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Transcript of Clifton Merchant Magazine - July 2011
Where are theseMUSTANGSnow?
1951
1971
1991
2001
1981
1961
PLUS A LOOK BACK AT 1941!
629 Clifton Ave • Clifton
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Clifton Merchant Magazine is published the first Friday of every month at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 4
On July 4th...
We Salute America East Ridgelawn Cemetery invites you to visit our Mausoleum on Main
Avenue to pause, reflect and remember the lives of those who have
passed. Visits are unlimited and unaffected by the weather. Crypts are
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East Ridgelawn Cemetery255 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07014
for more information with no obligation call:
973-777-1920
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 5
A few years ago, as I was flying home from
the mid-west following a book tour I had just
completed, I looked out the window as the jet
began its slow
descent over New
Jersey, approaching
Newark Airport.
There, far below, I
saw wide bursts of
light: greens,
yellows, reds. They
were, of course,
fireworks for I was
returning home on
the 4th of July, flying
over Warren, Morris and Essex County.
Town after town was celebrating Independence
Day with fireworks. The odd part was that these
exploded in silence. Sitting in my seat in the jet I
could not, of course, hear the booms and bangs, or the
roar of the crowds in
approval, but I could
see the little fountains
of light bursting up
like Walt Disney
mushrooms all over
the state. Then I
thought of my
grandmother.
During World War
II, Nazi SS troops
banged on the door of
my grandmother’s house in Brussels searching for my
grandfather, an officer in the Belgian Army. He
By Christopher de Vinck
“There are those, I know, who will saythat the liberation of humanity, the freedomof man and mind, is nothing but a dream.They are right. It is the American dream.”
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 6
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 7
managed to escape, but was soon
captured and sent to a Spanish
prison.
My grandmother often spoke
about how she and my mother fled
Brussels, and ended up in a small,
French coastal city: Dunkirk. They
witnessed the evacuation of
thousands of Allied troops across
the English Channel, and
continued their escape to southern
France, but, after four months,
they returned to Brussels and
endured the Third Reich’s
occupation for four years.
“Bombs always seemed to be
falling,” my grandmother said.
She and my mother even
remembered hearing the distant
explosions from the Battle of the
Bulge, the last attempt of the Nazi
forces to overtake Europe, and the
most horrific battle in the war
where over 19,000 American
troops died.
One of the last summers my
grandmother was with us here in
New Jersey, I was sitting with her
in the dining room playing cards.
It was the 4th of July. We were
playing Gin Rummy. For no
reason, I began humming John
Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes
Forever,” perhaps the most famous
march in the world, recognized as
the official march of the United
States (U.S. Code, Title 36,
Section 304).
“Da, daa, da, da, daa, da, da, da,
da da,daa,….” As I hummed, my
grandmother picked from the deck
of cards, and then she began to
quietly hum the march as well. I
picked from the deck, and began
to whistle the tune. She picked her
next card and began to hum
louder. I looked at her. She looked
at me. I started to hum louder as I
reached for the salt shaker and
began pounding the table as if it
was a drum accompanying my
humming. She placed her cards on
the table, “Gin,” and then she
grabbed the pepper shaker and
banged the tune on the table along
with her singing.
The two of us then gave out our
best impersonations of full Marine
bands, belting out the grand
march. We whistled, clapped,
banged the salt and pepper shakers
on the table, and at the final
crescendo, we ended together on
the last, resounding note, and we
both felt fine.
Then, suddenly, the first
fireworks exploded over at the
Allendale baseball field, a huge
BOOM! BOOM! And my
grandmother looked at me and
said quietly, “I never liked
fireworks. They sound so much
like the bombs dropping during
the war.”
I asked her if she’d like to play
another round of Gin, “Yes,” she
said with a smile. As I dealt the
cards, she looked out over her
reading glasses and said in French,
“Vive l'Amérique.” And we both
hummed “Stars and Stripes
Forever” all over again.
All across New Jersey, all
across the nation, Boom! Boom!
Boom! Vive l'Amérique!
Dr. Christopher de Vinck, a graduate from Teachers
College, Columbia University, is the Language Arts
Supervisor at Clifton High School; an adjunct professor of
English at Montclair State University, and the author of 12
books. His best known work is The Power of the Powerless
(Crossroad Books) a book on the struggles and joys of lov-
ing his severely disabled brother. This essay is from his lat-
est book ‘Moments of Grace: Days of a Faith Filled
Dreamer.’ Find it at Barnes & Noble or amazon.com.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 8
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 9
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1288 Main AvenueDowntown Clifton, NJ 07011
THE MEMORY KEEPERCHS Class of 1941 lives on in JoAnn Morici’s Scrapbook
1941W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
I’m a sentimental romantic,”JoAnn Morici states as she unzips
an old blue bag from the Passaic
General Hospital Center. This little
pouch is usually tucked away in the
back of a closet at her Van Houten
Ave. condo, but in celebration of the
CHS Class of ’41 it was plucked from
its resting place so that Morici could
relive its historical contents.
The Senior Scroll, the Class of ’41
yearbook, is the first item to come
out. It’s a gorgeous, dark maroon
hardcover book, the pages still crisp
decades after classmates wrote their
personal messages. However, the real
treasure is the personal scrapbook that
Morici first started to put together as a
student at School 1 on Park Slope.
The very first entry is a photo of
the graduating 8th graders in 1937.
Morici was one of 120 students who
received a diploma from Principal
Charles Sheenan on Tuesday, June
22, 1937, after listening to
a riveting speech by guest speaker
William Missbach. The entry is
accompanied by a clipping from
The Herald-News and a ticket from
the graduation ceremony.
Morici continued to fill her book
with clippings, photos and other
momentos during the next four
years at CHS, now Christopher
Columbus Middle School on Piaget
Ave. These are items not found in
the Senior Scroll, containing many
more personal memories and snip-
pets of life as a
teenager grow-
ing up in the
shadow of World
War II.
By her own
account, she has-
n’t even opened
the book since
moving to her
new home a
decade ago. Pouring over the pages
brings back a wave of fond memories
with classmates and friends.
By Joe Hawrylko
JoAnn Morici picturedtoday, and at right, in theCHS Class of 1941 year-book. She’ll be 87 in August.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 10
“I remember in 1939, we cut class
and went to the World’s Fair,”
laughed Morici. “We took a red bus
on Van Houten Ave. to Manhattan
for 50 cents. I don’t remember how
we got to the fair
when we got there,
maybe trolly or
bus or something.
We didn’t get
caught when we
came back either,
but we couldn’t
spend much
money because it
wasn’t cheap.”
Her partners in
crime that day
were members of
the ‘Italian and Polish Mafia’: Sal
Latteri, Marie Calderoro, Anette
Sabatini, Ohland, Louise Romaglia,
Robert Sipos, Frank Wolack, Eddie
Artim, Lester Kuzmik, Jerry Rosen
and Ernest Weiner.
Photos of the crew during the high
school years line
the many pages
of Morici’s
scrapbook, hang-
ing out together,
participating in
the school per-
formance of You
Can’t Take It
With You and
other events.
Morici and many
of her pals
remained close
after graduating from CHS on June
20, 1941. Like she did for her School
1 ceremony, Morici
saved photos, the ticket, articles,
even the tassel from that memorable
day.
“We all got an excellent education
and we had more than 30 kids in the
class,” said Morici. “We all did well.
We had doctors, lawyers, engineers
and nurses. My two best classmates
(Helen Link and Francis Eswood)
because nurses.”
Like her two friends, Morici also
set out to become a nurse and
enjoyed more than 60 years in the
health care industry as a practising
RN, administrator and teacher.
“When I left high school I was
just 16,” said Morici. “I wasn’t old
enough to go into nursing yet at St.
Joe’s, so I had to wait the whole
A photo from Class Day, 1941. Above, from left, is Pat Zirpoli, Emmarie Zanetti, JoAnn Moriciand Louise Romaglia. Above right, Bob Sipos, Cesira Marchesin, Sal Latteri and Viola Frey.At right is the dance card from the CHS Class of 1941 Junior Prom, Nov. 17, 1939.
Frank Wolak with JoAnn Morici attheir 50th reunion on May 18, 1991.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 11
year. My mother (Francis) got me
a job through a cousin of hers at
Federal Sweets, wrapping choco-
late candy. It was freezing cold
that winter and I thought I was
going to die! I then went into St.
Joe’s in 1942. In October, I took
the state board of nursing exam
and got my RN license.”
Even after graduation, Morici
continued to fill her scrapbook with
clippings as classmates relocated,
got jobs, became married and started
families. As she and her classmates
aged, Morici kept track of reunions
dates with photos and stories, and in
later years, she started adding obitu-
aries of old friends who have since
moved on.
By her own count, less than a
handful of Morici’s 256 classmates
are still around. But their stories and
memories will live on through the
pages of the CHS Class of 1941
scrapbook.
The ticket to the June 20, 1941 CHS Commencement, and at left, Mike Pochna,Tom Rigg, Frank Wolak and Herb Rachesky.
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By A. J. Sartor
Most CHS alumni recog-nize The Rotunda as the
name of the high school’s
yearbook. However, the Class of
1951 opted for something a little dif-
ferent, going with “Route ’51”. This
term was chosen specifically by stu-
dents that year because they said it
represented the final “route” of their
high school careers.
CHS still had two graduating
classes back in 1951 also—one in
January and one in June. However,
not every member of that class was
able to attend graduation ceremonies.
Seniors Pvt. Russel G. Craig, Pvt.
Anthony Geigges, Pvt. Edward Van
Hine and P.F.C. Vincent J. Phalon had
went off to serve their country in the
Armed Forces prior to receiving their
diploma. With war on their minds and
gratitude in their hearts, the class of
1951 respectfully set aside a page in
the yearbook for the men stating how
proud they were.
Another monumental event that
year was the dedication of the long
awaited Clifton Memorial Stadium,
one of the highlights of the a rapidly
growing city. Since then, the stadi-
um has been the gathering point for
so many memorable moments,
including sporting triumphs under
legendary coaches like Joe Grecco,
Bill Vander Closter, and more
recently Ron Anello, who left this
district this year after bringing home
the first championship since the 70s.
From left; Irene Schmidt, Walter Tencza, Elizabeth Talamini, Joseph Randazzo, Dolores Mendello, Lou Poles and Barbara Ayers
From left; Peter Ciolino, Arlene Macaluso, Thomas Pivirotto, Joan Reisch, Eugene Pami, Jean Pollara and Danilo Dominquez
ROLLING DOWN ROUTE 511951
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 12
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 13
18141814
Proud to Represent CliftonAssemblyman Thomas P. Giblin1333 Broad St., Clifton, NJ 07013office: 973-779-3125www.assemblymangiblin.com
View The Giblin Report Thursday at 9 pm, Channel 76
There have also been several
decades worth of graduations, band
performances, Fourth of July cele-
brations and more.
But many aren't aware that the site
had much similar recreational use
even before then. In fact, the use of the
area goes all the way back to when
Native-Americans inhabited the land.
The Indians used the spot for a num-
ber of things, but mainly fishing and
hunting. Dutch children of the 17th
century explored around the pond and
surrounding woods to pass the time.
And the land was even host to racing
events, both for horses and cyclists.
In 1951 though, the sports stars
of the domain were the Fighting
Mustangs football team, among
others. Warriors like Floyd Porter,
Bill Lennon and Joe Scannella led
the team to a tie for third in the con-
ference.
Modern, sleek and yet classic, the ded-ication of the Clifton School Stadiumon Oct. 14, 1950 included studentsdoing a Dutch dance, above left, andan Indian dance. The FightingMustangs walloped Dickinson ofJersey City, 18-6, in the first contest onthe field, which is now named for theirCoach, Joe Grecco.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 14
A JERSEY SHORE THINGLois Fisher & Dr. Harold Geene met in a Bay Head Chapel
Lois Fisher had gone most of her life withoutmeeting “the one”. Over the years, she found
no man interesting enough to stray from her own
pursuits. Work, friends and family, traveling and sail-
boating, which consumed most of Fisher’s free time.
By the time she retired from
Union Carbide in 1985 and
moved down to Point
Pleasant to further indulge
in boating, the 1951 CHS
alum had assumed that she
would never walk down the
aisle.
“The thought of mar-
riage, it just really never
entered my mind,” she said.
But decades later on Oct.
7, 2001, a chance meeting at
The Bayhead chapel with a
stranger who happened to be
a fellow boating enthusiast
and CHS alum led to an
unexpected romance at a
time in life when many couples are celebrating anniver-
saries.
At the time, Dr. Harold Geene was still grieving over
the passing of his wife of 50 years. The 1952 CHS
graduate also owned a home in the area, where he could
often be found when not working at his Broad St. den-
tistry practice. Lois went over to give her condolences
to her fellow church-goer and ended up in a lengthy
conversation with Geene about their shared passions for
boating and the mutual connection to Clifton.
Both came to mass that day for different reasons, and
unexpectedly came home in love.
“I said, ‘Would you like to go to lunch with me’ and
we were like glue after that,” laughed Geene. “We basi-
cally had a 12 hour date. We went out on the boat and
then did lunch and dinner together.”
Following the passing of his wife, Geene initially
didn’t think much of the
prospect of remarrying, but
the chemistry he shared with
Lois made him reconsider
his stance.
“My wife had been
deceased for about three
months,” said Dr. Geene.
“I’d cry on my drive down
to the shore and on the way
back up. Then lo and
behold, I met Louis. I can’t
say, ‘Hold on, I’ll be back in
a year.’”
“I think for me, it was a
natural growing of our rela-
tionship, which blossomed
into a love affair,” said
Louis. “We have the same religion, same Dutch nation-
ality, similar upbringing and values.”
The couple also happened to share many mutual
friends.
“In 2002, he had his 50th and was on the committee,”
recalled Fisher, who did not know Geene in high school.
“I knew just about everyone on the committee that
year.”
After three years of dating, Geene felt comfortable
enough that he decided to remarry. He called up Lois’
cousin, a jeweler, and had him ship over some samples
for his wife-to-be could select a ring to be sized.
By Joe Hawrylko
Dr. Harold Geene and Lois Fisher were wed May 7, 2005.
1951W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 15
d
d
h
r
n
n
d
n
a
d
d
A few weeks later on Aug. 7
2004, Geene took Lois out to dinner
to present the ring that Lois still
believed was at her cousin’s jewel-
ery store. “We went to The Raven
and The Peach in Fair Haven, which
was rated the number one most
romantic restaurant by NJ Monthly
Magazine,” recalled Geene.
During dinner, he excused himself
from the table and returned with the
ring that Lois had selected a few
weeks earlier.
“People came over and congratu-
lated us, they sent over a bottle of
champagne,” he laughed. “We
went back to the restaurant the next
year and they recognized us as the
couple that got engaged.”
Lois and Geene were wed the
following year on May 7. “I never
married, never had kids,” said
Louis. “Now I have three children
and five grandkids.”
One of the couple’s main hobbies
is traveling. They’ve had the luxu-
ry of going on numerous vacations
over the last decade, including a
recent cruise of the Baltic Sea. “We
spent my birthday at the Hermitage
at St. Petersburg,” added Louis.
However, the annual trip to The
Netherlands has emerged as their
favorite. Since both Fisher and
Geene of Dutch descent, they par-
ticularly enjoy exploring the culture
of their ancestors, and have even
gone and visited the village of their
relatives.
While away, other couples often
assume that, because of their age,
Geene and Lois are celebrating a
Golden Anniversary, not marking
six years. “I tell my people I take
my wife away every year,” Geene
laughed.
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 16
By Tom Hawrylko
If you want to talk Clifton nos-talgia, then get down to
Lexington Ave. and order two
all the way and a plate of fries with
gravy at the Hot Grill. And if you
need guides to mine the history of
our city, its schools and sports, pol-
itics and deal making, the end of
farming and the beginning of hous-
ing developments, then share a
booth with Joe Padula, John
Celentano and Bob Stier.
