Pascack Press 12.27.21 by The Press Group Community Newspapers (New Jersey)

Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake

PA S C AC K VA L L E Y ’ S H O M E TO W N N E W S PA P E R

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 41

HILLSDALE

BOE EYES TRENDS IN HOUSING,

Updating five-year look at population; could drive a new middle schoolʼs amenities

RACE

DECEMBER 27, 2021

DELIVERING ON STEAM District robotics team building a ladder up

See HILLSDALE on page 254

DO DISTRICT TEACHERS, PARENTS WANTARMED GUARDS?

Early numbers on survey back idea of SLEO IIIs; results due after holidays BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS

BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS

The Board of Education voted, Dec. 13, to approve an $18,000 study to look at the local districtʼs population trends and likely impacts on the districtʼs two grammar schools and George G. White Middle School. The study is timely: the nearly 100-year-old George G. White Middle School is being considered for replacement. The study likely will help board members decide on the size and amenities needed in a new middle school. A bond referendum could be held in March 2023 should due diligence efforts show no problems and the Board of Education approves moving forward by March 2022. This would allow time for school officials to apply for state aid and undertake public outreach throughout 2022, officials said. The board approved the study, 4-0, by resolution on Dec. 14, said Board Administrator Sacha Pouliot. Member Nicole Klas was absent. Superintendent Robert Lombardy told Pascack Press that findings are due no later than March 2022. Lombardy said that a demographics study is performed every five years to allow the district to “reasonably project” enrollment and that the last one was undertaken in 2016–2017. The update will be done by Statistical Forecasting LLC of Dorset, Vermont, which offers

TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON

Student organizers Hills sophomore Eliza Krigsman, Valley senior Donald Lafferty, and Hills senior Nathan Lee, members of the world-champion Pascack Pi-oneers robotics team, helped plan and run the team’s annual Fall for STEAM Fair on Dec. 11. Families flocked to it.

BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS

IDS OF ALL AGES joined Pascack Pi-oneers FIRST Robotics Team 1676 for its annual Fall for STEAM Fair on Saturday,

Dec. 11. Foot traffic was joyously heavy at the event, at Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, where the teamʼs 90 members (from Hills and Valley) had collaborated to set up 30 interactive tables of science, TOP: JOHN SNYDER PHOTO

technology, engineering, art, and math activities for special visitors — who had parents and grandparents in tow. Masks were required. A demonstration on “elephant toothpaste,” promising a giant foaming reaction, fizzled at first. “Thatʼs OK,” said the teamʼs student demonstrator. “Weʼll just take a step back, check our work, and run it again.” The fair, which promotes disciplines essential in

Continued on page 20

Preliminary and unofficial results from a Westwood Regional School District survey on hiring special law enforcement officers — known as SLEOs — for each of six district schools shows that most parents and educators appear to favor their hiring, said the school board president at the Dec. 16 meeting, at Hurley Theatre. However, final survey results were due after Dec. 21, the survey deadline that falls after press time for this issue. School Board President Frank Romano III told parents Dec. 16 that a five-question survey, sent via SurveyMonkey, was “to get a sense” of where the public stands on hiring armed security for schools. He said he would email out final survey results and post them on the district website. He also defended the surveyʼs integrity, and the boardʼs transparency, after a half-dozen parents spoke up with critical remarks on both. And he apologized for sending the survey out on the anniversary of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, where a lone See ARMED on page 234

OH, THEY BROUGHT IT!

B ck in time...

Congratulations to the 7/8 Our Lady of Mercy Saints Gold volleyball team, undefeated 2021 Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Bergen County champs. SEE PAGE 12

Westwood’s first bank, the First National at Westwood and Center avenues, opened in 1908. Its ad heading into 1929, the year inaugurating the Great Depression, touted optimism. SEE PAGE 4

PASCACK PRESS

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WW mayor: Don’t be dispirited To the editor: W Christmas week, riding the leading edge of a building E

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covid surge. And there is much fear and uncertainty about the efficacy of our vaccine firewall. Here are a few thoughts to consider: This current surge seems broader than last winterʼs. We all

know many more people whoʼve recently tested positive and/or come down with symptoms. The long lines at testing facilities indicate the rise in infections and close contacts. PVMC had reported five covid inpatients last week, and has been treating eight to 10 ER Covid-19 symptomatic walk-ins with monoclonal antibodies — daily. HUMC in Hackensack saw Covid-19 inpatient admissions nearly double over the week prior, from from 33 to 62. This yearʼs post-Thanksgiving uptick is discouraging but explainable: The meaning of “fully vacci-

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nated” is shifting. It took nine months of data to discover the average 5.5-month threshold when vaccine “immunity” begins to diminish, resulting in “breakthrough infections” and the necessary introduction of booster shots. Vaccine immunity is a misnomer; it suggests an ability to transform our bodies into “safe spaces” completely impervious to infection, symptomatic disease, and the transmission of the virus to others. That inaccurate expectation, combined with pandemic weariness and the yearning for normalcy, has made us less risk averse this winter… as the more transmissible delta variant continued to seek new hosts; and while the 6-month shelf life of full vaccine efficacy was timing out. These factors are acting like tumblers clicking into place — unlocking a Pandoraʼs box of new infections. Additionally, health officials are trying to predict the impact of a highly transmissible omicron variant that no doubt will further surge positive cases, necessarily adding to the stresses on hospital capacity that this winterʼs delta

426 HILLSDALE AVE., HILLSDALE, NJ • (201) 497-3997

Critiquing Hillsdale’s council To the editor: when at a recent Hillsdale Council meeting IAnthony DeRosa called Mayor WAS SHOCKED

John Ruocco a liar. [See “$16M for center, turf field,” page 1, Pascack Press, Dec. 20, 2021.] This is the most noteworthy thing Anthony has done in all his years on council. But there was no lie, just an action to be transparent. CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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Tomorrow [Dec. 21] is the winter solstice: the longest duration of night all year. On Wednesday the sun begins to claim back its time. Do not be dispirited. Despite the ebb and flow of the pandemic, weʼre gaining ground, not losing it. Weʼre moving forward, not backward. Ray Arroyo Westwood Mayor The writer went public in recent issues of Pascack Press with his own breakthrough case of Covid19, urging readers to get vaccinated and to take advantage of booster shots as soon as they were eligible.

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surge is threatening. Flu and cold season also is in full swing. However the number of covid admissions statewide is now approximately half (+/1,800, vs. 3,800) of what they were last December, prior to widespread vaccine availability. Confirmed omicron cases in New Jersey are in single digits — and as of this writing [Dec. 20, 2021] thereʼs been one confirmed omicron death worldwide. There is initial data that suggests its health impacts may be milder, or at least no more debilitating, than delta). But thereʼs another dynamic in play: Fast-moving omicron will be competing with the vaccine booster push and deltaʼs current spread, which is stimulating “natural immunity” in ever greater numbers. We now know that immunity protection from prior infection and boosted vaccine immunity and therapeutic treatments, unavailable last year, can still protect us from Covid-19ʼs worst health outcomes. Thatʼs only if we make smart choices: Get vaccinated. Get boosted. Despite contradictory reports on mask efficacy, wearing one indoors around strangers canʼt hurt — and it will put others at ease. Winter 2021 is not a reprise of winter 2020.

NOTE: Copy deadline is 11 a.m. Wednesday. Publication not guaranteed. Letters must be signed, with town and tel. Send your letter to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net.

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289 Pascack Rd. Washington Twp. • (201) 358-9660 (Washington Town Center)

BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS

WOODCLIFF LAKE

While an applicant attorney said the conversion of first-floor retail space at 216 Broadway to rental apartments will “bring an important old and new asset” back to the borough, a half dozen residents criticized the proposalʼs housing density, traffic, parking, and possible precedent being set for rental apartments along the Broadway Corridor. A first hearing was held Dec. 14 on the application to add three first-floor apartments at 216 Broadway, formerly retail space for Faber Carpet, and presented by applicant 216 Broadway LLC. The public hearing continues Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. An architect, engineer, and planner are scheduled to testify, with a board decision expected by March, said the applicant attorney. In addition to three rental units allowed on the second floor as part of the existing siteʼs nonconforming zoning, the proposal plans to convert the first floor retail space to three rental units: two 2-bedroom units and one studio apartment. [See “Broadway applicant proposes more units,” Michael Olohan, Dec. 13, 2021.] Applicant attorney Arthur Neiss of Beattie Padovano LLC of Montvale noted that 216 Broadway was built 151 years ago and is showing “considerable signs of age.” He said the applicant proposes to “maintain and accentuate its historical architectural elements,” and restore the buildingʼs original

cupola, which will require a height variance if permitted. He said the applicant proposes parking and vehicle circulation improvements to the site, plus adding a lawn and fence to a parking area at the Highview–Broadway corner. The plan includes 12 angled parking spaces and one-way circulation entering off of Broadway and exiting onto Highview. John DaCosta Jr., applicant principal and owner of DaCosta Development & Construction, said he acquired the property in February and owns two other properties on Woodcliff Avenue. He said he read about the buildingʼs history in a Pascack Press “Back In Time” feature, by assistant editor Kristin Beuscher, and learned even more history from “two wonderful women” at the Pascack Valley Historical Societyʼs John C. Storms Museum. (Beuscher is the societyʼs president). He noted the “building has been neglected for some time” and he has worked with contractors to add 6,500 pounds of new steel structural support to its foundation. DaCosta said he saw the building settling and brought on a structural engineer to develop a permanent structural shoring plan for the building. He said the new two-bedroom rental units will be about 1,100 square feet and the studio apartment rental about 300 square feet. Member Christina Hembree said thereʼs already a problem with people getting into and out of the 216 Broadway site. Resident Veronica Appelle said she had problems with entering from Broadway and exiting

onto Highview Avenue turning left or right. She said 16 affordable units are being built nearby, possibly adding up to 32 cars coming and going along Highview. She questioned whether the 216 proposal would have any visitorsʼ parking and suggested visitors would be parking up and down Highview since Broadway has no parking. Anthony Bagget said he had some concerns with density given the six apartment units proposed. He noted the site has always “been a multi-use property” although it is zoned R-15 (Residential OneFamily, 15,000 square foot) District and had been a nonconforming use. Asked why it couldnʼt continue with the first floor as commercial space, DaCosta said it could stay a rug store but a variance would be needed for any other use such as a doctorʼs office. DaCosta said should the property stay a commercial use it would require more parking and additional amenities on site. Gwenn Levine wondered if granting six units on 0.4 acre would set a precedent for up to 16 units per acre elsewhere in town. Alex Cuto also asked whether approval for a six-unit rental dwelling on a small parcel would set a legal precedent for other local developments. He also said the proposed cupola, though aesthetically pleasing, might also set a precedent for building height. “If you could modify the density, Iʼd love to support it,” said Cuto. Residents asking questions about legal precedents for variances and density were advised to

ask planner Joseph Burgis at the Jan. 25, 2022 hearing. One resident questioned whether large fire apparatus could turn into the complex driveway and chair Robin Malley said she would send the plan for fire department review and approval. Resident Ann Marie Borelli asked DaCosta whether he planned to convert 216 Broadway into multi-family units when he bought

it and DaCosta said he did. Borelli said she would like to go to 216 Broadway “and sit there in a cafe and enjoy” the reservoir views. Borelli asked if DaCosta considered that option. DaCosta said there were “a number of flags” about doing or continuing retail on the first floor including retail space needs that would change the look of the entire building.

