clifton merchant magazine - february 2011

Clifton Merchant Magazine • Volume 14 • Issue 7 • July 3, 2009

MISS VALENTINEAT THE CLIFTON ARTS CENTER

ON SUNDAY FEBRUARY 13

GIFT GUIDESHOP CLIFTON FIRST FOR

VALENTINE’S DAY

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Clifton Merchant Magazine is published the first Friday of every month at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400

February 2011 • Clifton Merchant 4

Strength In NumbersClifton - Listings Sold 2010

Call Your Coldwell Banker RealtorToday!

43%

29%8% 6%

6%4%4%

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Data, in whole or in part, supplied by Garden State MLS. Garden State MLS is not responsible for accuracy. Data provided by MLS may not reflect allthe real estate in the market. Information reflects listings sold in the Clifton market by individual companies (01/01/2010 – 12/09/2010), single familyand multi-family residences in all price ranges. ©2011 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed toColdwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.

When it comes to selling your home or investment property, choose the professionals that can get the job done. At Coldwell Banker, there is

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789 Clifton Avenue, Clifton NJ 07013


13th Annual Clifton FamilySuper Bowl Party By Tom Hawrylko

We at Clifton Merchant Magazine are

proud to be part of the team which pres-

ents the Clifton Family Super Bowl Party. We

hope you’ll join us on Sunday, Feb. 6, at 5 pm,

at the Boys & Girls Club, when Super Bowl

Family Day returns for its 13th annual edition.

It is a great evening of fun, especially for those

families with young kids.

Football fans won’t be disappointed. We

have two super sized screens to display all the

action from Super Bowl XLV in Dallas as the

Steelers and the Packers take the field.

This is truly a family day as there is no gam-

bling and alcohol on the premises. Instead, kids

and adults can share some time together in a

variety of easy to do non-competitive games.

These are easy to do for those of any age,

such as indoor soccer, whiffle ball, football toss

and floor hockey. Kids and an adult (like this

family team at right) go from station to station to

earn points by kicking a soccer ball, putting a

football through a tire or shooting baskets.

Each station is manned by volunteer teens

from the Boys & Girls Club Keystone Club and

adults who provide scores for each activity.

16,000 Magazines

are distributed tohundreds of Clifton

Merchants on the firstFriday of every month.

Subscribe Page 79

$27 per year $45 for 2 years

Call 973-253-4400

Editor & PublisherTom Hawrylko

Business ManagerCheryl Hawrylko

Graphic DesignerMichael Strong

Staff WriterJoe Hawrylko

Contributing WritersIrene Jarosewich, CarolLeonard, Rich DeLotto,Don Lotz, Jack DeVries© 2011 Tomahawk Promotions

1288 Main AvenueDowntown Clifton, NJ 07011

On Our CoverCelebrate love and romance this month as we profile several couples and tell of how they met andcontinue to keep love a part of their lives.

Once the adult and kids visit all the stations, their points

are tallied so prizes and trophies can be awarded later in

the evening. There will be open swim so bring a swim-

suit. And come hungry for chips, pizza, hot dogs and

cakes. The event is open to all.

For admission, we ask that you bring a new, non-per-

ishable item of food—canned goods, peanut butter,

pasta, those types of items—which we collect and

donate to St. Peter’s Haven, our city’s food pantry.

Thanks to our sponsors which include CASA—

Clifton Against Substance Abuse—and the following

residents, businesses and organizations who donated

$100 each to fund Family Day: Jim & Rita Haraka &

Family; Rotary Club of Clifton; Optimist Club of

Clifton; Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin; Gift in mem-

ory of Florence, George H. Trinkle, Jr. & George H.

Trinkle III; Barbara Dougherty in memory of Henry

Dougherty; Clifton Police PBA Local 36; Clifton

Firefighters FMBA Local 21; Clifton Moose Lodge 657;

St. Philip the Apostle Council 11671 Knights of

Columbus; JSK Landscaping/the Bassford Family;

Mayor, Council, City Manager & City Attorney; Carlet,

Garrison, Klein & Zaretsky; Daniel and Suzannah

Brown; Vito’s Towing; and Theater League of Clifton.

No tickets are needed for the event, which begins at

5 pm. Just show up with your family and a small bag of

groceries. Call the Boys Club at 973-773-2697 if you

need more details. To help fund this event (we need five

more sponsors), call Tom Hawrylko at 973-253-4400.


UPCOMING SUNDAY APRIL 3, 20115pm - 12am

UNICO CLIFTON - PASSAIC CHAPTERLIVE OLDIES DANCE & COMEDY FUNDRAISER

Featuring The CAMEO'S & Goumba Johnny w DJ Jerry Demeo

TO BENEFIT THE CLIFTON BOYS & GIRLS CLUB & UNICO CLIFTON - PASSAIC CHAPTER GENERAL FUND

Clifton Optimist and forever

nice guy William J. Bate

passed away on Jan. 29 at

the age of 76. Husband of

Clara and dad to William

and Robert, Bill spent a life-

time serving the public good.

At the time of his death,

he was in the midst of his

fifth term as Passaic County

Surrogate. Over his five decades of elected office, he served on

the Clifton City Council, as a Passaic County Freeholder and in

both the NJ Assembly and Senate.

Tall and lanky, gentle and talkative, Bill was slowed by an

automobile accident a few years back but he would still attend our

Optimist Club meeting in his wheelchair—and many other pub-

lic events—often with Clara and the help of an aide.

Bill grew up near School 1 but did not attend CHS. Instead, he

went to St. Peter’s Prep and graduated in 1951 from the Jesuit

high school in Jersey City (Bill perhaps had one single regret—

not being a Mustang). He went on to get his law degree from

Georgetown and opened his practice in Paterson. But our friend,

Bill Bate, will forever be remembered as a Clifton Everyman.

William J. Bate 1934 - 2011


WeProudlyAnnounceourOctoberAwardWinners...

Jerry Sanders

Top ProducerKathleen Myre

Top SalesAntoinette

Marko-Koeller

Top Lister

CLIFTON This well maintained, 2 Fam offers a newly painted & carpeted 2nd flr, a 2 car gar & off street pkg. MLS: 2824833 $389,000

CLIFTON Updates abound in this immaculate 2 Fam home with wood flrs, fenced-in yard, fin attic & full bsmt. MLS: 2822842 $264,900

CLIFTON Upgrades galore! This lovely, 2BR twnhsfeatures 3.5BAs, hd flrs, gas frpl, patio, deck & more. MLS: 2825830 $394,000

Arthur “Artie” Rubin

Agent of theMonth

WeProudlyAnnounceourNovemberAwardWinners...

WeProudlyAnnounceourDecemberAwardWinners...

Daniel ‘Dan’ Brozyna

Top Producer/Top Sales

Alma Billings

Top ListerLesia Wirstiuk

Agent of theMonth

Danielle Coelho

WeichertPride

Mary Jean Cetinich

Top Producer/Top Lister

Ryan Carbone

Top SalesLilla Langford

Agent of theMonth

Daniel ‘Dan’ Brozyna

WeichertPride

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Clifton Ave E. Eight St E. Eleventh St E. Emerson St E. Fifth St E. First St E. Fourth St EastGate E. Madison Ave E. Ninth St East Parkway E. Second St E. Seventh St E. Sixth St E. Third St Edgewood AveEdison St Edward Ct Edwards Rd Ehrle PlEldridge St Elema Pl Ellsworth St Elm Hill Rd Elm St Elmwood DrEmerson St Emma Pl Englewood Rd Entin Rd Essex St Evergreen Dr Everson Pl ExchangePl Fairfield Rd Fair Hill Rd Fairmount Ave Federal St Fenlon Blvd Fenner Ave Ferncliff St Fern Hill Rd Fernwood Ct Fernwood Ln Ferris Dr Field Rd Fifth AveFifth St Filmore St First St Fitzgerald Ave Fleischer Pl Florence Dr Fordham Rd Forest Way Fornelius Ave Foster St Fountain St Fourth St Frances St FranklinAve Frederick Ave Friar Ln Frost Ct Gail Ct Garden Ct Garfield Ave Garrabrant Rd Garret Ct Garretsee Pl George St George Russell Way Gerald Ave GettyAve Gilbert Pl Gillies St Glen Oaks Ct Godwin Pl Gordon St Goss Pl Gould St Gould Terr Gourley Ave Grace Ave Graham Pl Grandview Pl Grant AveGraydon Terr Greglawn Dr Greendale Rd Greenlawn Ave Green Meadow Ln Green Tree Dr Gregory Ave Grove St Grunwald St Hackberry PlHaddenfield Rd Hadley Ave Hadrys Ct Haines Ave Hall St Hamas St Hamil Ct Hamilton Ave Hammond Ave Hampton Rd Harcourt Rd Harding Ave HaroldPl Harrington Rd Harrison Pl Harvey Rd Haussler Terr Hawthorne Ave Hazel St Hazelview Ave Homcy Pl Hegman Pl Heights Rd Helen Pl Helen St HemlockSt Henoch Ave Henry St Hepburn Rd Hibben Pl Hickory St High St High Park Pl Highland Ave Highview Dr Hillcrest Ave Hllman St Hillside Ave Hilltop CtHilton St Hobart Pl Holden St Holly St Hollywood Ave Holster Rd Home Pl Homer St Homestead St Hooyman Dr Hope Ave Howard Ave Howd Ave HudsonSt Huemmer Terr Hughes St Hugo St Huron Ave Hutton Rd Independence Ct Industrial East Industrial South Industrial West Inwood St Irvington Pl IsabellaSt Ivanhoe Ln Ivy Ct Jacklin Ct James St Jani Ct Janice Terr Jaskot Ln Jay St Jefferson St Jennifer Ct Jerome Dr Jewett Ave Joan Pl John St John St JohnAldens St Johnson St Jones Ct Josh Ct Joyce Ln Juniper Ct Karen Dr Kashey St Katherine Ave Kathryn St Kehoe St Kennebec St Kennedy Ct KensingtonAve Kenter Pl Kenyon St Kingsland Ave Kingsland Rd Kip St Knapp Ave Knoll Pl Knollwood Terr Knox Pl Kowal St Kozy Ln Kruger Ct Kulik St Kuller RdLadwik Ln Lake Ave Lakeview Ave Lambert Ave Landis Pl Larkspur Ln La Salle Ave Laurel Ave Lawrence Ct Layton Dr Lee Pl Lehigh Ave Lennon Pl LenoxAve Leopold Terr Le Ster Pl Lewis Pl Lexington Ave Liberty St Lincoln Ave Lincoln Pl Lindale Ct Linden Ave Linwood Terr Lio Dr Lisbon St Livingston StLockwood Dr Lockwood Pl Lois Ave Long Hill Dr Loretta St Lorraine Dr Lorrie Ln Lotz Hill Rd Louis Dr Louise St Loumar Pl Lou Wong Dr Lowry Ct LuddingtonAve Luisser St Lyall Rd Lydia Pl Lynn Dr Mac Arthur Dr Mac Donald St Mac Lean Rd Machias St Madeline Ave Madison Ave Mahar Ave Main Ave Major

Clifton



Music is a unique thing,often used to entertain,

inspire or simply just to

brighten spirits on a dark day. But

it is also capable of bringing

together two strangers in a school

of more than 3,000, laying the

foundation for a relationship that

has spanned over a decade.

“Well, he was a lowly freshman

and I was a junior,” laughed Julie

Passaro Krygsman, recalling how

she met her husband, Wes, in the

summer of 1999.

It was the first few days of the

fabled Marching Mustang band

camp in August, and between the

heat, intense practices and Wes’

underclassmen antics, Julie began

to dislike the immature boy who

would later be her spouse.

“Yeah, we really didn’t like each

other at first,” Wes confirmed with

a chuckle.

However, during the band’s trip

to Quebec in February of 2000, the

two brass performers wound up

next to each other on the bus.

Wes, a tuba player, ended up

wooing the upperclassmen

Wes and Julie Krygsman

From Marching Band to Wedding BandsBy Joe Hawrylko

Wes Krygsman, a CHS 2003 alum,with his wife, Julie PassaroKrygsman, a 2001 CHS grad.


trombonist by crafting a ring from a

gum wrapper he took from another

band member behind him.

“And that,” laughed Julie. “was

when we first started to like each

other.”

Having wooed the older girl with

his charm, Wes sought to make it

official a week later when the band

returned, interrupting Julie’s

practice for an upcoming All State

Band audition by asking her out

while she was getting ready.

But despite the adolescent

beginnings of the relationship,

puppy love turned into the real

thing. Even after Julie graduated

the following year and went on to

William Paterson University, the

two remained together during a

time when most people embark on

journeys on their own.

“We grew up together when a lot

of people grow apart,” explained

Julie. “I guess we helped each other

through it. You learn how to be a

human being as well as how to be a

part of a relationship. Nothing is

comfortable about growing up in

your teenage years.”

“Neither of us went away, so that

kind of helped,” explained Wes,

who attended Montclair State. Julie

went to William Paterson.

As each matured and became

focused on their individual careers,

finding free time became more

difficult. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s

work you don’t mind doing,” said

Wes. “It becomes your passion and

it’s fun along the way.”

The solution was music. The

Krygsmans are members of the

Rutherford Community Band,

which Julie has been a member of

since she was a teen, and the Clifton

Community Band. “In college, I

was very busy,” explained Wes. “It

was our only time together for some

weeks.”

The couple’s Dutch Hill home is

littered with instruments—guitars,

bass, trombones and enough tubas

to put one in each room of the

house.

“We’re absolute best friends and

the music thing, that’s what helps

keep it together,” explained Julie.

“Even when we get in an argument,

we put the relationship aside and

discuss it as friends. Maybe we just

play our horns really loud at each

other.”

The rapport that the couple

shares has allowed them to weather

adversity and juggle hectic

schedules, as Wes prepares to

audition for the New Jersey

Symphony Orchestra in February.

He is also a server at Applebees,

and often works late nights, while

Julie, an employee of Jessica

McClintock Boutique, works on a

schedule with normal hours.

“We just make sure that we have

two days a week that we’re

absolutely together,” explained

Julie. “Thursdays and Sundays are

our days.”

Such an agreement was not

without compromise. Weekends

are the days with the highest

earning potential for waiters, and

Wes sacrificed some much needed

extra cash to have a guarantee day

with his wife each week.

“If we don’t have that day, it

feels like I haven’t seen her in two

weeks,” he said. “To make a

relationship work is trying for each

Wes and Julie Krygsman were married on May 30, 2009.


other, making each other laugh and

being fair.”

At the same time, there has to be

a healthy balance. The added

responsibility of home ownership

means that each party in a

relationship has to be

understanding: Work has to get

done before you can relax.

However, it has its perks.

“We’d used to talk about how

we’d spend these great date nights

and end up at her house. I would

have to say bye but I couldn’t wait

til the day I can just stay here and

we get to wake up together,”

recalled Wes. In 2007, he wound up

moving in after his parents moved

to Butler and he needed a place to

stay so he could finish up at MSU.

“It sort of happened out of

necessity, but it worked out. Before

you know it, there’s tubas all over

the house,” said Julie. “That’s when

we knew it was permanent.”

But having been together for 11

years, living together and getting

married was essentially a formal

ceremony.

Wes, who received a Bachelor’s

in tuba performance from Montclair

in 2009, initially wanted to wait

until he had completed his studies

before proposing to Julie.

“What ended up happening was

that I thought I was going to

graduate in 2007,” he explained. “It

kept on getting pushed back and

back and I just thought, do I really

want to wait to propose?”

In April 2008, Wes was pushed

into action when his friend who

worked at a pet store called about a

black pug at the shop. He had been

looking for one since Julie’s dog

passed away on Christmas in 2007.

“We had moved in together in

July that year and I decided that I

would put the ring on the dog’s

collar,” he explained.

Over the span of a few days, he

coordinated with Julie’s friends to

find a ring and buy the dog. To

keep the plans a surprise, Wes lied

about his whereabouts—and was

caught—leaving his future wife

furious for two days until the pooch

was presented on April 4.

“She loved the dog and wasn’t

mad anymore, but she didn’t notice

the ring for five minutes,” he

laughed. “Come on, it was a bright

blue ring bag!”

It wasn’t until Wes dropped to

his knee that Julie realized that what

was going on.

Two years later, the couple was

wed on May 30, 2009. Wes and

Julie now reside in a quaint Dutch

Hill home with Sammi the pug and

Julie’s parents forming a happy,

extended family.

“It feels exactly the same as

when we were younger,” laughed

Julie. “Only we’re big kids now.”

www.stefanandsons.com


For many young couples, high school romances

are here today and gone tomorrow. Not so with

Chris and Eddie Machovsky. For them, what

started out as a friendship blossomed into a love affair

that has lasted for more than 20 years.

The lifelong Clifton residents actually first met in

seventh grade homeroom in 1982 at what was then

Christopher Columbus Junior High. Chris remembers

Eddie as the annoying boy who sat behind her and shot

spitballs into her hair.

It wasn’t until three years later that Eddie took a

second notice of Chris, when the two were sophomores

at CHS. Eddie had broken his ankle and was on

crutches, so he was excused early to get to his next

class. It turned out that during one of those passing

periods, he would often see Chris coming out from her

gym class. After a while, he began to wait for her and

the two would walk together and talk.

“Then one day, my friend told me that Eddie said he

liked me,” Chris recounted. “We started hanging out

with the same clique of friends and, eventually, he

asked me out. That was the first day of the rest of our

lives. He would drive me to school every day and from

that day on we were always together.”