These three guys from the June
1951 Class have been at the center
of much since they were skinny and
scared freshman at the CHS Annex
(then on Clifton and First) before
they went on to the ‘big’ High
School, which today is Christopher
Columbus Middle School.
From there, they took different
paths and their lives took off but
they stay connected and they partic-
ipated in the ever evolving growth
of Clifton. They know the little
details in the history of our commu-
nity so breaking bread with these
Mustangs is a treat. And on top of
those facts, each has his own distinct
personality.
Start with ‘Sarge’ Padula. He
was a Clifton Cop for decades—his
friends claim he is the city’s longest
continuous serving public servant—
and today still works for the city as
a liaison between the municipality
and court offices of Passaic County.
It’s summer, so Sarge is missing
his trademark fedora but he still has
a line up of toothpicks on the table,
picking one off at a time. And when
Sarge stands to greet a reporter, he
works those cop muscles atop his
short body and pops a guy twice his
size with his shoulders to let you
know he still got the juice.
“What’d ya want babe?” he points
at a tray and asks Hot Grill Manager
Billy Pappas to take an order. Sarge
is always the first guy to dig in his
pocket.
“You didn’t see those guys move,
huh?” Sarge laughs as he shoves a
thumb back at Celentano and Stier
seated in the booth before he peels
out a few bills from his wallet.
“Who takes care of ya babe?”
At the table, Bob Stier, whose
family founded Styertowne
Shopping Center and developed
acres upon acres of Clifton and
north Jersey into homes and apart-
ments, is the same modest person he
has been for decades. Voted best
smile in 1951, he looks back at fond
memories of Scouting with Troop
65, where he attained the rank of
Eagle with Three Palms.
NO MORE CLIFTONTHAN THESE MUSTANGS
1951W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
Hot Grill Manager Bill Pappas is wondering how Joseph Padula, JohnCelentano and Robert Stier got behind the counter.
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Scouting took Stier around the
world in an era when travel was out
of the ordinary. He went to cam-
porees in nearby Towaco, then to
New Mexico before he participated
in the 7th World Scouting Jamboree
in Bad Ischel, Austria in 1951. Stier
attended the Newark College of
Engineering before he was drafted
and served in the US Army as a
Supply Sergeant in the 78th
Regimental Combat Team during
the Korean War, from 1953 to 1955.
“I was friendly with Allan
Swenson during those years and he
was a US Army Captain,” Stier
recalled. “He’d call me every week
but I couldn’t figure out what the
purpose was. He was always gung
ho. Great guy. Finally I asked if his
calls had anything to do with the
CIA. He never really said yes. But
today, he is one of two CIA people
in Kennebunkport, Maine. You can
figure out who the other one is.”
Swenson and Stier were thick as
thieves as seniors. Every second
Tuesday of the month, they’d play
hooky and hitchhike up to
Hackettstown. “Allan’s family had
a farm up there and there would be
a cattle auction on the second
Tuesday. We’d get a big home-
cooked meal, pie and chocolate
milk for a dollar-fifty. I think all
the teachers knew where we were,”
Stier guessed, then added: “But we
were good students. I still was in
the top 10 percent of the class. I
got a gold C. Allan got a bronze.”
Service to the community always
appealed to Stier but he took another
route—he was ordained a minister in
the New Apostolic Church in 1957.
He served at the church in Botany
Village and became a District
Superintendent or Bishop in charge
of 19 congregations, from Montague
to Absecon. “I used to drive that in a
day,” he recalled of the ministry he
retired from in 1999.
The guides to the past as they appeared back in 1951. From left to right is Joe Padula, John Celentano and Robert Stier.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 19
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“During my ministry, I was also
involved in overseas work, travel-
ling to Cameroon, Liberia, Ivory
Coast, South America and Trinidad -
Tobago in the Caribbean. It was
mostly managerial work,” he said of
the New Apostolic Church, which
has 12 million members worldwide.
Stier was married in 1956 to
Edith (Daume) and they lived on
Nottingham Pl. since. His wife died
this year, months short of their 55th
wedding anniversary. They have
two children and six grandkids.
Back at the Hot Grill on that
recent summer day, John A.
Celentano, Jr. brings the conversa-
tion around to a packed football sta-
dium on Saturday afternoons and
the crowded, cramped lower level
basketball gym of what is now
Christopher Columbus Middle
School. Celentano is quiet and
respectful and down to his white
shirt and pin striped suit, he looks
every inch the Chairman and CEO
of Clifton Savings Bank. He shared
the following essay on his recollec-
tions of the good old days at CHS...
The Class of ’51 started high
school at an exciting time in the
country’s history. World War II was
over just two years. Agriculture still
dominated half of the city. The old
truck farmers—
Benkendorfs, Maxes,
Plochs, Hamiltons,
and others—were still
working the land.
Sheep still grazed
at the Samuel Hird
Plant on Clifton and
Paulison Ave., as did cows on the
Sisco farm on Colfax Ave. Mr.
Giaguzzi, Clifton’s last junkman,
was still making his rounds by horse
and wagon and the 4-H Club was
very popular and active.
The other half of the city had
thriving industries like Bright Star
Battery, Fruehauf, Forstmann
Woolens, Givaudan, Hoffman
LaRoche and Dumont. The baby
boom was well underway and the
building explosion had started.
Each of the old separate sections,
Albion Place, Allwood, Athenia,
Botany, Clifton Center, Delawanna,
Dutch Hill, Lakeview, Richfield and
Rosemawr (surrounding Passaic),
had its own butcher shops and small
food markets. These sections were
soon to fuse into the City of Clifton.
For more extensive purchases,
one had to take a bus or walk to
Passaic or Paterson. There was no
fear of walking anywhere.
TV did not yet have a major role
in the lives of Americans and local
sports dominated the free time of the
citizens. Joe Grecco’s football
teams filled stadiums from Paterson
to Jersey City and Perth Amboy.
Emil Bednarcik’s basketball fives
were perennial contenders for cham-
pionships. Rutgers would soon
have four Clifton starters on its bas-
ketball team: Hal Corizzi,
June 1951 officers included Pete Ciolino, Vice President SylviaIrene Taylor, Secretary Anna Drew Rydberg and Treasurer RichardMaehl. Left, Class Dreamers Gloria De Koyer and Rudy Wolf.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 21
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Teddy Dull, Don Parsons and Ray
Van Cleef.
The Class of ’51 had its share of
stars in many arenas, and that was
especially true in academics.
LeRoy Costantin finished his
outstanding four-year high school
career with a flat 96 average. The
remarkable part of that record was
that he couldn’t do any homework
until the noisy Italian bar on the
first floor of his second-floor Lake
Ave. abode closed. He later com-
muted to Columbia University in
New York City and became a pro-
fessor of medicine at Washington
University in St. Louis.
June class president Pete Ciolino
had a distinguished career as a
lawyer and became an assignment
judge of the New Jersey Superior
Court.
Joan Kuzmich became Miss
New York City and a participant in
the Miss America pageant.
In Silent Prayer A History of Ministry with the
Deaf Community in the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia was penned by Father Anthony
Russo, C.Ss.R., who has devoted himself to the
deaf community for over 40 years.
Through insightful text, as well as historical
documents and photographs, Father Russo, CHS
Class of 1951, not only tells the story of the great
men and women who have provided this impor-
tant service, but also looks forward to the coming years and considers
how this service can be further shaped and improved.
Fr. Russo grew up in Botany and has experienced some degree of
hearing difficulty throughout his life. Despite his
barriers, in 1955, he received a Bachelor of
Science degree from the Virginia Military
Institute in Lexington, along with a commission
in the US Army.
Ordained by Cardinal Spellman of New York
in 1965, Fr. Russo was sent in 1967 to the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where he has dedi-
cated his life to working with and for the deaf.
NEW BOOK PUBLISHED BYFATHER ANTHONY RUSSO, C.SS.R.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 23
f
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 24
The aforementioned Joe Padula
went to Korea, returned and set the
record for continual service to the
city and county, 55 years, and is
breaking the record every day.
Allan Armstrong Swenson
became an intelligence officer for
the U.S. following his graduation
from Rutgers.
Ron Plaza was signed by the St.
Louis Cardinals at the age of 16,
played Triple-A ball with Rochester
and spent the remainder of his career
coaching in the majors. When his
teams visited New York, he always
found tickets for his old buddies.
Early Boys’ Club member from
the ’40s and star athlete Walt Tencza
traded in his spikes and jock for a
couple of degrees and went on to a
stellar legal career in Passaic.
Nick Chanda attended and fin-
ished at Fordham and taught in
Wood-Ridge. School 3 grad Roy
DeBoer went on to Cornell and
headed the Landscape Architecture
Department at Rutgers.
Tony Russo became a priest and
Bob Stier, an apostolic minister.
Bob also managed New Jersey’s
first highway shopping destination,
Styertowne Shopping Center.
Ann Haroutunian, Class
Salutatorian, broke into the male-
dominated field of medicine. She
graduated from NYU School of
Medicine and went on to a distin-
guished career and is still involved
in cutting-edge genomic medicine
and pediatrics.
Child-bearing and rearing were
still exclusively open to women.
The unsung heroines of the class
were those young ladies who per-
formed those Herculean tasks with
no agenda except to do the job right.
They set the example.
For that we are grateful and say
thanks. And like many in the CHS
Class of 1951, we are proud of our
hometown roots.
They went on to serve our nation in the US Air Force: Pvt. Edward Van Hine,PFC Vincent J Phalon, Pvt. Russel G. Craig and Pvt. Anthony Geigges.
By A. J. Sartor
One of the last classes tograduate from the old
high school on Piaget Ave.
(now Christopher Columbus Middle
School), the Class of 1961 featured
many talented and diverse students
who would set out into a changing
world and find success. For many,
the first step on that path was at
CHS, where students explored their
varied interests in a number of excit-
ing clubs and classes.
Clifton High School also boast-
ed three particular programs at that
time which were popular with
many of the soon-to-be graduates:
the F.T.A., the F.S.A. and the
F.N.A., which stood for the
“Future Teachers of America” as
well as the future “Students” and
“Nurses”, respectively. These
organizations helped students get a
hands-on feel for careers they were
considering.
Aspiring thespians could be
found in the Footlights Club,
which was the predecessor to the
modern CHS Drama Club.
Some members from this group
joined young, aspiring stars in
showcasing their talents
From left; Georgette Bizub, Judith Townes, Karen Krug, Keith Truscott, Linda Thompson, Paul Epstein and Philip Dolcemascolo
LAST CLASS IN ‘OLD’ SCHOOL
1961
Seniors from the 1961 tennis team, from left: P. Krones, J. Baydin, B. Patterson, T. Kopec, J. Opfer, D. Polderman. Missingfrom photo is P. Hamelberg. Class flirts Dennis Santillo and Nina Parisi.
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 25
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 26
From left; Raymond Goetschius, Robert Kievit, Robert Prail, Robert Speer, Ruth Breure, Samuel Spektor and Yvonne Alayos
From left; Carol Breure, Chester Grabowski, David Dowds, Dorothy Thompson, Eric Chamberlain, Eve Tuchinsky and Frank Fusco
with a production of “Arsenic and
Old Lace”, based on the 1939 play,
written by Joseph Kesselring,
revolving around a man and his
crazy family as he makes a decision
whether or not to marry his love
interest.
The student Council, led by
President Joe DeStefano, lent its
support to causes such as the bene-
fit “Help Johnny Fortis” campaign
and a “Shamrock Swing” to sup-
port the March of Dimes.
The 1961 Columns yearbook
also shed a little light on what was
to come for some graduates. Paul
Epstein, who would go on to help
run and manage his family’s cloth-
ing store in Downtown Clifton,
was one half of the Best Dressed
duo with Karen Krug. Other
awards included Class Athletes Ed
Brown and Carol Rubsamen, while
Jim Opfer and Sandy Mueller took
home the gold for Most Talented.
From left: President Eric Chamberlain, VP Dorothy Thompson, Recording SecretaryMarlene Rothe, Corresponding Secretary Beverly Smith and Treasurer Sally Gibbs.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 27
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THE LITTLE GUY WHO STILLENJOYS ACTING OUT
Paul Epstein: Class of 1961
1961W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Carol Leonard
When 67 year-old PaulEpstein reminisces
about his days growing
up in the Richfield section, he paints
a picture quite different than the
crowded urban scene that we all
know today.
The CHS Class of ’61 graduate had
farms and fields surrounding his
Greendale Rd. home. “You could look
out and see horses galloping,” he said.
“We did all the things that kids
typically did in those days. We spent
every day outside playing football
and basketball. We even had a fort in
the area that is now Clifton Ave.
extension. It was a wonderful life.”
Epstein attended three different
elementary schools, 2, 6 and 14
before moving on to what was then
Woodrow Wilson Junior High School
for grades seven through nine.
His grandfather, an immigrant
from Poland, started a family busi-
ness in 1900, a dry goods store, orig-
inally located on the upper end of
Van Houten Ave. In 1941, his father
Charles took over the store and
moved Epstein’s to a building he
had purchased on Main Ave.
For many years, Epstein’s was
the place to shop in Clifton.
The original municipal complex
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 29
f
and police station were located just
down the street and women who
worked in City Hall would often stop
in during their lunch hour. It was also
a convenient walk for people who
lived in the area or could take a bus
downtown.
Epstein and his
brother Steven and sis-
ter Ronnie all pitched
in at the store, working
after school and on
vacations. “I can
remember putting
price tags on the
clothes,” he said.
On Christmas Eve
in 1958, Charles
Epstein suffered a
stroke while closing the store and
passed away shortly thereafter.
Young Paul was just 14 years-old at
the time.
Epstein’s mother Lake took over
and kept the business afloat, with
the help of the rest of the family.
They eventually opened a children’s
clothing store next door.
While in junior high, Epstein
recalled that he was a bit of a trou-
blemaker. “I was a typical little guy
who liked to bring attention to him-
self,” he said.
He attributes his behavior to the
absence of his father in his life and
the fact that he was short and wore
glasses. He had his share of scuffles
but made it through OK.
Epstein went on to attend the
original Clifton High School in what
is now Christopher Columbus
Middle School.
The school was on split sessions in
those days due to overcrowding, with
half the students attending morning
classes and the other half arriving for
the afternoon session.
Epstein’s grandmother lived in the
nearby Village Apartments and one of
his fondest memories was when he
would get out of school at 11:30 am
and could smell
her potato pan-
cakes frying.
“High school
was a lot of fun,”
he said. “I had a
lot of good friends and really
enjoyed myself.”
Epstein ran cross country and
spring track while at CHS and two of
his best friends were teammates
Ricky Chamberlain and Sammy
Spector.
Following graduation, he enrolled
at Marietta College in Ohio, where
he majored in business, political sci-
ence and “fooling around,” he said.
“It was a typical animal house envi-
ronment. We would go on
Top, Paul Epstein and Sandy Hertzberg were married on June 5. In 1961,Epstein was voted Best Dressed and is pictured with Karen Krug.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 30
panty raids and I was constantly in
trouble.”
After his freshman year, he
ditched his glasses for contact lenses
and filled out a little more, which
made him “socially wild,” he said.
After college Epstein returned to
work in the store with his mother. He
also joined the National Guard.
“In those days it was be drafted
and go to Vietnam or join the
National Guard,” he said. “I chose
the National Guard.”
While in training at Camp Drum
in New York, Epstein met his first
wife Sue, who was originally dating
his boot camp buddy.
Sue was a teacher from Fort Lee
and the two hit it off and eventually
married and raised two sons, Joshua
and Matthew.
After 19 years, the couple split up,
but they have remained friends to
this day. Epstein avoids elaborating
on the reasons for the breakup, but
admits, “I was a bad boy. I learned
from my mistakes, though.”
