Clifton Merchant Magazine - March 2010

March 2010_cover TEMPLATE 2/25/10 12:02 PM

629 Clifton Ave • Clifton

973-777-7364459 Chestnut St • U

nion

908-686-5868

DENTALCAREFORCOW

ARDS

THE APPREHENSIVE PATIENTDENTISTRY W

HILE YOU SLEEP

POLLER DENTALGROUP

470 Clifton Ave • Clifton

973-546-6977

EXP 4

-15-1

0EXP 4

-15-1

0EXP 4

-15-1

0 My M

owim

y P

o Polsku

(Dentystka)

March 2010_cover TEMPLATE 2/25/10 12:02 PM

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

March 2010 • Clifton Merchant 4

16,000 Magazinesare distributed to

hundreds of CliftonMerchants on the firstFriday of every month.

~Subscribe Page 73~$27 per year

$45 for 2 years

Call 973-253-4400

Editor & PublisherTom Hawrylko

Business ManagerCheryl Hawrylko

Graphic DesignerRich McCoyStaff WriterJoe Hawrylko

Contributing WritersIrene Jarosewich, CarolLeonard, Rich DeLotto,Don Lotz, Jack DeVries© 2010 Tomahawk Promotions

1288 Main AvenueDowntown Clifton, NJ 07011

Sixty five years ago, over 100,000US servicemen were in the midst of abloody battle on the small Japaneseisland of Iwo Jima. Though severelyout numbered, the estimated 18,000Imperial troops were heavilyentrenched, hiding amongst themany caves on the volcanic isle.

Starting on Feb. 19, 1945, theAmericans pounded Iwo Jima withartillery strikes, eventuallyoverwhelming the Japanese on

March 26. That victory, 65 yearsago, was forever immortalized in theiconic flag raising photograph by JoeRosenthal, which embodied the spiritof the US Marines as they continuedto march towards Tokyo.

Nearly all of the Japanese onIwo Jima were assumed to be killedin action or missing. However, inconquering the island, theAmericans suffered great losses.The Imperial troops ferociously

Remember Iwo JimaClifton’s Jon Seda to appear in HBO’s The Pacific

Story by Rich DeLotto


defended their territory, claimingthe lives of over 6,000 Marines,Sailors and Coast Guardsmen andinjuring 20,000 more.

The valor demonstrated by theAmerican troops on Iwo Jima is oneof the many battles covered in ThePacific, HBO’s 10 part mini-seriesthat will begin airing on March 14

at 9 pm. Cliftonite Jon Seda, whowas profiled in the NovemberClifton Merchant, will portrayGunnery Sgt. John Basilone.

Basilone, a Raritan native, was thefirst Marine in WWII to be awardedthe Congressional Medal of Honor.After his actions on Guadalcanal,Basilone served stateside for twoyears before returning to combat dutyon Feb. 19, 1945, the first day of theinvasion of Iwo Jima. He was killedwhile assaulting an enemy positionon the island.

Clifton, which supported the wareffort with over 5,500 servicemenand woman, was well representedin the Pacific Theater. Lt. GeorgeLinzenbold, who received a theSilver Star for his heroism at theBattle of Saipan, was shot in thethroat at the Battle of Iwo Jima.Linzenbold went on to survive thewar and would eventually return tohis hometown and serve 25 years asa Clifton Police Officer.

But many Cliftonites went to IwoJima and unfortunately never camehome. Among the Marines who gavetheir lives on Iwo Jima were: S/Sgt.Andrew Kacmarik of LexingtonAve., Sgt. Wayne Wells of ValleyRd., Pfc. Donald Freda of BurlingtonRd., Pfc. Edward Hornbeck ofHarding Ave., Pfc William Hrominakof Lexington Ave., Pvt. FrankUrrichio of James St.

In total, more than 200 Cliftonresidents made the SupremeSacrifice during WWII. Last May,this magazine printed short biogra-phies of those men as a tribute totheir memories, their families andtheir service.

As our community plans thisyear’s Memorial Day services, per-haps we should ask Jon Seda tocome back “home” and be part ofthat tribute on Monday, May 31.

Clifton Merchant is also askinganyone who has Iwo Jima and WWIIrelated stories that they’d like toshare to call us at 973-253-4400.


In our April 2 edition, we’ll be telling you a bit more about Cassandra Higbie, Patryk Kornecki, MelissaAyers and Corey Meyer. They are some of the CHS students who balance a life of extra curricular activ-ities while still keeping high grades and receiving Distinguished Academic Awards. We’ll also previewMustang sports, cover topics related to health and medicine—along with our usual mix of politics, his-tory, arts and social news. For advertising information, call Tom Hawrylko at 973-253-4400.


GOLDPINA NAZARIO

GOLDFRANCISCO “FRANK” A. CORTES

SILVERFRANCES ROSADO

JUDITH “JUDY” GIOIA JESSICA ROJAS JUAN VASQUEZ ROSA “ADRIANA”★ JUDITH “JUDY” GIOIA JESSICA ROJAS JUAN VASQUEZ ROSA “ADRIANA”VINCIGUERRA

BRONZE BRONZE BRONZE BRONZE


Call any of the agents above for all your Real Estate needs at (973) 779-1900.For more information on purchasing a home, come to our FREE Monthly Buyer’s Seminar.