A four-year star soccer player during the reign of

renowned Coach Fernando Rossi, Eddie had an offer to

Chris and Eddie Machovsky

Still Grounded After All These YearsBy Carol Leonard

M

May not be c


go to a training camp in Europe

when he graduated from CHS in

1988 to prepare for a potential

career as a professional soccer

player.

“When I got the letter, my father

asked me if I was going,” Eddie

said. “When I told him no, he asked

me why and I said, because I have

a girlfriend.”

“I would have never stood in his

way if that’s what he wanted to do,”

Chris said. “But I was so flattered

that he turned it down because he

didn’t want to leave me.”

Despite disappointing his

beloved Coach Rossi, Eddie also

walked away from an opportunity

to play collegiate soccer at Kean

University because he just didn’t

want to go to college.

Instead, Eddie worked on cars

for a while, then got involved

through his cousin with the Pipe

Fitters Union Local 274 and

became a welder, a job that he

continues to work at to this day.

When Chris finished high

school, she attended beauty school

and became a hair dresser.

“I would have loved to become a

teacher,” she said. “But it just

wasn’t in the cards for me then. My

parents had just gotten a divorce

and I didn’t have the money to go

to college.”

After high school, Chris and

Eddie’s relationship continued to

flourish. They spent a lot of time at

each other’s homes, getting to

know and be a part of each other’s

families.

“My mother just loved Eddie,”

Chris said. “She thought of him

like a son, not just my boyfriend.”

Over the next few years, as they

reached their early 20s, several of

Chris and Eddie’s friends became

engaged.

While Chris and Eddie had

vaguely talked about marriage and

what type of ring Chris would

want, there had been no formal

proposal from Eddie.

Then, abruptly one day, Eddie

informed Chris that he didn’t want

to continue their relationship.

“I was devastated,” Chris said.

“He told me he wasn’t ready to get

married. That was it, we broke up.

He was very serious.”

Three weeks passed and no

reconciliation. Chris hadn’t

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heard a word from Eddie.

“It seemed like forever,” she

recalled. “I was so miserable. I

didn’t go out. All I did was sit home

and cry. My mother was upset. It

was terrible.”

Meanwhile, cool-as-a-cucumber

Eddie, who had no intention of

hurting Chris, spent those weeks

trying to get his head together

about his feelings for her and

resolving his fears about taking the

step toward marriage.

Chris’ girlfriends

finally convinced her

to go out one night to

the old Fatso’s Bar

on Van Houten Ave.

to celebrate another

friend’s birthday.

Reluctantly, she

agreed.

When they got

there, one of the

friends told Chris that she had run into

Eddie earlier and let him know that

they would be at the bar that night,

and he said that he might stop in.

When Eddie arrived, Chris did

everything she could to avoid eye

contact. “I was sick to my

stomach,” she said. “I so badly

wanted to blow him off, but I didn’t

want to create a scene.”

While sitting on a bar stool, Chris

saw Eddie coming toward her.

“Then, all of a sudden, I didn’t see

him,” she said. “I looked down and

there he was on his knees with a ring

in his hand, and he said, will you

please marry me? I immediately said

yes. There was no discussion.”

It turns out that Chris’ girlfriend

was in on the plot and had

accompanied Eddie to pick out the

ring. In fact, “the whole bar was in

on the surprise,” Chris said.

Following a 16-month

engagement, Chris

and Eddie were wed

on Nov. 13, 1994 at

St. Paul’s Church. A

reception followed

at Villa Classica at the Fairfield

Inn, which the couple saved and

paid for themselves.

Chris and Eddie originally

planned to spend their honeymoon in

Aruba, but Eddie had been fighting a

strange illness for a number of

months before the wedding, which

left him weak and tired. His doctor

recommended that he not spend time

in the sun, so the couple thought it

best to cancel their plans.

Instead, they booked a trip to

Mount Airy Lodge in the Poconos,

which Chris now laughingly

recounts as “a living nightmare.”

She continued, “We reserved a

room with an in-room pool that we

thought would be nice, but when

we checked in, everything was so

damp and reeked of chlorine.”

Chris and Ed refused to stay in

the musty room, so the clerk at the

front desk suggested that they

might enjoy staying in one of the

resort’s cabins. They got in their car

and drove down the road into the

woods to their assigned cabin,

which wasn’t much better than the

room with the pool.

“It was so creepy and scary, like

a scene from Camp Crystal Lake in

Friday the 13th,” Chris said.

Finally, they were offered one of

the resort’s premier accommodations,

the Blue Roman Room. That, too,

was “tackyville come to life,” Chris

said. “I wanted to pack up and go

home, but Eddie said, don’t worry,

we’ll be ok.”

Today, the couple laughs about

their honeymoon in the Poconos,

but it’s an episode that they would

much rather forget. They like to

think of their real honeymoon as

the trip they took a year later to the

Bahamas.

After returning from Mount Airy

Lodge, Chris and Eddie moved into

the house where Eddie grew up.

His parents had relocated to his

elderly grandparents’ house nearby

to help take care of them.

From left, Eddie, Nicholas, Michael and Chris in their Allwood home.


“It was such a great home,” Chris

said. “I had both of my boys while we

were living there. We became a

family there, and my oldest son even

had Eddie’s old room.”

After eight years in the Union

Ave. house, Chris and Eddie

decided they wanted more space

for their kids. So, with the help of

Eddie’s parents, they bought

property in Vernon and planned to

move there.

“It was all set and then I came

home from work one day and Chris

was sitting there crying because she

didn’t want to move,” Eddie said.

“I had a baby and a two year-old,

and I was afraid I’d be up there all

alone,” Chris said. “My mother and

step-father, and my brother were all

here and I didn’t want to leave

them.”

Needless to say, Chris and Eddie

stayed in Clifton.

Unfortunately, the Union Ave.

home where the couple had been

living had already been sold, so

they joined Eddie’s parents in his

grandparents’ house for a year,

until purchasing their current home

in the Allwood section in 2004.

Today, the couple’s life is a

whirlwind of activities, centered on

their two sons, Nicholas, 13, and

Michael, 10. The boys play

multiple sports throughout the year,

so when Chris and Eddie aren’t at a

baseball field, you’ll most likely

find them at a basketball court or

soccer field.

Eddie serves as president of

Clifton American Little League and

Chris is active in the PTO at School 9.

They love their new

neighborhood, where they have

made great new friends and enjoy

block parties and holiday

gatherings. And, they like the fact

that both of their families live

nearby and are a close part of their

lives. They also have a number of

long time friends in the area with

whom they keep in touch.

After staying home full-time for

eight years to care for her sons, Chris

went back to work part-time when

Michael entered kindergarten. Three

years ago, she passed the test to

become a paraprofessional in the

Clifton Public Schools. She works in a

class of autistic children at School 14.

“I absolutely love it,” she said of

her job. “It’s the most fulfilling

thing I’ve ever done.”

Chris and Eddie believe that the

secret to their successful marriage

is their mutual respect for each

other and their shared values.

“We’re friends,” Eddie said.

“We’re just two regular people

who’ve been through a lot together,

and we always have fun.”

Chris added, “We never needed

fancy things, just family and each

other. I have a husband who adores

me, two kids who I adore, and we

have a roof over our heads. What

more could I want?”


It’s certainly not a conventional retirement plan, but

it couldn’t be more perfect for Janis and Len Thomas.

As of January 15, the Cliftonites have been officially

living on the road, roaming about North America in a 32

foot motorhome with their dog and two cats.

To supplement more than a decade’s worth of savings,

the Thomas’ will find temp jobs as transient workers at

stops along the along the way, as they attempt to visit each

of the Lower 48 States.

“We’re going to be on the road permanently, or at least

until we no longer want to do it,” explained Janis.

The departure from the Garden State also coincides with

the 25th anniversary of the couple, who first met in 1983.

“I was good friends with his girlfriend at the time,”

laughed Janis, a graduate of the Clifton High School Class

of 1982. Len and the girl split up after a few weeks, and

not long after in early 1984, he asked Janis to be his date

to a Billy Joel concert, which was followed by a

memorable dinner at a Spanish restaurant.

The connection was immediate—Len and Janis were

wed two years later on June 29, 1986. Besides the obvious

reasons, the ceremony was particularly memorable

because of a limo breakdown, which resulted in the bridal

party being transported to the wedding via luxury RV.

“Who’d have though that 25 years ago that it would be

an omen,” laughed Janis.

Janis and Len Thomas

Loving the Open RoadBy Joe Hawrylko


Se habla Espanol


At that point, the method of transportation was just a

coincidence. The Thomas’ didn’t get into the world of

RVing until taking a vacation in the early 90s.

“We had rented a motorhome and gone down to Florida

and fell in love with that mode of travel,” said Len. “So

when we came back from there, we purchased a pop up.

Six months later, we had another with a larger trailer.

Another year later, another trailer...”

Soon, the motorhome became the all-in-one vehicle

and lodging for getaways on the open road.

“We’ve been as far north as Vermont and as far south

as Virginia, and a little further west than PA,” explained

Janis. Sometimes, in getting to destinations, the pitstops

are less than luxurious. “We’ve stayed at truck stops, Wal-

Marts, Crackerbarrels...”

But while the scenery outside the RV can wildly differ,

the amenities inside are not too much different than a

typical, modest home.

“I have never slept in a tent and I never will,” laughed

Janis. “We call it condo camping. In our unit, we have a

television, phone, microwave, hot water, a private

bathroom and more.”

Part of the allure to RV camping is the community. In

meeting people at camp grounds, one can develop an

entire network of friends from across the country.“We’ve

met some really nice people,” said Len. “People don’t sit

outside their hotel to meet other people. But in camp

grounds, people sit outside, you walk by and they say

hello and you get to talking.”

On each of those many excursions, the Clifton couple

would often meet people who had forsaken their normal

homes for replacements with wheel foundations.

Living on the road, these adventure-seeking individuals

roam the country on a never-ending sight seeing tour.

Work for such transients can be found in various

magazines or internet communities. Home is wherever

the RV will fit—camp grounds, national parks, motels,

truck stops and other locations for transients that are

peppered across America.

Intrigued by such a lifestyle, Janis and Len


attended a Life on Wheels

seminar in Pennsylvania in

the late 90s, where they heard

first hand tips from those

who have experienced it.

It was a retirement plan

tailor suited to the Thomas’.

However, such a drastic

decision requires years of

saving and lots of planning

“There’s simple tricks,

like using a crock pot to save

propane,” explained Janis.

But after more than ten

years since they first made

that choice, Janis and Len

have finally set out on the

road.

Though their travels will

eventually take them back

through Clifton, home is

wherever they stop and kill

the engine for the night.

“You’re pretty much

saying farewell to family and

friends you’ve lived around

for so long,” said Len.

“Even though you’re not

going to be gone forever,

you’re still not going to be

up here very often.”

Janis and Len will only

have the companionship of

their pets while on the road.

And it takes an excellent

relationship to weather long

drives and living in cramped

quarters when days aren’t

going so hot.

However, the couple isn’t worried. The key to

surviving such pitfalls is the same as making it through a

quarter century of marriage.

“Commitment, through the good and the bad,” Len

stated firmly. “We’ve had some very good and some very

bad ups and downs. But you don’t see very many people

who are married too long like this.”

“When we get in a fight, someone goes for a walk

around the campground,” laughed Janis.

“It takes a lot of work on

both parts,” he added. “We

share a lot of the same

values, morals and beliefs.

And there’s the four phrases:

You’re right, I’m wrong, I’m

sorry and it will never

happen again.”

Not that there aren’t some

differences in tastes as well.

After a stop at Apex, North

Carolina to visit some old

friends, the couple will be

free to roam wherever they

please. Naturally, each has

different ideas for dream

stops.

“I’d like to see all the

light houses along the

coast,” said Janis. “And the

Great Lakes and Mt.

Rushmore.”

Len’s ideal stop is a bit

more blue collar. A big

NASCAR fan, he’s already

been to the Poconos, Dover

and Richmond raceways.

However, he aims to

ultimately visit the hallowed

ovals at Daytona and Bristol.

“It’s like $10,000 for the

whole event,” explained

Len. The price, which

would prohibit him from

going for a bit, includes

qualifying, practices, and

lower heats.

And while the actual

logistics of the trip have

hardly been etched out, the Thomas’ are just more than

eager to unhinge from the shackles of daily life in

Northern New Jersey and get on the open road to

adventure.

“No more PSE&G bill, no more rent, no more water

bill,” said Janis. “We’ve got a campground membership

so that we can stay for free for up to three weeks at a time

at a number of places around the country. It’s the type of

lifestyle we want. If not, we can always come back.”

Janis and Len on their wedding day June 29, 1986


m

m

m

f

PODIATRY

Thomas Graziano, DPM, MD1033 Clifton, Ave.Clifton, NJ 07013

973-473-3344

Jeffrey Miller, DPM1117 Route 46 East, 2nd Floor

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Eugene A. Batelli, DPM1117 Route 46 East, 2nd Floor

Clifton, NJ 07013973-365-2208

Zina Cappiello, DPM886 Pompton Ave, Suite A-1

Cedar Grove, NJ 07009973-857-1184

Glenn Haber, DPM140 Grand Ave.

Englewood, NJ 07631201-569-0212

John Mc Evoy, DPM152 Lakeview Ave.Clifton, NJ 07013

973-340-8970

Kevin Healey, DPM152 Lakeview Ave.Clifton, NJ 07013

973-340-8970

Matthew Welch, DPM6506 Park Ave.

West New York, NJ 07093201-662-1122

Anas Khoury, DPM235 Main Ave.

Passaic, NJ 07066973-473-6665

PAIN MANAGEMENTLadislav Habina, MD

1117 Route 46 East, 2nd FloorClifton, NJ 07013

973-357-8228

Kazimierz Szczech, MD1033 Clifton Ave.Clifton, NJ 07013

973-473-4400

Binod Sinha, MD1117 Route 46 East, 2nd Floor

Clifton, NJ 07013973-777-5444

Todd Koppel, MD721 Clifton Ave.

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ENDOSCOPYPiotr Huskowski, MD

1005 Clifton Ave.Clifton, NJ 07013

973-778-7882

CHIROPRACTICMichael Gaccione, DC

26 Clinton St.Newark, NJ 07012

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Terry Mc Sweeney, DC600 Mount Prospect Ave.

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973-773-9880

ORTHOPEDICSKent Lerner, MD17 Jauncey Ave.

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For 40 years, Christina and Yuri have beenfalling in love. Christina confesses that back in

the 1970s, she had a fierce teenage crush on the

good-looking guitarist from the country rock band

Kinderhook. And somewhere deep inside, Yuri always

knew that one day he would marry “a beautiful, blond

Ukrainian girl.” Yet as is often the fate of creative

people, theirs was a long and winding road.

Yuri Turchyn, 60, grew up in Trenton, a skinny

Ukrainian kid in an Italian neighborhood. “I was the

one walking down the street in shorts and knee-his,

carrying my violin case to music lessons,” grinned

Yuri. “I took some serious flak for that.” By

adolescence, the skinny kid was behind him, and for a

while, so was the violin. The power of the guitar, Yuri

learned, was that it was one heck of a chick magnet.

He graduated Rutgers in 1972. That summer, while up

in the Catskills, he met some guys still attending Rutgers.

Like him, they too were into music. Together they began

a late night jam in a ramshackle old barn, a jam that went

until dawn. A band was born. Nearby was a mountain

creek, Kinderhook and then the band had a name.

Yuri was supposed to go to graduate school that fall,

and on to Scotland. Instead, his life did a one-eighty

and he returned to New Brunswick to help start

Kinderhook.

Christina and Yuri Turchyn

Family, Tradition and a 40 Year Love SongBy Irene Jarosewich


In the 1970s, the local music

scene in New Jersey was, well, hot.

And Yuri, who had returned to

playing fiddle, along with the other

musicians of Kinderhook, Andy

Fediw, Jerry Kopychuk, and Craig

Barry, made up one of the hottest

local bands around. “We didn’t have

texting then,” Yuri laughed, “it was

all word of mouth. A band had a

following. Your reputation brought

the crowd. In some clubs, like the

Stone Pony, you could pull in 2000

people in a night, on a regular basis.

It was a vibrant scene.”

This vibrant world is where

Christina Kotlar, now 55, first saw

Yuri. “OK, I’ll admit it,” she said, “I

was basically a groupie. I followed

Kinderhook at places like Wooden

Nickel, Widow Brown’s, Dodd’s.”

Also, the child of post-war

immigrants from Ukraine,

Christina grew up with three sisters

in Lakeview.

A 1973 CHS grad, she went on

to Rutgers, and then William

Paterson, getting her BA in graphic

design and a master’s in textile

design. During college she could

follow Kinderhook at area

Yuri Turchyn and his fiddle have along history in our region.


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Largo House Nail & SpaFacial Care, Waxing, Body Treatment

ACME SupermarketCakes, Candies, Gift Baskets & More

Bertelli’s LiquorsWine, Liquor, Spirits & Love Potions

ACME (973) 594-0590

AC Moore (973) 470-8885

Antonio’s Hair Stylist (973) 472-1011

Avant Garde Salon (973) 778-0557

Bertelli’s Liquors (973) 779-0199

Chiropractic Center at Styertowne (973) 777-6995

Cleaners 2000 (973) 614-1400

F.Y.E. (973) 778-8759

Corbo Jewelers (973) 777-1635

Crystal Optics (973) 594-0020

CVS Pharmacy (973) 778-7630

Dollar Tree (973) 249-7530

Dress Barn (973) 249-0322

Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robbins (973) 473-9631

Exchange Florist (973) 594-0700

Footnotes Bookstore (973) 779-6122

GNC (973) 779-1500

Kid City (973) 614-1111

Kim’s Nail Salon (973) 471-8118

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clubs, but she could also hear the

band play at Ukrainian festivals and

weddings around the tri-state area.

