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Table of Contents
What’s Inside? 16 Thomas Mullin The Man Who Always Gives Back
20 Joella Pounds St. Mary Alumna, Teacher & Coach
26 Michael Doktor Recalling Two Clifton Mentors
32 Home Grown Mustangs Maroon & Gray Students Now Teachers
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36 Susan Jubak Unforggetable Apple of School 5’s Eye
60 A Royal Mustang Exit Remembering Dave ‘Moose’ Bossom
74 Mustangs in Atlantic City Cliftonmagazine.com
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By Tom Hawrylko
Gary Sabak with Junior Jessica Santana of Clifton, the Woodwind Captain of the Marching Paladins. Photo by Justin Pedrick.
“Mr. Sabak is able to get the best out of his student’s abilities when it comes to music,” offered Jessica Santana of Clifton, who plays in PC’s Concert Band, Paladin Marching Band, Jazz Band and Pit Band. “His passion for music is contagious,” the junior said of Sabak, Coordinator of Music. “He helps students grow with their music and in life. Paramus Catholic’s recent addition of the Music Conservatory shows Mr. Sabak’s dedication to PC’s music program.” Sabak, also the Founding Director of the Marching Paladins, said the new Conservatory offers a 120 seat band room and a suite of practice rooms, providing space for individual lessons, group practice and performances. A multi-instrument musician himself, Sabak said he feels fortunate that the PC leadership believes in music education as a part of the whole curriculum. The school has invested handsomely to offer students the chance to make beautiful sounds and be excited about music. 6 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
Many will recognize Gary Sabak from his three decades as the music director at St. Brendan Church on Lakeview Ave. But since 2005, the former Clifton resident has been growing the music program at Paramus Catholic High School. He is one of the many wonderful Clifton teachers we celebrate within the pages of this month’s magazine.
“Among the most gratifying moments of teaching at Paramus Catholic are those times when I see the delight and pride in the faces of my students as they perform, or master a new technique, or make their first sounds in learning an instrument,” said Sabak. “I know that this part of their education has touched their hearts and they will treasure it for years to come — for as someone once said—music is love that you can hear.” Music Director of St. Brendan’s from 1974 to 2005, Sabak said the church boasted a 60 member mixed choir, most of which was made up of high school students. There was also a boys’ choir, girls’ choir and hand bell choir, along with a school group that produced a number of Broadway musicals from 2000 to 2004. Sabak was the force behind all of these groups, teaching, coaching and giving kids a solid musical and religious experience. Today at PC, Gary Sabak feels blessed as he continues to innovate and educate by teaching with music.
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13 Words Describe a Passion for History
“History is All Around You. You Just Have to Open Up Your Eyes.” -John Lesler, CHS Teacher By Michael C. Gabriele As a teenager growing up in Clifton during the 1980s, John Lesler recalled that lively discussions about history were a big part of family life, especially when seated at the dinner table with his parents and three brothers. Conversations focused on the recent and contemporary history of the 20th century, vivid, “living history.” Lesler was a first-generation American, while his parents were born in Eastern Europe. He often heard stories about how his grandparents fought against the Nazis during World War II and how his mom and dad took great pride in the fact that they had come to the United States to live the “American Dream.” Fascinated by these discussions, they kindled a deep yearning to become a student of history. He realized that history was in his bones and part of his DNA. One night in the fall of 1989, the daily family dialogue about current events and history came to an 8 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
abrupt halt. There was an almost-eerie silence in the Lesler home on Nov. 9 as everyone watched the evening news broadcast. The reports they saw were beyond astonishing. The Berlin Wall—the dreaded, forbidding symbol of Communist totalitarian repression— was coming down. People in Germany were dancing in the streets. This was an unthinkable turn of events. The Cold War was over. Most people from that era assumed the Berlin Wall would stand forever as a line marking the geopolitical tension between the two world superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. (The wall actually stood for 28 years.) Constructed of concrete and barbed wire, the Berlin Wall was the real-world symbol of “The Iron Curtain,” as described by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946.
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“When the Berlin Wall fell, I remember our family just sitting around the dinner table, not really saying anything. We were all focused on the television,” Lesler recalled. “We watched ABC News and I remember Peter Jennings (reporting) live at the Berlin Wall. As a teenager, I realized this was a huge moment in history that I was witnessing.” 13 Words; Get It? These memories and other life experiences have fueled Lesler’s passion for history. Today, he shares this passion with his students as a teacher of the American History II Honors class at Clifton High School. He expresses his philosophy of learning with 13 words that are posted above the windows of his classroom: “History is All Around You. You Just Have to Open Up Your Eyes.” This short statement, while profound and meant to encourage students, also begs the existential question: What will you see when you open your eyes? “You’ll see everything,” Lesler notes “You have to look and understand. History helps the students realize that their lives have been directly affected and influenced by the decades and generations that came before them. When they finish my class after 180 school days, I hope my students can say that ‘we learned a lot and we understand. We get it.’” Having his students “get it” is the target for Lesler. His aim is to impart wisdom, insight and perspective, along with names, dates, places and events. Much like when he was a teenager at CHS, Lesler urges his students to do “homework” and strike up conversations with members of their families. “I tell my kids: ‘talk about history with your parents and your relatives. Ask them questions.’ One day a student came to class and told me that he learned his uncle was in the Korean War. I asked him: ‘did you know that?’ The student said he had never heard those stories. And that’s when it hits them. That’s when they get it. That’s when the 13 words make sense.” 10 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
Lori, John and Jordyn Lesler in a recent photo and John after Parris Island Boot Camp in 1991.
The 13 words are an original quote from Lesler to underline the notion that every chapter of American history is relevant to the lives of his students. In essence, Lesler’s history class is a collection of American stories—the experiences of people who come to the United States from all corners of the world. It’s a lesson that rings true in his classroom, considering how the grand diversity of Clifton’s population is reflected in the CHS student body. “We’re all Americans. We have an identity as an American and we have an additional identity based on our ethnic background. It’s something my students can appreciate.” History on Display at CHS The curriculum for Lesler’s American History class begins with the Progressive Era at the start of the 20th century—a period highlighted by World War I, major waves of immigration, the Roaring Twenties, the presidencies of Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson and the 19th Amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, giving women the right to vote—and ends with the Cold War era of the 1950s. Each day class begins with a review of current events and newspaper headlines. Lesler is especially proud of the CHS History Club, which he launched on Sept. 17, 2014.
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The club maintains the largest hallway display case at CHS, with exhibits changing throughout the school year. “I wanted students to have a chance to promote history. They take the lead in setting up the exhibits in the display case. The 13 words are part of the club’s mission statement.” The CHS History Club members dressed for Chasse Through the Century. In early February, research for performers involved in the annual CHS when Lesler was interviewed for this article, the club’s dance concert Chasse Through the Century, staged on display case had items on the 50th Super Bowl, Black May 27, 2015, in JFK auditorium. History Month, the origin of Teddy Bears, and the raisHistory Club members worked together with fellow ing of the American flag by U.S. Marines during the students to research dance styles and music for the battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. show, which included students performing vintage tap Club members are encouraged to reach out and be dance numbers from the 1920s. collaborative. For example, last year they provided
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Outside of the classroom, Lesler has received accolades for his work as “The Voice of the Mustangs,” serving as the announcer for football games and other events at Clifton Stadium. A Teacher’s Journey Born Aug. 13, 1973, Lesler was a s CHS graduate, Class of 1991. He was involved with athletThat’s Lesler on the right and retired teacher Cassie Craig on the left in 2007, ics, playing baseball and when they led this group of Mustangs in a student exchange program to England. football. “I was a decent One year later he was accepted at Montclair State athlete; pretty fast, but nothing spectacular.” He enlistUniversity (MSU), where his favorite professor was Dr. ed in the Marine Corps’ delayed entry program when he Michael Whelan. “His (Whelan’s) passion for history turned 17, the summer before his senior year. reiterated to me how exciting history could be.” He decided not to play any sports during senior year Lesler completed his undergraduate degree at MSU and dedicated his time to preparing for the Marines. He in January 2004. Within a month, he was hired by the did, however, support his friends by attending as many Clifton school district. He had been a student teacher at sporting events as possible. As a result, in the Class of Woodrow Wilson Middle School from September to 1991 “Who’s Who” voting, he was cited as the student December 2003. with the “Most School Spirit.” In May 2011, Lesler earned his Master’s Degree in One month after graduation, he arrived at Parris Educational Technology from Ramapo College, Island in South Carolina to begin Marine Corps recruit Mahwah. Lesler and his wife Lori—a Sign Language training. He served in the Marines for four years, teacher at CHS—reside in Morris County. They have a receiving an Honorable Discharge in July 1995. daughter, Jordyn, 15, from Lesler’s previous marriage. During his years with the Marines, his service “Jordyn knows her history. She gets it from talking included the Start I Treaty between the United States with me,” he declared with a smile. and the Soviet Union/Russian Federation. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail There’s No Place Like Home Gorbachev signed the treaty on July 31, 1991 and Sitting in his classroom during after-school hours, implementation began in December 1994. Lesler reflected on his career and his years at CHS. He recalled a prophetic conversation he had with a “Can a teacher change the life of a student? Yes! That’s Marine buddy. “Hey ‘Les’, what do you want to do what motivates me every day to become a better when you get out of the Marines?” a chum asked. teacher. I’m living my dream. I’ll always remember the Without hesitation, he answered: “I want to be a high journey for me to become a teacher. I never let myself school history teacher.” forget what it was like when I was a student at CHS.” After leaving the Marines, Lesler had a period of When asked whether he ever had considered teachtransition regarding his future career plans. He worked ing in any school district other than Clifton, Lesler simin the private sector and then enrolled at County ply paused and smiled. “There’s no place like home.” College of Morris in September 1998. 14 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
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Thomas Mullin
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The Man Who Never Stops Giving Back
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By Ihor S. Andruch It was a Tuesday morning in 1992 and our CHS Russian class was having a test for which I didn’t study. I am fluent in Ukrainian and Polish, but the Russian language was distinctly different and for me, more difficult. While I could breeze my way through verbal class assignments, being comfortable with Slavic pronunciation, I needed help with the written test. Hiding my textbook on my lap under the desk, I figured I was slick. However, Thomas Mullin had seen this trick more than once and before I knew it, I was busted. Ten minutes into the test, he came over and put a big red zero on my paper. Cheating could have been the end of our relationship. Yet Mr. Mullin gave me a second chance. He was always my biggest cheerleader and always believed in me. Why I will never know, but I soon realized that I had met the man who was, hands down, the best teacher I had as a Mustang. Mullin was a dynamic teacher who was always able to motivate me. Coming from a ‘single parent’ home, losing my father when I was seven, his belief in me truly meant a lot. To this day I am grateful for his support.
