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Clifton Merchant Magazine is published the first Friday of every month at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400
“Someday, many years from now, in an era which we sincerely hope and pray shall be blessed with the tranquility and decency of peace, some human being, probing briefly the chronicle of our time, may chance upon these words.” That’s how writer Les Nash, Jr. opened the eight-section, 124page War Record edition of the May 1, 1946 Clifton Leader. Some 63 years later, I happened upon a copy of that old newspaper while preparing for our annual Memorial Day salute to Our Honored Dead—those who died while in service. While today is not the tranquil and peaceful time Nash and his fellow citizens dreamed of, America is the great nation those World War II vets fought and died for six decades ago. Because of their service to our nation—and the Supreme Sacrifice by generations of Americans before and after them who died in wars defending our nation’s ideals—every May we remember the fallen with a roll call of their names. Over some 20 pages, you will read the list of the more than 300 Cliftonites who have perished in service to our country since World War I. This year, thanks to The Clifton Leader, a paper once published by Gus La Corte and his son Terry, we will learn more about those who died in WWII through bios about their lives, taken from that May 1, 1946 edition. Let us keep their memory eternal. Tom Hawrylko
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Herman C. Adams, son of Mrs. Charles A. Tanis, 50 Althea St. QM 2/c Alfred Aiple, son of Alfred Aiple Sr. and husband of Madeline Aiple, 8 Englewood Rd., was reported missing aboard the submarine USS Bullhead on July 31, 1945 on a run from Australia through the Java sea. Subsequent developments led to the presumption that he died. R3/c Francis Alesso, son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Alesso, 52 Foster St., was killed in a plane crash in the South Pacific. He was a former student at Ohio University and was a member of the Clifton Mystics. Pfc. Carl Anderson, 25-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Verner Anderson, 536 Clifton Ave., was wounded in action in Belgium on March 5, 1945 and died three days later. A nationally known amateur bicyclist, he won the national all around cycle championship in 1943. Cpl. John Aspesi, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Aspesi, Harrison Pl., was reported as killed in action in Germany in Jan. 1945. A tank expert, he was a veteran of the North African campaign. Pfc. Harold A. Baker, 31-year-old son of Arthur Baker, 171 Union Ave. A glider Infantryman with the famous 101st Airborne Division, he was killed on Jan. 13, 1945. He had been reported as missing in action on that date. 16,000 MAGAZINES are distributed to hundreds of Clifton Merchants the first Friday of every month. SUBSCRIBE PAGE 76 $16/year in Clifton $27/year out of town CALL 973-253-4400 entire contents copyright 2009 © tomahawk promotions
He entered the service in May 1942 and had been overseas 19 months. John W. Bogert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Bogert, 500 Piaget Ave. Pfc. Albert Bertneskie, 23-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. William Bertneskie, 656 Main Ave. He was the second son in the family to be slain in action against the enemy. He was married to the former Adele Gurka. Pvt. Justus Belli, son of Anna Berezini, 110 Van Riper Ave., was killed in action while serving with the Army in the European Theater. Cpl. Michael F. Barbero, 27-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Barbero, 47 Columbia Ave., was a crew chief on a C-17 transport, and overseas since Feb. 1945. Before the military, he was employed as an usher in the Clifton Theater and later with the WatsonFlagg Machine Co. in Paterson. He also sang under the name “Don Lewis” with Lou Noble’s band. S/Sgt. Matthew A. Bartnowski, 24year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Bartnowski, 123 Grove St., was killed in action during an airplane fight. He was a radio operator on a B-24 Bomber. He was married to the former Annette Gaffen of Long Island. S/Sgt. Joseph W. Bertneskie, 23year-old brother of Albert Bertneskie was killed in action in Italy while as a
Lt. John W. Layton, 23, a navigator on a Liberator Bomber, was killed on his 74th bombing mission over France.
radio operator on a bombing plane. He had seven combat missions over enemy territory. A graduate of CHS, he had been in the Army for two years. Pfc. Lewis D. Cosmano, husband of Louisa Cosmano, 142 Ackerman Ave. Seriously injured in France on Aug. 1, 1944, he later died of his wounds. Cpo. Jos. Bartholomew Belli, 25year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Alphonse Belli, 271 Luddington Ave., was reported MIA by the Navy on Feb. 16, 1943 and presumed dead. Stationed at New London, Conn. before going to sea, he was survived by his parents and a sister, Cecila Sanson. A graduate of School 10 and CHS, he was with the Coast Guard four years. please turn to page 9
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Tom Hawrylko BUSINESS MANAGER Cheryl Hawrylko STAFF WRITERS: Joe Hawrylko, Jordan Schwartz GRAPHIC ARTIST: Tomahawk Promotions Rich McCoy 1288 Main Avenue CONTRIBUTORS: Downtown Clifton, NJ 07011 Don Lotz, Rich DeLotto 973-253-4400 • tomhawrylko@optonline.net May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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The Clifton Optimum Health Center Medical Weight Loss and Management Program is supervised by Dr. Henry Balzani and coordinated by Alison Caricato, a Registered Dietitian. It is the only weight loss program with both physician and dietitian interaction in New Jersey. Our medically supervised program will provide a foundation to accomplish weight loss goals quickly and safely. We utilize FDA approved appetite suppressants to control hunger and supplemental injections which are a combination of vitamins, amino acids and minerals to enhance overall weight loss. We provide nutritional counseling and exercise instruction to attain your desired weight goal. Our custom-designed nutritional plan uses a low calorie diet that consists of lean protein, favorable carbohydrates and good fats. We require weekly visits to assess progress, dispense medication and make any indicated changes to the plan that might be needed to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Henry Balzani is an MD, Board Certified OB/GYN and is also certified in Age Management Medicine by Cenegenics. Dr. Balzani has been in practice in Clifton since 1984, the first 11 years on the Clifton Ave. extension, and since 1995, on Rt. 46 east between Fette Ford and Chengdu Restaurant. Dr. Balzani brings a diverse and unique perspective to the weight management issue. 6
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Besides starting a medical practice in OB/GYN, Dr. Balzani was Medical Director of the Teen OB Clinic at Martland Hospital in Newark for two years. After that, he became Medical Director of the Arts, a drug detox and rehab center at PBI Hospital in Passaic. After a few years, the program was converted into a full time detox. Dr. Balzani directed the program until 1995. Dr. Balzani was then one of the physicians involved in the Passaic General Hospital OB/GYN clinic at the hospital and also on Main St.
Clifton Optimum Health Center offers a Physician-supervised and Dietitian-coordinated weight management program. The program includes a comprehensive nutritional plan to control hunger, promote fat burning and will teach you to enjoy healthy eating for the rest of your life. The program provides weekly medical and dietary counseling, customized meal planning and behavioral modification that is specific for each individual.
In today’s economy, YOU are your best investment!
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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This Memorial Day...
We Salute America’s Veterans East Ridgelawn Cemetery invites you to visit our Mausoleum on Main Avenue to pause, reflect and remember the lives of those who have passed. Visits are unlimited and unaffected by the weather. Crypts are located in the building and convenient for elderly and handicapped. Mausoleum entombment provides greater Peace of Mind & Security.
East Ridgelawn Cemetery 255 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07014 for more information with no obligation call:
973-777-1920
• niches • mausoleum • garden graves • non-sectarian • monumental graves • no obligation pre-need counseling • financing available one-year at no interest on easy monthly plans 8
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Sgt. Raymond Curley, the 19-yearold nephew of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Strickland, 148 East Third St., was killed in action in Europe. He received the Purple Heart and Silver Star Medals. He entered the service on May 17, 1943, went overseas in Nov. of that year, took part in the invasion of France and was wounded on the beach on D-Day. Pvt. Walter Bobzin, brother of Theodore F., was killed in Germany after being among the first infantrymen to enter that country. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Bobzin of Union. S/Sgt. Benjamin Boyko, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Boyko, 305 Hope Ave., was killed in the Pacific. He had been in the Army for three years and before entering the service, was employed with the Eureka Printing Co. 1st. Lt. Robert Doherty, 28-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doherty, of 283 Second St. and owners of the Doherty Silk Co., was killed while serving with the 7th Army in France. He was a veteran of the Anzio Beachhead where he was seriously wounded. He held the Purple Heart and Silver Star Medals. He was married to the former Johanna Franz, daughter of City Treasurer John Franz. Joseph Peter Collura, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gaspar Collura of 40 Comfort Pl.
Pvt. Stephen Blondek, husband of Mrs. Jean Blondek, 167 Mahar Ave., served with the infantry. He entered the service in Oct. 1943 and was survived by his wife and his mother, Agnes Blondek. He was one of the first soldiers to land in Southern France and he took part in the battle for Rome. S1/c Frank H. Barth, 21-year-old USCG son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard C. Barth, 109 Speer Ave., died of fever Aug. 12, 1944 at the Marine Hospital, Galveston, Tx. He had been ill 10 days and had been in service 19 months. Carl E. Bredahl, aviation cadet and son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bredahl, 308 West First St., was killed in an auto accident on his way home to visit his parents. The 21-year-old cadet entered the Air Forces in April 1943, passing up a direct commission in the Air Corps in order to learn to fly and earn his commission the hard way. Before entering the Corps, he worked a year in the Middle East, Africa, Persia and India for the Douglas Aircraft Company. Cpl. Sam Bychek, 28-year-old husband of Hildegarde Bychek, 233 Dayton Ave., was killed while serving with a tank destroyer unit in France. He was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Bychek of Passaic.
Sylvester Cancellieri, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cancellieri, 2 Grace Ave., was killed when his bombing plane crashed on the south coast of Cuba in Feb. 1945. The plane was on a routine training flight. Born in Passaic, the 22-year-old soldier had lived in Clifton for 21 years. He was a graduate of CHS and School 10. He enlisted in the Air Corps on Aug. 24, 1943 while attending the Newark College of Engineering. Joseph Carboy, 43, of 52 Gould St. was wounded in the Philippines on Jan. 6, 1942 and later returned to active duty. He was in the fighting when Corregidor fell on May 7, 1942 and was believed to have been taken prisoner or killed at the time. Subsequent searches after the liberation of the Philippines revealed no trace of him. Pvt. Harry A. Earnshaw, 22-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Lyle C. Earnshaw, 208 Lakeview Ave., was killed in France while attached to a mechanized calvary. He had previously seen action in the South Pacific, participating in the Aleutian campaign and in the battle of the Marshall Islands. He also participated in the D-Day invasion.
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NEW! Great for Parties... Hot, Homemade Empanadas! May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Soldiers salute fallen comrades in a recent photograph of the bodies of US military members who served and died in the war in Iraq. Pictured at right is US Army/Special Forces Captain Michael Tarlavsky, who was killed in Najaf, Iraq on Aug. 12, 2004. He was buried with honors in Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 24. Tarlavsky, CHS Class of ‘92, was captain of the swim team and enlisted in the Army in 1996. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star. He is survived by his wife Tricia, their son Joseph, his parents Yury and Rimma and a sister, Elina. The Veterans Alliance engraved his name on the Main Avenue War Memorial in 2004— the first name added in 34 years.
This Memorial Day & Every Day of the Year...
Honor Our Veterans! God Bless America! On May 26, pause and reflect on the sacrifices and service of our Veterans.
Surrogate Bill Bate 10
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Pvt. Vernon J. Broseman, 28-yearold husband of the former Helen Duffy and son of Sadie Brosman, 134 Piaget Ave., was killed in Italy. Known to his friends as “Buddy,” he was wounded in Aug. 1944 and received the Purple Heart. Born in Clifton and a graduate of CHS, Broseman was an air raid warden in Zone 13 and an active member of the Lakeview Victory Club before he entered the service. One of the first to enter Rome, he was the holder of the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Pvt. John Bulyn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Bulyn, 73 Center St., was killed in France. A grad of Clifton schools, he was employed by Manhattan Rubber before the service.
World War One Louis Ablezer Andrew Blahut Timothy Condon John Crozier Orrie De Groot Olivo De Luca Italo De Mattia August De Rose Jurgen Dykstra Seraphin Fiori Ralph Gallasso Otto Geipel Mayo Giustina Peter Horoschak Emilio Lazzerin Joseph Liechty Jacob Morf, Jr. William Morf Edwin C. Peterson Robert H. Roat Alfred Sifferlen James R. Stone Carmelo Uricchio Angelo Varetoni Michael Vernarec Cornelius Visbeck Ignatius Wusching Bertie Zanetti Otto B. Zanetti
Pfc. Harry Carline, husband of Eleanor Carline was killed in action with the Marines in Okinawa. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Carline, 14 Mahar Ave. Carline joined the Marines four years before his death. Before entering the service, he was employed by the Botany Worsted Mills. 1st Lt. Emil Chaplin, 26-year-old medical corps officer with the Army in Germany was reported MIA on March 24, 1945 and was believed to
have died. The son of Pauline Chaplin, 10-12 Alyea Terr., he was an honor student at CHS, a graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of Georgia and was a school teacher preparing for his master’s degree when he entered the Army in Feb. 1943. Cpl. Thomas Cominciotto, 21-yearold son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cominciotto, 56 Francis St., was killed on Dec. 7, 1944 serving with the Army Air Force operating over Leyte.
Because the memory will live forever. Over the past year, we have had the privilege of serving the families of many veterans. In recognition of the service these veterans rendered to their country, we would like to show our appreciation this Memorial Day. In memory of their lives and their service, we recall... Angelo Agnoli Emil J. Berta Salvatore Caravella Richard W. Catanzaro Rudolph Dall’Ava Sandy De Vito Steven L. Duchnowski Joseph M. Keegan Edward G. Kollar
Frank J. Konopka John T. Lazor Lewis Lenkowsky Frieda W. Martin Anthony P. Orlando Joseph Paccioretti Albert Rosolen Jereen Rugis Louis L. Salerno, MD
Jason M. Smith Raymond Van Blarcom Joseph Wright
MARROCCO MEMORIAL CHAPEL POWELL-MARROCCO FUNERAL HOME 470 Colfax Avenue (corner of Broad St.) • Clifton
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CHARLES M. LABASH Director
HENRY G. SCARPA Director
MICHAEL A. WALLER Director
Visit our website at: www.marroccos.com May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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1st Lt. Edward P. Coury, 25-year-old Highland Ave. resident was reported MIA after a raid over Austria on March 31, 1945. The pilot of a P-38 Lightning fighter he was in the escort for President Roosevelt on the latter’s trip to Yalta. He made his home with his sister, Helen Hardin. 1st Sgt. James J. De Biase, 26-yearold son of Mr. and Mrs. Carmelo De Biase, 28 Sanford St., was killed while serving with General Patton’s Third Army in France. He was married to the former Fay Polizzi of Passaic and had been overseas since July 1944. F1/c Matthew Daniel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Daniels, 103 Ackerman Ave., had been in the Navy for 18 months and was killed in a Naval engagement in the Pacific. He was married to Emily Janck. Sgt. Paul A. Domino, 24-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Domino, 126 Highland Ave., was killed on Okinawa. Overseas since March 1944, he held five battle stars. Before entering the service, he was employed by the Clifton Clothing Co.
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Walter I. Dolginko, brother of Mrs. Helen Lewac, 67 East 9th St. James Doland Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. James Doland, 423 South Parkway. GM1/c Thomas Joseph Dutton, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dutton, 97 Van Winkel Ave. was killed aboard the USS Bunker Hill when it was attacked by Japanese Kamikaze planes. Pvt. Salvatore J. Favata, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Favata, 312 Lexington Ave., died of cerebro-spinal meningitis on Nov. 19, 1942 while stationed in Europe. He enlisted in the Army on June 19, 1942 and was born in Passaic. Pvt. Harold C. Ferris, Jr., husband of Mrs. Anna Dorrell Ferris, of 143 Union Ave., and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ferris, Sr., of Passaic, met his death in Germany while serving as an armored car driver with General George J. Patton’s Third Army. He went overseas in October 1944. Pfc. Donald Freda, USMCR, who formerly resided with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Feiner, Mt. Prospect Ave., Allwood. He was killed in action on Iwo Jima. He enlisted in the Marines
almost two years before his death. He was the son of Mrs. Lydia Freda, of Newark, an invalid. Before going to live with the Feiners, he resided with an uncle, William Kaestle, 55 Burlington Rd., Allwood. Pfc. John Fusiak, 37, brother of William Fusiak, 215 Speer Ave., was killed in action on Okinawa on May 14, 1945. He was born in Poland and moved to this country when still a small boy. His mother, when last heard of was still in Poland. He had seen much action before he was killed and had been wounded once. Pfc. Charles Gash, 32, of 80 Harding Ave., was killed in action during the fighting on Leyte Island. He was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Gash, Delawanna residents. He went overseas in March of 1944. Pfc. Dominic Gianni, 24, of 25 Second St., was killed by a sniper while on guard duty with the 77th Division on Leyte. He had participated in the invasion of Guam and Leyte. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Patsy Gianni, 86 Ann St., Passaic.