Epstein moved to Montclair in
1985 and remained single for a while
before meeting Harriet, his second
wife, through their mutual involve-
ment at their children’s school. The
couple was married from 1996 until
Harriet’s death from cancer in 2007.
Epstein stays in close contact with
his step-daughters Annika and
Jennifer, and their children.
Still a frat boy at heart even into
middle age, another of Epstein’s
favorite memories is of a 50th birth-
day party he threw for himself at
Tierney’s bar on Valley Rd. in
Montclair. He had tee shirts made up
for his guests that read, “You’re only
young once, but you can be imma-
ture forever.”
About a year after Harriet’s pass-
ing, Epstein met his current wife
Sandy through JDate, a Web site for
Jewish singles. The two discovered
that they lived only two miles apart
in West Orange.
“She resisted my advances for sev-
eral months before agreeing to see
me,” he said. “We knew we were
right for each other. We both have sis-
ters named Ronnie. We both have
sons named Matthew. Sandy’s first
husband’s name was Harry and he
also died of cancer.” The couple dated
for three years and married on June 5.
Since 1998, when he closed the
store, Epstein has been working as a
salesman for Park Ave. Acura in
Rochelle Park.
“For my entire life, I didn’t want to
be there,” he said of working at the
family business. “I always knew that
I wanted to do something else, but I
didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
Even before closing the store,
Epstein took a part-time job as a rep-
resentative for a line of women’s
clothing.
“My wife pushed me to try some-
thing new and I realized that I was a
good salesman,” he said. “I always
liked cars, so the idea of selling cars
Paul Epstein on Main Ave. in a recent photo.
CHS Class of 1961 is hosting itsreunion on Oct. 14, at 7 pm, at the
Bethwood in Totowa. The cost is
$125 per person and that includes
buffet and wine with a cash bar.
There will be a live band and plen-
ty of dancing and fun. For more
details, or to connect with class
members, call Marlene Korman at
973-694-2022 or Bob Prail at
973-934-2584 or email him at
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 31
really appealed to me.”
Epstein said he is mentally ready
to retire, but he needs to find some-
thing else to do to stay busy. “I start-
ed playing golf and tennis, and work-
ing out a lot, but I need to find some-
thing to keep my mind occupied.”
His wife Sandy is a speech thera-
pist. “She loves her job and isn’t
ready to retire yet,” he said.
Epstein describes his new bride as
much more mature than him. “I’ve
grown up, but I still like attention,”
he said. “I guess it’s still part of the
little guy syndrome.”
He doesn’t often see many of his
high school classmates, but ironical-
ly, he lives right next door to one of
his good friends from CHS, Eve
Tuchinsky, whose married last name
is Friedlander. He was surprised to
run into her when he started going
out with Sandy and they all enjoy
spending time together now.
“Every once in a while I’ll be out
somewhere and someone will come up
to me and ask me if I’m the guy from
Epstein’s,” he said. “I get that a lot.”
Despite his life’s ups and downs,
Epstein describes himself as very
happy. He enjoys getting together
with his children and five grandchil-
dren, as well as Sandy’s two sons.
“I’m on top of the world,” he said.
“I have a beautiful family and I’m a
newlywed. What else can I ask for?”
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 32
By A. J. Sartor
1971was a greatyear in sports.The football
team, led by captain Joe Schiavone,
who was a tackle on that year’s
superb defense, finished just short of
a state title but took home a second
consecutive P.V.C. Championship.
The men’s cross-country team
nearly ran the table with an 11-1
record. The basketball and bowling
teams both finished 3rd and the
track team had a perfect 11-0 sea-
son, as Bill Gibson set both a
school, as well as a Passaic County
record in the pole vault.
The Mustang Marching Band
reputation grew when they took
home a gold medal for their per-
formance at the World Music
Festival in Kerkrade, Holland and a
stellar performance at the Hearald-
From left; Barbara Feldman, Carole Anson, Richard De Lotto, David Glattly, Dennis Suto, Edward Rossi and Gary Smith
From left; Helen Fedoriw, Jack Genchi, Joan Miketzuk, Karen Renta, Keith Oakley, Lawrence Howard and Maria Moczula
MUSTANGS DOMINATE THE FIELD
1971
All-state musicians, front from left:Rosemary Franciso, Vickie Yanics, SueVolgel. Debbie Saladini, ScottBleaken, Richard Szabo. At rightJayne Tabback, Dennis Daly andFrank Montalbano in Menotti’s Amahland the Night Visitors.
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 33
News band festival.
Thespians of the class performed
Teahouse of the August Moon in
which John Perez, Lillian McElwee
and Denise Makri showcased their
talents. Meanwhile Sue Macy and
Tony Ferrara made sure their peers
got the news as staff members of
“The Hub” under the direction of
Mrs. Patricia Zalesny.
The Key Club, including mem-
bers Elliot Solomon, Robert Farber
and President Gary Sacks held a
fashion show where models such as
Robin Santin walked the runway.
In March of that year The
Harlem Globetrotters came to
town to play the New York
Nationals and the students also
defeated the faculty in their game
against one another.
The Art Staff ofthe Yearbook wasfeeling groovy...from left: JaniceGeneralli, KarenSchiano, JoyceMeth, DavidPollizzi (advisor),Willie Costello.Back: PamKnoakes, KathyTsang, JimHudzik, KimHamer, KarenWallace.
Yoga during gym and in drama class, love shines in the eyes of Linda Shahinian and Sal Somma.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 34
Then, as now, Clifton was ahuge high school.The class
of ’71 had about 1,200
graduates. In order not to feel lost,
said Cindy Czesak, the key was to
find your niche. Hers was the
Mustang Marching Band.
“No doubt,” said Czesak, “I iden-
tified with the band culture. It was
not for the feint- of-heart, we were
driven hard. And, we took
great pride in what we were
achieving. Besides football
games, we competed on all
levels, and won”
She remembers band
director Saul Kay fondly,
now understanding how
hard it must how been to
keep a 100 teens in line and
performing with precision.
Here, the rules of band hier-
archy helped. “I played pic-
colo and junior and senior years, I
was the first chair. My job was to
keep all the other piccolos in line!”
laughed Czesak.
She took several music courses
at CHS, even considered music as a
major in college, and remembers
how it led her to one of the most
memorable experiences of her
young life – the Mustangs Band
trip to the
Netherlands.
“Traveling to
Europe was a
big deal. We all had to go get pass-
ports, earn money for the trip – I
think $500, which, for then, was
huge,” she recalled. From the
Netherlands, they visited Belgium,
Germany and Italy. “I remember
even now, I spent my 17th birthday
in Florence,” she added.
Music, however, was not going to
be her professional future. Although
she loved music, she was also a bit
of a bookworm and loved to read.
Now the Director of the Paterson
Public Library, Czesak recalls the
factors that guided her towards her
career.
“I’m genuinely grateful for sever-
al teachers. I had an amazing Latin
teacher, Miss Castigila. I took four
years of Latin because of her – very
warm, great teacher, encouraged
me. And Ina Minor, a great English
teacher my sophomore year. She
told us that her classroom would be
FROM ‘STRIKE UP THE BAND’TO ‘QUIET, PLEASE’
Band Piccolo Sergeant is now Paterson Library Director
1971
At left, Cindy Czesak in 1971 and today, at the PatersonPublic Library where she is the Director.
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Irene Jarosewich
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 35
t
n
r
n
r
d
h
run as a ‘benevolent dictatorship’ – with her, my love of
reading was appreciated,” said Czesak.
It was the opening of the Allwood branch of the Clifton
Public Library that probably most influenced her. “I was
quite lucky that the branch opened up in my neighborhood.
I was a big bookworm. I practiced and practiced my signa-
ture so that I could get my first library card.”
Cindy and her sister Nancy, (CHS 1974) lived with
their parents in the Allwood section. Cindy’s parents still
live in Allwood, though she now lives in Parsippany.
“Honestly,” said Czesak,” I did not think very far
ahead in high school, and we did not have a lot of money.
I knew I would go locally to college.”
So, many years after she got her first library card, after
leaving high school and while attending Montclair State,
Czesak applied to work part-time at the Allwood branch
and was accepted.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” contin-
ued Czesak, “and for a brief period, I worked full time
in the children’s section. I then completely realized the
importance of finishing my education – so I finished
my degree in philosophy from Montclair State. By
then, I basically knew I wanted a master’s degree in
library science.”
Then Czesak went on to work for eight years as a chil-
dren’s librarian for Clifton public libraries, after which,
she became the Director. This position, however, came
with a quirky twist of fate.
“Clarissa Irwin, a woman we all respected, had been
hired,” said Czesak. “However, Clarissa was soon
offered a more lucrative position and announced she was
leaving. We, her staff, were devastated. So one night, she
opened up one of the branches, and about eight of us met
there to have dinner together, Chinese carry-out. She
gave us a pep talk about how we could and needed to
carry on. Near the end of the dinner, we took fortune
cookies and my message read: “You have the ability to
lead others.” Everyone turned to me and said, ‘That’s it!
That’s the answer! You should apply! It has to be you!’
I laugh now, but I’m not so sure I would have applied if
it were not for that dinner.”
Seizing opportunities is one of the lessons that Czesak
hopes that she can pass on to the people with whom she
now works, as well as to the people who need and use the
public libraries she directs.
According to Czesak, “One of the great things about
working in a public library is that you have the ability to
touch people’s lives every day. Sometimes it’s easy, make
someone happy by advising about a movie or a book. But
in Paterson, where I’ve worked for ten and a half years, we
are often the only easily accessible lifeline of opportunities
– we’re a lifeline for people looking for a job who don’t
have their own computer, a lifeline for parents trying to
help their kids get a leg up in this world, for adults trying
to improve their reading and language skills.”
The role of public libraries is changing, she continued,
noting that public libraries are no longer a warehouse for
books. “We’ve become a resource center, a knowledge
center. Technology is changing the role of public
libraries and there is great variety in what we do now. We
offer ongoing opportunities for people to change their
lives. And, every day, I get to feel good. This is not true
for every job.”
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 36
Colonial Pharmacy is instant-ly recognizable by its white
turret tower. Founded in 1965,
this pharmacy has been a Clifton Ave.
landmark for almost 50 years. Current
owners Walter Voinov (Class
of ’71) and his brother-in-law
Walter Diduch, purchased the
business in 1985 and will soon
celebrate their twenty-fifth
year of ownership.
Voinov, now a proud
grandfather of three, attended
Rutgers’ School of Pharmacy
(Class of ’76) and is a Clifton
Rotary Club member. Given
this information, it might be
surprising to learn that, during his earlier days, Voinov
says he had a certain rebellious streak.
Born in Passaic, Voinov moved to Clifton at the age
of twelve and attended Christopher Columbus Junior
High School. “It was a much bigger school than I was
used to for grammar school and it was overwhelming at
first,” Voinov said.
It was during this time that Voinov’s interest in science
began to develop, especially in Barbara Krebs’ biology
class. “She was a tough teacher,” Voinov said, laughing.
“She showed that science courses weren’t easy and would-
n’t be a cake-walk. It was definitely a challenge.” Today,
Krebs is one of Voinov’s customers at the pharmacy, but
refrains from quizzing him about biology now.
Once in CHS, Voinov realized although he was interest-
ed in medicine that he did not want to become a doctor. “No
one in the family was a pharmacist,” Voinov said, whose
father worked at Ford Motors and mother worked for a
sewing company. “It was just a decision I made myself.”
At CHS, Voinov developed a close group of eight
friends who would hang out together: Ken Snagusky,
Joe Gruberman, Reed Klutsaritz, Dennis Ditzig, Ralph
Pennella, Frank Leccese, Fred Kowal, and Tom Hundt.
“I remember the food fights,” Voinov reminisced. “I
never started them, but we had a couple doozys while I
was there. We also used to cut class for lunch and go
to Frill’s Subs on Van Houten.” Voinov remembers get-
ting back to school by going through backyards while
being chased by the police.
“We’d also cut class in senior year to go play tennis or
go down the shore.” Mr. Arthur Rupel, a physics teacher,
lasted only one year after teaching Voinov. “He was a
OUR WILD, COLONIAL BOY
CHS Class of 1971’s Walter Voinov
1971W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Tania Jachens
Walter Diduch today and at left, during his wild youth.
good teacher in a difficult subject, but after our class, he
decided he wanted to go back into industry work,”
Voinov said, smiling.
Yet one of Voinov’s best memories is surprisingly
wholesome. “The ski trips to Vermont, organized by Mrs.
Drache, Cynthia’s mom, were a great deal of fun,”
Voinov said. “We’d get the bus in Clifton Plaza on Friday
evening, get there at night, ski Saturday and Sunday, and
come back Sunday night. For bus, room, and meals it
was about $65, which was a great deal back then.”
After graduation in 1971, Voinov roomed with his high
school buddy, Tom Hundt, at Rutgers’ College of
Pharmacy. While home on Spring Break in 1975, Voinov
was in the Main Clifton Library at the right time. “It was
a Friday afternoon and since I had been goofing off all
week with my friends, this was the first time I had opened
a book to study,” Voinov said. He saw a girl who had a yel-
low button on her pocketbook that said “I’m Proud to be
Ukrainian.” As a fellow Ukrainian, Voinov’s interest was
piqued and he asked her out to the movies on Saturday.
“And the rest is history,” Voinov concluded.
After graduating college in 1976, Voinov returned to
Clifton and married Mary Diduch on September 11,
1976. Together they lived in Saddle Brook, where their
son Alex was born, but then bought a home in Fairfield,
where their daughter Luba was born, and they have lived
there ever since. Voinov worked as a full time pharma-
cist at Rite Aid then Genovese (now Eckerd), but after a
few years realized that he wanted to own his own store.
“My brother-in-law, Walter Diduch, got the lead that
Colonial was for sale and we purchased it from Edward
Sudol in 1985,” Voinov explained. “It had been a pharmacy
since 1965, but was originally the old firehouse for this area
from the early 1900’s.” Colonial’s distinct white tower had
been used to string up and dry the hoses and, on Saturdays,
the building was used for social functions and dances.
To this day, Voinov still enjoys being a small busi-
ness owner. “You’re your own boss and can make your
own policy. You also get to know your patients and
clientele better,” Voinov said. “You can make changes
that need to be made, which is not always the most
pleasant thing, but it has to get done. Essentially, you
need to have the motivation to succeed.”
Open seven days a week, Colonial Pharmacy also
continues to be a family operation. “My son, Alex,
works here full-time as a pharmacist and my wife takes
care of the front-end of the store, where the cards and
gifts are,” Voinov said. Since running a small business
requires quite a bit of staffing, Voinov explains that
“having two owners involved is very beneficial in
keeping the business moving. While working with my
brother-in-law, we’re not stepping on each other’s toes.
The fact that someone can come in here and always
have an owner present is really great.”
Voinov used to work more hours at the pharmacy when
he was younger, but now he works fewer evenings. “In the
early days, it wasn’t unusual to stay from 8am to 10pm,
which were long days,” Voinov explains. “In business, you
get out of it what you put in.” Back in the day, Colonial
Pharmacy also had a team, composed mainly of
Ukrainians, in the North Jersey softball league. “We won
the championship in 1995,” Voinov said, proudly, “but then
everyone got older and had kids. Since family came first,
we pretty much stopped playing in 2002.”
As a pharmacist, Voinov enjoys that “time goes by
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 37
a
t
h
r
a
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quickly because every day is different, not a routine.
You feel like you help people, who can be very grate-
ful, and it’s this dealing with people that makes my job
interesting and rewarding.”
We all know Clifton has an overabundance of large
pharmacy chains, so what makes going to a small, local
pharmacy better?
“Just the fact that someone can see a familiar face,
get to know their pharmacist, get to know the staff, and
be very comfortable asking questions about both over-
the-counter stuff or prescriptions is really great,”
Voinov explained. “We also know the doctors in the
area and we stock special medication that these doctors
request. We’re able, should we not have something, to
have a driver pick up the medication somewhere else.
