, and a Clifton patrolman came in with his gun drawn. “He said, ‘What are you doing?’

“I told him I was working because we were opening Sunday. He wanted to know why I left the door open.

I said: ‘This is Clifton!’ Then I joked, ‘Why don’t you help me for a while? You’re probably not doing anything.’ He laughed and left.”

In 1974, Anzaldi got his first taste of city politics, working to elect his friend Zecker to council. A political outsider, Zecker’s tireless pursuit of votes by knocking on doors and attending numerous events catapulted him to a fifth-place finish and council seat, surprising many in the city.

Those lessons were not lost on Anzaldi. By the 1978 council race, he would generate some surprises of his own.

Run, Jimmy, run!

Anzaldi began his council run in September 1977 with a picnic at the closed Glattly’s Grove in Clifton.

Friend and fellow library board member David Glattly asked his grandparents to reopen for Anzaldi’s campaign kickoff, and they agreed, with Grandma Glattly offering to make the clam chowder.

To prepare for the weekend’s threatening weather, Anzaldi and brother Sal hung plastic sheeting bought from Channel Lumber, while the Morrocco Funeral Home lent them three funeral tents. Anzaldi’s family prepared trays of pasta and waited for the guests to show up.

14 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

To everyone’s surprise, about a thousand did.

“My Uncle Ernie Capuano was a police captain and had run picnics, so he knew what to do,” Anzaldi said.

“All the political big shots came, both Democrats and Republicans, including State Senator Joe Hirkala and State Assemblyman Emil Olszowy (whom Anzaldi worked for in 1975), along with many local leaders.

“It was amazing,” remembered D’Arco, who continues to manage Anzaldi’s campaigns today. “It was like an Italian feast – it was Jimmy’s Day! That picnic became a catalyst for his winning. People realized he could be a good councilman, and we built so much enthusiasm and lists of people who could help.”

After it was over, Anzaldi asked the Glattlys what he owed them. “They were such good people,” he said, laughing. “Grandma Glattly said, ‘You think $50 is too much?’ And she made the clam chowder!”

After the picnic, Anzaldi began his own tireless campaign. “Nobody thought I could be elected to council in my first election, especially not having a lot of money.” That May, Anzaldi finished a surprising third behind Zecker and Dr. Joseph Grecco, gaining 9,992 votes, becoming the youngest councilman in Clifton history.

Now an elected official, Anzaldi resigned from his city job and joined Disoteo Fuel Service as a general manager, a position he held for the next 12 years.

There, he’d make a discovery that would foretell his future.

“When I was young,” Anzaldi said, “I would go to council meetings when Anna Latteri was mayor. She was a strong leader and liked me.

“Disoteo had bought her company (Arctic Fuel and Heating) and, in my desk, I found her mayor’s

f

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

15

gavel,” he continued. “I tried returning it to her son (Latteri died in office in 1973), but he said that she’d want me to have it.

“After 27 years, I still use it,” Anzaldi noted.

After his council win, Clifton’s News Journal wrote, “Jim Anzaldi’s showing is nothing short of a miracle… he will be put to the test when the pressures of office are placed on his shoulders. His can have the longest career in the city’s history, or the shortest.”

The News Journal’s long and short prediction came true.

Anzaldi with Clifton 75th Anniversary Committee members in 1992.

Anzaldi was defeated in his reelection through contentious issues – like the council voting to bid in 1982, but regained his council seat in 1986. make English the official language of municipal gov“I don’t remember why I lost in 1982,” he said. “I had ernment, or the decision to fly the LGBT rainbow pride worked hard. But after losing the election, I shrugged flag outside City Hall (Anzaldi cast the deciding vote in and went back to things I liked, the charitable and comsupport of the flag). mittee work, helping people.

“I decide everything on the law first, but many, “But there was never a question that I wouldn’t run many things in government are decided on common again. No one in Clifton had ever lost a council race and sense,” he said. “If there’s any way to describe my come back to win. I needed to work extra hard to do that, votes, it’s common sense.” which I did,” he said.

Councilwoman Lauren Murphy sees Anzaldi’s deciIn the 1986 election, Anzaldi finished with 9,720 sions this way: “He’s a bit middle-of-the-road, more convotes, second only to Mayor Gloria Kolodziej, who finservative than I am. But he always has Clifton’s best ished with 11,725. interests at heart. He tries to see both sides of any issue.”

Four years later, he would gain the top spot.

Anzaldi’s job also includes hearing the many new voices who now call Clifton home.

Call me ‘Jimmy’ Though the city continues to have large populations In the 1990 election, Anzaldi was the top vote-getter of people with Italian, Irish, and Eastern European with 9,609 votes, beating second-place finisher and roots, its diversity has exploded during his tenure, with friend and mentor Les Herrschaft. The new mayor’s 60 percent of students coming from families speaking a friendly and consensus-building style was epitomized language other than English. in Record reporter Jenny DeMonte’s article, Call Me “In the eighties and nineties, people began coming to ‘Jimmy,’ Says Native Son. New Jersey, looking for a family community,” Anzaldi “I can’t get used to people calling me ‘Mayor.’ They said. “They came to Clifton because of the wide varishould call me ‘Jimmy’ because that’s who I’ve been to ety of housing and cost. They buy their house, and it’s these people for all these years,” he is quoted as saying, their castle. You should hear how the newcomers talk a sentiment that continues to this day. about Clifton – they are so positive.”

During the past 26 years, Anzaldi has labored conAnzaldi stays relevant to all citizens by holding on to stantly on the city’s behalf, including taking the occathe values that made him successful. Along with keepsional 3 am call from an irate citizen regarding noise. ing connected to longtime residents, he strives to reach He has guided the city through economic ups and out to new ones from Clifton’s Turkish, Arabic, downs, watched its population rise, and navigated 16 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

o

n

n y

t

w

n h a

o i

k

o

h Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

17

Hispanic and Indian communities, among others.

“You need to be welcoming, be friendly, to people from all walks of life, all religions. This was bred in me from parents and grandparents – they were welcoming people. A priest from St. Anthony’s in Passaic said to me, ‘Your parents are so good to the newcomers,’ who at the time were Filipinos.”

As mayor, Anzaldi has experienced his share of tough times.

Losing Paul VI High School was

one that immediately comes to mind. But his most difficult challenges have been coping with loss.

He points to 9/11 as an example, personally knowing a few of Clifton’s 11 terror victims who perished in the World Trade Center attacks. Others include: the death of John Samra, the first Clifton Police officer killed in the line of duty; the passing of City Manager Bob Hammer, whom Anzaldi called “the best leader I witnessed in government”; and the loss of

corner of Clifton & Getty Avenues

973-365-1267 General Dentistry Periodontal Care Dentures Implants Crowns A Trusted Name in Family Dentistry for

60 Years

18 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

other respected council colleagues.

“Probably the worst was Matt Grabowski,” he said. “It’s so terrible to lose someone that young, in their prime.”

During his mayoral career, Anzaldi has been a huge advocate for Youth Week, Safety Town, the Clifton Picnic, and Fourth of July fireworks show. He’s also served as president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities for 2010, a first for a Clifton mayor. But he is most proud of the open spaces the council preserved, like Dundee Island and Athenia Steel property, and humbled the city would name a park on the Athenia Steel site after him.

“The mayor is the most dedicated public servant that I’ve had the pleasure to work with,” said former City Manager Al Greco. “It’s appropriate that Athenia Park be named in his honor.

Mayor Anzaldi always believed that parks and recreation are an integral part of a community, which made good towns into great towns – and Clifton is a great town.”

Some of that greatness is due to Anzaldi’s self-described “compromise and consensus” leadership.

“I never knew the mayor until I got on the council,” said Murphy.

“Since he is a Republican and I’m a Democrat, we were a little leery of each other, but that changed.

Today we get along well. He is an awesome leader. He’s also very fatherly and protective of his entire council, especially when anything negative is said about us.

“The mayor also knows everyone in this city. Say we mention an address, he’ll say, ‘That’s

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

19

where Bob and Sally live – their daughter just went to college.’ After being on the council for a while, I understand why he’s the mayor – he deserves the position.”

That belief is supported by former councilman and city attorney Gerry Friend. “No one is more dedicated to Clifton than Jimmy Anzaldi,” Friend said. “He has the unique ability to bring people of different viewpoints together to come to a common solution.”

Anzaldi with Clifton Cares founders Lizz Gagnon, Chris A leader for today Liszner and Dona Crum. The group, with the help of many volAnzaldi notes politics have become rougher unteers, sends packages to troops serving overseas. and more personal these days (“I don’t believe in what goes on here every day, like the people who come that stuff, never have.”), he feels fortunate to have a to see me or those I meet on my rounds” he said. public life and is happy to serve Clifton.

“My dad once told me a story. One Monday while he “I’ve been asked to run for higher office like state was delivering mail, he was asked by a wealthy lawyer assembly,” he said, “including by the other party. But how life was treating him. He told the lawyer about his I couldn’t change parties. Plus I like being mayor.”

Sunday dinners with his family, his kids, and his friends.

His thoughts on the Council Election in 2018?

The lawyer looked at him and said, ‘Vince, I’m a mil“I don’t think too far in the future about running and lionaire. But you’re a multi-millionaire.’ usually make my mind up closer to the election. Then “And that’s how I feel – I’m a very lucky person.” what the people decide, the people decide. I focus on

Immedicenter

1355 Broad St. • Clifton • 973-778-5566

www.immedicenter.com Dr. Michael Basista, Medical Director of Immedicenter Mon-Fri 8am to 9pm • Sat & Sun 8am to 5pm Walk-in Medical Care Weekday Appointments Available 20 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

e

e r

-

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

21

22 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

23

Al DuBois is one big reason why the city’s recycling efforts stand out amidst its New Jersey counterparts.