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B ck in time...

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

TO SEE MORE BACK IN TIME FEATURES

NEW YEAR’S GREETINGS FROM WESTWOOD’S FIRST BANK

BY KRISTIN BEUSCHER OF PASCACK PRESS

ESTWOODʼS

FIRST NATIONAL BANK looked toward 1929 with optimism when the advertisement shown above appeared in the Westwood Chronicle newspaper in the last week of December, 1928. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight we know that the coming year would prove to be disastrous for the countryʼs financial institutions, as the stock market crash of Oct. 29, 1929 would usher in the Great Depression. Westwoodʼs bank was strong enough to persist. Completed at a cost of $16,000, the First National Bank opened at Westwood and Center avenues in 1908. Itʼs

strange to think about on the cusp of 2022, when there seems to be a bank on every corner, but this was a big deal at the time. This was the first bank in the Pascack Valley, and it meant the people no longer had to go to a larger city, such as Hackensack, to do their banking (this was a time before regular people had automobiles, and travel was by horse and wagon or railroad). By 1909 the bank had 1,075 individual accounts, which is quite a lot considering Westwoodʼs population was about

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EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Serving Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, Park Ridge, River Vale, Township of Washington, Westwood 201.664.2105 and Woodcliff Lake FAX 201.664.2109 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 335 E-MAIL US AT Westwood, N.J. 07675 pascackpress@thepressgroup.net

1,800 and the population of the entire Pascack Valley was 6,600. Those 1,075 accounts together totaled about $190,000—equivalent to $4.5 million today. Back then the building looked somewhat different, with only a single level. The second story was added in 1922, giving the building the appearance that weʼre familiar with today. In 1928 the bank pioneered something akin to an ATM, with a 24-hour deposting service. It was designed to eliminate the worry of local merchants having to safeguard large sums of cash overnight. To use the service, the merchant would place the cash in a large canvas bag secured with a padlock. The deposit would then be placed into a rotary machine located in the window grille at the entrance of the bank. The machine would automatically lock, then rotate, and down a steel chute the deposit would go, right into a safe inside the bank, where it would be held overnight to await deposit in the morning. The First National Bank moved to Bergen Street in the 1950s. After that, the Westwood Avenue building was a series of jewelry shops including Fields Jewelers (1957–1976), Mario Jewelers (1976–1985), and Parian Jewelers (1985–2019). Under the guidance of local architect William J. Martin, the building was renovated at its 100th anniversary. For his work, Martin received a 2008 Historic Preservation Commendation Award from the Bergen County Historic Preservation Advisory Board. A restaurant, Playa Bowls, opened in the space in 2020. The clock on the front of the building has remained an iconic feature.

Did you know? Westwoodʼs First National Bank was the first in the Pascack Valley, but the first-ever bank in New Jersey, the Newark Banking and Insurance Company, opened in Newark in 1804.

3A century later, the building at 99 Westwood Ave. would be recognizable to a Westwood resident of the 1920s.

PASCACK VALLEY’S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER

Publisher Editor Assistant Editor Art Director Director of Advertising

John J. DeFina John Snyder Kristin Beuscher Keith J. Harcher George F. Harcher

The articles and opinions printed in Pascack Press are not necessarily those of the publisher. Pascack Press is neither liable nor responsible for typographical errors. This publication contains material developed independently by Pascack Press. It may not be reproduced, in whole or in part. Pascack Press is published in Westwood and is distributed to every household in our circulation area.

BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS

TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON

Council members said that the architect overseeing construction at the nearly $6 million Emergency Services Building will be asked to appear before council at its second January meeting to help clarify nagging questions regarding building financing, design specs, elevation, and even height of the buildingʼs cupola. Following repeated criticism from neighbors over the new firehouseʼs size, scale, and construction quality, council members have debated who approved what and when; questions linger over possible cost overruns as the building nears completion. Following disagreement at the Dec. 20 meeting over what was approved by a prior council for the new firehouse/ambulance headquarters, council vice president Desserie Morgan suggested architect Robbie Conley attend the second January 2022 meeting to address unresolved questions. That meeting will be Monday, Jan. 24, according to the townshipʼs 2022 meeting calendar.

On Dec. 20, council president Stacey Feeney went page-bypage through 30 pages of “schematics” as she called them, that provided a detailed look at specifications for everything from fire truck turning radiuses, mechanical/electrical floor plans, and building elevations. She said these documents were presented to council in July 2019. During a 15-plus minute back-and-forth on the design documents near meetingʼs end, she and outgoing councilman Michael DeSena discussed and differed over what the documents detailed and what was provided to council members in 2019 when the structure was approved. Feeney said there was an email from former councilman Michael Ullman that requested additional detail on Conleyʼs presentation and those details were provided to the council, including DeSena. Feeney said that Conley said the council in 2019 received schematics, or detailed drawings of building specifications, for the proposal when council decided on

Vicolo

the new building in 2019. “I donʼt really think there should be any gray area on what was provided and what was not,” Feeney said. DeSena contended that the 81 pages of design documents were not approved by the council. He said generally schematics only account for 30% of design documents. Moreover, he said, when the firehouse was shifted to the east, the elevation changed and that was not reflected in design documents. Feeney told DeSena that the buildingʼs elevations match the documents and DeSena contended that was not the case, although he agreed the elevations appeared to match except for the buildingʼs shift eastward after its design. At one point, Feeney said DeSena agreed that the elevations do match the documents. However, DeSena disagreed, noting that did not include when the building was shifted east. Neighbors have repeatedly claimed that the building is too large and too high — including

the cupola that tops the structure — than its initial specifications, which were approved two years ago by council. However, Conley has repeatedly said the building meets approved specifications and follows township code for height, currently topping off at 53 feet, 3 inches including the cupola. Earlier in the meeting, several members, including Morgan, questioned a $458,238.20 bill submitted by Tekcon, the general contractor. Administrator Robert Tovo noted the funds to be paid were already being held in escrow for the project, or encumbered for that purpose. He told Pascack Press recently that its new completion date is

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March 2022 and that the building is within budget, despite nearly $1.7 million in work still to be completed. Tovo also confirmed, Dec. 20, that $1.7 million was left in the construction budget. Previously, the buildingʼs roof shingles needed to be completely ripped off and replaced after installation during a rain/hail storm at the subcontractorʼs expense; moreover, a $206,000 change order increase was needed for additional retaining wall work to drive pilings into hard soils. DeSena claimed there were 957 pages in the project design manual never seen by a prior council approving the building, CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

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LIBRARY CALENDAR: PROGRAMS THIS WEEK

HILLSDALE 509 Hillsdale Ave. (201) 358-5072 hfpl.org • Join the Knitting Group to chat with friendly fellow knitters as everyone works on their own projects. Meeting Tuesday, Dec. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon at the library.

Bring your own materials. Space is limited, so register online. • Join Maria at the library and start the day with a Chair Yoga class. Chair Yoga brings the floor to you and is a gentle but satisfying workout ideal for seniors or those who find regular yoga too aggressive. Thursday, Dec. 30,

from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Registration required. Class will be outdoors as weather permits. • Zumba via Zoom is Thursday, Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. Janet Weller, certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, leads a dance-based workout. Register for Zoom link.

New Years Sale

MONTVALE 12 Mercedes Drive, Suite 100 (201) 391-5090 montvalelibrarynj.org • Registration will open Monday, Dec. 27 for the Kids Snowman Winter Reading Challenge. Collectively for every hour a family reads, they will earn a piece of a snowman. Each family member can contribute to building this frosty masterpiece. The more books you read, the bigger your familyʼs snowman will be. The library will provide the books and the snowman; all you have to do is register and get reading. PARK RIDGE 51 Park Ave. (201) 391-5151 parkridge.bccls.org • Storytime with Miss Renee is on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. in the First Friends room (across the hall from the library). Geared towards toddlers and preschool age, but open to all. Registration required.

RIVER VALE 412 Rivervale Road (201) 391-2323 rivervalelibrary.org • Catch the film “Jungle Cruise” (PG-13, 2021) at the libraryʼs Movie Matinee on Tuesday, Dec. 28 from 1 to 3 p.m. In this Disney movie, Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne “The Rock”

Johnson) to take her down the Amazon in his ramshackle boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal—a discovery that will change the future of medicine. Space is limited. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. All participants must sign a hold harmless agreement.

WESTWOOD 49 Park Ave. (201) 664-0583 westwoodpubliclibrary.org • The library will hold a virtual Kwanzaa Story Time and Craft, via Google Meet, Tuesday, Dec. 28 from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Grades K–5. Children will listen to a story about Kwanzaa and complete a craft for this holiday. A craft pack will be provided. Limited supplies; register online. • Make Your Own Mug Cake, for grades 4–6, is virtual via Google Meet on Wednesday, Dec. 29 from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Make a sweet treat to end the year! You can choose between a chocolate chip mug cake or a snickerdoodle mug cake. Most of the ingredients will be supplied except for water, eggs and mug. Each mug cake will come with an ingredient list and instructions. The group will make them together step by step. Supplies limited; register online.

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PASCACK VALLEY

SUEZ touts major reduction on lead in drinking water

field will continue in 2022, with across the region. He also SUEZ investing $20 million to thanked residents of those comreplace thousands more lead munities for their patience durservice lines. The project is also ing the work. SUEZ said, “Water expanding to help residents replace their lead service lines providers across the nation are expected to make similar profor free. [Related: “SUEZ touts grams a priority now that the $140M in infrastructure work, federal government has set the looks deeper into 2021,” Pas- removal of lead pipes as a critical part of the recent Infrascack Press, April 17, 2021.] In the release, Bergen tructure and Jobs Act. Congress County Executive Jim Tedesco earmarked $55 billion for lead III praised the companyʼs work removal and other water quality projects.” on behalf of residents. Weland added, “We appre“I applaud SUEZʼs recent Saying its infrastructure investments are paying off in efforts working to bring lead ciate the emphasis on lead striking lead percentage results in Northern New Jersey, SUEZ levels to its lowest recorded per- removal and infrastructure Water says it won’t stop work “until we get all the lead out of centage in 30 years and I wel- because it is essential to the the system.”(SUEZ North America photo.) come their continued commit- health of communities. Thatʼs ment to ensure that all Bergen why SUEZ invests heavily in County residents have safe and New Jersey, with $810 million advanced network solutions to the system. Suez said “the work led to equal access to clean drinking in projects slated over the next 16,000 industrial and municipal five years to remove lead, sites; processes 160,000 tons of significant advancements in cor- water,” Tedesco said. Hudson County Executive replace water mains, upgrade waste for recycling; rehabili- rosion control treatment, which tates and maintains water assets essentially coats lead pipes to Tom DeGise called the recent treatment facilities and other for more than 6,000 municipal prevent particles from entering test results welcome news. “In projects.” He said, “The most imporits work in the lab and in the and industrial customers; and the water.” Weland said, “Our lead field, SUEZ has shown its dedi- tant thing we do is to provide manages $4.1 billion in total replacement crews, in conjunc- cation to providing clean, safe safe and reliable drinking water assets. tion with our water quality staff, drinking water to residents and to our customers and our comFor more dedicated themselves to tackling businesses.” W e l a n d munities.” Alarm raised in 2019 SUEZ intensified its lead this issue. Their work is a great thanked the county executives as news and feature articles on program in 2019, when testing example of our mission to pro- well as the mayors and local SUEZ in our communities, visit showed lead above the standard vide our customers with best-in- officials who assisted SUEZ as ThePressGroup.net and search in 16 of 109 homes. The compa- class service and water quality.” its crews pulled lead pipes from for SUEZ. During the past three years, the ground in municipalities ny brought in the nationʼs leading experts to study the unique more than 20 construction characteristics of the systemʼs crews, some working six days a water chemistry. Pipes were week, have swept through BerLet us help promote your club or organization. pulled up for analysis and inno- gen and Hudson counties in an vative testing equipment was attack on lead service lines. Send all news to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net or The companyʼs work in the mail to: Pascack Press, P.O. Box 335, Westwood, NJ 07675 built and stationed throughout