“I would go up to Yuri to ask him to

play some song. I remember, he

would look down at me from the

stage, very politely, and smile and

kindly say OK. But really, they

never did,” she sighed.

The band broke up in 1982 and

Yuri went on to play music

professionally with other musicians,

and began a transition from country

rock to jazz, then to his own quintet,

Grupo Yuri, now Grupo Yuri Jazz. “I

really had to relearn how to play the

violin,” said Yuri, “I had been

playing fiddle for so long that I

needed to almost start over.”

Christina moved to Washington

DC in the 1990s where she

completed another degree, this one

in Communications, and began her

transition from print designer to

photographer and film and video

producer. Through her wide

community of Ukrainian American

friends, every once in a while, she

would hear while about what Yuri

was doing, but really, for decades,

Christina and Yuri had no contact.

By 2009, Christina was back in

New Jersey, living in Rutherford,

when she heard that Kinderhook

was planning a reunion concert. She

went to that reunion and as she had

done years before, went up to Yuri

when he was onstage. Instead of a

song, this time she asked that he do

a podcast with her for her website.

He agreed. They set up a time.

Christina did not show. Yuri was

angry. “I called and left her a voice

message, telling her how

unprofessional she was, really

reaming her out,” he remembers

ruefully. She called back and

apologized. She had to take her

father to the hospital unexpectedly

for what was to be his final illness.

“Boy, did I ever feel like a heel!”

They began what was to become

a roller-coaster relationship amid

stresses of illness and deaths of close

friends and family. “Our relationship

really was more like ‘Three Funerals

and a Wedding’ than the opposite,”

remarked Christina a bit sadly. In

fact, she admits, during her father’s

last few months, she felt little desire

for any relationship at all. Yuri,

however, persevered.

“After we did our podcast, we

had gone to a diner, and over

dinner, we really hit it off,” said

Yuri, “I had not been emotionally

involved in a long time. I had shut

down. Chris woke me up

emotionally. I saw that she was in

pain. I began to send her poetry. I

thought to myself, even if this

relationship ended up going

nowhere, my creativity was alive.

She made me feel alive.”

After her father passed in

October 2009, Christina felt herself

slipping into a bit of a funk.

Though Yuri had continued to stay

in touch, the relationship had been

pretty much one-sided. Then as

winter and the holidays began to

roll around, she felt particularly

blue and on a whim, emailed Yuri

asking about his plans for


The Turchyn-Kotlar wedding party this past Nov. 27.


New Year’s Eve. His quintet was

playing a gig at a resort in upstate

New York. Christina’s brother-in-

law was a manager at the resort.

She emailed back that she would be

there and suggested that they meet

during cocktail hour.

“The theme of the event was a

Viennese Ball,” said Yuri, “When I

saw her in her evening dress,

honestly, my knees buckled. She

was beautiful. It was a beautiful

evening.”

When the evening ended,

Christina invited Yuri to join her at

an after party. He remembers the

moment well. Here he was again, in

upstate New York, again, in the

middle of the night, again, his life

about to radically change.

“The hall was empty. I was the

only one left. I stood there alone on

that stage, and as I looked out into

that silent room, the realization hit

me – crystal clear – if I joined her at

the after party, my life will change

completely.” He went. It did.

“Later, people would tell me,”

giggled Christina, “those that had

seen us together that evening that

the sparks were there for all to see,

it was that obvious.”

A few months later, even though

it seemed like an odd time, Yuri got

the idea to propose to Christina at

his uncle’s funeral: “We all were

very sad. It was another in a series

of funerals during the past year. My

cousin turned to me and said that

this was it, too much sadness, we

have to do something fun, that he

have to get some happiness back in

the family. So I thought to myself,

OK, let’s do a wedding.”

On November 27 last year,

Christina and Yuri got married in

St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic

Church in Passaic, the church in

which her parents married 60 years

earlier.

“Family, tradition, our Ukrainian

heritage, these are very important

to both of us,” said Christina, “My

parents were in love with each

other their entire lives and it was a

wonderful idea for me that we

could be married in the same

church.”

For Yuri, who has never been

married, it was one of the happiest

days of his life. When asked why

he never married before, he replied

with a slow smile, “Because before,

no one ever stole my heart.”

Christina and Yuri see their lives

as one of merging talents. Yuri

composes and arranges original

music, and performs with major

players, in addition to his quintet

Grupo Yuri Jazz, whose

performances have been described

as “passionate and superbly

energetic” and “infectious … a

blend of World Beat, Latin, Jazz

and Fusion rhythms, intertwined


with beautifully haunting

melodies.” Christina has taken on

some of the promotion

responsibilities for the group

through her company March Hare

Media and Entertainment.

In turn, Yuri supports Christina’s

projects, the most recent of which is

a screenplay, “Madame Director”

about America’s first woman film

director, Alice Guy Blache, who

owned and operated a studio, Solax

Company in Fort Lee where she

made hundreds of films before

WWI, and who will be honored this

fall at the 75th anniversary event of

the Director’s Guild of America in

New York City.

The newlyweds plan to move

back to the Lakeview house where

Christina grew up, and to the

community that she never really left.

Christina is optimistic and

cheerful about the future: “We’ve

overcome many personal tragedies

in the past year. And while many

friends and family are celebrating

their 30 years together, we’re

genuinely looking forward to

starting ours.”

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The recent overwhelming support in both hous-es of Congress to repeal the federal Don’t Ask,

Don’t Tell (DADT) law is the latest evidence that

our country is slowly moving in the direction of greater

acceptance of the rights of gay and lesbian citizens. In

fact, the repeal of DADT was supported by 67 percent of

Americans in a Gallop poll conducted in December.

When fully implemented in the coming months,

repeal of DADT will allow gays and lesbians to serve

openly in all branches of the United States military.

Neither Mark Peterson nor John Traier has ever

served in the military. But it was with great interest that

they witnessed the repeal of DADT, in much the same

way that they were delighted by the passage in 2004 of

a state law in New Jersey that allowed the gay couple

to enter into a legal domestic partnership.

“I didn’t think I would ever see it in my lifetime,”

Traier said.

Peterson, 58, and Traier, 54, both came of age at a

time when it was difficult enough for young gay men

and lesbian women to even admit their sexual orienta-

tion to themselves, much less to their families, friends

and co-workers. “The coming out process was very dif-

ficult,” Peterson said. “When I was growing up,

I didn’t have any gay role models that I could talk to. It

just wasn’t done.”

John Traier and Mark Peterson

Real Life Felix and OscarBy Carol Leonard


A lifelong Clifton resident, Traier

grew up in the Lakeview section,

where he attended School 11, then

Christopher Columbus Jr. High and

Clifton High School. He graduated

from Rutgers University with a

bachelor’s degree in economics and

a master’s degree in accounting, and

he works as a certified public

accountant.

A native of Edison, Peterson went

to work full-time right after high

school. He initially worked in the

traffic and shipping department of

the Ronson company before moving

into his current position as a proce-

dure analyst in maintenance for the

Parkway Division of the NJ

Turnpike Authority.

The two men first met in 1987 at

a yearly fundraising event sponsored

by the then Garden State Arts Center

(now the PNC Bank Arts Center) at

the Pines Manor in Edison.

“I was reluctant to go because I

didn’t have anyone to go with,”

Peterson recalled.

His co-workers encouraged him

to attend and one of them introduced

him to Traier. They continued their

evening at a nearby diner.

“I was interested in him, but I

really wasn’t sure at the time what

his orientation was,” Peterson said.

“It was hard back then to talk about

it. You wouldn’t just come right out

and ask someone.”

Eventually, Peterson and Traier

each surmised that the other was gay.

They made a date to have dinner, and

so started their relationship on Feb.

28, 1987. It’s an anniversary that

they cherish.

Peterson was 34 and Traier 30 at

the time, and neither had been

involved in a long term relationship

with anyone else. “I had an adoles-

cent romance once, but nothing seri-

ous,” Traier said. “The first time that

I met Mark I knew he was the one

for me. I had already decided at that

point that I wanted to settle down.”

Peterson commented, “I had

never been with anybody seriously. I

didn’t think that I was ever going to

find someone.”

He describes the early part of their

relationship as “taking baby steps.”

The couple had a mutual interest

in theater and the arts, and they

enjoyed going to piano bars in New

York City.

About 14 months after they met,

Peterson’s landlord in Edison was

selling the house and he needed find

a new place to live.

At the time, Traier was living

alone in a home that his family

owned on Valley Rd., while oversee-

ing the care of his ailing mother, who

still resided in Lakeview. He sug-

gested that Peterson move in with

him.

“It forced me to make a decision,”

Peterson said. “John loved Clifton

and he had a responsibility to take

care of his mother. I knew that it

would be a longer commute to work

for me, but I felt that I had to follow

my heart. It was an opportunity to be

happy with someone that I loved. It

changed my whole life.”

Traier was thrilled that Peterson

had agreed to move in with him, but

he knew that they would face a lot of

obstacles as they sought acceptance

in the community.

Traier was well known in

Clifton. He had lived here all his

life and had been active in politics,

serving as a Republican leader for

many years. He also served as act-

ing commissioner and later as

director of the state Division of

Banking during the administration

of Gov. Christie Whitman.

“I started coming out to some

people I knew and they were very

accepting, but it was difficult at

times,” he said. “People would see

us together in church and other

places and I knew that tongues were

wagging.”

Nearly 24 years since the day they

started dating, Peterson and Traier

reflect on their relationship in much

the same way that heterosexual cou-

ples do.

“We’ve had our issues over the

years,” Traier said. “But the nice part

is that we don’t hold onto things too

long.” The couple feels that the

strength of their union lies in

patience, open and honest communi-

cation, and supporting each other

through difficult times.

“We’re nurturing type people,”

Traier said.

They are both actively involved

with the Theater League of Clifton,

with Peterson serving as president

and Traier as treasurer, but each has

his own separate interests. Traier is

still involved in Republican politics

and is completing his third term this

Mark and John when they first met.


year as a commissioner on the

Clifton Board of Education. He is

also active with Garden State

Equality, an advocacy group for

homosexual rights.

“John is a political animal, but

politics was never my greatest inter-

est,” Peterson said. “I enjoy my bike

club.”

At the couple’s current home in

the Rosemawr section, where they

have lived for 16 years, Peterson

does most of the cooking. He is very

fussy about how the house looks and

he doesn’t appreciate his partner’s

lack of tidiness. “He likes to leave a

trail,” he said of Traier.

“He’s more like Felix and I’m

Oscar,” Traier admitted.

The two have a cordial relation-

ship with their neighbors and they

enjoy hosting gatherings of family

and friends in their home.

On July 13, 2004, under a new

state law that was enacted just days

earlier, Peterson and Traier entered

into a domestic partnership by filing

an affidavit with the city of Clifton.

The New Jersey Domestic

Partnership Act affords homosexual

as well as qualifying unmarried het-

erosexual couples certain rights pre-

viously provided only to married

couples. These include the right to

make healthcare decisions for each

other and to receive tax exemptions

and inheritances. The law also

enabled Traier to get health insur-

ance benefits under Peterson’s state

employee plan.

Traier had helped lobby in

Trenton for passage of the law and

he felt that it was an entitlement that

he and Peterson deserved.

“We were finally observed as a

couple,” he said. “It was very emo-

tional.”

In 2006, the state legislature took

the rights of same sex couples a step

further by passing the Civil Union

Act. Homosexual couples who enter

into a civil union under this law have

the same legal rights, benefits and

responsibilities as married hetero-

sexual couples in the state.

Peterson and Traier never felt the

need to enter into a civil union.

Instead, Traier would rather get mar-

ried. He has been working through

Garden State Equality for a law in

New Jersey to allow same sex mar-

riage. Currently only five states,

New Hampshire, Massachusetts,

Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont, and

the District of Columbia, allow such

marriages.

Traier would like to go to

Connecticut to get married, even

though the nuptials would not be

legally recognized by the state of

New Jersey.

“I think after all these years

together he should marry me,” Traier

said. “I want all the rituals of a wed-

ding.”

For now, Peterson isn’t interested

in going out of state for a marriage

ceremony. “To me, we’re married

already,” he said. “We’re dedicated

to each other even without a formal

marriage.”

Although the couple acknowl-

edges that the gay and lesbian com-

munity has made great strides over

their lifetime, both in legal rights and

social acceptance, they feel there is

more progress to be made.

Peterson and Traier were raised as

Roman Catholics and had served

faithfully as Eucharistic ministers at

St. Brendan’s Church.

Shortly after their domestic part-

nership was publicized in the local

press, however, they each received

letters from the bishop stating that

they could no longer serve in this

capacity.

“From that day on, we walked

away from the church and never

went back,” Peterson said. “It was

very hurtful. I miss going to church.

I feel a void.”

Peterson explained that he still

has gay friends who are afraid to live

openly. “Even now you take risks

coming out,” he said. “But I tell

them that the only happiness in life is

to love and be loved. Invest your

heart in another person and don’t

worry about being judged.”


Six hundred years ago in France and England it

was assumed that birds began to mate during the

second half of the second month: February 14th.

It made sense. Spring was not too far off in the distance.

It seemed as if there were more song birds in the woods

and fields. Even Chaucer considered this possibility:

For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.

And so began the early and persistent ritual of select-

ing a sweetheart on Valentine’s Day and offering her a

token of affection: a kiss, a card, a box of chocolate.

Thirty-six years ago I was a first year high school

English teacher. I taught “Romeo and Juliet,” stories by

Truman Capote and O. Henry. My students read The

Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby. The high school

play that year was “The Music Man.” Jeanne De Block,

the banker’s daughter and one of my students was the star

playing the leading role of Marian Paroo the librarian.

For me Jeanne to this day still represents all that is

good about teenagers: openness, humor, optimism.

That she also possessed physical beauty and a mature

dignity added to Jeanne’s popularity and, over time,

created for all who knew her an iconic memory of what

we all hope for in our struggles to be loved and to love.

Chris and Roe de Vinck

A Love StoryBy Christopher de Vinck


In the fall of 1975, as I stood before my class, I ran down

the attendance list: “Doug?” Present, Doug called out.

“Wendy?” Wendy waved her hand and smiled. “Amy?”

“Here, Mr. de Vinck.” “Jeanne?” I called, not looking up

from my roster. Silence. “Jeanne?” I repeated as I looked

up. Jeanne’s desk was empty. I marked her absent, finished

taking attendance, and began the day’s lesson.

By third period we heard that Jeanne was in a car

accident on the way to school. By the end of the day, we

heard that Jeanne died.

There was an intersection not far from the high school.

A blinking light controlled the traffic. The morning was

heavy with fog. As Jeanne properly and cautiously drove

through the intersection, another car appeared at her left

side, smashed into her, and she died.

Do you remember the film “Witness,” where the

people in the Amish village were summoned by a bell

because one of their own was in trouble? The men in

the fields quickly stopped their work and rushed to the

house. People were running down the roads to the

sound of the bell. It was like that in the small northern

New Jersey Village when Jeanne died. Her parents did-

n’t want a wake. They wanted people to come to their

home and share in their grief. I will always remember

seeing so many people walking up the driveway, up to

the house. I will never forget stepping into Jeanne’s

house and seeing her high school graduation portrait

sitting on the piano.

I met my wife on that day, in that house of sorrow,

during the mourning for Jeanne De Block, Lady

Librarian, the banker’s daughter.

I was sitting at the kitchen table, consoling some of the

high school students when Jeanne’s sister Linda entered the

house with her college roommate, Rosemary, Roe, my

future wife, the mother of our three children, the woman

who for 34 years shared her dreams, encouraged my writ-

ing, walked with me along the Roman Roads in Belgium,

who swam with me in the beaver pond in Canada.

Our first son, David, was supposed to be born on

Valentine’s Day. He came two days earlier, on Lincoln’s

birthday. Today David is a doctor. Our second son, Michael

was born on Jeanne’s birthday, March 31. Today he is a

paramedic. And Karen, our daughter happily employed in

Portland, Oregon and in love with a good man.

The writer Bernard Malamud wrote “Life is a

tragedy full of joy.” Roe and I are still friends with her

college roommate and with Jeanne’s good parents.

They know so well that from their deep sorrow some-

thing wonderful happened: a great love story between

Roe and me, the birth of three good people, the contin-

uation of joy born from tragedy.

St. Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate the joys of

those we love. Birds select their mates in the early spring;

we select our mates in the miracle of circumstances.

Thank you Jeanne for my wife and for our three chil-

dren. Happy Valentine’s Day.

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Seamless Gutters Additions • Alterations


Madeline Alicea has a tip for those strug-

gling to find love: Start by talking to a

friendly neighbor.

That’s how she met her future husband, Abel, in

1986. The two high schoolers grew up just a few doors

down from one another in the same Paterson apartment

complex, eventually becoming best friends and lovers.

“We met in DECA club (an academic competition

team) at John F. Kennedy High School,” said Madeline.

The connection was immediate, and the two soon

began a relationship that would last through graduation

and after college, culminating in Abel and Madeline

exchanging vows on May 16, 1992.

The concept of high school sweethearts and marry-

ing at such a young age may be foreign to some, but

love has a way of alleviating concerns about future.

“When you meet someone who is your buddy, why

wait?” said Madeline, refering to the trend of couples

defering marriage until school or career goals are met.