T/Sgt. Karl Germelmann, husband of Mrs. Emma Germelmann, 50 Clifton Ave., died in service at Fort Devens, Mass. in August of 1943. He had been in service for a year. The 37 year old Sergeant was formerly employed at the Forstman Woolen Company. He was survived by his wife, a daughter, and his parents, residing in Germany. Pfc. Douglas Gleeson, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Gleeson, 12 East Eighth St., was killed on Christmas day, 1944. He had been overseas for only two months at the time of his death. He was a graduate of CHS where he led the school orchestra and was noted for his trumpet playing. Sgt. Steven J. Gombocs, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Gombocs, of 2 Arthur St., was killed in action at the Anzio Beachhead. He was a veteran of the North African Campaign and Sicily. He entered the service in June 1942. Francis J. Gormley, 19, AMM 3/c, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Gormley, 29 Fornelius Ave., was killed in the crash of a Navy plane in Monterey Bay, California on April 26, 1943.
Cpl. Kermit W. Goss, 26, husband of Mrs. Mildred Goss, 6 Howd Ave. He was wounded in action in Germany on March 13, 1943, and died of his wounds the following day. He had been in the Army for over two years and overseas four months. He was the son of Mrs. Edna Goss, 122 Merselis Ave. Lt. Leo Grossman, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Grossman, of 214 Highland Ave., was killed in action after being reported as missing in action. Reports of his death appeared in the February 17 issue of The Leader. He had to his credit 15 bombing missions over North Africa, Sicily and Italy, and he took part in the bombing of the suburbs of Rome. Pfc. Joseph A. Guerra, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Guerra, 8 Harrison Pl., was killed in action in Germany. He went overseas in September of 1944 and fought in France, Belgium and Holland before he met his death.
Cpl. Samuel Guglielmo (Williams), son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Guglielmo of 227 Parker Ave., gave his life while serving with a motorized division in France. Born in Clifton, he attended School No. 12, CHS and entered the service in April 1941. He was known by his Americanized surname– Williams. Pfc. John W. Hallam, 24, husband of Mrs. Ethel Lugos Hallam, 116 Barkley Ave., was killed in action in Germany. He had been in the Army seven months and went overseas on January 1, 1945. He was the father of two children. T/5 Fred Hazekamp, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Hazekamp, 251 East First St., died as a result of wounds suffered in action in Belgium. His brother, George, saw action in France and was also wounded. Pvt. James Henry, son of Mrs. Lillian Henry, of 80 Union Ave., was killed in action in Italy while fighting against the Germans in July 1944.
In Loving Memory of our Founder
is much more y a D l a ri o m Me that ay weekend -d e re th a n tha mmer. ginning of su marks the be lly ople, especia To many pe ombat ousands of c th ’s n o ti a n the as a day, which h is th s, n ra te e v ll the hing back a history stretc n ivil War, is a way to the C ose who minder of th re t n a rt o p ntry. im e of their cou ic rv se e th died in e l Day, take th a ri o m e M is Th ice of t on the serv c e fl re to e on m ti rved our nati se e v a h o h those w r. in their hono g a fl a e is ra and r Veterans! God Bless Ou s etson Familie rr a G & k o o The Sh
Joseph M. Shook, Sr. March 15, 1924 - June 9, 2008
Shook Funeral Home Inc. Over 50 Years of Service, Still Proudly Family Owned & Operated
639 Van Houten Ave • Clifton 973-471-9620 Roy B. Garretson Manager, NJ Lic.#3550
Nancy Shook Garretson President, NJ Lic.#3657
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Sgt. William A. Hadrys, 24, of 185 Second St., was killed in action in Germany on April 13, 1945. He had returned to duty after recovering from wounds suffered in February of that year. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantryman’s
Badge. He was married to the former Miss Violet Willis and was the father of a daughter, Joan. His mother, Mrs. William Gee, resides at 275 DeMott Ave. and his father, William A. Hadrys owned a tavern in Athenia. S/Sgt. Peter Hellrigel, of 42 E.
Athenia boys who saw action and came home were given a welcome home party at the Athenia Canteen. First row, from left, Pvt. Peter Yarema, Sgt. Charles Jandura and Pvt. John Jandura. Standing: Sgt. Andrew Furst, Sgt. William White, Michael Zerelik, S1/c PO John Lenkowec, Steve “Detroit” Cenko Jr., Pfc. Al Yurash and Sgt. Joe Sabol.
Fourth St. Reported as missing in action on January 8, 1945 in Belgium, it was revealed that he was killed in action on that day. He entered the service on April 13, 1943 and went overseas in August 1944. Joseph J. Hoffer, S2/c, was killed in action aboard the USS destroyer Pringle, off Okinawa. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hoffer, of 101 Clifton Ave. He was an alumnus of St. Mary’s High School, Miller’s Business College and Seton Hall College. Pfc. Roelof Holster, Jr., husband of Mrs. Jean Holster, 17 Fornelius Ave., was killed in action on Leyte Island in the Philippines. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Roelof Holster, of 576 Paulison Ave., he had served in Hawaii and Guam. He was married to the former Miss Jean Kirchner. Cpl. George M. Holmes, son of Mrs. Holmes, 186 Hazel St., was killed on the Western Front in Germany. Besides his mother, he was survived by a brother, who was wounded during the fighting in Germany.
The officers & members of the Athenia Veterans Post invite you to attend our Memorial Day Services at 2 pm on May 25 at our Post, 147 Huron Ave.
2009-2010 Officers: Commander Sy Pagani • 1st Vice Cmdr John Kish • 2nd Vice Cmdr Mike LaCorte Adjutant Helene Lenkowec • Finance Officer Pauline Trella • Asst. Finance Officer Richard Ashton Judge Advocate Tom Joyce • Provost Marshall John Misora Trustees Richard Ashton, John Kish, Joe Grenci, Andy Polick, Pat Salerno, Ted Kalinka 14
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Charles W. Hooyman, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hooyman, 18 Union Ave., was killed in the Philippines as a result of mistreatment at the hands of the Japanese. He was one of the defenders of Bataan and was captured by the enemy when that bastion of American defense surrendered. Before entering the Army he served as President of the Clifton Chapter of DeMolay. A brother of his, Robert, served as a bombardier during the war and took part in several bombing missions against the Japanese. Pfc. Edward R. Hornbeck, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hornbeck, 209 Harding Ave., was killed in action by artillery fire on Iwo Jima. He had been with the Marine Corps for nearly two years, serving one year overseas. He was employed by Wright Aeronautical Corp. Pfc. Alex G. Hossack, 28, brother of Henry Hossack, 272 West 1st St., was killed in Belgium on Dec. 21, 1944, while serving with a machine gun crew. He entered in May 1942 and saw action in Africa, Sicily, Italy and France. He was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hossack.
Pfc. William Hromniak, USMCR, son of Frank Hromniak, 387 Lexington Ave., was killed in action during the assault on Iwo Jima. He was one of the first to land in the initial assault. Overseas since Sept. 1944, he joined the Marines in Aug. 1943. HA 1/c Robert C. Hubinger, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hubinger, 205 East 4th St., was killed in action in the Pacific while serving with the Marines. In the Navy 18 months, he had gone overseas in Aug. 1944. Lt. George J. Huemmer, 27, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Huemmer, 321 Colfax Ave., was killed in action in Germany on March 17, 1945. He had been in the service nearly three years and overseas thirteen months. He was married to the former Miss Dorothy Van Dorn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Van Dorn, 364 Summer St. Sgt. Charles Hulyo, Jr., 26, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hulyo, of 79 Huron Ave., was killed in action while serving
with the Infantry on Guam. He entered the service one and a half years before he met his death. He was a graduate of School 13, Athenia, and CHS. Pfc. Arnold Hutton, 34, of 84 Clinton Ave., was killed in action near St. Lo, France on Aug. 8, 1944. He was married to the former Miss Cornelia Slyboom, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Slyboom, of 57 Clinton Ave. He had been in the service over a year. S 2/c John J. Hushler, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Hushler, 294 Harding Ave., was reported missing in the Pacific on March 28, 1945, and was believed to have died. A gunner on a PBF plane, he joined the Navy in 1942 and had been in the Asiatic Theatre. Pfc. Peter Jacklin, 36, brother of Mrs. Mary Lazosky, 632 Van Houten Ave., was killed in action during the battle for Ormoc, on Leyte Island in the Philippines. He was in the Army for three years, serving on Hawaii and Guam.
God Bless Our Veterans • God Bless America
Clifton Memorial Post 347
American Legion Commander Lou Poles • Vice Commander Mike Gimon
We Recall the Post Members who Died this past year...
• Bruno Chiamulera • Joseph Gyorgydeak • Gilbert De Luca • William Koeller • Michael Dolinksy • Charles Lajeskie May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Pfc. Gregory Albert Jahn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert G. Jahn, of 78 Washington Ave. He was killed in Sicily on Aug. 11, 1943. He was a Medical Corpsman. A graduate of CHS, he was attending Lehigh University, where he was in his third year, when he entered the service in Sept. 1942. S/Sgt. John Janek, 22, son of Mrs. Sophie Janek, of 52 Campbell Ave., was killed in action on Feb. 24, 1944. He enlisted in the Army on Oct. 7, 1942. He was an aerial gunner and had completed almost 50 combat missions during his nine months overseas. Seaman Alfred David Jones, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred C. Jones, of 36 Harrington Rd., Allwood, was serving with the 5th Marines as a Navy Hospital Apprentice First Class and was killed during the invasion of Pelileu on Sept. 29, 1944. His body was returned to the US in 1946 and is buried in the Beverly National Cemetery, in Burlington County. S/Sgt. Andrew R. Kacmarik, paratrooper and gunnery sergeant with the Marines, met his death in the Pacific on Feb. 27. He had been seriously wounded on Guadalcanal in 1942. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Kacmarik, formerly lived at 907 Main Ave. He had been in the Marine Corps for six years and was married to the former Miss Dorothy Krumbholz of Newark.
We Salute Our Veterans! Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin State of New Jersey 1333 Broad St., Clifton, NJ 07013 office: 973-779-3125
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
2nd Lt. Gerhard K. Kaden, son of Mr. and Mrs. Karl Kaden, 38 Birchwood Terr., was killed in the crash of a four engined bomber near March Field, California, in Oct. 1944. He joined the Air Corps in March 1943, after his graduation from Bloomfield High School. He was a navigator on the bomber. Cpl. John I. Kanyo, 29, of 118 Center St. He was killed on Aug. 23,
1944 while serving with the Army Engineers in France. He was married to the former Miss Ruth Dill. He had been in service 18 months. S/Sgt. Edwin T. Kalinka, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Kalinka, of 58 Campbell Ave. was killed on an air raid over Holland. He had been previously
Clifton’s Memorial Day Weekend Ceremonies Sunday, May 24 • 7 pm - Volunteers decorate the the War Monument area in Main Memorial Park with an American Flag for each Cliftonite killed while on active duty. Monday, May 25 • 6 am - Avenue of Flags Set-up at City Hall • 8:15 am - Fire Dept. Memorial at the Brighton Rd. Firehouse • 9 am - Memorial Day Parade from Hepburn Rd. to Chelsea Park • 9:30 am - Allwood Memorial at Chelsea Park • 11 am - City Wide Memorial Day Service at Main Memorial Park • 12 pm - Military Order of Purple Hearts at the Clifton Library • 12:30 pm - Post 347 Memorial at the Clifton Rec Center • 2 pm - Athenia Veterans Memorial on Huron Ave. • 7 pm - Avenue of Flags Take Down at City Hall
reported missing in action since Dec. 6, 1944. He was awarded the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster for his aerial exploits. He entered the Army on Oct. 7, 1942. 1st Lt. Michael Kashey, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nasid Kashey, of 49 Madeline Ave., was killed in action against the Japanese on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. A graduate of CHS, he was with an infantry motorized division and had served in Alaska, Attu, and the South Pacific. Pfc. Frank Klimock, 33, husband of Mrs. Sophie Klimock, of 101 Van Houten Ave., was killed in action in France in Dec. 1944. He had been previously reported as missing in action. He went into the Army in Sept. 1943 and went overseas in March 1944. He was wounded several months before his death while serving in France. He was married to the former Miss Sophie Bak.
It is time for change in Passaic County politics and that’s what Bruno Varano and the GOP Strong Team want to do. They will cut taxes, end the Democrat’s waste and abuse of taxpayer money. Bruno is a retired federal law enforcement agent and he and the team can return Republican integrity and leadership to county government. Bruno and his wife Donna (Constantin), are former Cliftonites who spent the first 15 years of their marriage on Cloverdale Rd. and attended Sacred Heart Church.
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Pvt. Louis M. Kloss, 22, son of Mrs. Mary Kloss, 99 Wesley St., was killed in action on February 23, 1945 while fighting in Alsace-Lorraine. Overseas since January of 1945, he had entered the service in August of 1944. Lt. Peter Konapaka, 26, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Konapaka, 560 Paulison Ave., was killed in action on an air raid over France. He was a navigator on an Army bomber. He was married to the former Miss Alice Savage, of Paterson. Edward Kostecki, 24, a machine gunner on a Flying Fortress, met his death while participating in air action over
Western Europe. He was married to Mrs. Helen Kostecki, of 350 Van Houten Ave. Before the service he was employed by Sisco Dairy. His death was reported in the Dec. 17, 1942 issue of The Clifton Leader. On July 21, 1943, his wife was given the Air Medal, awarded to him posthumously. Sgt. John Koropchak, son of Mrs. Theresa Koropchak, 66 East Second St., was killed in action near Naples, Italy on May 14, 1944. He was born in Clifton and attended CHS for two years. He went into the service on July 9, 1942 and had been overseas six months at the time of his death.
Korean War Donald Frost Ernest Haussler William Kuller Joseph Amato Herbert Demarest George Fornelius Edward Luisser Reynold Campbell Louis Le Ster Dennis Dyt Raymond Halendwany John Crawbuck Ernest Hagbery William Gould Edward Flanagan William Snyder Allen Hiller Arthur Grundman Donald Brannon Edward Ladwick, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ladwick, 157 Sargeant Ave., was killed in action in the Pacific while serving with the United States Navy. He was a crew member aboard the Juneau, sunk by the Japanese during the early years of the war. He was originally reported as missing in action. Pfc. John Kotulik, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Kotulik, 82 Orono St., Athenia. He was killed in action in France in July of 1944 and had been in the Army since 1942. Pvt. Stephen Victor Kucha, son of Mr. and Mrs. Safron Kucha, of 25 Center St., was killed in action in Germany. He had been previously wounded. He saw action in France, Belgium and Holland before entering Germany. A member of the National Guard, Pvt. Kucha had his own painting business before going on active duty. 3rd Class PO Joseph Ladwick, 31, husband of Mrs. Joseph Ladwick, of 61 Wonham St. and son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ladwick, Sr. of 157 Sargeant Ave. He was the brother of Edward Ladwick, who was also reported killed in action after having been reported missing in action.
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Pvt. Michael (Mungo) Ladyczka, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Ladyczka, 29 Van Cleve Ave., was killed on Leyte in January of 1945. A former Passaic High School athletic star, he was the first man in his division to kill a Japanese soldier. He was married to the former Miss Bertha Bayek. Sgt. William T. Lawrence, 24, son of Sophie, formerly of 12 Harrison Pl., met his death in Holland. An infantryman, he had been in the Army less
Vietnam War Alfred Pino Thomas Dando William Sipos Bohdan Kowal Robert Kruger, Jr. Bruce McFadyen Carrol Wilke Keith Perrelli William Zalewski Louis Grove Clifford Jones, Jr. George McClelland Richard Corcoran John Bilenski Donald Campbell James Strangeway, Jr. Donald Scott Howard Van Vliet Frank Moorman Robert Prete Guyler Tulp Nicholas Cerrato Edward Deitman Richard Cyran Leszek Kulaczkowski William Malcolm Leonard Bird John France Stephen Stefaniak Jr. Nov. 8, 1961 Plane Crash Robert De Vogel Vernon Griggs Robert Marositz Robert Rinaldi Raymond Shamberger Harold Skoglund Willis Van Ess, Jr.
than a year. Sgt. Lawrence had been in combat in France and Belgium before receiving his fatal wounds. Pvt. Vincent J. Lazzaro, 28, husband of Mrs. Sadie Lazzaro, 289 West Fourth St., died in Jann. 1945 of wounds suffered in action in France. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Lazzaro, of 64 Huron Ave. He entered the Army in Jan. 1943. Frank Robert Lennon, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Joseph Lennon of 174
Sixth Ave. His death was reported in the July 20, 1942 issue of The Leader. A noted CHS athlete, he graduated from that institution in 1936. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a volunteer shortly after the war started, leaving his studies at Lebanon College to take part in the conflict. He was reported killed in action while operating from an English base. Lt. John W. Layton, 23, son of Mr. Conrad Layton of 95 DeMott
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Ave., was killed in action over France after being reported missing in action. A navigator on a Liberator Bomber, he had completed his 74th mission over France. Pvt. Wilbur A. Lee, 38, husband of Mrs. Adelaide Lee, of West Third St., was killed in action in Italy. He was the son of Mrs. Benjamin Lee. He entered the Army on Sept. 15, 1943. CPO Bryce Leighty, of 190 Barkley Ave., died of pneumonia on Aug. 24, 1944 at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station Hospital in Illinois. He had been in the Navy since 1929 and had seen action in the Salerno invasion and the South Pacific, where he became ill.. Pfc. Adam J. Liptak, 33, of 22 Vreeland Ave., was killed in action on March 31, 1943 in North Africa. He was the brother of Mrs. Susan L. Terpstra of Clifton. After Pfc. Liptak’s death, General George C. Marshal, then chief of staff of the United States Army, sent Mrs. Terpstra a letter, commending the Clifton soldier for his “gallantry in action.”