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DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

After a three-year, $95 million project that resulted in 7,700 lead pipes pulled from the ground in 57 municipalities across Bergen and Hudson counties, SUEZ North America announced on Dec. 16 that lead levels in the drinking water in its Northern New Jersey system are at historic lows. SUEZ said in a press release that lab results have shown lead levels at 6.1 parts per billion (ppb), well below the state and federal action level of 15 ppb and the 18.4 ppb the system recorded in late 2018. It said, “The current results are the lowest recorded in at least the 30 years since the federal Environmental Protection Agency established rules for testing for lead in water.” Alan Weland, SUEZ vice president and general manager, said in the statement, “This is great news for the nearly one million residents and businesses we serve in Northern New Jersey. Our work is not done, however. We will continue to work until we get all the lead out of the system.” SUEZ North America notes it operates across all 50 states and Canada. The company provides drinking water, wastewater and waste collection service to 6.7 million people on a daily basis; treats 560 million gallons of water and 460 million gallons of wastewater each day; delivers water treatment and

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

Three on WRSD board of ed are honored BY MICHAEL OLOHAN AND JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS

TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON

Three Westwood Regional School District board members were honored for their years of service at the Dec. 16 regional board meeting — their final official meeting — with praise from fellow board members and some family members. With offices at the high school, the board helps oversee four town elementary schools and a

middle school and a high school serving students from Westwood and Washington Township. Board Vice President Joseph Abou-Daoud, of Westwood — also the boardʼs chairman of policy and governance — was celebrated for “three years of dedicated service” to the district (and had the pleasure of serving alongside his daughter Isabelle, one of two high-achieving 2021 student representatives to the board). Andrew Gerstmayr, of Westwood — the boardʼs chairman of finance and facilities — was honored for three years and six months

of service. He ran for election after a long and passionate stint of speaking out on district issues from SNEE

behind the public microphone. Thomas Snee, of the Township of Washington, who serves on curriculum and programs, was thanked for his five months of service. He stepped up after a vacancy opened and township member Frank Romano III was promoted to board president. Proclamations for the three trustees were read into the record. The proclamations honored the departing members for a “conscientious and rational approach to the decision-making process” and “valuable and dedicated service to the students, staff, and citizens of the Westwood Regional School District.” Abou-Daoud, Gerstmayr, and Snee were presented with plaques that recognized their service and contributions. Each trustee briefly summed up his time on the board and were recognized by fellow members for outstanding contributions. The proclamations honoring trustees recognized each for having given “generously of his time, ABOU-DAOUD

efforts and abilities in the interest of promoting and supporting the best educational opportunities for the children and youth of our school district” and was “frequently required to do so at a personal sacrifice to himself and to his family.” During public comment, Andrea Gerstmayr, and Gerstmayrʼs son and daughter, thanked their father for his service to the board. Abou-Daoudʼs family lauded him for his community service. GERSTMEYER

In their own words On Nov. 2, after the election, Gerstmayr posted in part, “So much as happened on my journey from starting as a concerned parent, progressing to an appointed member, elected to a full term three years ago, and then unexpectedly being part of the Board tasked with dealing with a pandemic.” He said heʼd learned “valuable lessons from some of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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Westwood High School Boys Basketball Alumni are continuing their yearly fight against cancer. The annual Cardinals Alumni Vs. Cancer basketball game is set for Jan. 8, 2022. The event benefits the V Foundation for Cancer Research, founded by ESPN personality and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano. The event includes an alumni

game at 6 p.m. at the Westwood Community Center, 55 Jefferson Ave., followed by a reception at Valley Burger & Brew in River Vale. Post-game festivities begin at 8 and will feature the popular Bergen County musical band Blend. A $50 donation includes the alumni game, concert and open bar reception. Organizers tell Pascack

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Press, “All are welcome to join the fight. As we see every year during our Cardinals vs. Cancer game, the communities of the Township of Washington and the Borough of Westwood always come together to support our own.” For more information, including donations and registration for the alumni game, email jmsan@msn.com.

PARK RIDGE

Alice Quackenbush celebrated at 100

The Park Ridge Golden Age Club recently celebrated the 100th birthday of Alice Quackenbush on Oct. 5. Alice turned 100 on Oct. 8, and her sons, Albert and Harry, organized a party in her honor at the club. Mayor Keith Misciagna attended, as did Councilman Robert Metzdorf, presenting a proclamation declaring Oct. 5 Alice Quackenbush Day in the borough. Brenda Yanni, Golden Age Club president, and Linda Mackey, club auxiliary vice president, presented a framed certificate. Yanni presented a large birthday card signed by club members. Representing Jedh C. Barker Memorial Post American Legion Post 153 were post commander Robert Oppelt, past commander Dick Bozzone, and Dee (Linda) Mackey, of the Womenʼs Auxiliary (also a Golden Age Club member), who presented Alice with a citation and a bouquet of flowers.

3‘True Ridger’ Alice Quackenbush celebrates her milestone Oct. 5 with family, friends, and dignitaries. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker sent a letter of congratulations. Here she shares a moment with Dick Bozzone. Oct. 8 was Alice Quackenbush Day in the borough.

Also present at the party, offering proclamations and certificates were Assemblywoman DeAnne DeFuccio (District 39) with aide Phil Fredericks; Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III; and Bergen County Board of Commissioners Steve Tanelli (chair), Ramon Hache, and Mary Amoroso. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D)

sent a letter of congratulations. Misciagna told Pascack Press, “The Quackenbush family has been a mainstay in Park Ridge for generations and their lumberyard literally helped build our town 2-by-4 by 2by-4. In the early years of our town many (if not most) of our homes were built using lumber milled at the Quackenbush mill. Alice Quackenbush is a graduate of Park Ridge High School and the matriarch of the Quackenbush family. She is a true Ridger, meeting her husband in PRHS and raising her family here in town.” — Staff report

Let us help promote your club or organization. Send all news to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net or mail to: Pascack Press, P.O. Box 335, Westwood, NJ 07675

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Cardinals vs. Cancer game, more, Jan 8

PASCACK VALLEY

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

WRSD: Plaques, thanks for trustees’ service board members on stage, that itʼs perfectly acceptable to ask questions, and if the answer doesnʼt quite provide further clarification, than itʼs even more acceptable to continue the conversation until full understanding is reached.” He noted heʼd been “one of the more outspoken board members, mostly from my need to fully comprehend the content and issues for agenda items in which I was

FROM PAGE 8

required to cast a vote.” And he spoke about what heʼd learned at budget workshops, including the tension between an allowable 2% budget increase and collective bargaining that pushed salaries and benefits “at a rate higher than that allowable 2% budget increase.” He asked readers to keep in mind that the current board “approved a budget for 2021–22 that resulted in a 0% budget increase from the prior year, when

the community needs it the most as the economy struggles to recover from the pandemic. I am extremely proud to be part of this group that approved that budget.” Snee told Pascack Press on Dec. 21 that his five months as a trustee made for “a wonderful experience. I found the atmosphere to be collaborative, professional, thoughtful and respectful. I am very thankful for having had the opportunity to serve our learners, our families and our district.”

‘The new Mount Rushmore’

He said, “During my July interview, I identified five issues which I have great passion for and have been advocating on behalf of for several years. I am very proud of the real and public progress our district and the board made on these five issues in only five months.” He said: • “The issue of overcrowded elementary classroom sizes has been publicly addressed. The conversation is now about how many classrooms need to be added, and not if. • The board formalized the conversation of installing AC in elementary classrooms with Berkeley, George and Washington Schools being designated for electrical upgrades. • The board will investigate the addition of Mandarin to the curriculum offering. How can we give our learners the opportunity to learn the second most spoken world language, after English, which also supports the second largest economy in the world after the U.S. economy? • My personal pursuit: the now public board conversation regarding the need to expand either George or Washington schools due to the recently approved Viviano and Franklin Court development applications. On that point, he said, “For some time, I have attended plan-

ning board meetings to understand the impact of these developments and advocated to prior boards for an explanation of their inclusion plan. With both development applications being approved, it is now a matter of when the board plan will be created and implemented by the trustees.” • Consistent educational experience at the elementary schools. He said, “With what this board was able to accomplish in a very short period, we should all be incredibly proud of the current board, board/district leadership and all parent advocates. I want to thank Mrs. Columbo, Mr. Pontillo, Mrs. Price, Mrs. Sembler, and Dr. Romano for having had the courage to positively support my nomination in July. I also want to thank all of the WT residents who supported my candidacy.” He reserved particular thanks for Romano “for his steady, effective and professional leadership.” And he thanked acting superintendent Jill Mortimer “for her incredible leadership since Aug. 1,” when she took over for Ray González, who stepped down to take a similar job in a different district. We were unable to gather Abou-Daoudʼs reflections by press time. The boardʼs reorganization meeting is given as Jan. 6.

WOODCLIFF LAKE Photo courtesy Carolyn Delafrange

PASCACK VALLEY

APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH COAT DRIVE

The current and past presidents of the Greater Pascack Valley Woman’s Club gathered at a recent holiday party. The club, chartered in April 1990, is affiliated with the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs. Front to back, left to right: Judy Russo (2008–2010); ĄĄĄíòĄããò» ĄòÉÏýÄ on Sundays from» 10 a.m. to 1 The Apostolic Christian »òå»°å»» off »»gĄ{ # .C v Kaye Boyle (1993–1995, a charter member); Cathie Roberts (2014–2016); Elaine Mooney Church in is collecting new and p.m. at 171 Pascack Road. ĄĄĄíòĄããò» ĄòÉÏýÄ »òå»°å»» »»gĄ{ # .C v » (2010–2012, co-president 2016–2018, and a charter member); Elaine O’Brien (2012–2014,

visit gently used winter coats for Jersey For more information co-president 2016–2018); and president Judith Brendel (2018–present). The club is always Cares until Jan. 2, 2022. Drop them wclacc.org. interested in recruiting new members. For more information call Elaine at (201) 573-9132.

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HOLIDAY EMERSON

PARK RIDGE

Synagogue offers free membership

Congregation Bʼnai Israel, an innovative, conservative Jewish synagogue, is welcoming prospective new members with a six-month free trial membership during the period Jan. 1 through June 30, 2022. By taking advantage of the trial membership, families with young children can introduce them to a synagogue, Jewish culture, traditions and prayer. Families can participate in traditional services as well as services geared specifically for children. During the free membership period, children can “audit” the Hebrew School, where the dedicated Hebrew School teachers make learning a fun and interesting experience.