Top Lister Agent of the Month Top Sales & Producer

Our January Award Winners...

Jerry Sanders Lilla Langford Federico “Tony”Sanchez

Silver Bronze Bronze BronzeNJAR 2009 Circle of Excellence Award Winners...

Federico “Tony”Sanchez

Carlito Chi Alma Billings Lesia Wirstiuk

We Proudly Announce Our December Award Winners...

Federico “Tony”Sanchez

Michael Malkowski Ellen Weiner Lesia Wirstiuk Kaitlyn Barbagallo

Top ListerTop Sales,

Weichert Pride &Agent of the Month

Top Sales & Producer Top Producer Agent of the Month


Twenty one candidates have now pulled petitions to run for CityCouncil in May. This month, we interviewed six additional chal-lengers vying for a seat, for a total of 12 Council stories to date. Theremaining candidates, as of our publication deadline, are as follows:Anthony Genchi, Steven Goldberg, Matthew Grabowski, RaymondGrabowski, Joseph Kolodziej, Kristopher Perovic and Joan Salensky.

One noticeable omission from our Council coverage is MarySadrakula. The candidate was called nine times between Feb. 5 andFeb. 19, and did not return messages before our deadline at the endof the month. The rest of the candidates will be interviewed asspace permits in our April and May editions.

Unsure of who you will be voting for in the Council and Board ofEducation elections? Then come to the Meet the Candidates Nighton March 12, from 4 to 9 pm at Bliss Lounge, 955 Allwood Rd.Owner Joey Barcelona and members of the Clifton LicensedBeverage Association have sponsored this informal event, with sup-port from Clifton Merchant Magazine. No speeches, no grandstand-ing. Come meet the people who may become your elected officials.

Council Race Heats Up

With all seven seats up and two incumbents notrunning in the May 11 City Council election,the field is growing. Thus far, we’ve interviewedthose pictured. Top from left: Mayor JamesAnzaldi and Councilmen Peter Eagler, FrankFusco, Steve Hatala and Matt Ward. Middle:Challengers Dan Brown, Joe Chidiac, DaveD’Arco, Roy Noonburg and Suzanne Sia.Bottom: George Silva and Andy White.

All candidate profiles written by Joe Hawrylko


Story by Joe Hawrylko

When explaining why he would not defend his seatthis May, Joe Cupoli recounted a story from the summerof 2006, shortly after the Councilman had been elected.

While watching a Little League game at Surgent Park,a resident complained that the nearby 12 foot bridgewhich traverses a dry water creek at the edge of the cityowned property off of Valley Rd. was in serious disre-pair. The following day, the Councilman set out toaddress the situation, not knowing that it would be a fouryear battle.

“It should have been an Eagle Scout project,” saidCupoli. “I spoke to [City Manager Al Greco] and we hadto send an engineer. Then we had to go to the DEP (NJDepartment of Environmental Protection) because it’sacross a river. A river? It’s a dry creek most of the year.”

“Then we had to get State approval, get a bond for it...we’re not crossing the Hudson River. And four years later,there’s still no bridge,” he continued. “I could have gotthat bridge done if I drove down to Trenton every day fora week, but that’s a week I’m not at work or with family.”

What it boils down to is the lack of efficiency in gov-ernment. Cupoli said that the bureaucratic nature of CityHall prevents swift resolutions, and because of that,Council members need to be full time politicians. In addi-tion to being a husband and father of three children,Cupoli owns and manages 14 P&AAuto Parts stores. TheCouncilman said he simply can’t make the commitmenthe felt was necessary to be an elected official at this time.

“You can’t change it. That’s government.Government works slow—I don’t work slow, I workfast,” he said. “And because I’m busy, I can’t put thetime into government that government deserves.”

In a frank and wide-ranging interview, theCouncilman detailed his experiences in elected officeand gave his assessment about the future of Clifton.Cupoli said that while the bridge was a relatively smallproject, it illustrates serious issues that permeatethrough all levels of government.

Another frustrating project has been Athenia Steel,which was purchased by the previous Council back in1999. The long vacant factory site was known to becontaminated, but the Council at the time thought that

remediation would be the obligation of the seller.Only now, after years of wrangling with the NJ DEP,has any progress been shown on the property, with theCouncil currently reviewing bids for construction on aproposed park.

“I think you had to buy the property. I think it’s goingto be a key recreational piece for the community, even ifit did take 10 years,” said Cupoli. He lamented hisinability to see the project through to completion duringhis tenure, and said that a quick resolution was simplynot an option.

“You’re waiting for the State to approve the remedia-tion, then engineering, then it’s money,” he stated. “It’sjust a huge, huge project.”

Cupoli said he’s used to doing business in the privatesector, where morning meetings result in afternoonaction. He said that most business owners tackle long

One & Done: Joe Cupoli OutThe Councilman won’t seek re-election, assesses histenure, takes some shots and opines about Clifton’s future


term planning issues, something that doesn’t happen ingovernment. Cupoli explained that voters are oftenshortsighted at the polls, and in the interest of self preser-vation, politicians may eschew plans that may not initial-ly have tangible results.

“People talk about wasteful spending but you reallyneed to invest in planning and people at the governmentlevel,” he said. “The government—our Council includ-ed—are so afraid to spend money because they don’tunderstand return on investment. A business persondoes. If I need to invest $5 million on Athenia Steel tomake it Athenia Park, that’s a good investment. Peoplein the community don’t always see the good.”