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Charles J. Lotz, 22, of 43 Franklin Ave., a Radioman second class in the Navy, who was reported missing after his ship had collided with a merchant ship off the Jersey Coast on Jan. 6, was officially listed as dead by the Navy department during the last week in May of 1944. He was the son of Mrs. Fred Lotz and the late Jacob Lotz, Jr. Lt. Steve C. Luka, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Luka, 266 Harding Ave., met his death while on a mission on the China Coast. He was a navigator and bombardier on a B-25. A grad of CHS, he entered the Army on September 3, 1942 and was mentioned in news dispatches as one of the men who bombed Clark Field, Manila, on Jan. 8, 1945. Alfred Masseroni, husband of Mrs. Rose Masseroni, 32 East 8th St. S/Sgt. Carlyle Hayden Malmstrom, 26, of Cathedral Ave. He was the son of Mr. C. P. Malmstrom. He met his death while serving with an Army Commando Unit in North Africa. His death was reported in the April 22, 1943 issue of The Leader.
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Pvt. Edward Marchese, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Marchese, 277 Rutherford Blvd., was killed in action while serving with the Infantry in France. He entered the Army on Dec. 15, 1944. He attended School No. 8 in Delawanna, and CHS. Cpl. Steven Miskevich, 21, son of John Miskevich, 102 Lake Ave., was killed in a plane crash near Walla Walla, Washington. A waist gunner, he entered the service in April 1943. Pvt. Salvatore “Charlie” Mitchell, 32, died on Christmas Day, 1942, from pneumonia as a result of an accident while on duty in Los Angeles, stationed at Camp Hand. Survived by his Californian wife, a son, his mother, Mrs. Ottaviana Mitchell, of Clifton; a brother, Pvt. Thomas Mitchell, and a sister, Madeline Catalana, at 26 Prescott Ave. Pvt. Andrew Marchincak, 75 Center St., was killed in action in Germany on March 2, 1945 while serving with General Patton’s Third Army. He entered the Army in Aug. 1944 and went overseas in January of 1945.
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Pfc. Charles Messineo, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Messineo, of 105 East 5th St., killed in action in July 1944 serving with combat engineers in Normandy. Lt. Stephen M. Messineo, 27, of 19 Wilson St., was killed in action in Italy on Feb. 18, 1944. He had been wounded previously in Jan. 1944, and had been wounded once before that. He entered the Army on Aug. 20, 1941 and went overseas in Sept. 1943.
Sgt. Joseph Molson, husband of Mrs. Jane Gogal Molson, of 285 Lakeview Ave., met his death while serving with the Seventh Army in France. He entered the service in Sept. 1943 and fought at Naples, Anzio and Rome and participated in the invasion of Southern France. A winner of the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Sgt. Molson captured eight Germans in France with the aid of another soldier.
Cpl Steven Miskevich, age 21, killed in a plane crash in Walla Walla, Wash.
Pvt. Manuel Marcos, 20, son of Mrs. N. Marcos, 10 Manderville Ave., was killed in action in France in Dec. 1944. A volunteer for combat duty, he went overseas in Sept. 1944 and fought with Gen. Patch’s Army. Pvt. Arthur Mayer, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Mayer, 371 Harding Ave., was killed in action near Munich, Germany, while serving with the 7th Army. Before the service in Oct. 1944, he was employed as a bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Clifton. He was the third employee of that institution to be killed during the war. Cpl. James F. Miles, husband of the former Sarah Adams, of 21 Johnson St., was killed in action in Germany on Feb. 20, 1945, three weeks after he left the United States. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Miles. Cpl. Miles was stationed in Clifton with Anti-Aircraft troops at CHS for a year. He married Mrs. Miles on June 6, 1943. AMM Charles L. Merlo, 25, son of the Rev. Samuel Merlo, of Hasbrouck Heights, formerly of Clifton, was killed in action in the Pacific while serving as a gunner on a torpedo bomber. May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
T/5 Vincent A. Montalbano, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Montalbano, 73 Mahar Ave., was killed in Luxemburg on Feb. 19, 1945. He had been in the Army two years in April 1944 and was overseas 15 months. He was a member of the 115th AAA Battalion, Battery D, known as Clifton’s “Own” unit because of the large number of Clifton men in the unit. Pvt. William Nalesnik, of 822 Van Houten Ave., was killed in action on Jan. 31, 1944. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Nalesnik, of 63 Bergen Ave. He was with the medical corps in Italy. He was married to the former Miss Margaret Dickson and had one daughter. Cpl. Richard A. Novak, son of Mrs. Elizabeth Novak, 40 Center St., died while in the service of the Army in Georgia, in Feb. 1943. He was inducted on May 26, 1942. His illness was discovered when he was examined for admission to officers training school. He was a graduate of Notre Dame University and received his law degree from Catholic University, Washington. He practiced law for a time in but later became a freelance writer. S/Sgt. Walter G. Nazur, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Josephine Nazur, of 22 Orange Ave., died on Jan. 27, 1944 of wounds received in action. S/Sgt. Louis Netto, son of Mr. and Mrs. Romano Netto, 50 Durant Ave., was killed in action in 1944 while serving as a platoon leader in Italy. He had been in the Army and served in the North African, Sicilian and Italian Campaigns. He held the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster and the African and Mediterranean Campaign ribbon. Pvt. William V. Niader, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Niader, 142 Orono St., was killed in action on Okinawa on June 12, 1945. He had been in the Marines for a year and had been overseas since March 1945. Before the service, he was employed by the Trowbridge Conveyor Co. and by the Barney Sheet Metal Works, both in Athenia. Pvt. J. E. Nugent, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Nugent, 22 Byron Pl., was reported killed in action in the May 25, 1944 issue of The Leader. He had previously been reportplease turn to page 74 ed as missing in action.
A Career in the Navy John Scalzo spent 29 years serving his country at sea by Jordan Schwartz As a 10-year-old boy growing up on Sewall Ave. in the 1950s, John Scalzo would watch Navy shows such as Men of Annapolis and Victory at Sea, and he’d dream of one day becoming a sailor. Many thought this dream was simply fantasy because the School 10 alum was diagnosed with rheumatic fever and a heart murmur at an early age. He played little league baseball with good friend and current New York Mets public relations director Jay Horowitz, but Scalzo wasn’t allowed to participate in elementary sports until sixth grade. The young man made up for lost time, however, as he joined the Fighting Mustangs in high school. He played center on the undefeated 1962 State championship squad under Coach Joe Grecco. “That was one of the greatest experiences of my life,” he said. “He helped me become a man and prepared me for the Naval Academy.” Taking the field with the Maroon and Gray was extra special for Scalzo because of what it meant to his father, Carmine.
John Scalzo with his parents Carmine and Josephine on the day he graduated from the Naval Academy, June 7, 1967. The inset is John today.
“He had watched CHS football since the ’40s and to have his son play was a big deal,” recalled the ’63 grad. Carmine was an air conditioning and refrigerator mechanic, whom his son used to join on jobs. The pair were also connected by their intense love for the New York Yankees. Growing up in the Bronx, Carmine would walk over to Yankee Stadium to watch Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig play. He then passed this devotion on to John during the Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris era.
The last thing the father and son did together on the day before Carmine died in 1982 was watch a game on television. “I remember him cursing out the Yankees for some bad plays, as he often did, while I just rooted for a win,” Scalzo wrote in his memoir, The Journey Was Its Own Reward (available at amazon.com). The author’s mother, Josephine, was a lifetime Clifton resident who emigrated from Italy in 1920. She, a January 1934 CHS grad, had her own way of pulling for the Yanks.
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“She used her ‘witchcraft’ to help the Yankees while she watched the games on television, twirling her fingers and saying, ‘Hocus Pocus,’” Scalzo explained in his book. On the day she passed in 1983, Josephine used her last bits of energy to write a note to her son because she couldn’t speak due to the hospital tubes down her throat. “She let me know there was pound cake in the refrigerator at home for me to eat,” wrote Scalzo. “She was spoiling me until the very end.” John’s parents died knowing their son had achieved his dream. A week after getting his high school diploma, the Clifton native entered the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. “It was nothing I could’ve ever expected,” he said. “It was very grueling and mentally and physi-
Scalzo played for the Clifton Mustangs 1962 State championship team.
cally stressful, but I learned a lot of discipline.” Scalzo’s first assignment was working in the engineering department aboard the USS ShangriLa in Mayport, Florida. He returned home on leave in January 1968 to marry Jackie Kopesky at St. Paul’s RC Church. Jackie was best friends with John’s sister, Bernadette Palang. She too was a Cliftonite, attending Schools 3 and 10, graduating CHS in 1965. Upon returning to the Navy, Scalzo served in Spain, Italy, Greece and France. The Navy sent him to graduate school at MIT, after which he remained stateside working in shipyards up and down the East Coast. Scalzo dry-docked ships and managed the work that was done by shipyard officers. He was even the project manager for the $700 million USS Independence Service Life Extension Program. Scalzo was stationed at New York Harbor between 1976 and 1979, and so he was able to return to his hometown, living two houses up from his parents on Clifton Ave. “It was pretty neat because I had two sons by then and they got to live with their grandparents,” he said. John Jr. was born in 1969 and Jeff followed two years later. They attended School 15 but graduated from high school in Medford, New Jersey after their father was transferred to a shipyard in Philadelphia.
Jackie Kopesky and John Scalzo got married at St. Paul’s on Jan. 27, 1968.
In June 1988, Scalzo was promoted to the rank of Captain and Jackie was invited to pin the new insignia onto his collar at a ceremony held at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. “She was gung-ho and we shared an intense fervor and devotion to our country,” wrote Scalzo. Two years later, Jackie died of a brain aneurysm. She was just 43 years old. “It was tragic. Very difficult,” her husband remembered. Scalzo retired from the Navy in 1996, after 29 years of service. He then became a consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton in northern Virginia. The firm sent their employee to Turkey for five months in 2000 to help the Navy there modernize their shipyard. While in Turkey, the retired Captain came up with the idea to pen a book.
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“The nights were lonely and I had my laptop so I started writing,” he explained. “It was hard for me when I reached the point when my wife passed away. I had to stop for a couple years.” Scalzo was next sent to Colombia in 2001 to teach the military there how to overhaul submarines. The old sailor finally completed his memoir last August and selfpublished it just before Christmas. He retired from the consulting business in 2004 and now does volunteer work near his home in Leesburg, Virginia. Scalzo returns to Clifton three or four times a year to visit family and, of course, take in a Yankee game.
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Mrs. G. Scherer School 10 fourth grade class in 1955. Up front is Barbara Kopf and behind her are James Obermiller, Paul Scheleg, John Scalzo, Robert Iandoli and John Fortis. Second row: James Harrington, Cathy Ray, Barbara Meaney, Jay Webster, Richard Sachs and Dora Stern. Third row: Patty Schey, Jay Horowitz, Deiter Soehnel, Judy Feltman, Lori Giardina, Estamae Rechstein and Karen Opalach. Last row: Jeffrey Lattimer, Peter Sawczyn, Robert Nichols, Rosemary Grant, Michael Greenstein and Harold Nardini.
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Conscripted to Hitler’s Army Over the past 14 years, the stories of many World War II veterans have appeared on the pages of Clifton Merchant Magazine. But Heinz Lechthaler’s story is unlike any that you’ve read. by Joe Hawrylko
Heinz and his son, Paul Lechthaler. The elder Lechthaler was a German soldier in WWII, at right, and his son served in the US Navy and spent a career in the Merchant Marines.
Heinz Lechthaler navigates down the hallway of his Passaic nursing home, using the wall as his guide. At the age of 83, he is virtually blind, his frail body battered by time and his soul humbled by all he has experienced. He walks to the small, round table at the end of the common room and takes a seat next to his son, Paul. For a brief moment, he seems like any other resident of Chestnut Hill Convalescent Center. But there isn’t a soul in this building that has experienced what Lechthaler has lived through. Born in Frankfurt, Germany on Dec. 19, 1925, the earliest years of his life coincided with the ascension of Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich to power. The very same eyes that can now only see vague, dark silhouettes bore witness to some of the most brutal war crimes in history, unprecedented violence and the near extermination of an entire race of people.
At the age of 17, as young teen, he was conscripted into service and thrown into the European Theatre, forced to defend the ideology of a despotic madman that he didn’t believe in. Lechthaler served out of fear—he didn’t want to land in a re-education camp like his father, or worse, at the bottom of a mass grave. “My father was not a fan of Hitler and it must have leaked out somehow,” recalled Lechthaler. “He was arrested and they took him away from us... “Everything you did was practically a routine,” he continued. “You didn’t have much of a choice. You really only did what you were told.” The ideology of the Nazi Party began indoctrination at a young age, with mandatory service for the Hitler Youth Group. By the time he was 10 years old, the Third Reich was conditioning Lechthaler’s impressionable mind to accept the Führer as his unquestioned leader. May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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“You had to go,” said Lechthaler. “If you didn’t, they’d follow up and come and get you.” A culture of fear and intimidation made even the most rebellious of citizens subservient. However, despite the radical changes within Germany during the 1930s, his mother tried to maintain some sense of normalcy at home. Lechthaler continued his studies, eventually moving on to a trade school, where he studied to become a barber and beautician. “I was supposed to be there until I was 17, but the war broke out,” he explained. “In order to be drafted, you had to be graduated. So they let us graduate four or five months earlier. By the time I graduated in December, I was already drafted.” Lechthaler was trained as a medic and assigned to the 2nd Panzer Division. In need of reinforcements, he had a short training period at boot camp, and was quickly sent with a division out to the Russian front in early 1943.
On Feb. 18, 1948, Helen and Heinz Lechthaler married in a double ring ceremony when his father implored him to have the church service on the same day as his sister. From left, US Army Sergeant Frank Incovaia and his bride, Elizabeth (Lechthaler).
“You didn’t know anything,” said Lechthaler, who, like most Germans, was unaware of the genocide being conducted within the country. “You couldn’t listen to
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outside radio or anything. We often tried to listen to radio broadcast by the Allied Armies, but if you were caught listening to that... you went to jail.”
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Brothers Don and Rich Knapp
After arriving on the Soviet front, Lechthaler ran into an old buddy, Otto Klauke, who was able to get them both away from the carnage and into a safer line of work. “My friend was made the messenger from command to the front lines. He rode a BMW motorcycle with a side car and a machine gun,” he recalled. “I was trained as a medic, but did not see action, so they assigned me to him.” In principle, it seemed like a good idea. But the war did eventually find Lechthaler and his friend after a simple, routine mission. After delivering a message to the front, the commanding officer instructed Lechthaler and his partner to be weary of detection, since the Russians had an increased presence in the area. They heeded their superior’s advice, opting to dredge through a dark, muddy trail along a river bank. But the loud motorcycle was an alarm for enemies.
On Feb. 18, 1998, Helen and Heinz Lechthaler mark their 50th anniversary at Allwood Community Church.
Heinz Lechthaler (left) plays the accordion in 1960 with two of the Passaic barbershop friends, Benny Composto (center) and Frank Sarcinello (right). They recorded a 45 of their music and sent it to Perry Como, another singing barber.
“We were being shot at,” Lechthaler recalled. “I didn’t know from where. From the bushes? Out of the trees?” In the ensuing battle, a bullet ripped through his ankle, shattering it. His partner Otto was also wounded in the chaos, but was able to get the two back to base. “He got shot in the left arm,” he said. “The gas was on the right side, so he was able to get us back.” After his brush with death, Lechthaler was shipped to Saxon, Germany to get patched up and sent back out to the war. During his lengthy stay, he happened upon a barber shop, where he met his future wife, Helen, who also had an interest in the field. Lechthaler dated her while he recovered, but the romance was put on hold when officers decided he was healed enough to return to war. He didn’t know it at the time, but getting shot was the best thing that could have happened to him.
“I asked if I was going back to Russia,” Lechthaler said. “They said no because my entire outfit didn’t exist anymore. They got completely wiped out there.” Across Europe, the momentum of the war was shifting. The Americans had already stormed the beaches of Normandy, and were rapidly advancing through France, where Lechthaler was being sent. Meanwhile, the Soviets had forced out the German invaders and began eyeing a path to Berlin. The seemingly unstoppable Nazis were now being forced back, as Hitler began to lose control. “First we were in Paris, and then we went to Le Mans,” Lechthaler said. “We were going in there, and fellow troops were going back and retreating.” With the memory of his father’s incarceration in his head, Lechthaler, decided to join other troops and surrender to the ever advancing Allies. May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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“We said screw it, why were we going to shoot the Americans?” he said. “I already had uncles and aunts in America before the war.” However, the sun had already set, making the Germans likely to be shot on site, despite their intentions. Lechthaler hunkered down and spent the long night in an abandoned army reservation. He woke in the early morning to the thunderous sound of an American tank rolling along the scarred landscape. “One guy grabbed a dull-white pillow case and me and him went to go surrender,” he said. The tank commander stopped his squadron, but with no common language between the enemies, they had to rely on hand gestures. “The other German soldier went like this,” recalled Lechthaler, as he pressed two fingers to his mouth. “And the commander threw him his cigarettes. It was Pall Mall. I’ll never forget it it. It was the first American cigarette I ever had.”