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Mullin taught me Russian for four years at CHS (1990-1994). Watching him teach was truly awesome. He always wove his unique sense of humor into the lessons, softening the teaching of this harsh-sounding language. Maybe it was the way he worked in different and interesting stories, such as his snorkeling adventures, I am not sure, but he kept us kids engaged. The Making of an Academic Icon Mullin, an Irishman, grew up in Paterson as a Catholic School kid, first attending St. Bonaventure, then St.
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John’s High School. His family moved to Clifton in 1953 to the Washington Ave. home where he and wife Joan continue to live today. While in high school, he realized he wanted to teach. “I discovered that I thoroughly enjoyed what was going on in teaching and wanted to pursue education as a career,” Mullin, now 73, said recently. He had a deep desire to learn languages. He attended St. Peter’s College in Jersey City and by 1964, had earned degrees in French and Russian. He continued his studies at Fordham University and earned a master’s degree in French in 1966. “I was interested in learning the French language, as my grandmother was from France,” explained Mullin. Mullin got his professional start in September 1966 in the Rutherford school district. In January 1967, he took over for a teacher on maternity leave at Woodrow Wilson Middle School and the district proved to be his home. In 1968, he was named a French teacher at CHS, but Mullin knew there was much more to being a teacher than standing in front of a classroom. An avid skier, he founded the CHS Ski Club, organizing many trips and
after that, went on to oversee many other after school clubs, activities and other programs. He joined the then-evolving world of English as Second Language (ESL) at the Clifton Evening School in 1970 and with that step, there was one degree less of separation between us. In the early 1970s, my mother came to the United States from Poland. Soon after she arrived, Mullin taught her to speak English at the evening ESL Program, a program for which he served as director from 1983 to 1992. Years later, when I told my mother, Irene Andruch, that my Russian teacher was Mullin, she recalled how great he was back at the evening school. “My friend Zosia and I had just arrived in the US and enrolled in Mullin’s ESL course. He was an excellent teacher with a great sense of humor; he taught us a lot. He was very welcoming and spoke to us in Polish, which made me feel very comfortable. Not only did he teach us English, I remember him doing a lesson about the Presidential elections. He showed us how the elections worked in the US by setting up a ‘mock-election’in the classroom,” my mother recalls.
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In 1983 he became the Department Supervisor of World Languages at CHS and served there until his retirement in 2000. “I had such wonderful experiences and exceptionally great students during my years at CHS. To this day the school offers such wonderful opportunities for Clifton students,” said Mullin. This attitude continues to motivate him to remain involved in making his hometown a better place. Even in retirement, Mullin, still lives an active lifestyle. When not at the gym three times per week, he is giving back to the community, as Commissioner of the Board of Recreation, which hold many events, as an active member of the Knights of Columbus, the Henry Dougherty Memorial Scholarship committee and the Clifton Education Foundation. I am always happy when we meet around town. Now my children know him. He still has a great sense of humor, the same one that he shared with my mother, with me, and now shares with my kids.
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A Role Model & Teacher on the Court and in the Classroom at St. Mary By Joe Hawrylko Growing up in Clifton, Joella Pounds always heard her father, Lou Pounds, Sr., talk about St. Mary High School. While he attended the now closed Paul VI High School on Valley Rd., he and his wife Susan liked what the small, co-ed Catholic school in Rutherford was all about. Given that history, there was never any uncertainty about where she would attend high school: “I loved St. Mary before I was ever a student there,” explained Pounds, who now lives in East Rutherford, and also attended Sacred Heart in Botany Village. “My older sister, Jessica, went to St. Mary and graduated in 1999. My dad had been bringing me, my brother, Lou, and my sister there before we were ever students. My dad loved it there and really wanted us to go.” However, what was unexpected was that Pounds eventually returned to St. Mary as a teacher and coach, working alongside some of the very people that inspired her nearly a decade ago. 20 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
While a Lady Gael, Pounds was a stand-out student athlete in cross country and softball, but where she truly excelled was on the basketball court. As a junior, the small but aggressive former Cliftonite racked up more than 1,000 points, and was a McDonald’s AllAmerican nominee, and was on the radar of several colleges in the area. In fact, her skills and shooting were so good she was named to the Bergen Record Girls’ Basketball All-Decade Team for 2000-2010. As a senior, Pounds was originally considering English as her college major. But a devastating knee injury during her final year of high school in 2004 changed her plans. Above are some of the St. Mary Gaels basketball squad with Coach Pounds, from left, Janea Kelty, Makiela Walker, Nicole Lucianin, Angelica Krajnik, Samantha Tello, Elizabeth Perchun. That’s also Joella Pounds on the court as a Gael in 2003.
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“I jumped and landed awkward, and blew out my ACL, MCL, and tore my meniscus in my right knee at the start of my third game of my senior season,” she recalled. Her year derailed, she spent the next several months in rehab. The set back let to an opportunity as Pounds became interested in rehab work. She began studying Athletic Joella Pounds at center with Sacred Heart classmates and staff at the 2000 graduation. Training at Long Island “I was lucky enough to have several good coaches University in Brooklyn, where she played basketball on growing up. My father was my first coach, and he a full scholarship. demanded the most out of me out of any of my coaches,” After graduating with a M.S in Athletic Training in she explained. Pounds’ father was also a standout athlete 2009, she was looking for a job, and got a call from one in high school, and attended Paul VI in Clifton with his of her former teachers at St. Mary’s. daughter’s current boss, St. Mary principal Tara Brunt. “I used to play softball as a kid in the Eastern Division Opportunity Back ‘Home’ in Clifton. My father was my coach. I started to play “The Athletic Director Matt Stone, called and asked if basketball at Sacred Heart CYO, and then I started runI wanted to be the assistant girls basketball coach,” ning cross country in high school.” Pounds recalled. “Then I got into teaching phys ed, and it went from there.” The Legacy of Gaels Now in her third season as head coach of the Lady “Our Athletic Director, Matt Stone, he’s the one that Gaels, Pounds came in with experience coaching youth offered me this opportunity to come back and be a part sports, but not any time teaching or leading PE classes. of St. Mary,” recalled Pounds. “Mike Sheridan is anoth“I started an AAU program, the NJ Celtics, but I don’t er major influence, he’s our Director of Alumni,” she do it anymore. I’m a very competitive person, and I just said, noting that Sheridan, also the Gaels Football wanted to be active in basketball,” explained Coach, is a legacy alumni. His father and other family Pounds. “It’s honestly tough for me as a former athlete... members attended the school. And that, added Pounds, I wanted to stay active and I just want to be around the is what makes the school special to generations of Gaels. game of basketball. I’ve had the experiences that all ath“We have a lot of people that just want to go back and letes get: all the friendships, all of the sports memories give to the school, whether it is teaching or coaching,” as a player… now as a coach, I want my girls to have the continued Pounds, “when Coach Stone called me up and same experience. Sports are a very good tool for life in asked me to coach, I didn’t even hesitate. He was the general. We won two games my first year here, and were boys basketball coach at the time, and my cross country .500 last year, so this is definitely the best season I’ve coach when I was in school. He helped me out a lot in had, and the best we’ve had in a while.” In her third seahigh school, and he helps me out a lot now. I can always son as Varsity coach, the Gaels are16-7 as we go to press. look up to him, and ask for advice whether it is from a Looking at her personal growth, she attributes her teaching or coaching perspective.” success to having strong mentors in her life. 22 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
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In addition to teaching physical education, Pounds is the chair for physical education, and teaches driver education, health, life skills, and first aid. Though coaching is what brought her into the field, the proud alumni said she loves the ability to shape the lives of young men and women on the court and in the classroom. At Joella’s 2009 graduation from Long Island University, Brooklyn, siblings Jessica and Lou, her dad and mom Lou and Susan, and grandmother Helen.
“One of the main reasons I wanted to come back was just because of how much I loved it here,” explained Pounds. “I have two girls on my team that are probably going to end up playing basketball in college. But we have such a diverse mix of student-athletes. In my group of seniors, my one point guard who I’ve been coaching since she was in the 5th grade with AAU is graduating this year, and is a very smart kid — she is going to be going to school anywhere she wants.” “Like those ads say, St. Mary is small and personal,” she continued. “I could tell you every single student’s name. Out of the 300 or so we have, I meet them at some point during the year. I love that about this school. There are a couple teachers that I had that are still here. It’s cool seeing them in a different light now as a coworker. I’m thankful I never got into trouble or anything! But I am very happy that I got to go to a place that was so important to my family, and now I work here too.” 24 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
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Students First, Michael Doktor says, All Else Will Follow By Ihor S. Andruch
Mike Doktor cited two mentors: above with Lynn Tuorto, and Jerry Waller, pictured on our Jan. 1998 cover.
Most students know Michael Doktor as the Vice Principal of the Central Wing at CHS. What many don’t know is that before he became the VP three years ago, he spent about a decade in front of the classroom as a teacher and was a student-athlete here as well. Along the path Doktor took to where he is today, Doktor, a CHS Class of 1995 grad, found mentors who helped guide him. He specifically cited Jerry Waller and Lynn Tuorto as two such influences. Waller, who was an AP Accounting teacher, now retired, set the bar high. “The AP class, really collegelevel accounting, was difficult, time-consuming with deadlines. He taught us to charge at the subject matter with a can-do attitude. He had faith in us and always pushed us to do our best,” recalled Doktor. Doktor was also a pretty good Mustang volleyball player who later coached the Mustangs. His mentor on the court was Head Coach Lynn Tuorto, who is still in the Clifton Schools system. 26 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
“Not only did she teach me on the court, she taught me how to deal with adversity off of the court,” said Doktor of Tuorto, who is a Special Education Coordinator and a member of the Child Study Team. “After I graduated, she gave me an opportunity to coach along side of her,” said Doktor. “She taught me the intangibles... how to deal with kids... how to best handle different situations.” “If it wasn’t for them (Walker and Tuorto), I wouldn’t be where I am today. Everything they showed me was invaluable, especially in understanding how to successfully work with the students and athletes,” added Doktor. A business teacher who taught Advanced Computers at CHS for more than 10 years, Doktor was also a great Head Coach of the boys and girls volleyball teams. From 1999-2012, he produced a combined record of 506-184, among them many championships. However, because of BOE rules Doktor had to give up coaching to become an administrator, but he remains a great cheerleader for the CHS teams. Moving from teacher to administrator doesn’t mean priorities change. “The first priority remains: help students and everything else will fall into place. Education is all about caring about the students. If you don’t care about the students, you’re in the wrong profession,” concluded Doktor.