Cupoli, who had no experience as an elected officialprior to 2006, said that residents also have a large impacton government. He said that support or resistance by cit-izens can be the determining factor in a decision.However, certain members of the community go out ofthe way to create a schism that prevents any progress.

“The Mayor put it best when he spoke at the last meet-ing. He said that people come up to the mic to tear down,not to build up,” said Cupoli. “It goes a long waytowards speaking to the negative influences in the com-munity. Mary Sadrakula, John Salierno and Carmen Foticome to the mic week after week after week and reallytear down and don’t build up at all.”

The Councilman said that he welcomes opinions atmunicipal meetings but that there is a certain decorumexpected of speakers. Those who come up, wag fingers,yell and make accusations only use the podium as a plat-form to generate controversy and muddle progress.

Cupoli referred to Sadrakula, who is running forCouncil this May, as one of the most abrasive commen-tators. He said the candidate is incapable of keeping heremotions in check, citing her unruly behavior at bothBoard of Education and City Council meetings, and thatsuch outbursts prevent progress within Clifton.

“She absolutely should not be running for Council,”Cupoli stated. He said that Sadrakula only complainsand shouts, never proposing a solution, and, if elected,would be incapable of working with her colleagues.

The Councilman said certain residents utilize themedia to cause divide and promote an agenda.

“It’s really sad that the hatred festers in the communi-ty and grows to be such a negative influence,” Cupolicontinued. “[Clifton Insider Publisher] Nick Velicky’sOpen for Business, during the whole Dr. [formerSuperintendent Michael ] Rice era was just a terrible col-umn that really just cast ill on people. There were verydisparaging remarks.”

The Councilman noted how Velicky would often deri-sively address the former Superintendent in print as‘Mikey’ and said that the overall demeanor of the columnwas unprofessional and caused a rift in the community.

However, despite the obstacles and negativity, Cupolisaid he enjoyed his four year tenure. “I have absolutelyloved every day that I’ve been on Council,” he said.Cupoli cited Councilwoman Gloria Kolodziej as hismentor. “I think [the Council members] are all goodpeople. They all brought something to the party andthere wasn’t any mudslinging.”

Cupoli stated that the cohesive nature of the Councilenabled the elected body to address major budgetaryissues which arose during the economic crisis. He saidthat the seven member elected body properly handled the2009 layoffs, setting a precedent for the future.

“It’s nothing that I’m proud of, not something wewanted to do,” said Cupoli. “But we showed unions thatwe can’t afford this anymore and the union eventuallycame back to us and gave us the concessions that wewere looking for.”

The Councilman also praised his colleagues, as wellas CFO Jonathan Capp, for implementing the controver-sial sewer tax. Prior to the change, the sewer usage wasincluded in the normal tax bill, and was tied to theassessed home value.

“Jonathan has just been an asset to the Council and thecity with his knowledge of finance,” said Cupoli. “It gotus a one year reprieve on the cap. It allowed us to figureout how we’re going to deal with [the budget shortfall] thenext year. There are somethings that can be done to tweakthe system and that will be for the next Council to decide.”

In addition to the CFO, the Councilman said that theCity Manager, as well as members of Clifton’s legaldepartment, have been instrumental in assisting the CityCouncil in decision making.

“Al [Greco] is doing an admirable job with the staffhe is given,” he said of the City Manager. “And I knowthe law department has taken a beating too. You don’tknow until you work hand-in-hand with these people,but the law department does a wonderful job for a city of80,000 people.”

Cupoli said that if Clifton is to keep its current formof government, changes need to be made to give thecity’s most important employee more flexibility.

“The problem is, it funnels everything across the CityManager’s desk. There’s one person, and if you counthis assistant, two people run everything,” he said. “Thatshould be the office where you have six people, not theother offices in the building. Al Greco should not


have to answer the phone and talk to a resident about aperson getting their garbage picked up late.”

Cupoli said that he’s unsure if a change in the form ofgovernment would have a profound improvement in theday to day operations, but he said he regretted that therewas never a study commissioned to detail the availableoptions during his tenure.

“I’m not saying the current government doesn’twork.” Cupoli explained, adding that Clifton is free ofcorruption. “I’d just like to know what the differentoptions are.”

The Councilman said whoever replaces him will haveto be primarily concerned with fiscal responsibility, andvoters should be careful about who they elect.

“When looking at people that are running for Council,look to people who are not public employees,” he advised.“I think it would be terrible to have a public employee sit-ting on Council. As much as people want to say thatthey’re not an advocate of the pension system, you’redealing with so many personnel issues, it just spills over.”

The Councilman noted that unions, government offi-cials and arbitrators look at negotiations in other cities asa precedent. Cupoli said that a favorable contract for theunions in Clifton could affect an elected official who is amunicipal employee in another town.

Though he said there are many worthy candidates, theCouncilman endorsed Suzanne Sia and Dan Brown.

“I think she’ll be a wonderful addition to the Council,”Cupoli said. “Suzanne was born and raised in Clifton,and brings a wonderful business mind to the Council.She’s very energetic, very passionate and certainly does-n’t have any ties with any groups in the community. DanBrown is a very, very nice person, well educated and he’scommitted to giving back to the community. I think thoseare the type of people we need on the Council.”