Since we usually have three to four pharmacists on duty
at once, we can fill prescriptions right away, so there’s
no wait like at bigger chains.”
Colonial Pharmacy also faces stiff competition from
mail order prescriptions. “People are losing their free-
dom to choose by being forced to mail away for pre-
scriptions,” Voinov explained. “Sometimes they want
you to change to a different drug because it’s cheaper.”
When asked about the future, Voinov said that “as
long as we’re healthy, able to have good staff, and pay
the bills, we’ll stay here.” In his free time, Voinov
enjoys spending time with the family, especially his
mother who still lives in Clifton and his granddaugh-
ters, Mikaela, Madeline, and Avery. He is very proud
of his daughter Luba, who is currently an anesthesiolo-
gist at Morris Memorial Hospital. Voinov also likes to
eat at the Hot Grill, root for NY Islanders hockey, and
go down to his shore house in Avalon.
Having gone to CHS’s 30 and 35 year reunions,
Voinov isn’t sure if he’ll be going to this year’s 40th
reunion. “It was such a big school and so people I didn’t
know at the time now come into the pharmacy and I meet
them that way.” Even so, hopefully this reunion will be
an opportunity for Voinov and friends to reminisce about
shenanigans of days gone by.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 39
Summer Flu?
Dr. Michael Basista, MedicalDirector of ImmediCenter
Immedicenter1355 Broad St. • Clifton • 973-778-5566www.immedicenter.com
We’re Here For You!And Your Bumps, Bug Bites and Bruises Too!
• Monday - Friday 8am to 10pm
• Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm
• Walk-in Medical Care
• Weekday Appointments Available
You’re a Neighbor,Not a Number.
TomTobinAgency.com BillEljouzi.com
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 40
By A. J. Sartor
Today, the 1980's are oftenclosely associated with onething: music. And for good
reason. Then-favorites like REO
Speedwagon, Diana Ross and Bruce
Springsteen were all over the air-
waves and dominating the Billboard
charts, and remain
classics today. But
Clifton High
School also had
some musical talent within its own
walls. The CHS Select Concert Band
which operated under the direction of
Mr. Robert Morgan. And not only did
these select, talented students make
the cut for the band itself, but some
went above and beyond this initial
recognition and were given the honor
of receiving a chair in the Region 1
Band, more commonly known as the
All-State Band. This included band
members Donna Siciliano, John
Judge, Mike Pazin, Nancy Lake, Jack
Titus and Rhonda Levine.
It was also a year for the theater
for Clifton students.
The high school's
Drama Club put on
an adaptation of the
hit TV series
M*A*S*H, casted
and directed by Mr.
Dennis Zahorian.
Students David
Saunders (Hawkeye),
John Ehrlich (Duke)
and Beth Mahon
(Hot Lips) were among the 29 total
students who got up on stage for the
performance. Not only was it a great
show, but it was for a good cause
too; a portion of the proceeds went
I WANT MY MTV/DISCO’S DEAD
1981W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
Come Visit the
Boyhood of JesusVacation Bible SchoolJuly 11- 15, 6 to 8:15pm
Free But Please Call!First Presbyterian Church of Clifton303 Maplewood Ave • 973-523-1272
A look back at the 1981 prom thanks to Dawn and Emil Ihle.At right is Paula Basile with Jeff Angello.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 41
towards new lighting equipment for future productions.
After a memorable night, the shows director further com-
plimented the cast saying without their cooperation, as
well as their talent, this “would not have been possible.”
At the helm of the sports scene that year were
Clifton's own Fighting Mustangs, led by co-captains
Garry Becker and Larry Weisal. They surpassed expec-
tations as they fought their way to a 8-1 final record.
Unfortunately, they were beaten in the first round of the
playoffs by then-rival Passaic Valley.
From left; Anita Goodlett, Brian Fopma, Diane Puleo, George and Steve Dolak, George Foukas, Herbert Krygsman
From left; Howie Rogers, Lou De Vita, Mark Nouhan, Mark Plishka, Matt Hanrahan, Richard De Marco, and Kelly Zecker
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 42
D r. Severin Palydowyczcredits his childhood andeducation in Clifton with
providing the tools necessary for
succeeding, both on the soccer field
and in the operating room.
The son of two educators,
Palydowycz was born in New Haven
and moved to Clifton because an
opportunity arose for his father to
become a teacher in the local school
system. He attended School 13 and
Woodrow Wilson, growing up in a
predominantly Slavic and Polish
neighborhood. “As a
youth, it was great
being surrounded by
so many households
and parents that real-
ly strove to ingrain
healthy life and study
ethics,” Palydowycz
said. “These were
first generation
households who saw
education as an opportunity for
advancement.”
Palydowycz also became the
neighborhood ring-
leader for organizing
soccer games.
“Historically, if you
look back at people
who went on to play
Division 1 soccer in
various leagues, many
of them came from my
neighborhood,” he
said, proudly. “At the
time, soccer was still a peripheral
sport at Clifton High. “There were no
leagues, no travel teams, no little
KNOWN ON THE PITCH,CALL HIM DOCTOR SOCCER
Severin Palydowycz now an Ophthalmologist
1981W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Tania Jachens
Severin Palydowycz as heappeared in the 1981CHS yearbook. Above,Palydowycz in Haiti.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 43
Monday - Saturday 11am - 10pmSunday 3pm - 10pm
755 Van Houten Ave., Clifton973-928-4500
Eat In, Take Out or DeliveryMONDAY
Pizza SpecialLarge Pieonly $7.95
TUESDAYPasta Specialonly $7.95with salad
Pasta of the Day$8.95!
league for soccer, but everyone
played baseball. Yet we played soc-
cer with a passion in school yards and
that’s how we excelled.”
His father was involved in the for-
mation of the original Clifton soccer
program at CHS in 1960’s. “Due to
his eastern European background,
soccer was very important, so he
scrounged for uniforms and searched
the hallways for people to fill the
team roster,” said Palydowycz.
Due to his impressive soccer tal-
ent, Palydowycz’s coach and family
friend gave him the opportunity to
play in Europe for a summer. In the
small town of Friane, he participated
in the summer tourney in the province
of Chieti, Italy. “It really helped
transform my skills to play on higher
competitive level,” Palydowycz
explained. “We would be playing
against incredibly high caliber players
and I had to fight to stay on the active
roster to compete with them.”
After high school, Palydowycz
was recruited to University of
Connecticut, but instead chose Brown
University. “It was the place to best
balance athletics, as well as an aca-
demic curriculum, which was
extremely rigorous and challenging,”
he said. While at Brown,
Palydowycz continued to excel at
soccer, never missing a game and
became captain of the team in his sen-
ior year when the team was ranked
10th nationally.
However, Palydowycz remained
focused on academics as well. “From
the first day of college, I knew I want-
ed to have the pre-med avenue avail-
able to me,” he said. “ I felt medicine
would offer the greatest opportunity
to do some social good as well as be
in a position to take charge of my own
destiny.”
After graduating from Brown with
a degree in biology and with honors
in organizational behavior and man-
agement, Palydowycz was drafted to
play soccer for a professional indoor
team in Texas.
“But then I got accepted to med-
ical school and thought that was a
much better career choice,”
Palydowycz said. He graduated
from UMDNJ (University of
Medicine and Dentistry of NJ) in
1989 and completed his ophthalmol-
ogy residency in 1993.
That same year, he founded Tri-
State Eye in Milford,
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 44
JULY
8The Apache Twins
15The Robert Ross
Band
22The MidnightRamblers
29Jimbeau
and the Retrocasters
AUGUST
5The FrostKings
12Rave On
19The Mike
Luipersbeck Band
26Sweeter than Honey
All concerts held rain or shine. In case of rain, concert will be moveindoors at the Italian American Coop on Parker Ave.
The Mike LuipersbeckBand
Sweeter than Honey
The Apache Twins
The Robert Ross Band
BOTANY Free Summer Friday Night
Concert SeriesHeld in Sullivan Square in the Heart ofBotany Village starting at 6:30PMBring a chair and your dancing shoes!
Friday night concerts funded, in part, by the PassaicCounty Cultural & Heritage Council / the NJ State Councilon the Arts / Department of State, a Partner Agency of the
National Endowment for the Arts.
Pennsylvania and at one point had four offices within New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, with a laser refractive
surgery in Riverdale, New Jersey. Presently, Tri-State Eye
can be found in Milford, PA and Middleton, NY.
“I wanted every decision to rest on my shoulders and
to guide the practice with my ideals of rendering a high
level of ophthalmologic care,” he said.
A surgical day can be “very intense and stressful
because you have someone’s eyesight in your hands,”
Palydowycz explained. “But this is the nature of eye sur-
gery, it has a high risk/reward ratio, where skill and pre-
cision are paramount.” Palydowycz’s most common sur-
gery is for cataracts, but he also performs various laser
surgeries for glaucoma and retinal disease.
Yet even with this busy schedule, Palydowycz still
makes charity work a priority. “During my entire career
I had always wanted to give back to those less fortunate,”
he explained, “but as a solo practitioner with two infants
at home, I was never able to do it.” Finally, after fourteen
years of working to establish his practice, the opportuni-
ty arose for Palydowycz to help in Haiti.
In the small town of La Miel in the mountainous
region near Cap-Haitien, Haiti, Palydowycz goes for
nine-day trips in order to diagnose and treat patients, per-
forming over forty pro bono surgeries each time. “It’s
exhausting and overwhelming because I work twelve to
seventeen hour days a day,” Palydowycz said, “but it’s
such a humbling experience that I don’t complain any-
more. It really makes you take stock and see how fortu-
nate we are in the States.”
“They come dressed in their Sunday best just to see a
doctor,” he said, adding that some patients will walk for
days to get treatment. “They expect so little because they
have so little, so anything you give them is viewed as gift
and obviously appreciated.”
While he is not in the office or donating his time in
Haiti, Palydowycz still enjoys playing sports, now prefer-
ing hockey over soccer. He also coaches his son and
daughter in soccer and hockey, and taught them skiing.
Palydowycz is also active in the PLAST Ukrainian
Scouting Organization.
While he is not in Clifton as often as he used to be,
Palydowycz still comes to visit with family and friends.
He will be attending the CHS ’81 reunion to catch up
with friends made in the classroom and on the field.
From playing soccer in a schoolyard to saving the eye-
sight of those in need, Dr. Palydowycz proves that with
hard work and determination, anything is possible.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 45
Jimmy Sturr& his OrchestraPassaic’s Third Ward Parkcorner of Van Houten and Passaic Aves.
Free Concert Thursday, July 28, 7:30
Sponsors include Wawel Savings Bank, Polish & Slavic Federal CreditUnion, Garden State Honda, Congressman William Pascrell, State SenatorPaul Sarlo, Assemblyman Gary Schaer, Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin,Sheriff Richard Berdnik, Rosol-Dul American Legion Post #359 and SlovakCatholic Sokol.This project is funded, in part by the Passaic County Cultural and HeritageCouncil at Passaic County Community College, through a grant from theNew Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department ofthe State, a partner agency of the NationalEndowment for the Arts. Park is Handicapped-Accessible.
Call Greg Komeshok for more info: 973- 473 - 5111Palydowycz with the late coach Fernando Rossi in 1981.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 46
Luz Escobar’s life has come full
circle. The CHS Class of 1981
graduate recently returned to
live in her native Bogotá, Colombia,
after completing a successful career
with the Passaic County Probation
Department and Prosecutor’s Office.
Escobar immigrated to the
United States as a 10 year-old in
1974. She was brought here by her
aunt to join her parents, who had
come to the U.S. two years earlier
to seek a better life for themselves
and their children.
Her mother, also named Luz,
worked as a seamstress in the gar-
ment industry and her father,
Gabriel, had a job with a textile
company in Clifton.
The family also included
Escobar’s two brothers, Oscar and
Ricky, who stayed back in
Colombia for a few more years
after she was reunited with her par-
ents, but eventually came to join
them. A third brother, Gabe, was
born here in the U.S.
The family initially lived in
Passaic, where Escobar attended
Holy Trinity School from fifth
through eighth grades. When she
came to this country, she didn’t
speak any English,
but by the time she
finished sixth grade,
she was speaking
quite fluently.
“I got thrown
right in with all the
English speaking
kids, so I had to learn
quickly,” she said. “I
remember there was this girl,
Sarah, who was from Cuba, and she
helped me learn English.”
FROM COLOMBIA TO CLIFTONAND BACK
CHS Class of 1981’s Luz Escobar
1981W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Carol Leonard
Luz Escobar in a recentphoto. At right is her photofrom the 1981 yearbook.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 47
* 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.
Enjoy Affordable*Independent Living for Seniors at theMiriam Apartments at Daughters of Miriam Center/The Gallen InstituteA Jewish continuum of care campus at 127-135 Hazel St., Clifton, NJ 07011 973-253-5310 • www.daughtersofmiriamcenter.org
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
• Social Services• 24 Hour Security• Housekeeping• Kosher Dinner Meal
• Transportation Assistance
• Beauty Parlor
• Library on premise
• Shabbat Elevators
• Rabbi & Synagogue on-site
Apartment Features:
n
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t
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n
Escobar also attended a speech
class on Saturdays to help her learn
the language. Her parents were
learning English at the same time,
attending classes in the evening, so
they all helped each other.
In 1976 Escobar’s parents bought
a house in the Botany Village section
of Clifton. After completing eighth
grade in parochial school, she
enrolled in the ninth grade at what
was then Christopher Columbus
Junior High.
“It was a big change for me,” she
said. “I went from a class of 24 to
this huge building with lots of kids.
It was quite daunting.”
The adjustment to her new
school was made easier for Escobar
when she decided to go out for the
girls basketball team. “I was very
much into sports,” she said.
After moving up to Clifton High
School, she continued her sports
career under the guidance of long
time varsity basketball coach Al
Carline.
“Coach Carline played a big role
in my life,” Escobar said. “He was
more than a coach to me. He was a
mentor and a good friend.”
The most memorable part of
playing basketball for Escobar was
the successful run the team had
during her senior year before suc-
cumbing to Ridgewood in the state
sectional final game.
For a number of years after gradu-
ation, she enjoyed returning to CHS
for the annual alumni game and see-
ing her former teammates and coach.
While many of Escobar’s high
school friendships revolved around
the basketball team, her two best
friends weren’t basketball players.
One of her first friendships in jun-
ior high was with Maureen Egan,
who was in Escobar’s homeroom.
“We really hit it off,” Escobar said.
She later met Jackie Festa, who
was a co-manager of the boys soccer
team with Egan, and the three spent a
lot of time together in high school.
“We all liked watching soccer so
we would go to the Cosmos games
at the Meadowlands,” she said.
“We also liked to hang out in
Brookdale Park and go to the Dairy
Queen on Main Ave. for ice cream.
I had a great time in high school.”
Following graduation from CHS,
Escobar enrolled at William
Paterson College (now William
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 48
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 49
Paterson University). To pay her
tuition and college expenses, she
continued her part-time high school
job at what was then the Grand
Union supermarket on the corner of
Allwood Rd. and Broad St.
After her second year of college,
though, she was dismissed from
William Paterson because of poor
grades.
“Unfortunately, I spent more
time partying and having fun than I
did studying,” she said. “I thought I
could get by just showing up, but
that didn’t cut it. It was a tough les-
son to learn.”
Knowing that she had to make a
living, Escobar took a second part-
time job working for UPS, loading
trucks from 11 pm to 2:30 am. It
was hard work, but it paid $12 an
hour, which at that time was a very
good salary.
After a year of just working,
Escobar knew that she had to get
back into school if she was ever
going to make something of herself.
She enrolled at Bergen
Community College and, after
completing her associate’s degree,
she re-enrolled at William Paterson
to study criminal justice. She
earned her bachelor’s degree in
1988.