Get the Results Get the results you’re looking for in the Service Directory in Pascack Valley Press. To place your service ad, please call 201.664.2105

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Congregation Bʼnai Israel is composed of 180 families from the Pascack Valley, Northern Valley, Oradell, Paramus, Dumont, Haworth and Closter. Regardless of age, it is a great place to meet other Jewish families who enjoy celebrating their religious roots. For individuals and families without children, Congregation Bʼnai Israel is a great place to take advantage of Shabbat and Sunday morning services, book and movie discussions, adult education, social events, magic shows and holiday celebrations. The musically themed Shabbats are always a congregation pleaser. Rabbi Debra Orenstein and Cantor Lenny Mandel provide engaging spiritual and meaningful leadership that stimulates interaction and contemplation on numerous religious, social and timely subjects. To take advantage of the trial offer, or to arrange a visit, write membership@bisrael.com or call the temple at (201) 265-2272. The synagogue is at 53 Palisade Ave.

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OLM Saints are CYO champions

Left to right and back to front: Assistant coach Americo Fernandes, head coach Sandy Fernandes, Ella McDermott, Meghan Long, Katelyn Levinson, Maddy Hryniw, McKenna Walsh, Iliana Pezzutto, assistant coach Laurie McDermott, Rachel Zawadski, Lori Graham, Lily Hryniw, Kaitlyn “KT” Fernandes, and Alexis Ramagnano. Congratulations to the 7/8 Our Lady of Mercy Saints Gold volleyball team, which ended its regular season 8-0. The team moved on to the playoffs, defeating tough competition to lock down the championship as 2021 Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Bergen County Champions. The team is composed of seven seasoned eighth-graders, three seventh-graders, and a firsttime volleyball player in the sixth grade. According to head coach

Sandy Fernandes, it was so more than a perfect 12–0 season: “It was an exciting season and the girls worked hard to make their parish proud.” Fernandes said, “Team Gold was able to accomplish this great season because of their dedication to work hard and support one another. This team is united by heart and treat each other like family, which is a winning combo!” The team extended special thanks to athletic director Chris Heinimann and volleyball commissioner Tammy Levinson.

Pascack Press welcomes press releases, birth announcements, wedding announcements and event photographs from all towns in the Pascack Valley. Send all news to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net

PASCACK VALLEY

DINING

Breakfast with the mayors Jan. 26

The mayors of all 10 towns in the Greater Pascack Valley are invited to present their annual town updates over breakfast in Westwood, and youʼre invited. The breakfast meeting and presentation are open to the public, including members of the press, local residents, and businesses. “Breakfast with the Greater Pascack Valley Mayors” is sponsored by the Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce. The event is Wednesday, Jan.

26, 2022 at 8 a.m. at the Iron Horse Restaurant in Westwood. During the presentation, each mayor or their representative (from north to south: Montvale, Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, River Vale, Old Tappan, Hillsdale, Washington Township, Westwood, Emerson, and Oradell) will answer questions submitted by Chamber members, including on such hot-button issues as new development and the growing animal population. Tickets are $25 for Chamber

members and $30 for anyone else wishing to attend. A buffet breakfast will be served. The event is expected to be well-attended, so reserving a seat ahead of time is suggested. Tickets may be purchased online or by contacting Robin Malley at (201) 666-0777 or GPVCOC@gmail.com. If space allows, tickets can be also purchased at the door. Visit p a s c a c k c h a m b e r. o r g / e v e n t details/breakfast-with-the-mayors. The Greater Pascack Valley

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Club News? Let us help promote your club or organization. Send all news to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net or mail to: Pascack Press, P.O. Box 335, Westwood, NJ 07675 HOLIDAY SHOPPING AT THE ABRAM DEMAREE HOMESTEAD VINTAGE GOODS & ANTIQUES CONSIGNMENT SHOP!

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DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

HOLIDAY

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

HOLIDAY

PASCACK VALLEY

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Can’t get out to Vicolo? Prepare its signature dish at home

Vicolo Ristorante meets a full array of dining and entertaining needs. Vicolo welcomes walk-ins, but takes reservations and offers takeout. Vicolo will be delighted to host your holiday business of family parties. Seating is available for up to 100. Catering is also offered and the restaurant has a full bar, including over 100 wines. Live performances during the weekends feature Italian singing and opera-style music. Enjoy making our Signature Dish at Home!

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on other side andadd 2 tbs. Grandmarnier.Add orange slices. Pull up a chair at Vicolo Ristorante, where elegance meets Buon Appetito! affordable — and delicious — Italian cuisine. Vicolo is at 216 Old Tappan and Sundays, 4 to 10:30 p.m. out, catering, and more, call Road in Old Tappan. Open MonVisit Vicoloʼs website for its (201) 497-8777.

PASCACK VALLEY

FRIEDBERG FOOD DRIVE THROUGH DEC. 30

Friedberg Properties/Friedberg Neighbors Helping Neighbors community service group is collecting donations for local food pantries through Dec. 30, and you can pitch in. Manager and broker associate Robin Effron Malley says, “With the holiday season approaching, many people are beginning to wonder how they are going to feed their families, but the shelves in the pantry are getting bare and the need is great. We encourage everyone to donate.” Wondering what you can donate? Malley has you covered: “Think about the food you would like on your Thanksgiving table! Food banks also need the day-to-day staples.

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Here are a few suggestions beyond the canned goods: cereals, instant oatmeal, powdered milk, apple sauce, granola bars, spices, soap, shampoo, toothpaste/toothbrushes, paper goods, laundry detergent, diapers, canned meats, stews, vegetables and fruits, bags of apples, bags of potatoes, and cake mixes.” Donations can be dropped off at any Friedberg office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. any day of the week at 213 Rivervale Road, River Vale; 1018 Closter Dock Road, Alpine; and 105 Union Ave., Cresskill. For more information, call Friedberg Neighbors Helping Neighbors at (201) 666-0777.

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Local girls get junior rings at IHA

Immaculate Heart Academyʼs Junior Ring Liturgy and Ceremony for the Class of 2023 took place on the morning of Dec. 8 in the schoolʼs gymnasium. Parents of the members of the Class of 2023 were invited to attend the liturgy and ceremony, where the junior students received their class rings from Jason Schlereth, president; Kerry Carroll ʻ04, principal; Maureen Layng and Alice Rogers, assistant principals; and Ana Echev-

erría, junior class moderator and world language teacher. Members of the class then enjoyed a reception. IHA sent thanks to director of formation Sarah Shutrop; parent volunteers, and Fr. Anthony Palombo of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Ridgewood “for presiding over the beautiful Mass, held on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.” Founded in 1960, Immaculate Heart Academy is an all-girls

Hillsdale residents Raelene Kunz McKay ‘94 P ‘21, ‘23; Madison McKay ‘23; Meghan Minogue ‘23; and Margaret Coyne Minogue ‘85 P ‘23 at IHA’s Class of 2023 Junior Ring Ceremony.

Catholic regional high school of the Archdiocese of Newark presently celebrating its 61st year. A Blue Ribbon School, IHA enrolls approximately 700 girls in a competitive college preparatory program from more than 100 towns in Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Hudson and Essex

counties in New Jersey and Rockland and Orange counties in New York. Over the years, IHA has continually grown and evolved, fortifying its academics, activities and facilities to prepare students for further education, and for the enhancement of

society through their personal, professional and spiritual gifts. Immaculate Heart Academy is at 500 Van Emburgh Ave., Township of Washington. — Photos courtesy Immaculate Heart Academy.

Congrats as well to Kara Ignacio ‘23 of Elmwood Park; Christina-Ann Augustin ‘23 of Stony Point, N.Y.; Olivia Morrison ‘23 of Mahwah; Carolyn Sandt ‘23 of Park Ridge; Kaitlyn DeMartini ‘23 of River Vale; and Magdaly PierreLouis ‘23 of Spring Valley, N.Y.

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

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DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

Health, Wellness &Fitness Guide

DR. KAPLAN: ‘Spreading brain-healthy holiday cheer’

Many people let the holiday season get the best of them. They get stressed out and impatient waiting in long lines, running around bustling DR. ERIC KAPLAN, malls, giftKAPLAN BRAIN & wrapping and BODY cooking elaborate meals. Do you notice that when youʼre in a ramped-up state, you start forgetting things? Thatʼs because stress really does have a negative effect on your memory. If you want to make sure you remember every trimming and trapping this holiday season, follow these tips to help alleviate

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stress and improve your memory. It might seem cliche, but the holidays are really best spent relaxing and enjoying the simple things in life. Announce to your family that you want to have a low-pressure, super-relaxed holiday season. This is definitely the best option for your health and your brain. Maybe it will even become a family tradition! Invite everyone to come to holiday dinner in funny sweaters or even pajamas. It will definitely make for a memorable family picture, and everyone will benefit from the chance to kick back and get comfortable. Many people spend the nights before the holidays staying up late doing last-minute shopping. Make it a priority to get plenty of

Kids, you could be a Snow Buddy!

The Borough of Emerson is seeking high school students, Boy and Girl Scouts and other volunteers who would like to participate in our Snow Buddies program by helping our Emerson seniors with snow shoveling this winter. Volunteers will earn community service hours for helping a senior in need. All volunteers will be recognized at a mayor and council meeting at the end of the season. If you are interested in helping your neighbors or are a senior interested in registering for snow shoveling assistance, visit emersonnj.org and complete the regis-

sleep instead! Try shopping ahead of time or online. Getting an early nightʼs sleep will improve your mood, memory, and focus so you can enjoy all that the season has to offer. Plus, winter is the best time of year to get cozy under some blankets and have a nice warm beverage. The start of a new year is also a perfect time to make some achievable goals, and the perfect time to start some new habits that are good for building your memory. Learn how to do Sudoku, or download an app designed to teach you a new language. Invest in a new musical instrument to learn how to play, just for fun. Meditation is another brain-healthy practice that you can try. These simple approaches can eventually have a major impact on your memory. Most important of all, your brain should be evaluated by a functional neurologist to determine specific areas of brain dysfunction which could be leading to your memory loss. This holiday season we are offering free Brain Health Evaluations! This brain test is called the

MOCA and is the standard evaluation test most neurologists use around the world to diagnose Alzheimerʼs disease or to see if there is any dementia, memory loss, or brain dysfunction. It is a quick, non-invasive test that only takes about 5–10 minutes to complete. If you are concerned about your memory or the memory of a family member, I advise you to take advantage of this FREE brain test. This is an amazing value and opportunity, so please email us at info@kaplanbrainandbody.com or call our office to book your appointment today because it is only for the month of December. Additionally, as a holiday gift to show current and new patient appreciation, we are offering our qEEG Brain Mapping for only $150 ($300 value) and Neurofeedback services for only $62.50 ($125 value) for each and every working day from Thanksgiving to New Year's! You can use this special for as many visits as you would like. Brain mapping is a diagnostic tool to help determine if there is neurological cause to your

health condition. It can help determine if your abnormal brain waves are related to focus, motivation, brain fog, anxiety, depression, fatigue, stress, anger, confusion, thyroid, diabetes, concussion, memory and much more. Neurofeedback is the treatment that helps send electrical impulses to the brain to help with Parkinsonʼs, stroke, Alzheimerʼs, ADD/ADHD, autism, headaches, dizziness, insomnia, fibromyalgia, TBI, visual disturbances, balance problems, weight gain/loss, tinnitus, or brain fog. It is painless, non-invasive, and there is no radiation used at all. We are also excited to announce that we will now offer our qEEG and Neurofeedback services at both our office locations in New York and New Jersey. We see patients in our New York office on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays and in our New Jersey office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Happy Holidays from Kaplan Brain & Body and remember… Feel better, function better, live better.

volunteer with an appropriate student. This workshop is open to residents of Allendale, Cresskill, Dumont, Emerson, Hillsdale, Mahwah, Montvale, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, River Vale and Westwood. For now, all tutoring is remote via Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp or phone. The workshop will cover the use of these technologies.