Cupoli said that, unlike the 2006 Council race, theadvantage goes to the incumbents.

“The Council has stayed out of the political mud.People get angry when there’s political mud,” he said. “Ithink with two seats being open, there’s a real goodchance all five people get re-elected, based on namerecognition.”

Cupoli said he’s not ending his political career, and mayrun for the Board of Ed next year. “There needs to be achange of presidency on the Board,” he said. “I think that[President] Jim Daley, from my point of view as a mem-ber of the public watching the meetings, has really stifledanything other than his agenda in getting done. Anger hasreally overtaken the ability to find common ground.”

As for the Council, Cupoli said that he won’t rule out areturn in 2014.

“I said I was going to do it this time and then let some-one take a shot,” he explained. “I think you do get stale,you do get wrapped up.”


Newcomer Daniel Brown said thathis desire to run is not to usurp asitting Council member. The can-didate said that the elected bodyhas done an admirable job in lightof the economy, and he said thatelecting him would be a continua-tion of the progress that started fouryears ago.

“With two Council members notseeking re-election, I started tocontemplate what role I could playon the Council,” said Brown. “Iwant to carry on the reforms thathave already begun to a greaterextent, while coming up with newapproaches and ideas.”

The political newcomer identi-fies taxes as his chief concern head-ing into the election.

“We have to figure out newsolutions to our budgetaryproblems that are real,” saidBrown, specifically citing healthcare and pensions as issue pointsfor the new Council.

The candidate said that changesin Trenton will likely impactClifton. He fears that GovernorChris Christie will cut aid tomunicipalities, but Brown is hope-ful that the Governor will bringabout positive changes in unionnegotiations.

Brown also said that he feelsmany of the budgetary problemsthat Clifton faces are due todecisions levied in Trenton back inthe 1990s.

“I think what you’re seeing rightnow is the coming to fruition ofwhat started under (former)Governor (Christine) Whitman,”

said Brown. “She cut the incometax, and that started a move towardsincreasing property sales. Whenshe borrowed against the pensionfund, it put a burden on municipal-ities. It forced them to contributemore towards pensions.”

Although he said the Councilshares some of the blame, Brownsaid that the city’s elected officialsperformed well under pressure.

“As far as the Councilapproached it, I think they did thebest they could with a bad situa-tion,” said Brown. “They consid-ered the problem to a great extent.I can promise that I would considerit as much as I possibly couldbefore making a tough decision.”

The candidate said he’s alsohopeful that the NJ League ofMunicipalities will have an influ-ence on the changes that will bepassed down from Trenton.

But beyond stabilizing the budg-et and reducing waste, Brown saidthe biggest challenges for theCouncil will be keeping Cliftonaffordable and addressing qualityof life concerns.

“We need to help get peopleback to work. Unemployment is agreat concern,” said Brown. Thecandidate practices law in Cliftonwith his wife, Suzannah, represent-ing indigent clients in appeals onbehalf of the New Jersey Office ofthe Public Defender. He also previ-ously worked as an AssistantProsecutor for Essex County, but iscurrently unemployed.

“I recently got laid off from afirm in Paramus, so I understand

what people are going through outthere,” said Brown. He said theCouncil must encourage newbusinesses, which will bring newjobs to Clifton.

The candidate expressed dismayat McDonalds backing out of a dealto take over the Jubilee Diner onAllwood Rd. Faced with localopposition, the franchised pulledthe proposal.

“I think that dialogue brokedown there a bit. People got angrywithout understanding all the bene-fits such a business as McDonaldswould bring in terms of employ-ment, business tax and ratables,”said Brown. “We need to havemore of a dialogue with our citizen-ry, so that they understand the needfor more business instead of less inClifton.”

The candidate said that it is theduty of the Council to look out forthe interests of residents. Brownsaid that his peers should look touse their influence whereverpossible.

“Councilman (Peter) Eagler saidthe Council needs to be the

New to the SceneDaniel Brown wants to add a freshvoice, continue reform at City Hall


cheerleaders for Clifton. I agree with that wholeheart-edly,” said Brown. “There’s a lot of great things aboutClifton, a lot of positives.”

However, at the same time, the candidate noted thateven the best cities evolve to better satisfy the needs ofresidents. Brown said that it is essential that theCouncil recognize that Clifton’s population isincreasing, and that the city’s demographics areundergoing a major transformation.

“I was looking at some statistics that said we are upover 70,000 and approaching 80,000. I think we needto look at some governmental reform,” said Brown.“I’m a proponent of it, and I would be supportive ofundertaking the studies to see the long term and shortterm effects. The population has grown in such a waythat I think it’s time.”

The candidate also indicated that he would considervoting to move the Council elections to November tosave money.

“I believe politics are present in non-partisan elec-tions,” he said. “I think candidates should talk aboutthe issues.”

Despite living in Clifton for just under six years,Brown said that he’s been actively involved in the city.He’s a member of the NJ Regional Chamber ofCommerce, and is active in St. Brendan’s Church.

“If you look at my background, I have great attach-ment to the community through volunteer work, thechurch and from my time in Clifton,” said Brown, whoalso tutors students at the Clifton Public Library.

Overall, Brown said he’s pleased with the way thatthe Council has dealt with tough decisions.

“I think if you asked someone running for CityCouncil four years ago, how will you deal with a dras-tic economic condition, I don’t think they could havepredicted it,” said the candidate.