“That was a big year for me,”
she said. “It was also the year that I
became a U.S. citizen and I started
working at the Passaic County
Probation Department.”
Escobar first worked as an
investigator for the Probation
Department and a year later was
promoted to probation officer, a
position she held for three years. In
the latter role, she had an opportu-
nity to interact with the Passaic
County Prosecutors Office on occa-
sions and she became very interest-
ed in the work of that department.
She pursued this interest and
was hired as a detective for the
Prosecutor’s Office in 1995. This
required her to attend the Division
of Criminal Justice Police
Academy for 12 weeks.
Her first assignment was with the
Special Victims Unit, where she
investigated cases of child and sexu-
al abuse. “It was very rewarding, but
also emotionally draining,” she said.
After three-and-a-half years with
the SVU, Escobar transferred into
the White Collar Crimes Unit,
where she dealt with cases of fraud
and corruption. She stayed in that
unit for four years before moving
on to her last assignment with the
Narcotics unit.
“That was the most fun,” she
said. “It was very intense, but also
very interesting. We did a lot of
surveillance work and wire taping,
and I had a chance to work with
different agencies.”
One of her most memorable
cases involved working with the
Clifton Police Department on a
case last year that uncovered a pre-
scription drug ring in which more
than 70 people were arrested.
Escobar was also certified
through the Prosecutor’s Office as
an instructor for new detectives in
the department. She went on to
receive a master’s degree in educa-
tion from Seton Hall University.
When her parents divorced a
number of years ago, Escobar’s
mother eventually returned to live
in Colombia.
With enough years in to qualify
for a pension, Escobar decided this
year to apply for early retirement
from the Prosecutor’s Office and
go back to live in Colombia. It will
enable her to be with her mother
and to pick up on a love relation-
ship she developed while visiting
her mom over the years. She also
hopes to take some more graduate
courses and to teach criminal jus-
tice or English in a university.
“I’m looking forward to starting a
new career and a new life,” she said.
Lady Mustangs in 1981, rear from left: Donna Perretta, Amy Jandura, Capt. LuzEscobar, Maura Honan, Maureen Miller and Coach Carline. front: SueStockinger, Capt. Lynn Massenzio, Capt. Sue Stein and Diana Less.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 50
Five years after finishing high
school, Stefan Kalinka
packed his bags, took a small
stash of money that he had been sav-
ing and headed to Los Angeles to
pursue his dream of an acting career.
Thirty years later, the CHS Class of
1981 grad describes a life in which
he has combined his passion for per-
forming, with his talent in fine arts
and his interest in health and fitness.
Over the years,
Kalinka has
appeared in films
with Hollywood
notables Danny DeVito and Kathy
Bates, and among his TV roles were
stints on China Beach with Dana
Delaney. He also has had numerous
stage roles in Los Angeles theater,
and recently completed a pilot for a
new television series.
Although he doesn’t get back to
New Jersey very often, Kalinka
enjoys reminiscing about his days
growing up on Campbell Ave. in the
Athenia section, where he lived in a
two-family home with his parents,
May and Alfred, sisters Mary and
Kim, and brother Eddie. His aunt,
uncle and cousins lived upstairs, and
his grandmother and another aunt
lived next door.
It was pretty much a storybook
life of neighborhood games of kick-
ball and wiffleball, and just hanging
out with his friends,
siblings and cousins.
While growing up,
Kalinka was always
doing something cre-
ative like painting or
drawing, and he even
won a 10-speed bike in
the Kelloggs Stick Up
for Breakfast poster
contest.
“I loved music and
art, and I liked to decorate our house
for Halloween and Christmas,” he
said.
Like most kids, Kalinka looked
forward every year to the carefree
days of summer, when he would be
outside from morning to night.
FROM BACKYARD CARNIVALS TOTHE GLITZ OF HOLLYWOOD
CHS Class of 1981’s Stefan Kalinka
1981W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Carol Leonard
CHS ‘81 alumStefan Kalinkamakes his livingas an actor. Heis pictured hereas Prince Valiant.Below, as heappeared in theCHS yearbook.
“I couldn’t wait for the summer
to come,” he said. “I would put
together carnivals and invite every-
one to come over.”
Kalinka attended School 13 and
what was then Woodrow Wilson
Junior High before moving up to the
high school.
Like many young teens, he found
his junior high school years to be an
awkward time, in which he often was
the victim of teasing and bullying.
“As soon as I got into 10th grade
and went up to the high school,
things changed for me,” he said. “I
made really good friendships and I
started to blossom.”
Kalinka credits his drama
teacher, Dennis Zahorian, now a stu-
dent assistance counselor for the
school district, with helping him
find his niche as an actor.
“He was very tough, but he
instilled a sense of disci-
pline in me that you need
if you want to go into the
field,” he said. “I really
learned a lot from him.
He was the best director
that I have ever had.”
Kalinka recalled that
he landed a role in the
first play that he audi-
tioned for at the high school. It was
a called Jabberwock and it depicted
the life of author and playwright
James Thurber.
“It was a wacky comedy,” he
said. “That’s when I met my very
best friend in the whole world.”
Kalinka was referring to Nancy
Bartlett, who still lives in town and is a
designer for her family’s longtime flo-
ral and garden business on Grove
Street. She played the role of Kalinka’s
character’s mother in the show.
Bartlett is one of the few mem-
bers of his class with whom Kalinka
has kept in close touch over the
years, and he always stays with the
Bartlett family when comes back to
visit Clifton.
In his senior year, Kalinka got the
lead role in Tinnacle, a musical writ-
ten by classmates John Ehrlich and
Nancy Pekar.
“It was a wonderful show,” he
said. “John wrote all the music.”
He speaks very fondly of his good
friend, Ehrlich, who went on to attend
Yale University and become a
Broadway composer. Kalinka doesn’t
see him often, but surprisingly ran
into to him when Ehrlich was in LA a
couple of times.
“It was great to get
together with him,”
Kalinka said. “We picked
up right where we left off
in high school.”
In addition to his
involvement in theater,
Kalinka sang in the high
school choir and was a
member of the Madrigal
Singers at CHS, and he enjoyed
traveling with the choir to Bermuda
and New Orleans.
“It was a magical time for me,”
he said of his high school years.
He also keeps in touch with Joyce
Arlook, his guidance counselor at
CHS, who helped launch his acting
career by introducing him to stage
and screen star Olympia Dukakis.
Arlook took Kalinka to see a
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 51
a
a
d
d
t
k
r
n
n
r
d
d
From left at CHS, Stefan Kalinka, Dave Jackson and Dave Saunders. Below,Kalinka is pictured with Dana Delany on the set of China Beach.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 52
play at the Whole Theater Company
in Montclair and introduced him to
her famous actress friend. Dukakis
offered Kalinka a scholarship to
attend the summer theater program
at the company, which she helped
found, and later directed him in a
show in which he performed.
After graduation from CHS in
June 1981, Kalinka enrolled in the
acting and directing program at
Montclair State University, appear-
ing in seven stage plays. After two
years of attending college, he
dropped out and decided to pursue
other avenues for his acting career.
He consulted with Dukakis and
she suggested some top acting
coaches in New York City for him
to contact. In 1983 he began study-
ing with a private coach who had
trained some of the top models and
actors in the city, including Kathy
Ireland, Sela Ward and Corbin
Bernsen.
To help support himself while he
studied acting, Kalinka worked a
variety of jobs for about three years,
including bussing tables and doing
construction work.
“I even had a stint as the Easter
Bunny at the mall to help pay for my
acting classes,” he said.
His three years studying in New
York provided Kalinka with an
opportunity to meet interesting peo-
ple in the acting business and to work
on his confidence and self-esteem.
“It gave me a chance to learn
from those with more experience
and others who were better than
me,” he said. “I learned what it was
to have focus and drive, and that’s
very important in this business.”
By 1986 Kalinka decided to
move to LA to seek work in televi-
sion and films.
“I had no connections, I didn’t
know anybody there and I was real-
ly nervous,” he said. “Everything I
knew was back at home. But it was
a pretty cool thing for a skinny kid
from New Jersey to be there where
all the action was.”
Much to his surprise, Kalinka
was chosen for the first part for
which he auditioned. It was a role in
a documentary about teenage sui-
cide, which won a Los Angeles Area
Emmy Award. To prepare for the
part, Kalinka actually went to a teen
suicide prevention center to inter-
view the clients and staff and learn
more about the issue.
Kalinka went on to replace an actor
who had the lead role in a gritty prison
drama called The Cage. The original
actor decided to leave the show just
days before it was set to open.
“I went from being the brand new
understudy to having the lead, with
67 pages of dialogue to remember in
three days,” Kalinka said.
“Somehow, with a lot of luck and
shear will, I did it.”
The opening scene was of
Kalinka’s character being stripped
searched by the female jail warden.
“This was in front of all the major
critics, including one from the Los
Angeles Times,” he said. “Welcome
to Hollywood!”
Kalinka’s performance made the
cover of the LA Times entertain-
ment section and caught the atten-
tion of an agent in the audience who
helped him land the role in China
Beach as well as parts in the late
1980s hit TV series,
Thirtysomething, and some soap
opera roles. More recently, he
appeared in the 2006 film, Relative
Strangers, starring DeVito and
Bates, and he also has done a lot of
theater work in the LA area.
Like many actors who have gone
to Hollywood hoping to make it big,
Kalinka found the experience to have
its ups and downs. “It’s a wacky, ran-
dom kind of life,” he said.
While some of his roles were
financially very lucrative, others were
not and he came to realize that his
bills needed to be paid in order to live.
In 1994 he decided to put his pas-
sion for art to work by starting a
small business called How Nice?
Greeting Card Company. Using dif-
ferent materials, he hand designs
each custom-made card.
“Over the years, I’ve made and
sold over 75,000 handmade greeting
At left is Kalinka in Relative Strangers, with Beverly D’Angelo. At right, he ispictured with Farrah Fawcett.
SIBLINGDISCOUNT
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 53
cards to many retail stores, includ-
ing Nordstrom’s,” he said.
Around the same time that he
started his greeting card company,
Kalinka also put his growing inter-
est and knowledge of health and
wellness to use by becoming a fit-
ness and nutrition consultant for pri-
vate clients.
Another of his ventures has been
as a liquidator for estate sales. “I
have this ability to sell,” he said. “I
know how to turn people’s items
into cash.”
Kalinka feels that all of his work
experiences have added to the
dimensions of his life. “All these
offshoots that I been involved in
represent humanity in different
forms,” he said. “They have helped
me become a better actor.”
Having a chance to work with
some of the entertainment world’s
most well known actors and actress-
es has been very exciting for
Kalinka. But meeting Farrah
Fawcett when he was just 23 years-
old was the thrill of his lifetime.
First known for her 1970s TV
role in Charlie Angels, the late
actress later appeared to high
acclaim in Extremities, an off-
Broadway stage show.
“I was in an acting class and I
read that she was going to be in
Extremities,” Kalinka said. “Ever
since I was a kid, I just loved her.
She was my idol, so I knew I had to
go see her.”
Kalinka had tickets for opening
night and he took the liberty to send
Fawcett three roses.
While at the show, he saw
Fawcett’s parents sitting in the audi-
ence. He recognized them from a
photo he had seen in a gossip column.
“I just went up to them, intro-
duced myself and told them how
much I admired their daughter,” he
said. “They brought me back stage
to meet her. I couldn’t believe it. She
was so gracious.”
Kalinka told Fawcett that he had
sent her three roses and she replied,
“oh, you mean those,” pointing to
the flowers and thanking him for the
gesture.
“I walked back to Port Authority
on a cloud,” Kalinka said. “I
remember thinking that no one is
going to believe me about this.”
Over the years in LA, Kalinka
had a chance to encounter Fawcett
on a number of other occasions and
he attended her funeral when she
passed away of cancer in 2009.
Today, Kalinka is trying to focus
on his acting career again. He
recently played the role of Prince
Valiant in a stage play in Santa
Monica, and he’s hopeful that the
TV pilot that he had a role in will
turn into a successful series. For
now, he is sworn to secrecy about
the details of the new show.
• Infant & Toddler Program • Precious 2’s• Pre-School & Pre-K Program • Open 7 am to 6 pm• Weekly Chapel
Register Now forSUMMER CAMP
Through Aug. 26WEE CARE CHILD CARE CENTER
Jennifer Henkel, Director • First Presbyterian Church 303 Maplewood Avenue, Clifton • 973.523.77041170
OFF10%SIBLINGDISCOUNT
• When public schools are closed, we’re open!
• 19 Teachers & Aides — Many here over 20 years!
• This Fall: After-School Pick-Up at School 5
By A. J. Sartor
For some, the year 1991brings up memories of tech-nology. It was in that year
that the internet was made available
for unrestricted commercial use,
eventually reaching one million
computers on the net later that year.
Few in CHS cared then,
but 20 years later, most
alum actively use it for
its intended purpose:
Facebook, networking
for the reunion and
dredging up old photos
and memories.
Speaking of memo-
ries, does anyone
remember what they
were thinking when they
voted for Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby
as best song for the yearbook?
Students did make some tasteful
choices in The Simpsons and
Michael Jordan for best TV and
athlete show respectively.
Seniors that year were governed
by Class President Mike Frappier,
Vice-Pres ident
Mike Lombardo,
Treasurer Matt
Guzzo, Recording
Secretary Josh
Rosenberg and Corresponding
Secretary Jennifer Liss.
The year 1991 was also a mem-
orable for many Mustang sports
teams.
The girls cross-country team fin-
ished with an 11-2 record, and with
the help of second-team All-County
stars Jen Swan and Kristin Pelcher,
they finished 2nd in the league as
well as in the county standings.
The boys cross-country team,
although with a less glamorous 8-5
record, also managed to fight their
way to 3rd in the league.
Finishing with a 13-7-3 record,
the boys soccer team also had a
season they could be proud of with
wins over state-ranked Montclair
and Bergen Catholic. Captain Pat
Lucignani and Joe Grczek were
From left; Thomas DeVita, Ettalee Harris, Maher Fattah, James Federle, Christine Gaccione, Gary Young and Wendi Kropinak
1991: THEDAWNOFTHE INTERNET1991
Above is Jessica Gulardo and Jason Riley. At left is LouFraulo and his daughter, Sarah.
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 54
By A. J. Sartor
For some, the year 1991brings up memories of tech-nology. It was in that year
that the internet was made available
for unrestricted commercial use,
eventually reaching one million
computers on the net later that year.
Few in CHS cared then,
but 20 years later, most
alum actively use it for
its intended purpose:
Facebook, networking
for the reunion and
dredging up old photos
and memories.
Speaking of memo-
ries, does anyone
remember what they
were thinking when they
voted for Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby
as best song for the yearbook?
Students did make some tasteful
choices in The Simpsons and
Michael Jordan for best TV and
athlete show respectively.
Seniors that year were governed
by Class President Mike Frappier,
Vice-Pres ident
Mike Lombardo,
Treasurer Matt
Guzzo, Recording
Secretary Josh
Rosenberg and Corresponding
Secretary Jennifer Liss.
The year 1991 was also a mem-
orable for many Mustang sports
teams.
The girls cross-country team fin-
ished with an 11-2 record, and with
the help of second-team All-County
stars Jen Swan and Kristin Pelcher,
they finished 2nd in the league as
well as in the county standings.
The boys cross-country team,
although with a less glamorous 8-5
record, also managed to fight their
way to 3rd in the league.
Finishing with a 13-7-3 record,
the boys soccer team also had a
season they could be proud of with
wins over state-ranked Montclair
and Bergen Catholic. Captain Pat
Lucignani and Joe Grczek were
From left; Chris Anzaldi, Kevin Colavitti, Kevin Collucci, Michele Cox, David Martin, Joseph DeAndrea and Wayne DemikoffFrom left; Thomas DeVita, Ettalee Harris, Maher Fattah, James Federle, Christine Gaccione, Gary Young and Wendi Kropinak
1991: THEDAWNOFTHE INTERNET
Above is Jessica Gulardo and Jason Riley. At left is LouFraulo and his daughter, Sarah.