But he gives all the credit to the crews out on the streets, in the yards, and on the trucks.

By Douglas John Bowen When it comes to a cleaner, greener Earth, Clifton cares. When it comes to Clifton’s caring, it’s hard to top the drive and persistence of Municipal Recycling Coordinator Al DuBois.

“Reuse” is a mantra DuBois applies whenever he can to Clifton’s highly efficient – and in most years, profitable! – recycling efforts. Indeed, to DuBois, “recycling” is a word fraught with good intent but dubious consequences, at least within New Jersey. He’d rather see more “source reduction.”

Many Clifton residents have done their part, he said.

“We’re lucky in Clifton; we have dedicated citizens, dedicated workers with 30 years experience. We’ve done it.

We have the infrastructure, we have the facilities, to do recycling the right way.”

DuBois paused, then added, “The people who use our [water] wells; those are the environmentalists.” Sadly, they’re outnumbered at present by bottled water enthusiasts who with plastic containers generate a larger waste stream, even if they conscientiously believe recycling the bottles is a positive step.

24 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Top: Willie Smith and Carlos Frias; Frias has worked with Clifton Recycling for two years. “This is a group effort,” Frias said of his many tasks. “One day we are on plastic, the next it is glass. The great part is we are keeping our city clean and helping the environment.”

Above, Kevin Colavitti and Steve Rodrigues both agree that they are part of a team effort helping to make their hometown cleaner. “We take pride in Clifton Recycling,” said Colavitti.

“Recycling takes energy,” DuBois said. “If we really have climate change issues – we can debate all day just what those issues really are — we have to change our approach. We need to refill.”

He added, “The average person will do the right thing if they’re informed. Too often, they’re not informed.”

DuBois works to improve that, a little at a time, both with residents and small businesses in the field,

h Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

25

’’

“Al runs the program like it is Patton’s Army,” said driver Frank Martorano, who has been a DPW employee for four years. “He believes in what he is doing and instills that in all the employees. He’s tough and wants the crews to be doing their jobs the right way.” and among municipal staff, where comparisons of DuBois to General George S. Patton’s “can do” attitude are common.

Early interest in conservation Khaseem Parker, Michael Sconiers, and Eugene Mazzola are DuBois sees reuse as a natural extension of the part of the cardboard and paper crew. “We interact with people every day and we try to be personable and answer their values he was taught as a child growing up in questions,” said Parker. “Sometimes we have to politely Clifton. decline to take items after we explain what our job is. To many “I had an uncle who recycled, and all my relapeople, we are the face of Clifton and we take that seriously.” tives used to reuse and do what they could,” he “because it’s easiest for the homeowner, and the homerecalled during an interview last month. Bottle deposits owner can feel virtuous about it.” were also commonplace during the 1960s, “so I’d go up to the A&P or someplace like that; they also “they would Clifton’s lead draws plaudits give you a deposit on certain bottles. Plus Brookdale New Jersey mandated recycling in 1988, and Al [Soda Co.] existed” – the “Pride of the Garden State” DuBois was there to help make sure Clifton got a good generated about 3 million cases in soda sales each year handle on the mandate, helping the city respond rapidly, during the 1960s, all with refillable bottles as part of the and effectively, and often profitably, to the new directive. business plan.

The profitability was perhaps most striking; skeptics and As the decades passed, so did the labeling for those even some committed environmentalists in the late concerned about Earth’s overall health. “I was an ‘envi1980s were unconvinced, or at least uncertain, that good ronmentalist’ in high school,” said DuBois, CHS 1975. environmental efforts could coexist with good business “It wasn’t called that then; it was the ‘Natural practices.

Something-or-other Club.’ Whatever it was, I was in it.

DuBois helped prove such seeming “opposites” could We focused mostly on conservation” – the prudent and be wed. Holding the title of Clifton Recycling efficient use of natural resources, and a label DuBois still Coordinator at that time, DuBois and his comrades didaccepts with pride. n’t wait or stall. “We were one of the first to immediateIn fact, DuBois insisted, true conservation goes ly take it on,” he noted with some satisfaction. “It took beyond basic recycling, which can eat up energy and others up to a year to get going.” resources through reshaping, collecting, and transporting DuBois said Clifton started by taking what infrastructhe used materials. “Everyone seems to be looking at ture it already had, and adjusting it – if indeed it needed curbside recycling at this time” as the answer to everyadjusting at all. “We had a volunteer deal, a drop off site, thing, but “that is not the way to go,” he stressed. for aluminum cans and paper years before it was mandaHe acknowledged that New Jersey municipalities, to tory,” he pointed out. overwhelming degree, have done just that anyway, 26 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

27

USMC veteran Gil Collazo is a light equipment operator, while Omar Fernandez, at right, is a former graphic artist who now is a rolloff operator who gets the recycled items from the Clifton sites to the processor in Passaic.

When asked if he thinks he was ahead of his Clifton also evaluated 11 to 12 sites with recycling time, DuBois deflected the praise to Florio, insistdumpsters in place prior to the state mandate, most of ing the governor certainly them operated by businesses was. “Environmentally, refillor entities such as the Girls ables really saves energy.

Club (then on Mt. Prospect) “We happen to be one of the and the Boys Club. “We let few communities in the state — Recycling takes energy – melting down and so forth. those sites stay as they were; recognized by EPA in 1995 — Gov. Florio saw that” – one why ruin what already that separated materials, as reason he halted the incineraworks?” DuBois said. “The tor program, which at the money generated by those opposed to single-source.” time faced mounting resistsites would go to them.” ance statewide.

Such an approach – which - Municipal Recycling Moreover, “The governor included a large dose of “If it Coordinator Al DuBois also put out a 50-page docuisn’t broke, don’t fix it” – ment for 60% recycling and quickly garnered recognition. source reduction. The document talks about recycling, On April 4, 1990, Gov. James Florio traveled to Clifton composting, and incentives such as bringing your own to praise the city for its initial efforts to reduce the waste bags to the supermarkets. It’s a great document. And no stream through its recycling efforts. “I’m impressed,” one ever followed it,” DuBois lamented. the governor was quoted by newspapers saying to city Still, Clifton blazed an environmental trail, and got officials. He added, “The hope is that this should be the recognized repeatedly for its efforts. In 1996, the normal thing ... Everybody should be doing what Clifton Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a group hired by the is doing.” federal Environmental Protection Agency, recognized At the time, DuBois recalled, incinerator plants were Clifton as one of 25 communities nationwide that served coming on line, and some expected such utilities to be as a model. During that year, Clifton diverted a healthy the dominant way to handle waste, with projections of 21 56% of its municipal solid waste from disposal. incinerators, one per county. But Florio suggested that “source reduction” would be more prevalent, pleasing Between 2001 and 2009, DuBois traveled to DuBois, who was quoted at the time saying he was “very Washington, D.C., on behalf of the city, to accept impressed.” “approximately 17 awards” citing Clifton’s lead-

’’

28 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

s y .

– . e e -

From the Rozsa Family &

The Hungarian

Meat Center

189 Parker Ave (half block from Botany Village) Passaic

M-Sat 8am-6pm • 973-473-1645

www.kolbasz.com

Easter is April 16. We’ll Mail Your Easter Order!

We’ll Help You Make it a

Hungarian Easter!

Holiday Hams & other Traditional Easter Foods Pork, Beef, Cheese & Meat Products Home Style Smoked Bacon & Smoked Sausages We make our own Salami & offer many fine Imports

r d , n o

t e e d d y

o t

Our cases are filled with fresh Poppy Seed, Lekvar, Apricot and other Hungarian Spices!

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

29

CDL driver Mohammed Abufasha recycling Christmas trees. Danny Prendergast (CHS 2005) and Willie Smith: “We take pride in our community and the environment,” said Prendergast. “We know we’re making a difference.”

ership efforts, such as recycling electronics, adapting procedures to climate change, educational programs, tonnage amounts handled, and business program.

In 2008, Clifton received the Environmental Quality Award, the highest honor EPA bestows. “They thought of us as the model to lead the way. But no one wants to follow,” DuBois said.

Outstanding in the field Clifton may be a lone wolf when it comes to its environmental approach. But DuBois, sometimes called the “Godfather of Recycling” by admiring residents, is still leading the charge for change, while maintaining the effort as a profitable one for Clifton to boot.

“We happen to be one of the few communities in the state – recognized by EPA in 1995 – that separated materials, as opposed to single-source,” DuBois said.

Why? In a word: Revenue.

“Single-source is easy for collection, but not for quality, and you lose revenue. It really gives more control and power to the waste industry,” he said – not just private contractors but also government entities which develop a vested interest in less efficient practices.

Clifton saved about $1 million in waste management costs during its first full year of recycling in 1989 – an average of $35 per homeowner. As such, it was among the first municipalities in New Jersey to demonstrate that one could make environmental sense and business dollars simultaneously.

The savings is considerably less these days as the nation’s waste flow changes, but it’s still a positive cash flow, DuBois said. “The markets have declined in last couple of years, but we have contracts for multiple years.

For Dec. 2016, we netted $33,000, up $5,000 from the previous month, so the market is slightly getting better.”

Since the inception of the program in 1988, the city has 30 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

earned over $10 million in revenue from the sale of recyclables and grants from New Jersey’s recycling tonnage program. Clifton’s current contract with Atlantic Coast Fibers extends through May 2018, and during that period DuBois expects the city to average $388,000 per year in revenue from its green efforts. “That should be in the ballpark until the end of the contract,” he observed.