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Keep Moving & Having Fun By Ihor S. Andruch Getting kids moving is what drives Emil Rascher. “There’s nothing better than having happy kids in PE class,” said the physical education teacher at School 9, on Brighton Rd. “They are always having fun and don’t always realize that they are exercising.” “When I was a kid, I used to ride my bike to the park and spend the entire day there. These days are different, many of the parks are nearly empty.” So, PE class is where kids get a lot of their daily exercise. Rascher, who has been teaching for more than 17 years, knows that he is one of Emil, Jenn, Trevor and Abby Rascher. Jenn, the former Jennifer DalPos, the reasons kids will stay physis a teacher and also a Mustang. She graduated CHS in 1996. ically active in school and Education Never Rests hopefully healthy for a lifetime. Rascher’s year doesn’t end when June comes around. Being innovative while being physically active is a He’s been an integral part of the success of the Clifton philosophy he brings home to his family, wife Jenn, Recreation’s youth summer programs where he manchildren Trevor (7) and Abby (5), who are involved with ages six supervisors and over 120 counselors. “For over soccer, baseball and basketball. two decades, Emil has impacted thousands of Clifton Among his accomplishments is the improvement of youth. He was the recipient of the Clifton Recreation the PE program. “I recently received grants to purchase ‘Man of the Year” award’ in 1999,” said Debbie Oliver, a Wii Fit for the students to use during PE class, as well Clifton Rec Department director. as Family Fitness Fun Book Bags the kids can take “Learning doesn’t end in the classroom; it’s an ever home and use jump ropes and other exercise equipment growing process and you need to continue challenging with their families.” yourself in all ways,” stated Rascher. In addition to teaching at School 9, Rascher coaches His love of the Rec Dept began as a youth while he CHS Varsity Hockey, where he has been assistant coach was attending the programs himself. At the time, they for the last 15 years.He credits his coaching and playing were held at eight parks throughout town where the kids success to long-time CHS Varsity Hockey head coach, played different games with each other. Tom Danko whom he considers one of the best role It has grown so large that the schools are now models in hockey. “Danko develops discipline and cominvolved and there are now various themes such as park mitment in the players that he coaches.” olympics, park dance, weekly bowling and others. Good sportsmanship is the foundation of his educaSummer Days at the Park has three locations: tional view. “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s the Schools 3, 11 and 13 with some 300 kids. way you act that determines the winner or the loser.” 28 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
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Tom Danko, John Gulardo and Emil Rascher in 1994.
The success of the Allsport, Junior SportsStar and Tots-o-fun programs are a true testament of the great work that the Recreation Department has accomplished. What keeps Rascher motivated? “I see the kids, parents and staff year round. That’s important. And I enjoyed these programs as a kid. I want to give back to the community where I grew up, extend the fun that I had to the kids of today.” Oliver noted that having the Rec Dept. install roller hockey rinks at Chelsea and Oak Ridge parks was his idea. He also was a big part of the design and construction of the Clifton Skate Zone in 2002. Personal Life His mother Doris, who taught 4th grade in Allendale for over four decades, was an important influence in his life. Rascher’s father, also named Emil, passed away at the age of 42, of prostate cancer, when Rascher was only 11 years old, which impacted the young boy deeply. A true Mustang success story, Rascher attended School 2 and WWMS. He played ice hockey at CHS and at William Paterson University. This 1994 CHS grad lives near Ravine Park with his family. His wife teaches 6th grade in Hillsdale. They enjoy being outdoors with their kids, especially summer weekends at the beach in Seaside Heights. With a Master’s Degree in Public Health plus an additional 30 credits, and a Supervisors Certification, Rascher says his teaching philosophy remains pretty basic, “Keep kids engaged, moving and having fun.” 30 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
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The Tree Has Bore Great Fruit
Home Grown Mustangs By Tom Szieber
For current and recent Mustang athletes, John Pontes is a regular presence. A mainstay. A part of their Clifton High School experience. He is a veteran track and field coach known and beloved by just about anyone with an association with Clifton sports, Pontes also spent nearly three decades teaching health at CHS. His love of his sport, his seriousness in his approach and—as a 1968 Clifton grad himself—his ability to connect with his athletes made him a favorite of pretty much each Mustang who came under his tutelage. As respected as he’d become in his profession, becoming an educator and coach wasn’t his original plan. “When I was a kid, I had an appointment to the Merchant Marine Academy,” Pontes recalled. “I was all set to go, but I had the physical and failed it for issues with my eyesight. That was in the middle of April in my senior year.” “The coach at William Paterson happened to come to a meet of ours and he wanted a few runners. He was particularly interested in our top runner, Tom Greenbowe. He saw me run too, and we both ended up going there.” Ironically, it is the failure of the aforementioned physical that would set in motion several decades of success for Pontes as an athletic coach. 32 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
He returned to CHS and became its head boys and girls cross country coach in 1984. Two years later, he took over the boys spring track squad (which, after a three-year absence, he’ll oversee again this coming season), and was the boys and girls indoor leader for a period of time, as well. With his leadership and determination, it is likely Pontes could have led any team to the heights at which he has taken CHS track. For him, though, it has been more fulfilling doing so at the place at which he was once a student. Still going strong in 2016, he also acknowledges great pride in the fact that there is currently an uncharacteristically high amount of former Mustangs at the helm of various Clifton sports. “It is a nice thing to see,” Pontes said. “Home grown. It shows the tree has bore a lot of great fruit. This particular group [of CHS coaches] has a lot pride in their community. A lot of them had opportunities to go other places, but they wanted to be here to help instill that same pride in today’s Mustangs.” Pontes may be the grizzled vet of the bunch, but he is just one of 10—or 11 if you include wrestling coach Dan Geleta, who attended CHS before his family moved out of town—Mustang head coaches who impact the lives of youth in the city where they grew up.
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John Pontes (1968), Brittany Gaccione (2007), George Cowan (2000), Joe Rivera (1993), Ralph Cinque (1993), Stan Lembryk (1987), the late Fernando Rossi, Mike Rivera (1997), Konrad Kruczek (2004), Andrea Bobby (1979).
At the opposite end of grizzled vet is CHS 2007 grad and current Mustangs gymnastics coach Brittany Gaccione. Going into her third season as a head coach, her youth contrasts with the many years of service put in by the likes of Pontes, but her passion to see her athletes grow as both sportsmen and people is just the same. “I love hearing them talk about the school events they are looking forward to, or care enough to invite me to an after-school activity,” Gaccione said. “The most fulfilling thing about doing this, though, is watching [one of my gymnasts] evolve and come into their own.” For each alumnus/coach, the desire to impact their student-athletes has at least partially been fostered by a figure who did the same for them. The most notable example is that of boys soccer coach Stan Lembryk, who credits much of his approach and achievement to the late Clifton legend, Fernando Rossi. In his two-plus decades leading the CHS boys soccer team, Rossi won 353 games, 12 Passaic County titles, three sectional crowns and the 1994 Group IV championship. He also impacted the futures of countless athletes like Lembryk, who tries each day to do the same for his players. “Coach Rossi inspired me to not only take advantage of everything we have and be the best person we could be on and off the field,” Lembryk explained. “He wasn’t just interested in us as soccer players. That is the part that 34 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
touched me the most. I think one thing that I learned from him that he passed on was his ability to communicate to all players differently. Some respond to yelling, some with an arm around their shoulder. He was masterful with that, and I always to try to do the same.” Along with Pontes, Geleta, Gaccione and Lembryk, Clifton also boasts a coaching roster that includes former Mustang athletes Konrad Kruczek (the current girls soccer coach), George Cowan (boys lacrosse), Joe Rivera (baseball), Andrea Bobby (boys tennis, boys and girls swimming), Chad Cole (golf and girls tennis), Mike Rivera (boys basketball) and Ralph Cinque (football). Each of Clifton’s student-to-coach teachers has done it his or her own way, but all have contributed to CHS athletics with a passion that only a hometown son (or daughter) can. “I think CHS is very fortunate,” said Joe Rivera. “I know each of the coaches we have personally and I know they are very experienced, and very knowledgeable. And for those who went here as students, to coach in your hometown, is what you always want to do. You want to show your athletes that even things like showing up on time and tucking your shirt in at practice matter—because they’ll matter in life. Each kid is different, but as a coach, we all want to be a positive influence on as many as we can. And it’s extra special to do it in Clifton.”
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Unforgettable... That’s why it’s incredible, that someone so unforgettable, thinks that I am unforgettable too. By Casey Hawrylko While teachers are often unforgettable to a student, there are students who also leave a lasting impression on their teacher. Susan Jubak admitted, “certain students stand out” when I surprised her with a phone call on a February afternoon, nearly two decades since I was in her 3rd grade Ms. Jubak is not a fan of having her photo taken so we have her 3rd grade class from class at School 5. 1998 (with some last names missing). From top left: Devon Devries, Damon Pasquale, Damian Patty, Francis, Bryan Castro, Casey Hawrylko, Nicholas. Middle: “You gave me a cloth bag Samantha, Amanda Sosa, Nasvi Fontanez, Kelly, Catherine, Holly Sorenson. with an apple on it. I still have Bottom: Richard, Angelo Grippo, Bryan Clemens, Shawn La Gala, Brian. it,” she continued as we joked I realized that many of Ms. Jubak’s quirky traits and about teachers never can have too many bags. her strong belief in having fun are part of my teaching I was happy to hear that she remembered me after all strategy today. of these years. It also wasn’t much of a surprise to hear Ms. Jubak journey to the classroom began in 1966 as how meaningful her students were to her as now I am a a newly qualified teacher from Seton Hall. That same 1st grade teacher at the Brookdale Elementary School year she was hired at School 5 as a 4th grade teacher. in Bloomfield and understand firsthand. She stayed for only a year as she left to raise her two We shared memories, spoke about the differences and sons. It wasn’t until 1985 that Jubak returned as a subsimilarities between teaching then and now. I told her stitute teacher. By 1986 she was rehired by School 5 that I loved my morning journal writing in her class so for the 3rd grade. She spent the last four years of her much that I decided to make that a daily morning exercareer in a fourth grade room, just where she started, cise for my class, as well. Besides being excellent writuntil she retired in 2010. “It was a full circle... I loved ing practice, it is an amazing memory to look back every minute of it,” she recalled. In 2010, Ms. Jubak upon, as I did this past summer when I packed up my was out of school for five months for a belongings from my mother’s house. 36 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
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surgery. Although she was encouraged to retire before the end of the school year, she knew it was important to return and personally see her kids off in June. Despite the changes to the profession and the bashing of teachers today, there was never the slightest hint of bitterness hidden behind her cheerful voice. “School 5 was always a friendly school,” she said. “Even the subs knew it and wanted to be there. The kids saw this. It’s great for them to see a healthy atmosphere.” She said the administrators, teachers, aides and other staff as well as the high level of parental involvement all contributed to making School 5 a pleasant and positive environment. Although she considers herself to be notoriously strict, that is not the memory I have of her teaching style that has made an everlasting impact on myself and many other students over the years. When I shared a silly memory from her classroom, Jubak cracked and admitted, “having fun and learning... you have to bring humor!” Sure, Macarena contests were not in the curriculum, but having fun is a necessity for successful recipe of teaching. Although staying positive and having fun with her students was Ms. Jubak’s secret
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for success, she also took on a maternal role that naturally is required while teaching. “They laughed, I laughed. They cried, I cried,” she explained as she underscored how significant a strong student-teacher relationship is. “Everyday was a learning experience, even from the kids,” she added. Ms. Jubak recalled a time when she was decorating the classroom for the holidays with her class. One boy in particular who did not have the ideal home life seemed especially infatuated by the beautiful decorations. She decided to pack a box of decorations for him. “This will be the best Christmas ever” she recalled him exclaiming as he received the gift. “That student continued to stop by my classroom until he went into the service,” she said. Student-teacher relationships aren’t the only important connection to a successful career. “Teaching is a gift that should be shared… Who are you hurting when you’re in competition with colleagues?” she said. Retired for over five years now, she credits her grandchildren for being the best way to spend her retirement. Mia, 9, Alyssa, 7, and Emma 2, spend a lot of time with their grandma, doing creative writing. A volunteer reader to her granddaughter’s class, being in a school strikes a chord. “I feel a void when I read or watch a play... it brings back fond memories and I miss it.” When she visits, she asks the teacher if there is enough time to do a thoughtfully planned out craft that goes with the story—and makes sure she does not take more time than promised. Both of her sons ended up working in schools. Her elder son Allen is in Christopher Columbus, and Joseph is a teacher in Paterson. They grew up watching her grade papers and seeing her devotion to her job, which undoubtedly inspired them to work in public education. “Not all people understand or truly respect teaching...” she said of the mood voiced by some politicians, but the satisfaction she received from teaching was enough. She encourages teachers to stay strong: “No matter what goes on, endure it…it is so gratifying.” She emphasizes once again the importance of teachers trying their best to still find the time for fun, the creative projects, and impromptu lessons. That is what makes school and learning so memorable for students and teachers alike. That I can vouch for. Thank you, Ms. Jubak.