Literacy Volunteers of Pascack Valley is pleased to announce the next online foursession Tutor Training Workshop on Jan. 11, 18, and 25, and Feb. 1, 2022 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Volunteers must be 18 or older. To register, write coordinator Marilyn Katz at literacyvolunteerspv@gmail.com or visit literacyvolunteerspv.org/tutor-trainingworkshop-form.html.

Train to volunteer teaching ESL in ’22

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tration and waiver forms and email to Borough Administrator Robert Hermansen (administrator@emersonnj.org) or drop the paperwork off at Borough Hall, 146 Linwood Ave.

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Make a difference in your community: volunteer to teach English as a Second Language! Since 1982, Literacy Volunteers of Pascack Valley has been training volunteers to teach English to adults in their community. This remote workshop is run by a certified trainer and the program is an accredited member of the national organization Proliteracy. Upon completion of the workshop, LVPV will match the

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

5 WAYS TO HELP PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FROM FRAUD

From listening to music to ordering groceries, almost all aspects of our daily lives are connected to the Internet ERIC KOHLMEIER in some way. Nearly a third of Americans say theyʼre “almost constantly” online, with 81% using the Internet at least once a day. But our always-connected nature can come with risks: The FBIʼs Internet Crime Complaint Center averages more than 900 complaints a day; the center recorded $2.71 billion in victim losses in 2019.? Here are some ways you can help protect your family online. 1. Learn to spot imposter

scams. Have you ever received a call, text, or email purporting to be from your credit card provider regarding suspicious activity detected on your account? It could be a scammer trying to convince you to share sensitive information that would enable them to access your accounts. Increasingly, these criminals may be able to spoof caller ID or an email address so it appears they are legitimate. When in doubt, do not respond. Instead, alert your provider about the suspicious communication. Learn more about how to spot common scams at.wellsfargo.com/scams. 2. Manage and monitor your credit. If your data has been compromised through a security breach, consider placing a fraud alert on your credit file with the three major credit

Club News? Let us help promote your club or organization. Send all news to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net or mail to: Pascack Press, P.O. Box 335, Westwood, NJ 07675

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bureaus. Visit consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft for more information on identity theft prevention tips and resources you can share with your family. Make a habit of reviewing credit reports for you and your child at least once a year. Look for unauthorized accounts that may have been opened in your names. More than 1 million children were victims of identity fraud in 2017, according to one study from banking industry research firm Javelin Strategy & Research.? 3. Limit what you share on social media. Thieves scour social media profiles for clues to security questions, passwords, and other information that could help them impersonate potential victims online. First, set your profiles to private—and encourage your family members to do the same. Also, restrict your social media contacts to people you know personally. Finally, watch what informa-

tion you disclose. Revealing too much personal information in your social profiles can put you at greater risk of identity theft, especially if your bank or other companies use that information to verify your identity. 4. Protect your home network. Create a strong password for your wireless network in your home. Consider using a unique phrase with a mix of letters and numbers. Avoid using any part of your email address or information shared on social media, like the name of your pet, favorite movie, or anything else someone could easily guess. When you are configuring your router, the Department of Homeland Security recommends choosing the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) setting, which is the strongest encryption option.? 5. Stay up to date. Cybercriminals change their tactics frequently, so families should stay on top of the latest threats. Be sure to work with Wells Fargo Advisors and other financial providers to understand ways to

protect yourself as you conduct financial business online. Wells Fargo Advisors does not provide legal or tax advice. Be sure to consult with your tax and legal advisors before taking any action that could have tax consequences. Any estate plan should be reviewed by an attorney who specializes in estate planning and is licensed to practice law in your state. This article was written for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Eric Kohlmeier, Senior Financial Advisor, Managing Director–Investments in Park Ridge at (201) 5050472. Investments in securities and insurance products are not FDIC-insured/not bank-guaranteed and may lose value. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered brokerdealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2017–2019 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

Suspects in AT&T store thefts arrested

MONTVALE

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of Lourriston Potter, 39, a non-profit employee living in Port Jervis, New York and Ricky Land, 40, now incarcerated in the Pike County (Pa.) Correctional Facility, on burglary and theft charges. These arrests are the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutorʼs Office (BCPO) under the direction of Chief Jason Love, the Paramus Police Department under the direction of Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg, and the Montvale Police Department under the direction of Chief Joseph Sanfilippo. During a 1.5-year-long investigation by detectives from the BCPO, Paramus Police Department and Montvale Police Department, Potter and Land

were identified as suspects in commercial burglaries that occurred at AT&T Wireless stores in Montvale on May 4, 2020 and Paramus on May 9, 2020. On Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, members of the BCPO, the Port Jervis Police Department and the Pike County District Attorneyʼs Office arrested Potter without incident at his home. Subsequently, Land was served with charges while incarcerated at the Pike County Correctional Facility on an unrelated POTTER

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matter. Potter and Land were each charged with two counts of thirddegree burglary, two counts of third-degree criminal mischief, two counts of third-degree conspiracy to commit burglary, and one count of third-degree theft by unlawful taking. Musella states that the charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He thanked the Paramus Police Department, Montvale Police Department, Port Jervis, NY Police Department, Pike County District Attorneyʼs Office, and the Pike County Sheriffʼs Department for their assistance in this investigation. — News and photos: Bergen County Prosecutorʼs Office

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OLMC wants to hear from you

Our Lady of Mercy Church writes to say “In what might be a once in a lifetime opportunity, Pope Francis has convened a Synod on Synodality for 2021–2023. This worldwide process is a two-year examination of the way in which the universal Church listens to and walks with its parishioners. It is an exciting opportunity for every baptized Catholic to be heard, including those who have left the Church, have never been a part of the Church, or who donʼt feel welcome by the Church.” Active church parishioners are invited as well. An information session on the Synod will be held on Jan. 5, 2022 at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Church. The session will be livesteamed at urolm.org. OLMC explains the word synodality means

“walking on the same road together,” and says “The road leads us to personally encounter Christ and to bring the Gospel message to others so that they too may experience Him.” OLMC adds, “Pope Francis has asked every parish in the world to hold listening session in which two key questions will be asked: How is this journeying together happening today in our local church? What steps does the Holy Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our journeying together?” Weʼre told, “Through the process of prayer, exchange of ideas, listening to one another, and discerning what the Holy Spirit is asking, this is an incredible chance to assist the Holy Father in developing a vision for the future of the Church.” For more information, visit urolm.org or the Archdiocese of Newark at rcan.org/synod2023.

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

STEAM: Families out in force for day of discovery critical thinking, innovation, and an increasingly competitive workforce, also collected nonperishable food donations for Helping Hand Food Pantry of Hillsdale and Tri-Boro Food Pantry of Park Ridge, “to help our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.” According to the eventʼs students organizers — and students lead throughout the varsity Pi-oneers team experience — the day is an annual tradition and a thrill leading up to the next yearʼs tournament, which kicks off in the first week in January. At the fair, stations on science introduced the periodic table of the elements, static electricity, light as a rainbow, “magnet madness,” and “what weʼre made of.” Art presenters made friends through fingerprints, origami, pixel art, “STEAM and a story,” constellation creation, and a walking rainbow. Math captivated through geometry games, secret codes, Mobius strips, the Tower of Hanoi, and probability. Technology was popular, with a musical power station, an hour of code, snap circuits, line-following Ozobots, programs by Pi-oneers, and robot programming. Young engineers in the making took on challenges to do with boat design, marshmallow-tower building, bridge building, straw and paper airplanes, “a-maze-ing” marbles, and a catapult. Coach Lisa Ruggieri pointed out that everything the team does in orbit of its robotics tournament is to connect with children in the Pascack Valley, including through its FIRST Lego League for ages 4–16 and its FIRST Tech Challenge for ages

FROM PAGE 1

12–18. In the FIRST Robotics competition, teams design, program, and build a robot starting with a standard parts kit and set of rules. And outreach is part of the teamʼs DNA. Nonprofit FIRST says, “Teams build a brand, develop community partnerships for support, and work to promote STEM in their local community.” Amid the bustle, including a 2017 world-champion robot lobbing toddler-safe balls in the air, and families richly doing and discovering, Eliza Krigsman, a Hills sophomore teammate in community outreach, told Pascack Press, “Everything here is interactive. We really tried to make it interesting for our audience, which is younger.” She said, “When you join fun with education it tends to be a really good match. Nowadays school is maybe not as fun as students would like it to be, to be honest, but if you combine that, itʼs a huge deal.” She said, “Covid has definitely diminished schoolsʼ interactivity, and itʼs been tough for kids to get that aspect; they donʼt have that hands-on learning. They just have their screen, through Zoom.” A mom enjoying the conversation from nearby underscored that point: “Sheʼs spot on!” Krigsman added, “Especially with kids at this age, theyʼre losing crucial developmental skills — those social skills. for them to have that… thatʼs really important to develop.” She said, “Even with me, on the robotics team, I use my hands all the time to build stuff, and contribute to my community and the team as a whole, and I think itʼs really meaningful to have this.” Krigsman said she joined the

teamʼs mechanical subdivision as a freshman then “accidentally” joined the community outreach and international units as well, which she said was “the best mistake of my life.” She said she found, in talking to teams in South Africa and Turkey, among others, whatʼs so exhilarating about scholarship and collaboration. “Those words you wrote, that thing you worked on, that thing you did: thatʼs going all the way across the world to those people, and it gets put to the test and it resonates. Thatʼs indescribable.” Taking in the fair, with its sea of children and islands of discovery, she said, “You get to work on things like this. Itʼs such an amazing feeling to able to impact these kids.

Maybe one day theyʼll pursue a career in STEAM.” That mom who commented — Tina Guarriello of Park Ridge — later told Pascack Press that she was attending with her son Dominic, nearly 8. “I have elementary school children. There are no opportunities for hands-on learning anymore because of covid, and they have to sit apart and they have to have spacing and they canʼt mix.” But at the fair, she said, “There are all kinds of things here that I didnʼt know about. There are bots… Dominic is loving it; I think itʼs great.” Dominic agreed. He showed off his eventʼs stamped “passport,” proud of all the territory heʼd cov-

ered thus far. Before we left we met fair coorganizer Donald Lafferty, a PV senior from Hillsdale, and Nathan Lee, a Hills senior from Montvale, who designed the eventʼs graphics. Lafferty said last year the fair was virtual. “This is better. Itʼs a lot of work getting all these people together, but it pays off.” Lee agreed. “Given a platform for me to share all my favorite experiences, and the favorite experiences from all the Pi-oneers — itʼs fantastic.” For more information on Pascack Pi-oneers FIRST Robotics Team 1676, including sponsorships, visit team1676.com.