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
From left; John Lesler, Lori LoGioco, Monique Marco, Frances Pecorelli, Andrea Pekaar, Jodi Peveler and Andrew Ponikowski
selected to 1st Team All-League,
County, and State. Andreas
Skounakis was named to second-
team on all three.
The boys basketball team had a
attention-grabbing season as well.
Although they finished with only a
.500 record, they had done so for
the first time in over a decade.
Led by 1st Team All-County
selection Sammy Poulis, who aver-
aged 24 points per game, the boys
basketball squad also defeated rival
Kennedy High School for the first
time in 15 years.
From left is Steve Corrubias and Kari Hemerick (best dressed), Chris Ognek (most versatile) and Judi Chi and JohnathanAlboum (future Millionaires)
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 55
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 56
Many events took placein 1991 in the world,but for Clifton High
School graduate Danielle Day, the
world was a place full of opportuni-
ties after high school.
Day, daughter of Denise and
Billy Maurer, saw blue skies filled
with promise and opportunity. “I
attended Bergen Community
College majoring in Early
Childhood Education and Montclair
State University where I earned my
CDA Credential,” said Beazley.
Danielle Day married
Christopher Beazley who
was also a CHS graduate.
They didn’t know each
other during high school,
but they met at Casey’s,
which is now Bliss Lounge
on Allwood Road. “We will
be celebrating 10 years of
marriage in June,” said
Danielle. Currently
Christopher Beazley works
as a capacity planner for
GAF Materials Corporation in
Wayne. This company is North
America’s largest manufacturer of
residential roofing and commercial
roofing (sold under the GAF
brand).
One of
Danielle Day
Beazley’s goals
in life was being a mother. She has
two children: Christopher, 7, and
Mackenzie, 4.
“Christopher is 7 and in the first
grade at Memorial School in
Totowa. He is a bright and active
and is a straight A student,” said
Beazley. “Christopher has a love of
video games, skiing, and is a sports
fanatic. He plays football, hockey,
and baseball.”
Mackenzie attends Grove Hill
Nursery School in Clifton. “She is
very bright and extremely curious.
Mackenzie is your typical little
THE HARDEST JOBIN THEWORLD
CHS Class of 1991’s Danielle Day Beazley
1991
At left is Danielle Day Beazley in 1991. She is picturedabove with her husband, Christopher, son, Christopher,Jr. and daughter Mackenzie.
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Chrissie Cluney
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 57
girl,” said Beazley. “She loves
playing dress up and shopping with
Mommy. She is also very artistic
and enjoys coloring, painting, and
drawing.”
Beazley had an early experience
in caring for children with her sister,
Ashley Maurer, who is 11 years
younger. “I feel that she has had a
lot of practice “raising” me,” said
Maurer. “She is a fantastic mother
and by far the best sister I could
ever ask for.”
Beazley said her only complaint
is the lack of free time. “The hard-
est thing is finding time for me.
Being a stay at home mom is a 24
hour 7 day a week full time job. I
can’t call out sick or go in late.
There are no vacations or personal
days with this job,” she explained.
“Many people think that stay at
home moms sit around all day that
is so not true. My day starts at 6 am
and never ends. The benefits are so
worth it though!”
Beazley enjoys having the ability
to see her children frequently. “I
drive my kids to school and I am
here for them when they come
home. I have the opportunity to
volunteer for school activities when
needed,” she said. “I feel very
lucky and fortunate to be a stay at
home mom and I would not give it
up for the world.”
Being a stay at home mom also
affords Beazley the opportunity to
help assist her parents. Beazley’s
father, Billy Maurer, has had
Multiple Myeloma which is cancer
of the blood since 2005 and since
then he has also had two strokes.
Beazley and a family take her father
to each physical therapy appoint-
ment.
Looking back on her time in
Clifton High School she said, “My
fondest memories are the times I
spent with friends. CHS is a large
school with a lot of students. It is
easy to get lost in the crowd. I felt
lucky to have the group of friends I
did and cherish those memories.”
During those high school years,
Beazley wishes she stood up for
herself more and not let others put
her down. “The main thing I could
say is going to CHS taught me to
speak up more and not let others put
me down. CHS is such a large
school and quiet ones like me were
never heard. Now when I have
something to say I say it and people
hear me,” said Danielle.
“I think I have changed for the
better. In high school I was very
quiet and kept to myself. I had a
small group of friends and still have
some of those friends today. I am
more outspoken now and fight for
what I believe in,” said Beazley.
It is her hope that her own kin
believe in the same mentality. “I
have learned to always do the right
thing regardless of what others are
doing and that is something I pass
on to my own children,” said
Beazley. “My hope and dreams for
my children is that they grow up
and achieve everything they set out
to. I want them to have opportuni-
ties I never have and do not want
them to regret anything in life. I
hope they show the world what hap-
pens when you set your mind to
something,”
Among all of the descriptive
titles Danielle Day Beazley has: a
wife, daughter, sister, and friend;
the greatest title in the world to
Beazley is that of mother. “I am a
proud mom” said Danielle.
Many events took placein 1991 in the world,but for Clifton High
School graduate Danielle Day, the
world was a place full of opportuni-
ties after high school.
Day, daughter of Denise and
Billy Maurer, saw blue skies filled
with promise and opportunity. “I
attended Bergen Community
College majoring in Early
Childhood Education and Montclair
State University where I earned my
CDA Credential,” said Beazley.
Danielle Day married
Christopher Beazley who
was also a CHS graduate.
They didn’t know each
other during high school,
but they met at Casey’s,
which is now Bliss Lounge
on Allwood Road. “We will
be celebrating 10 years of
marriage in June,” said
Danielle. Currently
Christopher Beazley works
as a capacity planner for
GAF Materials Corporation in
Wayne. This company is North
America’s largest manufacturer of
residential roofing and commercial
roofing (sold under the GAF
brand).
One of
Danielle Day
Beazley’s goals
in life was being a mother. She has
two children: Christopher, 7, and
Mackenzie, 4.
“Christopher is 7 and in the first
grade at Memorial School in
Totowa. He is a bright and active
and is a straight A student,” said
Beazley. “Christopher has a love of
video games, skiing, and is a sports
fanatic. He plays football, hockey,
and baseball.”
Mackenzie attends Grove Hill
Nursery School in Clifton. “She is
very bright and extremely curious.
Mackenzie is your typical little
THE HARDEST JOBIN THEWORLD
CHS Class of 1991’s Danielle Day Beazley
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Chrissie Cluney
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 58
ALWAYS LISTENTO YOUR MOTHER
Lori Ann Lo Gioco 1991
1991W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Joe Hawrylko
COLOR Lori Ann Lo Gioco grew upthinking she wanted to bejust like her dad, former
Clifton Police Chief Frank Lo
Gioco. But after graduating from
the University of Maryland with a
degree in criminal justice and psy-
chology, the CHS 1991 alum had a
change of heart. She left the field
all together to pursue a career
in medicine.
“Oddly enough, my moth-
er always told me I should be
a nurse,” laughed Lo Gioco,
an oncology RN who will be
returning to school later this
year for advanced degrees.
“I never listened to her.
Always listen to your moth-
er. She’s always right!”
Like criminal justice, the
allure in medicine was the ability to
help others. But unlike her previ-
ous job, Lo Gioco no longer had to
see the ugly side of the human race.
“I was working for a criminal
attorney and just found that my
heart wasn’t in it at all,” she said.
“I had come from college and had
an opportunity to work for a crimi-
nal lawyer. I was very unhappy
there. I have too much heart to lis-
ten to the horror stories. I really
didn’t know
what direction I
was going in.”
Looking for a change, Lo Gioco
began researching options in the
medical field and planned on going
into nursing. To help get her start-
ed, Lo Gioco’s father, Frank, spoke
with Steven LePuff of the
Immedicenter to see if there was
openings for part time work so his
daughter could see if the medical
profession better suited her tastes.
“The Immedicenter is what
paved the road for me to follow a
career in the medical profession,”
she said. “It didn’t happen right
away. Once I started advocating
for patients by doing insurance
pre-certifications, I became
involved with patients and their
stories of illness. I got really inter-
ested in it.”
Lo Gioco, who received her
associates in nursing from Bergen
Community College in 2005,
worked at the Broad St. health clin-
ic from 1995 until 1999, when she
left for another practice in Verona.
“It was a hematology and oncol-
Above is Lori Ann Lo Gioco and her fiance, Todd Zayatz.At left is Lo Gioco as she appeared in the 1991 CHSRotunda.
ogy practice, and that’s where I
really discover that I love oncolo-
gy,” she said.
“A lot of people have a difficult
time understanding why I do what I
do. Despite the fact that oncology
patients are often at the end of the
road and very ill, the fact that you
can really make a profound differ-
ence in their lives when they need it
the most is so rewarding to me,”
explained Lo Gioco. “Just to ease
their suffering, give them an ear
when they need someone to talk to,
hold their hand to lessen their fears
and educate them about the dying
process is one of the most reward-
ing things in the world. You sit by
someone’s side and allow them to
die with dignity.”
In January, Lo Gioco will return
to school to pursue her bachelors at
Felician College. However, before
that, she will be getting married on
November 11 at 11 am to Todd
Zayatz, a CHS 1992 alumni.
“We met when I was in the first
grade and he was in kindergarten,”
she said. “We would say hello to
each other when we passed each
other by, but never any in depth
conversation between us. But
we’ve found that we’ve really cir-
cled each other our whole lives. “
There were some odd coinci-
dences that linked the pair as well.
At the 1991 prom, Lo Gioco had to
get a last second dress from the
store. “So I go to prom and—the
horror—there’s another girl wear-
ing the same dress as I!” she
recalled. The girl’s date happened
to be Todd, who was attending as a
junior. That was just one of many
memories the two talked about
after reconnecting on Facebook in
Nov. 2009.
“We chatted for a better part of
two or three hours and said this is
silly, why don’t we meet up?” she
recalled. “The rest is history.”
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 59
Lori Ann Lo Gioco grew upthinking she wanted to bejust like her dad, former
Clifton Police Chief Frank Lo
Gioco. But after graduating from
the University of Maryland with a
degree in criminal justice and psy-
chology, the CHS 1991 alum had a
change of heart. She left the field
all together to pursue a career
in medicine.
“Oddly enough, my moth-
er always told me I should be
a nurse,” laughed Lo Gioco,
an oncology RN who will be
returning to school later this
year for advanced degrees.
“I never listened to her.
Always listen to your moth-
er. She’s always right!”
Like criminal justice, the
allure in medicine was the ability to
help others. But unlike her previ-
ous job, Lo Gioco no longer had to
see the ugly side of the human race.
“I was working for a criminal
attorney and just found that my
heart wasn’t in it at all,” she said.
“I had come from college and had
an opportunity to work for a crimi-
nal lawyer. I was very unhappy
there. I have too much heart to lis-
ten to the horror stories. I really
didn’t know
what direction I
was going in.”
Looking for a change, Lo Gioco
began researching options in the
medical field and planned on going
into nursing. To help get her start-
ed, Lo Gioco’s father, Frank, spoke
with Steven LePuff of the
Immedicenter to see if there was
openings for part time work so his
daughter could see if the medical
profession better suited her tastes.
“The Immedicenter is what
paved the road for me to follow a
career in the medical profession,”
she said. “It didn’t happen right
away. Once I started advocating
for patients by doing insurance
pre-certifications, I became
involved with patients and their
stories of illness. I got really inter-
ested in it.”
Lo Gioco, who received her
associates in nursing from Bergen
Community College in 2005,
worked at the Broad St. health clin-
ic from 1995 until 1999, when she
left for another practice in Verona.
“It was a hematology and oncol-
Todd Zayatz, CHS 1992.
2001 SENIORS DOMINATE SPORTS2001
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By A. J. Sartor
In 2000, Clifton was perhaps best known for itssoccer program in the high school sporting world.
However, by the end of the winter, the Clifton Ice
Hockey Team had established itself not only as a top pro-
gram in the school, but in the entire state of New Jersey.
With their captivating run through the year earning
fans in and outside of Clifton, Clifton marched to a 17-
6-2 record under the direction of Captain Marcin
Dziubek and head coach Tom Danko. And while the
team’s regular season record was certainly impressive
From left; Mike Ponikowski, Erin Burke, Kim Puleo, Danielle Swede, Chelsea Melilo, Gina Grosso and Rose Castaldo.
Seniors on the Clifton High School ice hockey team had a thrilling final season, as the team won the public school StateChampionship with a win over Bayonne 2-1
From left; Chris Sadowski, Chelsea Blasko, Chamise McGlashan, Matt Stuart, Rachel Franken, Scott Liloia and Will Morton.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 60
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 61
2001 SENIORS DOMINATE SPORTS
W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By A. J. Sartor
In 2000, Clifton was perhaps best known for itssoccer program in the high school sporting world.
However, by the end of the winter, the Clifton Ice
Hockey Team had established itself not only as a top pro-
gram in the school, but in the entire state of New Jersey.
With their captivating run through the year earning
fans in and outside of Clifton, Clifton marched to a 17-
6-2 record under the direction of Captain Marcin
Dziubek and head coach Tom Danko. And while the
team’s regular season record was certainly impressive
From left; Mike Ponikowski, Erin Burke, Kim Puleo, Danielle Swede, Chelsea Melilo, Gina Grosso and Rose Castaldo.
Seniors on the Clifton High School ice hockey team had a thrilling final season, as the team won the public school StateChampionship with a win over Bayonne 2-1
for the unheralded squad, it was Clifton’s post season run
that turned heads. Clifton rode the tides of momentum
in the tournament and emerged as New Jersey State
Public School Champs with an upset victory over rival
Bayonne by the score of 2-1. When asked what made
that year so special, Head Coach Tom Danko attributed
the success to “Hard work, consistency, communication
and support.”
Falling just short of the same feat that year was the
girls tennis team. With the guidance of Head Coach
Chad Cole, captains Ashley Tomesko, Eva Salerno and
Sangitha Desai led the team to a 12-5 overall record
while finishing 2nd overall in the Passaic County
Tournament. The Boys Basketball Team also had a sur-
prise season that year. Though they ended the regular
season with a 13-14 record, the team qualified for States
and were led to the State Sectional Semi Finals by Senior
Captain Doug Barger. It was the furthest Clifton had
gone since 1974, according to coach Pete Vasil.
Budding thespians of Clifton High re-enacted the
musical comedy Pippin in 2001. Lead Player Renee
Schnaidt and Scott Liloia (Pippin) put on a brilliant per-
formance and left the audience not only admiring the
cast and crew’s dedication, but also their talent.
The year 2001 was also the last time that West Wing
Vice Principal Michael Chomiak roamed the hall ways.
Chomiak retired at the end of the school year after 33
years of service. Although a sad occasion for many, we
can assume that Mr. Chomiak went out happy and on his
own terms; for when he was asked what song seemed
like it was written specifically for him, he responded
with “I did it my way” by Frank Sinatra.
At the CHS Prom, Janyn Vega and Mike Ricca, Priscilla Santos and friends at the Skylands Ballroom and some unidenti-fied members of the gymnastics squad.
From left; Chris Sadowski, Chelsea Blasko, Chamise McGlashan, Matt Stuart, Rachel Franken, Scott Liloia and Will Morton.
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Death and destruction iswhat we do everyday.”Such is life for a freelance
photographer Christopher Sadowski
on the night time beat for the NewYork Post, smack in the heart of the
Big Apple, the world’s largest and
most competitive media market.