The approach is reinforced by educational programs in Clifton schools by municipal representatives and by civic groups, as well as a “carrot and stick” approach to encourage homeowners and businesses to participate.

The need to boost reuse Brookdale Soda Co. and other similar ventures have largely faded from the American business field, and almost totally within New Jersey – something DuBois considers a major loss. “Some states, like Vermont and parts of Massachusetts, still push refillables, but only to a point. A lot of places have just given up,” he stated.

Several states, including New York, do have bottle bill laws, which is a net plus, DuBois said; New Jersey is unlikely to become such a state anytime soon.

“Environmentally, refillables really save energy.

Recycling takes energy – melting down and so forth.”

The recycling concept was earnest, he allowed; “in the 1980s, recycling was the greatest thing because before that everything was headed for the landfill.”

But recycled materials too often still don’t reach their intended target, either, DuBois claimed. “In New Jersey, glass goes for landfill base and cover or to create ‘glassphalt,’ when glass is mixed with asphalt. Glass can’t be recycled [easily] when it’s commingled, except in rare instances.” Optical sorting machines can separate glass from plastics and paper, he acknowledged, “but it’s costly and it’s energy intensive; it requires a lot of maintenance and energy.”

e t

r e

y o

e d

d o

l

� e e

r

e

t e

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

31

From cultivating worms and hanging clothes on a line to dry as well as all forms of recycling, Al DuBois met with CHS students and explained more about the environment and recycling efforts More details can be found at cliftonnj.org, and click on trash and recycling, for the 2017 Recycling Guide, which can also be found at city hall and the libraries.

To arrange a presentation for a class or a group, call DuBois at 973-470-2237.

Again, lauding former Gov. Florio, DuBois noted even the effort to reuse paper has been largely misdirected. “He said, ‘build mills.’ We haven’t built one mill. In fact, we’ve lost that capacity; we had Garden State Paper in Garfield and Clifton’s Whippany Paperboard which

32 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

became Recycled Paperboard. All gone. How can a state that’s into recycling watch its existing mills disappear when they are capable of recycling?”

Reuse also goes for organic materials, which DuBois said should be considered for composting where practi-

Handling plastic today but doing glass the next day, Victor Campolatarro is among the DPW workers who agreed that safety glasses and good gloves are important tools of the trade.

cal. “OK, it’s hard to do if you live in a walk-up apartment, but most single-family homes could handle it,” he said, praising those in Clifton who do just that. “We want more organics composted instead of going to landfills.”

The concept also extends to reusable shopping bags, reusable/refillable beverage mugs, and refillable water bottles and vessels. “Single stream may be useful for certain situations, such as self-contained office parks,” Dubois said. “The park can sort out the stray cans and bottles from all the paper and cardboard; it can be practical. But municipalities like Clifton have to handle a waste stream that’s so much more diverse.

“We’ll always be involved in something, including coordinating, educating, and so forth, just as the Health Department does,” DuBois said. “And we’ll have to pick up and handle garbage items that simple can’t be reused.

“But if we’re serious about this issue, it has to be productive. We need to have a paradigm shift,” DuBois warned.

“Clifton can’t do it alone; we need state action, and other help … and the shift in the way everyday people approach the issue of recycling,” he concluded.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

33

Clifton History

By Douglas John Bowen

Jean Valkenburg is a homeowner overseeing the well-being of an underappreciated piece of Clifton’s architectural history, dating to 1705.

Call 101 Allwood Road living history. Not only does the two-story house hold a collection of items that spans the centuries; the house itself does so. But it’s not simply a museum; the “collection” is under the watchful eye of Cliftonite Jean Valkenburg – who lives there.

Tucked amidst 20th-century split-level homes in the Delawanna neighborhood, 101 Allwood Road is a wellcamouflaged treasure. A historical marker sign along the road is passed daily by drivers, most of them oblivious to the gem nearby.

The structure sits back further from the road than many other houses in Bergen County of comparable pedigree. And the front door – if one can still call it that – of 101 Allwood faces east toward Delawanna train station and the Passaic River, not north toward Allwood Road itself.

In fact, the core of the house, dating to 1705, sits furthest away from the road, with additions being added 34 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

during the 1800s and as late as 1979 by Jean and husband Harry Valkenburg, along with their two children, Jim and Glenn.

“I wanted to buy this house as a kid,” Valkenburg said. “I always said one day I will live there.” She added, “And when it came up for sale, I said, ‘Oh, my gosh!’” In 1962, her wish was fulfilled; 101 Allwood Road became her home address.

Researching the past Family members added plenty of antique and classic treasures to their home, and they were aware that portions of it were old, maybe very old. “In 1976 we found out how old one portion of the house was. We were in awe that it was so old; part of it was built around 1705,” Valkenburg said. “We have trees for beams [in the cellar] which still have bark on them. The Clifton Historical Committee carbon-dated the trees.”

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

35

Clifton History

Above Jean and her late husband, Harry, and at right with sons Glenn and Jim and other family members.

Added Valkenburg, 101 Allwood is “the oldest home for miles around,” according to an appraisal offered by historian William H. Smith in 1999. Somewhat ironically, the home’s original owner, Abraham Bouquet (deliberately pronounced “Bookey,” as many names of French origin were so altered during the American Colonial period), never opted to live there.

Today, 101 Allwood sits on a modest one acre-plus lot, more in keeping with its contemporary neighbors than with the farms and pastures of Clifton’s past.

36 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Records show that, in 1857, the property spanned 60 acres, and included a substantial peach orchard of at least 50 trees, with various other fruit trees added to the mix, all of which existed into the late 1940s. Photographs from the 1940s show the presence of a poultry barn, an open shed for motorized equipment, and a garage.

The oldest portions of the historic house today holds a kitchen and a dining room on the first floor, “probably with a loft upstairs, I would imagine,” Valkenburg speculated. In the kitchen, a trap door – currently hidden

from view – opens to access the cistern in the cellar.

(More on the cistern later.) Otherwise, the kitchen looks fairly “normal” by present-day standards, including a table and two chairs that are “only” at the century mark.

The dining room holds an ornate cast-iron stove, currently unused but in very good condition that was made in Passaic by Ernest H. Remig “long, long ago,” Valkenburg said. Overlooking the dining room table is a portrait – possibly a self-portrait – by one J.B. Whittaker, which the Valkenburgs discovered hidden in the building rafters when adding a family room in 1979.

Ownership records do not include anyone named Whittaker. But in correspondence with a previous occupant of the home during the 1930s and 1940s, Carlos Bernardo, the name Benjamin Whittaker came up as an in-law of the Bernardo family.

The Whittaker portrait overlooks a dining room space largely unchanged.

Valkenburg family kept the original dining room layout walls and window when adding the adjacent family room in 1979. Indeed, on the wall in the family room – the former outside wall of the dining room – cedar shakes still hang, probably put in place during the 1940s.

Though the family room often is dominated by Jean Valkenburg’s annual Christmas display (see story on page 40), it has its own share of historic items. Among them: six carved wooden bar chairs – intricate, ornate, and still quite sturdy barstools – from the former Rheingold brewery in Newark.

The solid oak chairs initially seem quite uniform, each featuring a stylized face with carved-out mouths to allow easy handholding and moving. But the eagle eyes of Publisher Tom Hawrylko noticed subtle differences in each chair during his visit to the home.

Valkenburg affirmed, “There’s a slight difference in each one.”

Two bedrooms upstairs were added later, accessed by a very narrow staircase. “We think the stairs originally were a ladder,” Valkenburg said.

Again, in correspondence with Carlos Bernardo, Valkenburg discovered that

Bernardo’s father installed the stairs in the 1930s. (At the time, the address was 40 Allwood Road.)

Access doors in the upstairs bedrooms allowed beds and other furniture to be lifted into place on the second floor, Valkenburg pointed out, noting, “The stairs are too narrow to move most things.”

Down in the ‘dungeon’ Owners past and present refer to the cellar of 101 Allwood as the “dungeon” with great affection. The cellar portion under the newer building wings holds recognizable modern-day items like the gas-fired steam boiler and the water heater; it’s respectably “old,” but easy to move around for people under 6 feet and a few inches tall, with a flat floor, access to electricity, and so forth.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

37

Clifton History

973-772-8451 Roofing • Siding • Gutters Ventilation • Chimneys

Good Neighbors, Great Rates

Thomas Tobin 973-779-4248

Bill G. Eljouzi 973-478-9500

But the oldest portion of the basement resembles a cave – uneven, pitted footpaths are flanked by native bedrock and rudimentary stone pillars, holding up tree trunk beams of at least 8 inches in diameter, with original bark still clinging onto the trunks.

These beams in turn help support rectangular beams and floorboards, made of American Chestnut wood.

Said Valkenburg, “Children love it; it’s like an adventure climbing or crawling into there.”

At the far end of the “cave” lies a cistern, where the Valkenburg children were forbidden to visit, “because we didn’t want them going in the well and falling into the cistern,” Valkenburg said, laughing. No fatalities have been recorded, she quipped.

The original owner of 101 Allwood, Abraham Bouquet, chose not to live there, but Jean Valkenburg has given thought as to her successor as amateur curator. Son Glenn, artist and proprietor of Valken Pens, creating customized artistic pens (mostly of wood), has expressed a desire to keep 101 Allwood in the Valkenburg family.

If Glenn indeed does become the next caretaker, he’ll be following in the footsteps of his mother, who has lived her dream of owning, and living in, a remarkable piece of Clifton history.

which means Tomahawk Jr. is trained and nationally certified in restorative water drying methods by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, also known as IICRC. 38 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

a e e -

s .