DeRosa and others were upset because the mayor provided very important information to the public that the council wants to hide, at least for now. Plans for spending $16 million on a community center and turf fields certainly should have plenty of visibility to those who will pay for it. council has already raised our taxes by a half-million dollars without any plans or a clear understanding of the projectʼs scope. In the last several years, at

least two Bergen County towns started down the road to turf fields without getting buy-in from the residents. Both projects ended up being scrapped and the towns wasted a lot of tax dollars. Hillsdale taxpayers should demand a referendum on these two projects before this council wastes any more tax dollars. What are they afraid of? Remember, this is the same council that spent $40,000 of our tax dollars on a study of the train station, a building owned by NJ Transit. They buried the project report when DMR, their favorite consultant, gave them the bad news. Wasted tax dollars. This is the same council that

is now on their fifth chief finance officer in the last four years. Why? That should be of concern to all residents. And this is the same council that has offered high density development in our industrial area in order to get a developer to build a community center for free. Do they really think we need two community centers? We should thank Mayor Ruocco for his efforts to get the council to be open about what they are doing. He understands who he works for. Doug Frank Hillsdale Former councilman and former Mayor of Hillsdale

Letters: FROM PAGE 2

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ing a project and decided to build a wildflower pollinator garden for the community and nature to benefit from. Taylor designs and investigated planned, while the Montvale EC sought out a grant from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) to fund the project. Taylor decided on a plan for an 8-foot by 16-foot garden, which she presented to the Montvale mayor and council at their public meeting on July 27 and received strong support for

the project. The garden [shown below] is complete and located next to the Montvale Senior and Community Center, and ready for the spring growing season. Taylor will be working with the Montvale EC and other community organizations to maintain the garden. The Montvale EC thanks Taylor along with her Girl Scout leaders and peers for all of their efforts. Robert Hanrahan Chair, Montvale Environmental Commission

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PSE&G issues winter safety, cost-savings tips

As the weather gets colder and snow forecasts become frequent, PSE&G encourages its customers to take time now and prepare for bad weather before winter storms hit.

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encourage customers to familiarize themselves with winter preparation tips and always think safety first in severe weather.” PSE&G said in a press release on Nov. 23 that it prepares yearround for extreme weather to maintain reliable service for our customers. “The utility has made significant infrastructure investments, including more than $1.7 billion in electric projects and approximately $821 million in gas projects from June 2020 to June 2021. The investments have strengthened the system so that fewer customers experience outages and, when they do occur, the duration is shorter, especially during extreme weather,” the statement read. One major effort this year involved adding more smart devices across the state to bolster safety, resiliency and reliability. In particular, PSE&G recommends customers focus on the following safety and energy savings tips.

Winter safety tips: • Have your heating system checked by a professional before operating, particularly if you experienced flooding recently. An overheated boiler or furnace can lead to injury and/or explosion. • Chimneys and vents for gas appliances must be cleared following a major snow or ice storm to enable proper venting and prevent carbon monoxide accumulation. • Make sure that snow does not block exhaust from a sidewall vent; otherwise, it could shut down or block heating equipment and dryer exhaust, allowing fumes containing carbon monoxide to build up. • Accumulation of ice or snow can interfere with the proper operation of your gas metering system. The meter assembly may contain a regulator that is designed to safely release pressurized gas in the event of a malfunction. Blocking the regu-

lator vent could create an unsafe another path. • To prevent carbon monoxide condition where gas is not able to poisoning, do not run any gasolineescape from internal piping. • Snow and ice can damage gas powered generators in a garage or meters and piping. Be careful when any other enclosed space. If you are on life-sustaining removing snow from around the gas meter; any damage to the gas meter medical equipment, ensure that could potentially create a possible you alert PSE&G in advance and notify your local police and fire leak hazard. • Use a broom to keep the gas departments. For more informameter, pressure regulator, and vent tion, visit pseg.com/life. piping clear of snow and ice during Winter energy savings tips the winter season. to lower your bill: • Chimneys and vents should be • Lower your thermostat: protected using an approved cap or screen to keep small animals or Home heating is the largest user insects from entering. These pests of energy and offers the greatest have been known to build nests opportunity for savings. Lowerinside chimneys or vents and can ing the thermostat by just one cause potentially hazardous condi- degree can reduce your heating bill by up to 3%. tions. • Use your blinds: Open • Inspect and clean dryer vents to ensure they are clear of debris, your curtains and blinds that face lint and condensation, which can the sun on sunny days to warm become a fire hazard especially in your home, and close them at the winter when drying heavier night to keep the warm air inside. • Check your heating sysclothing and bedding. • Do not store propane tanks or tem: Check for sufficient water any other highly flammable gas/liq- levels in the sight glass for steam uid in your home, as they can heating systems to ensure maxibecome extremely hazardous in the mum efficiency. Replace the filter on your warm air furnace event of a fire. • If you smell a gas odor out- heating system. Remove any side, please call 1-800-880-7734 debris around your heating sys(PSEG) from a neighbor's home and tem. • Caulk out the cold:caulk remain outside until PSE&G gaps in window and door frames arrives. • Downed wires should always and add insulation to reduce heatbe considered “live.” Stay at least 30 ing costs. Customers should prepare, feet away from downed wires, and donʼt go near the pole or anything be cautious and stay alert to their touching the line. Immediately con- surroundings during and after tact PSE&G, at 1-800-436-PSEG storms. Review storm preparatips at (7734) via mobile app or our web- tion site, to report downed wires and dial https://nj.pseg.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety. 911 if an immediate hazard exists. • Electric current passes easily through water, so stay away from WESTWOOD downed electrical wires. Don't drive over – and don't stand near – downed wires. • Downed wires can potentially be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large pools of standing water, stop, back up and choose

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Members of the Senior Fellowship are reminded to attend the groupʼs Tuesday, Jan. 11 meeting, 11:30 a.m. Guests are welcome The group meets at the Community Center, 55 Jefferson Ave. During the year the group enjoys luncheons, trips, and special events. For more information, call Judy at (201) 664-3614.

PASCACK VALLEY

gunman killed 26, including 20 children, on Dec. 14, 2012. Romano said it was his decision to email the survey then, and that the date was coincidental rather than intentional. Acting superintendent Jill Mortimer explained that she recently met with Westwood and Washington Township police chiefs, mayors, the BOE president and vice president, and council presidents to discuss possibly hiring Class III officers. Westwood trustee Michael Pontillo is Westwoodʼs police chief. As he would be in charge of any SLEOs from the Westwood force, he asked that his name not be on the SLEO III survey email and said he would not participate in hypothetical discussion and voting on a SLEO III. Outgoing trustee Joseph Abou-Daoud said that he preferred not to have his name on the letter — and said the email was sent without being discussed by the board. He said he believed the email should have come from the superintendent or head of security, Abou-Daoud said he believed more should have been done to understand what the public wants for school security. Outgoing trustee Andrew Gerstmayr urged more public forums for soliciting general public comment. Mortimer noted SROs are full-time police officers with full salary and benefits; SLEOs II are short-term employees, often a younger officer; and SLEOs III are retired officers under age 65 with full police powers but no benefits needed as SLEOs get benefits as retired officers. She said the district has one SRO.

FROM PAGE 1

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And she said a districtwide independent security audit was underway and she would ask the security consultant to make a public presentation on findings. Mortimer said SLEO IIIs appear to be “the most cost effective way” to have an officer in the schools. She estimated SLEO IIIs in each school would cost a combined annual $300,000, out of the districtʼs $62 million annual budget. Romano said the $300,000 figure was a “rough approximation” and he preferred a final budget number to come from Business Administrator Keith Rosado, who was absent from the meeting. Romano called the initial dialogue a “preliminary discussion” with much more to follow. New Jersey School Boards Association explains the Class III

SLEO has additional qualifications: • Must be retired from their agency in good standing; must be appointed yearly and must be less than 65 years of age (can only be reappointed up to age 65). • Must pass a psychological and medical exam and have a doctor complete a medical certification form. • Must pass a drug test pursuant to the Attorney Generalʼs law enforcement drug testing policy. • Must complete school resource officer training within 12 months of being appointed and conform to Attorney Generalʼs mandatory in-service and agency training requirements. • Must be a uniformed officer, displaying the Special Law Enforcement Officer Class III patch provided by the Police

Training Commission. • The responsibilities of the Class III SLEO are dictated by the chief of police but are often mutually agreed upon in consultation with the superintendent of schools before these officers are deployed in the school.

Early numbers Romano said the surveys provide a lot of data to digest and noted that he was “more interested in the comments that are made” by parents, administrators and teachers who take the survey. Five days before the Dec. 21 deadline, Romano offered preliminary results. As of Dec. 14, he said, 80% of parents responding to the questionnaire had agreed or strongly agreed that a SLEO III should be at the high school/pre-school site; 74% of parents agreed or strongly

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agreed a SLEO III was needed at the middle school; and 63% of teachers/administrators agree or strongly agree that a SLEO III is needed at each elementary school. In its survey introduction, the board noted it set six goals this year, including one that included commissioning the administration to facilitate an external safety and security audit/study. The boardʼs goal included: • A review of all safety and security plans, implementations, materials, and trainings • A security evaluation that includes physical plant visits/reviews. • Recommendations for next steps, which include the feasibility of Class III Special Law Enforcement Officers.

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

REAL ESTATE Armed: District seeks community views in survey

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

enrollment projections, computer mapping, and redistricting services. The contract, which Lombardy signed, calls for a demographic study, housing analysis and housing turnover analysis, with a remote presentation to district officials upon completion. It includes a community overview, live-birth data, historical enrollment trends, self-contained special education, enrollment projections, housing growth, capacity analysis, home sales, and geographic information system (GIS) mapping. The resolution notes enrollment projections will be shown for a five-year period, 2022–2023 through 2026–2027, districtwide pre-k through 8th grade by individual grades; and school, preK–4, and grades 5–8. It notes projections will be by grade, not by individual school. GIS mapping will call out the: • highest concentration of students in poverty; • racial distribution in the borough; • highest concentration of foreign-born persons; • highest concentration of school-age population (5–17); and • where in the borough people tend to speak English less than “very well.” The study also includes a detailed housing and housing turnover analyses. The housing analysis uses Hillsdale housing data, “which would be most useful if the community has a large number of new housing units planned,” states the study. The turnover analysis will look at the relationship between historic housing sales and enroll-

FROM PAGE 1

ment over the years. “Research has shown that student yields are smallest in long-held homes and greatest in homes that were recently sold,” states the study. The study will project historical turnover rates of 1- to 4-family homes in town and project the total number of students five years out, though grade-level projections are said not to be on tap due to data constraints.

A New Middle School? Lombardy told Pascack Press in mid-November that the school district was doing its “due diligence” on possibly building a new middle school directly across the street from its century-old, outdated middle school. A plan presented by an ad hoc committee in mid-October recommended actions prior to a final decision to replace the school, including a demographic study, title and deed searches of the site, and a topographic study to make sure it is suitable for building. Lombardy told us that this also included an environmental study. Board President Shane Svorec listed some middle school challenges in November. “Over

the years, the district has faced many changes and experienced forces beyond our control — including numerous storms that caused roof leaks and interior wall and floor damage, just to name a few.” She added, “With a mature building, we have also dealt with limitations of power, an older, less efficient/and at times unreliable boiler, and classrooms, gym, and multi-use space that is not only outdated but not adequate in size and space. Add to this, a national pandemic that further stalled plans and further limited financial resources.” District officials said they will consider moving forward on a bond referendum in March 2023 to replace George G. White Middle School — constructed in 1922 — if the “due diligence” on a potential site across Magnolia Street from the middle school shows no problems. However, officials said that a decision on replacement should be made by March 2022 in order to leave enough time to get needed state education department approvals on the amount to be bonded as well as a determination on how much state aid can be anticipated for construction of a

WESTWOOD REGIONAL

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION STARTS JAN. 4

The Westwood Regional School District opens online kindergarten registration for the 2022–2023 school year on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. This is a pre-registration only; students will not be considered enrolled until parents/guardians submit the required documentation at an in-

person registration appointment. Your child must reside in the Borough of Westwood or Township of Washington and be 5 on or before Oct. 1, 2021 to enter Kindergarten next September. For more information, visit the “student registration” section of the district website, wwrsd.org.