“We didn’t know where we were going to live or

what we were going to do,” added Abel. When the cou-

ple first moved in together, they lived on the second

floor of Madeline’s parent’s two family home. “We

had no worries in the world then.”

And facing those challenges side-by-side with each

other ultimately helped build the foundation for a

Abel and Madeline Alicea

Love, On The Street Where You LiveBy Joe Hawrylko


healthy marriage that will have

lasted for 19 years this Spring.

“You always get a lot of ups and

downs,” said Madeline. She and

Abel have lived in the Allwood sec-

tion for 14 years. “But there’s one

thing about our house: No cursing.

He doesn’t do it and he doesn’t

allow it.”

Faith is also another major com-

ponent in the couple’s relationship,

serving as the moral foundation.

The Aliceas are also highly involved

in their church, The Calvary Temple

in Wayne.

Abel is part of the church min-

istry, which provides services and

programs for over 200 kids, and

Madeline helps out in the kitchen,

which is a vital cog in the organiza-

tion’s fundraising program. “If we

didn’t have that, I don’t think we’d

be here today,” she said. “Keep a

good relationship with your maker

and you’ll have a good one as well.”

It’s a faith in a higher power that

helps Abel and Madeline get

through some of the more difficult

patches in their relationship.

“I got laid off five days after my

third kid was born,” said Abel. “I

was doing sales—you can’t just pick

up and go somewhere else with no

accounts.”

In between jobs and with his

home schooling the children and

studying for her Masters, Abel

decided to change careers and

opened The Empanada Grill on

Market St. in Allwood in October

2009.

Although he always had an inter-

est in food, the small, traditional

Puerto Rican restaurant was a com-

plete deviation from Abel’s account-

ing career. But despite lacking

experience, his hard work and faith

has allowed this lunch spot to flour-

ish.

“You have to believe God will

take you through it,” added

Madeline. “It’s our life boat. It’s so

dear to us.”

The Empanada Grill has been

successful enough to support the

family while Madeline searches for

a new job. In the meantime, she’s

been home schooling the couple’s

children, which allows for flexibili-

ty in her schedule to see Abel during

the day.

“I work really hard to be in extra

early so I can be home early,” he

said. On the day of the interview, he

took off at around 3 pm for a mid-

day ice cream date with Madeline.

And even though other responsi-

bilities will make the mid-day break

short, it’s the moments shared

together that keep the relationship

alive and fresh.

Abel and Madeline make sure

that they go out for special nights

together on a frequent basis.

“We go to Hoboken a lot to eat

and check it out,” she said. “I live to

hold his hand when we’re out. It’s

the truth and I love it.”

Such adoration is not without

merit. Madeline explained that Abel

has constantly been there to support

her at a moment’s notice, always

willing to lend a hand.

“You need something to sustain

you,” she said. “I still love with

man. I truly treasure him for who he

is. He is a beautiful presence in our

home.”

“If I am stressed, he asks me how

can I help you, how can I make it

better,” Madeline continued. “He’ll

come home and play with our

youngest child for a bit or cook din-

ner.”

Both agreed that being fair helps

resolve arguments and sometimes

avoid them all together.

“He always says to me, I am a

reflection of you,” explained

Madeline. “Every night, we sit and

we talk together.”

“Don’t focus on the negatives,”

she added. “Everyones got some,

but you overlook them in the begin-

ning, so why start later?”

For Madeline and Abel, the key

to keeping a marriage healthy is

pretty simple: Be fair, and keep

things fresh and fun.

“You’ll know when you really

love someone,” explained

Madeline. “It’s just like, grab hands

and let’s move through this journey

together.

Abel and Madeline Alicea were wedon May 16, 1992. At left, the couplewith their children: Seth, 14,Gabriella, 10 and Jason Blake, 2.


Being set up on a blind date is almost always anawkward situation. It’s even worse when the

person setting up the match is your boss, and the

girl in question is the daughter of his best friend, Clifton

Firefighter Frank Englehardt.

“I walked into work at 7 in the morning and my fire

Captain is asking how tall I am, how much I weigh, when

my birthday is,” recalled Steven Crampton, a Paterson

Firefighter. “I just got into work. I’m like, what do you

want?”

Unsurprisingly, his first reaction was no. However, his

boss continued to press: “Around 8 pm, he calls me to his

office and I’m like what did I do now,” said Steve. “He

wanted to put me on the phone with her mom!”

The firefighter was about to continue on with his day,

but Steven’s interest piqued when he spotted a hand writ-

ten list with notes about his prospective date: “Blonde

hair, blue eyes, nice girl, about 5’6’,” he recalled.

Intrigued, he took down his blind date’s phone number

and shot her a text that same night. That was a little more

than two years ago, and the couple has been together ever

since.

“Then for the next three days straight, we just spoke by

text,” laughed Stacey, whose father, Frank, set up the

arrangement. “I was just coming out of a relationship and

initially didn’t want anything to do with it. But we

Stacey and Steven Crampton

Match Made by Fire(men)By Joe Hawrylko


just clicked, had some things in common. I like horse-

back riding and fishing.”

“When I learned that, I asked her jokingly to marry me,”

added Steven, whose father, Frank, is also a firefighter.

And though the chemistry between the two was evi-

dent, Steven found that getting Stacey to meet up in per-

son was a tad bit more difficult than he had expected.

“I kept on trying to get her to hang out a couple times,

but she kept on saying I don’t feel good or my back

hurts,” he insisted, despite Stacey’s claims to the contrary.

A couple weeks later, the two finally met up at Steven’s

apartment for a movie and fate intervened: A snow storm

trapped them in for 48 hours.

“She never left after the first date,” Steven, 30, said

with a sly smirk. Stacey attributed the quick connection

to their personalities, tastes and similar sense of humor.

“The only differences are in what we did and where we

grew up,” she said. “We’re really pretty similar.”

One of the couple’s shared interests is traveling,

whether it’s a full fledged vacation, a weekend getaway,

or Steven showing off with a romantic outing.

“On a spur, we went to the Florida Keys, that was just

about a month after we had met,” laughed Stacey, 27.

“This past June, we went to Costa Rica,” he added.

“And for her birthday, we went to Niagara Falls by our-

selves. I got a speeding ticket on my way back, so I said

I’ll fight it and we made another weekend out of it.”

When Steven had decided that he wanted to propose

after dating Stacey for a little more than a year, he did it

under the guise of just a normal, romantic outing.

“She was talking about going row boating in Central

Park for weeks,” said Steven, who arranged for Stacey’s

friend, a professional photographer, to document the

day’s activities. The two had discussed marriage, but she

had no inclination that she’d receive a ring on that day.

“I’ve got the ring in my pocket and I’m nervous, so

I’m holding it with my hand so I don’t lose it,” he

recalled. “And she’s trying to come close and I keep

pushing her away and she’s getting mad.”

Not wanting to ruin the moment, Steven proposed in

the middle of the pond. Ten months later, Stacey and

Steven were wed on Sept. 17, 2010. The young couple

now resides in a condo on Piaget Ave., where they’ve been

for about a year. “We already lived together, so we knew

what it was like,” said Steven.

Thus far, the biggest adjustment has been making time

for one another. Even though they live under the same

roof, Steven’s schedule of 24 hours on, 24 hours off at the

fire house means that he’s sometimes home at odd hours.

In addition to his duties there, Steven works as a base-

ball instructor. The William Paterson University grad

played ball at the collegiate and professional levels, going

as high as AA ball with the Birmingham Barons farm

team for the White Sox.

Steven said that he trains several clients a week during

his busy season from January to May, and he does some

work over the summer as well.

“People think that because he’s a fireman, he’s home a

lot,” explained Stacey. “I don’t even see him a lot now

because he’s been working more.”

Steven said compromise is the most important thing in

a relationship, especially when busy schedules are

involved. “You have to learn to say yes more than you

ever have in your life,” he laughed. “But right now, the

way it is, if we have a night off, we go out for dinner.

The long hours sometimes make it a little more diffi-

cult to spend quality time together, but that becomes irrel-

evant when you really love someone.

“At one time, it was hard getting used to living

together,” she added. “But you have to be able to talk

to each other, be honest, and compromise. When I met

him, my mom said that I’m going to want to marry some-

one like my father,” said Stacey. “He’s him to a T. Plus,

they’re both firemen.”


Their first date was in 1997, on Valentine’s

Day. However, there were no red roses, no

heart-shaped chocolates, no romantic candles,

just a quick bite to eat. Jackie Paz first met fellow stu-

dent Lou Schimmel earlier that week and she thought

that he seemed like a really nice guy. After one of their

practice labs, she got up the gumption to ask him out

for a casual dinner. He amicably agreed. “And basical-

ly,” grinned Lou, “within a few months, that was it.

We’ve been together ever since.”

A life of strong bonds is at the core of their love for

one another and of their other relationships. Theirs is an

integrated life combing commitment to physical well

being – from their training as athletes, as well as their

profession as chiropractors – with spiritual well-being

through their faith in that God and as dedicated parents

to sons Brandon, 6 and Alex, 5.

“From the very beginning,” said Jackie, “we had a

pretty great relationship, I think because we agreed on

the major issues. We have the same life philosophy. We

believe that a natural approach is the best approach. We

agree on how to raise the children, agree on the priori-

ties in life. That kind of understanding, that’s what

makes life easier.”

“Yes, it’s the big stuff that’s easy,” said Lou with a

smile, teasing Jackie, “so that just leaves the lit-

Jackie Paz and Lou Schimmel

Connecting Heart and Mind, Body and SoulBy Irene Jarosewich


www.HistoricBotany.comContact: John Penkalski: 973-546-9813 or Joe Nikischer: 973-546-8787

Greg Mayo: [email protected]

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tle stuff, like what color to paint the living room walls.”

The Schimmels do have new living room walls, having

recently completed a renovation in their Clifton home

that they moved into last August. The Schimmels, their

two sons and their friendly nine-year-old German

short-haired pointer, Cooper, left their Maple Valley

home and moved back to Jackie’s old neighborhood,

one that she calls “in the Robin Hood section of

Clifton, after the park nearby,” but that most people

now know as being part of the Richfield.

Jackie Paz, who recently turned 40, her older sister

Cathy and younger brother Joe grew up in a home on

Avondale Road in Clifton, children of Barbara and

Joseph Paz. Both Jackie and Cathy are Clifton High

School track stars. In 1986, Jackie ran cross-country on

the CHS team that became state champion, earning her

a place in the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

It is through her athletic training and suffering a

sports injury that Jackie was introduced to the work of

chiropractors. Working with the spine, ensuring proper

alignment not only relieves pain and pressure after an

injury, but weekly adjustments help boost the immune

system and is an important part of preventative care.

Jackie was drawn to this holistic approach to life that

also incorporates natural foods and healthy nutrition as

part of overall well-being. After completing her under-

graduate degree at Bucknell University in

Pennsylvania, Jackie enrolled in the Life University

School of Chiropractic in Georgia, where she met Lou.

Lou, 38, grew up in Michigan and then attended the

University of Colorado at Boulder. He, too, was an ath-

lete, a collegiate champion cyclist. Through his room-

mate, he was introduced to chiropractic techniques, saw

what a chiropractor did and the importance of the prac-

tice to restoring and maintaining health. After some

hands-on experience and serious discussions with a

respected chiropractor in Colorado, Lou decided to go

to Georgia for training. “This chiropractor told me that

he believed that I would be not only a good chi-


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ropractor, but a great one, and that I

should go to school for training. He

also told me that when I get mar-

ried, to make sure that I marry a

great chiropractor, as well,”

said Lou with a grin.

So on July 7, 2002, Lou

took his mentor’s advice

and he and Jackie were

married.

Jackie, who graduated

ahead of Lou by two years,

joined a family practice in

Georgia as she waited for

Lou and her brother Joe, a

classmate of Lou’s at the

Life University, to gradu-

ate. She and Lou knew that

they would not stay in

Georgia and would return

north, probably to the

Northeast, they just were

not sure where. While still

in Georgia, Jackie took up

cycling and she and Lou

have many memories of

great road trips taken dur-

ing the first years of their

relationship. “It was a good begin-

ning to our life together,” said Lou,

“with a focus on school, cycling,

friends. We have lots of good mem-

ories of those days.”

The story of how Lou and Jackie

ended up in Clifton takes the word

serendipity to new heights and still

makes them both smile. “After Lou

graduated, we decided to make my

parents home in Clifton a base from

which we would explore options

throughout the area, including New

England” said Jackie, “and we

were ready to go on a trip to Rhode

Island, when I had to run an errand.

I went to Styertowne Center, to the

post office. In chiropractic school,

they advised us that if you want to

set up a practice, choose a location

that has a lot of exposure and foot

traffic, such as near a bank, or near

a post office, or a Home Depot.

They actually told us Home Depot.

So here I am, parking my car near

the post office in Styertowne and I

see a ‘For Lease’ sign in the store-

front by my car. I stood there and it

just hit me – ‘post office, bank,

Home Depot – this place has ALL

three nearby!’ So I picked up my

cell phone and called Lou on the

spot.”

The Schimmels, along with

Jackie’s brother Joseph Paz looked

no further. They signed a lease,

made some renovations, and

opened The Chiropractic Center at

Styertowne, located between the

post office and Valley National

Bank, and across Allwood Road

from Home Depot. This March,

they will celebrate ten years of

practice. Recently, they renewed

their lease for another ten years.

“We love being in Clifton,” said

Jackie, “and we are committed to

the well-being of our patients here.

Clifton really is a large city, but

still has that small town feel.

And no matter where I go, I’m

always seeing somebody I

know. I always say, the ‘C’ in

Clifton is for convenience. It’s

a very convenient place to live

and work.”

In New Jersey, chiropractors

are visible and practice is main-

stream. Although many of their

patients have insurance that

helps pay for the spinal align-

ments, almost half do not.

However, the Schimmels

underscore, they do not accept

patients based on ability to pay

and are willing to develop a

payment plan with any patient.

“We say that our job is to

help patients recognize the

innate intelligence in the body,”

said Jackie, “and we’ve had

patients tell us that not only do

they feel better physically, but as a

result of coming to us, their person-

al relationships are better, as well.”

“Most of our clients have been

with us for years,” continued Lou,

“they notice that when they restore

the normal structure of their spine,

their quality of life improves. We

don’t ‘simply treat a condition, we

treat the nervous system. We

restore function by taking pressure

off the nervous system. We also

offer free lectures on how to

change your lifestyle, improve

nutrition, adopt a vitalistic philoso-

phy towards health and well-being.

The body has the ability to heal

itself. It is our job to make our

patients recognize and understand

how the body does this. ”

Jackie and Lou at the Collegiate Cycling Nationalsat Durango, Colorado in 1997.


For Dan Brown, it was love at first sight. It was

Spring 2001, and the Rutgers Law student had

just met Suzannah Mayberry, a Seton Hall Law

student, at a joint Bar review course.

However, anyone familiar with the process to

become an attorney knows that preparing for the bar is

one of the most stressful events anyone can endure.

Unlike undergrad study groups, where people often

socialize instead of work, the sea of caffeine-addicted,

sleep-deprived law students—including Suzannah—

had gathered for one simple purpose: Studying.

People typically don’t go to these things to make

friends or find lovers. But Dan Brown isn’t a typical guy.

Born with cerebral palsy, he’s been confined to a

wheelchair for most of his life. But the physical

limitations presented by the chair have never hindered

his ambitions. This is a man who worked full time as a

programmer at Merrill Lynch for five years while

pursuing a law degree. The woman of his dreams had

caught his eye, and Dan was going to go up to her to

make sure she knew about it.

“It was love at first sight!” he laughed. “But my

wife, I had to sell her! Then we ended up dating the

rest of the summer through.”

And even though she was focused on her studies,

Suzannah quickly struck up a friendship with Dan,

Dan and Suzannah Brown

Law, Laughs & LoveBy Joe Hawrylko


captivated by his unflappable

demeanor, distinct sense of humor

and that ever present smile.

“He worked throughout law

school,” she said. “He was so

determined to accomplish that goal.

I immediately saw how capable he

was, how smart he was.”

Within a few weeks of meeting,

Dan and Suzannah started seeing

each other regularly, holding many

date nights in the Rutgers or Seton

Hall libraries.

“It made the whole process fun,

just better, preparing for the test

and everything after” she said.

“Plus, we’re both on the left side of

the law too.”

By the time the test rolled around

in the fall, the couple was already

dreaming of a future together.

“We were planning for a life

together by September of that

year,” laughed Suzannah.

Dan was so infatuated with his

future wife that he admits he may

not have given the test as much

attention as it deserved.

“I didn’t pass the first one,” he

laughed, adding he missed the cut by

fractions of a point. “I was

distracted!”

Part of the beauty in dating

someone in the same field as you is

that the individual will always

understand what you’re going

through. Suzannah knew that Dan

had worked so hard to get to that

point, and helped motivate him to

get over that last challenge.

“What it meant in practical

terms was that she’d kick me out of

bed an hour early each morning to

study, lock me in the house on

weekends to make sure that I did

work,” laughed Dan, who passed

the next test in the winter.

With the Bar out of the way, the

couple focused on the future and

finding jobs. For Dan, that also

meant getting ready to propose,

which he did in June 2003.

“I told her father (Josh) that I

wanted to buy a ring, but I had no

money,” he recalled. The two took

off work and got a ring that day.

“I was going to wait, but I was so

excited and he was so excited that I

just proposed to her when she came

home,” he laughed. Dan and

Suzannah later married June 17,

2004. The next year, they purchased

a condo in Delawanna.


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Since then, the couple has become actively involved

in the community in which they live. Readers may

remember the Browns from the

May 2010 Council election, in

which Dan placed 11th out of a

field of 19.