-

e e o s

m g s e

l s e

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

39

It’s only fitting that a historic home holds an annual Christmas display that brings one back in time. Three years after moving into her new home at 101 Allwood Road, Jean Valkenburg began creating a Christmas display that hearkens back to days of yore.

Growing over the years, the holiday layout now spans at least five tables stretching across the family room and then some, measuring at least 30 feet in length and “connected” by model-scale pedestrian bridges linking Christmas themes and general winter wonderland – a Currier & Ives print come to scale-model life.

Churches, school buildings, a general store, lamp posts, and other village icons are populated with carolers, skaters, and the baby Jesus, among myriad other items. Model railroad enthusiasts could be excused for envying the layout.

“It was about 1965 when I started to make a scene in a knick-knack shelf,” Valkenburg recounted, pointing to the small shelf still in place in the family room above the most recent display, pictured here and the next page.

“I only had a couple of glass ornaments made in Japan, four cardboard houses, and a couple of skaters.

Over the years we kept accumulating more and more items,” she went on. At first Jean purchased the additions almost exclusively, but as time went on family and friends began donating items to the effort.

The display “then went to the top of a console TV. Then we outgrew that,” Valkenburg said. “It was then that [it] really started to grow into what it is today.”

Asked how many pieces, Valkenburg can’t say for certain. “I do know we have 17 Santas on display, and at least 35 wires to connect everything” electrically.

Delicious Pirogies just like Mom used to make!

Come to The Famous & Original (from Lexington Ave)...

HOMEMADE PIROGI Call for Hours

1295 Main Ave • Downtown Clifton Across from DeLuxe Cleaners

973.340.0340

WWW.HOMEMADEPIROGI.COM

Varieties • Potatoes & Cheese • Potato • Sauerkraut • Pot Cheese • Mushroom • Pot Cheese & Potato • Broccoli • Spinach • Pizza • Apple • Prune • Cabbage • Apricot & Cheese • Broccoli & Spinach

NEW! Great for Parties... Hot, Homemade Empanadas!

40 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

41

“It takes me about two weeks to put up; there are about 25 boxes that hold everything,” she said. “I start to put it up on Halloween, and it stays up until Feb. 1.”

42 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Valkenburg granted the most recent display a brief stay of execution so that Clifton Merchant Magazine could document its presence early last month.

“I have more boxes of items that I don’t use any longer,” she acknowledged. “I like this layout.”

But the layout keeps evolving.

“My brother and sister-in-law gave me a new set this year, so I had to change things up a bit. I added a larger table in order to have the new set fit in,” she said.

“I usually have about 10 or 15 people come in to see it each year. They all said it should be shown in the paper or a magazine,” Valkenburg said. Upon a friend’s advice, Valkenburg opted to share her vision of Christmas with Clifton Merchant Magazine, for which we thank her, and in small measure share with our readers.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

43

A photographer compiles a visual record of good times at sea, then comes home to Clifton to create pirogis that are hard to beat.

By Douglas John Bowen he’s not too busy dispensing his wares to eager cusMike Duch offers directions to his Clifton tomers – he can also offer you a photographic tour of pirogi shop for points as far away as his lifetime as a cruise ship photographer, seeing the California. That might sound audacious – but sights worldwide and rubbing elbows with the rich a woman from Colorado dropped in last and famous. month for his tasty treat while Duch was After seven years or so in the relative fast being interviewed last month by lane, Duch (CHS 1967) came back home to Clifton Merchant Magazine, proving Clifton, with pirogis replacing photograsuch preparation is far-sighted, phy. But he easily transferred a key indeed. maxim from one business to the other: Then again, Duch spent his Don’t work hard; work smart. early adult years touring – and photographing – far-away places and Some luck, some smart work famous faces before returning to Duch originally pursued a teaching Clifton and making M&G Foods, Inc. certificate and a Masters in Fine the place to be for pirogis (or pierogis, Arts. In pursuit of the latter, “I fell in depending on one’s background). love with photography. As you go Duch can offer you 18 different kinds Mike Duch today and along, you start learning,” Duch recalled. of pirogis at M&G Foods, Inc. at 1295 above with actress Jo He also got lucky, purchasing one of Main Ave. If you’re interested – and if Anne Worley.

44 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

45

Duch recalled many crewmembers aboard a ship of Soviet registry were “visibly moved” at the sight of Lady Liberty in New York Harbor.

the first automatic cameras, a Konica T3, that allowed him to shoot high-quality pictures almost immediately, and ahead of the traditional learning curve. “It was the photographic equivalent of an automatic transmission,” he observed. “Almost every shot came out great. Others couldn’t believe it. But I knew it wasn’t me; it was mostly the camera.”

Eager to improve his skills despite the initial advantage, Duch began acquiring more gear, including more cameras and processing equipment, while studying at Montclair State College (now Montclair State University) and a school in New York.

Once more, fate stepped in. Duch was considering a career in medical photography, but he was invited to apply for a slot with TransOcean Photos in New York.

“You had to be invited to seek a job as a cruise ship photographer,” he emphasized, and Duch was one of two chosen, beginning his career on Feb. 4, 1978.

The job proved deceptive – not all of it was glamorous. “You think you know so much but you end up being the low man on the totem pole on a ship,” he said.

“If someone is sick, you’re expected to step in; everyone learned how to do everything.”

That included “how to fix stuff,” Duch added. If a piece of darkroom gear broke down, “I had to fix it.

People would perhaps see me at the bar, in between assignments, and think that I had it easy.” And, indeed, “The idea is to look like you’re doing nothing,” he said.

“But in actuality, it’s a long day, a long grind, day after day after day.”

46 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

47

But it’s how and where Duch learned to apply his maxim: “Don’t work hard. Work smart.” As he learned the ropes (sometimes literally) of cruise ship operations, he discovered that when it came to photography, “It’s how you shoot, it’s what you shoot. It’s when you do it.”

As one example, Duch took to marketing photographs taken early during the day of customers (sometimes posing with the ship’s captain, or perhaps a famous celebrity; sometimes just with new and casual acquaintances). He’d then post the shots before the ship’s after-dinner entertainment.

Sales boomed. “People wouldn’t remember anything two days later, but they look at the photos taken early in the day and go, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s us with so-andso. Let’s buy it,’” Duch explained.

bar and get a drink.’ I think he enjoyed the chance to talk to someone who didn’t know about his career inside out, who might talk about other things.”

Wealthy, famous, powerful people Duch was assigned by TransOcean Photos to seeming extremes, ranging from stints on a Soviet cruise liner sailing the Caribbean Sea to journeys on the Mississippi Queen, traversing its namesake river. As such, he came into contact with – often making friends with – personalities ranging from KGB agents to mobsters on the lam to country music stars to famed actors.

Just some of those personalities include: Renown actress Helen Hayes and her son James MacArthur, better known as “Danno” in the original TV series Hawaii Five-O; radio voice Paul Harvey, Laugh-In mainstay Jo Anne Worley; jazz great Count Basie; rock and roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis; and numerous country music stars, including Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, and guitarist Glen Campbell and banjo player John Hartford, the latter two best known for the song Gentle on My Mind.

Duch found most of such clientele remarkably amiable and generous, with few exceptions, especially when he made it plain he planned to not intrude too heavily.

“They’d give of their time, sometimes more than I was comfortable with, but I didn’t press my welcome too hard,” Duch said.

He recalled meeting Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke, retired after 15 years as middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers.

“He asked if I followed football; I said not too closely and apologized for not knowing more about him,” Duch recounted. “He immediately said, ‘Let’s go to the

Pirogi epiphany After seven-plus years of seeing the sights, ranging from Malta and Italy to Haiti and Aruba to up and down the Mississippi River, Duch acknowledged to himself that fatigue was setting in. “I got off a cruise ship in 1984, after having worked 38 weeks straight, seven days a week. It was time to come home,” he said.

Back home in Clifton, Duch attended real estate school, and turned down a call from TransOcean Photos to return to work on the Pacific Princess – “the Love Boat,” Duch noted with a smile.

But real estate didn’t work out well. Accepting a second job as salesman for a window business, things were better. “The product really was good, the prices were not a rip-off, and the money was good; I made money selling windows just on a Saturday after my real estate efforts netted nothing all week.” But, he said, when he became owner of a third of the window company, “Now I [wasn’t] getting a commission; I’m an owner.”

But owning a business of some kind still appealed to Duch, and fate stepped in yet again – right at home with his mother one day, some time after his father had passed.

“My mom suddenly says, ‘Would you like me to make a batch of pirogis?’ And she makes some like her own mother used to make, but which she hadn’t made that way in a long time because my dad didn’t like that formula,” Duch said. Son Mike loved the variant his father didn’t. “I tasted the first one and vowed, ‘I’m going to make this a business.’”

48 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Duch with Glen Campbell and his wife Kimberly.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

49

Duch with movie legend Olivia de Havilland, and with country music icons Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

M&G Foods, Inc. launched in 1986, and its subsequent website address makes Duch’s sales pitch plain: www.HomemadePirogi.com. Can’t wait to order? Try another easy-to-remember tag, this time an email: pirogi@optonline.net.

Initially, pirogi production was almost entirely by hand – a tedious, time-consuming exercise. But once again, serendipity entered the picture. “I saw a notice of pirogi machines for sale at a trade show in Chicago – at a time when I had no money to go to Chicago,” Duch said. He bought an airline ticket anyway, and purchased a hand-drive machine to aid his new effort. “That changed the whole business,” he said, “a stroke of luck.”