Brown said he would like to continue the restructur-ing and work closely with his colleagues to guideClifton. The candidate explained that his resume willallow voters to see that he’s a qualified candidate.

“My best attribute is that I’m very hard working,” saidBrown, who graduated from Rutgers University Schoolof Law in Newark in 2001 while working full time forMerrill Lynch & Co. as a computer applications develop-er. “One of the most important things for a public ser-vant is intellect and ability. I think I have both of thosethings.”

“Voters need to make decisions based on who theythink has the ability to deal with the unexpected situa-tions, on who has the ability to work as a team with theexisting members of the Council and the new ones thatwill be elected,” he added. “I think I am that person.”

6 BAGELS1/2 lb. Cream Cheese

& 1/2 lb. Butter

12 BAGELS1/2 lb. Cream Cheese

& 1/2 lb. Butter

Mon thru Fri(after 3PM)

Flavored cream

cheese add $1. Plus Tax.

w/coupon. May not be combined with

any other offers.

WEEKEND SPECIAL

1 DOZEN BAGELS$399

$875

$1199

$480ONLY

$1375

With coupon. May not be combinedwith any other offers.

With coupon. May not be combined w/any other offers.

w/Purchase of 1/2 lb. Specialty Cream Cheese or Any Salad

With coupon. May not be combinedwith any other offers.

3FREEBAGELS

3FREEBAGELS

With coupon. May not be combined with any other offers.

$2OFFAny Purchaseof $10 or more

GOOD ANYTIME

1/4 lb Sliced Nova, 6 Bagels,plus 1/2 lb Cream Cheese

when you buySix Bagels

Specialty Cream Cheese Add $1 w/coupon. May not

be combined w/any other offer.

Specialty Cream

Cheese Add $1 w/coupon.

May not be combined w/any other offer.

BAGELSW’KEND EARLY BIRD

Sat & Sun Only 5am-10am

$49912With coupon. May not be

combined w/any other offers.

WEEKLY SPECIALS

INFLATION BUSTER


In 2006, less than 400 votes sepa-rated Joe Chidiac from the seventhand final position for a Council seat.The candidate managed to pull near-ly 3,400 votes enroute to a 11thplace finish without any fundraisers.

Now retired from his PostalPolice job, Chidiac is fully able todedicate himself to the city. That,combined with his encouragingresults from the 2006 Council raceand November 2007 runoff election,led to Chidiac’s decision to run foroffice this May.

“For (accepting) no money andno time, to come on top of threeincumbents with little time...” hesaid in reference to the 2006 CityCouncil election. “The outpouring Igot this time was great. I wasthrilled with petition requests andresponses.”

Chidiac believes that voters werereceptive to his grassroots campaignbecause he comes into the electionwithout any political affiliations.

“I am free of all baggage. I’m anindependent,” said Chidiac. “I havethe highest level of integrity. It’s notthat they (Council members) don’t,but I had a background check onme.”

The candidate admitted that thatthe current elected officials did anadmirable job during their tenure.However, Chidiac said it’s time tosee what newcomers can do.

“There’s only three ways thingsgo: they get worse, they stay thesame or they get better and that’swhat we’ll have to see,” saidChidiac. “They’ve all had theopportunity to prove themselves and

voters will go based on actions andresults.”

Chidiac believes that his door todoor campaign and insistence onspending only his own money willresonate with citizens on electionday.

“This has almost been a life longcommitment,” he said. “That’s whyI’m not going to South Jersey orFlorida. I’m here to stay. I want tobe a happy senior.”

“Right now, I’m not a happy sen-ior because of what I see going on ona day to day basis,” added Chidiac.

The candidate said that the quali-ty of life has declined while taxescontinue to rise annually. Chidiacclaims that if the Council were moreproactive, it could have mitigated theeffects of the recession.

“The layoffs could have beenavoided. I’ve done this, I have aninside edge with this,” he said.“Restructuring should have hap-pened a long time ago. But thisCouncil did inherit a lot of prob-lems.” He said that, although theCouncil’s efforts are noble, there’smore that can be done.

The candidate said that it’s ideassometimes as simple as encouragingbusinesses to go the extra mile, likea gas attendant wiping a windshield,to generate more income, and inturn, more taxes.

“Yes, you can reduce the wasteand the taxes,” said Chidiac. Hesaid cost cutting, combined withgrants or shared services, can stabi-lize the budget. “I don’t know ifthey (the Council) know where togo and what to do. I don’t know if

it’s a lack of effort. Everyone willsay we really can’t do that... well,you have to come up with some-thing.”

Chidiac said he would like toreview the city’s contracts to see ifsavings can be realized. He refer-enced construction crews fromNewark placing signs and doingother work for Clifton.

“Who are these people comingin, putting down our signs? Whoare these people coming in anddoing our sewers?” said Chidiac.The candidate said he was told byDPW employees that the previouscompany from West Paterson wascheaper, but admitted he did notknow the exact figures. “Some ofthis, we have the capability to dowith our DPW.”

While he wasn’t sure of the accu-racy of Recycling Coordinator AlDubois’ claim that $1.5 million insavings can be realized at the DPW,Chidiac said that there are areas inthe department that can be trimmed.

He said replacing some DPWplows with smaller Chevy S10 pick-up trucks would make snowremoval more efficient and savemoney.