“When I ran, wherever I went,

she went,” he said, adding that the

experience brought them closer

together. “I think people have

come to know the both of us.”

The couple has also

entrenched themselves in

Downtown Clifton, where they

opened up their own practice,

Brown & Brown, which they’ve

operated out of the old City Hall

building on Main Ave. since June

of last year.

The opportunity arose when

Dan was laid off from his job at the Essex County

Prosecutor’s Office last year.

“I told him don’t worry, this is the opportunity to

open our own practice,” recalled Suzannah.

The couple agrees that love and law go together well

for them. It’s nice to have someone who understands

the pitfalls of being a lawyer: Long hours, high stress

and intense job competition.

“She’s my secret weapon,”

he added. “If I can convince

her, I’ve got a good case.”

“He’s extroverted and I’m

introverted,” added Suzannah.

“We compliment each other

well.”

And while both acknowledge

that there are stressful days

when working for yourself, Dan

and Suzannah both agree that

the experience has brought

them closer together,

strengthening their relationship.

“I love it. To me, my wife is

the most beautiful person in the

world,” said Dan. “Beyond that,

she’s exceptionally smart and a wonderful lawyer. When

I see my wife in court, I love it.”

“When you work together, you respect each other,”

he continued. “The end product is better. Right now, I

couldn’t be happier.”

ly

ce,

as

ut

se

ng

on

to

Suzannah and Dan Brown wed July 17, 2004.


� �

�

The saying goes that opposites attract. If there is

anyone who truly believes this, it’s Janice Moers.

She describes herself as quieter and more serious

than her outgoing and talkative husband, John, better

known as “Johnny” to his friends and family.

“He’s a real people person,” she said. “He’s always

chit chatting with anyone who will listen to him.”

The Clifton couple, who will celebrate their 46th wed-

ding anniversary this month, met while both were stu-

dents at Lyndhurst High School. They went out together

a few times during junior year, but it wasn’t until later in

their senior year that their romance took off.

Janice said she had a feeling that John would be the

one for her based on an old superstition that had been

popular at their school at the time. It went like this: Count

100 red convertibles, see a woman in a purple dress and

a man in a green tie, and then the first person who shakes

your hand will be the person you will marry.

After meeting all these requirements over the summer

before senior year, Janice was standing on the high school

steps one day when John came up and shook her hand.

“His friends had dared him to do it,” she said.

John sheepishly retorted, “I just did what I was told

to do.”

A few months later, the couple started casually dating

and spending time together with other friends.

John and Janice Moers

They’ll Always Have ParisBy Carol Leonard


Janice recalled that her dapper

future husband was also seeing a

freshman girl at the time.

“He kind of was dating both of

us for quite a while,” she said with

a decades old annoyance in her

voice. “So, I gave him an ultima-

tum, it was me or her.”

“I thought it was the other girl that

gave me the ultimatum,” John chuck-

led with his usual impish smile.

During the early part of their

relationship, Janice became

impressed with John’s manners.

“He had this beautiful white

Cadillac convertible that he cleaned

and polished all the time,” she said.

“Whenever we went out, he would

always open the door for me. But later

I found out that he just didn’t want me

to get my fingerprints on the car.”

The couple continued to see

each other after graduating together

from Lyndhurst in June of 1961.

John enrolled in an automotive

course at Lincoln Tech and worked

as a mechanic for a time, while

Janice got a clerical job with

Equitable Life in New York City.

Not seeing much of a future

where he was working, John

moved on to a job at a warehouse

and later landed a position loading

trucks at UPS, first part-time and

then full-time. When he turned 21,

he was eligible to become a driver.

Meanwhile, Janice took a job clos-

er to home at a book company in

Kearny and later as a receptionist for

a company that sold office partitions.

The couple became engaged

when John surprised Janice with a

ring a few days before her 19th

birthday. They were married two

years later on Feb. 20, 1965.

By then they had saved enough

to purchase their first home in the

Delawanna section of Clifton.

“He told me he wouldn’t marry

me until we had a down payment

for a house,” Janice explained.

As new homeowners, the couple

had to forego an elaborate honey-

moon, so they took a more modest

trip to the Poconos to celebrate

their union.

Some months later, Janice and

her friends attended a taping of the

then popular NBC TV game show,

Eye Guess, hosted by Bill Cullen.

Participants had to answer ques-

tions by remembering the answers

hidden on a board. Much to her sur-

prise, she was picked out of the

audience to be a contestant and

won a trip to Paris and 1,000 gal-

lons of gasoline.

Pregnant at the time, Janice was

permitted to defer the vacation until

after her first son, John, was born in

May of 1966 and her mother was able

to babysit while the couple was away.

“It was the trip of a lifetime,”

Janice said. “We extended it on our

own to include stops in Madrid and

Rome.”

A year after little John was born,

the couple’s second son, Michael,

came along, followed by Darren in

1970 and their only daughter,

Jennifer, in 1977.

With four kids and a house to

take care of, Janice spent her days

as a full-time mom and homemak-

er, while John worked long hours at

UPS, including overtime.

“I worked at least 12 hours a day

for 20 years,” John said. “We need-

ed the money.”

It was a hectic life for the couple as

their children were growing up. From

baseball to football, wrestling and

softball, the kids’ activities kept the

family on the move all the time.

“On the weekends, we went

camping,” John said. “We had a

trailer and on Friday nights we’d

pack up and go, and we’d come

back on Sunday night. It was a lot

of fun. Sometimes we’d bring other

kids with us.”

Janice and John like to reminisce

about the simple yet fun times they

had during the summers in their

Janice and John Moers were wed on Feb. 20, 1965.


Delawanna neighborhood.

“We’d be outside in three back-

yards and everyone would make a

dish,” Janice said. “Then somebody

would make coffee and we’d sit

and talk for hours.”

Janice gradually went back to

work as her children got older, first

taking in work to do at home, and

then working part-time outside the

home. She later went to school for

computer training and took a posi-

tion working for a physician.

As their kids grew up and started

bringing home friends and future

spouses to stay with them, John and

Janice felt they were running out of

room in their modest size home.

They decided to upgrade to a larger

house in a new development in the

Rosemawr section, where they have

been living for the past 16 years.

In 1999, after 37 years with UPS,

John took early retirement due to a

back injury that left him unable to lift

the required amount of weight for his

position. Janice continued to work

for a while longer, retiring about five

years ago.

Since then, John has been work-

ing part-time delivering orders for

Peluso’s Italian deli on Market St.

in the Allwood section. It keeps

him busy and out of Janice’s hair.

“He’s in and out all day long,” she

said. “But, if he’s out aggravating

someone else, he’s not here aggravat-

ing me,” she lovingly added.

The couple’s three sons are all

married. Oldest son, John, is a cam-

eraman and director of photogra-

phy, and lives with his movie pro-

ducer wife in Lyndhurst with their

three children. They often travel

and stay in Prague for months at a

time for their work.

Middle son Michael lives with his

wife in England, and youngest son

Darren and his wife live in West

Milford with their two children.

Daughter Jen is still single and

living in New York City, where she

works in retail sales and manage-

ment.

Janice and John help out as

much as they can with the grand-

children and they enjoy entertain-

ing the whole gang when they

come to visit.

They like to go out to dinner

together and occasionally take a trip to

Las Vegas. But most of their travel in

recent years has been to visit Michael

in England and young John and his

family when they’re in Prague.

At home, Janice enjoys baking,

doing arts & crafts with the grand-

children, playing scrabble or work-

ing at her computer, while John

likes watching football, tinkering

with his old ‘60 Chevy and riding

around the neighborhood on his

motorcycle or Vespa motor scooter.

“We let each other be our-

selves,” John said. “Every stage of

life brings something new and you

have to work together. That’s what

it’s all about, you know.”


Helen and Mychail Newmerzyckyj first metthanks to a mutual love of music and singing.

Helen sang in soprano in the choir at St.

Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Passaic, but a

friend recommended that she also join the Ukrainian

Chorus Dumka in New York City. Mychail, already a

member and bass soloist in Dumka, still remembers the

first time he saw Helen.

“When she first walked into the room, one of the

older choir members leaned over and said, ‘See that girl

that just walked in? She’s gonna be yours,’” said

Mychail. Helen had a slightly different reaction.

“Someone asked me if I was married. I told them ‘no’

and they immediately said, ‘We have a great guy for

you! The soloist!’ I said, ‘He has an amazing voice,

but nah, he’s not my type,’” Helen recalled.

Months later, the choir went out for drinks together

and Mychail and Helen sat next to each other. “We

talked about our favorite songs,” said Helen. “Mine was

Bette Midler’s ‘The Rose’ and his was ‘Some Enchanted

Evening.’ The words were so beautiful and appropriate

for that evening,” she reminisced. “We sat there with our

elbows touching and I just felt this spark,” Mychail said.

“When she walked away, I realized that this was

something special.” Soon, they began getting to know

one another through casual dates.

Helen and Mychail Newmerzyckyj

A Healthy, New Lease on LifeBy Tania Jachens


18141814

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View The Giblin Report

Thursday at 9 pm, Channel 76

Less than a year after Helen joined

Dumka, they traveled with the choir to

Europe in 1988 to celebrate the

millennium anniversary of Christianity

in Ukraine. After returning from

Europe, Helen took the initiative for

their first date in May 1988. While

they were both in Newark, she called

Mychail to see if he was available for

dinner or drinks. They came back to

Clifton to Casey’s Pub on Allwood Rd.

(now Buco Ristorante). “She made

the first move, kind of, sort of,”

Mychail admitted.

“Everyone in Dumka was very

happy and excited for us,” Helen said.

Having a basis in similar interests

and backgrounds helped to make

their relationship strong. “We both

love to sing and our Ukrainian

culture and heritage is very

important to us,” Helen explained.

“By starting off as friends, it was

easy to talk to and be honest with

one another.”

On July 5, 1988, they went to

dinner at the Longhorn Saloon and

Mychail decided to take the next big

step. “I was so nervous that I

accidently ordered two entrees,”

Mychail said, laughing. “She looked

so lovely sitting there and I just

knew. I asked her the question and,

after giving me a wonderful smile,

she said yes.”

At the time, Mychail was studying

opera music, working as a teacher in

New York City, and focused on

making it in the opera world. Helen

was an executive working long hours

at Chubb and Son in Warren. “I was

so committed to my career that if

someone had told me that I was

going to get married, I wouldn’t have

believed them.” Helen said. “It’s so

hard to explain, but it just felt right,”

she continued. “Everyone tells you

that, but it does actually happen when

you meet a person that you’re

attracted to on so many levels.”

On November 6, 1988, Mychail

and Helen were married and soon

moved to Clifton. While Helen had

lived in Clifton most of her adult

life, Mychail was born in Detroit

and had grown up in Utica. After

moving to Australia for a few

years, Mychail lived in NYC until

meeting his wife. “I love Clifton. I

had no problem moving here and

I’ve become attached to this area,”

Mychail said.

With Clifton’s close proximity to

their church, St. Nicholas

Ukrainian Catholic Church in

Passaic, as well as easy access to

the city, the Newmerzyckyj have

no future plans to leave this area.

For dates, the Newmerzyckyj

have several favorite places. “We

like Buco Ristorante as well as El

Mexicano,” Helen said. “In

Styertowne, the Season’s Chinese

restaurant is phenomenal.”

For Valentine’s Day, they usually

enjoy a low-key dinner, however, the

Valentine’s Day gift which Mychail

gave Helen five years ago is still

with them today. Helen had always

wanted a dog, but their earlier

lifestyle together involved too much

travelling. Finally, Mychail went to

a breeder and picked out a miniature

poodle puppy. Since it was so small,

he kept it zipped up in the front of his

jacket for warmth.

“She came home from work and I

told her that I wanted to give her a

birthday present. I handed her my

jacket with the dog in it and she

thought it was a stuffed animal until

it started moving,” Mychail said

chuckling. “He’s named


Burko and has been an absolute joy.”

For Valentine’s Day this year,

Mychail and Helen plan to attend a

fundraiser dance at their church.

Looking back on 22 years of

marriage, Helen said that it “has been

a wonderful partnership.” Mychail

added: “I needed to be sure that this

was someone to spend the rest of my

life with.” The main key to making

their marriage work is maintaining an

open line of communication.

“As friends, the word ‘friend’ itself

means that you’re direct, honest, and

positive with each other through good

times and bad,” Helen said. They

both talked about the most important

rule in their marriage: after a

disagreement, they never go to bed

angry or without clearing it up first.

“I always say ‘I love you,’ not

because she expects it, but because I

mean it,” said Mychail. While

Helen frequently mentioned how kind,

sensitive, and talented a singer her

husband is, Mychail often said how

loving and warm-hearted his wife is.

“We have great respect for one

another and we try to promote one

another’s interests and goals,” Helen

added. “As his partner, I’m there to

support him and to help him achieve,”

Helen said. “Life’s like a mirror,

what you give is reflected back to

you,” Mychail explained.

They have continued to support

one another through a recent

milestone in their lives: gastric-

bypass surgery. Mychail underwent

this surgery in November 2009, while

Helen had it done in April 2010.

“I was trying to be chivalrous—I

will not let you do something I

haven’t tried first,” explained

Mychail. But initially, Mychail was

strongly opposed to it. “I asked him

to come to a doctor’s consultation

about it with me five years ago,” said

Helen, “but he refused because he

was concerned about the risks

involved.” When they finally went

for a consultation together, Mychail

decided to have the surgery as well.

“I had tried every possible diet,

but my weight yo-yoed too much

and my body wouldn’t lose any

weight after a while,” Mychail said.

“I was over 350 pounds. Morbidly

obese. After weighing the pluses

and minuses of having surgery, the

minuses of not having it done greatly

outweighed everything else.”

Since their surgeries, Helen has

lost over 110 pounds and Mychail

has lost over 150. “It’s difficult to

describe how emotionally and

psychologically great we feel,” said

Helen. “It’s like becoming a whole

other person – I feel fantastic.”

Helping each other through the

recovery process was just a

continuation of their constant

support for each other. “In order to

have a strong marriage, you have to

help each other not only when

you’re feeling great, but also when

things are rough,” Helen explained.

“The flame gets even stronger when

you help and comfort your partner

when they’re in pain.”

Since “any surgery is scary, our

mutual support showed how much

we love and support each other,”

Mychail said. They now have a new

healthy lease on life. By cutting junk

food and most sugar out of their

diets, as well as frequent exercise,

they have turned over a new leaf.

“I feel so much lighter, in control,

and comfortable exercising,” Helen

said. “I feel more confident when I

go to work out at the gym and it’s so

psychologically gratifying to put on

an outfit, look in the mirror, and ask,

‘Is that me?’”

Mychail had previously had very

high blood pressure, but is now

completely off medication. “I don’t

think I’ve felt this good since my

twenties,” he said.

However, they both emphasized

the importance of doing your

research and finding an excellent

physician and surgeon. “This

surgery doesn’t open the door for

you to eat whatever you want,” said

Helen. “It’s a tool to lose weight, but

you have to manage it.”

When asked about their plans for

the future, Helen joked, “Lots of

shopping! I have no clothes now!”

Since taking early retirement after 32

years at Chubb and Son, she is now

working as a consultant and is

interested in playing tennis again.

“I’m grateful to God for all of

this: surviving the operation, Helen

getting through it safely, and just

living the good life,” said Mychail,

who now works as a school

administrator at their church.

“Having a strong marriage is

like having a constant buddy and

support system,” Helen said.

“As each day goes on, I love her

more,” Mychail added, concluding:

“if you think that way, you will

succeed.”

Helen and Mychail on November 6,1988, after their marriage at St.Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church.

V lentıneMy Clifton

Valentine’s Day is one of those mustdine out events. So if you are looking

for a new place to enjoy the evening,

then make reservations at Matthew’s and try his

new take on traditional Italian cuisine.

Owner Matthew Tyahla has recently

completed renovations on what some may

remember as the original Bella Napoli (most

recently Cafe D’Amici) on Bloomfield Ave.,

near the Rt. 3 entrance, just past Styertowne

Shopping Center. Tyahla worked there over the

years and when it closed in 2010 the young

Cliftonite saw the opportunity to put his own

touch to that landmark restaurant.

Tyahla, a Ramapo College graduate, has been

working in the business since he was 15, starting

as a bus boy and finding his way to the front end

where he would greet patrons and handle other

duties. This is his first venture as an owner, and

he’s done a beautiful job at renovating the

comfortable space. While it looks good and he

has a pleasant staff, the real test is in the kitchen

and Tyahla promises great things in the culinary

realm so why not give him a try?

Matthew’s is among the handful of eateries in

Clifton which have recently opened, changed hands

or have spruced up their menus to offer patrons a

fresh approach to cure the winter blues.

Romantic Dining Options Around Town

Matthew Tyahla, a Cliftoniteand Ramapo College gradu-ate, has opened his self-titledrestaurant on BloomfieldAve., near the entrance toRoute 3.



Alexus Steak House973-746-6600955 Valley Rd

Aji Limon Peruvian973-272-3660 1239 Main Ave

Al Jannah Restaurant973-340-00051462 Main Ave

Al Khayam973-772-00501543 Main Ave

Angelo’s Pizzeria973-777-559972 Market St

Baranda Cafe973-246-18441551 Main Ave

Baskinger's Deli & Catering973-546-3700353 Crooks Ave

Bogey’s Sports Pub973-523-4653103 Valley Rd

Bruno’s Pizza & Restaurant973-473-3339 1006 Us Highway 46

Buco Ristorante973-779-3500 953 Allwood Rd

Century Buffet973-471-8018166 Main Ave.