Lechthaler was moved to France, where he joined thousands of other prisoners of war in an Allied camp on the shore. He was interrogated, determined unfit for holding within the United States (due to his relatives) and was sent to England to be held for the duration of the war. “The treatment was good. But we had to work the farms, dig ditches and clean the area of wooden things,” explained Lechthaler. “I was put in charge of 15 guys and had to make coffee for lunch and things like that.” However, when the war ended in 1945, Lechthaler remained a POW, working as a driver for an officer. He traveled across the country, and picked up English during his internment. It wasn’t until December of 1947, nearly two years after the end of World War II, that the Allies released him. Europe had only begun the healing process, and Germany still had plenty of eerie reminders of the war:
bombed-out homes, checkpoints and occupying Allied troops, who partitioned the country into four zones individually governed by America, England, France and Russia. Travel was difficult, but Lechthaler had a unique situation; his family resided in the American zone, while Helen lived in Cologne under English rule. To get across would require improvising. “Helen had a friend on the railroad, and they held a spot,” he said. “The train is actually military, but if it’s empty, they take civilians. And since it was a military train, it didn’t get stopped when crossing.” Eager to see his relatives for the first time in years, Lechthaler rushed home to a most unexpected scene—an American G.I. sitting down to dinner with his family. “That’s how I met my future brother-in-law,” he laughed. “We had a pretty nice conversation, because, by that time, I spoke pretty good English.”
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In an effort to save money in the poor economic climate, Lechthaler and his sister, Elizabeth, had a dual wedding on Feb. 18, 1948. Both couples would struggle to find a better life in a world still trying to recover from World War II. While he waited for a sponsor to allow him to come over to America, Lechthaler worked as a barber, and later as a night watchmen, reselling discounted cigarettes for extra money. It wasn’t until 1950 that the couple was granted their wish, arriving in Passaic. They later had their son, Paul, on Aug. 3, 1953. He went on to serve in the military, too, but as an American sailor during the Vietnam War. With the conflict raging in 1971, the 17year-old had to make a choice. “I figured I didn’t want to go to Vietnam, and I didn’t want to wear green,” he said. “So the Navy was a safe, clean alternative and I could get
an education in the mean time.” He trained to become a machine mate at the A-School in Chicago and then was assigned to a destroyer tender and a supercarrier. The younger Lechthaler stayed clear of combat, making two Mediterranean cruises before discharge.
Meanwhile, after working various jobs, Heinz and Helen Lechthaler opened their own barber shop, Caesar’s Hair Styling, in 1960. For nearly 25 years, the couple owned the Prospect St. salon, doing the same work that brought them together back in the little barber shop in Germany in 1943. It was something that, as a kid growing up in a war-time environment, seemed like an impossible dream—having your own business in a peaceful community. For Lechthaler, his arrival in America signaled a change in the way of life. No more Hitler, no more oppressive rule and Gestapo. The culture of fear was gone. World War II was over 60 years ago, but it’s an terrible experience he can’t forget. “I’m living my second life now,” Lechthaler said.
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Police Unity Tour • Riding for Those Who Died
A Life of Service drives John ‘Jed’ Jedrejczyk on the Unity Tour Navy Vet, Longtime Passaic Cop and Clifton Resident keeps 1,000 Cyclists moving from Jersey to Washington by Joe Hawrylko To really understand the life of John ‘Jed’ Jedrejczyk, you’ve got to visit the TV room in his Martin Ave. home. A single, plush recliner sits in the center of the chamber, illuminated by the sun’s rays that beam in from the patio door and sunlights in the ceiling. Dozens of lush plants and ferns hang from the ceiling and walls, making it difficult to navigate the snug, warm and calm room. Plaques, awards, photos of family and friends and other items on the walls and shelves of his modest Cape Cod home help tell the story of his 35-year career in the Passaic Police Department, where he is a Detective Sergeant. Twice divorced, he is a man who seems to place duty before anything else—perhaps John McClane from the Die Hard movies—minus the dramatic explosions and angry terrorists. His bachelor lifestyle is why ‘Jed’ is able to fully embrace the phrase, ‘to serve and protect’, going beyond his role as a cop.“What are you going to do, come home and sit in a rocking chair and wait for death?” said the 61-year-old. “You gotta do something,” True enough—idle hands will get you in trouble, or at the very least, leave you very bored. 1916
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But how many people would voluntarily spend their weekends running drills with the Coast Guard Auxiliary or the Naval Militia? The night shift sergeant also found time to teach ESL classes at Passaic High School. But now on May 9—and actually for weeks leading up to it—Jed will shift his efforts to the Police Unity Tour, which deploys from Florham Park. A 10-year veteran of the event, Jed is a national board member of the Tour. But as the cyclists get underway, he rolls up his sleeves and serves as the advance support team on ride days. Jed and his crew go ahead of the riders, making sure supplies— Gatorade, water, fruit, Fig Newtons—are there for 1,400 participants (cyclists and others) at each of the four daily pit stops. “It’s amazing to see a mile of bicycles,” said Jed. “And boy these guys can eat.” It takes lots of planning and coordination, and Jed knows his job is critical to the success of the tour and the safety of the riders. For the four days during the ride, the crew is up at 5 am and their day doesn’t end until as late as 11 pm. His daughter, Lisa, has followed her father’s footsteps and joined the support crew. She is his “right arm” at the many fundraisers that go on in the weeks leading up to the ride down to Washington D.C. “I do all of the cooking and we have a good time,” said Jed, a sometimes-chef who managed the kitchen for the recent spaghetti dinner at the Boys & Girls Club “People know it’s for the Police Unity Tour and not some politician.” Last year, close to $1.3 million was raised by the Tour, and the funds will help to build a national museum in Washington to honor Law Enforcement Officers.
Above, the young sailor, circa 1968, and the veteran today, on the facing page.
Whether it’s with the Tour or in some other capacity, if there’s a way to help, Jed’s your guy. His childhood might have a lot to do with it as well. He grew up in poverty, and his parents did the best they could for him as a kid. “I was born and raised in Passaic—it was a tough little town,” Jed recalled. “I was a little street urchin who ran around all the time.” Jed first left Passaic in 1965, when the 17-year-old was faced with a decision: voluntarily enlist in a branch of the military in anticipation of going to Vietnam, or have Uncle Sam select one for you. Opting to choose his fate, Jed and a bunch of friends went to the neighborhood post office and signed up for the Air Force. But Uncle Sam had the last say, as the recruiter decided the Navy needed more warm bodies and Jed managed to enlist in the US Navy. “It ended up being a great experience—the best I ever had,” Jed said. “It (boot camp and time in the serv-
ice) helped prep me for the police academy. You can tell the military guys from the ones who aren’t. They know how to wear a uniform, fall in line, and other things.” For the next three years, Jed toiled away in the sweaty, cramped confines of the engine room aboard the USS Greenwich Bay, the Navy’s flagship for the then relatively unknown Middle East region. It wasn’t the most glamourous job, but it beat trying to cheat death in the jungle. Jed returned to Passaic in 1968 and was able to pick up a job servicing vending machines. No yet having a plan, he only decided to take the civil service exam out of boredom. “One of the neighborhood guys was doing a police test at Passaic High and I drove him,” Jed said. “They wouldn’t let in non-testers, so the lady said why not take the test and I passed it.” A veteran Passaic lieutenant suggested to Jed that he would do good patrolling the same streets on which he grew up on, so he quit his job, took a pay cut and donned the blue uniform that would come to define his life.
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Some 35 years later, Jed is still on those same streets, preparing to end his career where it began. He’s served in several different capacities, working as a detective, an investigator for the robbery department, as an officer with street crimes and even auditing his peers for internal affairs. It’s the line of work that generates plenty of bar room conversation and makes an interview with him so entertaining. Outrageous crimes, hilarious arrests and puzzling murders are all standard fare. “We got a call about a dead guy on River Dr. in a car” Jed recalled. “I knew him from the Y—he was a hand ball player. He got shot with a .22 right behind the ear. It looked like a mob hit.” Initial inspection of the crime scene revealed no clues. Detectives chased leads for over a year—even going as far as Florida—before getting a tip about a woman who lived in the Carlton Towers on Passaic Ave., which is where the victim lived. “She used to run the stairs for exercise and so did the guy,” said Jedrejczyk, who knew the woman from a local pizzeria that local officers were fond of. “We found out they had an affair.” Further investigation lead to another informant, who claimed that the woman appeared at a relative’s house one night bloody and distraught. Still, even after intense interrogations, it took Jed to crack the case. “The captain couldn’t break her. She kept on crying,” he said. “So I kept comforting her and got her a blanket and then she says, ‘I want to talk to you,’ and she admits it.” The husband ended up finding out about the affair and gave her an option: kill your lover or I’ll kill you. With the soft-touch confession, the Passaic PD was able to close the case. 36
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Jed’s partner in many of his volunteer endeavors is his daughter, Lisa. The pair recently manned the kitchen at the Clifton-Passaic Police Unity Tour spaghetti dinner which fed a few hundred. They also work as a team on the trip to Washington.
It’s a story that seems like it could be the focal point of a plot on some cop series, but it was just another day on the job for Jed. The arrest is just one of the many accomplishments that has been immortalized in the form of an award on the walls of his room. It’s a pat on the back for hard work, for staking out in a church during the holiday season to catch a burglar instead of spending time with family and friends. But while recognition for a job well done is nice, accolades and praise aren’t enough to keep you showing up at your job every day. The grind of long graveyard shifts, gruesome crime scenes and a never ending stream of bad guys is enough to wear any man’s spirit thin. But Jed loves his job. He loves his community and he wants to be one of the guys who fills his niche in the effort to keep it safe. As a result, Jed’s off days from the Passaic PD tend to be pretty busy. Sometimes he’s patrolling the Delaware River with
the Coast Guard Auxiliary, occasionally plucking distressed swimmers from the choppy waters (there’s a plaque for that one, too). Less adventurous days were spent teaching English-as-a-Second Language to new immigrants at Passaic High School. But after 15 years, he decided to scale back and took a temporary leave of absence. “It’s just giving back to the public,” said Jed. “They’ve been paying me for 35 years, and this is the time you pay it back, and it doesn’t hurt.” His involvement with the Police Unity Tour is an extension of that mentality. That’s just typical Jed, putting others before himself. Jed’s bachelor lifestyle is why he’s able to dedicate himself to so many causes. Public service is a full-time job in itself for him. But like all good guys, he’s got to ride off into the sunset eventually. But after meeting Jed, it won’t be long before he finds himself involved in the community again.
Police Unity Tour • Riding for Those Who Died With dual goals of remembering officers killed in the line of duty and raising money for a National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum, a Clifton team of 10 are riding bicycles in the annual Police Unity Tour to Washington, D.C. on May 9-12. Bicycle riders include Randy Colondres, John Kavakich, Robert Bais and Tom Hawrylko. They will be supported by Derek Fogg, Brian Fopma, William Bais, Stephen Berge, Gary Giardina and Michael McLaughlin. The Clifton group will join over 1,000 others participants from across the region and the nation who will participate in the annual 300 mile bicycle ride. The Clifton group must raise a collective total of $17,500. Over the last few months, many firms and individuals have contributed. We held a spaghetti dinner, hosted a fundraiser at Pub 46, and on April 30 at TGI Fridays, (after we went to press and where the winner of a bicycle and Quad raffle were held), the community has helped us near our goal. On April 28, we visited some of our sponsors to say thanks, including Allwood Bicycles, (above) Athenia Mason Supply (at right), Shook Funeral Home, Gams Automotive, NOC/Telep Motors, Clifton Building Supply and Signarama, to name just a few. To all that have donated, we say thanks—your contributions will help build a permanent tribute to fallen Police Officers from across the United States. For more info, go to www.policeunitytour.com. To help out, see any police officer or call 973-253-4400.
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A Legacy of Service Passaic County Council celebrates 25 years on May 25 Story by Jordan Schwartz The Passaic County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Prevention celebrates its 25th anniversary on May 25, and it may never have been more needed than right now. During these difficult economic times, more and more people are turning to drugs and alcohol to escape their problems, but the Council can help. Located in the Clifton Municipal Complex at 880 Clifton Ave., the Council is a private, not-for-profit organization that provides information, assessment and referral. It offers alcohol, tobacco and other drug education, an Employee Assistance Program, public policy and legislative information, and National Intervention Network Services. “The supply of drugs is always going to be there,” said Executive Director Father Alan F. Savitt, 61, a Catholic priest from the Paterson Diocese. “The change is going to come if you can impact the demand.” Savitt believes his group can do that with informational programs such as the Underage Drinking Initiative and the Strengthening Families Program (more information at passaiccountycouncil.org). Drug and alcohol addiction problems are often hereditary— something the executive director knows all too well. “I was personally affected by growing up in an alcoholic family 40
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An important resource, right in our backyard. That’s how Executive Director Fr. Alan F. Savitt describes the services of the Passaic County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Prevention, which is located on the Municipal Complex at 880 Clifton Ave. From left, Philip Berlier, Community Partnership Coordinator; Sr. Pauline Kuntne, Director Prevention Services; Paulette Posey, Reaching Everyone by Exposing Lies Coordinator; and the longtime director and founder, Fr. Savitt.
system,” said the lifelong Cliftonite. “You saw all the consequences of alcoholism and addiction.” Savitt’s father died at the age of 53 from liver cancer as a result of his heavy drinking.
The priest’s younger brother passed away at age 51 for the same reason. Their mother’s life ended in November 1996 due to Stage 4 Lymphoma, but Savitt
Passaic County Council Programs & Services Beginning Alcohol and Addictions Basic Education Studies (BABES) is a primary prevention program geared for children in second and third grade. Underage Drinking Initiative uses strategies such as keg registration ordinances, petitioning stores to remove drinking games from their shelves and launching a brief self assessment screening tool for adolescents. Employee Assistance Program is designed to help employees and their families manage problems that have a negative impact on job performance. Footprints for Life is a research-based prevention program that builds assets and teaches important life skills to students in grades two and three.
The Center is located within a historic barn on City Hall property which Savitt hopes to renovate in the coming years.
Forest Friends is a developmental puppet program designed for kindergarten and first grade children, helping them learn about and deal with feelings, developing honesty and showing respect for all. Healthy Options Prevention Education (HOPE) was created to help older adults make healthy decisions regarding changes in lifestyles, isolation, issues around loss and self-esteem.
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thinks the disease was caused by her co-dependency. “It’s just as insidious and serious as other addictions,” Savitt said of the issues related to alcoholism. Savitt himself began drinking when he was just eight years old, but was able to kick the habit at 28. Less than a decade later, the priest helped found the Council and began what would be his avocation in a 200 sq. ft. trailer near City Hall. After renovating a historic building on the property, the Council moved to its permanent headquarters and Sister Pauline Kuntne joined as Director of Prevention Services. “We’re the only Council with a Catholic priest and a nun on the staff and we’re both recovering addicts,” said Savitt. “We’ve been given a gift that we want to give away.” Since its beginnings in 1984, the non-profit has faced several
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Council member staff back in 1987. From left, Fr. Alan F. Savitt, Lewis Pagano, Sr. Pauline Kuntne and Rick Johnston. Pagano was a consultant who helped set up peer counseling groups in all Passaic County high schools. Johnston was the Council’s Director of Consultation Services.
challenges. Back then, many in Clifton believed drugs and alcohol were problems in just neighboring
Passaic and Paterson and didn’t think a center needed to be located in town. After some convincing,
West Broadway, Paterson. To pull it all together, Savitt is knocking on a lot of doors and going through his old rolodex to bring in some heavy hitters. For instance, the keynote speaker will be WABC-TV Sports Director and Anchor Scott Clark. Others scheduled to attend include Gerard McAleer, Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division Special Agent in Charge; Dr. Robert Zlotnick, President, New Jersey Prevention Network; and Robert J. Lindsey,
President and CEO, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Tickets are a $50 donation and checks should be made payable to Passaic County Council. Reserve by May 15 by calling Savitt at 973-473-3366 ext. 105. People from all walks of life are invited to support the event, because everyone can be affected by drugs and drinking. “Alcoholism and other addictions are equal opportunity, non-discriminatory diseases,” concluded Savitt.