Political IntegrityJoe Chidiac says his dedication will win over voters on Election Day


In a wide ranging list of topics discussed in an inter-view, Chidiac also criticized the recycling program.“This city is not recycling to its potential,” he said.Chidiac said he would like to look for empty plots inother areas of town to place bins to encourage residentsto participate.

He believes that the Police Department could bene-fit from the Council’s restructuring plan. Chidiac saidthat officers should be stationed on Kuller Rd. to catchlitterbugs and speeders. He would also like to look intoman power distribution and would like to see changesin the way negotiations are held.

“In the 60s and 70s, Clifton was the number oneleader in the State of New Jersey,” said Chidiac. “Weset an example with dual fire and police patrols. TheState and the unions ruined that relationship. They(current politicians) think it’s something new and ittook 30 years for this to come back.”

The candidate said if the Council were to implementfirm policies and procedures for advancement in thePolice Department, it would alleviate many issues. Hespecifically mentioned the search for the replacementof Chief Robert Ferrari, who recently announced hewould retire effective March 1.

Chidiac said that if there are less than three activecaptains on the force, the option to hire a lower rankingofficer exists. “You have to stay with the captains,” hesaid, noting his preference toward promotions based onseniority. “You can’t have a back door open. Close thewindow.”

Chidiac believes policies can be applied all over thecity, resulting in greater efficiency. He referenced stu-dents leaving the Brighton Rd. Annex walking in thestreet, and said that a protocol would result in action,regardless of who is responsible for the children.

“If you start when they’re fresh and you read themthe riot act, believe me, you can change things,” said

Chidiac. “If you create a conscious awareness in youth,you can change them. We’ve lost control of the streets.”

Chidiac also believes that the Council should havemore influence over Zoning and Planning Board mat-ters. He said projects like the proposed synagogue onDwasline Rd., and the recently terminated plans for aMcDonalds on Allwood Rd. should either be approvedor dismissed in one meeting, not drag out for months.

“The Council should do everything. There are nolimits,” said Chidiac. “We have to get together withcitizens and use our clout. We don’t have to follow. Nomore following blindly. Question everything.”

Chidiac referenced the Council on AffordableHousing mandates, as well as the NAACP settlementthat allows non-residents to apply to become a fire-fighter as other policies he’d like to challenge.

Within the city’s own government, Chidiac said he’dlike to see a spending limit.

The politics, in all honesty, has become a circus,” hesaid. “Last election, there was more signs than votes.Isn’t that ridiculous? Sheriff (Jerry Speziale) wasreaching out and supporting candidates.”

However, the candidate isn’t interested in changingClifton’s government. While open to ideas from resi-dents, Chidiac believes the current system provides acheck and balance on power. And he thinks a dedicat-ed candidate like himself can bring change.

“Perseverance and time—I am endless. I go right topeople’s face and right to the issue,” said Chidiac.“This is where I want people to look over the candi-dates carefully. Don’t overlook things like they’re busyand got young kids, like Obama watching his kids onthe swings.”

“My daughter is now 18 and independent,” he con-tinued. “I’m retired. This is my dream. If I’m elected,I’m going to town like they never saw. I’m probablythe hardest worker in the 100 year history.”

Varieties• Potatoes & Cheese• Potato • Sauerkraut• Pot Cheese• Mushroom• Pot Cheese & Potato• Broccoli• Spinach• Pizza • Apple• Prune • Cabbage• Apricot & Cheese• Broccoli & Spinach

HOMEMADEPIROGI

Come to The Famous & Original (from Lexington Ave)...

M-F 8 - 6 Sat 10 - 4

1295 Main Ave • Downtown Clifton 973.340.0340

WWW.HOMEMADEPIROGI.COM

Across from DeLuxe Cleaners

NEW! Great for Parties... Hot, Homemade Empanadas!

You Don’t Have to Wait Until Friday to Eat Pirogies !!!


After his unsuccessful 2006 CityCouncil run, Roy Noonburg madeit a point to stay active in Cliftonand gain a little more experience inanticipation for 2010.

Now, having served on theZoning Board of Adjustment for thepast two years, he feels he’s a com-plete candidate and voters will rec-ognize that at the polls.

Noonburg said he believes thatresidents will take notice of hisinvolvement in the community,allowing him to improve upon the3,577 votes he received in the lastelection. The candidate was just200 votes away from the seventhand final Council seat in 2006.

As a Zoning Commissioner,Noonburg had to make decisions onthe fate of various projects aroundtown. He said that the notion thatresidents and voters are apathetic isuntrue. The passion is there, but itmust be cultivated in a moreproductive manner.

Noonburg cited the recentlydefeated McDonalds proposal,which would have replaced theJubilee Diner on Allwood Rd.

“They (Allwood residents) wereunified and strong,” saidNoonburg. “They came out andmade sure executives atMcDonalds were cognizant thatthey weren’t too happy about thatplan. (That spirit) is a positive, butit should be throughout the city.”

The candidate explained that thespeakers at the podium at CityCouncil and Board of Educationmeetings by and large always seemto be the same residents speaking.

“Right now, I think it’s communi-cation,” said Noonburg, adding: “Alot of residents don’t want to getinvolved with the city because theydon’t want to deal with politics.”