Clifton Buffet973-478-688879 Ackerman Ave

Chengdu 46973-777-88551105 US 46

China Garden973-773-7633306 Main Ave

Con Sabor A Peru973-340-0008109 Lakeview Ave

Djerdan Burak973-513-9050223 Parker Ave

From Delawanna to Downtown and in all

neighborhoods of our community, Clifton is a city of

dining diversity.

Turn towards Paterson from our Downtown Clifton

office (near the landmark White Castle) and find

restaurants serving cuisines from Lebanon, Syria and

Turkey. My favorite is the original Toros, an open,

casual restaurant where the house speciality is the lamb

shank. Head towards Getty Ave. to your shortcut to

Newark's Ferry St.—the Portuguese Tavern. Across

from the famous Egg Platter, your white haired host

Silvio makes sure all is done right, from the Sangria to

the house fish specialities. So go out and explore some

new culinary adventures.

Additional Menu Options

Amy Barkalow of Jamie’s Restaurant & Cigar Bar on Bloomfield Ave. (973-779-8596). Along with Kamils on Main Ave.,they are Clifton’s two restaurants where smoking is legally permitted. At right, Gene Duda of the newly opened Shots SportsLounge, (973-928-3610) near the intersection of Broad St. and Allwood Rd.

continued on page 58

El Mexicano973-546-2348 1293 Main Ave

Fitzgeralds Harp & Bard973-772-7282363 Lakeview Ave

Foodies Cafe973-773-30621348 Clifton Ave

Hungarian Meat Center973-473-1645189 Parker Ave

IHOP973-471-7717680 Route 3 West

Jamito’s Chinese-Peruvian973-546-2549389 Lexington Ave

Kamils Restaurant973-772-19721489 Main Ave

Karpaty Deli973- 546-4659457 Clifton Ave

La Piazza973-478-3050150 7th St

La Riviera Trattoria 973-478-4181 421 Piaget Ave

La Riviera Gastronomia973-772-9099429 Piaget Ave

Luxor Restaurant973-772-2700341 Crooks Ave

Mario’s Pizza & Restaurant973-777-1559 710 Van Houten Ave

Matthew’s973-928-43001131 Bloomfield Ave

Milano Restaurant973-614-0408561 Van Houten Ave

Osaka Sushi973-815-0801116 Market St

Peluso’s Italian Specialties973-471-3991 76 Market St

Polonia Meat Market973-777-7355785 Van Houten Ave

Portuguese Tavern973-772-9703507 Crooks Ave

Seasons Chinese Cuisine973-777-5538Styrertowne Shopping Center

Sergio's Bistro973-772-1655327A Lakeview Ave.

Shots Sports Lounge973-928-36101168 Broad St

Stefan & Sons Meat Store973-546-3288246 Dayton Ave

Sultan Restaurant/ Banquet973-772-1995429 Crooks Ave

Taste of Tuscany973-916-0700Styrertowne Shopping Center

Tick Tock Diner973-777-0511281 Allwood Rd

Toros Turkish/ Mediterranean973-772-8032 489 Hazel St

Troops Subs973-365-15441212 Van Houten Ave

Young Bros Deli & Grill973-777-6644606 Van Houten Ave

Zen Sushi973-253-7788433 Piaget Ave


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Additional Menu Options continued


COLOR


The cast of Miss Valentine, from left front: Gloria Kolodziej, Rachel Gutierrez, Cassandra Lee, Allison Green, GabriellaPinales, Denise Dickens, Kristen Hariton, Elizabeth Eisenmenger. At rear, Amie Kolodziej, Kurt Irizarry, John Traier,Geoffrey Waumans; not pictured: Frank Salensky. Miss Valentine is a charming story about the originator of Valentines(Esther Howland) and a group of her fellow classmates at Mount Saint Holyoke - probably the first group of young womenthat attended college in our history. The Feb. 13 show is a joint fundraiser with the Clifton Arts Center.

The Theater League of Clifton offers twoproductions this month. The first is a romantic

and nostalgic look back at the origins of

Valentine’s Day and the second is a chuckle over dinner

as theatergoers board the ill fated S.S. Minnow.

On Feb. 13, TLC collaborates with the Clifton Arts

Center in a joint fundraiser with a performance of Miss

Valentine. The play written by Nadine Bernard of Glen

Ridge, will be performed as a staged reading at 3 pm

at the Clifton Arts Center. Organizers promise a fun

afternoon for a good cause.

“Miss Valentine” brings to life the tale of Esther

Howland, “The Mother of the American Valentine.”

Howland created an industry as two centuries ago she

designed and created uniquely beautiful handmade

Valentine's Day cards in the mid-1800s. Her legacy of love

notes and lace-lined greeting cards has had a lasting affect

on the industry and charmed the romantic lives of many.

Setting the

romantic tone for

the afternoon will

be the melodic

sounds of a harp,

as the reading will

be accompanied

by harpist Odarka

Polanskyj Stockert (above). A champagne and dessert

reception follows the performance. Directed by Elizabeth

Eisenmenger, produced by John Traier, assistant producer

is Amie Kolodziej, costumes by Maryann Irizarry and

stage design by Jeff Labriola.

Reservations are required as seating is limited.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the TLC

website which is theaterleagueofclifton.com or by

check payable to Theater League of Clifton C/O Clifton

Arts Center, 900 Clifton Ave, Clifton, NJ 07013. A Family Practice That Feels Like Home.Affiliated Foot & Ankle Specialists

Our centers offer individual care for all members of the family and provide the most comprehensive footand ankle care available. New patients are always welcome and often immediate appointments available.

Clifton Office:1117 Rt. 46 East973.365.2208

Teaneck Office:751 Teaneck Rd.201.238.1595

Sayreville/Parlin Office:2909 Washington Rd.732.727.5502

Visit our patient education center online & make your appointment today!

www.ipodiatry.com

We now have three convenient locationsDr. Jeffrey Miller, DPM, FACFAS Dr. Tara Blitz, DPM, AACFASDr. Eugene Batelli, DPM, FACFAS

If you were a fan of Gilligan’sIsland, The Love Boat, The Poseidon

Adventure or Titanic, then come join

Captain Jonas ‘Skipper’ Stubing as

you board the S.S. Millennium

Minnow for a pleasant dinner cruise.

Unfortunately, things quickly

become unpleasant when it is

discovered a bomb is hidden on board

and a murder is committed. Will

detective Drew Burymore solve the

mystery? Will Ginger be persuaded to

sing a song? Will MaryAnn reveal her

recipe for coconut cream pie? Did

Thurston and Lovey bring enough

clothes for the trip? Can Milly Brown

be forced to capsize?

The Theater League of Clifton

presents the third annual murder

mystery dinner theater series, The

Last Cruise of the S.S. Minnow,

written by John Logue.

Performance dates are Feb. 18,

19, 20 and 25, 26, 27 at Mario’s

Restaurant in Clifton and on March

5 and 6 at Piano’s Bar and Grill in

Bloomfield. Linda Wielkotz is

director; Mark Peterson is producer;

Tara Freifeld is stage manager; and

costumes are by Maryann Irizarry.

Tickets are $35 which includes

dinner, dessert, soda, tea and coffee.

There will be a cash bar. Tickets

will be reserved upon payment on a

first-come first served basis. Be

sure to indicate the show date you

want reservations for. Make checks

payable to Theater League ofClifton, send to TLC, P.O. Box

4072, Clifton, NJ 07012. Tickets

may also be purchased at

www.theaterleagueofclifton.com.

For more details, log on to

www.theaterleagueofclifton.com or

call 973-928-7668.

The cast of The Last Cruise of the S.S. Minnow, from left: Laurie Sammeth,Geoffrey Waumans, Denise Dickens, George Kuch, Cassandra Penna, IreneYalicki, Kimberley Merlo. Not pictured: Kurt Irizarry.

A Family Practice That Feels Like Home.Affiliated Foot & Ankle Specialists

Our centers offer individual care for all members of the family and provide the most comprehensive footand ankle care available. New patients are always welcome and often immediate appointments available.

Clifton Office:1117 Rt. 46 East973.365.2208

Teaneck Office:751 Teaneck Rd.201.238.1595

Sayreville/Parlin Office:2909 Washington Rd.732.727.5502

Visit our patient education center online & make your appointment today!

www.ipodiatry.com

We now have three convenient locationsDr. Jeffrey Miller, DPM, FACFAS Dr. Tara Blitz, DPM, AACFASDr. Eugene Batelli, DPM, FACFAS


Clifton’s Zippo man Michael Grimaldi has

authored his second book about the iconic lighter

brand. Though Zippo is best known for its fire

starters, the company also had an impressive collection of

useful products for a variety of purposes.

“Lighters get touched on, but it’s primarily other prod-

ucts that the company made, the different finishes they

use, the different imprinting methods used,” he explained.

“Zippo is an American icon really known for its lighters,

but the fact is they made a lot of other things that people

could never imagine.”

And You Thought Zippo Only MadeLighters Vol. 2 is the follow up to

Grimaldi’s first crack at writing, which was

released in 2007.

“People really enjoyed the first one,” said

Grimaldi, a 1987 CHS grad who has pushed

both works independently. “There was a

demand for it and I had written ideas down

already. They just needed to be finished up.”

The Acquackanonk Gardens resident relied

on his experience in self publishing his first book

and advice from other companies to finish up this edition.

“You learn all of your mistakes the first time around.

The second time is really a breeze,” he laughed. “But you

do learn a lot of different things. There’s digital press

rather than plate press, and you can do smaller print run on

digital. It’s a completely different cost factor, but still a

very high quality book. If you didn’t know, you probably

wouldn’t notice the difference.”

Grimaldi, who is a custodian at School 8 in

Delawanna, said this edition covers products made by the

American company from 1980 to modern times.

“I can almost guarantee that people will learn something,

no matter how many years they’ve collected,” he said.

“There’s always some kind of obscure fact that sneaks out.”

This is the last edition in the series, as Zippo discontin-

ued its non-lighter products in 2007. Grimaldi explained

that he might move onto one of his other collecting hob-

bies for inspiration. “I am a creative person and I enjoyed

putting together these books for myself personally,” he

added. “As far as more books, I don’t have another sub-

ject matter that I’m passionate about—yet.

ZIP, ZIP—ANOTHER BOOK!

Mike Grimaldi’s hobby has generated into two books.

By Joe Hawrylko



ZIP, ZIP—ANOTHER BOOK!


* Rents are government subsidized. Tenant rental portion is based on annual income. Admission is based on a waiting list. If you have a disability & need assistance with the application process, please call Linda Emr at 973-253-5311.

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In a beautiful, suburban setting experience privacy in your onebedroom or studio apartment with supportive services whileremaining independent with dignity. The Miriam Apartments,

located on the 13-acre campus of Daughters of Miriam Center/TheGallen Institute, are available to seniors age 62 and over and/orpersons with mobility impairments. Independent living at theapartments is just one facet of the continuum of care offered atDaughters of Miriam Center. Whatever your needs might be–inde-pendent living, rehabilitation, or skilled nursing care–the Centeroffers it all, in a Jewish environment, in one location.

• Medical Services• Registered Nurse: M-F• Healthcare Counseling• Recreational Activities

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Apartment Features:

The Seventh Annual PassaicCounty Student Film andVideo Festival is set for April 16,

a juried exhibition of student and inde-

pendent filmmakers’ work.

The film festival is the brainchild of

Scott Alboum, pictured on facing page.

After graduating CHS in 1995, Alboum earned a

Masters Degree in film production at the University of

Miami and taught film making at a Georgia college,

where he got the idea for the festival.

“Competition is very important to students,” he said,

“and there wasn’t much available around here.” So

Alboum, the winner of three national awards for docu-

mentary production while a student at Miami, took his

idea for the festival to Deborah Hoffman, Director of

Economic Development for Passaic County.

Hoffman was enthusiastic from the start and set out

to bring the idea to life. “She realized that students

needed a place to showcase their talent,”

recalled Alboum. And Hoffman also

realized that the film industry was an

untapped resource of jobs and income

for the 16 communities of Passaic

County.

Over the past decade, she explained,

film making has also become an important element in

Passaic County’s economic development. So when it

came time to put a few bucks into getting the fledgling fes-

tival off the ground, Hoffman gave it a green light.

“We realized that a film festival drawing industry

professionals here could be a real asset,” Hoffman said.

To help set the criteria for the competition, Alboum

tapped his industry contacts to bring in a screening

committee of industry professionals. And since that

time, the competition has taken root.

Screened at the Fabian 8 Cinema in Center City Mall in

historic downtown Paterson, the Festival showcases films

PASSAIC COUNTY FILM FESTBy Tom Hawrylko


Theater League of Clifton is collaborating with the Clifton Arts Center to produce “Miss Valentine” – a play written by GlenRidge resident, Nadine Bernard. “Miss Valentine” tells the story of Esther Howland, widely credited for creating the ornatelace Valentine Card in America. The play, being performed as a staged reading, follows Esther from her days as a college stu-dent at Mount Holyoke Seminary in the mid 1800s to the opening and running of a very successful Valentine card business inWorcester, MA. The story intertwines flashbacks to the Roman days of Saint Valentine. "Miss Valentine" is a sweet story oflove, friendship and cherished relationships in Victorian America.

The reading is being performed at the Clifton Arts Center at 900 Clifton Avenue on Sunday, February 13th at 3:00 pm. Ticketsare $25.00 and include a reception of champagne and gourmet desserts. Tickets may be purchased by making a check payableto: Theater League of Clifton, c/o Clifton Arts Center, 900 Clifton Avenue, Clifton or online atwww.theaterleagueofclifton.com.

The play is being produced by John Traier and directed by Elizabeth Eisenmenger. All but one of the cast members are fromClifton, including former Mayor and Councilwoman Gloria Kolodziej as Mrs. Elkins.

The Theater League of Clifton offers twoproductions this month. The first is a

romantic and nostalgic look back at the origins

of Valentine’s Day and the second is a chuckle

over dinner as theatergoers board the ill fated

S.S. Minnow.

On Feb. 13, TLC collaborates with the

Clifton Arts Center in a joint fundraiser with a

performance of Miss Valentine. The play

written by Nadine Bernard of Glen Ridge, will

be performed as a staged reading at 3 pm at

the Clifton Arts Center. Organizers promise a

fun afternoon for a good cause.

“Miss Valentine” brings to life the tale of

Esther Howland, “The Mother of the American

Valentine.” Howland created an industry as two

centuries ago she designed and created

uniquely beautiful handmade Valentine's Day

cards in the mid-1800s. Her legacy of love notes

and lace-lined greeting cards has had a lasting

affect on the industry and charmed the romantic

lives of many.

Setting the romantic tone for the afternoon

The Seventh Annual PassaicCounty Student Film andVideo Festival is set for April 16,

a juried exhibition of student and inde-

pendent filmmakers’ work.

The film festival is the brainchild of

Scott Alboum, pictured on facing page.

After graduating CHS in 1995, Alboum earned a

Masters Degree in film production at the University of

Miami and taught film making at a Georgia college,

where he got the idea for the festival.

“Competition is very important to students,” he said,

“and there wasn’t much available around here.” So

Alboum, the winner of three national awards for docu-

mentary production while a student at Miami, took his

idea for the festival to Deborah Hoffman, Director of

Economic Development for Passaic County.

Hoffman was enthusiastic from the start and set out

to bring the idea to life. “She realized that students

needed a place to showcase their talent,”

recalled Alboum. And Hoffman also

realized that the film industry was an

untapped resource of jobs and income

for the 16 communities of Passaic

County.

Over the past decade, she explained,

film making has also become an important element in

Passaic County’s economic development. So when it

came time to put a few bucks into getting the fledgling fes-

tival off the ground, Hoffman gave it a green light.

“We realized that a film festival drawing industry

professionals here could be a real asset,” Hoffman said.

To help set the criteria for the competition, Alboum

tapped his industry contacts to bring in a screening

committee of industry professionals. And since that

time, the competition has taken root.

Screened at the Fabian 8 Cinema in Center City Mall in

historic downtown Paterson, the Festival showcases films

created by students and independent filmmakers who live,

attend school, or work in Passaic County. After the view-

ing, The Costello, named for the late, beloved Patersonian

comic Lou Costello, will be awarded to the first, second

and third place winners from the High School, College and

Independent Filmmaker categories.

Last year, 32 short videos and films were viewed at

the 2010 Passaic County Film Festival. While the dead-

line for the 2011 competition has just closed, it was

unclear how many films were entered this year.

However, Hoffman said the public is invited to this free

event. There is free parking in the adjacent lot. She

noted all videos and films are rated “G.”

To date, the following have provided financial and in-

kind support to the 2011 Film Festival, which is presented

by the Passaic County Cultural and Heritage Council

through a grant from the NJ State Council on the

Arts/Department of State: Passaic County Board of

Chosen Freeholders, Passaic County Community College

Foundation, Register Lithographers,

Fabian 8 Cinema, Jacobs

Enterprises, Bascom Corporation,

Columbia Bank and Verizon.

Coordination and promotion of the

Festival comes through the Passaic County

Film Commission, which was established in

2003. The volunteer board is comprised of

industry professionals and community lead-

ers whose mission it is to promote the 16

communities of Passaic County as a prime

location for the film industry.

“We find locations, private and public, we work

with private property owners and municipalities to

secure permits, make recommendation for local

resources,” Hoffman explained.

She rattled off a list of how a day or two of shoot-

ing a national television commercial in a private

Passaic County home has a positive impact in a

community.