WABC-TV Sports Director and Anchor Scott Clark will be the keynote speaker at the Council’s 25th anniversary gala.
the Council was opened, but it has struggled with getting financial support ever since. The Council receives grant money from the State Department of Health, as well as corporate donations, but those have decreased recently due to the recession. County funding dried up in 1999, and as a result, the Council was almost forced to close. “There has been a progressive need for services which we’re stretched to meet because of funding,” said Savitt. “Some Councils like down in Monmouth County, have 15 staff members and a $1.5 million budget. Ours is around $400,000.” The executive director would like to see that total doubled in order to meet pressing needs, among the most needed is restoring the exterior of the century-old building. But the focus right now is preparing for the 25th anniversary which is scheduled for 7 to 9 pm on May 19 at the Brownstone, 351 May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Youth of the Year Awards at B&G Club Story by Jordan Schwartz CHS senior Alyssa Robinson took home the Youth of the Year Award at the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton 23rd Annual Awards Night Dinner on April 20. Robinson won $2,500 in scholarship money that she will put towards tuition at Penn State University this fall. The 17-year-old joined the Club in 1998, and has since served as game room counselor, coach and Club volunteer for the LPGA Tour. But most importantly, the after-school facility sparked her love of soccer. After watching a few weeks of the fast paced socalled “beautiful game” on tv and live at the Club, Robinson started to ask her parents to pick her up later. She wanted to spend more time studying strategy and watching the games unfold on the screen. “A commercial about women’s soccer had been airing...” recalled the Youth of the Year. “ I had struck an interest in the commercial, so when I got home that day, I asked my parents to sign me up for soccer.” They did and Robinson went on to become a standout defender on the Lady Mustangs. During her career, she was named All-League, All-County and even AllState the past two seasons.
Youth of the Year Alyssa Robinson at center, with her parents, Colin and Dineen, and younger sister Chelsea. Not pictured is her older sister Dionte. Since 1932 • First in New Jersey
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As a senior, she scored four goals and assisted on two others, while helping lead the team to a County finals appearance and the semis of the North 1, Group 4 State sectional playoffs. She also participated in varsity basketball as a freshman and track as a junior. Robinson is a four-year recipient of the Academic Achievement Award given annually to students that maintain an overall average of 90 or better. She plans on becoming an accountant. But Robinson wasn’t the only Club member honored on April 20. CHS senior Kristen Sabestinas, 17, received the $2,000 Pete Marchioni Alumni Scholarship. She has been attending the Club since she was three, began volunteering there at 14 and was hired a year later. Sabestinas will be studying early childhood development at Kean University. Stephanie Chavez, 17, was awarded a $1,000 Board Scholarship. The CHS senior has worked with the early childhood program since 2005, helping out with Kinderkare. Chavez is a varsity track and field athlete and broke the school shot put relay record with teammates in her junior year. She plans on attending William Paterson University. Donnalayha Cook, 18, was the recipient of the $1,000 Dolores Colucci Healey Education Scholarship. As a member of the Club for eight years, she grew up attending the Schools Out and Summer Program. The CHS senior is a violinist, cheerleader and gymnastics team captain. Cook completed her third season with the Lady Mustangs by competing at the State sectional meet on Nov. 8, 2008. She scored a 7.8 on the vault. She hopes to attend Howard University with a major in psychology. Cook would also like to open up her own dance studio one day. Eric James, 13, won the Outstanding Jr. Boy Award. The CHS freshman has been a member of the Club for almost nine years.
In that time, he overcame his fear of water and learned how to swim with the Seahawks. This past winter, he made the high school varsity team as a ninth grader. Kyiana A. Vargas, 13, won the Jr. Girl Award. The Woodrow Wilson Middle School eighth grader has been a member of the Club for seven years. At WWMS, she is in the chorus, Madrigals, student government and orchestra. Her outside interests include volleyball, swimming, sewing, scrapbooking and collecting stuffed animals and printed pennies.
Travis Miles, Devon Washington and Devin Blackman shared gthe honor of leading the crowd of 600 in the flag salute at the Boys & Girls Club 23rd Annual Awards Night Dinner.
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Coaching Clifton’s Kids Story by Jordan Schwartz “When the tension builds and everything is on the line, I like to get the kids together and make them smile. It’s worth a thousand words.” It’s this coaching philosophy that has earned Tom Corradino, Sr. the Clifton Optimist Friend of Youth Award to be presented at the annual beefsteak on May 17. Corradino will share the honor with his son, Tom Jr., and colleague Joe Jeffers. Tom Sr. began coaching in the Passaic Little League in 1983 when his son was six. “I wanted to teach the kids to play the right way,” he said. “It wasn’t about winning or losing but how you play and whether you know the game.” When the Corradinos moved to Clifton in 1989, the patriarch of the family started coaching a team in the Eastern Division. “During the game, I’d have to instruct the parents more than the kids,” he explained. Corradino, 55, later led Clifton Babe Ruth teams to first place finishes in 1992 and 1995.
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Three Clifton baseball coaches are receiving the Optimist Friend of Youth Award. They are, from left, Tom Corradino Sr., Tom Corradino Jr. and Joe Jeffers.
In 1993, he became an assistant coach for the American Legion Post 347 senior team. In ’95, Corradino took over as head coach and turned a 3-10 squad into a playoff team. Two years later, Tom Jr. joined his staff as an assistant and over the past 12 seasons, they have led the team to seven winning records. “I’ve learned from my dad that summer baseball is a different type of game from high school ball,” he said. “In the summer, they play for
the love of the game.” Tom Jr., 31, grew up playing little league at Third Ward Park in Passaic. After moving to Clifton, he played three years for the Mustangs before blowing out his arm. But that didn’t end his involvement in baseball. Corradino began coaching at just 18 for his younger brother Joseph’s junior legion team. “I wanted to give back to the kids and help prepare them for college,” he said.
Optimist Club Awards May 17, 4 pm • Boys & Girls Club
Corradino, a ninth grade English teacher at Ferris High School in Jersey City, was the assistant varsity coach there from 2002 to 2005. Prior to that, he led the JV team at Lincoln High in Jersey City and various Clifton Babe Ruth teams from 1997 to 2000.
At left, Helen Sanders of the Daughters of Miriam Center for the Aged, is getting the Stanley Zwier Community Service Award. Above, Cerebral Palsy Center administrators Mary Fischer and Jennifer Miller are sharing the Friend of Youth Award.
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The Corradinos won’t be coaching this year as they help Joseph care for his newborn child, but when they return, they can be certain Joe Jeffers will still be there. Jeffers, 72, has been coaching for more than 30 years. It all started when his brother-in-laws sons began playing little league in Delawanna. Jeffers later moved up to the Western League and Babe Ruth to coach his two nephews, Chris and Robert. The CHS Class of ’56 grad now coaches 14- and 15-year-olds in Babe Ruth. “I love to work with kids and see them progress,” he said. “When I was growing up in Albion, School 5 teacher Bill Powell used to come to the field and give us all pointers. He took his own time to do that.” Now Jeffers is just returning the favor. That’s what it’s about for these three coaches. “Trophies go up in your closet and collect dust,” said Corradino Sr. “It’s the kids that come back to say ‘Hi’ that makes me feel good.”
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Det. Steve Berge (at center) with other members of the Clifton Gang Related Task Force, which is receiving the Judge James Salerno Respect for Law Award.
The Annual Friend of Youth Beefsteak is on May 17 at 4 pm at the Boys & Girls Club on Colfax Ave. Sponsored by the Clifton Optimist Club, those being honored include Jennifer Miller, Mary Fisher, Tom Corradino Sr and Jr, Joe Jeffers, Mike Spearing, Helen Sanders, the Nikischer family and the Gang Related Task Force of the CPD and Sheriff’s Dept. Tickets are $40. Call club president Mike Gimon at 973-779-5810 or members Joe Bionci at 973-472-1707 or Tom Hawrylko at 973-253-4400 or go to www.cliftonoptimist.org.
Giving Locks of Love CCMS teacher Kim Dreher organizes a unique charity Story by Jordan Schwartz Kim Dreher comes from a family with a history of helping young people. Her father, Alan Carline, recently retired after a long career of teaching history and English at Clifton High School. He also worked with Project Rebound and coached the girls basketball team for 28 years. Dreher’s mother, Anne, was an English and reading instructor at School 4 and WWMS. So, it came as no surprise when Dreher, 40, decided to become a teacher as well. “A lot of people go on to administration, but I really enjoy interacting with students,” said the CCMS math teacher. “My first year teaching was first grade in Northern Virginia and one of my students, who is now 24, still calls me. It’s amazing how you touch someone’s life and then they’re all grown up.” Dreher attended School 11 in Clifton through second grade before the family of five moved to Fairfield.
Kim Dreher with her parents Alan and Anne Carline at Alan’s retirement dinner in June 2007. He taught history and English at CHS and coached girls basketball.
After graduating West Essex High in North Caldwell, the youngest of three sisters studied psychology at James Madison University. She switched to education and began her career down south before marrying a soldier. With her husband in the Army, Dreher started teaching for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. She instructed military children in Georgia, Virginia and even
Germany when her now ex-husband got shipped overseas. “It was a wonderful experience, driving on the Autobahn, good food and wonderful friends,” said Dreher, who also visited Paris and Switzerland. “When he was deployed, all the spouses stuck together. It was fabulous.” After her divorce, the mother of two returned to Clifton to begin teaching math at Christopher Columbus Middle School in
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Pictured above are just some of the 40 girls, boys and teachers who cut 775 inches of their hair at the second annual cutathon in 2007. At right, math teacher and Locks of Love organizer Kim Dreher (center) with Salon Ilona hairstylists Shannon Flynn (left) and Crystal Kestenberg.
2002. During her fourth year, she got the idea to start a Locks of Love drive in the district. “My mother, who likes my hair much better short, was once again asking me to cut my hair,” Dreher remembered. “My best response was, ‘I’m growing it to donate.’ I really hadn’t thought it through, but then I looked around the hallways and saw so many locks of love. I started to research and asked the administration for permission.” Locks is a public not-for-profit group that gives hairpieces to children suffering from long-term medical hair loss because of a disease. The organization uses donated hair to make the vacuum-fitted wigs. 50
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Locks of Love, which began in 1997, has helped more than 2,000 children. Children make up more than 80 percent of the donors, making this a charity where children have an opportunity to help children. Over the past three years, the district has donated 1,448 inches of hair to provide wigs for about 240 children. The fourth annual event will take place on June 1 at CCMS, and Dreher is inviting everyone to participate. Those who attend will get their hair cut by stylists from Salon Ilona on Clifton Ave. For more information or to schedule a cut, visit locksoflove.org or contact Dreher at kad30506@yahoo.com or 973-769-0500.
Last year, Clifton donated 858 inches of locks and $2,000 raised from various teacher dress down days and extra change from students’ lunches. The goal in 2009 is 1,000 inches and even more money. “I don’t think people realize how wonderful our students and faculty are,” said Dreher.
Beating Cancer, Twice Diane Alexander takes part in Clifton’s Relay for Life Story by Jordan Schwartz Survival is in Diane Alexander’s blood. Her mother, Ruth, overcame breast cancer, her father, Peter, defeated colon cancer, and her sister, Linda, downed breast cancer. But Diane trumped them all because she beat cancer twice. Alexander, who has lived on East 11th St. for the past 30 years, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. “I was surprised and scared,” she said. “You’re always told that it will skip you, that it won’t hit you, but there’s always that thought in your head that you could get it.” Just two weeks after the diagnosis, Linda was told she had the same affliction. “We talked on the phone all the time and helped each other through it,” said Alexander, 56. “It’s easier to have it than to see someone have it. It bothered me more to see her going through it.” After having the lump removed, Diane underwent 39 radiation treatments, but she didn’t have to experience chemotherapy like her sister.
Members of the 2008 Clifton Relay for Life Luminary Committee. From left, Laura Byrouty, Mike Rossi, Beverly Provido-Sahu, Vicky Kaufman, Melissa DeMolli, Johanna Purdon, Diane Alexander, Peter Marks and Jennifer Marks.
Five years later, Alexander discovered she had thyroid cancer. The doctors didn’t know if this was related to her previous bout with the disease, but after two surgeries, they treated her with radioactive iodine pills, which meant she had to be secluded for five days. With her kids all grown up and out of the house, the Lakeview resident slept in their old bedrooms and used their bathroom, while her
husband, Charlie, dropped her off meals on paper plates. Diane’s cancer is all gone now, but she continues to visit Clifton Ave. endocrinologist Dr. Mark Wiesen for check-ups. Alexander isn’t angry that she has had to battle the disease twice. Instead, she takes a very optimistic approach. “There are two ways how you can deal with it,” she said.
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“You can either be scared or fight back, which is what I chose to do.” The mother of two did that when she joined her sister for an American Cancer Society Relay for Life event in Milford, Pa. after the two were diagnosed with breast cancer. She then joined Clifton’s Relay when it began five years ago. “It means so much to me,” said Alexander. “The support from everyone around you gives you the strength and hope that you need. It’s a time when family and friends come together to fight this disease and try to find a cure.” There are already more than 20 teams and 100 participants registered for this year’s May 16 event. The Relay at Clifton Stadium will begin with an opening and survivor ceremony at 4 pm. At 10 pm, the night is brightened by the glow of illuminated bags called Luminaria, each of which has a special meaning to someone. “Some celebrate those who have
The
Top Fundraising Teams Book a Cure Red Hat Angels Running on Empty Lumos Foot Loose Windsor Rd. Neighbors Team Awesome RoadRunnerz Team Ohana Clifton Healthy Nuts Boys’ Night Out The EGGs
$6,830.32 $5,495.17 $5,430.58 $2,794.00 $2,005.00 $1,670.00 $1,491.00 $902.00 $827.00 $710.00 $500.00 $495.00
Top Fundraising Participants Lisa McDonald Diane Alexander Chris Liszner Michael Rossi Barbara Mack Lauren Sexton Jennifer Marks Arleen Bador Lisa Demko Seema Patel Joanne Ragazoo Victoria Kaufman
$3,382.00 $1,594.00 $1,483.70 $1,195.67 $1,057.40 $1,045.00 $1,000.00 $938.47 $845.00 $820.00 $785.00 $710.00
Source: www.relayforlife.org/cliftonnj
Source: www.relayforlife.org/cliftonnj
battled cancer and have lived to tell their stories,” Alexander explained. “Many remember the lives of those who have been lost to this terrible disease. I lost my father-inlaw at a very young age to cancer and it was unfortunate I never got to meet him.” The closing ceremony is the following day at 6 am. Residents are welcome to come for a few hours or
stay the whole night. You can join an existing team or form your own, make a donation or purchase a Luminaria at relayforlife.org/cliftonnj. For more information on the event, contact Mike Rossi at relaymike@gmail.com or 973-7725500. You can also call Clifton’s American Cancer Society representative Beverly Provido-Sahu at 201457-3418 ext. 2231.
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The Helen Sanders Thrift Shop at Daughters of Miriam Center is a bargain hunters dream—filled to the brim with beautiful, new & gently used clothing and housewares at great prices. Whether you are searching for fabulous designer and vintage clothes, many with tags still attached, or outfitting a new home, the Helen Sanders Thrift Shop is the place for you. For more information or to donate new or gently used, clean clothing or household items, call 973-253-5377. You will receive a receipt detailing the items donated for your records.
Shop Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 10 am to 3 pm
www.daughtersofmiriamcenter.org 52
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Strong volunteers are often needed to help unload food trucks at St. Peter’s Haven on Clifton Ave. The three-ton shipments arrive at 10:45 am on the second Saturday of every month from a food bank in Hillside. “The more hands, the lighter the work,” said longtime volunteer Bob Masiello, whose wife, Ann, is an administrator at the Haven. Masiello, who is also the volunteer truck driver, said the summer is a critical time for help because all the college and high school students aren’t around to receive credit for their volunteer work. Those interested in helping out, should call the Haven at 973-546-3406. Cultural performers are still needed for a world music and dance program being organized by Colleen Murray of the Phenomenal Grandmothers. Children’s Librarian Pat Vaslik and Murray are working closely together to have this program ready for this spring or summer. The first performance, entitled “Exploring Africa,” is scheduled for June 13. Volunteers are needed to show off their cultural clothing, music and dance. Call 973-253-9579. Donate your books to the Phenomenal Grandmothers who are collecting them for a library room scheduled to open this June in a new school being built in Kenya. Children and adult books in new or good condition are being accepted, along with bookshelves, tables and chairs. More than 100 books have already been collected. Call 973253-9579. The Mustang Marching Band will be holding its annual car wash May 2, 9, and 30 from 9 am to 1 pm at CHS, weather permitting. Come out and support the band.
St. Peter’s Haven staff and volunteers at a recent truck drop-off. From left, Bob Masiello, Michael Tate, Administrator Ann Masiello and Executive Director Marsha Hook.
St. Philip Knights of Columbus Council 11671 is participating in an annual nationwide charity drive to raise money for citizens with mental retardation. Checks should be made payable to St. Philip Knights of Columbus and mailed to St. Philip the Apostle Church, 797 Valley Rd., Clifton 07013. Call District Deputy Ray Lill at 973-473-4530. The Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton has received recognition for its outstanding educational program from the New Jersey Charter Public Schools Association, which recently presented the school with its Cultivating Quality Education and Special Achievement Award. The Academy is Passaic County’s first public charter school and a 2008 recipient of a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award.
A Plant Sale sponsored by the Garden Club of Clifton is scheduled for May 9 from 9 am to 3 pm in the Styertowne Shopping Center parking lot on Bloomfield Ave. On sale will be annuals, perennials, vegetables, houseplants and seeds. Gardening questions will be answered by master gardeners. Call Emilia Rykowski at 973-471-3200. The Allwood Community Church, which has been serving the Allwood community for over 75 years, announces its annual fundraiser, a fish and chips dinner. It will be held in the Fellowship Hall on June 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children 10 and under. Dinner is being catered by Tastefully British. Call 973-7776360 or visit allwoodcommunitychurch.org for tickets. May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Still Gracing Brian James Grace has been acting since his days at CHS by Jordan Schwartz
the Stage
Brian James Grace’s acting career has taken him all across the Northeast and Midwest, from Maine to Michigan, but his latest stop is right near home. The Clifton native will be playing the role of Albin in La Cage aux Folles at the Barn Theater in Montville opening May 22. “I’m very excited,” said Grace, 52. “It’s a wonderful play about tolerance, love and family. It’s got a great message.”