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Type A Personality with the Brain (and Soul) of an Artist By Irene Jarosewich By the ripe old age of eight, Jeff Labriola knew his destiny. “I remember in second grade holding up a paper in front of the classroom on which I had written ‘When I grow up I will be a teacher and show the class how to make some art projects.’ Nobody ever told me ‘you must be an art teacher’ but I have been fortunate that I did not have to struggle to figure out what I wanted to do in life.” While nobody told him to be a teacher, he did have some impressive influences that guided him. His mother Jean Zelenka Labriola was a teacher before and after marrying and raising her family. His uncle, Jerry Zelenka, who manages the A Touch of Nature live animal shows, was a fabled biology teacher at CHS for more than 40 years. “Middle school was not easy for me,” continues Labriola, “a kid who didn’t like sports and preferred to 40 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
paint. But my art instructors at Woodrow Wilson – John Nick and Ed Slothoff – convinced me of my talent. I still stay in touch with Ed, who is 97, and his wife. At CHS, I had Mary Ann Baskinger and Carol Hartman, both phenomenal teachers. I wanted to be able to do for children what they did for me.” As much as middle school was not easy for him, Labriola now has the opportunity to make it easier for others. After graduating Montclair State in 2001, Labriola, 37, signed on as the art teacher at Christopher Columbus Middle School where he has taught for the past 15 years and where he is one of Clifton’s favorite teachers. “Well, that’s kind,” grins Labriola when told of the accolades, “but I think I may have unfair advantage over teachers of traditional academics because, let’s face it, my subject is pretty fun.”
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Old School Methods, New School Mindset The middle school art program is stronger than when he was in school 25 years ago, believes Labriola, a change driven in great part by the dramatic changes in technology. “The careers choices for an artist today are more expansive. No longer are they art teacher or starving artist. Everything you touch, you use or wear was created by a designer or artist. Computer-aided design barely existed back then. Today entire college programs are devoted to it. It is truly possible to think of art as a multi-faceted career choice, whether it be graphic design, fashion, industrial design. “More than ever, our entire world is visual,” he continues, “Everything we interact with is design-driven. So I work hard to get rid of the stereotype that art is not a good career choice.” However, his teaching methods remain old school. Labriola wants his students to use scissors, paper, glue. “Not cut and paste in PowerPoint, but use the real thing. Students are proficient on their computers, but do not know how to use manual tools.”
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He has each group of students for 45 teaching days, during which he introduces them to a variety of mediums – oil paints, acrylics, clay, wire – and does not allow them to throw anything away until they at least take it home to show their parents. “If their parents are unhappy and want to throw away their child’s art project, then that’s their choice, but not in my classroom, not in my trashcan. While you may hate it, your parents will probably love it.” Can’t Get More Clifton Than This His maternal grandparents started out in Delawanna, at a time, according to Labriola’s mother Jean, “long before there was indoor plumbing.” When Jean Zelenka married John Labriola of Passaic, they, too, decided to settle down in Delawanna to raise their family – eldest son John, daughter Jeannie, and youngest son Jeffrey. Labriola’s parents, sister and brother’s family all remain in Clifton or nearby. Jeannie, also a teacher, teaches Special Ed at School #11. “In between Jeannie and I was a sister who passed at five and a half months. I mention this because I
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realize that this influenced the way I was raised. Deep commitment and loyalty to family, faith in God, support for one another and others, always being there for each other – these were the most important values in life. The wonderful values that my parents instilled in us.” His grandfather Vincent Zelenka, “Uncle Vinnie” as he was known to admirers in Clifton, was a Scout leader and Board of Education commissioner. He was also an advertising artist in New York City and Labriola credits him with providing the influence “and the genes” of an artist in his life. After attending School 16 and Woodrow Wilson, Labriola graduated CHS in 1997. However first, during his senior year, he was partnered with former mayor Gloria Kolodziej during Youth Week, the CHS program that partners a student with a public official so that young people receive insight about how a city works. The following summer he was the city of Clifton’s first “art intern” under then city manager Al Greco. These experiences were crucial to the establishment of the Clifton Arts Center, where Labriola continues to serve as the president of the Advisory Board of Trustees. “Gloria and I had several conversations about what could be done. The Clifton Art Association wanted a place to show local art, the barns were sitting empty, the buildings were partial finished – and city leadership wanted it – so by 1998, the Clifton Arts Center, Inc. was formed and I was put in charge. I was young, 19, in college and had time to dedicate to get the center going. I was in the right place at the right time and it turns out, I had natural organizational skills – a Type A personality with an artistic brain.” The arts center opened in 2000, transforming a city that, notes Labriola, “wasn’t very art oriented back then. Now it is an essential part of Clifton. I love to hear stories from the volunteers who work there. It has become part of their identity. The other night, we held a fundraiser for Christopher Columbus – a ‘learn how to paint’ night for adults. The art center, the sculpture garden, they make Clifton unique.” 44 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
Creativity, engineering, many volunteers and more go into transforming the CCMS gym into an always unique stage for the 8th grade Farewell Dance.
More Than Just Teaching School, especially middle school, which is such a tough time for almost all children, needs to be about a community that cares. Labriola believes in this principle passionately. “My first day teaching was September 1, 2001. Ten days later, we had 9/11. I don’t want to sound like only tragedy informs my point of view, but I did realize, absolutely, how important it is that school needs to be a safe place for students. A place of comfort and of support for young people. All teachers, first and foremost, must be good human beings with their students It is important for kids to have positive teachers.” So Labriola does not only teach. He serves as the chair of the CHAMPS committee and is proud of the success of the CHAMPS program at Christopher
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Columbus, which he believed changed the school environment. “CHAMPS is a state-mandated program through the federal No Child Left Behind guidelines. We designed a program of expectations for the students, explained and maintained a program of positive reinforcement – praise, CHAMPS tickets in exchange for prizes, staff and student recognition – with the goal to reduce sick days, suspensions, to keep children in school. Last year, our school was chosen as a state model. That’s a huge change.” He also advises the Student Council, helps with the set designs for school plays, works with yearbook team. However, probably one of his most noteworthy activities with the students is creating the much anticipated 8th grade Farewell Dance held the second weekend in June. The Farewell Dance may be his signature event. “Each year a theme is chosen, but it is a secret for the kids. What is most gratifying is that current parents, former parents, former students come and volunteer time to transform the gym into an awesome event space. It shows how strong the community is in Clifton, and how much people believe and support the public schools. I
make a lot of the decoration at home, so no one gets to peek. In lieu of graduation, this is their ‘moving up’ ceremony. Last year the theme was ‘circus’ and we had a juggler, popcorn machine, the works. It’s more than a dance, it’s an experience.” This commitment to students returns to Labriola when he hears back from those who have graduated. Recently a student whom he taught his first year, who now lives in Canada, was on a business trip in the New York area. “He took a cab from the airport before boarding the plane and came to Christopher Columbus. He’s in his mid-20s now and has a great job with a media company. He told me ‘I just wanted to come out and personally thank you. Because of you, I studied art in high school, got into photography. You changed my life.’ I was floored. But I love teaching, it may sound corny, but every teachers creates their students. My students are my artwork. It is very important for us as teachers to accept and understand our influence over students, which is a humbling thought, therefore since we are given the power, we should choose to inspire them.”
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By Jack DeVries
Former CHS Principal Bill Cannici, who retired in June, 2006 after a 40-year career in education, learned the power of following your dreams early in life.
As a boy, Cannici wanted to become an artist, a passion evidenced by the murals and sculptures that grace Clifton High School. At age 12, he read an autobiography about his hero, artist Norman Rockwell, and decided to seek the great man out for advice. Knocking on his front door In the 1950s, Rockwell worked in a studio in Stockbridge, Mass., close to where Cannici spent summers with relatives. Rockwell’s studio was in the downtown section of town, and Cannici’s book had a picture of the studio, letting him know exactly where it was. “I walked up the steps and rang the doorbell,” Cannici remembers. “A tall, thin man came out. Looking up, I could see he had a prominent Adam’s apple. On his easel, he was working on a painting that would become a cover for the Saturday Evening Post.” What happened next would influence Cannici for the rest of his life. “I was just a kid,” he says, “and he was working. He could have told me to go away—but he didn’t. He was warm, invited me in, and showed me his work. He signed my copy of his Four Freedoms in that famous block signature of his. I even took a picture of him with my Brownie Hawkeye camera. 48 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
“I never forgot how Norman Rockwell treated me. Most people want to help others—sometimes all you have to do is ask. By knocking on that door, it convinced me to follow my dreams, to keep reaching for them. That’s something I tried to teach my students.” Though his thoughts of an art career faded, Cannici always remembered meeting America’s most beloved artist. As a teacher, he encouraged students to write letters to famous people, asking questions about what they were studying in school. Many wrote back. Responses came to Clifton High from people like Margaret Mead and J. Edgar Hoover. “I wanted my students to see that if you believe in yourself, you can be successful,” he says. “And when my students became successful, like the people they contacted, it was their job to pass their success on to others.” For 40 years, Bill Cannici—the son of an educator and ex-Marine turned teacher—has been passing along his personal success for generations of Clifton children. September of 2006 marked the first time in four decades he was not there to greet them. Though his passion for education still burns, he’s decided to do other things with his life. Surrounded in 2006 by his office full of memories, in the school he loves, he sighed, “I decided it was time.”