“If they need paint, we’re sending them to your local

hardware store,” she continued. “If they need workers,

we connect them with the municipality or a local

employment agency. Then there is the catering and all

the odds and ends that goes into these shoots.”

And with large open spaces in former warehouses or

under utilized factories, Hoffman said there is a grow-

ing number of smaller companies based in Passaic

County which service the film production industry.

Since its establishment, the Commission works with

scouts and producers to respond to requests for filming

locations, connecting them to contacts in each munici-

pality who can scout for sites for the portfolio and

respond to requests for locations.

The PC Film Commission has published a Resource

Guide which includes a list of companies to supply serv-

ices to the industry, provides guidance to local munici-

palities and developed the Passaic County Film Permit

to promote the region as a positive location for filming

and to smooth the path for potential investors.

For info, contact Deborah Hoffman at 973-569-4720,

via [email protected] or find out more at the

website www.passaiccountynj.org/film.

By Tom Hawrylko


Opera in Clifton: Imagine Paris

around 1830 and then, through

staging and song, follow the

struggle of love between the

seamstress called Mimì and the

poet Rodolfo.

That snippet of a scene is from the

Finale of Act I of La Boheme(Rodolfo and Mimi’ Duet) by

Giacomo Puccini. The Clifton-

based Garden State Opera will

present a double bill production of

opera at the Allwood Community

Church on April 2.

On the same evening, audience

members will also be treated to LaCambiale De Matrimonio by

Giocchino Rossini at the Allwood

Community Church at 8 pm on April

2. Both acts will also be staged at

the San Giuseppe Santa Croce

Camerina Society Hall in

Hawthorne on April 9, at 8 pm. For

more info, call Maestro Francesco

Santelli at 973-928-1774 or go to

gardenstateopera.homestead.com.

The Clifton Arts Center Gallerywill present Colors of Shadow and

Other Works by Adel Gorgy, an

exhibit and sale of photography

through Feb. 26. On March 9, an

exhibit and sale of artwork by the

Clifton Association of Artists enti-

tled Waterworks opens. The CAA

was established in 1963 by eleven

artists to promote the advancement

of art and culture in Clifton by cre-

ating an environment for the expres-

sion of the visual arts. Today, the

CAA has over 80 members in a vari-

ety of fields. Admission is $3. The

Arts Center is on the City Hall cam-

pus, 900 Clifton Ave. Info at

www.cliftonnj.org.

The 2011 Summer Sunset BluesCruise Sail to benefit St. Peter’s

Haven Food Pantry is July 6 aboard

the historic tall ship A. J.

Meerwald, New Jersey’s official

tall ship. Now in its 10th year, this

evening sail on the Hudson River

features music, drinks and food for

a good cause.

Music on deck will be provided

by the legendary rhythm and blues

jumpers Carlos Colina & the

Straight Up Band. Departure is

scheduled for 6 pm from Liberty

State Park in Jersey City. Enjoy

breathtaking views of New York

Harbor as the summer sun sets and

the fun begins.

Tickets are $50 and includes

beer, soda and water; pack a dinner

and enjoy the evening. Only 40

tickets will be sold so make

purchases soon. Proceeds benefit

St. Peters Haven for Families Food

Pantry in Clifton which feeds over

1,000 people every month. For

tickets and details—or to become a

sponsor—call producer John

Muller at 973-340-9405.

Having Our Say opens as 103-

year-old Sadie and 101-year-old

Bessie Delany welcome us into

their home. We, the audience, are

guests in their home—actually the

stage at St. Peter’s Episcopal

Church, 380 Clifton Ave., Clifton.

The play is staged by Blue State

Productions on Feb. 11, 12, 18, 19,

25 and 26 at 8 pm. Having Our Say

recounts a fascinating series of

events and anecdotes drawn from

Bessie and Sadie’s rich family

history and their careers as

pioneering African American

professional women.

The play celebrates women and

men, African Americans, our

country, and the indomitable

human spirit. It is a celebration of

America’s people. For costs and

other info about Having Our Say or

Blue State, call 973-472-9445 or

email [email protected].

Carlos Colina & the Straight Up Band performaboard a July 6 blues cruisebenefit for St. Peter’s Haven.

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COLOROpera in Clifton: Imagine Paris

around 1830 and then, through

staging and song, follow the

struggle of love between the

seamstress called Mimì and the

poet Rodolfo.

That snippet of a scene is from the

Finale of Act I of La Boheme(Rodolfo and Mimi’ Duet) by

Giacomo Puccini. The Clifton-

based Garden State Opera will

present a double bill production of

opera at the Allwood Community

Church on April 2.

On the same evening, audience

members will also be treated to LaCambiale De Matrimonio by

Giocchino Rossini at the Allwood

Community Church at 8 pm on April

2. Both acts will also be staged at

the San Giuseppe Santa Croce

Camerina Society Hall in

Hawthorne on April 9, at 8 pm. For

more info, call Maestro Francesco

Santelli at 973-928-1774 or go to

gardenstateopera.homestead.com.

The Clifton Arts Center Gallerywill present Colors of Shadow and

Other Works by Adel Gorgy, an

exhibit and sale of photography

through Feb. 26. On March 9, an

exhibit and sale of artwork by the

Clifton Association of Artists enti-

tled Waterworks opens. The CAA

was established in 1963 by eleven

artists to promote the advancement

of art and culture in Clifton by cre-

ating an environment for the expres-

sion of the visual arts. Today, the

CAA has over 80 members in a vari-

ety of fields. Admission is $3. The

Arts Center is on the City Hall cam-

pus, 900 Clifton Ave. Info at

www.cliftonnj.org.

Clifton’s Garden State Opera in a recent staging of Donizetti’s Il Campanello.


The Geraci Citizens Leaguewas first organized in 1930by Passaic residents who

emigrated from the Sicilian village

of Geraci, located in the province of

Palermo, Italy.

As new Americans of Italian

descent, not only did the Geraci

Citizens League members want to

embrace their new culture, but they

also wanted to continue to celebrate

the traditions of their heritage and to

especially honor St. Joseph, the patron

saint of their village.

For generations before them on St.

Joseph’s Saint Day, the Geraci people

would honor their patron. Leading up

to the day, the women of Geraci

would spend days preparing a special

sauce made with sardines and fennel.

On the feast day, the ladies of the

village would spend many hours

cooking this special pasta and serving

it to family members, friends, fellow

members and guests.

The women of the village would

also prepare a special Sicilian bread,

formed in a variety of shapes and

sizes, by following ancient recipes

from their mothers before them. In

addition to the homemade breads and

pasta, fresh fish was also carefully

selected, prepared and fried, as was

the tradition that was followed from

past generations.

Today, some eight

decades later, Geraci

Citizen League

members continue

to celebrate St.

Joseph’s Day but

now they celebrate

this special day at a

local restaurant.

However, the same

traditions that were followed

since its origins are still followed

today. It is with the guidance and

supervision of several members of the

Geraci Citizens League that chefs at

The Brownstone carefully prepare this

ancient menu.

The St. Joseph Dinner is a time to

come together to celebrate a patron

saint and honor the traditions and her-

itage of the past. Not only does this

night celebrate with ancient recipes,

but it also shares both American and

Sicilian music and dancing. And to

open the celebration to the communi-

ty, all are invited to attend.

It has become an evening of exqui-

site food, exciting music and the wel-

come camaraderie of rela-

tives and friends.

Today, numerous

generations join

together to cele-

brate, which this

year is the 81st

anniversary of this

wonderful feast.

The Geraci

Citizen League and the

St. Joseph’s Day Feast

Committee, headed by Nina and

Frank Corradino, Club President

Bart Giaconia and Honorary Co-

Chair Michael Corradino, will host

this annual dinner on March 19 at

6:30 pm at The Brownstone,

Paterson. For those who would like

to join the celebration, tickets are

$90, which includes open bar.

To purchase tickets or for details,

call Nina Corradino at 973-278-0356

or 973-470-8982.

Celebrate the Patron of GeraciAt last year’s St. Joseph’s Day celebration: Father Brando of St. Anthony of Padua of Passaic, Frances DiFresco, Frances Giordano,Frank and Nina Corradino, Barto and Alsa Giaconia and Sarena Scancarello. This year’s event is on March 19 at The Brownstone.


James Howe, author of The Misfits, will visit the

Main Clifton Memorial Library on Feb. 15 at 6:30 pm.

Howe will be speaking about the subject of bullying

amongst children, in a discussion entitled BattlingBullying with Books. Tickets, limited to four a family,

can be picked up at the Children’s Information Desk.

Howe will also sign books after the discussion. This

program is funded in the memory of Eleanor M.

Weisbrod. Also, both the Allwood branch and the Main

Clifton Library offers e-book borrowing for free. Visit

www.cliftonpl.org, click ‘ListenNJNW’ at the bottom

right of the page and follow the instructions. Be sure to

have your library card on hand. Audio books can also

be accessed in this same manner. For info on any event,

call 973-772-5500.

The Clifton Rec Department offers CPR and First Aid

training on Feb. 12 at various time and for different lev-

els of ability throughout the day. Classes are held at the

Downtown Clifton Rec Center, corner of Washington

and Main. Cost is $25 or $15 for the review. Pre-regis-

tration required. Call 973-470-5956.

The Dutch Hill Residents Association meets on Feb.

17 at 7:30 pm at the Family Federation, corner of De

Mott Ave. and Second St. All interested residents are

invited to enjoy cake and coffee while discussing city-

wide topics. For info, call 973-365-2577.

CHS Class of 1961 50th reunion is on Oct. 14 at the

Bethwood in Totowa. The Committee still is searching

for classmates who are no longer in the area. If you are

a member of the class, or know of a classmate who has

not been contacted, write to CHS Class of 1961, PO

Box 3749,Wayne, NJ 07474-3749 or email at clifton-

[email protected].

Send your community news and photos 30 days prior

to requested publication date to Clifton MerchantMagazine, 1288 Main Ave., Clifton, NJ 07011 or via

[email protected].

It’s always one heck of a party when Clifton’s

Bravest and Finest get together. And on Feb. 18 at 7 pm

at the Clifton Boys & Girls Club, that’s exactly what is

going to happen for the 20th Annual Fraternal

Beefsteak. There will be a comedian, door prizes, bev-

erages and beefsteak by Nightingale’s. Additional

parking will be available at the Clifton Elks at the cor-

ner of Colfax and Clifton Aves. For tickets, which are

$45, call any of the following: Randy Colondres at 973-

830-7161, John Cusack at 973-470-5879, Frank Yodice

at 973-464-7027 or Jeff Bracken at 973-979-3695.

From left, PBA President Stephen Berge, FMBA

Committee Co-Chairs Jeff Bracken and Frank Yodice

and Firefighter John Bisaccio. Bottom from left, PBA

Committee Chair Randy Colondres, PBA State

Delegate Michael L. McLaughlin

and FMBA President Robert DeLuca.

20TH ANNUALFRATERNAL BEEFSTEAKFEB. 18 AT 7PM


Mike Phillips may not

have a definitive plan

for college, but with the

goals he’s set for himself, he’ll end

up successful somewhere.

The Clifton Student of the

Month has applied to prestigious

schools such as Brown, Boston

College, Boston University and

Northeastern University. Though

he said he plans to enroll at his

choice school as an undeclared

freshman, Phillips has his eye on

biology.

“I took it in my freshman year and

really enjoyed it,” he explained. “So

I decided to take Bio AP this year

and it’s gone well.”

As one would imagine, a student

applying to those schools is quite

sharp academically. Phillips has

been selected to the Distinguished

Honor Roll all four years at CHS,

and was also a member of the

National Honor Society last year.

However, rather than slack off

with college applications in the

mail, Phillips decided to challenge

himself in his senior year, taking

AP courses in Biology and English

to go with Calculus and

Anthropology.

“I just didn’t want to settle in my

senior year and took challenging

courses,” he explained. “And with

anthro, I really didn’t know

anything about it, but just wanted

to try something new.”

The senior is also in his fourth

year of Italian, and holds the

position of secretary in the school’s

club. But of all his courses, he’s

enjoyed english the most.

“Dr. Greenwald, she got me

interested in English for once,” said

the senior. “It’s just what we do

and her mentality for English... she

really shows her care and love for

her work. She’s also helped me

become a much better writer.”

Phillips is also an accomplished

athlete at CHS, helping push the

lacrosse team into the playoffs. “I’ll

probably do that in college at the

club level,” he said. Phillips played

defense like his older brothers

Matt, CHS 2005, and Chris, CHS

2003. “They both played. They

were in high school when I was on

the Jr. Mustangs, so it was pretty

much perfect timing.”

Phillips is also a member of the

Key Club, and has volunteered at

cleanups at Dundee Island and

other events.

“I just enjoy volunteering,” he

said. “I did it to look good for

college at first, but it’s something

I’d like to continue doing with

others once I’m there.”

CHS STUDENT OF THE MONTH By Joe Hawrylko

CHS Student of the Month Michael Phillips.


We see each others strengths and weaknesses and helpeach other grow academically and as people.

Sarah Mowaswes

Being part of the AcademicDecathlon was an amazingexperience, which integratedteamwork, camaraderie, hardwork and friendship.

Bijal Desai

Academic Decathlon is notwork. It’s a way of working.It is all the fun of being anerd—but with a coach andbeing called athletes!

Hasan Siddiqui

I have been in AcademicDecathlon for three years, seeing itevolve from a small club withabout 15 students to one with over

twice that amount. Last year, I felt the thrill of making itto the states competition for the first time in five yearsDecathlon has been one of the most exciting experiencesof my high school career. I’ve made new friends and

learned the value of hard workand dedication.

Vetri Velan

Academic Decathlon hasbeen a second family. Ihave only been on theteam a year, yet I have felt

at home. I have learned a lotfrom that year. We had afield trip to the AmericanMuseum of Natural History,and after school meetings.

This has been an enlighteningexperience and I enjoyed itgreatly. I will always remem-ber it.

Bhavin Shah

THE CHSACADEMIC DREAM TEAM

By Tom Hawrylko

The Mustang Captains Vetri Velan and Bijal Desai.

Art, Economics, Essay,

Interview, Language and

Literature, Mathematics,

Music, Science, Social Science,

and Speech. That’s the categories

of team competition in which CHS

students matched their intellects

with students from over 20 other

schools last weekend.

Coach Scott Orlovsky said the

U.S. Academic Decathlon is part of

a national competition in which

Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are

awarded for individual events and

total scores.

Winning teams advance through

the local, regional, and state levels

of competition. The state champi-

ons compete at the national finals

and the Clifton event was the first

leg in that journey.

“With Clifton hosting this year,

this puts us on the state’s academic

map in a really good way,” said

Orlovsky, a 1994 CHS grad who

was inducted to the CHS Athletic

Hall of Fame last year. He went on

to John Hopkins University and has

taught history at CHS since 2001.

“Clifton has always been a pow-

erhouse in various sports,” he con-

tinued. “Clifton is also a power-

house academically with many

excellent teachers and many

incredible students. This competi-

tion celebrates academic excel-

lence, and Clifton produces excel-

lent Decathletes.”

With 10 competition events and

1,000 points possible score for each

event, the highest team score

achievable is 60,000. “These tests

are incredibly rigorous however,

and most schools finish between

25,000 and 45,000,” said Orlovsky.

Clifton’s team is made up of eight

competition members and nine

alternates (who also score but their

scores do not factor into the team

score; they can still win awards for

their scores individually) who had

trained weekly since September.

How the Mustangs will rank will

not be known until the first week in

February. But on these pages are

some comments on what the compe-

tition meant to them.

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I’ve been on the team for almost two years now and Ifeel that through Academic Decathlon, I’ve been ableto learn many things while making new, supportive andwelcoming friends. Academic Decathlon has given mea great experience.

Alexis Budhi

The Decathlon team has evolved from an ordinary clubto a supportive team and a friendly environment oflearning. Our goal for this year’s competition is tomake it to states and beyond, as we have successfullyachieved last year. We have worked for months inpreparation and I believe we are well prepared for thiscompetition.

Sana Ajaj

The Academic Decathlon has helped me meet new peo-ple, make friends and learn new things.

Zachary Christensen

Academic Decathlon has been a very fun and interest-ing experience. The team members are super nice andsupportive, and they have been very welcoming eventhough it was my first year on the team. The coach andcaptains have been great leaders and without them, thiswould not have been as an amazing experience as itwas. I was just very lucky to be on the team and havethis experience.

Hiada Saberi

What I thought about Decathlon was that it encompass-es all major academic topics taught in school and is aculmination of basically everything we learned

throughout our schooling years. It also gives us achance to compete with the academics scholars of otherschools in the nation.

Davash Mehta

Academic Decathlon is a community of students whowish to challenge themselves beyond what is required.It is nice to find students who share similar interests.

Kishan Patel

The Mustang 2011 Academic Decathlon Team, from back row: Kishan Patel, Hasan Siddiqui, Zachary Christensen, Sana Ajaj,Palash Mehta, Atul Johri. Front row: Gretchen Alonso, Catherine Watson, Sarah Mowaswes, Rushi Pate, Bhavin Shah, AlexisBudhi, Hiada Saberi, Jessica Gonzaga.

MUSTANG H PS HISTORYThe CHS 1,000 Club

By Jack De Vries

During the winter season of

2002, two CHS boys’ bas-

ketball players passed the

1,000 point milestone in their

careers and joined an exclusive

club, which still numbers eight

Clifton Mustangs.

For senior guard Albert Torres,

the 2002 season marked the end of

a brilliant high school career. For

sophomore guard Devon Moffatt, it

looked like it was just the begin-

ning. Together, they formed what

Mustang basketball coach Pete

Vasil called the greatest back court

Clifton has ever seen.