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The CHS Class of ’76 alum began dancing at age five and started singing in the choir at Christopher Columbus Middle School, but he wasn’t interested in drama until he reached the big John F. Kennedy stage at Clifton High. “I started singing and my ninth grade teacher, Flora Smelkinson, heard I had something,” Grace remembered of those days as a freshman. “My first solo was ‘O Holy Night’ and that’s when it all started.” In concert choir with Mrs. Pearl Anderson, the budding thespian won several honors, including the National Opera Competition in 1974. While still in high school, Grace took his first professional gig at Neil’s New Yorker, a dinner theater in Mountain Lakes. He played Padre in the CHS production of Man of La Mancha and credited drama coach Dennis Zahorine with encouraging him to continue acting. “The dancing, the singing and the acting started clicking together,” Grace explained of that aha! moment. “I just felt this was right.” The lifelong Cliftonite, who grew up on Barkley Ave., went right up the hill for college, on to Montclair State where he majored in major in drama and speech. While he was working the theater circuit in northern New Jersey and NYC, he remained at Montclair State for just two years before the lure of the off-Broadway stage pulled him in; he was hired by the Mac-Haydn summer stock theater company in Chatham, New York. “That was a good learning experience because we did a musical every week,” recalled Grace. “It made me learn my music and lines quickly.” From 1981 to 1983, he used that knowledge for perform-
Above, Brian James Grace when he shared the stage with Elkie Sommer in 1987. At left, Grace as Albin in La Cage aux Folles, opening May 22 at the Barn Theater.
ances on stages in Michigan and Maine. “I chose to move around a lot,” said Grace. “It’s a great training ground for young actors because you’re learning from others and working on your craft.” But in 1986, the performer settled down in New York City and started appearing in many Off Broadway productions such as Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, Cairo and King Edward II. Escalating rent and family issues brought Grace back to Clifton in 1995. It was also that year that the Lincoln Ave. resident joined the Screen Actors Guild. He started doing some film and television work, taking roles in Law and Order, Ed and Conspiracy Theory. “I love quirky characters,” said Grace. “It’s all about trying to figure out what makes the character tick.” The life of an actor isn’t easy. It’s always difficult getting jobs and the audition process can be grueling. Adding to those stresses for Grace was the recent discovery that he had testicular cancer. The malignant tumor was diagnosed and surgically removed in January. He underwent
radiation for two weeks and has been healthy ever since. Immediately following the health problem, fate smiled on Grace; he was cast in La Cage aux Folles. “I think it’s a complete blessing. Everything happens for a reason.” The Barn Theatre in Montville concludes its 81st Anniversary Season with the Tony Awardwinning musical comedy La Cage aux Folles. Performances will be at 8 pm on May 22, 23, 29, 30, June 5 and June 6; matinee performances at 2pm on May 24, 31 and June 6. With book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, the production is directed by Larry Wilbur, with musical direction by Regan Ryzuk and choreography by Megan Ferentinos. The Barn Theatre is located on Skyline Dr., just minutes off Exit 47 from Route 287. For info or directions, call 973-334-9320, or go to www.barntheatre.org. May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Who New? will be performing at Bliss on May 15. Standing, from left, Patrick ‘Jake’ DiMartino, Dave Pietkiewcz, Mark Gorvan, Cretia Rotella and Carl Lomauro. Sitting: Tom Campanile and Chuck Bobrowski.
Who New? Jerry Conselyea’s dying wish brought friends together, raised money for a good cause and created a band that continues rocking nearly three decades after it was formed. The Paul VI grad was just in his early twenties when he succumbed to kidney disease in 1980 — his life extended a couple years thanks to an organ transplant. Because of this gift, Conselyea asked his closest friends if there was anything they could do to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation after he was gone. And that’s exactly what they did. In 1981, the Knern Band, so 56
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
called for Jerry’s nickname, played its first gig—a benefit at St. Philip the Apostle on Valley Rd., where many of the musicians went to grammar school. The band was comprised of a number of Clifton kids who played in competing groups during high school in the early ’70s. Dave Pietkiewicz, who plays guitar for the Knern Band under its latest moniker (Who New?), used to perform with The Raisin, a rock group formed with longtime friend Dave Santosuosso. While in the ninth grade, the two Daves worked as dishwashers at
Story by Jordan Schwartz the Northlander, and after work, they’d take the bus to Passaic to buy music. They’d then return to one of their houses to listen to the new records. The Raisin would model its sound after their favorite bands. After graduating from CHS in 1973, Dave and Dave parted ways with Pietziewicz attending Paul Smith College in Saranack Lake, NY to become a wildlife biologist. After deciding that wasn’t for him, Pietziewicz dropped out and returned to Clifton, taking a job at Santosuosso’s father’s title agency. The two Daves don’t play
Clifton-Passaic Chapter of
UNICO National Annual Fundraiser Friday Night, May 15 (doors 7pm) @ BLISS
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Friday Night, May 15 Doors 7pm Advance Tickets $10 or $15 donation at door
7:45pm
8:30pm The El Supremo
9:45pm
UNICO is “Service Above Self” Total Net Door & Bar Proceeds to Benefit • Clifton HS Project Graduation • Clifton HS Mustang Marching Band • Passaic HS Marching Band • UNICO Italian American Scholarship Fund
Advance Tickets Available from: Bliss Lounge on Sale Wed - Sun from 7pm - 11pm Danny Pugliese - Brookwood 973-919-8495 Joe Gaccione - The El Supremo gaccione@aol.com Cash Bar • $3 Coors Light Pints Hot Dogs & Pretzels • 50 / 50’s
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Who knew they’d still be rocking after all these years? Top, from left, Carl Lomauro (CHS ’72), Chuck Bobrowski (CHS ’71), Dave Pietkiewicz (CHS ’73) and Cretia Rotella (CHS ’74). Bottom: Mark Gorvan (Paul VI ’72), Pat DiMartino (CHS ’71) and Tom Campanile (CHS ’79)
music together anymore, but they still talk because they own competing businesses in town— Santosuosso’s Title Agency of New Jersey and Pietziewicz’s Passaic Valley Title Agency. But Pietziewicz wasn’t the only member of Who New? who was
rocking back in high school. Carl Lomauro, a vocalist and percussionist for band, was also in The Raisins, but he took first prize at the 1970 Paul VI Battle of the Bands with a group called The Purple Grass. But everyone came together for Jerry.
The Knern Band, which later started calling itself Jerry and the Flames and then Silk City Dee, played that annual fundraiser show for 13 or 14 years before organizing the event became to difficult. In the early ’90s, Pietziewicz’s brother-in-law Tom Campanile
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joined the lineup. Campanile is the youngest member of the band and he didn’t start playing music until Pietziewicz helped teach him the guitar when he was 19. Over the following decade, the members jammed once in a while but didn’t get back together on a full-time basis until last year. When they did, the members decided to change the name of the band. Singer Cretia Rotella, whose brother Patrick ‘Jake’ DiMartino plays piano, came up with Who New? “Who knew we’d still be friends after all these years, who knew we’d still be playing music after all these years, who knew we’d even be alive after all these years?” explained Mark Gorvan, who plays bass. The spelling of ‘New’ became a play on words. “We do this for fun, we’re not doing it for the money or any sort of minute fame,” said Chuck Bobrowski, a Passaic High School science teacher who drums and sings harmonies. “It’s always fun to see your friends and know that you can actually still play and have
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Carl Lomauro, Cretia Rotella and Mark Gorvan perform with the Knern Band at a benefit show in the early ’80s. The band was named after friend Jerry Conselyea (right), who died in 1980.
people enjoy your music.” The decision to get back together and start playing as a regular working band for the first time in years came after they saw people their age playing at clubs in the area.
“We thought we could do it too,” said Lomauro, who lives in the Poconos but works at Entenmann’s in Totowa. “We’re at the stage of our life now in our fifties where we have this talent and love for music, so why not?” Who New? plays classic rock and blues covers from the ’60s to today. They kicked off what Pietkiewicz is calling their “limited world tour” at a fundraiser for underprivileged children held at the Moose Lodge on April 24. Upcoming shows include the UNICO fundraiser at Bliss on May 15, Bogey’s on May 16 and the Carriage House in Barryville, NY on July 11.
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The Holy Spirit Association of Performing Arts and New Jersey Music and Arts, Inc. present A Spring Performance, a drama and dance program to be held at 7:30 pm on May 26 at the De Mott Center, 78 De Mott Ave. The program will feature the Dream Dancers and the New Hope Players, directed by Michael DeGennaro. Free admission. Call 973-272-3255 or visit njma.homestead.com. The 2009 Senior Art Show, sponsored by the Passaic County Department of Senior Services, Disability and Veterans Affairs, will be held from June 5 to June 19. Residents of Passaic County, ages 60 and over, can enter a show ready piece at the center, 930 Riverview Dr. in Totowa, from June 1 to 3, between 9 am and 3 pm. Winners will move on to the state contest on Oct. 30 at Meadow Lakes, East Windsor. For more information, call 973-569-4060.
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The Holy Spirit Association of Performing Arts presents A Spring Performance on May 26 at the De Mott Center on De Mott Ave. in Clifton.
The Clifton Community Band is performing its 8th annual Lollipops and Roses Intergenerational Concert at 2 pm on May 31 at CHS. Admission is $7 but children under 12 get in for free. Proceeds benefit the Clifton Education Foundation and the Clifton Arts Center. Advanced tickets are available at the door or from the Center and City Hall
Rec Dept. Call 973-777-1781 or contact CliftonBand@optonline.net. The Sixth Annual Passaic County Fair in Garret Mountain Reservation is July 15 to 19. Hours are as follows: Wed., 6 pm to midnight; Thurs. and Fri., 1 pm to midnight; Sat. 1 to 9 pm. Vendors and volunteers may call 973-523-0024 or send an e-mail to jimv@passaiccountynj.org.
A Clifton High School student art exhibit will be displayed at the Clifton Arts Center behind City Hall from May 6 to June 6. There will be a reception for the artists on May 7 from 7 to 9 pm with a required donation of $3. Students Chaperones are needed for Project Graduation. Anyone 24 or older can sign up on May 6 to chaperone the drug and alcohol free lock-in on graduation night, June 26 from 9:30 pm to 5 am the following day. For students, sign up will begin in June and fundraising tally sheets will be mailed out along with permission slips just prior to the scheduled days and evenings. Cash and money orders will only be accepted on these dates. The event is sponsored by the CHS PTSA and all students must be members which is $5 per family. For more information, call Chair Maryann Cornett at 973-779-5678.
from the CHS Music Dept. will provide entertainment. The exhibit, “Artistic Environments” offers these talented students a way of
focusing on art and the environment. Gallery hours are from Wed. through Sat. from 1 to 4 pm. Visit cliftonnj.org or call 973-472-5499.
The Lambert Castle Antique Show and Sale is May 30 and 31 from 10 am to 5 pm inside the museum, at 3 Valley Rd., at the Clifton/Paterson border. People can tour the castle and preview items on May 29 at 7 pm. Tickets are $5, and $15 for the pre-sale show. Displayed items include fine jewelry, silver, furniture, antique glass, vintage clothing and accessories, ephemera, memorabilia and appraisals will also be available. Call 973-347-0085, ext. 201, or visit lambertcastle.org. Photo by William Mandra.
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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The Conservatory
Story by Jordan Schwartz
Teens at ATC are writing their own dramatic series
The teenage writers for The Conservatory come from all over North Jersey. From left, Julia Lisa (Montclair), Sarah Robertson (Clifton), Keegan Erin Kingeter (Little Falls), Katharine Downs Sugarman (Bloomfield), Paige Sofia Sciarrino (Clifton) and Lindsey Michelle Evans (Westwood). Not pictured are Chris Robertson (Clifton) and Corinne Fitamant (Pequannock).
Beverly Hills 90210 meets Broadway in the Action Theatre Conservatory’s new dramatic series, The Conservatory. The idea for the television and Internet show was born this past summer at ATC’s Teen Workshop. “A lot of them were talented in writing so we put forth the idea,” said ATC Artistic Director Kathleen Kellaigh, who serves as head writer on the project. “They come up with most of the scenes and I fill in the blanks.” There are currently eight teenage actors that meet multiple times a week to write the show. “The more effort we put in, the closer we are to our dream,” said Paige Sofia Sciarrino of Clifton. Emmy-award winning director
Michael Laibson is directing the first episode. Laibson, who won an Emmy for As the World Turns and also produced Another World and Guiding Light, has taught at ATC for the past decade. Composer Mario Sebastien, who has worked with Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, is producing the show’s soundtrack. Both professionals are volunteering their services, but the Clifton performing arts studio still needs funding to pay for the expensive equipment used during shooting. That’s why ATC is holding a Gala Benefit on May 6 from 6 to 10 pm at the Valley Regency on Valley Rd. Tickets are $50 and include dinner, entertainment and the world
premiere of The Conservatory. For more information, call 973-7726998 or visit atcstudios.org. The show takes place at a performing arts studio like the one on Union Ave. and the first episode introduces teen storylines such as their quirks and love interests. But The Conservatory is not just for teens. The show needs adults for recurring and occasional roles and soon there will be an episode featuring talented young children. Contact ATC to audition. A total of six half-hour episodes are in the works and will be aired on Mondays at 5:30 pm from May to September on Cablevision channel 76. The show will also be broadcast on the Web in shorter five minute segments. May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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The Flock of Pink Flamingos is flying across town supporting the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. For a $5 donation, their trainer will come and remove them from your yard. For another $5, the trainer will not only remove them, but will place them in someone else’s yard of your choosing. For an additional $5, you can purchase ‘Flamingo Insurance’
guaranteeing that the flock won’t come back to your yard for one year. Janet Mozolewski’s Avon Walk team of 27 members has already raised more than $10,000 this year. Visit www.tinyurl.com/JanetAvonWalk. The Passaic County Veterans Office will provide free U.S. flags to any veteran’s organization for Memorial Day ceremonies. Flags will be available for pick up 8 am to noon May 11 to 18 at the Veteran’s Office at the Totowa Business Center, Suite 200, 930 Riverview Dr. in Totowa. Flags will also be given to groups that hold services on Memorial Day and Flag Day. For info, call Tom Miller at 973569-4090 or fax 973-256-5191. The 20th anniversary Passaic County 200 Club Scholarship and Valor Awards Dinner is May 5 at 6 pm at the Brownstone in Paterson. Tickets are $50. Call 973-7546445. The Club raises money to support the families of emergency workers killed in the line of duty.
The City of Clifton’s 2009 sewer bills should be mailed by May 1. The due date for the first half payments is extended to June 1. There is a 10 day grace period; however, for late payments beyond that, interest charges are calculated from June 1. For more information, call the Clifton Tax Collector’s Office at 973-470-5830. The annual Pooch Party, sponsored by the Clifton Rec Dept. will be May 2 from 1 to 4 pm at Chelsea Park in Allwood. Bring your dog for an afternoon of leash free play, educational sessions, games, food, vendors and fun. Dogs must be pre-registered, licensed with the city and be free of ticks and fleas. Register at the Rec Dept. for $3 or pay $6 on the day of the event. This year, there will be a dog food and supply drive for those families that have been experiencing the financial crisis through job loss or work reduction. For more details, call 973-470-5958.
May 12th 7pm Open House! Tuesday, Timed programs; please call with any questions. Twice Honored as a Twic Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Queen of Peace
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• Student to Faculty Ratio 15 to 1 • Total Enrollment 625 • Affordable Tuition • Academic Scholarships • Award Winning Theatrical Program • Golden Griffins offer 20 Varsity Sports • Accelerated AP Courses & College Programs • Private Bus Service from Clifton available We are a Catholic, co-educational, affordable college preparatory high school, accredited by the Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools. Queen of Peace has twice been honored as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Come see & feel the excitement generated by our students. 66
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Clifton News & Municipal Updates Clifton residents indicated a desire for change on April 21 when two newcomers led all vote-getters in the Board of Education election. Joe Yeamans and Jim Daley were elected to three-year terms along with running mate and incumbent Michael Paitchell. They won 3,025, 3,016 and 2,780 votes, respectively. They were followed by Jack Houston and Carlo Santelli with 2,526 and 2,193 and incumbents Michael Urciuoli, the board president, and Lizz Gagnon with 2,101 and 2,005. “I am disappointed in not being elected in my second attempt to the Clifton Board of Education,” said Houston in a written statement. “I offer congratulations to the successful candidates and best wishes to the formation of the new board and officers.” The 21-year-old Santelli, who ran on the platform of being the voice of the students, called the campaign a learning experience. “All the other candidates went to all the public events,” he said. “They’d go to the podium and talk in front of the cameras at meetings. I didn’t do that as much as I should’ve.” Yeamans said he believed running as a team of three with Daley and Paitchell helped their cause. “I think there was an edge there because the
The three winners of the Board of Education election on April 21. From left, Jim Daley, Michael Paitchell and Joe Yeamans. The three candidates ran as a team.
people saw a platform of three likeminded individuals that are going to do what they say,” he said. Urciuoli said he believes voters were swayed by the way the three winners interpreted the board’s spending. “They were mentioning that we spend $20 million more than five years ago, but they fail to realize that five years ago, we spent $20 million more than five years before that,” he said. “Things are going up in price like oil, gas and heat. They think we’re squandering the money and that’s not true.” Residents also voted 3,574 to 2,576 against the $114 million tax levy, which was a 6.2 percent increase over the previous year. The tax levy would have raised taxes by $221 for the average home owner. Yeamans said his first priority will be dealing with the anticipat-
ed budget cuts, which now goes to the City Council for review. “There might need to be a good review of the infrastructure of the school district,” he said. “We need to figure out where we are overextended as far as non-teaching staff.” As of yet, no date has been set for a meeting between the BOE and Council, but when they do get together, the Council will recommend cutting the spending plan by a specific amount. They may or may not give specific recommendations for cuts. Board members can then accept the number and make the reductions themselves or reject the offer and send it back to the Council for lineby-line cuts. If the Board disagrees with these individual mark-downs, it can appeal to the Commissioner of Education. The Board and Council must meet by May 19.