Originally located at 560 Lexington Ave., M&G moved in April 2004 “after the fire that destroyed our old building,” Duch said on the company’s website.

Now located at 1295 Main Ave., across the street from DeLuxe Cleaners, M&G currently offers 18 pirogi varieties, “the largest selection that we know of,” Duch said.

“They’re made from scratch … we use unbleached, unbromated flour and fresh eggs for the dough, and our delicious fillings are all prepared on premises using the finest ingredients available.”

Satisfied customers near and far M&G’s website conveys a quiet confidence in its product line, including website directions to the store not just from places in northern New Jersey or southern New Jersey, but even “From California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and other points west … ” Such guidance might seem extreme, but as already 50 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

noted, while being interviewed last month, Duch excused himself to serve a woman who volunteered she was making her purchase to take home … to Colorado.

And whether you journey from Colorado or from within Clifton, “you can call the store if you’re lost, and someone will guide you to the location,” the web adds.

Still, advanced notice can help avoid disappointment.

“We try to make the best pirogi we can each and every day, no short cuts, no skimping. For this reason, we are often sold out of one or more varieties, so it’s a good idea to call ahead to see if we have what you would like,” the website cautions.

Apparently, plenty of people do just that – or just take their chances. “This is our 26th year in business, and we are fortunate to have a large and loyal customer base,” Duch observed.

Asked if his clientele is limited to traditional ethnic groups – Russians, Ukrainians, Poles – Duch countered that such is not the case. “The demographics of Clifton have changed, and I’m getting a diversified group of customers, which is very encouraging,” he said.

He drew a possible parallel, a past-is-prologue analogy: “In the 1930s, there was one Chinese restaurant, in Paterson, and it wasn’t doing very well. And it had very few non-Chinese customers. Now how many Chinese restaurants are there? A hundred?

“So who knows? Ten years after I’m dead, pirogis may be mainstream,” he quipped.

Not that Duch plans to check out any time soon.

“People ask me, ‘You’re not retiring, are you?’” He doesn’t plan to do so, and Clifton is all the better for that.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

51

Several reasons exist for re-establishing the school’s Rainbow Montessori is re-opening its elementary elementary student program this fall. “Many [parents] program this September, offering Clifton-area chilare dedicated to their children receiving a Montessori dren the chance to attend the Botany Village school education. Some families live some of their parents did, to in towns in which they do not great benefit. feel as though public school is Founded in 1982, the an option,” Licata-Alectoridis school’s elementary program said. “Many private and faltered after 9/11, and eco“We have really Montessori elementary nomic difficulties, condedicated staff members schools require a high tuition, tributed to operational probwho really love what they do. making it an impossibility for lems, though Rainbow Montessori’s other programs We will not skimp on quality.” most families.”

Until recently, the two (including infant care) con-Jaqueline Licata-Alectoridis actively helped parents of tinued unabated during that pre-schoolers evaluate time. options at other schools, until they realized they themJaqueline “Jackie” Licata-Alectoridis and Jane selves might offer the better option – and “help make a Maffuci assumed the reins in 2011, having worked with Montessori education affordable for all families,” Rainbow Montessori for many years prior.

Licata-Alectoridis said. “We were doing research for After re-energizing the school, both noted parents, our students to explore other school options, [and severincluding alumni, were asking for the elementary proal parents] said to us, ‘We want this. We want you.’ So gram to be reinstated. They made a difficult decision to Jane and I said, ‘What are we doing?’ We want to be pare back from four school sites to two – one in Clifton, able to offer this to them.” one on Broad Street in neighboring Bloomfield.

’’

52 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

d

r

f

a

r

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

53

option of an affordable private school.”

Rainbow Montessori is licensed to teach children up to 13 years old, or through 8th grade.

Come September, Randolph Park and vicinity will again cater to elementary school children. The school’s existing summer’s programs “will be the kickoff” to the fall reopening, Licata-Alectoridis said.

The Clifton facility on Varretoni Place will expand from 6,300 square feet to about 9,400 square feet, with a capacity of close to 200 students, though not all of them elementary students. Rainbow Montessori also has access to an auditorium courtesy of neighboring Sacred Heart School.

The school’s elementary program will include computer and science lab, library, art, workshop, study of culture, science, Spanish class (other languages are being weighed), language, math, research, hands on experiences, opportunities for public speaking, art, history, geography, art history, algebra, and geometry.

Quality on a budget Affordability comes with its own cost – lower salaries and lower cash flow for overhead and other expenses. Asked why the two educators are taking on that burden, Maffuci replied, “That’s what we’ve been doing our whole lives, something we’re passionate about.” Both Jackie and Jane raised their own children with a Montessori education. “Students that attended the program years ago are now young adults succeeding in life. All of them attended college,” Maffuci asserted.

Added Licata-Alectoridis, “Putting our heart and soul into a business for almost 30 years, we don’t get funding -- it’s difficult. We’re a non-profit organization, so we’re limited in terms of staff who can find resources for us. “But we have really dedicated staff members who really love what they do. We will not skimp on quality,” she continued. “Because we’re lower cost than a Montessori private school, or other private schools in the area, [that] gives parents an

a.) thE Works • Vacuum • Windows Cleaned In & Out • Dash & Console Wiped • Full Service Hand Wash • Wax/Clearcoat/Protectant • Underbody Wash/Protectant • Armorall Tire & Rim Cleaner • Triple Polish • Overnight Rain Guarantee

Reg. Price

20

$

W/Coupon

17

$

Buy a Book of 10

Pay Just $160 B. shinE Pack • Vacuum • Windows Cleaned In & Out • Dash & Console Wiped • Full Service Hand Washt • Armorall Tire & Rim Cleaner • Wax • Door Jams Cleaned

Reg. Price

18

$

W/Coupon

16

$

Basic Full sErvicE • • • • •

Vacuum Reg. Price W/Coupon Wipe Door Jams Basic Car Wash Windows Cleaned Dash & Console Wiped • Add $2 for SUV.

54 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

15

$

14

$

ExtErior only

$

659

No Coupon Needed. Add $2 for SUV. Tax Included on All Prices Listed.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

55

Like a prodigal son almost 40 years of age, The Learning Center (TLC) found its permanent home in Clifton six years ago, and it now anticipates making a larger, permanent contribution to elementary school children primarily from both Clifton and Passaic.

Head of School Theodore Tasoulas, during an interview in his office last month, described plans for TLC to debut this September as a public charter school, musing, “It feels good to have a home.”

He should know. “I went to the school as a kid,” he said. “The founding director, Linda Buonauro, was there when I was a kid. My experience was memorable, and

the school really helped me. I was one of those kids who was hyperactive, and needed a little extra support.”

Tasoulas also began teaching at TLC in 2005, before becoming Head of School (principal) in 2015, and readying the grounds for its upcoming metamorphosis. He’s followed the school as it moved from place to place, most recently at Felician University in neighboring Rutherford, before it moved into its current address at 199 Scoles Ave. The school’s facilities are already primed for an influx of students. Tasoulas cited the school’s auditorium, library, indoor pool, dance studios, and gymnasium, along with more traditional classroom spaces, as evidence of the school’s “Whole Child” approach, promoting “physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth,” according to a school brochure. He hopes the The Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton, headed by Dr. Vincent De Rosa, stands stately guard on Valley Road. But come this autumn, two new elementary schools will debut in Clifton to serve the city, including The Learning Center, a second public charter school.

56 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

One-Stop

Making New Careers One-Stop Training for New Opportunities Nurses Aide

Job Seekers

or

Employers JOB SEEKERS

Computer Science

Unemployed?

Under Employed?

Need Training?

Passaic County ONE-STOP Offers Training & Counseling.

EMPLOYERS

Truck Driver Culinary Arts

ONE-STOP can provide a variety of Free Services, Incentives & Custom Programs.

Call Lauren Murphy

for details & to learn more

Director of One-Stop Lauren Murphy WDB Director Chris Irving 200 Memorial Drive, Paterson 973-340-3400 • pcwdc.org

One-Stop Job Seekers: 973-340-3400 • Ext. 7335

One-Stop Career Center Board of Directors Chair, Freeholder Bruce James Trustee Rev. Randall Lassiter

Passaic County Employers: 973-340-3400 • Ext. 7223 Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

57

brochure, along with some modest local advertising and word of mouth, will encourage parents to evaluate his school and staff.

Some students this September will be holdovers from the current year, but REACH Charter School will hold open-house sessions from March 15 to May 15. A public lottery will follow, probably in mid-May, with an emphasis on enrollment from Clifton and Passaic.

“Most of our kids already are from Passaic and Clifton, but now that we have a home, that [private school] tuition is a barrier,” Tasoulas said. “Once we determined that we could maintain our standards, we decided to remove the tuition barriers for all students in Clifton and Passaic.”

Two tiers for student body “Lower school” students, Kindergarten through 3rd grade, will attend school from 8:30 am to 3:45 pm, “a slightly smaller day,” while “Upper school” students will have a somewhat longer day, 7:55 am to 4:02 pm, Tasoulas said.

Younger students will be overseen by their homeroom teacher “for the majority of the day,” though other teachers will cover gym, art, and music classes. By contrast, older students will have a more fluid schedule of classes;

58 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

“they’ll go to specialists for each subject,” Tasoulas noted.

That said, the subject-specific teachers will be working with those homeroom teachers overseeing younger students to maximize effectiveness. “The key focus is training, and supporting, the best teachers,” Tasoulas said. Assistance by subject specialists, headed, make sure that “the focus is on K to 8.”