The Luddington Ave. residentsaid that citizens become involvedwhen an issue affects their neighbor-hood, but often get discouraged inthe process. Noonburg said the keyis to ensure that when citizens inter-act with their government, thingsoperate smoothly, whether it’s acomplaint or something as simple asleaf removal.

“As a Councilman or Mayor,service should be your number one

platform,” he explained. Noonburgsaid that the first step to improvingthis process is the ongoing restruc-turing efforts by the City Council.

The candidate praised the plansto hire quality of life officers forzoning violations and said that thefines imposed by those employeeswill help bring in revenue.Noonburg said that the city shouldconsider raising the cost of fees forpool permits and other services.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to hitthe taxpayer,” he explained. “Butthere’s no where else to generatemoney. The city can’t wave a magicwand and money will appear.”

A comprehensive review of alldepartments is in order to

Zoned into CliftonRoy Noonburg serves on Zoning Board,spent a quarter decade patrolling streets

Thomas Tobin973-779-4248

Bill G. Eljouzi973-478-9500

You’re a Neighbor,Not a Number.


Federico ‘Tony’Sanchez

$375,000 3 Floor TownhouseGreat big Kitchen w/B’Fast Bar, Liv. Rmw/Fireplace, 2nd FL Mster Bed w/Bath& Jacuzzi. 3rd FL B/R, Fam RM,Office, Full Bth.

$199,900 1 BedRm Condo2nd Flr. in Broad Acres. Lg Liv. Rm w/A/C,2 pkg spaces, renv. Bath, New Windows,H’ting & Hdwd Flrs in LR,Kit & Bdrm. EasyNYC commute or access to Highways.

$320,000 3 BedRm ColonialNew Floors open to Liv. Rm, DR, Kit &1/2 Bth. 2nd FL has 3Rms, UpdatedBth & Fin Attic. Big Open Lot, w/LongDRway & Garage.

$299,000 2 BedRm CapeGreat Price w/Great Potential toconvert to 4 B/Rms. Fin. Basementhas Rec Rm. Lg Yard w/Gar in quietneighborhood.

Go to my website & see why I am The Only Realtor You Will Need

• Call Tony 973-801-9497

www.ForSaleByTony.comwww.WhatisThisHomeWorth.comTo get this week’s market

conditions in your area go to

Selling or Buying, I amThe Only Realtor You Will Need!

Contact Me:[email protected]


improve services and make thingsmore fiscally stable. However, thecandidate cautioned that the savingsmay be slim.

“In the DPW, having a full timedirector is very important,” saidNoonburg. “But street cleaning, leafcleaning... they’re almost running onbarebones. With police and fire, Ireally don’t see anything. As a tax-payer and retired police officer, I feelthey’re running pretty close to thechest. Do I have the magic wand andsay that I have the magic answer? Idon’t at this point,” he added. “But I

know taxes are the primary issue andthat would have to be your primaryinvestigation.”

Noonburg said that even thesmallest savings will be beneficial inthe coming years, and moving theCouncil election to November tosave money is a necessity.Emergency cost cutting measure bythis Council hampered its ability tobring about much change, andNoonburg said that the next electedbody must learn from the past.

“Unfortunately, due to the eco-nomic times, I really don’t know if

much has been accomplished,”hestated. “It’s not because of [theCouncil]. It’s because of the time.We’re in big, big trouble.”

While he praised the overall abili-ty of the Council to act under duress,Noonburg said that some decisionswere ill advised. “The sewer tax wassupposed to alleviate some of theproperty tax increase and coversome of the shortage that the townwas facing,” he explained. “Attimes, I feel like the taxpayer is say-ing, how much is going to beenough? I would rather them raisemy property tax, because then I candeduct it at the end of the year.”

In addition to keeping a balancedbudget in tight economic times,Noonburg said other looming issueson the horizon must be addressed.

“There’s a lot of aging infrastruc-ture in this town,” he said. “And ille-gal homes, three or four renters outof a two family. I think that’s thebiggest way of ripping off the city.”

Noonburg said that he’s in touchwith the issues—he’s lived here fornearly half a century and has seenthe city evolve. The candidate’spresence on the Zoning Board andinvolvement in other city functionsshows his dedication to the position.

“I’m honest, willing to workwith the Council and I’m willing towork for the people,” saidNoonburg. “How can I spend allthis money when some of thesepeople are laid off. People are los-ing their homes. Do they want apolitician coming in there to spenda million dollars like (NYC MayorMike) Bloomberg did?”

“I’m a big believer in change.We ran on the same premise fouryears ago,” he said. “I feel that ifsomeone were to vote for me, it’sdue to the fact that I have muchexperience in this town. There hasto be something different.”

Klimek105 Avondale Ave. Clifton

Siding

Pettke333 Harding Ave.

Roofing

Nolasco430 Terhune Ave. Passaic

Roofing

Wurch375 Colfax Ave. CliftonSiding & Windows

Cervone215 E. Park St. Moonachie

Siding &Blown in Insulation

Call James, Ron, Jim or John for a Free Estimate!


For Suzanne Sia, the decision torun for City Council came down to alifelong observation of the commu-nity in which she grew up in and thematter of timing.

“The past five to ten years, I start-ed noticing that this wasn’t theClifton I was used to growing up,”she said. “I just about spent mywhole life here and I’ve love it. Igrew up on Thanksgiving Lane.”

However, Sia said deterioratingservices, schools and taxes began tochange the city.