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Twelve laid-off firefighters should return to work and Fire Station No. 2 should be reopened by May 10, according to City Manager Al Greco. “I think it’s a win-win situation,” he said. “The city is very happy the firefighters have returned.” This comes after the Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association, Local 21, ratified a contract on April 20. Two days later, the City Council approved the introduction of an ordinance to return the Fire Department’s table of organization from 128 to 140. The fire station located on Dumont Ave. in Albion was closed by the Council on March 7, resulting in the termination of 12 firefighters. The cuts came due to limitations on city spending because of the state’s four percent tax increase cap. Under the law, the city can only raise its expenses by $3.7 million in the 2009 budget, but that figure was closer to $7 million at the end of 2008. Under the deal agreed upon last month, the city will save $600,000, including salary savings accrued during the layoffs. In May and October, when there are three pay periods, 42 hours of pre-tax pay will be deducted from a bi-weekly check for each firefighter. FMBA members also received a promise there will be no layoffs for a year. 34th District representatives Thomas P. Giblin and Shelia Y. Oliver have announced their candidacy for the Democratic nomination to the New Jersey General
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34th District Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin stands on the floor of the General Assembly following the passage of Grace's law. With him are, from left, 34th district Assemblywoman Shelia Y. Oliver, twins Kaitlyn and Tyler Weatherby, and Grace Gleba, for whom the bill was named.
Assembly. Giblin will be seeking his third term while Oliver looks to secure her fourth. The primary election will take place on June 2, with the General Election on Nov. 3. The 34th District includes Clifton, Woodland Park, Montclair, Glen Ridge and East Orange.
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
The Clifton Police Department faces cutbacks due to budgetary constraints. In a Feb. 5 report to City Manager Al Greco, Police Chief Robert Ferreri said job cuts could cause law enforcement responsibilities to be consolidated and highranking officers to be shifted around. But he believes the CPD will remain an effective organization. Clifton police will lose two supervisory positions, but maintain its three-captain command structure as part of an initiative to save money. The effort includes freezing 10 unfilled positions. With supervisors being shuffled around, Ferreri said the anti-crime unit, could be disbanded and the captain of the investigations bureau would oversee nearly all of the department’s officers. The city remains in talks with the two police unions and the chief hopes the CPD could return to full staffing levels once negotiations end.
The Lakeview Civic Association meets May 26 and June 23 at 7:15 pm at the old Lakeview Reformed Church on Vernon Ave. Dues are $10, which should be sent to S. Christopher, Treasurer, 13 E. 9th St., Clifton, NJ 07011. For info, email maintrucking@verizon.net or call 973-931-3640. Botany Block Watch Expanded: George Silva, Joe Nikischer and the Clifton Historic Botany District board have agreed to expand the Block Watch program in Botany Village, now in its fourth year. Silva and Nikischer co-chair the Block Watch committee. Since the last week in April, the patrol has opened up their observation to include the area west of Parker Ave. between Highland and Ackerman, as well as sections of Lexington Ave., then back into Historic Botany and Botany Plaza. The supplemental patrol provides extra eyes, ears and wheels in the Botany
neighborhood on Friday and Saturday nights, from 11 pm to 3 am. “We don’t get out of the vehicles,” said Greg Mayo, executive director of the district. “We drive in trucks which have flashing lights and a spotlight and our two person team doesn’t confront individuals. We just report suspicious and unusual activity to the Clifton Police Department.” Mayo added that the Block Watch program would not be in existence without the support of the Mayor and Council, and the final approval of the CPD. The Dutch Hill Residents Association’s 28th annual flea market at Weasel Brook Park, along Paulison Ave., is June 6, 9 am to 4 pm. The rain date is June 13. One space costs $40 when paid before May 24. Afterwards, it is $45. For info or to reserve space, call Terry McMahon at 973-594-9883 or George Silva at 973-470-0679.
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The Last Civil War Vet Major Jacob Lotz served with the 34th NJ Volunteers Story by Don Lotz, Clifton Historian Major Jacob Lotz was the last of Clifton’s Civil War veterans upon his passing April 17, 1940. He was born June 1, 1848 in Germany and moved to the United States with his parents when he was six years old. The family settled in Valley Road Acquackanonk Township (now Clifton) near the Paterson border. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Major Lotz worked in a paper mill making $2.50 a week. Aged 15 in 1863, he walked from Acquackanonk to Newark and enlisted with Company I, 34th New Jersey Volunteers. He departed for Eastport, Mississippi on Nov. 16, 1863 with the 34th and performed duty in Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Alabama until April 1866 when he mustered out. Major Lotz sustained a scalp wound and at the siege, assault, and capture of Fort Blakely, Alabama (March 26-April 9, 1865) another wound to the calf of his left leg. During his later years he would reminisce about his Civil War experience telling many “how men, their arms and legs shot off, screamed on the battlefield for someone to shoot them and put them out of their pain.” Returning from the war, he went to work with his father on the Gould farm in Paterson. Major Lotz and Catherine Merlau were married Jan. 16, 1870 “by Pastor Wallenbach at the Elm St. German Presbyterian church, Paterson” and moved to the Richfield section of Acquackanonk Township and began farming there. The couple had 10 children, seven surviving John H., Mrs. Sue Roosma, Mrs. Catherine Shire, Mrs. Mary Benkendorf, Conrad, Charles, and Arthur. Governor Harry Moore presented Major Lotz with his brevet commission in 1938 at a ceremony before the NJ National Guard at the Paterson Armory. At his 90th birthday and family reunion party on June 1, 1938 at the Robin Hood Inn, Major Lotz “took part heartily in the community singing, danced, played several selections with his battered accordion (he’d forgotten how old it really is) and was the life of the party,” wrote the Herald News. “Never ill in the last 75 years, he continues farming today as when he was younger and insists he is still young. His eyes are still good, as he demonstrated by reading a lengthy poem without the aid of glasses. He painted a roof at his home this spring (1938) and did it so well that he thought seriously of getting a painters job.” The secret to his longevity and friendly demeanor is “I work every day and that keeps me healthy and I thank the Lord for all his blessings.” Asked about reaching “the century mark,” he said “‘99 years is enough,’ with a grin.” His friends and relatives presented him with a travelling bag which he used “when he attended the 75th celebration of the Battle of Gettysburg from June 29 to July 6, 1938. His most cherished birthday present was a new axe! ‘That looks like a pretty good axe,’ Lotz declared, hefting it, ‘but I’ll tell you better when I use it tomorrow.’” 72
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Dr. Andrew P. McBride, family physician, said “we are honoring a wonderful couple and the splendid children they have been blessed with.” Clifton Mayor Wilson Brower exclaimed “Mr. and Mrs. Lotz are splendid citizens and a great asset to our city.” Major Lotz spent his last years on his Grove St. farm surrounded by his large local family that included 22 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and one greatgreat grandchild born March 8. His last day was the same as any other that he spent on his farm. “In the afternoon, in defiance of his physician’s orders, he had gone outside to get a drink of water from the backyard pump and to look around his garden. He had been ordered to stay in the house since a heart attack last Friday, but it was impossible to keep him in.” His sons Charles, Conrad and Conrad’s wife visited him in the evening. Protesting their efforts to
Civil War Veterans. Three old soldiers were in the 1936 Paterson Memorial Day parade. Each had served in the Union Army in the war between the states which started in 1862. From left, Spencer W. Smith, 92; Jacob Lotz, 88; and Abram Ryerson, 94. Courtesy of Passaic County Historian Ed Smyk.
put him to bed, Major Lotz “exacted a promise from Mrs. Lotz to bake him a cherry pie.” Death came peacefully while he slept, “dreaming of the cherry pie
and the merry birthday party he would have if he lived to be 99; as if to make up for the gory battlefield memories witnessed during the Civil War.”
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From page 22, we remember & salute those Cliftonites killed during WWII...
Peter Pagnillo, husband of Mrs. Josephine Patso Pagnillo, 43 Center St.
T/5 Harold J. O’Keefe, 28, husband of Mrs. Frances O’Keefe, of 23 Alyea Terr., was killed in France while serving with the Army. A head electrician with an Army Field Hospital, he was electrocuted while testing the voltage on power lines in Gruiges, France.
S 1/c Robert A. Parker, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred T. Parker, 171 Washington Ave., was listed as killed after being previously reported as missing in action. He was killed in an explosion of an ammunition ship. A graduate of CHS, he had been in the Navy since February of 1944.
Pvt. John Harry Olear, son of Mr. George Olear, 393 Lexington Ave., was killed in action on the Anzio Beachhead on May 3, 1944. At the age of 14 he was one of the survivors of the Athenia, torpedoed and sunk on the first day of the war. He was coming to America from Czecho-Slovakia. Pvt. John Op’t Hof, husband of Mrs. Evelyn Lakefield Op’t Hof, of 97 De Mott Ave., was killed in action on Jan. 3, 1945, after being wounded in Belgium in Dec. 1944. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Op’t Hof, of Wallington. Pfc. Joseph N. Palagano, only son of Mr. and Mrs. James Palagano, 233 Rutherford Blvd., Delawanna, was seriously wounded while fighting in the Philippines on March 3, 1945, and died in a Leyte Hospital on April 10. He entered the Army two years prior. T/Sgt. Edward Pallfy, 25, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pallfy, 153 Lake Ave., was killed in France while serving with the Infantry. He enlisted in the Army on Dec. 12, 1942. He was sent overseas as a Staff Sergeant, later winning a promotion in France. Sgt. Nicholas Palko, 31, son of Mrs. Anna Palko, 89 Russell St., was killed in action on Leyte Island shortly after the invasion of the Philippines. He entered the Army in May 1942 and went overseas in July 1944. 74
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Cpl. Charles Peterson, 26, was the second Cliftonite to be killed in the service of his country in action against the enemy. The son of Mrs. Helen Peterson, of 182 Highland Ave., he was killed in Manila during the early part of the war against Japan. His death was reported in the March 12, 1942 issue of The Leader. Pfc. Joseph A. Petruska, son of Michael Petruska, of 52 Sussex Rd., Allwood. He was killed in action in France in July of 1944 and had been in the Army since 1942. RM 3/c Joseph Piccolo, son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Piccolo, 206 Scoles Ave., has been listed as killed in the sinking of the destroyer Pringle in action off Okinawa. He entered the Navy in 1942. 1st Lt. Stephen Petrilak, was killed in France on February 14, 1945 when his plane crashed on a take-off. He was married to the former Miss Mary Fedorchak, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Fedorchak, 35 Bird Ave. Bronislaus C. Pitak, son of Mrs. Joseph Pitak, 96 Highland Ave. James Potter, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Potter, 1 Mountainside Terr. Pvt. Joseph Prebol, son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Prebol, of 293 East Fourth St., was killed in action in France on
January 25, 1944. He was married and attended CHS before entering the Army on November 13, 1943. John E. Ptasienski, husband of Mrs. Mary Ann Ptasienski, of Van Riper Ave. Lt. Salvatore Procopio, 27, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Procopio, 56 Doremus Pl., was reported as killed in action while as a German Prisoner of War. Reported as missing in action on December 20, 1944, he was married to the former Miss Dorothy Doheny. Israel Rabkin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Rabkin, of 119 Madeline Ave., Pvt. Edward J. Rembisz, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Rembisz, 56 Speer Ave., was killed in Belgium. He had been in the Army since January of 1944 and went overseas without ever having received a furlough. He attended Holy Rosary School, Passaic High School and Fairleigh Dickinson College. MM 2/c Louis Stanley Ritz, husband of Mrs. Clair Carol Ritz, who is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jandura, was killed in action in the Pacific where he took part in many major naval engagements. He was a native of Portage, Pa., but resided with his wife at 50 Althea St. Pvt. John B. Robinson, 31, husband of Mrs. Jeannie H. Robinson, 21 Kenyon St., was killed in action in Italy in April of 1945 while serving in the Infantry. Pvt. Robinson entered the service in October of 1942 and had been in Italy since July 1, 1944. He was the father of one daughter. Pfc. Harold Roy, 26, son of Abe Roy, of 550 Piaget Ave., was killed in action in late January of 1945 while serving with General Patton’s Third Army in Germany. He was married to the former Miss Esther Trainor of Irvington.
George E. Russell, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Russell, 64 Martin Ave., Allwood, was reported missing in action on a flight over Burma on April 25, 1945. He had been in the Air Corps over two years and went overseas in March of 1945. Pfc. Joseph Russin, 21, son of Mrs. Antoinette Russin, and the late Joseph Russin, Sr., 705 Allwood Rd., was killed in Germany on April 6, 1945 while serving with the Infantry. He entered the service in September of 1944. Sgt. Donald Sang, 20, was killed in action over Germany on July 21, 1944. He was a radio operator and gunner on a B-24 bomber. He had been previously listed as missing in action. He was the nephew of Mrs. Margaret Moreland, 31 Madeline Ave. Pvt. Andrew A. Sanko, son of Mrs. Susan Sanko, of 6 East Russell St., was killed in action in France on July 26, 1944. Married, he was well known as the assistant manager of an A & P store in Clifton. He entered the Army in November of 1943.
Lt. Stanley D. Scott, Jr., 27 years old, son of Mrs. Ethel Scott Tanis, was killed in a plane accident in Italy on August 2, 1944. Lt. Scott, who was with the First National Bank, Parker Ave., Clifton before he entered the service, was the pilot of a Flying Fortress. He had been in service about a year and a half and was overseas just four days when the accident happened. He was married to the former Emma Groh, of 5 Fenner Ave. 2nd Lt. William H. Scott, a navigator with the AAF, was reported missing since a flight over Europe on August 1, 1943, and is presumed dead. Previously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest medal, Lt. Scott was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Scott, 128 Lincoln Ave. Sgt. Leo Schmidt, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Schmidt, of Piaget Ave., was killed in action on an Air Mission in the European Theater of Operations. He was married to Mrs. Mildred Schmidt.
Cpl. Andrew Servas, Jr., 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Servas of 138 Lake Ave., was killed in action in France. He entered the Army in November of 1942 and went overseas in October of 1944. Cpl. Peter Shraga, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Shraga, 151 E. Clifton Ave., was killed in action in Germany. He was a veteran of battles in France and Belgium. Pvt. William J. Sieper, husband of Mrs. Carolyn Sieper, of 148 Ackerman Ave., was killed in action in Germany. He had been in the Army only seven months. The son of Mrs. Mae Sieper and the late Edmund Sieper, he was the nephew of former Parks Commissioner Frederick E. Sieper of Passaic. Pvt. William E. Slyboom, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Slyboom, of 11 Emma Pl., was killed in Belgium on December 1, 1944. He entered the service in March of 1944 and went overseas in September of that year. His brother-in-law, Pfc. Arnold Hutton, of 84 Clifton Ave., was killed in action on August 8, 1944.
90 YEARS OF SERVICE TO VETERANS, OUR COMMUNITY & PRESENT-DAY MILITARY
American Legion Quentin Roosevelt Post #8 16 West First St., Clifton Welcoming New Members Meetings 1st & 3rd Mondays 973-253-9933 Commander Marty Neville 1st Vice Cmdr. William Struwe • 2nd Vice Cmdr. Roger Edmonds 3rd Vice Cmdr. Lou Sonye • Chaplain/Historian Edward Noll Finance Officer John Grace • Adjutant Joseph Imperato Judge Advocate Jack Kuepfer • Exec. Committeeman Robert Cirkus Sgt. At Arms Frank DiGiacomo • Sgt. At Arms James Scangarello Quentin Roosevelt (November 19, 1897 – July 14, 1918) was the youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt. Family and friends agreed that Quentin, at left, had many of his father’s positive qualities and few of the negative ones. Encouraged by his father, he joined the United States Army Air Service where he became a fighter pilot during World War I. Extremely popular with his fellow pilots and known for his daring, he was killed in aerial combat over France. May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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Lt. Frank E. Smith, Jr., 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Smith, of 40 Clinton Ave. He was killed in action in Europe. His father was Treasurer of the U. S. Trust Company in Paterson, and was a member of Draft Board No. 5, Clifton. A graduate of CHS and Lehigh University, Lt. Smith enlisted in the Army approximately one year before he met his death, on November 11, 1943. Michael Sobol, son of Mrs. Mary Sobolewski, 15 Major St. S/Sgt. Joseph Sondey, 28, son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Sondey, 72 Christie Ave., was serving with the Army engineers in Belgium when he died on January 3, 1945. In the Army two years, he had been overseas 18 months and had been wounded in the Fall of 1944 while fighting in France. Ensign Joseph Sowma, 27, son of William and Fadwa Sowma, of 287 West Fourth St., died in Florida on March 20, 1944 as a result of injuries suffered in an airplane crash. Prior to enlisting in the Navy, he was employed at the Curtiss Wright Propeller Division, Clifton and was active in the Civil Air Patrol. He received his wings at Pensacola, Fla. in April of 1943. Pvt. Sieber Speer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Speer, of Delawanna Ave., was killed in action in January of 1945 while serving with the paratroopers in Belgium. He was overseas seven months at the time of his death.