“There’s something about the city
at night... it’s romantic in a way,”
said Sadowski. “You’re document-
ing death and destruction, but I try to
do it in a way where it’s art. I don’t
like taking pictures of dead bodies.”
The odd hours, tight deadlines
and unsettling scenes make this a job
not coveted by many.
But for Sadowski, who
grew up fascinated with
the media, it’s a dream
come true.
“You’re driving into
the city and you don’t
know if you’re going to
a double homicide or
trying to get a photo of
Christie Brinkley out-
side of her place,” he
said. “You never, never
know what you’re gonna do.”
When he first envisioned himself
working in the media 10 years ago,
Sadowski had a much different goal:
writing. His first gig was at this
publication,
where Sadowski was instrumental in
the development of Clifton Teen, a
limited publication geared to local
students. Sadowski’s work later
earned him a scholarship as he set
off for Caldwell College in 2001.
Originally majoring in journal-
ism, he eventually transfered to
Montclair, where he received his
degree in communications.
Sadowski also began to focus
WRITING THE FIRST DRAFTOF HISTORY
CHS Class of 2001’s Chris Sadowski
2001W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Joe Hawrylko
Christopher Sadowski in 2001 and today in NYC.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 64
more on photography, gradually
building a portfolio while doing
work for weekly publications in
Passaic, Bergen and Essex. It was
during his college years that
Sadowski had his big break.
“Martha Stuart was being sen-
tenced for the stock scam and the
day before, one of the weeklies in
Essex County threw out the idea of
me going out where to shoot it,” said
Sadowski. “I think they were paying
about $25. I scoffed at the idea, it’s
not worth it, but then I said let me
give it a shot.”
Sensing an opportunity, Sadowski
called around to bigger dailies and
wire services to see if he could sell
the photo elsewhere.
“I called the AP and the lady liter-
ally laughed,” he recalled. “She
said, ‘Do you think I’m not going to
have anybody on this? I have seven
people on this?”
Of all the outlets he called,
Sadowski only received interest
from the New York Post, which told
him to return if he lands anything
unique. “I didn’t think I had a chance
in hell,” he laughed.
Sadowski almost didn’t even have
a chance to take the shot. NYC cops
set up a waiting area for press to
await Stuart, and the officers were
going through to filter out members
without New York City press passes.
On assignment from Essex County,
Sadowski figured his journey was
over already.
“I hear his voice go down the line,
‘you’re good, you’re good, you’re
good,” he recalled. “Then I hear his
voice pass me.”
Shortly after, Stuart walked out,
with Sadowski placed near the rear
of the rabid pack of veteran photog-
raphers. However, she suddenly
decided to go on the other side of the
barricade, meaning Sadowski now
found himself in prime real estate for
an unobstructed shot.
“I called into the Post to say I got
these photos and they told me to park
out front,” he recalled. “The editor
came down and I show him the pic-
ture on my laptop, which is on the
trunk of my car. He sees my plates
and goes, ‘Oh, you’re from Jersey?
We need people in Jersey.’”
Within a week, Sadowski was out
on New Jersey assignment for the
New York Post. With each success-
ful shoot, he gained the trust of his
editors and earned more steady
hours, eventually making his way to
the night time beat.
“Maybe they need you to find a
person and sit in front of their house
for a stakeout, or you come in and just
listen on the police scanner,” he
explained. He sometimes brushes
shoulders with some highly influen-
tial people: Barack Obama, Bill
Clinton, Chris Christie and others.
“I was taking photos a couple feet
away from Paul McCartney last
month,” he said. “This is a guy my
mom idolized, I still listen to The
Beatles and here I am in his pres-
ence. That is insane.”
But despite the enthusiasm, he
admits that the job is not always
glamourous or fun. Sadowski has
been berated and chased from scenes
by news subjects bothered by the
presence of outsiders from the
media. Dealing with police can
sometimes be difficult. The long
wait just to get a few photos of the
darker side of New York City can
take a toll as well. “The stress can be
there too,” added Sadowski, who
rigged his car as a mobile office.
“You’re waiting for a photo and the
photo materializes. Now you have
to remember there’s a deadline.”
But the end result makes it worth-
while. “The greatest thing is when
you open a newspaper and see your
name and photo in print,” said
Sadowski. “The newspaper is going
to be archived. You’re writing the first
draft of history. You just can’t beat
that. It’s going to be around long after
you’re gone.”
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 65
FOLLOWING IN HERFATHER’S FOOTSTEPSCHS Class of 2001’s Angelina Tirado
2001W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
By Joe Hawrylko
A ngelina Tirado remem-bers how nervous she waswhen she first decided to
follow her father’s footsteps and
pursue a career as a fire fighter.
“I didn’t tell any family mem-
bers. I didn’t tell anybody at all,”
she recalled. Tirado’s father,
Alberto, a Passaic Firefighter, died
in a blaze while trying to save some
children a little more than a month
before the 2001 CHS graduation “I
just decided to go see if I could pass
then test and if I like it, continue
on.” As a young girl, Tirado would
eagerly listen as her father spoke of
battling fires across Passaic.
“If he was on a job, sometimes
we’d go and watch on the street,”
she recalled. Tirado knew that civil
service was something that interest-
ed her, but it took time to summon
up the courage to register for the
test.
In fact, her first option was to
become a cop. After leaving CHS,
Tirado graduated from Passaic
County Community College in 2003
with a degree in criminal justice.
Having difficulty finding a job, she
began looking at the health care
industry and worked as an EMT in
Passaic, which led her to reconsider
taking the Firefighters test.
“You go on calls with cops and
firemen and you see more and more
how they handle things,” she said.
“I just said to myself, that’s some-
thing I’d like to do.”
In 2006, she decided to sign up
for the Clifton test in secret. She
began training for the test, going on
daily runs with a weighted vest,
which eventually tipped her mother
off about her plans.
Tirado ultimately passed the test,
and then began a long waiting
process. However, when she heard
nothing for over a year, she figured
that it was time to move on and
began looking at other options. In
January 2009, Tirado enrolled
Angelina Tirado, a2001 CHS grad andformer MarchingMustang, was sworn inas a Clifton Firefighterlast year. She is following the lead ofher father, Alberto, a former Passaic FireFighter who died in theline of duty in 2001.
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in PCCC again to study nursing.
“I gave up. I thought it wasn’t
going to happen and decided I had
to do something else for myself,”
she said. “I didn’t know I get pref-
erence after veterans until after I
started getting put on lists.”
By June of that year, Tirado had
moved up to 23 but was still short—
Clifton invited her to fill out appli-
cations despite intending to only
take nine recruits.
“I finally got the official call in
December of 2009 to do inter-
views,” she recalled. Tirado’s
dream was nearly derailed when she
initially failed a stress test for her
heart. However, after visiting her
private physician a few times, the
issue was cleared up. In February
2010, Tirado informed administra-
tors at PCCC that she would be tak-
ing a leave to pursue fire fighting.
“When I first told my family, I
don’t think they really had an opin-
ion. I don’t think they thought it
would be possible,” she laughed.
“Once I got hired, I think they were
in shock, but very happy for me. I
had waited four years just to hear
anything.”
During the wait, Tirado kept in
touch with her late father’s friend,
Kenneth Martinez, a deputy chief in
the Passaic Fire Dept. where Alberto
Tirado, Sr. worked.
“He always told me to keep my
head up when I feel down,” she said.
“Sometimes you’re just going to
feel discouraged over things and
you just have to find a different way
of doing it.”
“I think it’s tough. People expect
certain things of me. I feel like
there’s always an eye on me. I feel
like I can’t mess up,” she said. “I
haven’t really had big fires yet. Car
fires, small house fires. I still feel
my adrenaline pumping on the way
out to a call, not knowing what to
expect. But any time you go in,
your officers give instruction on
what to do. You’re never by your-
self. You’re always with a more
experienced officer.”
“People will look at me and then
all the sudden recognize me. I get a
lot of the ‘you go girl!’ from other
women and the guys bust my
chops,” she laughed. “They make a
bigger deal than I think it is, but
guys tell me it is a big deal, but I just
can’t see it from my point of view.”
Tirado still wonders what her
father would think of his daughter
pursuing the same dream he did.
“He wanted me to be a doctor,”
she laughed.
And while she enjoys helping
others, Tirado finds this particular
job to be most rewarding.
“I think it’s a combination of
everything,” she said. “I don’t con-
sider myself an adrenaline junkie,
but I guess fulfilment after you can
see you really helped someone,
touched them in a certain way. It’s
something you can’t describe. You
see someone who genuinely needs
help and once you do it, they’re gen-
uinely thankful. People send us let-
ters. I don’t know if you can put
words to it.”
From left is Petric Cassidy, Tirado andJohn Bradley. All three were hired byClifton at the same time
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 67
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2001W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
Tom Kievit: Tom Kievit is still a familiar face in town,
spending his weekdays working with his father, Kent,
at Athenia Mason Supply off of Mina Ave. in Lakeview.
Kievit began there in high school, and worked through
college while studying mechanical engineering at NJIT,
where he graduated from in 2007. Tom was married
last May to Darlene, a girl he met at his place of wor-
ship, Franklin Lakes Netherlands Reformed Christian
Church.
Alaina Scordilis: Ten years removed from graduation
and Alaina Scordilis has found success owning her own
business, Acupuncture Through Serenity. The 2001
grad shares the Allwood Rd. office with her brother,
Peter, and her father, George, who own Scordilis
Chiropractic.. “I do love it, I love to work with my fam-
ily. It’s very comforting,” said Scordilis, who opened
her own practice in October 2010 after graduating from
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in August of that
same year. “We share the same office but have our own
rooms,” she explained. “I work there Wednesday and
Tom Kievit and his wife, Darlene, whom he met at achurch in Franklin Lakes.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 69
Saturday, and then I work at two
other doctors offices during the
week doing pain management.” At
her practice, Scordilis tries to bring
in patients for general wellness
maintenance, but also addresses
other issues such as mental disor-
ders, digestive problems, insomnia
and weight loss. “It’s all about
helping people,” she said.
Now a kindergarten teacher atSchool 2, Erin Burke is the third
educator in her family, joining her
mother Kathleen, a history teacher
at Christopher Columbus Middle
School, and her aunt, Alana
Pollastro, a first grade teacher at
School 2. This June, Burke com-
pleted her third full year at the
school while simultaneously study-
ing for her Masters in K-5 special
education at Montclair State
University, where she also holds
Bachelors in psychology. “I want-
ed to be a child psychologist,” said
Burke, who, after graduation,
worked in the field for a year while
subbing in Clifton. “It wasn’t
something I enjoyed as much as I
thought and I was enjoying subbing
a lot more.” Hiring through the
district’s alternate route, Burke re-
entered school for certification and
her Masters. “I’ve been mentored
along the way by teacher who is
actually retiring this year, Donna
DeLiberto,” explained Burke, who
currently lives in Woodland Park.
“I do enjoy working with students
with special needs and it’s just ben-
eficial to have.” Burke is also on
the committee for the 2001
reunion, which is on Nov. 26.
Kim Puleo is currently employedby the American Cancer Societyas a director of special events. “I
was always involved in non-profit
volunteering over the years and
kind of ended up in this,” she said.
“I have personal ties to cancer and
I think this is an amazing cause.” A
graduate of Northeastern
University, Puleo studied commu-
nications and first started working
in the non-profit sector with Make
A Wish. She started at ACS earlier
this year. Puleo, who still lives in
Clifton, is part of the reunion com-
mittee which includes some long-
time friends like Jan Stevens,
Jasmine Castro and Erin Burke.
Jazmin Castro Foglio is in yeartwo of a three year residency pro-
gram at Newark Beth Israel and St.
Barnabas. The Penn State graduate
is studying to be a pediatrician spe-
cializing in Gastroenterology.
Foglio attended the New York
College of Osteopathic Medicine
and started her residency program
in May 2010. Foglio just recently
moved to Lyndhurst from Clifton
with her husband, Christopher. “As
the former Student Council
President, I’d like to see everyone
at the reunion to see what everyone
is up to,” said Foglio.
Alaina Scordilis owns AcupunctureThrough Serenity, which shares thesame Allwood Rd. office as ScordilisChiropractic, which is ran by herfather, George, and her brother,Peter.
Friends Erin Burke, Kim Puleo and Jazmine Castro at an April fundraiser forthe CHS 2001 reunion party, which will be held on Nov. 26.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 70
2001W H E R E A R E T H E S E M U S T A N G S N O W ?
Elisabeth D’Alto is the owner ofD’Alto Nutrition, LCC (www.dal-
tonutrition.com), a nutrition and
consulting company which was
formed last October. D’Alto had
been inspired to become an entre-
preneur by her father, Mauro, the
late owner of Dalto Ristorante in
Clifton. D’Alto graduated from
Montclair State in 2005 with a BS in
Dietetics, and completed her dietet-
ic internship the following year at
UMDNJ where she received the
Outstanding Dietetic Student Award
from the New Jersey Dietetic
Association. She has been a regis-
tered dietician since 2006. Prior to
opening her own business, D’Alto
worked as the Production Assistant
to Ellie Krieger, star of “Healthy
Appetite with Ellie Krieger” on the
Food Network. Currently still living
in Clifton, she plans on moving to
South Jersey in the near future.
Casey Podczerwinski is now anagent with Castle Realty in
Clifton. Podczerwinski, who gradu-
ated from Seton Hall with a degree
in finance and economics, has been
in the industry since 2005, when he
began as a part time realtor after
learning about the profession while
working in City Hall. After graduat-
ing a from SHU, Podczerwinski
worked on Wall Street for three
years before leaving New York to
return home to Clifton to sell homes
full time. “I just got so busy doing
this that I left the city,” he said.
Podczerwinski still lives in Athenia.
Elisabeth D’Alto is a registered die-titian and owner of D’AltoNutrition.
SAVE THE DATEClass of 2001 Ten-Year Reunion
November 26The Park Ridge Marriott 7pm - 11pm
Tickets: $65 for the first 100 people; $70 after
Visit www.chs2001.rsvpbook.com For More Info
Casey Podczerwinski works as arealtor for Castle Realty in Clifton.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 71
Maybe you’ve seen them
in the Tick-Tock Diner,
or at a local charity
event and wondered, who are those
leather clad, burly bikers? These
imposing individuals might not
seem like someone you’d approach
on the street, much less call on for
assistance... or would you?
The Clifton based motorcycle
club so aptly named The Red
Knights NJ, Chapter 19 are a group
of fire fighters from Clifton,
Nutley, Passaic, West
Paterson, Lodi, Little
Falls and Totowa.
This local group of
riders was founded
in October of 2005,
by Ernie Berthold,
Woody Campbell,
Steve Lambiase and
Greg Pavan.
Originally, the four
friends, firefighters and bikers had
set out to find a firefighter riding
club to share many
happy miles of cama-
raderie. However
after looking at the
other regional
groups, it was
decided that they
would found their
own club. Berthold
started researching, gath-
ered people and petitioned
the Red Knights, and the NJ Chapter
19, Clifton was born.
Founding and Charter Members of the Red Knights NJ 19 at a recent Rutt’s Hut Bike Night. Pictured left to right are:Steve Lambiase, Greg Pavan, Stan Novak, Woody Campbell and Ernie Berthold. Below, David Porter.
CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
Knights for DayRed Knights Lead the Way for David’s Day
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 72
Many of the group’s 13 original
members still ride today in memory
of their fallen brother Chapter 19’s
Chaplain, the Reverend Don
Bakelaar of the Clifton Fire
Department, who passed away sud-
denly just 6 shifts before he was
scheduled to retire in June 2010.
While the main goal of the group
is to ride the many great roads
across the country, another impor-
tant function is volunteering. The
Red Knights are frequently
involved in charitable events
around the area, including support
in carnivals to benefit Clifton’s
middle schools and more.
But the Red Knights take special
pride in helping carry out the wish-
es of the late David Nicholas
Porter, a young boy who lost his 14
month battle against cancer
(Wilms’ Tumor) on Aug. 25, 2006.