Torres, who was named to the

All-Passaic County Second Team,

finished his career at CHS with

1,081 career points. “He’s a great

open floor player and very explo-

sive,” the coach said.

Devon Moffatt, an All-County

First Team selection, had two

years left at CHS when

he made the club. His

1,003 career points as

a sophomore meant

that by mid-season

in his junior year,

Moffatt was

going to simply

shatter—and most

likely obliterate—the

school record of 1,258

career points netted

by 1991 grad Sam

Poulis.

After his first two seasons,

Moffatt had already earned the rep-

utation as a big game player.

In Clifton’s 2002 State tourna-

ment victory over Teaneck, Moffatt

scored 24 points and hauled down

11 rebounds. During the regular

season, he was a consistent pro-

ducer and a leader on the floor.

In the following year, Vasil

named Moffatt, then a junior, his

captain and the Mustangs were on

to their best season since 1977.

But despite mentoring, Moffat

left CHS midway through the sea-

son to attend St. Patrick’s High

School in Elizabeth. “It was unfor-

tunate,” is how Vasil summed it up.

He now coaches at Bloomfield

Tech and is still friendly with

Moffatt. He noted the 2003

Mustangs finished 15-9 and went

into the second round of the states.

Moffatt and Torres joined six

other Mustangs who have filled the

CHS trophy case with those bright-

ly painted balls, each marking the

memorable day in their lives when

they became a member of the CHS

1,000 Club. On the following

pages, we present the bios of those

six Mustang greats.

Back in 2002, senior Albert Torres, who finished his career at CHS with 1,081 career points,Coach Pete Vasil and sophomore Devon Moffatt. Moffatt went on to score 1,228 midwaythrough his junior year before leaving CHS in 2003 to attend St. Patrick’s in Elizabeth.

Albert Torres

1,081Devon Moffatt

1,228


Dori Breen

1,180Al Yuhas

1,143Sammy Poulis

1,258

SAMMY POULIS

The all-time leading scorer of

CHS, 6’4” Sammy Poulis, could

shoot the rock. Playing on Nash

Park’s asphalt courts, Poulis

learned the game by going up

against tough competition—his

older brothers Mark and Nick.

Poulis’ battles with his siblings

were good training for his high

school and college career. For the

1991 Mustangs, the senior aver-

aged 24 points and 12.5 rebounds a

game, shooting 55 percent from

the field. For his Clifton career,

Poulis scored 1,258 points. Today,

Poulis resides in town, works as an

employment recruiter and volun-

teers with the St. George youth

basketball program.

DORI BREEN

On Jan. 24, 1985, senior DoriBreen scored her 1,000th point

against Belleville. The game was

halted just 37 seconds into the fourth

quarter when she reached the mile-

stone. The 5’10” Breen went on to

score 1,180 points and become the

third all-time scorer in CHS history.

She remains the only Lady Mustang

to hit the century mark. “Dori played

varsity all four years—1981 through

1984,” said Coach Al Carline.

“Freshmen attended junior high

then but Dori came up at the end of

the year for the County and State

tournament. She was a complete

player. Great on defense, rebounding

and scoring. A team player.” As a

junior, Breen led the Lady Mustangs

to an NNJIL co-championship.

BILLY SHAUGHNESSY

Billy Shaughnessy learned how

to play basketball on one of the

toughest courts in Clifton—the

small patio behind the Haraka

house on Rollins Ave. The hoop

was hung on the house and beneath

it, John and Ron Haraka and Brian

and Billy Shaughnessy waged bas-

ketball war. While Billy

Shaughnessy scored often on the

small backyard court, during the

1988 season, the senior captain fin-

ished his career with 1,019. The six-

foot point guard was also an All-

State quarterback for the Mustangs

and coached varsity basketball for

the Colts Neck HS Girls Team.

LARRY KONDRA

During his days with the 1968

and 1969 Mustangs, 6’2” LarryKondra earned All-County, All-

Metro and All-State honors and

was an Honorable Mention All-

American selection.

He averaged over 20 points a

game in both his junior and senior

years, his only varsity seasons.

“We had a very good team in

1969,” said Kondra. “In the regular

season, we beat Hackensack, the

team that later made it to the state

finals. But in the state tournament,

we lost to Cliffside Park and were

eliminated. My teammates were

great that year,” Kondra recalled

some years ago in an interview

with this magazine. “Richie Tate

was a tough defender, and Rich

Serrano and Bob Curley were both

outstanding.”

Kondra graduated from Brown

University and the Newark College

of Medicine and Dentistry, becom-

ing a Vitreo-Retinal surgeon.

Today, Dr. Lawrence Kondra prac-

tices ophthalmology in Pasadena,

and Pomona, CA and makes his

home in the Pacific Palisades.



Larry Kondra

1,015Bill Shaughnessy

1,019Ed Bernardi

1,120

MUSTANG HOOPS HISTORY

AL YUHAS

Clifton’s first 1,000-point scorer,

Al Yuhas, a graceful, left-handed

player who had excellent skills for

his size, was one of the Mustangs’

greatest hoop talents, earning All-

County honors three times and mak-

ing the All-State squad as a senior.

After his senior year, Yuhas sifted

through over 200 scholarship offers

before settling on Georgia. College

scouts had good reason to be

impressed. He was a deadly shot

from within 15 feet and in 1966,

Yuhas averaged 21.4 points a game

for the Mustangs, totaling 1,143 for

his career. Yuhas lives in California

and was named to The Bergen

Record’s All-Century Basketball

Team, the only Clifton player to be

selected.

ED BEDNARCIK

A generation of Clifton kids grew

up trying to play ball like the con-

summate point guard Ed Bednarcik.Few ever came close. A six-foot,

pigeon-toed guard, Bednarcik was

born into Clifton basketball royalty.

His uncle, Emil, had starred for

Clifton in the 1920s, then coached

the CHS team for 42 years.

With a game honed in Sperling

Park, nephew Ed was an outstanding

shooter, penetrator, and passer. In

1975, Bednarcik averaged 22.4

points a game, scoring 515 for the

season and totaling a career 1,120.

Bednarcik’s senior season is remem-

bered for his duels against Passaic

Valley Hornets legend John Gerdy,

the leading scorer in county history.

In their three 1975 season meetings,

Gerdy totaled 106 points while

Bednarcik hit for 81, including a 34-

point effort in their final meeting.

Bednarcik earned both first team

NNJIL and first team All-Area hon-

ors during his senior year.


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BYOB for WWMS: The Woodrow

Wilson Middle School Tricky Tray

fundraiser is March 11 at the Boys

and Girls Club of Clifton. Doors

open 6pm, tickets are $10 and atten-

dees can bring their own refresh-

ments. No children under 18

allowed. For tickets, call Karen

Harris at 973-744-6855.

The St. Brendan School TrickyTray is Feb. 27 at the Brownstone.

Doors open at noon and the $40

admission includes a four course

dinner and sheet of prize tickets.

Call 973-809-2297 or email pat-

[email protected] for tickets and

info. Proceeds benefit the students

of St. Brendan on Lakeview Ave.

SS Cyril & Methodius Church,218 Ackerman Ave., will host its

annual fish and chip dinner on

March 23 at 5:30 pm. Tickets are

$15 and include cake and coffee.

Takeout available. For info, call

973-772-3448 or 973-772-8806.

Clifton Toastmasters, a nonprofit

public speaking and leadership

group, meets the second, fourth and

fifth Tuesday of every month, at 7

pm at the Clifton Library, 292 Piaget

Ave. Guests free. To register or

more details, call 973-420-4148 or

[email protected].

The Clifton Stamp Societymeets at

the Community Rec Center, 1232

Main Avenue, in meet-

ing room 3 on Feb. 7,

March 7 and March 21

at 6:30 pm. The Society

is dedicated to further-

ing the hobby of stamp,

cover, and post card col-

lecting. All are welcome

at our meetings and

shows. All young collec-

tors should be accompanied by a

supervising adult. For more on the

group, its Spring Show on april 30-

May 1, and other events, go to

www.cliftonnj.org/stamp.

The CHS 2011 Prom Fashion Showis April 3, noon, on the stage of the

JFK Auditorium. The annual event

is a fundraiser in which seniors par-

ticipating or attending the event will

receive credit towards their Project

Graduation ticket.

Mustang seniors are invited to

volunteer as models as Deluxe

Formal Wear of Clifton

will provide the latest

trends in tuxedos for

men while the young

women will showcase

prom dresses provided

by CoCo’s Chateau of

Wayne. Tickets are $5

and may be purchased at

the door. To participate,

log onto www.paperlesspto.com and

search Clifton High School. Print

A Special Report in the March Issue of Clifton Merchant Magazine.

To place an ad in this sure-to-be-talked-about edition

contactTom Hawrylko

Tomahawk Promotions973-253-4400

[email protected]

• Medical Breakthroughs

• Amazing Survival Stories

• Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life

• Alternative and Traditional Treatments

• Doctors’ Advice

and complete the agreement form

and bring it to the Project

Graduation Meeting at 6:30 pm on

Feb. 7 in the Media Center.

“We are currently looking for hair

salons in the Clifton area to volun-

teer their services the morning of the

event to style the female models,”

said Maryann Cornett Project

Graduation chair. “As always, we

also as for monetary donation to

help underwrite the cost of this

annual event.”

On graduation eve, CHS stu-

dents are invited to participate in

Project Graduation. The annual

event shuttles hundreds of our

graduates to a nearby resort where

they can party all night in a safe,

alcohol and drug free environment.

Next morning, the kids are bussed

back to CHS... and life goes on

after graduation...

To support the cause, or info, call

Maryann Cornett at 973-779-5678.

True Colors Winter Guard hosts a

Ziti and Meatball Dinner Tricky

Tray on Feb. 18 at 6 pm at Johnny’s

in Botany Village. Tickets are $20

which includes dinner, soda,

dessert and coffee as well as a sheet

of Tickets. For more info, call Joe

Nikischer at 973-546-5545.

The 7th Annual Relay For Life isset for June 4 at the Clifton Stadium,

with an opening ceremony at 2 pm.

The overnight event concludes on

June 5 at 6 am. Presented by the

American Cancer Society, Relay For

Life is an overnight community cele-

bration to honor cancer survivors as

well as friends and family members

lost to the disease. The event is also a

major fundraiser. To join or for more

info, call 201-457-3418 x 2231 or go

to www.relayforlife.org/cliftonnj.

The Passaic County HistoricalSociety Genealogy Club meets at

Lambert Castle, on Valley Rd., at the

Clifton/ Paterson border, once a

month from September through May.

Program topics relate to genealogy

and usually include a guest speaker.

The meetings are open to the public

and all are welcome. For more on the

types of programs and the services at

Lambert Castle and the society, call

the Passaic County Historical Society

at 973-247-0085, extension 200.

Suzanne Sia and Michael Savastano (right) recently became members of thePassaic-Clifton Chapter of UNICO National, an Italian American serviceorganization whose members engage in charitable works, support higher educa-tion and perform patriotic deeds. Anyone interested in membership can contactUNICO President David D’Arco (pictured left) at 973-685-7479.

Name: __________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________

City: ____________________________________________State:_________________________________________

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Email:________________________________________________________________________

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Alison Degen.......................2/1Robyn Feldman................... 2/1Kristin Reilly........................ 2/1Mary Jane Varga................ 2/1Emil Soltis, Jr ...................... 2/2Joseph Fierro ...................... 2/3Bob Naletko....................... 2/3Catherine Grace Burns ........ 2/4John Nittolo........................ 2/5Courtney Carlson................ 2/6Joseph DeSomma ............... 2/6Robert D’Alessio ................. 2/7Nicole Tahan...................... 2/7

Tara Fueshko ...................... 2/8Jamie Carr ......................... 2/9Craig Grieco...................... 2/9Steven Becker ................... 2/10Bryan Kelly....................... 2/10Matthew Seitz .................. 2/10Bob De Liberto.................. 2/11Valentine Le Ster ............... 2/11Sarah Mikolajczyk ............ 2/11Joseph Hilla...................... 2/12Dolores Rando.................. 2/12John Hodorovych.............. 2/13Amin Zamlout................... 2/13

Ashley Rose Montague celebrates her 5th birthday on Feb. 6, reports grandma Carol. HappyBirthday to Donna Hawrylko on Feb. 25. Kenneth and Joann (nee Gross) Dalton celebrated their35th wedding anniversary on Jan. 31. Belated Jan. 21 birthday greetings to Jon Schubert. HappyBirthday Lux siblings... Eric turns 16 on Feb. 3 and Renee will be 10 on Feb.14.

Happy Birthday to Natalie Pych who turns 10 on Feb. 8. She is pictured with Casey Hawrylko.

Birthdays & CelebrationsSend dates & [email protected]


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Mark Gallo .................... 2/14Orest Luzniak ................. 2/14Jeanette Ann Saia........... 2/14Christine Canavan.......... 2/15Chickie Curtis................. 2/15Frank Klippel .................. 2/15M. Louis Poles ................ 2/15Ashley Brandecker.......... 2/17Leann Perez ................... 2/17Lorraine Rothe ................ 2/17Michael Del Re............... 2/18Michael Papa................. 2/20Robert Mosciszko ........... 2/21Taylor Jesch.................... 2/22Diana Murphy................ 2/22John T. Saccoman........... 2/22Robert Adamo................ 2/24Eileen Feldman............... 2/24Kimberly Mistretta........... 2/24Kimberly Gasior ............. 2/26Brittany Helwig............... 2/27Joyce Penaranda ............ 2/27Lauren Ricca................... 2/27Charlie Galluzzo ............ 2/28

Knapp Brothers birthdays...Don celebrates on Feb. 6

and Richard adds another on Feb. 22.

Happ Pych Febru PHO

We Ride for Those Who Have Died

$5 for a chance to

WIN A BIKE!

Supplied By

Worth over $500 • No monetary value. Option of male or female bicycle.

DRAWING TO BE HELD

AT POLICE UNITY TOURPASTA DINNER ON 4/10/11Contact Tom Hawrylko for details.

973-253-4400


Here’s to RomanceIN DOWNTOWN CLIFTON

WEDDING GOWN CLEANINGAND PRESERVATION

We offer a 100% Lifetime Guarantee for all our wedding gown cleaning

and preservation services.

1280 Main Ave. 973-546-1105

FORMAL WEAR RENTALSAND ACCESSORIES

For proms, weddings and any special occasions or events where you

need to look your best

1280 Main Ave. 973-546-1113

DOWNTOWN

Angela M. Montague, Executive DirectorDowntown Clifton Economic Development Group, Inc.1119 Main Ave., Clifton, NJ 07011 Phone: 973-253-1455

[email protected]

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DOWNTOWNClifton

• 6 “Shopper’s-Free” Parking Lots

• Over 300 Businesses and Services

• Directory, Discount Coupons & more info at www.downtownclifton.com

Y O U R M A I N C H O I C E F O R A L L Y O U R S E R V I C E S & N E E D S

From coffee and grab & go items to

casual and intimate dining, plus plenty

of places to pick up a home-cooked

lunch or dinner, Downtown Clifton is the

place to dine!

The Downtown Clifton Business District — Clifton’s Rising Star and your

MAIN choice for all your services & needs — is located

along Main Ave. from the Passaic border to Piaget Ave.

DiningOptions

Tomahawk Promotions

1288 Main Avenue

Clifton, NJ 07011

PRSRT STDUS Postage

PAIDPATERSON, NJPERMIT NO. 617

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Fred Spoelstra

Bobby Persaud

Gladys & Alberto

Mesones

Linton Gaines

Dave Kelley

Jose Gignoux

Angie Cardenas

Chris Tselepis

Danilo Inoa

Dorothy Robinson

Nancy Rodriguez

Francisco Sanchez

Sophia

Constandinou

Phillip Shavers

Wendell Maki

Luis Yzaguirre

Ricardo de Leon

Carlos Cordero

Robert Sivori

Patrick Bailey

Jacqui Rogers

Patricia Elmahdy

Ramon Ramirez

Rose Ann

Giannella

Edgar Meza

Walter Porto

Sharon

Gardner

Hugo Meza

Octavio

Dominguez

Debbie Redmon

Cesar Guzman

Juana Polanco

Luis Cruz

Paul Lawrence

Luis Guzman

Javier Baires

Sandra Oblitas

NRE INFO

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NICHOLAS TSELEPIS Broker/ Owner

Top 1% Broker in New Jersey

BUYING OR SELLING CALL TODAY

1-866-SOLD-123 Call Nick & Start Packing

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CLIFTON $369,000 WELL KEPT HOME On a over-sized 75x106 lot. Above ground pool, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms & bath on 1

st floor. 2

nd &

3rd floor combine to make 8 rooms. Partial

finished basement. Plenty of off street parking.

CLIFTON $399,000 SPACIOUS LIVING. All Hardwood Floors Throughout. 4 bedrooms, Formal Living Room, Formal Dining Room, large kitchen with Dining Area, sliders to a Deck. Family Room with fireplace Finished Basement with full bath - Storage. Cozy Backyard, 2 Car Garage.

CLIFTON $249,000 WELL PRICED HOME

Convenient location. Features Living Room, Dining Room, Modern Eat-In-Kitchen, 4 bedrooms, & 1½ baths. 2 car garage, large property.

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CLIFTON $389,900 GREAT 1ST

FLOOR

OPEN SPACE 4 bedrooms potential. Good for family member with 1

st floor needs. Near all

major highways, central air, gas heat. Semi finished walk out basement. Ask for Sophia Constandinou

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clifton merchant magazine - february 2011

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