PASCACK VALLEY

Elks aid Kentucky tornado victims

National Elks President I. Keith Mills recently announced Local Elks Lodges from every state, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Panama Canal Zone will be raising donations to assist the thousands impacted by the tornadoes in Kentucky. Mills also authorized a donation of $25,000 from the Elks Disaster Relief Program, Inc. Additional donations can be sent to the Kentucky Elks State Secretary, Ken Hooper at 302 Salem Chapel Road., S. Benton, KY 42025-8247. In the local district, in the Pascack Valley, Elks are based in Park Ridge (Lodge 2234) and Westwood (Lodge 1562). CNN reported that storms unleashed devastating tornadoes late Friday and early Saturday, Dec. 10–11, across parts of the

central and southern United States, “collapsing buildings into twisted debris and claiming lives, with officials fearing the PEDONE death toll could exceed 80.” The outlet said, “In Kentucky alone, the stateʼs governor says more than 70 people could have died after ʻone of the toughest nights in Kentucky history.ʼ” It noted that among the most significant damage: “Tornadoes or strong winds collapsed an occupied candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon warehouse in western Illinois, and a nursing home in Arkansas, killing people in each community and leaving respon-

ders scrambling to rescue others.” Joe Pedone, past Exalted Ruler of the Park Ridge Lodge and now speaking for the organization statewide, says the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has made more than $12 billion in donations since it first started 154 years ago. “Last year alone, the Elks donated approximately $351 million in cash, gifts and time to make our communities better places to live. The Elks are one of the premier patriotic and charitable organizations in the United States of America,” he says. According to Pedone, there are nearly 1,800 Elks Lodges across the country with a total membership of around 800,000. Elks members must be American citizens who are at least 21 and believe in God. Visit elks.org.

new middle school. So far, district officials have declined to release any details on possible bond costs. Lombardy said the district would likely reveal a middle school replacement cost in early 2022. However, Mayor John Ruocco disclosed an estimated $68 million cost he had been told and councilman Anthony DeRosa, a liaison to the middle school ad hoc committee, said he was told estimates ranged $65 million to $75 million.

The new middle school would be built across the street from its current location on Magnolia Street, provided the “due diligence” studies find no problems or further delays. Lombardy said the due diligence phase includes a demographics study, title and deed searches of the site, and a topographic study to ensure it is suitable for building. He said this would include environmental testing of the soil.

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Van Saun County Park is your destination for winter family fun

Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco and the Bergen County Board of Commissioners are excited to announce that Van Saun County Park in Paramus will soon become New Jerseyʼs premier destination for winter family fun. Bergen Countyʼs Winter Wonderland is set to make its triumphant return to Van Saun County Park with open air ice skating, a non-ice childrenʼs beginners rink, a heated hospitality tent, games, activities, food trucks, an indoor/outdoor beer and wine garden, carousel rides, and rides on the Bergen County Express Train. From the giant tinsel candy canes framing the entrance of the event grounds, to the festive decorations throughout, families will have the chance to be transported to a

winter paradise this holiday season right here in Bergen County. Simultaneously, right across the street, Van Saun County Park will also host the first ever Let It GLOW! A Holiday Lantern Spectacular at the Bergen County Zoo. The spectacular, sponsored by the Friends of the Bergen County Zoo in partnership with Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc., will feature traditional Chinese lanterns with a modern twist, including dozens of handpainted, larger-than-life structures that celebrate culture, animals, and the warmth of the holidays. With over 30 scenes, each hand-made, artistic wonder is more breathtaking than the last. “Between Bergen Countyʼs Winter Wonderland and the new holiday lantern spectacular, skip the

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GWB toll this year and head down to Van Saun County Park, New Jerseyʼs premier destination for winter family fun,” Tedesco said in a press release. “This marks the realization of my administrationʼs commitment to better utilize the best park system in the state across all four seasons.” Commissioner Chair Steve Tanelli said the countyʼs parks are the pride of the county government. “I am proud of the expansion of opportunities for our residents to utilize our parks during the winter, and canʼt wait to see families across the county enjoy the magic of Winter Wonderland and this spectacular lantern display.” Catherine Ross, president of the Friends of the Bergen County Zoo, added, “We are beyond excited to sponsor this unique event. The display is truly magical, and weʼre providing a once-of-a-kind opportunity for families to enjoy the zoo during the winter and create memories that theyʼll cherish for a lifetime.”

Bergen Countyʼs Winter Wonderland Hours of Operation and Upcoming Events Now through January 2 The hours of operation are Fridays, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Thursdays, the ice

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rink will be open for skating from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Winter Wonderland will have adjusted hours on Christmas Eve (12/24) and New Yearʼs Eve (12/31) and operate 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. From Dec. 2 – Jan. 2, Winter Wonderland will operate 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Winter Wonderland is closed on Christmas. For more information about Winter Wonderland, including online ticket sales and the full 20212022 Event Calendar, visit BergenCountyWinterWonderland.com. Prices General admission: $15 and an online service fee; seniors, veterans, and active military: $10 + online service fee; Age 3 & under: FREE

Upcoming events • Sunday, Dec. 26 – The Winter Wonderland Kinara Lighting (more info to come) Bergen Countyʼs Winter Wonderland is sponsored by Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, NJ Devils, Field Station: Dinosaurs, Rockland Electric Company, the Bergen County Education Association, Hackensack Meridian Health, TD Bank, and ConnectOne Bank. For sponsorship opportunities, write PBotsolas@co.bergen.nj.us. Bergen Countyʼs Winter Wonderland in partnership with the New Jersey Devils is also proud to host

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Let It GLOW! A Holiday Lantern Spectacular Hours of Operation Now through Jan. 30, every Thursday to Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m. (closed Christmas).

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at 2021, one story stands out as arguably the most remarkable and far-reaching: the ongoing work of Rosemarie DʼAlessandro and the Joan Angela DʼAlessandro Memorial Foundation. Also called Joanʼs Joy, the foundation honors the memory of 7-year old Girl Scout Joan in promoting child safety via programs it provides and legislation it advocates. Moreover, Joanʼs Joy provides support to neglected and abused children through fun and educational excursions and helps victims of crime by way of consultation. As the organization notes, “Joanʼs story has brought hope through awareness and prevention. The lives of thousands will continue to benefit from the impact of her legacy.” Rosemarie lobbied to create what became known as Joanʼs Law in New Jersey in 1997. The law — its federal version passed in 1998 — ensures that anyone who sexually assaults and kills a child under 14 will not leave prison. In 2017, New Jersey raised the protected age to 18. And Rosemarie advocated for a state law, passed in 2000, that eliminated the statute of limitations for wrongful death lawsuits in cases of murder or manslaughter. She also has been instrumental in the creation of similar legislative work in New York. Rosemarie has described the work to Pascack Press as “the movement,” and through exposure in documentaries, books, television, and in her speaking to students in psychology, law, and law enforcement itʼs only getting stronger: drawing more souls, S WE LOOK BACK

more wings, more reach. This Sept. 25 brought the 7th Annual Joanʼs Joy Child Safety Festival to the Joan Angela DʼAlessandro White Butterfly Sculpture and Garden at the

A connection is made at the Joan’s Joy 7th Annual Child Safety Festival. Hillsdale Train Station, on Broadway. There were blue-ribbon speakers, a social justice circle, a butterfly release, entertainers, face painting and balloon fun, and a tricky tray and raffle. The event was all the more celebratory as it followed on the heels of the death, in prison in June, of Joseph McGowan, the former high school chemistry teacher — and neighbor — who admitted to the sexual assault and murder of Joan in 1973, as she was delivering cookies. Joan was found on Easter Sunday in New Yorkʼs Harriman State Park after McGowan admitted to her murder. He was sentenced to life behind bars but was eligible to try for parole — again — in 2025. (The Joanʼs Joy website

recounts this in a posting as “The end to a 30-year parole struggle.”) Rosemarie is tireless in her advocacy for victims, demanding victimsʼ rights be protected, calling for reforms that imprison child murderers without parole, teaching youngsters how to stand up for themselves, and mentoring those dealing with tragedy and change. On Joanʼs birthday, Sept. 7, the Bergen County Prosecutorʼs Office renamed its Child Advocacy Center in Paramus for Rosemarie. A plaque there declares the

She said, “There are always going to be people that want to be good and try to be good, and good is going to win. Itʼs going to take time and patience and perseverance but it can can happen — will happen.” After the ceremony, the BCPO returned to Rosemarie a pair of sneakers and a lock of hair taken from Joan as evidence 48 years ago. “I am honored and grateful for this,” Rosemarie told the crowd of law enforcement officers at the event. I never expected it in a million years.” She added, “Remember Joan today so tomorrowʼs children will be safe.” Jason Love, the county prosecutorʼs chief of detectives, said the center, which was recently expanded and accredited, is “a safe place for our children to whisper their secrets” to investigators and health professionals working on a coordinated response to allegations of sexual

and severe physical abuse. “Our mission,” he promised, “is to hear those whispers and to hold sacred the secrets that they carry in the pursuit of justice and the truth.” — Pascack Press

Rosemarie D’Alessandro and a small, welcome guest

Rosemarie D’Alessandro and her family are honored by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

space “The Rosemarie Room,” and honors both Joanʼs life and Rosemarieʼs decades of work to strengthen child protection laws. It also acknowledges a major source of Rosemarieʼs strength: her Birri family roots. “May those who enter this room find hope, comfort and resilience,” the marker reads. In her remarks, Rosemarie said in part, “So this has my name on it — my name on it — but itʼs surrounded by all the supporters, all the angels, all the beautiful people.” Rosemarie D’Alessandro of the Joan Angela D’Alessandro Memorial Foundation at the Joan’s Joy 7th Annual Child Safety Festival on Sept. 25.

Much to see, do, and cheer at the the Joan’s Joy 7th Annual Child Safety Fest, held Sept. 25 in downtown Hillsdale.

Etched in stone: Read the story at the Joan Angela D’Alessandro White Butterfly Sculpture and Garden at the Hillsdale Train Station, on Broadway.

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

Rosemarie’s movement for kids’ safety and justice roars into ’22

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OBITUARIES

filtration products, in Clifton. Robert J. Hobbies he enjoyed most VON BARGEN were building plane and boat modRobert J. Von Bargen, 95, of els and ballroom dancing (he even Hillsdale, formerly of Washington entered several ballroom dancing Township and Fairview, passed competitions). His basement workshop was filled with planes and boats, most from the WWII era. He happily spent the last 54 years of his long life residing in Hillsdale and spending time with his family. Bob will be laid to rest in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus.