A fan of fun, motorcycles and all
things green, his family celebrated
the first David’s Day in his honor in
July 2006 as a way for the boy to
finally have a normal day like any
other child.
Though he passed away just a
month later, the Porter Clan vowed
to keep his legacy alive through
The David Nicholas Foundation,
which lends financial support to
families currently battling pediatric
cancer. David’s Day, which fea-
tures games, green decorations and
his favorite item, plenty of motor-
cycles, is the main fundraiser for
the Foundation.
The Fifth Annual David’s Daywill be held on July 9 at the
Clifton Masonic Lodge at 1476
Van Houten Ave. The event will
kick off with ride registration at 9
am. Then at 11:30 am, the Red
Knights will lead riders onto the
open roads for the fourth year in a
row before returning back to the
Masonic Lodge at 1 pm for the
family picnic.
Tickets are $25 for riders and
$15 for passengers. Non-riders can
attend the picnic only for $25; $15
for children. There will be live
music from The Past Masters and
The Caledonian Pipe Band of
Kearny.
To donate to the Foundation, or
to purchase tickets, visit www.the-
davidnicholasfoundation.org.
Checks can also be made to The
David Nicholas foundation and
mailed to 22 Greendale Rd.,
Clifton, 07013.
CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 73
By Tom Hawrylko
Spend an hour with DamianStobierski and you’ll walkaway impressed. Spend three
years teaching him and you may
keep his papers to share with future
students.
Mid-June, Stobierski visited his
2007 alma mater, the Classical
Academy Charter School of Clifton.
News of his visit buzzed the Valley
Rd. building. The quiet lad is fresh
off the stage of the IZOD Center
where he delivered the Valedictory
address to 4,000 in attendance for
Paramus Catholic High School’s
Commencement on June 6.
This 17 year old Cliftonite came
to say hello to school founder
Vincent De Rosa. Soon teacher
Georgette Mandarakas ushered him
into a classroom to showcase a leg-
end. She even produced one of his
reports she still uses for other stu-
dents to emulate. “What a wonder-
ful writer,” she said. “So articu-
late.”
Others share that admiration.
Stobierski will be attending Yale
University in the fall, thanks to a
mix of scholarships, financial aid
and the support of his parents,
Polish immigrants Natalia, a teacher
in the Garfield Schools, and Marion,
a worker at a factory in Fairfield.
At Paramus Catholic, Stobierski
finished with a GPA of 101 and
earned 2360 on his SATs, a near per-
fect score. While at PC, he helped
found the Robotics Club, and partic-
ipated in Science and Math League,
Quiz Bowl Team and Chess Club.
He was also a PC Ambassador and a
member of the National Honor
Society and International Language
Honor Society.
Stobierski sees Yale as the first
stop on his path to becoming a
physician. He hopes that after Yale
in 2015, he’ll earn a seat at Harvard
Medical School in Boston.
“I’m a little nervous about it,” he
admitted. “I know it will be com-
petitive but meeting new people and
new instructors will be exciting.”
Looking back on his 12 years of
education—he also attended
Clifton’s School 13 and School 1
before PC—Stobierski said he rec-
ognizes he has a gift for learning
that was first inspired by his parents.
“They taught me the value of
education, that education is life-
long,” he said. “As we grow older,
we will constantly be exposed to
new and sometimes radical ideas,
and we must keep an open mind to
them,” he advised. In that spirit,
Stobierski expects to study Spanish
at Yale. He is already fluent in
Polish, conversational in Ukrainian
and knows more than a little bit of
Latin, thanks to the Classical
Academy.
While at PC, he had many
inspiring instructors and courses,
ranging from World Religions to
AP Biology. He also cited a sum-
mer program he attended between
Junior and Senior Year at Amherst
College where he studied mathe-
matics nine hours a day. “It broad-
ened my view of teaching and
learning mathematics and the
opportunities it offers.”
From Paramus Catholic to Yale...
Paramus Catholic H.S Valedictorian Damian Stobierski with Vincent De Rosaand Georgette Mandarakas at the Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 74
d r
973-772-8451Roofing • SidingSeamless Gutters
Additions • Alterations
CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
Since August 2010, the CliftonCares Committee has collected
and packaged over 600 parcels of
items have been sent to US soldiers
and sailors serving in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Organizers Dona
Crum, Lizz Gagnon and Chris
Liszner said the project is ongoing
and expect to ship out the packages
during July. Thus, there is a need
for freezer pops and liquid powered
drinks, white socks, foot powder,
Visine, deodorant, shampoo,
healthy snacks such as nuts and
power bars, cookies, candy, gum,
word searches, Suduko and playing
cards. Clifton Cares is also in need
of funding to mail the packages so
if you would like to donate the cost
of one package ($12.95) mail your
check, made payable to Lizz
Gagnon, at Clifton City Hall Tax
Assessor’s Department 900 Clifton
Ave., Clifton, NJ 07013.
Take Back the Parks is a summer-long initiative to restore the beauty
of the city’s parks. It is a weekly
cleanup taking place each Saturday
at a designated field in Clifton.
Upcoming cleanups are: July 9,
Zelenka (10 Carol St.), July 16, Oak
Ridge (1061 Clifton Ave.), July 23,
Albion (201 Maplewood Ave.) and
July 30, Gregory Manor (180
Patricia Ct.) and Hillside (91
Paterson Ave.). Each cleanup will
run from 10 am to 1 pm. Bring
gloves and a water bottle. Call for a
full list of clean up sites. The Rec
Dept. also sponsors Play It Forward.
From Monday to Thursday each
week through August, the Rec Dept.
will have bags of bats, balls, frisbees
and other gear for families to enjoy
for free at a designated park each day
from 6 to 8 pm. The site rotates fre-
quently. Get a complete list by call-
ing 973-470-5956.
Musicians Wanted: The August
Clifton Merchant Magazine will
features stories about those make
up the music scene in Clifton.
We’re interested in all types of acts
and bands. Call 973-253-4400 or
email [email protected]
The Knights of Columbus Tank Pull took place on June 26 and raised over $100,000thanks to 25 teams and numerous donations. Donate at www.tankpullkofc.org.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 75
CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
The Clifton Rocket Club will
begin its fourth eight week session
in September. Children of all ages
learn how to assemble a toy rocket,
which is launched more than 1,000
feet into the air. Created and direct-
ed by volunteer Norm Tahan, a total
of 18 kids have turned out for the
club, which meets each Sunday
from 10 am to noon. The $25 fee
includes a rocket kit with engines.
Call the Rec Dept. at 973-470-5956.
The Athenia Veterans PostClassic Car Night is on Mondays
from 5 to 9 pm through the summer
at the Post, located at 147 Huron
Ave. Entry is free, and there is a
menu with a selection of BBQ food.
The Post will also hold its annual
Labor Day Picnic on Sept. 4, from 1
to 6 pm. Tickets are $20 for this all-
you-can-eat and drink event which
includes clams, burgers, hotdogs,
sausage, peppers and onions and
more. Call 973-778-0931.
Eighteen time Grammy Awardwinner Jimmy Sturr and hisOrchestra will perform on July 28
at 7:30 pm at Passaic’s Third Ward
Park, corner of Passaic and Van
Houten Aves. Be sure to bring
chairs and blankets while listening
to the group dubbed ‘the #1 Polka
Band in the Country,’ For more
information, call Greg Komeshok
at 973-473-5111.
Members of the CHS Class of ‘71will be among those celebrating on
Nov. 4 at the Parsippany Hilton for
a joint reunion for graduates from
1970 to 1974. The event will run
from 7 pm to midnight and features
a cocktail hour, buffet dinner and
desert, four hour open bar and
entertainment. Tickets are $99.
For more information, or to register
for the event go to www.reunions-
unlimited.com.
Children from the Clifton Rocket Club pose with rockets they assembled andlaunched. The club was formed by volunteer Norm Tahan, who is also a DeputyClifton Fire Chief. To join the next class, call the Rec. Dept. at 973-470-5956.
Jim Melzer (far left), was a former Cliftonite who excelled in football and base-ball at CHS from 1968 to 1971. Forty years later, his son is also dominating inathletics. On May 30, Wyatt Melzer, a junior at the University of Virginia, wonthe lacrosse National Championship as his team prevailed over Maryland 9-7.Pictured above is Melzer, his son, Griffin (a high school lax standout inFlorida), wife, Debra and, Wyatt. Melzer, who grew up in the Allwood section,is a district representative for Macy’s and resides in Davie, FL.
The Clifton Police National NightOut Against Crime is Aug. 2 from
5 to 9 pm at City Hall. Clifton cops,
equipment and vehicles will be there
and members of Operation Porch
Light will give away a low energy
light bulb for each home. There will
also be free food and refreshments, a
DJ, and parents can get ID cards and
finger printing for children. Call
Crime Prevention Officer Jim
Flanagan at 973-470-2245.
The 15th Annual Free SummerConcert Series, sponsored by the
Clifton Board of Recreation, is on
Sundays at Main Memorial Park at
7:30 pm. Prior to each show at Main
Memorial, join a walk around the
park at 6:30 pm. In case of rain, con-
certs are cancelled. Producer Bob
Obser recommends guests bring
their own chair. Call 973-470-5680.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 76
CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
On June 18, dozens of Boys & Girls Club of Clifton members joined communi-ty gardeners, volunteers and Amway staff to plant an organic garden and par-ticipate in healthy eating activities. Clifton was one of five Clubs around thenation selected to participate in Amway’s Positive Sprouts program. The projectteaches youngsters about nutrition, organic gardening practices and cookingfrom the garden. It supports and celebrates Boys & Girls Clubs commitment toenabling youth to lead healthy lifestyles and achieve great futures.
St. Peter’s Haven Food Pantry celebrated 25 years of helping those in need onJune 18 with an appreciation night for the many volunteers who help run the facil-ity that currently provides assistance to 2,800 people on a six week rotation.Food is distributed Tuesday through Thursday, as well as Saturday, from 9 to 11am. Back row, from left: Milton Millis, Barry Rochester, Kathy Aldheit and DebbeBreen. Front: Evelyn Post, Linda DiLeone, Elizabeth Zapata and PresidentPamela Fueshko. To volunteer or donate, call 973-546-3406.
VFW Post 7165 on Valley Rd. hon-ored several Clifton residents at aceremony on June 26. Among themwere Alvin Kipnis, pictured above, asOutstanding Citizen, Mark Zidiak,EMT of the Year, Lt. Patrick Tanski,Firefighter of the Year and JohnBiegel III, City Employee of the Year.For more on the Post, call Cmdr. RipVan Winkle 973-279-1991
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 77
CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
Walter Diduch, B.S.R.P. Walter Voinov, B.S.R.P Lisa Saeman, B.S.R.P. Alex Voinov, Pharm-D Dorothy Duffy, B.S.R.P.
The Friday Night Free ConcertSeries in Historic Botany Villagecontinues through August. The event
starts at 6:30 pm in Sullivan Square,
and moves to the Italian American
Cooperative Hall if there’s rain. The
lineup: July 8, The Apache Twins,
July 15, The Robert Ross Band, July
22, The Midnight Ramblers, July 30,
Jimbeau and the Retrocasters and
Aug. 5, The Frost Kings. For info:
www.historicbotany.com.
Cliftonites supported some goodcauses this month. On June 4, 39
teams and over 700 participants
raised more than $88,000 at the
Relay for Life event at Clifton
Stadium, which is pictured at left
during the later hours of the walk.
Over 900 luminaries were lit
around the track, representing those
who have battled cancer. At right,
Clifton Police Lt. John Burke bears
the Special Olympic torch, as he
runs down Main Ave. with support-
ers. Burke was one of 3,000 offi-
cers to carry the torch to the Games
which were held on June 10 to 12
in Trenton.
James J. Marrocco was appointed
to the NJ Board of Mortuary
Science by Governor Chris
Christie. Marrocco is a fourth gen-
eration funeral director and is the
owner and manager of the
Marrocco Memorial Chapel &
Powell-Marrocco Funeral Home on
Colfax Ave. He is also the owner
of the Faithful Companion Pet
Cremation Service by Marrocco.
Paramus Catholic High SchoolPresident James P. Vail was elect-
ed to the National Executive Board
of the Secondary Department of the
National Catholic Education
Association. For his three year
term, Vail will represent Region 3,
which encompasses all Catholic
high schools in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania. He has been at
PCHS for 14 years.
VFW Post 7165 on Valley Rd. hon-ored several Clifton residents at aceremony on June 26. Among themwere Alvin Kipnis, pictured above, asOutstanding Citizen, Mark Zidiak,EMT of the Year, Lt. Patrick Tanski,Firefighter of the Year and JohnBiegel III, City Employee of the Year.For more on the Post, call Cmdr. RipVan Winkle 973-279-1991
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 78
CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
The 9th Annual Free Outdoor Concert featuring the Clifton Community Band is on July 9 at 6 pm on the
City Hall campus. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy an evening of classic American music, showtunes
and more under the baton of Marching Mustang Band Director Bob Morgan. Call 973-777-1781 or write to
Dance Under the Stars inDowntown Clifton July 8, from 6
to 10 pm, when the big band
Swingman and the Misfit-Mutts cre-
ate a night of dancing and fun at the
parking lot at Clifton and First Aves.
Presented by the Downtown Clifton
Economic Development Group,
there will be dance contests, events
for the kids, food vendors and a DJ.
www.downtownclifton.com or call
973-253-1455. Raindate July 15.
The City of Clifton’s IndependenceFirework Show is on July 9 at 7 pm
at Clifton Stadium. Prior to the
show, enjoy the City Picnic next
door at Main Memorial from noon
to 6 pm. Call 973-470-5757.
Sub-acute Care and Rehabilitation
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 79
CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
Dance Under the Stars inDowntown Clifton July 8, from 6
to 10 pm, when the big band
Swingman and the Misfit-Mutts cre-
ate a night of dancing and fun at the
parking lot at Clifton and First Aves.
Presented by the Downtown Clifton
Economic Development Group,
there will be dance contests, events
for the kids, food vendors and a DJ.
www.downtownclifton.com or call
973-253-1455. Raindate July 15.
The City of Clifton’s IndependenceFirework Show is on July 9 at 7 pm
at Clifton Stadium. Prior to the
show, enjoy the City Picnic next
door at Main Memorial from noon
to 6 pm. Call 973-470-5757.
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July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 80
Amanda Di Angelo............. 7/3Ray Merced ....................... 7/3Chris Torrao ....................... 7/4Robyn Sue Lord .................. 7/5Frank Rando....................... 7/5Lori Lill ............................... 7/6Ron Curtiss ......................... 7/7Angelo Grippo ................... 7/7Edward Sepulveda.............. 7/7Jenna De Liberto ................. 7/8Joyce Sunshine ................... 7/8Kristi Schopfer .................. 7/10Anthony Zaccone.............. 7/13Alyssa Marie Misyak......... 7/14Ann Schamble.................. 7/15
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Nicholas Calvo is 2 on July 11. Herbert ‘Poppie’ Schwartz celebrates his 88th Birthday on July 4th.Christina Tacchi turns 17 on July 29th and Jenna DeLiberto turns 17 on July 8th
Birthdays & CelebrationsSend dates & [email protected]
Happy Birthday to Harry Quagliana
on July 23rd.
July 2011 • Clifton Merchant 81
Nicholas Calvo is 2 on July 11. Herbert ‘Poppie’ Schwartz celebrates his 88th Birthday on July 4th.Christina Tacchi turns 17 on July 29th and Jenna DeLiberto turns 17 on July 8th
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CL I F TON Ev e n t s …
Above: Michael Biondi and Gretchen Alonso.Pics by Matthew Biondi, Janet Goulbourn-Mozolewski, Cathy Malesky-Anzalone and IreneMendoza.
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