REACH expects a teaching staff of 20 to 25 beginning this September; “right now it’s much smaller,” Tasoulas said. Classes will be larger than at present, “but the teachers will have more support.”

The Rotary Club of Clifton has joined with TLC to sponsor the Rotary Interact Club, where student 8 years of age and older meet monthly to plan, organize and enact community service projects in partnership with the Rotary Club. The first project last year: a “Help the Homeless” food and clothing drive.

The REACH brochure includes photos of children in ballet class and on the baseball diamond, and Tasoulas suggests those photos were not chosen at random. “The pendulum perhaps has swung so far … these kids need to play sports, or participate in dance -- not just know math,” he said. An active brain for kids at play helps for an active brain in school.”

She credits some of her drive to the CHS Freshman Destinny Montillainspiration her grandmother has providMercedes puts in the effort, regarded. “She has done everything she could less of the subject matter, issue, or difto make sure all her kids grew up safe ficulty confronted, according to severand healthy,” Montilla-Mercedes said. al of her teachers. And that effort has “And she brought them to the United made quite an impression just five States so they could have a better life.” months into her high school career.

Though only a freshman at CHS, Her goals are ambitious. “I have two Montilla-Mercedes is already sizing up aspirations which I would like to her potential college options. “I either achieve in my lifetime,” Montillawant to go to Stanford or Columbia Mercedes said. “I strive to become a Destinny Montilla-Mercedes because they have good medical proneurosurgeon because I want to be able grams,” she said. to save people who have mental problems, and trou“I started at School #1, attended Woodrow Wilson bleshoot situations that other doctors can’t solve. I want to M.S and now attend CHS,” she said. “Out of my four acabe the one to save lives. I’m fascinated by the way the brain demic subjects, I favor Algebra I the most. I like it not works. I hope to explore the many mysteries of the brain. only because I do extremely well but I actually enjoy “My other goal is to become a cardiothoracic surmath.” geon,” she added. I would love the opportunity to take on She’s candid about her weaknesses: “[W]riting in the duty of a cardiothoracic surgeon. I would love to Literacy and memorization of historical names/periods of improve people’s quality of life for those troubled with time in World History.” And she’s come to terms with the heart conditions.” idea that “Environmental Science is not my enemy; I Montilla-Mercedes seemingly makes an effort every actually find it interesting because we get to learn about day to make those around her feel better, as if they our environment and the Earth we live in.” belong. She isn’t afraid to lend a helping hand to anyone Still, “Overall, I focus on math because I find it easy to who may need it. Said CHS History teacher Shaina do and for my future career I’m going to need a lot of it,” Peattie, “Her happiness is infectious and she is always Montilla-Mercedes said. willing to help out her peers, or her teachers, whenever With most of her CHS stint presumably still ahead of they are in need.” her, Montilla-Mercedes doesn’t skimp on after-school As for her goal of becoming a neurosurgeon, more activities. Her wide-ranging tastes and talents are considthan one CHS teacher thinks that’s well within her reach. erable, and include track and participation in the Climate “Dedicated” is one adjective used by several of her Club. instructors.

Montilla-Mercedes also is a member of the CHS “She is not afraid to answer a question even though she Honors String Ensemble, an elite group of high school may not be sure if she is correct,” said Karen Rooney, musicians comprised of violinists, violists, and cellists Montilla-Mercedes’ CHS Algebra I teacher. “She is not that perform during the school year, both in Clifton and in afraid to ask a question if she doesn’t understand somenearby locations. thing. In short, she is highly motivated to learn.”

“If I had the opportunity to meet with younger students Lack of fear isn’t automatic, Montilla-Mercedes in the district, I would first tell them that they need to parallowed. “I have always been a timid person and afraid of ticipate in extracurricular activities. I feel that getting being in the spotlight, but I know this is the time for me involved with clubs and sports is important,” Montillato shine because I hope to get into a good college. I want Mercedes said. “They are the best things about CHS! to be able to stand out in a crowd,” she said.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

59

Student athletes from CHS recently signed their letter of intent, receiving scholarships, enabling them to play sports and study for careers.

They are, from left: Football players Carlo Alvarado, Lackawanna CollegeCriminal Justice; Hunter Halliburton, Gannon UniversityCriminal Justice; Baseball player Miguel De Los Santos, Post University-Accounting. Also pictured is Football Coach Ralph Cinque, Athletic Director Tom Mullahey, and Baseball Coach Joe Rivera.

James Fusaro, with Hockey Coach Tom Danko and Fusaro’s grandfather Marty Neville and mom Maureen.

Credit the CHS sophomore with not just one but four hat tricks on behalf of Clifton’s Ice Hockey team during the 20162017 season. Fusaro at press time had amassed 31 goals and 18 assists, failing to score in just two of the 19 games on the Mustangs’ schedule. Last month Fusaro was named New Jersey Devils Hockey Player of the Month for January 2017.

60 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

e

CHS Senior James Murdoch notched an 18-2 record, including 11 pins, during the Mustang’s 2017 Wrestling season and ranked No. 4 in the state for wrestlers in the 145-pound weight class. Murdoch took 2nd place in the District 5 tournament last month. Last year Murdoch won Passaic County and District XV titles. He is pictured with Coach Dan Geleta.

d

e

w f

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

61

The Campaign Runs October to March

BUT...

GIVING NEVER STOPS

By Joe Hawrylko With more than 5,300 members, the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton has seen exponential growth during the last three decades. What started as a one building facility has slowly morphed into a sprawling campus at the corner of Clifton and Colfax Aves. that offers classes, leagues, and a host of activities for residents of all ages.

“We had about 1,100 members in the 90s. The schools have been very good partners. We operate in 8 school sites, and have about 550 youths in those sites after school. The Club has grown as the community has grown,” explained Executive Director Bob Foster, who has been in his current role since 2006, but has worked at the club since 1980. “We’ve added a rec hall, the pool, wrestling, lacrosse … the swim program has grown tremendously over the years. We have church rentals. The club is used for 14 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week.”

It goes without saying that the Club is an integral part of the fabric of Clifton, and that is largely due to the generosity of alumni and businesses in the community. Last year, 48 percent of operating costs were covered by donors. Foster’s goal for 2017 is to continue to grow that number through the Annual Campaign, which is held every year from October through March.

“The Annual Campaign, we’re looking for individuals and businesses to help us out. It’s unrestricted giving. We started it about 10 years ago since bingo revenues were falling and so were government grants,” 62 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Frank Carlet, Elaine Robertazzi, Gloria Martini, Bob Castronovo. Back row: Mimi Cuellar and chair Bob Jaffe.

’’

“Our goal is $100,000 this year.

It was previously $75,000, and $50,000 before that.”

– Bob Jaffe explained Foster. “It’s hard to get fund for operating dollars any more. You get grants, but those are often for capital expenses, not operating costs. But Clifton is ‘The Community That Cares’ and we’re able to do what we do because of that. We get support from Tricky Trays. We do our Casino Night in March, and we get help from the car show, but the Annual Campaign is the biggest event.”

“We look to family and friends first. Our board members, they’re out there doing that, but it’s a lot easier to ask when you’re giving yourself first, and they’re doing that,” he continued. “Our goal is $100,000 this year. It was previously $75,000, and $50,000 before that.”

But with a highly active and involved board, and the support of the community at large, Foster fully expects to reach that benchmark in 2017.

An investment in community “It’s a really amazing organization. I have children myself, and I see how many kids they take for after school programs,” said Mimi Cuellar, whose children are Emilia, 4, and Rafael, 2. “There’s a lot of value in making sure that these programs are offered to as many kids as possible.”

For the past 11 years, the Cuellars have owned the Paulison Ave. ShopRite, and have contributed to various local charities through several different events.

For Cuellar, her presence on the board is not only an investment in a community she loves, but also an investment in her children’s future.

“My husband I really believe that, in order to service, your community, you should live in your community,” explained Cuellar, whose family lives a short

drive from their Paulison Ave. store, ShopRite Wines and Spirits, which opened last year. “Eventually, our kids will be in those after school and summer programs. I’m so proud to sit on the board and help with the fundraising. We have some really amazing people.

“They asked me to join about a year ago. My husband, Rafael, and I do a lot of different community events. We like to do whatever can to help raise money,” she explained.

Patrons of the store are sure to recognize the large jugs at checkout, which are now being used to raise funds for the Annual Campaign. “I’m trying to think of some new things, which I’ve been planning with Bob Jaffe. We have some wonderful donors and some wonderful events. But it’s not just the big donors. That $5 or $10, it really does make a difference.”

“Mimi and Rafael Cuellar have been extraordinarily helpful to the club,” observed Bob Jaffe. “Last year, they gave a 60 inch TV that we raffled off. Mimi is so bubbly that the raffle—and with her pushing to tickets—was probably responsible for over $10,000.

Rafael has allowed us to put jugs at his registers at ShopRite, and people the customers and staff are very generous. And soon, we’re going to have a tasting at their liquor store.”

n

t

t

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

63

BRINGING FUNDRAISING TO LIFE: CLIFTON SEAHAWK RANKED NO. 1 Richard Poplawski is a perfect example of the type of impact fundraising by the Boys & Girls Club has on the youth of our city.

The 10-year-old Cliftonite is a nationally recognized swimmer who is ranked No. 1 for his age group in the 100 yard breaststroke, and he was introduced to the sport through the Club’s Gingerbread House pre-K program.

“It really all started in the Gingerbread House pre-K program,” said his mother, Surayah.

“He was only 4 years old at the time and they introduced him to swimming,” she said of the directors and coaches in the pre-K program.

