OBITUARIES

HILLSDALE

Following a Borough Council closed meeting July 6 to discuss the four-story, 250-unit luxury apartment complex developerʼs agreement — including what community benefits will be provided in exchange for a density bonus — officials said they would likely discuss and possibly vote on an agreement at the Tuesday, July 12, 7 p.m. council meeting.

Borough Administrator David Troast told Pascack Press, “It is anticipated that a proposed agreement may be reached and placed on the July 12, 2022 council meeting for discussion, comments and potential action by the Borough Council in the form of a resolution.

“Feel free to check the borough website for the upcoming July 12, 2022 meeting agenda,” Troast wrote on July 6.

Pascack Press reached out to the Redevelopment Negotiating Committee with questions prior to its July 6 closed session. The committee consists of Mayor John Ruocco, council president Janetta Trochimiuk, councilman Frank Pizzella and Troast.

Troast told Pascack Press, “The public has been informed that there will be a public benefit provided for the density bonus in the form of on-site community space and a cash contribution to the borough to be used for the benefit of residents. Those details are being negotiated which is the reason for the special meeting and closed session.”

Stay informed

Public meetings of the mayor and council are generally held on the first and second Tuesday of each month in the Council Chambers, in Borough Hall.

You can watch these meetings from your home on Channel 77 on Cablevision and Channel 32 on Verizon FIOS.

To email the mayor: mayor@hillsdalenj.org.

To email the council: council@hillsdalenj.org.

For borough business, incluging departments and services, visit hillsdalenj.org. — Staff writer Michael Olohan

William V.

GALLUCCI

William V. Gallucci, of Hillsdale, born March 6, 1942, passed away peacefully on Friday July, 1 surrounded by his loving family. Predeceased by his parents Frank and Theresa Gallucci, William is survived by his loving wife of 58 years Catherine and their four devoted sons, William (Lana), Stephen (Maura) James (Gloria) and Michael (Ilysa).

Proud Papa of 11 grandchildren, Olivia, Megan, Christopher, Isabelle, Michelle, Gabriella, Grace, Peter, Nicholas, William and Bennett. Brother of Marie Libonati. Also survived by many loving family members.

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., he lived in Hillsdale for 42 years.

William was the founder of the Hillsdale Hawks Youth Football organization and its first president. He was employed by Curtis for 35 years. As a father, grandfather, uncle, friend, and coach he

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touched so many lives both young and old.

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6 at Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood. A Mass celebrating Williamʼs life and faith will be held on Thursday, July 7 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Park Ridge.

The interment will follow at Ascension Cemeter,y 650 Saddle River Road, Airmont, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, rettsyndrome.org.Visit becker-funeralhome.com.

Kenneth M.

JACKSON

Kenneth Marvin Jackson, 81, of Hillsdale, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of June 29, 2022. Beloved husband of Fiorella Carmeli Jackson, devoted father of Lora and Kevin Jackson and his wife, Holly. Dear brother of Bernard Jackson and Anita Jackson Lawrence. Proud and loving grandfather to Taylor, Luna,

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Born in Jersey City, he attended PS 15 grammar school and attended Henry Snyder High School.

He served in the United States Army from December 1963 to 1965. He worked as a forklift operator for Ford Motor Company in its Mahwah and Teterboro facilities. He lived and raised his family in Hillsdale for 50 years.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood from 4 to 8 p.m. with a service beginning at 6. Visit becker-funeralhome.com.

Marian W. ZANETTI

Today we lost “one of the greats”! My mom, Marian W. Zanetti. Mom was born Feb. 5, 1934 to Ida Mae and Anthony Walsh. She was the fearless big sister of Tom Walsh. Mom was a dual-degree masters education graduate from Montclair State University, which she attended with her best friend, June Dyke.

After graduating, Mom taught with June at Woodrow Wilson High School. On summer vacations, the teachers toured Europe. Mom especially loved Switzerland and Belgium. You could say she was a true chocoholic! Italy was also one of her favorite places!

Coincidentally, she married Dad, a first generation ItalianAmerican. Together, they settled in Harrington Park to grow their family. Together, they raised John Thomas and me. Marian continued substituting at OLV for Sister Elizabeth and Harrington Park School.

In addition to teaching, her greatest joy was grandparenting! She was known for telling everyone, “I have one grandson and five granddaughters: John Christopher, Natalie, Caitlin, Emily, Faythe and Kimberly. ”

Please meet us at Our Lady Of Victories R.C. Church in Harrington Park on Thursday, July 5 at 10 a.m. for Momʼs funeral Mass; followed by her interment at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus. There will be no viewing/wake due to the rise of Covid-19 cases.