Joseph Sperling, son of Mrs. Mary Sperling, 30 Richardson St., was Clifton’s first casualty of World War II. He died in action at the Pearl Harbor attack while serving with the United States Navy. A member of one of the oldest families in Athenia, Joseph Sperling was a veteran of 17 years of naval service. Sgt. Nicholas Stanchak, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Stanchak, of 18 Althea St., was originally reported missing in action and an investigation leads to the presumption that he is dead. A tail gunner on a Flying Fortress, Sgt. Stanchak was lost in a raid over Germany on October 14, 1943. Overseas three months, he entered the Army a year before his death. Two of his brothers, Peter, and Michael, were also in the service. Pvt. Edward Staudtmauer, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Staudtmauer, 408 Clifton Ave., was killed in action in Germany on March 13, 1945. At CHS, he was associate editor of The Leader. He entered the service six months before his death. He was employed by Forms Inc. of Delawanna, and also organized and led an orchestra under the name of Sonny Edwards. Pvt. Robert Stephan, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Stephan, of 162 Third St., was killed in action in France in January of 1945. He was attached to a Chemical Warfare unit and had been in the Army since January of 1944.
2nd Lt. Robert L. Stevens, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Stevens, 501 Clifton Ave., was killed when his plane crashed on an operational flight over Oregon. A CHS grad, Stevens was born in Clifton and active in sports and in YMCA work. 2nd Lt. Stephen J. Surgent, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Surgent, of 70 East 9th St., was killed in action over Burma while serving as a co-pilot on a C-46 transport plane flying between China and India. He was attending Law School at New York University before he entered the service. Cpl. Stanley E. Swift, son of Mr. and Mrs. Horace R. Swift, of 105 Washington Ave., was killed in action while serving with the United States Marine Corps on the Island of Saipan. A graduate of CHS, he was 23 and had been in the Marine Corps 23 months. S/Sgt. Dennis Szabaday, 31, was killed in action while serving in France. He was the husband of Mrs. Sophie Barbeor Szabaday, of 243 Delawanna Ave. He was the father of twin sons, and the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Szabaday, 97 Gordon St. S/Sgt. Bogart Terpstra, of 41 Day St., died at Camp Gordon, Fla., of an accidental gunshot wound. Mrs. Terpstra, the former Miss Bernadine Hynes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hynes of Fla., was with him when he died, in July of 1944. She had been living with her husband in Georgia. He entered the Army on April 24, 1941.
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S/Sgt. Harry L. Tamboer, son of Mrs. Anna Tamboer, 2 Gillies St., was killed in an air raid over Europe on April 25, 1944. A gunner on a B-24 bomber, he had previously been reported missing in action. He was on his 11th bombing mission and had been awarded the Air Medal for his work on previous missions. Aviation Cadet Albert M. Tau, of 16 George St., the son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Tau, was killed in August, 1943 in an Army basic training plane from Walnut Ridge Air Base, AK., T/Sgt. Herman F. Teubner, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ewald Teubner, of 23 Hall St., was killed in action in Germany on December 3, 1944 while serving with the 13th Infantry. He entered the Army in April of 1941 and went overseas in December of 1943. He was married to the former Miss Bessie May Warren, of Nutley. Sgt. Teubner was awarded the Purple Heart Medal Posthumously. Pvt. John Thompson, son of John Thompson, Sr., of 138 River Rd., Delawanna, was killed in action in France on January 22, 1945. He had
just turned 20. He had previously fought in Africa, Sicily and Italy. His father is an old Delawanna resident. Robert Teichman, son of Edward Teichman, 77 E. 5th St. Pfc. Frank Torkos, 25, son of Mrs. Elizabeth Torkos, 47 Randolph Ave., was killed in action in Italy on April 19, 1945. He had been in the Army 18 months and overseas a year. He was a welder before entering the Army. 1st Lt. Gordon R. Tomea, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon R. Tomea, Sr., of 98 Gordon St. A pilot of a Flying Fortress, he had been listed as missing in action over Germany since December 24, 1944. Overseas since June of 1944, he entered the Air Corps in March of 1944. He was married to the former Miss Helen Backes, and was the father of a son. He had flown 33 missions before he was killed. Capt. Jerry Toth, son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Toth, of 101 East Clifton Ave.,
was killed in action against the Japanese during the early stages of the war. He had previously been reported as missing in action in the Philippines in April of 1942. A West Point graduate, Capt. Toth was one of the original defenders of Bataan. He was married and the father of one child. Pvt. Frank Urrichio, USMCR, 19, only son of Mr. and Mrs. James Urrichio, 13 James St., died on March 1, 1945 as a result of wounds suffered on Iwo Jima. He entered the service in May of 1944 and went overseas in November of that year. He attended School No. 7 and at CHS played football for two seasons and was a star pitcher on the baseball team. Before entering the Marines, he attended the University of Alabama, where he also played football. He was the brother of Mrs. Loretta Froehlich, one of the organizers and first chairman of the Clifton Service Canteen.
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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T/Sgt. James M. Van Ness, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert M. Van Ness, of Harding Ave. He died on August 9, 1943 of wounds suffered while acting as a waist gunner on a B-24 Liberator Bomber. A CHS grad, he enlisted in the Army on January 8, 1942 and went overseas in February, 1943. Pvt. Arthur Vanden Bree, 25, husband of Mrs. Dorothy Vanden Bree, 137 Center St., was killed in action on January 12, 1945 while serving with the Army Engineers in the South Pacific. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Vanden Bree, of Paterson, and went into the Army in June of 1943. S/Sgt. Robert Van Liere, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Van Liere, of 535 Lexington Ave. He was killed in action in France on July 29, 1944. He had been overseas several months at the time of his death. Richard Vander Laan, Jr., 40, of 34 Hilton St., a civilian construction worker, was killed as a result of enemy action in the North Atlantic on February 2, 1943. He had previously
been reported missing. He was married to Mrs. Dorothy Vander Laan. 2nd Lt. John Stewart Van Kirk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Van Kirk, of 268 E. 4th St., was reported missing in action by the War Department in April of 1943 while serving in North Africa, leading to the presumption that he is dead. The 25 year old Lieutenant had been in the Army two years. As a member of the Signal Corps, he received his commission in January, 1943 after Officer Candidate School at Ft. Monmouth. Cpl. Richard Van Vliet, husband of the former Eleanor Colt, of Concord St., was killed in action on Okinawa on April 30, 1945. He entered the service in December of 1941. He fought at Iwo Jima, Saipan and the Philippines before going to Okinawa. Sgt. Benedict Vital, an aerial engineer on a B-24 Bomber, was reported missing in action on a raid over Italy on January 30, 1944. Vital worked for the Minwax Company, Delawanna, before his induction on September 5, 1942.
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Pfc. Vito Venezia, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gaetano Venezia, of 72 Highland Ave., was killed in action in Germany on April 1, 1945. A member of the 387th Infantry Division, he had been overseas only six weeks at the time of his death, in the Army less than a year. Pvt. Louis J. Vuoncino, 33, husband of Mrs. Helen Vuoncino,, was known to local sports followers as “Lefty Jackson,” Pvt. Vuoncino was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Isador Vuoncino, of 245 Randolph Ave. Sgt. Peter Vroedingay, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Vroedingay, of 254 Burgess Pl., was killed in action in Italy on July 12, 1944. His death came the day after he had received fatal wounds in action. He was born in Clifton and attended local schools. Pvt. David Ward, 36, husband of Mrs. Loretta Ward, of 137 Center St., and married to the former Loretta Lajeskie, of Passaic, was killed serving with the infantry in France. He was in several major campaigns, including the battle of St. Lo.
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
After participating in battles in France and Belgium, Cpl. Peter Shraga was killed in action in Germany.
S/Sgt. Julius Weisfeld, 27, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Weisfeld, 314 Lexington Ave., reported as missing in action since August of 1942, and later it was determined he was killed by the Japanese in the Philippines.
Harold F. and William J. Weeks, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Weeks, formerly of William St., Delawanna, were killed in action in the sinking of the cruiser Juneau. The brothers were killed in the disastrous sinking in which the famous five Sullivan brothers also perished. Marine Sgt. Wayne Wells, husband of Mrs. Eloise Wells, of Valley Rd., was killed in action on February 19, 1945 at Iwo Jima. Previously wounded on Saipan, he took part in the fighting on the Marianas and Marshall Islands. Cpl. Ernest Yedlick, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Yedlick, 18 Peru Rd., Allwood, was wounded while serving with the Infantry in Germany on April 8, 1945 and died of those wounds on April 17, 1945. He had been in service two years at the time of his death. Cpl. Alexander Yewko, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mieczyslaw (Mike) Yewko, of 158 East Clifton Ave., was killed in
action while serving as a tail gunner on a Liberator Bomber. He took part in the pre-invasion assaults on Iwo Jima. Pvt. Lawrence Silvio Zanetti, 30, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Zanetti, of 25 Garretsee Pl., died of wounds received in France, when assigned to an armored infantry unit. Pfc. George A. Zeim, son of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Zeim, of 38 Sisco Pl., died on July 28, 1944 of wounds received in action in the Pacific Theatre. He had been in the Army since February of 1941. Pfc. John A. Zier-Dzierzynski, son of Mrs. Sophia Dzierzynski, 216 Merselis Ave., and the late John Dzierzynski, was killed in action in Belgium on January 7, 1945. He was married to the former Miss Marion Suchocki, of Paterson, and was the father of a daughter, Dolores Leona. A paratrooper, he had been overseas since August of 1944 and in the Army a year and one half.
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Birthdays & Celebrations! send us your dates and names... tomhawrylko@optonline.net
Happy 80th Birthday to Connie Paladino on May 25. Happy 1st Birthday to Gianna Carmela Musleh on May 10. Rory Houston turns 12 on May 8. Happy 9th to David Peter Mosciszko on May 8. Mike Szwec . . . . . . . . . . . . .5/1 Samantha Cruz . . . . . . . . .5/2 Jessica Perez . . . . . . . . . . .5/2 Jordan Lynn Bykowsky . . .5/3 Maria DeGraaf . . . . . . . . . .5/3 Julia Komarczyk . . . . . . . . .5/3 Margie Maloney . . . . . . . .5/3 Thomas Zangara . . . . . . . .5/3 John Anderson Jr. . . . . . . .5/4 Spencer Flynn . . . . . . . . . . .5/4 Russell Courtney . . . . . . . . .5/6 Vanessa Laine Montesano . . . . . . . . . . . . .5/6 Mary Domyon . . . . . . . . . .5/7 Margie Hatala . . . . . . . . . .5/7 Carol Schwartz . . . . . . . . . .5/7 Terry Capili . . . . . . . . . . . . .5/8 Ken Hauser . . . . . . . . . . . . .5/8 Alexandra Homsany . . . . .5/8 Frank Lo Gioco . . . . . . . . . .5/8 David Peter Mosciszko . . .5/8 Matthew Nagy . . . . . . . . . .5/8 Hector Perez . . . . . . . . . . . .5/8 Christine Siluk . . . . . . . . . . .5/8 Thomas Steranko . . . . . . . .5/8 Petey Pathos . . . . . . . . . . .5/9 Ray Zang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5/9 Gianna Carmela Musleh . .5/10 Rebecca DeChellis . . . . .5/11 Jessica Camp . . . . . . . . . . .5/12 Joe De Liberto . . . . . . . . .5/12
Michael Lonison . . . . Donna De Liberto . . Myrt Petty . . . . . . . . . Jeff Reilly . . . . . . . . . . Michael Zawicki . . . . Alice De Liberto . . . . Earl Grosser Jr. . . . . . Victoria Leja . . . . . . . Fred Gurtman . . . . . . Mark McGuire . . . . . Rosemary Canavan Big ‘Yonko’ Hawrylko Vick Ascencio . . . . . Jamie Antal . . . . . . . Michael D’Amico . . . Walter Hryckowian . . Mariana Pineda . . . . Becky Kuter . . . . . . . . Jennifer Mulick . . . . . Ken Bender . . . . . . . . Joe Murolo . . . . . . . . Matthew Palladino . Katarzyna Pawlik . . . Kage Lord . . . . . . . . . Jessica Bielen . . . . . . MaryEllen Krattinger . Michele Perez . . . . . . Donald Lopuzzo . . . . Michael Santosuosso Brittney Abell . . . . . . Jessica Suckerman .
. . . .5/12 . . . .5/13 . . . .5/13 . . . .5/13 . . . .5/13 . . . .5/14 . . . .5/15 . . . .5/15 . . . .5/16 . . . .5/16 . . . .5/17 . . . .5/17 . . . .5/18 . . . .5/18 . . . .5/18 . . . .5/18 . . . .5/18 . . . .5/19 . . . .5/20 . . . .5/21 . . . .5/21 . . . .5/21 . . . .5/21 . . . .5/22 . . . .5/23 . . . .5/23 . . . .5/23 . . . .5/24 . . . .5/24 . . . .5/25 . . . .5/25
Best wishes to our Clifton author Glory Read who will be 84 on May 8. Agnieszka Pawlik wishes her sister, Katarzyna Pawlik, a happy and memorable 21st birthday on May 21. 80
May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Olivia Alexandra Hryckowian . . . . . Derek Bykowsky . Alyssa Dalbo . . . . Kaylee Pinter . . . Jonathan Rideg . Fred Antes . . . . . . Steve Bielen . . . . Kyle J. Magaster David J. Ricca . .
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.5/25 .5/26 .5/26 .5/26 .5/26 .5/27 .5/27 .5/27 .5/28
Anthony Alcalde . . . . . . .5/29 Valerie Gancarz . . . . . . . .5/29 Anthony DeSomma . . . . .5/30 Rachel Gergats . . . . . . . .5/31
Sara Elizabeth Torelli made her debut on April 15 at 12:02 pm. She tipped the scales at eight pounds, seven ounces and measured 20 inches. She and her parents, Joe and Kellie, are doing fine.
Gia Camille turns 9 on May 2.
Danah Alburo is turning 22 on May 23 and Dorothy Alburo will be 18 on May 8.
Christopher Ramirez . . . . .5/31 Christopher Smith . . . . . . .5/31 Logan Thompson . . . . . . .5/31 Rachel Gergats . . . . . . . . .5/31
Jennifer Tolentino and Angel Santos will be wed on May 8 at Grace Church on Hazel St.
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Julia Young Fundraisers Funds are still being raised for Julia Young, the 15year-old daughter of Young Brothers chef and Clifton High School 1981 graduate Jerry Young, who suffered burns over 80 percent of her body following a camping accident in Harriman, New York in March. Cliftonites looking to help can attend one of the following events or call Young Brothers Deli on Van Houten Ave. at 973-777-6644. Mario’s on Van Houten Ave. is holding a fundraiser for Julia Young on May 2 at 8 pm. For $20, you will receive salad, an appetizer and pizza. There will also be a raffle for a 32” flat screen TV. Call 973-777-1559. The Tri-State Areas Music Community is holding a Music From the Heart, An All-Star Benefit Concert and Music Festival on June 14 at Mexicali Live in Teaneck. The event will feature some of the regions most exciting musicians. All proceeds will benefit Julia Young. Reservations are highly encouraged for table seating. The show is being produced by John Muller and will feature Carlos Colina and the Straight Up Band, Steve Johnson, The Incinerators, Dean Shot, Slippery Chickens, Plainfield Slim and the Ground Hawgs with special guest Blues Harp legend Big Nancy Swarbrick. The restaurant will be open for dinner starting at 4 pm. Music begins at 4:30 pm. Tickets are $20. Visit mexicalilive.com or call 201-883-0011. The Passaic-Clifton Chapter of UNICO National, along with the music group, Brookwood, will host a Benefit Fundraiser Beefsteak for Julia Young.
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May 2009 • Clifton Merchant
Proceeds will go to help with financial obligations over this long road of recovery. The beefsteak will take place at 5 pm on June 14 at the Clifton Boys & Girls Club on Colfax Ave. and will be catered by Baskingers. Live music, 50/50s and other raffles will take place to raise additional monies. The cost of a ticket will be $40. For tickets or to donate money or prizes, such as gift baskets or gift certificates, call Dave D’Arco at 973-417-0731, Dan Pugliese at 973-919-8495 or Kevin Gorman at 201-757-5956.
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