“Then in 2014, he joined the Club’s swim team, the Seahawks. It’s a nice sport and the Club is a really nice place with a great pool. He’s competitive, so it really took off.”

In the three years since, Richard Poplawski has become a dominant force in the national swimming scene, traveling across the country with the Seahawks. In addition to his national breaststroke ranking, Poplawski is ranked No. 1 overall in New Jersey, owns 13 Seahawk records, and holds countless meet and state records.

“His coach, Anna Abakumova (above), has been mentoring him and honing his swimming skills through her expertise and experience in swimming,” she said. “Anna, Nadia Stavko (the director of aquatics), and Bob, they’ve been such great supporters of him by all means, whether it be stroke technique or pulling him out of the water if he is doing something wrong.”

In addition to swimming, Poplawski is an accomplished violinist in the Montclair State University Youth Orchestra, and is the lead violin in the chamber ensemble group.

The fifth grader also in advanced classes at St. Philip Preparatory School on Valley Rd. It’s a busy schedule, but his mother believes that he’s able to do it due to the habits developed in the Club’s pool.

“Swimming with the Seahawks has given him a lot of discipline. He has a busy schedule, but it has made him really focused,” explained Poplawski.

“He comes here when they have open swim on the weekend. And he also exercises before they have their swim practice during the week, which they call dry land. We’re here almost every day, and that’s in addition to his other activities. The Club has been a great place for him.”

64 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Now in his third year on the Board, Bob Jaffe has previously served as the president of the Clifton Rotary Club, and has long been active in various charities and organizations.

“The Clifton Rotary has always been very generous to the Club,” explained Jaffe, 80, who has lived in Clifton for more than 32 years.

“I was also the head of the North Jersey Chamber of Commerce for some time, too, and it was a very active organization. Gloria Martini, who is currently the president of the Club board, was the head of the Chamber for 10 years.

So we’ve worked closely. And there’s Russ Schneider, Angela Montague, Jeff Cupo, and Frank Carlet … all people that have come together for the community.”

Teamwork pays off “My involvement is really in the fundraising end of it, and one facet of that is the Annual Campaign,” he said. “Luckily, I’ve had a good committee and a good Board that really digs in. Last year, our goal was 50 percent greater than the prior year, and this year, we’re aiming for an increase of 25 percent.”

Jaffe has seen firsthand how that money is funneled into programs that directly support the children of Clifton. “It really was an eyeopener for me when I joined the Board. I had no idea how important it was and how many kids the Club supports,” he recalled.

“Without fundraising, we would not have the activities we do,” Jaffe asserted. There are so many single parent families or families where both parents work, so this is an outlet for kids. And that need has

increased tremendously over the years, especially on the east side of the city. The kids need these programs more than ever, and we need our donors more than ever.

“The end results are fabulous, because you can really see what it does. These kids, when Bob Foster walks through the classrooms, it’s like God walked in,” said Jaffe, laughing. “The swim team is nationally known. We now have a satellite in Woodland Park this year through three different schools. We offer all sorts sports programs and after school and summer activities. All these things are done because of donors.”

people to the Club, this is what it’s all about. And, of course, you have incredible leadership at the Club with Bob Foster, John DeGraaf, Bob’s wife, Mary Jo, and her brother, Mayor Jim Anzaldi.”

Another key component has been reaching out to Club alumni, coordinated by DeGraaf, the director of Resource Development. “We do a very personalized mailing. We get a significant amount of money through our great alumni, and try to reach out to people through various means, be it the mailing or our

events,” said Jaffe. “The alumni are a very important aspect,” he added. There’s a very concerted effort to reach out to those who benefited from being a member, and we really need all the help that we can get. These things are never over, and every single dollar helps us meet our goal. The campaign runs from October through the end of March, but it’s 365 days a year, unofficially.”

Go to bgcclifton.org/donate.htm, to give a gift or call John DeGraaf at 973-773-0966 ex. 111.

Adapting to change While the need for the Club has increased over the past few decades, Jaffe explained that it’s been more of a challenge to find large donors since the business landscape continues to change.

“It’s tougher raising funds down than it was when we did the expansion years ago,” Jaffe said. “Things have changed a great deal. Back then, there was Hoffman-La Roche, Pfizer, and other large companies,” he said. “But this is a group that’s been very supportive from their own pockets to make this happen. In addition, our Board reaches out face to face to potential donors. Each Board member has been challenged to recruit at least three individuals, friends, or corporations,” Jaffe said.

“We’re also targeting local business. I’m in the financial management profession, so I’m reaching out to clients who I think would be interested and they’ve come through,” said Jaffe. “Bringing Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

65

Dennis John as a CHS sophomore in 1984 and today with his parents Dennis and Rosalind.

For Son & Community One Clifton couple takes on a decades-long mission that transcends just the personal.

By Douglas John Bowen Dennis and Rosalind Benigno keep giving back to others, even 33 years after so much was taken from them.

On Aug. 22, 1984, their son, Dennis John, suffered a severe head injury that has left him bedridden in their Hazel St. home. Along with family, longtime friends, and professional caregivers, they’ve lovingly cared for Dennis John ever since.

But the Benignos have done much more, lobbying for state legislation to work on brain research, and establishing the Coalition for Brain Injury Research which, among its other activities, holds an annual Talent Night to raise funds.

This year’s Talent Night, set for April 6, 2017, will be at the Brownstone in Paterson, from 6 pm to 10 pm.

Tickets are $75.00 each. The event includes a threecourse family-style dinner, with wine and beer included. Entertainment includes comedian (and Paterson native) Sunda Croonquist, as well as musical groups Uncontrollable and The Blackwing Project. For more information, see the Coalition’s webpage at www.brainjurycure.org/events/, or email benignod@verizon.net.

Interviewed at home last month, Dennis Benigno 66 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

said he and Rosalind are at a place they didn’t expect all those years ago. “You don’t think you’d have the strength,” he mused quietly, “but you find a way.”

On that August day in 1984, Dennis Benigno was at work at Hoffman LaRoche when he received a call from the Clifton Police Department: Son Dennis John has been struck by a car on Kuller Road while heading home from a football physical. The initial prognosis seemed serious but relatively manageable: just a broken leg. But the senior Benigno learned that it was much worse when he called St. Joseph’s Hospital, where a doctor told him his son has suffered a severe head injury and was in brain surgery. The surgery was successful, but Dennis John did not return to his former self.

“Dennis John spent nine months at St. Joe’s,” recalled Benigno last month. Dennis John can communicate a little, through his eyes or a smile, in ways his parents can interpret and understand. But, his father said, “When we took him home ... we knew this was probably going to be forever.” The dining room was converted to Dennis John’s bedroom, and various disabilities adjustments were made for or added to the Benigno home. What was lacking was hope.

y

But in 1995, actor Christopher that would charge drivers a $5 Reeve, ironically known for his renewal fee if they had their portrayal of Superman, broke his license suspended. And on Jan. 2, neck and began to bring aware2004, Gov. McGreevey signed a ness to spinal cord injuries. As bill — which would fund needed public discussions about stem brain injury research — in person cells began, Dennis Benigno’s at the Benigno’s Clifton home. thoughts were on finding a cure The New Jersey Commission on for his son – and numerous othBrain Injury Research, whose ers. “I thought, ‘If you can cure members are appointed by the spinal cord injuries, you can cure Governor, was established. brain injuries,’” he said.

Dennis Benigno served as the So inspired, in 1996 Dennis executive director of the and Rosalind formed the nonCommission from 2005 to 2010, profit Coalition for Brain Injury then continued as a volunteer Research. According to the commissioner from November Coalition, “Millions of individu2010 through October 2016. als suffer Traumatic Brain The Benignos’ next step: An DJ and his sister Kim in 1985.

Injuries each year with devastatappointment for Dennis John this ing consequences for their entire families. The numbers spring to receive a “functional MRI,” in hopes of deterare staggering, one accident every 15 seconds.” mining more precisely his cognitive capabilities.

But the Benignos weren’t done. The couple also “He still communicates with us, his parents, and sought to advance legislation to support state funding some of his caregivers,” Dennis said. “He shows he for studies in the field. After numerous attempts, thenknows we love him. But we suspect there’s more going Governor James McGreevey signed into law a measure on in his head than we can see.”

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

67

GOOD DEEDS

Valley National Bank Goes Red to Support the American Heart Association’s National Wear Red Day on Feb. 9. Bank employees in New Jersey, New York, and Florida wore red clothing to raise awareness for women’s heart health, with a goal of raising more than $4,000 to support the research efforts of the American Heart Association.

St. John Lutheran Church in Passaic hosts a thrift shop on March 4, from 9:30 am to 1 pm, featuring used clothing, household items, toys and games at low prices.

The church is at 140 Lexington Ave. Call 973-779-1166.

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Clifton hosts a Spring Craft Fair on April 1, 9 am to 4 pm. Various craftsmen will sell their wares and refreshments will be served.

The church is at 810 Broad St. Call 973-464-6860.

7th annual Pysanka Ukrainian Easter Egg class for students of all ages is at St. Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 81 Washington Ave., on April 6 at 6 pm. The $15 fee includes two hours of instruction as well as eggs and supplies; designs are drawn with beeswax and enhanced with multicolored dyes. Call 973-546-2473 to register. The church kitchen will be open, offering Ukrainian varenyky and refreshments. Proceeds benefit restoration of historical stained glass windows.