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In the Blood Because of his father’s career, many might have predicted Cannici would end up in education, but his path wasn’t always that clear. The office he decorated as a principal and spent many hours in was a clue. Cannici will tell you its museum appearance puts students at ease—they’re more likely to open up to him after talking about his knight’s helmet or the Harley Davidson motorcycle gas tank. But the objects and artwork also say much about the man. There are framed posters honoring Monet and Einstein. Articles about Clifton Mustangs sports teams are carefully clipped from newspapers and taped to a door behind his desk. Every space is crammed with memories and interests—a train tucked in a bookcase, a Civil War horse in another. Though Cannici defines himself as a teacher and administrator, his office suggests he’s more a champion of the human spirit. And this is where he nurtures that spirit—this school, his life’s work, is what gives kids a fighting chance to succeed.
Photo of Norman Rockwell by 12-year-old Bill Cannici.
William Cannici was born in Passaic and lived at 212 Howard Ave., near Third Ward Park. His father Peter—ironically a Clifton High graduate who later became principal at Passaic High School—started as a biology teacher in the city. The elder Cannici would also serve as superintendent of Passaic schools.
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His mother Caroline met Peter in her hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. After getting married, they moved to Passaic and raised two sons: Bob, a former mayor in Rochelle Park, and Bill, two years later. Both would go on to Passaic High while their father was principal. “My brother used to see him in the hallways,” Cannici recalls, “and call him ‘Dad.’ I’d see him and say, ‘Hey, Mr. Cannici.’ I put a different spin on it—I wanted to be one of the kids. “My father was a damn good teacher, highly regarded in the community. I still get compliments about him from Clifton people who went to school in Passaic.” Cannici says he was a B-, C+ student. Unsure of what he wanted to do with his life, he applied to his father’s alma mater, Tusculum College, and was accepted. “It was like a movie set,” Cannici describes the small Tennessee school,” with the mountains in the background. It was beautiful, and I decided to go there.” He spent two years at the school, gaining a love for education. He began to achieve high grades, motivated by his professors, especially Dr. Schroeder, a 77-year-old teacher who taught various sociology courses. “He was stimulating, just fantastic,” Cannici says. “He really turned me around. “I was inspired by dynamic teaching. Profs like Dr. Schroeder taught from the gut, taught with passion— qualities I wanted in myself as a teacher and the teachers in this high school. You shouldn’t be a teacher if you don’t love the kids and your material, and have the ability to marry them together.” Deciding to get a diploma from a larger school, Cannici transferred to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (he would graduate with a degree in social sciences). When he began student-teaching, he found his life’s calling. “I taught in a little town in the mountains called Clinton,” he says. “The school had been blown up few years before by the Klu Klux Klan because they decided to integrate. The only part of the building that survived was the auditorium, and the new high school was built around it.” The story of the high school’s integration and destruction was later featured on the CBS TV program, See It Now, hosted by Edward R. Murrow. The show stirred the bitter feelings that remained in town, creating an atmosphere Cannici describes as “on the edge.” 50 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
In the 1970s, CHS Psychology teacher Bill Cannici.
“But that high school,” he says, “turned me on to education. I got in front of a classroom and it was thrilling. I remember preparing for hours and hours, not because I had to, but because I wanted to.” Cannici also remembers the corporal punishment doled out to misbehaving students. “They didn’t suspend kids,” he says, “they paddled them. Only one person did it—the principal, Mr. Human, whose name was ironic for what he did. He was a nice older gentleman, who would take the kids in his office and whack them with a paddle for whatever they did. And then it was over.” On the day he left Clinton, he remembers going to the bus stop and students waving out the school windows, saying good bye to “Mr. C.” “It was that experience that convinced me to go into teaching.” But before making the jump to fulltime teacher, Cannici joined the U.S. Marines in 1965. “I think I was inspired by the old John Wayne war movies, or a bit brainwashed. But I believe in the Corp, and if we had been activated (to serve in Vietnam), there’s no outfit I’d rather be with.” Cannici served in G Company, a reserve outfit based at Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County.
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“G Company was a ‘grunt outfit,’ the infantry and, obviously, I have short legs. Everything was running, forced march—things I absolutely hated to do. But you had to do it.” Cannici did his 11 week boot camp at Parris Island, the legendary Marine training ground. “It was brutal—like nothing else,” he says. “If you did something wrong, the reaction was physical. At the rifle range, if you shot a ‘Maggie’s Drawer,” which is a miss, they’d say, ‘Drop your rifle, private.’ After you dropped it, they’d rabbit punch you and you had to come back up and fire again. “It was very physical, but all that’s changed now,” he recalls. “Still, it was a helluva experience.” After his six-month active duty, Cannici went to Clifton, not Passaic, and got a teaching job at the high school. “I wanted to make it on my own,” he says about applying first at Clifton, “not through my father.” For the next 15 years, he would teach at Clifton High, becoming one of the first teachers in the state certified to teach psychology and later writing the school’s anthropology course, still used today. Cannici felt at home in the classroom immediately. “A good teacher is not a clock-watcher,” he says. “I saw it as five shows a day, 180 days a year—I enjoyed it.” Passaic Special Education teacher Elaine Potkalesky, one of Cannici’s first students at Clifton, remembers Cannici taking over from an older teacher and injecting
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his classes with enthusiasm. “He was a talented teacher,” she says, “and it was obvious he cared a lot about the material.” Using magic and juggling to illustrate his lectures, the young educator fired up his students about school. He became known for “Gluck,” a real duck he trained to play the piano. “We also conditioned the duck to play ping pong, hitting the ball back to us with a paddle held in its beak and conducted other conditioning experiments.” He learned a variety of things about his craft during his first few years. “At first,” he remembers, “I taught to please the kids and became oversensitive about how they’d react or if they said anything critical. I didn’t realize that a kid could have a bad day. Some kids were going through things like a divorce at home. “After the third year, I changed my philosophy and began to teach to please myself. As a result, I won more kids over because I was more relaxed. My enthusiasm for teaching increased even more.” Cannici had many memorable experiences. As president of the Clifton Teachers Association, he led the first and only Clifton teacher’s strike in 1973. The two-day work action brought much media attention… and threats to Cannici. “It was very difficult,” he says, “something nobody wanted but had to be done. I was extremely proud of our teachers.”
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Another memorable experience was landA Lead Teacher ing in the middle of a bank robbery at the In 1981, Cannici became VP for both former Midlantic Bank on Clifton Ave. Christopher Columbus and Woodrow At the bank before the first official day of Wilson Junior Highs. Five years later, he school, Cannici got into a conversation with became VP at CHS, a position he would a teller and former student about her classes hold for the next 17 years. at Montclair State. As he was leaving, three While Cannici missed the classroom, he gunmen raced into the bank, demanding saw his administration job as that of a money. One gunman pointed a 38 caliber “lead teacher.” pistol at Cannici as the others gathered “I began teaching in a different way,” he money from behind the counter. says, “at faculty, student council, and “The muzzle of the man’s gun was movboard of education meetings.” ing, so I knew he was nervous,” Cannici In 1995, Cannici believed he was ready Bill Cannici in USMC Boot Camp, 1965. says. “I slowly moved my body sideways so for his ultimate role: CHS principal. But it there would be some bone between me and wasn’t to be. “First time I apply, I don’t get the bullet in case the gun went off. it,” he says. “I’m extremely upset—I thought I deserved “When the bank robbers left, the Clifton Police it.” To take his mind off not getting the job, Cannici arrived and shots were fired. The girls in the bank were drove to Paramus Park Mall. A small rock paperweight hysterical, and I did my best to calm them down.” with an inscribed wording caught his eye. “It was $15 When Cannici got to school, none of his fellow teachand way overpriced. It didn’t matter—I bought it. The ers believed his robbery story. “Not until they read about words on it say: ‘Never, Never Quit.’ It stopped me from in the paper the next day,” he laughs. feeling sorry for myself and I snapped out of it.
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“Three years later, the principal’s job opens again and I have a different philosophy. I go for it whole hog. Instead of saying ‘if I get the job’ during the interview, I say ‘when I get the job...’ And I’ll be dammed but I get it.” As CHS principal, Cannici began various initiatives. Like he had done as a teacher, he encouraged students to paint murals in the hallways, seeing the school as a canvas. “We have tremendous talent,” he says, “and the murals deinstitutionalize the institution.” He also brought sculpture to the school grounds, along with a waterfall and gazebo—donated by a woman who won it on the TV show The Price Is Right. Eagle scouts built benches near the gazebo, making it a place where teachers could hold class on hot days. “Aesthetically,” he says, “we’ve created a more college-type of environment.” To cope with Clifton’s growing school population, he implemented Zero Period, letting deserving upperclassman begin classes at 7 am and dismissing them just past noon without a lunch—a privilege they must earn. In 2006, 800 students participates in the program. Other initiatives Cannici championed are increasing the number of advance placement (AP) courses and helping students earn college credits from Montclair State University and Passaic County Community College. In his final year, 100 students took advantage of the opportunity. “We pay 40 percent of the tuition,” he says, “and kids take college courses with other college students taught by real profes-
sors. And they earn credits they can take with them after they graduate .” Cannici also instituted programs where students can study to become EMTs or pursue an internship in many different fields. “If you’re devoted to school,” he says, “it will pay off before you graduate. A kid can’t lose.” Though he loves his role, Cannici admits the job comes with unique pressures. Because of the school’s
size, the job of CHS principal remains one of the most difficult principal positions in New Jersey. “I make major decisions that affect kids’ futures—no question about it. But I always believe in the kids. Most kids will turn around— you just can’t predict when. Even when the kid’s been in trouble with the police, you must believe in the kid—most are going to come through.”
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However, there are some that never do. “I’ve had kids dead at 17, many more times than I care to remember, from drugs and alcohol behind the wheel. While we must always believe in kids, sometimes we don’t catch them in time. They’re not buying what we’re selling.” He believes parents can make a tremendous difference in their child’s life. “Unfortunately, some parents let things go—things like curfew and who their child hangs out with. Knowing about your kid is so important. As a parent, I lay down parameters. I wanted my kids involved in a sport—their choice, and an activity, again their choice. And I want productivity, which means good grades.” Looking Forward Though at peace with his retirement decision, Cannici knows he’s leaving behind unfinished business. School overcrowding is always on his mind, and he worries about students, teachers, and vice principals “going down” in the crush of hallway traffic and being injured. “We were criticized the other night at a planning board meeting. Someone said, ‘Look at them, Clifton High School, despite all this stuff, their test scores are going up.’ Test scores go up because we have a great staff here. Over-crowing is counter-productive to education.” He said he was especially worried about the rift that’s developed over ongoing community debate regarding the proposed construction of a new school. “There is vile bile between good people… and it’s a shame,” he says. “Good intelligent Cliftonites are at each other’s throats, and I’d like to do something to help them get together.” To those Cliftonites, he says, “In Clifton, we’re ‘site poor.’ There’s no ideal site—everyone’s not going to agree on any one of them. So get together—agree to disagree—but come up with a compromise. Put it to the voters—the voters should have the right to decide on something. “Don’t talk about Globe, don’t talk about Athenia Steel, which are polluted—we’re not putting kids there,” he commented on two of the many locations discussed as potential sites for another high school in 2006. “We have to talk about available properties of which there are very few. I understand why people want to fight for their park—I do. But we need a solution.” 56 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
Lorraine and Bill with sons Billy and Matt in 2006.