With love,

“Your Eleonora” and “Christmas Tree Picker” son-in-law John.

PARK RIDGE

FREESUMMERCONCERTSERIES STARTS JULY 7

Youʼre in for a fantastic lineup in the free 2022 Park Ridge Recreation and Cultural Committee Summer Concert Series sponsored by Carolee Chirico, Keller Williams Valley Realty.

Eight concerts are set for 6:30 to 8 p.m., rain or shine, at the covered Davies Memorial Field Pavilion behind Borough Hall at 53 Park Ave. Bring something comfy to sit on. • July 7: The Kootz (rock ʻnʼ roll with fiber); • July 14: Last Call (rock) ; • July 21: Sheridan Ruitin (NewYork suburbia Irish music); •July 28: The Big Ones (rock ʻnʼroll); • Aug. 4:No Discipline (reggae);

• Aug. 11: Tim Gysin (popular hits from the 1960s to today); • Aug. 18: DJ Anthony (oldies and requests); and • Aug. 25:Rhyme or Reason (rock).

Music and fireworks

The Park Ridge Recreation and Cultural Committee invites you as well to music and a spectacular fireworks show on Labor Day weekend near the Park Ridge High School football field on Saturday, Sept. 3 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The rain date is Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

For more information call recreation director Liz Falkenstern at (201) 573-1800 ext 521 or refer to parkridgeboro.com.

FROM PAGE 6

(SRL) and repetitive loss (RL). The owners of approximately 40 SLR and RL Westwood properties, today eligible for this program, were invited to learn more about this reimbursable grant opportunity in Zoom meetings with Tetra Tech.

So far five have submitted applications. Itʼs not too late and even if the home is for sale the accepted application would transfer to the buyer should they elect to go forward with the elevation.

Westwood has also reached out to Hillsdale to see if there is interest in both towns making a joint application to better increase the chances of full funding.

Land use planning/ordinance adjustments

Westwood also funded a proposal by our borough planner, Burgis Associates, to begin a climate change vulnerability assessment. This is a new state- mandated element for local master planning. It requires municipalities to identify areas in their zone plans that are vulnerable to climate change harms.

The assessment is to inform amendments to land use and site regulations and ensure local zoning is consistent with reducing the impact of those harms.

We also are working with our Community Rating System (CRS) coordinator, Ken DeGenero of Brooker Engineering, to seek further discounts on skyrocketing flood insurance premiums for our property owners who are covered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

We also are working with our Community Rating System (CRS) coordinator, Ken DeGenero of Brooker Engineering, to seek further discounts on skyrocketing flood insurance premiums for our property owners who are covered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Westwoodʼs NFIP participants now receive a 10% discount. Weʼre confident that our flood-related measures taken since Ida will help us improve our rating and that discount.

Requiring water utilities to add flood mitigation to their duties

After a March meeting with residents who were active with the now defunct Flood Solutions group, I reached out to DEP Commissioner Shawn La Tourette regarding the role of the water level in the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir and the commissionerʼs response to Senator Schepisiʼs proposed regulatory amendments in S-790.

The senatorʼs bill requires no construction or immediate funding. It speaks to managementʻs operating procedures moving forward.

And, as an analysis of recent (early April and late May storms/water levels in Part 3 of this series) suggests, it might offer some immediate protection from minor flooding.

The proposed legislation also authorizes NJ OEM to order pre storm releases from the reservoir on the run up to major storms, in an attempt to blunt those larger adverse impacts as well. However neither the DEP, nor Veolia, support this legislation.

On June 3 Sen. Schepisi sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy requesting that he issue an executive order directing the DEP to instruct Veolia to temporarily maintain 91 feet at the WCL vessel. As of press time, that request has gone unanswered. (Murphyʼs staff has acknowledged its receipt.)

The more things change the more they seem to stay the same

Other than Sen. Schepisiʼs request for Gov. Murphyʼs executive order, none of the mid-and long-term initiatives discussed above will help us with the next immediate storm.

Property owners interested in Blue Acres buyouts have submitted letters of interest with that programʼs administrators. The borough is investigating changes to the administration of this program to see if Blue Acres wishes to purchase a few more properties adjacent to those already purchased, then work with our Environmental Committee to enhance those properties by funding/installing additional retention techniques.