Lillian H. RIVERA

Lillian H. Rivera, 63, of Westwood passed away on Dec. 18, 2021. away on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. Bob is survived by his cousin, Honey Friedel, and second cousins, Ellen Friedel, Karen Bennett (and her children, Tyler and Ryan), and Lauren Degen. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Alex and Anna Von Bargen, and his dear cousin, Harold Friedel. Bob was a private first class in the United States Army. He served as an X-ray technician during the final two years of World War II. Bob earned his college degree at the conclusion of the war. He also served as a proud member of the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department during the 1950s and early ʼ60s. The majority of his career was spent as a purchasing manager at Whatman, Inc., manufacturer of

She was born May 21, 1958 in Springfield, Illinois, while her father, the Rev. Norman Brinkmann, attended the Lutheran Seminary. The family moved to Westwood in 1964. After attending Zion Lutheran School, she was a 1976 graduate of Westwood High

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school. Lillian was employed by Wallach management (NYC) as an administrative manager for 17 years. She was a longtime and active member of Zion Lutheran Church with a strong faith in God that helped family and friends through many difficult times. Lillian was an avid supporter to all her family and friends whatever the event or endeavor. A kindhearted person, never without a smile, Lillian was known for this constant smile, quick hug, assuring words, and loved by all who knew her. Lillian enjoyed spending time with her husband Edwin, granddaughters and grandnieces and grandnephew, family and friends, time on LBI, the sights and sounds of New York City, and trips to Puerto Rico. She enjoyed the excitement of Sunday afternoon Giants games, a quiet movie at home with Edwin, or a long phone call with sister Ingrid or cousin Karen. Lillian is survived by her loving husband Edwin, who was her best friend and soul mate of 39 years; sister Ingrid Quinn and husband William of Westwood; brother John Brinkman of Laurance Harbor; son Edwin Jr. and wife Yamaira of Washington Township; nieces Melissa Ferrarini and husband Michael of Hillsdale and Alexandra Schama and husband Christopher of Westwood; and granddaughters Ariamay and Rhianna. Lillian was also loving “GAL” (Great Aunt LiL) to Joseph and Amelia Ferrarini and Aria Schama. Also survived by cousin Karen Eckman and husband Andy and their family, James and Martha, Andrew, Barbara, Caiden and Oliver and Jonathan and Amanda; cousin Mike Handy, wife Donna and their family; cousin Janice; and many more relatives and friends both here and in Puerto Rico. Funeral service was held at Zion Lutheran Church in Westwood. In lieu of flowers, the fami-

ly would appreciate donations to Zion Lutheran Church or Saint Jude Childrenʼs Hospital.

Ann S. TIERNEY

Ann S. Tierney, 83, of Montvale died Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021 at her residence, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Greenwood, South Carolina, and resided in Hillsdale before moving to Montvale 43 years ago. Prior to her retirement, Ann was the entertainment coordinator for the Allendale Atrium in Allendale. Ann is survived by her loving and devoted son and daughter-inlaw, Dan and Jennifer Tierney of Pompton Lakes, and her four grandchildren, James and Ashlyn Tierney and Gianna and Angel Perez. Also surviving are Annʼs two sisters, Carol Kilburn and Marilyn Holder of Greenville, South Carolina, and several nieces and nephews. As an expression of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, donations in Annʼs memory may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516; St. Jude Childrenʼs Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142; Shriners Hospital for Children, Processing Center, P.O. Box 863765, Orlando, FL 32886; or American Cancer Society, 7 Ridgedale Ave., Suite 103, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927.

Clorinda BIASI

Clorinda “Lynne” Biasi, 90, devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away

Paterson University to become a teacher. That was followed by a masterʼs in reading. She taught in Woodcliff Lake for 28 years, most of the time as a reading specialist. She was a devoted teacher, loved by all. Lynne and Dan traveled extensively, many times with the same group of seven. What fun they had! She enjoyed reading as well as golf, tennis, and bridge. She also thoroughly enjoyed her children and grandchildren, and she especially liked watching them compete in swim meets at Cranberry Lake. She is survived by her daughters Lois (Tom) McCarthy and Sylvia (Greg) Dodd; her grandchildren James (Antonia) McCarthy, Michael (Shanna) McCarthy, Scott (Chelsea) McCarthy, Staci (Andrew) McGowan, and Juli Carbone; her great-grandchildren Annabelle, Everleigh, Reese, Reagan, and Quinn; and wonderful nieces Kathe, Janet, Susan, and Theresa. She is predeceased by her husband, Daniel Biasi, mother, Sylvia Albanese, father Michael Magro, and sister Marguerite Izzo. Lynne was generous, respected, admired, and often sought out for her wisdom. She was loved by many and will be truly missed. Visitation is at Becker Funeral Home in Westwood on Sunday, Dec. 26 (1–5 p.m.), and a Funeral Mass will be on Monday, Dec. 27 (11 a.m.) at St. Pius X R.C. Church in Old Tappan.

Mary S. BADAME

Mary Shirley Wade Badame, 92, of Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, and recently Adamstown and Sever-

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peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Dec. 17, 2021. Lynne was born to the late Michael Magro and Sylvia Baranello Magro in Brooklyn. After marrying Daniel Biasi in 1953, Danny and Lynne settled in River Vale. They also purchased a cottage at Cranberry Lake, New Jersey, in 1959, with her sister and brother-in-law, the late Marguerite and Vincent Izzo, and she has enjoyed summers at the lake ever since. Upon their retirement in 1993, Danny and Lynne became “snowbirds” in Jupiter, Florida. Lynne graduated from St. Johnʼs University Pharmacy School (one of only seven women in the class), taught piano lessons, and finally, at 43, she went to William

na Park, Maryland, passed peacefully on Dec. 19, 2021. Loving daughter of Julia Power Wade and William Wade of Newfoundland, Canada. Devoted wife of the late Carl Joseph Badame. Loving mother of Diane Zirinsky (and Moti), Danny Crowley, Linda Gibson (husband Claude), and George Badame (wife Christine). Devoted grandmother of Heather Zirinsky, Megan Zirinsky OʼConnell (husband Liam), Carly Gibson Hasseler (husband Anders), Wade Gibson (and Marcela), and Carson Badame (and Steph). Sadly, predeceased by grandchildren Kaitlyn Jean Gibson and Connor William Badame. She has eight fantastic greatCONTINUED ON PAGE 31

grandchildren: Devon and Lauren Zirinsky; Cillian, Lochlann and Declan OʼConnell; and Maeve, Kate, and new baby girl Hasseler. Caring sister of William Wade (wife Eileen), Madeline Rodgers (husband Edward), and Ann Hastings, all predeceased. Surviving are brother-in-law Raymond Hastings and many nieces and nephews. Mary was a graduate of Manual Training High School in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, where she rolled bandages for the Red Cross during World War II. This was the beginning of her lifetime involvement in hospitals. She became a nurseʼs aide in 1947 and retired from administration at St. Lukeʼs Roosevelt Hospital in 1991. As Bergen County Volunteer of the Year in 2004, it recognized her heart for service to others. She was past president of the Park Ridge Golden Age Club and a

FROM PAGE 30

member for over 20 years and past president of George G. Badame American Legion Auxiliary in Brooklyn; secretary of Cpl. Jedh Barker American Legion Auxiliary in Park Ridge; a volunteer at Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood; a volunteer at The Plaza Rehabilitation Center; and a member of the Woodcliff Lake Seniors. After moving to Sunrise Assisted Living of Woodcliff Lake, and later to Buckinghamʼs Choice and Sunrise of Severna Park in Maryland, she continued to befriend and positively impact those around her. She and Carl enjoyed traveling and meeting new friends and maintaining those friendships for years to come. Their travels spanned countries and continents,

cruises and flights, and brought many wonderful memories. Mary was always an active participant in field trips, dances, and costume parties with her Golden Age family. Her life was well lived, and filled with moments sweet and sad, with smiles and tears, with friendships formed and good times shared, and laughter through the years. Visitation 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 27, at Robert Spearing Funeral Home, Inc., 155 Kinderkamack Road, Park Ridge, NJ rsfhi.com. Interment to follow at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus. Those planning an expression of sympathy in Maryʼs memory are asked to consider their local food pantry.

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ESB: Questions plus three addenda and two clarifications. He also said the slides provided only offered a portion of what the documents presented. When Feeney said she would post all the documents on the township website, DeSena claimed the documents were already there, and that he had printed them out and referred to them at prior meetings. Feeney and DeSena also argued over what exactly Conley had said to DeSena regarding design documents previously provided to and reviewed by the council. After DeSena said he had called Conley, Mayor Peter Calamari chastised DeSena for not requesting the mayorʼs permission that he be allowed to contact Conley as required under the townshipʼs mayor–council form of government. DeSena apologized

FROM PAGE 5

to the mayor twice for the oversight. After council agreed to bring Conley in to help clarify concerns, Morgan put in, “And I just want to say for the record, I know this is probably going to tweak some people: the buildingʼs gorgeous. Iʼm very proud when I walk past it.” She said she likely would be asked if she wants that in her backyard. “If I bought a house next to a fire department I would want it to be as beautiful as that so yes, I think it is a beautiful building and Iʼm happy that our fire department and ambulance/EMS are able to work in a building state-of-the-art like that,” she said. Calamari said late councilman Arthur Cumming had a lot to do with the buildingʼs exterior design, especially its Colonial design and brickface. “I give him a lot of credit for the way it is coming along.”

PARK RIDGE

Post 153’s Veterans Day memories

Cpl. Jedh C. Barker American Legion Memorial Post 153, under commander Bob Oppelt, observed the 102nd Veterans Day on its grounds at 118 Ridge Ave. on Nov. 11 at 10:58 a.m. Past commander, and event chairman, Dick Bozzone noted that the holiday started as a day to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in our countryʼs service and was originally called Armistice Day. “It fell on Nov. 11 because that is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. However, in 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day in order to account for all veterans in all wars,” Bozzone said.

He added, “Itʼs important that we honor Americaʼs veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for all Americans.” When first celebrated as Armistice Day, the day marked the end of World War I, recognized on the “11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month” in 1918. The local ceremony traditionally begins three minutes earlier in honor of Sgt. Henry Gunther, a native of Baltimore — an infantryman listed as the final “dough boy” from the American Expiditionary Forces KIA by German soldiers as the former was charging the enemy trenches in France on Nov. 11, 1918.

Bozzone called out the children of West Ridge Elementary School for their role in the ceremony, and said the turnout was “probably the largest weʼve seen since Post 153 began celebrating Veterans Day in 1919.” Dorothy Bozzone explained, “Dick invited the West Ridge students and their teachers to attend the annual ceremony because he hopes that each of them will develop an appreciation of the freedom they enjoy and often take for granted.” She said, “The principal asked each teacher to have students make a card or poster expressing thanks to our veterans. Several students presented these to Commander Oppelt and Dick

Tammy Levinson was on hand to photograph the color guard…

…children from West Ridge School doing their part…

during the service. One class created a large banner thanking our vets that was later displayed in our dugout; after the holidays all these art pieces will be delivered to the Paramus veterans home.” She said of the kids, “These are our future leaders, and we are counting on them to carry on and preserve our American traditions and never forget the sacrifices of so many brave men and women.” Adding to the roster of those who made the event a success: Jim Miller, Father Patrick of Our Lady of Mercy Church – Park Ridge, Mayor Kieth Misciagna, and Vincent Lemba of Knights of Columbus – Our Lady of Fatima Council. Certificates were presented to Howard and Lori Fredrics “for their ongoing support of Post 153. PKRG is always ready to cover post events,” Dick Bozzone said. — Staff report

…and Post 153 Veterans Day chair Dick Bozzone.

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

Obituaries:

DECEMBER 27, 2021 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS

Pascack Press 12.27.21

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