Clifton’s changing population is another issue Cannici discussed, a change he believes is good for his school and community. “Cultural diversity adds a wealth of background to your school population,” he says. “It’s a tremendous advantage. It reflects society—especially we who live in the great megalopolis of New York. We’re richer for the diversity. When I went to school in Passaic, it was far more diverse than Clifton High School. I grew from that.” About his diverse student population, he says, “The kids overwhelmingly are wonderful. They realize the way to grow up in society is through education—they get that.” However, Cannici also believes today’s students must deal with unique pressures. “It’s harder for kids today to achieve, than say 1974. Divorce, early marriage, and various diseases... Kids are getting in trouble because they’re more mobile. Kids are in gangs, which we didn’t have in the seventies.” How did he deal with the changes? “The philosophy here is this: We’re in neutral territory. Don’t mess around with gangs here, don’t recruit, and don’t become violent. I have a hell of a lot of power behind me and I’ll use every inch of that power if I have a problem with you. I have state law on my side, board policy on my side—don’t interfere with a teacher’s inalienable right to teach, which is sacred. I also want every student to show respect. With those things understood, we have so many resources to help students.” As far as his legacy, Cannici wanted to be remembered for making CHS “the most vibrant education community I could, hiring talented teachers, and giving them a great place to teach. Because the better the teacher, the better it is for kids. “When Admiral Nimitz immortalized the Marines who fought at Iwo Jima, he said, ‘Uncommon valor was a common virtue.’ I like to think at CHS, ‘Uncommon teaching is a common gift.’
“Dentistry is the perfect balance of aesthetics and engineering, mixed with fun and endearing interpersonal communication,” said Dr. David J. Fredericks, our new associate. “I enjoy helping people make good decisions and positive changes in their lives.” Please join me in welcoming Dr. David to our office.
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Remembering Helen Horack
Former School 16 teacher who won the hearts of many of her students.
At Helen Horack’s 100th birthday, former students from left Matina Foukas Malindretos, Mary Foukas Koularmanis, Damon Affinito, Lori Herman Simonelli, Christine Apelian Lynam, Sandra Apelian Gallo, Regina Gore Cavaliere and Beth Wild Siedel.
A testament to any teacher’s legacy is seeing students years after they left the classroom. For Helen Horack, she got to see those kids become adults and parents and even partied with some of those students at her 100th birthday party, Held at the Valley Regency on Feb. 4, 2014, the School 16 and 3 teacher was given a key to the city by Mayor Jim Anzaldi, presented a Papal blessing from Pope Francis and received letters from President Obama and Governor Christie. “She always found the good in her students and took their strengths and instilled her love At the 50th anniversary of School 16 in 2007, Owen Engler, and discipline in each one of them,” said Principal from 1964-1976, Helen Horack, the school’s first Horack’s daughter, Cathy (Horack) Kartanos. kindergarten teacher with Principal Michelle Christadore. Nothing in Horack’s life ever came easy. The youngest of seven children, her mother passed She went on to teach at School 3 on Washington away when she was a year and a half old. She attended Ave. from 1940 to 1951 and School 16 from 1958 until School 12 on Clifton Ave. and later graduated CHS in she retired in 1984. Horack served on the School 16 1931. She received her teaching certification from HSA Executive Board, the SUCCESS program at CHS Paterson State Normal School in 1935. In 1972 she and Clifton College Women’s Club. received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from William She passed away on April 30, 2015 at the age of 101 Paterson, where she graduated with honors. and her daughter proudly noted that Helen Horack was An innovator and lifelong Clifton resident, she given the honor of a full police escort at her funeral. began her teaching career in the 1930’s at the Clifton “She was an inspiration to her everyone she touched,” Adult Evening School. There she taught English and said Kartanos. “Her legacy will always be remembered Math to foreign born students. by her students and this community.” 58 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
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By Bill Kennedy
It’s a real Mustang exit when a couple hundred of your friends show up for church and Hap Nightingale’s grandson is catering your repast. The honored guest is Dave ‘Moose’ Bosson, who passed away New Year’s night in a Dallas hotel, after being in attendance at the Cotton Bowl game with Duke 1961 teammates as they celebrated their 55-year reunion of the game they won, 7-6, over Arkansas. But it is his old Clifton crew from the 1950s who have organized an 11 am Moose Bosson memorial service on March 5 at Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair. All Mustangs are invited, followed by a repast at Tierney’s on Valley Rd. Bosson, an All-State tackle at CHS in 1956, had sold land, homes and high end fractional time shares for more than 40 years, a The late Dave Bosson (in his prime) and in later years with Ted Saberese, Joe Martini. At right, Moose, an unidentified man, Mike Novack and Chuck Ranges.
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business which took him all over the United States. Proof of this is that he was licensed to sell in 11 states—New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North and South Carolina, New Mexico, Colorado, Georgia, Florida and Vermont.
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Dave ‘Moose’ Bosson, CHS Class of ‘56 and at right with Bill Martini.
Real estate of this specialty is a business which attracts many retired professional athletes, but that was not in the original game plan for Bosson, after graduating from CHS in 1957, following an athletic career in which he was a three-sport football, basketball and baseball athlete. “Roger Fardin (Mustangs All-State quarterback on the ‘56 team) and I were recruited by 76 colleges, so we had a lot of choices,� said Bosson, during an interview eight years ago. “He picked Notre Dame, and I knew I wanted to go to Duke when I visited there. I fell in love with the Gothic architectural beauty of the campus.� At Duke, Bosson not only excelled at football, but he was a baseball player for four years. Did he play baseball to get out of spring football? That’s his secret, but it did not adversely affect him on the gridiron, because he started for three years, was
named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team and played in the Coaches All-America East-West Game in 1961. He was a member of the Duke (8-3) 1961 Cotton bowl championship team, arguably the greatest football team in Duke history. (Duke’s 1938 team was undefeated and untied.) From college, Bosson played professionally in the CFL with the Ottawa Rough Riders and British Columbia Lions and then in the American Football League for the New York Titans. A balky knee shortened his career and got him thinking about civilian life, which led him into real estate.
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In a photo from a 2002 Mustang get-together, from left: Moose with Coach Joe Grecco, Dick Moran, Roger Fardin, Passaic Indian’s Coach Manilo Boverni and writer Bill Kennedy.
He earned a master’s degree at Indiana State University, scouted for the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL after which he used some of his summer-job skills from the Osprey and Dodds in Brielle to open a restaurant-bar called The Village Edge in Sugarbush, Vermont, with his older brother Jerry. “We did that for about two-and-a-half years,” said Bosson, who became an avid skier. “Some of my professional football friends came up to visit me. They said I should sell my place and get into real estate.” And that’s how his nomadic career began. In 1971, he found himself working out of an office in Clifton, selling land and homes at the Hideout in the Pocono Mountains. Basically, realtors liked Bosson to remain at a site like the Hideout as long as it took to reach total sales. “That’s the industry. You sell a place out and go to another project. After that I went to Hilton Head, S.C., to work for Dunes Marketing,” Bosson said. Bosson lived in Montclair before his family moved to Clifton in 1954. His friend Bill Byrne, also an NFL player, started his own company in Hilton Head, so Moose became a part of that operation. As business developed, Bosson Real Estate was founded in Pinehurst and Aspen with much of the work over the years done by Moose and his two sons, Erik and Curt. Bosson was also regional director of the Ritz-Carlton Club, based out of Pinehurst and Aspen and worked globally for RCC. Bosson was not a name-dropper, but over the years he has become acquainted with some very famous people. At the East-West game, he roomed with Mike Ditka, former Chicago Bears and NFL Hall of Fame tight end. He got to know Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton as a teammate in that game, too. 64 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
His Colorado work in Aspen, Vail and Copper Mountain drew him close to NFL Hall of Fame QB John Elway during his playing days, and then Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. Bosson also became a good friend of former Broncos GM John Beake, whose wife Marcia Menegus, just happens to be his CHS classmate. For Bosson, it was a career of numerous financial decisions for his clients and himself. Some have been good, some have not worked out. He would tell you that the toughest decision and situation he has had in his life was when his father purchased the house in Clifton. Did he want to go to Clifton? He was about to enter and become a sports star for Montclair High, a member of the undefeated Montclair YMCA Swim team, and a powerhouse b-ball squad at Central Presbyterian Church. His initial days at CHS were difficult. “I was lucky. Vandy (the late Clifton coach Bill Vander Closter) took me under his wing,” Bosson said. “I might have been a screwed up kid in ninth and 10th grade, but Vandy saw something in me.” Fardin and Mike Novack, a CHS class of ‘57 basketball star, befriended Bosson. The late Zeke Knight, another ‘58 Mustang, is a fourth member of this CHS rat pack, along with Bob Nightingale, Nick Russo and Dick Moran. Later, that group expanded to include Joe Fazio, and brothers Billy and Joe Martini. “We were a tight group then,” said Bosson, an inductee into the second class of the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame. And it was the same before his passing. He’d talk to Roger weekly and to Mike frequently. So when an old-timers event was scheduled in Clifton, he would hop a plane here. The Bosson rolling stone may gather no moss, but will always be coated with some Mustang dirt.
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Community News
The North Jersey Chamber of Commerce served champagne, chocolates and cigars at a networking event at Stew Leonard’s Wines on Feb. 10. Pictured are Chef Jose Velez of Toscania Trattoria in Little Falls, Brian and Stephanie Tangora of NJCC, a rep from Red Ribbon Pretzel Company, Mario De Chellis from Stew Leonard’s, Mark Gallagher (kneeling) of Jersey Girl Gourmet Chocolates, Rob Menaker from Maxum Cigars and Danny Skiba from Stew Leonard’s. For more on Chamber events, membership and to connect to other businesses, go to northjerseychamber.org.
The son of CHS CAST teacher Alvin Dixon, also Alvin, can be found daily at Scooterz Electronics, 497 Clifton Ave. He, his dad and mom Hazel are pictured at the opening of the store. Scooterz sells hoverboards, drones, headphones, cell phone accessories and repair cell phones and other electronics. Go to scooterzelectronics.com or call 973-910-6810.