In June, while the PVMA was meeting with Gottheimerʼs and Schepisiʼs chiefs of staff, Westwood council members Erin Collins, Cheryl Hodges and Rob Bicocchi, along with BA Durene Ayer, attended a meeting for local officials hosted by Veolia.

The water company reiterated its position that it was in the business of preserving the water asset , not in the business of flood mitigation. It offered to assist municipalities with DEP-approved stream cleaning measures , which although a welcome gesture, will have very little net effect on flooding.

The parameters for that process do not permit the removal of any significant silt accumulation — only the portion that is visible above the water line. Pulling this type of permit is less of a heavy lift because of its low impact on the brook. But as that makes it ineffective in preventing flooding, few towns do so. The cost of committing the necessary labor exceeds the perceived benefit.

Stream stabilization, by contrast, includes desilting below the water line but keeps the material on site, using it to reinforce the banks against erosion. Pursuing this technique on a regional basis will improve the flow of drainage traveling toward the Hackensack River.

Veolia also stated that it would lobby strongly against S790 and A4200. The DEP, in a June 19 News 12 story, once again reiterated its objection to lowering or manipulating the water level in the Woodcliff Lake reservoir to mitigate flood impacts.

That is where things stand right now. Thereʼs been a lot of behind-the-scenes activity and inquiry. But years of those machinations in Westwood resulted in the Blue Acres funded purchase of only five homes. These properties were returned to nature, removing five families from harmʼs way, and eliminating the risk to first responders who might have otherwise been periodically called upon to rescue them.

But their absence did nothing to stop Henri and Ida from wreaking havoc upon those who remained behind. They did nothing to remove the anxiety flood zone residents experience when the runoff from relatively tame noname storms cascades over the maxed out reservoir, causing local flooding.

You simply canʼt topple the Empire State Building by removing five bricks and we canʼt solve Westwoodʼs flooding problems, which begin across the border in the Empire State, by razing — or raising — five local homes.

Blue Acre buyouts were a welcome bailout for those five property owners. But approximately 180 other Westwood residents whoʼd previously applied either did not qualify for the program or were shut out due to its limited funding.

After all is said and done, I see a handful of options for our increasingly flood-plagued property owners to either pursue or endure: • A status quo featuring more frequent flood events, more damage claims and unsustainable insurance premiums hikes. •A Blue Acres buyout /or sale to another private buyer. •Participation in NJ OEMʼs Home Elevation Program. • Continue to press Trenton legislators on S-790 and A-4200 on adding a flood mitigation duty to the reservoir/dam operators. •Continue to press Gov. Murphy to issue an executive order temporarily holding the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir to 91 ft.

These are some hard truths. None of this is quick or easy. There have been lots of conversations and respectfully written letters seeking preventative relief and offering alternatives. But thereʼs been very little appreciable action. The DEP and the water utility are operating on the premise that nature must be allowed to take its course and any flood zone structures and occupants, are in the way of that happening. They appear as unfortunate, but acceptable, collateral damage in pursuit of a higher public purpose.

Hurricane seasons has started

We have started this hurricane season, once again on the defensive. With many residents dreading the rain and stressed at the idea of never-ending bouts of bailing water. But, hopefully, with Westwood OEMʼs enhancing its protocols and better prepared to respond and assist, with some homeowners either on the way towards home elevation or Blue Acres buyout approval, and perhaps with a greater sense of urgency for a more effective, collective approach to the problem of flooding in our Pascack Valley towns

The growing problem has received the full attention of the PVMA and Senator Schepisi, and Assemblyman Auth, who have secured bipartisan support for S790 and A 4200.

Getting Gov. Murphyʼs, and the Legislatureʼs attention will require a concerted and relentless grass roots campaign by the property owners, residents and business-people for whom the status quo is increasingly intolerable.

There were 30 flood residents at the June Mayor and Council work session. If Gov. Murphy, the DEP, and Veolia can ignore the request of a sitting senator, they can easily turn a blind eye to thirty letter writers.

When 30 becomes 300 and then 3,000 ….it becomes harder to look away. —Ray Arroyo is mayor of the Borough of Westwood. These are his views. What are yours? See our Letters policy on page 2 and sound off on timely local topics!

Just over a year ago… The East Coast was watching with rising alarm on Sunday,Aug,29,2021 as Gulf Coast Hurricane Ida was projected to wreak damage for five days well north of landfall.The Pascack Valley took huge hits, including home evacuations and infrastructure damage,from the remnants. National Weather Service.