CASA (Clifton Against Substance Abuse) hosts a March 10 Buffet and Tricky Tray at the Boys & Girls Club to benefit Project Graduation 2017. Businesses can provide gifts, purchase blocks of tickets or provide donations. Tickets are $30. Call Judy Bassford 973418-8031 or Johanna Ricca 973-907-6810. The Prom Fashion Show is March 19 at 2 pm. Contact Tricia Montague for info at casaprojectgrad@gmail.com.

68 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

This team of firefighters from Clifton FMBA Local 21 took second place in the 7th annual Cooked and Uncorked Food and Wine Tasting event on Feb. 27.

Hosted by the NJFMBA, they prepared and served up Chicken Marbello, a recipe “celebrating the distinctive colors and flavors of prunes, olives and capers,” said FMBA President John Beard, far right.

The event, at the Pines Manor in Edision, benefits the Saint Barnabas Burn Center and the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Foundation.

Tim Flynn, Clifton’s Cooked and Uncorked Executive Chef added, “Our team competed with the best firehouse chefs in New Jersey and we are proud to dedicate our participation to the memory of Scott Danielson, a committed volunteer first responder, and brother of one of our members, who died in 2016 responding to a car accident.”

GOOD DEEDS

Decorated with a Wizard of Oz theme and greeted by Dorothy, aka Kristen Hariton, the 2017 Relay for Life hosted a kick off on Feb.11, at the Senior Citizen Center. A benefit for the American Cancer Society, the goal to “create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.” Clifton’s Relay is June 10. Get involved: Details at relayforlife.org/cliftonnj.

Cancer Survivors: A Growing Population with Unique Health Care Needs, is a free presentation by Mary Jane Tranzillo, on March 6, from 4 to 6 pm at RWJBarnabas Health’s Corporate Training Room, 95 Old Short Hills Road, West Orange.

Tranzillo is an Advanced Practice Nurse in Gynecologic Oncology at Summit Medical Group who specializes in assessing and managing care of new and continuing patients as well as coordinating their care.

She will discuss who cancer survivors are, their needs, and how care is designed for and delivered to cancer survivors. Free parking is available onsite.

The presentation is part of the Essex-Passaic Wellness Coalition (EPWC), one of New Jersey’s ten regional chronic disease coalitions whose mission is to reduce cancer and other chronic diseases through outreach, education, screening, access to treatment and follow-up. Info: web.njms.rutgers.edu/EPWC.

John Filipone, CHS ’46, is a St. Philip’s Knight of Columbus member running an annual fundraiser on April 4 to benefit citizens with special needs and disabilities. Go to Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza that day to dine; mention code word “MR FILIPONE” and 20% of your check will be donated to the K of C. While you are there, wish Filipone an early 89th birthday—he celebrates on April 9.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

69

EVENTS Clifton’s 12 U Red Hawks completed an undefeated winter season.

They are, from front left: Ray Gelok, Owen Riordan, and Brian Feliciano.

Middle: Ray Gelok, Justin Gordan, and Christopher Deandrea. Top: Kyle Rogers, Austin Blesing, with coaches John Blesing, and Dan Rogers. The Red Hawks are preparing for a six-day tournament in Cooperstown this summer.

Celebrating Clifton is an exhibit and sale by the Clifton Association of Artists at the Clifton Arts Center March 8 through April 1 with a reception on March 11, 1 to 4 pm.

The theme showcases and celebrates Clifton’s Centennial via hometown scenes, places and buildings in various art mediums such as oil, acrylic, pastels, photography and mixed-media by CAA members. The CAA was established in 1963 by a group of twelve artists. The mission of the Association is to promote the advancement of art and culture in Clifton.

Celebrate Clifton’s 100th with Jazz on March 26 at 3 pm at the Clifton Arts Center. Performing are Mike Luipersbeck on drums, Peter Greco on piano and bassist Ron Naspo. Tickets are $10; call 973-472-5499.

The Center opened in January of 2000, and more than 40,000 visitors have enjoyed art exhibits and cultural events there. It is on the grounds of the Sculpture Park, behind city hall, on Well Road. Hours are Wed. through Sat., 1 to 4 pm. Group tours are available by appointment. Admission fee is $3. Go to cliftonnj.org.

The Ladies Auxiliary’s 10th Annual Tricky Tray is set for May 12, with all proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton. Businesses or individuals looking to provide gifts for giveaways, provide merchandise, or wishing to help in any way, can send tax-deductible donations to the Boys & Girls Club, 822 Clifton Ave., Clifton, NJ 07013, Attn: Ladies Auxiliary. For info or any questions, call 973-773-2697 x 143.

70 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

EVENTS

Through June 18, the Monclair Art Museum offers Matisse and American Art, juxtaposing 19 works by Henri Matisse with 44 works by American artists. Details and tickets at montclairartmuseum.org.

Damien Burke of the Clifton IHOP reminds readers that Tuesday, March 7 is National Pancake Day. Stop in for a free short stack then make a donation to help raise $3.5 million for kids battling critical illnesses.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

71

Birthdays & Celebrations - March 2017

Teddy Harsaghy is 88 on March 11. Melisa Calvo turns 40 March 16.

Congratulations to Corey & Michelle Genardi, celebrating their anniversary on March 28. Their daughter Bianca Eda had her 11th birthday on March 2. Elaine Sassine is 69 on March 15 and her niece Casey Hawrylko celebrated 27 years on March 2!

Happy Birthday to...

Send dates & names... tomhawrylko@optonline.net Julie Generalli Dominick .......3/1 Kathleen Pocoek ..................3/1 Meaghan Franko .................3/1 Casey Hawrylko ..................3/2 Bianca Eda..........................3/2 Kenzie Lord .........................3/3 Amelia Lara.........................3/3 Amanda Perez.....................3/3 Amelia Ipenza .....................3/3 Valerie Godowsky................3/5 Alice Paxton ........................3/5

Patricia Vigh........................3/5 Carol Crudele......................3/6 Ted Grzybowski...................3/6 Pat Smith.............................3/8 William Thomson .................3/8 Victoria Crudele...................3/9 Pamela Culque ..................3/10 Tiffany Sabo ......................3/10 John Gorny .......................3/11 Eddie Gasior, Jr. ................3/12 Mike Pesaro ......................3/12

Ray DeLuca, second from right, turned 92 on Feb. 17 and his kids threw a party at Rutt's Hut. From right, Robert, Ray, Vic, Kathy, granddaughter Victoria, son Ray Jr., granddaughter Jaclyn, great granddaughter Gia. Missing son Rich called in the congrats!

72 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

Victor Berdecia ..................3/13 Diego Hernandez ..............3/15 Tyler Hughes......................3/15 Elaine Sassine....................3/15 Laura Lee ..........................3/15 Samira Abdelhady.............3/16 Suzanne Ciok....................3/19 Janette Hughes ..................3/19 Caitlin Lotorto ....................3/19 Colleen Murray..................3/20 Holly Sorenson ..................3/20 Nenad Vuckovic ................3/20 Monica Ahmed..................3/21 George Andrikanich ..........3/22 Pat Hiller ...........................3/22 Elisabel Reyes....................3/24 Carmen Rivera...................3/24 Kyle Hooyman...................3/24 Suzanne Wachtler..............3/26 Michele Andrikanich ..........3/27 Jennifer Mondelli................3/27 Nicholas Surgent ...............3/27 Aidan Tedesco...................3/27 Muriel Curtin .....................3/28 Francis Salonga.................3/31 Paul McVeigh ....................3/31 Chris Kolodziej ..................3/31

William Thomson will celebrate his 5th birthday on March 8.

Ruth Basta, daughter of Medhat & Melba Basta, will celebrate her 16th birthday on March 27 with family, friends, & her dog Brody.

Joe & Pat Torelli celebrate their 46th on March 6.

Nina & Frank Corradino celebrate 44 years March 25.

Happy 21st birthday to Kenneth Bucsko on March 19.

Cliftonmagazine.com • March 2017

73

Clifton History

Half a century ago, beginning on March 16, 1967, five young Cliftonites were killed within a seven-week period, as Vietnam became a major political issue and as American casualties mounted. The faces of the five fallen mentioned below are pictured above (from left), themselves a small sampling of the 29 young men from Clifton who perished during the Vietnam conflict.

Lance Corporal Alfred Pino, USMC, CHS 1965, died March 16, 1967 in Quang Tri Province, the northernmost portion of what was then South Vietnam. The Pino family lived on both Park Slope and Lockwood Place. Pino was 20 years old.

Thomas Dando, US Army, died March 19, 1967, when his helicopter exploded while on Dando’s first mission over the village of Dau Tieng. Married to Judith Milanoch for less than a year, Dando was 22.

74 March 2017 • Cliftonmagazine.com

US Air Force Captain William Sipos, who graduated in 1959 from Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, died April 6, 1967 at age 26, when his plane was brought down by enemy fire. A West Point graduate in 1963, Sipos was interred at West Point Cemetery in New York, leaving behind a wife and young daughter.

Spec. 4 Bohdan Kowal, CHS 1965, died April 8, 1967, killed by small arms fire in Hua Nghia Province.

The son of Ukrainian immigrants, Kowal was born in Germany and grew up on Paulison Ave. He was killed just shy of his 21st birthday.

USMC Private Robert Kruger, CHS 1966, died May 3, 1967, from enemy mortar fire in Quang Tri Province. Born in Passaic, Kruger lived in Clifton most of his life, and enlisted prior to graduating from high school. He was 18.

March 2017 cover_Layout 1 2/21/17 10:10 AM Page 3

March 2017 cover_Layout 1 2/21/17 10:10 AM Page 4

Tomahawk Promotions 1288 main avenue Clifton, NJ 07011

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PA I D Phila Pa 191 PeRmiT No. 7510