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Clifton’s 12th Relay for Life is on June 11 at Clifton Stadium. RFL is an overnight celebration and fundraising event that begins at 3 pm. Teams camp out and take turns walking around a track “relay” style. At nightfall, participants light hundreds of luminaria candles to honor cancer survivors and remember those lost to the disease. The event continue until 6 am on June 12. Call Ed Ahart at the American Cancer Society at 973-285-8041 or visit relayforlife.org/cliftonnj to learn more, form a team or to volunteer. For more about ACS and the services it offers, visit cancer.org. June and January 1951 CHS classes will host a reunion on May 9 from 1 to 5 pm 5 at The Brownstone, Paterson. Organizer Tom Zaloom reported that nearly 40 members have confirmed they will attend. To purchase tickets, call Zaloom at 973-471-1231. The CHS Class of 1976 reunion will be held at the Ramsey Country Club on March 25 at 7:30 pm. The cost of $70 includes dinner and drink and can be sent to John George, 9 Daniel Dr., East Hanover, NJ 07936 or visit him at George’s Service Center, 387 Crooks Ave. For more details, call him at 973-766-3300.
Dr. Bonita Stanton was introduced on Feb. 24 as the founding dean of the yet unnamed medical school to open in 2018 on the former Roche campus on the Clifton/Nutley border on Route 3. The joint venture between Seton Hall University and HackensackUHN will be New Jersey’s first private medical school and premier academic institution to be established in more than 50 years.
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Film April Fabian ms are length assaic ontact org or .
History & Arts The Passaic County Historical Society present Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic River on March 10 from 7:30 to 8 pm at Lambert Castle, 3 Valley Rd., Paterson. Featured speaker is Mary Bruno, author of An American River: From Paradise to Superfund, Afloat on New Jersey’s Passaic River. The book tells of her experience kayaking the river’s entire 80 mile length to witness all the river’s virtues and challanges. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for kids. For more info call 973-538-3500. St. Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 81 Washington Ave. will host its annual Ukrainian Easter Egg (Pysanka) Decorating Class on March 10 at their hall from 6 to 8 pm. Fee is $15 and includes eggs and supplies. The church kitchen will be open and sell homemade perogies, baked Easter goods and Ukrainian themed gifts. Call 973-546-2473 for reservations. One of the founders of the Avenue of Flags, Walter Pruiksma, sent us this photo of his great grandaugther Aubrey Theiler. The 2 year old was at the Avenue of Flags last Memorial Day with her mom Kimberly Theiler. She is holding the flag of Pruiksma's late son Ronald Edward Pruiksma, who was Aubrey’s grandfather. Walt Pruiskma, now 92 and residing in Brick with his bride of 69 years Claire, sends wishes to all.
Valley Road’s School Five Principal Rachel Capizzi thought it would be a fun way to celebrate the 100th Day of School by having the students dress as if they were 100 years old. Here the students in Erin DiPaolo’s Kindergarten class and Cheryl Bender’s First Grade Class dressed to celebrate the 100th day of school.
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The cast of the musical Into The Woods are pictured and will perform on March 18 and 19 at 7 pm and March 20 at 2 pm at the CHS Auditorium, 333 Colfax Ave. Tickets are $12 or $10; at the door they are $15 or $12. Call 973-470-2311. The Sondheim musical features a baker and his wife who find out they cannot have a baby due to a curse that a witch has cast on them. If they want to reverse the curse, they must venture into the woods to gather special ingredients for a potion. On their journey, they meet many well known friendly and fearful characters. The cast includes: Roberto Sanchez, Maura Huelbig, Zariah Rivera, Alejandro Joewono, Madison Potash, Mackenzie Miller, Otto DeLeon, Alexander Budhi Jr., Mercedez Zea, Christian Flores, Samantha Mei Dong, Natalie Fernandez, Nessie Mae DeChavez, Anthony Gonzalez, Wendy Olmos, Leann Kievit, Emma Floyd and Connor Mancini. Clifton Merchant • March 2016
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That’s the Kit Kat Klub girls—Vanessa Sierra, Maria Alessi, Sabrina Curry, Mariah Ayscue, Seira Nakanishi, Kelsey Snedeker—surrounding the two gals who will share the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret: Sarah Robertson in purple and Christine Blake. The racy musical involves the doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor. Performances are May 13, 14, 15 and 20, 21, 22 at the Aprea Theater, 199 Scoles Ave. Tickets range from $15 to $25. Call 973-928-7668 or go to theaterleagueofclifton.com.
ATC Studios’ 2016 Young Playwrights Project is open to middle and high school students and is accepting short (10 minutes or under), one-act scripts that reflect this year’s theme Behind the Mask. Scripts, written for one to 10 actors, with simple tech requirements can be submitted to ATC as a .doc or .docx to atcstudios411@gmail.com. Deadline is March 15. Scripts will The 12th Passaic County Film Festival is April 23 at 10 am at the Fabian Theater in Paterson’s Center City Mall. Viewers will screen dozens of 10 minute shorts created by filmmakers who live, work, or attend school in Passaic County. Categories are general short film; PSA; documentary; music video and tourism or eco-tourism; history short film. North Jersey Federal Credit Union presents a $1,000 prize and selects a filmmaker to produce a video to promote the credit union. Go to passaiccountynj.org/film for info. 70 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
be read and evaluated by professionals and teachers. From all submissions, six to 12 will be selected for public performance in June, then cast and produced through ATC. The audience and a panel of professional theater judges will select three winners to be featured on the internet. Guidelines and past winning entries are at atcstudios.org. The studio is in Downtown Clifton.
James Giffin (left) of North Jersey Federal Credit Union with 2015 winners.
The Cameos perform at the Athenia Veterans Post, 147 Huron Ave. on March 5. The eight person vocal harmony group will sing hits of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Clifton’s Kayla Barilari will open the show at 8:30 pm. Dinner begins at 7:30 pm. The $40 ticket includes an Italian buffet, beer, wine and soda. Cash bar available. Call Kevin Gorman 201-757-5956.
Fairs, Festivals and Fun is an art exhibit and sale by the Clifton Association of Artists (CAA) at the Clifton Arts Center from March 2 to 19. There will be a reception for the artists open to the public on March 5, from 1 to 4 pm, at 900 Clifton Ave., gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 1 to 4 pm. Admission is $3. Go to cliftonnj.org or find them on Facebook. The show features works in various art mediums such as oil, acrylic, pastels, photography and mixed-media by pro-
fessional and amateur artists from Clifton and surrounding communities. For info on the CAA, call Show Chair Eugenia Gore at 973-773-9721. There is still time to attend TLC’s dinner theater The Multiple Mystery Murder, written by Kirk Woodward, on March 4 and 5 at 8 pm Mario’s Restaurant, 710 Van Houten Ave. The Sunday matinee is sold out. For info, call 973-928-7668 or theaterleagueofclifton.com.
View The Giblin Report Thursday at 9 pm Cablevision Ch. 76 & 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 Clifton Merchant • March 2016
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Community News Clifton turns 100 in 2017 but the centennial celebration begins with a beefsteak on April 17 from 4 to 8 pm at the Boys & Girls Club. Tickets are $35, $15 for children 6 to 12 and kids under 5 are free. Purchase at the City Clerk’s office or call Norma Smith at 973-744-5707. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 380 Clifton Ave. brings back Market Fair. Easter items and other treasures will be available for purchase. The first two events are on March 5 and April 2 from 8 am to 4 pm. To vend or for more info call 973-546-5020 or visit saintpetersmarketfair.com. The Clifton Democratic Club meeting is on March 7 at 7 pm at the Main Library, 292 Piaget Ave. Members of the Clifton School Board were invited to attend and discuss the proposed building of new school. Clifton School 16 HSA will have an adults only dinner and tricky tray from 6 to 8 pm on March 31 at the Valley Regency. Tickets are $50. For more information, contact Judi Green at 201-446-5799 or judigreen@optonline.net. St. Brendan’s Catholic School Tricky Tray is March 13 at noon at The Brownstone. The $45 ticket includes dinner and tickets. Call 973-772-1149 or info@sbsclifton.org.
Passaic County Clerk Kristin Corrado will process passport applications, issue notary oaths and Veteran’s photo ID cards on March 24 from 11 am to 2 pm on the 2nd floor of the Clifton City Hall. Clifton Parents Requiring Action and Information for Special Education (PRAISE) is a non-adversarial, group for those with special needs children. Meetings are at the Allwood Library on the fourth Monday of every month at 7 pm. On March 26 from noon to 5 pm they will have a free IEP, 504 and Transition Review. Space is limited. Email cliftonpraise@gmail.com. A workshop on April 4, 7 pm entitled Twice Exceptional Students: Supporting Gifted Students with Disabilities will be presented by Mary Perez from The Center for Independence. PRAISE is also offering a free, four week yoga class at Powerflow Yoga for special needs children from April 2 through 23, from 5:15 to 6 pm. Email cliftonpraise@gmail.com to register. The Clifton Mustang Band Alumni Bowling Night is March 19 at 7:30 pm at Holiday Bowl, 26 Spruce St., Oakland. Cost is $50 per couple and includes bowling, shoes, hot buffet and soda. Don’t want to bowl? Pay $20 for tricky tray and buffet. Write: cmbaa2002@aol.com.
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The Clifton Red Hawks 18U beat five teams from five different states from Dec. 27 to Jan. 2 at the Atlanta Braves Spring training facility in Kissimmee, Fla.. They took home the championship trophy as shown above. The team, front, from left: Michael Algieri, Daniel McLaughlin, Kyle Lesler, Anthony Delgado, Michael McLaughlin, Michael Lesler and Jason Rivera. Rear: Coach John Rivera, Coach Mike Lesler, Ryan Murphy, Kage Lord, Carlos Pineda, Matthew Goehrig, Trevor Rokosny, Jack Garruto, Coach John Rokosny and Mickey Mouse. (Not pictured is Coach Bill Goehrig)
The Clifton Recreation Department offers much for everyone. Call 973-470-5956 or go to cliftonrec.com to attend any event or for more info. Attend the Sundae Bingo on March 6 from 3 to 5 pm at the Clifton Rec Center on Main Ave. Make ice cream sundaes, play bingo and win prizes Cost is $3 or $6 at the door. Breakfast with Mr. Bunny is on March 26 from 7:30 to 9:30 am at the Hot Grill followed by the Bunny Bash at Nash Park from 9:30 to 11:30 am. Games include bunny basketball, carrot toss, ring around the bunny, the bunny launch, egg golf, the egg run and more. A Jigsaw Puzzle Contest is on April 4 from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Clifton Rec Center on Main Ave. Get a team of problem solvers together and register by April 1. Cost is $5 per team which includes soda and juice.
Clifton Family Bowling is on April 8 from 6 to 8 pm at Garden Palace, 42 Lakeview Ave. The $40 per lane fee includes 6 people, two hours of bowling, shoe rental, pizza, soda and contests. Reserve by April 7. Clifton Skate Day is April 9 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm at Floyd Hall. Cost is $5 and includes two hours of skating and skate rental. Must have a coupon from Rec office to attend at the special price. Pick up coupon sat the Rec Office, 2nd floor City Hall. The Young at Heart Senior Club meets at noon the first and third Tuesday of the month at the Fellowship Hall of First Presbyterian Church, Maplewood Ave. Refreshments begin at 11 am. Wear green for St. Patrick’s Day and see the Allwood Bagpipers. For all the details, call 973-779-5581.
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Clifton Sports
Mustangs in Atlantic City By Tom Szieber
Wrestlers Moe Farhan, Patrick DePasque & James Murdoch in top shape for State Championship.
2 Titles & a Trip Down the Turnpike February is when the winter sports season starts to wind down for most high school squads. But for wrestlers, it is the month during which things really begin to pick up. For Clifton, it has been a month of many successes—just as it has been over the last several seasons. The Mustangs’ biggest accomplishment was winning its second sectional championship in the past three years, downing Hackensack, 41-30, in the North I, Group V final on Feb. 12. The victory put an exclamation mark on an exciting run that saw the squad rally from near-elimination just days earlier in the semis, surging late to defeat North Bergen, 32-31. “This is a great group of kids, and the seniors were a part of two championship teams and three finals
appearances in the last three years,” said Mustangs head coach Dan Geleta. “The experience they got in the past few years really paid off. The leadership we had was probably the most important part of our success this year.” The semifinal victory was Clifton’s most dramatic of the season, coming against a Bruins team to which it lost in last season’s title match, and after trailing by 14 points with three bouts to go. A gritty decision victory by 195-pounder Andrii Denyliuk and a pin by 220pounder Dan Parra—both seniors—set the stage for a thrilling winner-take-all heavyweight matchup between Clifton’s Jacob Abill and the Bruins’ Taureen Jarrett. Abill—who also earned a pinfall victory in the finals—rose to the occasion, pinning Jarrett with 18
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seconds remaining in the first period to send the hometown crowd into a frenzy. “Jacob worked really hard and we knew he was going to be one of the difference makers that would determine how far we would go in sectionals,” said Geleta. “Jacob, Dan and Andrii all matured a lot over the season, and they came through in the end.” Then, against the Comets, Clifton’s strong middleweights led the way. James Murdoch (132 pounds), Sean Yadimarco (145), Moe Farhan (152) and Tibi Rizea (170) all scored pins, and Patrick DePasque (160) won on a 13-0 major decision. Clifton (21-3) would fall to Southern in the Group IV semifinal in their final dual match of the year, but rebounded quickly to earn the District XV team championship on Feb. 20. With individual championship victories by Parra, Abill, Murdoch and DePasque, the Mustangs cruised to a 182.5-point day, besting secondplace Queen of Peace by 23 in the team tally. Farhan broke CHS legend Corey Bleaken’s school wins record in the district semifinals, earning his 144th career triumph with a first period pin of Queen of Peace’s Mike Pillot. He came up shy of a gold medal in district or region competition, though, suffering two frustrating losses in each tourney final. Defeats are rare for the Clifton stud, who fell to Hasbrouck Heights’ Michael O’Malley in both title bouts. Each loss was by just two (3-1 in the district tourney, 2-0 in regions), and they are Farhan’s only setbacks of the year. Farhan was 3-0 against O’Malley last season. “[O’Malley] is a lot more confident this year,” Farhan said. “He has more of a game plan than last year. I take it as a learning experience. I have to get out of bottom. I have to wrestle well on my feet. As far as the school record goes, it was a big accomplishment. Corey had that record for years. I worked hard to get it, and it’s humbling.” Despite the loss, Farhan joined Murdoch and DePasque in earning silver medals in Region IV competition and locking up trips to the state individual tournament in Atlantic City. “We have had a great year as a team,” Farhan said. “It shows that we have really good coaching. Coach Geleta had a vision for us, and that vision was to win state sectional titles. In my career, to be a part of really good teams was huge. We wanted to get better each and every match this year, and we did that.” Clifton Merchant • March 2016
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Each month Vice Principals from each wing of Clifton High nominate select students to receive recognition as a Student of the Month. Profiles for this month are featured below.
Marcela Blachut
Never Forgetting Where She Came From and Always Giving Back From helping young immigrants in a Saturday school, to pursuing a career in medicine, Marcela Blachut may be taking a page out of Mother Theresa’s playbook. On Saturday mornings this North Wing senior volunteers to teach Polish to preschool students at School 13 in Athenia. Her altruism finds her on the bowling alleys, a place she finds inspiration. As a member of Project Unify, a club that focuses on closing the gap between special education and general education students, Blachut volunteers with the Special Olympics Bowling Team. It is here where she finds strength in working with those who have special needs. “Despite the obstacles the students endure both physical and emotional,” she wrote recently, “ the optimism and joy of these students is contagious and inspiring.” Blachut has been in Clifton Schools since first grade—and her academic record is outstanding. A National Honors Society member, she plans to attend college and medical school. “Although it will be an uphill journey, I’d like to study medicine in the future as the rewards that come with making a difference to others are priceless.” What will she miss most? “I will miss the diversity and everything else offered at CHS. With so many great after school activities ranging from theater to sports, the school incorporates an incredible amount of out-of-theclassroom opportunities for students.” 76 March 2016 • Clifton Merchant
Brittany Wdowiak
Overachieving in True Mustang Fashion The discipline of a Catholic elementary education provided Brittany Wdowiak with a solid foundation and the springboard for her success. Wdowiak blossomed when she came to CHS as a freshmen. Despite the huge campus, 3,000 plus students and the new liberal environment, it only took this Mustang a week to adapt. “I love having a locker, no dress code, and switching classes,” she said. “I never knew my own potential until I got to CHS. As a senior, I excel in AP English and take AP classes at Montclair State University.” From biology to anatomy, “science is beautiful and we can find it in all we do,” said this Central Wing senior. Involved year-round, Wdowiak manages the football, wrestling and boys lacrosse teams. When she is not at practice or a game you can find her in the customer service department of the Brookdale Shoprite. Felician University is her next destination where she hopes to become a RN and help others for the rest of her life. “CHS has opened incredible doors for me and has given me unbelievable experiences, most memorably being a part of the morning newscast. Shooting the morning news is not as glamorous as it looks but is my favorite part of the day which I will treasure.”
Thriving in the Spotlight Growing up in the Dominican Republic Francisco Figuero-Abreu struggled to do well in school. That all changed when he came to Clifton and flourished at CHS as a freshman. “When I lived in the DR, I didn’t care about my grades. When we came here my parents urged me to work harder. Because of their love and support, my grades greatly improved at CHS.” Now a junior, his favorite subject is Biology. “From genes to other living things in our environment, I learn something new each day.” His most memorable experience as a Mustang was when he ran outdoor track. “During our first away race our team ran 200 meter relays and placed 3rd overall.” After CHS, he plans to go to a trade school to learn how to repair motorcycles and then open his own business.
Francisco Figuero-Abreu
An Eye for Success The streets of Paterson could’ve led Leonel Almonte down the wrong path before moving to Clifton prior to middle school. It wasn’t until the 8th grade at WWMS when he buckled down and his grades began to improve. “History class is what I look forward to every day. Unlike Science, Math and English, History is very unique in the fact that we learn how we got here. History would be different if certain events never took place,” said Almonte. Outside of school you can find him taking pictures around town. “I got my first camera at a young age and I’ve wanted to be a photographer for a long time.” While this freshman enjoys photography, he is also interested in studying computer programming and wants to focus on tying photography into programming in his career.
Leonel Almonte
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Students of the Month whole new world of knowledge for me. It Fighting Mustang Plotting has taught me why people make or don’t His Roadmap to Success make certain decisions. Mrs. De Lorenzo “The legacy of Mustang football is and Mr. O’Reilly do an incredible job one of the greatest things about CHS,” teaching this fascinating subject.” said Maurice Greene. This Fighting “Outside of the classroom, football is Mustang was one of the captains of the a huge part of my life and I owe my football team. coaches a ton because they helped me “I don’t think I fully understood what become the man I am today. In addition it meant to bleed Maroon and Gray until Maurice Greene to my goal of succeeding in college footthe Friday of Homecoming Week,” said ball, I will study for a career in athletic training.” the articulate senior. “I realized that my high school The East Wing student is plotting the road to his own years were coming to a close and became overrun with success by earning a scholarship and signing with emotion while the national anthem was playing before Stonehill College, a Division 2 school in Massachusetts. our game with Kennedy. We won that game 38-0 and I When he starts in the fall, he will study athletic training. don’t think anyone expected us to blow them out the “I believe that the body is a spectacular machine and way we did. It felt great to see the Mustang Mob and my want to help people while learning about it.” family in the crowd cheering us on.” “The best thing about CHS is the diversity and size,” Greene attended School 8 in Delawanna, where he he said of attending Clifton High. “While the size of the made the honor roll and met many of his friends today. school can be overwhelming, the student are lucky After excelling there, he went on to Christopher because there are so many ethnicities and personalities. Columbus Middle School. There is a place for every individual no matter what “Psychology is my favorite subject at CHS. Studying your beliefs or interests.” the human mind makes me tick and has opened up a
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The Mustang Athletic Training Club recently collected toys to help cheer sick kids at DePaul Ambulatory Center at St. Joseph’s in Paterson. Pictured from left are Advisor Meaghan Durham, Fredy Talavera, Carly Egyed, Olivia DeMuro, Ryley White, Matt Miller, Briana Lepiani, Advisor Tom Cutalo and a representative of St. Joe’s. Those students interested in sports medicine, in particular the profession of athletic training in a school setting, should check out the club. See trainers Tom or Meg in the Athletic Training Room across from the upper gym.
Our April edition serves up the Nostalgia and History of the 1960s and how those changes impacted our hometown. Readers may want to share memories, some never before seen photos or other memorabilia. If so, connect with us ASAP. We will be continuing our timeline, offering stories on music and no doubt be writing about some of the people you see on this cover at left. To contribute or to advertise, call Tom Hawrylko Sr. at 973-253-4400 or write to tomhawrylko@optonline.net.
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Birthdays & Celebrations - March 2016
Sister Elaine Sassine... Happy 66th on March 15! Melisa Calvo will celebrate her 39th birthday on March 16. Congratulations to Corey & Michelle Genardi, celebrating their anniversary on March 28. That is their daughter Bianca Eda who had her 10th birthday on March 2. Amelia Ipenza and her daughter Amelia Lora shared a March 3 birthday. Mom marked her 26th year and Ameilia turned 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
CHS Teacher Richard Rando & Annmarie Huben announce their marriage on 11/11/16. 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 More birthdays on next page....
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William Thomson will celebrate his 4th birthday on March 8.
Casey Hawrylko turned 26 on March 2. Clifton Merchant • March 2016
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Birthdays & Celebrations - March 2016
Joseph Galofaro turned 90 on Feb 20.
Teddy Harsaghy will be 87 on March 11.
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
Joe & Pat Torelli celebrate their 45th on March 6.
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Nina & Frank Corradino celebrate 43 years March 25. Happy 20th birthday to Kenneth Bucsko on March 19.
Samira Abdelhady celebrates her 27th birthday March 16. 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
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