Many families, ones that livedhere for generations, started leavingfor places with lower taxes and bet-ter quality of life. She said that ifthe situation isn’t corrected, the slidewill continue. “The questionbecomes, can I retire here?”

Sia explained that her top priorityis to stabilize the budget and ulti-mately reduce taxes. The quickestroute to fiscal responsibility is toevaluate each department to reduceinefficiency. While Sia praised theCouncil’s plans to review thedepartments, she said that a crisisshouldn’t have been the catalyst forchange.

“Revamping of City Hall shouldhave happened last term,” she stat-ed, adding: “If we don’t start exam-ining these other areas, it’s going togo down faster. We have to get ahandle on it.”

“You can’t do the things the wayyou did 50 years ago. But changetakes time,” said Sia.

“You have to look to the futuretoo. It’s not just here and now,” shecontinued. “It’s almost negligentnot to do so.”

Sia stated that the biggest servicedisappointment has been the DPW.Though she praised the response torecent storms, Sia said that snowremoval hasn’t been satisfactoryoverall. She believes that the prob-lem extends throughout the wholedepartment.

Sia recalled a situation five yearsago, when a tree in front of herhouse began to lift the sidewalk thathad been recently set.

The city had planted youngsaplings on that road just a fewmonths prior to the streetscapeimprovements, and at the time Siasaid she expressed concerns that thetrees would soon grow and raise the

concrete. Not long after the con-struction was completed, the rootsbegan to push the sidewalk up DPWcame down and raised the concreteso that it could accommodate thegrowth of the tree.

“I felt a little more should havebeen done,” said Sia. “It wasn’t wellthought out and it wasn’t the cus-tomer service I would like to see.”

The candidate explained that shewould like to see a DPW directorhired to ensure longterm planning.If elected, she will make sure thatany changes to the way the govern-ment operates has a lasting effectand will remain in the structure ofthe municipality after the recessionis over. “It’s all about process,

An Average Resident Suzanne Sia works for Merck, says itsall about process, procedure, efficiency


procedure and efficiency. That saves money overall,”she said. “You also have to have common sense.” But asan outsider with no political experience, Sia said herability to pinpoint areas money can be saved is difficult.However, she’s confident in her abilities and believes herexperience will allow her to smoothly transition into hernew role.

Sia is a program manager in information technology atMerck, and routinely deals with budgets. She said she’sdifferent from career politicians. Sia considers herselfjust an average resident who has the background and abil-ity to make a difference.

“I do think it’s a positive. It adds a freshness to theCouncil,” said Sia. “Asking questions isn’t a bad thing.If there’s too much [long term politicians on the Council],there’s a little complacency.”

“A lot of people in Clifton don’t feel they’re heard,”she continued. “I think I represent those people.”

Changing the way that residents are represented issomething that Sia would like to explore down the road.

“Our government structure is very different from anyother township or city,” she said. “You have to questionwhy Clifton is set up this way. It’s something to look at.”

Sia is also a proponent of of shifting the Council raceto the November general election.

“Honestly, I think all of the elections should be on thesame day. It’s going to get more people voting,” said Sia.

“Easy savings, that’s the type of thing we need to lookfor.”

The candidate said that such actions are necessitatedby the economic conditions the city faces. While shepraised the Council’s ability to make tough and attimes, unpopular decisions for the betterment ofClifton, Sia said that the need for drastic action isbecause of a lack of foresight.

“It was a lack of planning,” she explained, referencinglast year’s municipal layoffs. “That $7 million (shortfall)didn’t appear overnight.”

The lack of accountability permeates throughoutCity Hall. Sia said that the responsibility for theAmeripay scandal that took place this summer ulti-mately falls to the Council.

“Don’t you look at your own checkbook?” she said.Such situations can be remedied with more oversight.

Sia also said that the Council needs to interact with gov-ernment in other cities, borrowing concepts or even shar-ing services. “I don’t know if I see much of that going onin Clifton,” Sia said.

Though not as experienced as other politicians, thecandidate feels that her background and determinationwill allow her to make an immediate impact if elected.

“What do these people on the Council have that I don’thave,” Sia stated. “If you look at the factors, I feel I’mreally qualified.”


This marks the third time thatGeorge Silva will run for CityCouncil. But moreso than past elec-tions, the candidate believes that res-idents are more familiar with him.Silva has been a tireless advocate forthe city, particularly Clifton’s eastside, and his dedication is year-round, not just near election time.

“I’m a concerned citizen. I’vebeen around, I attend the meetings,think tank meetings, budgetmeetings... I always say, I’m not aJohnny come lately,” said Silva.“And I didn’t drop out after Iwasn’t elected [in the 2006 race]and I didn’t drop out after I wasn’telected [in the 2007 Council runoffrace] either.”

Although running for the 2010race was on his mind for a while,Silva said it was CouncilwomanGloria Kolodziej’s decision to notseek re-election that convinced himto pull petitions.

“I had been thinking about it formaybe six months,” he said. “It’svery difficult to beat seven sittingCouncil people at the same time.They know a little bit more than theother people running.”

Silva explained that it’s almostimpossible for a challenger to haveas much knowledge as an incumbenton day to day business or budgetaryitems in the municipality.

The limited flow of informationmakes it difficult to give an opinionon issues or recommend changes.Even as a member of ACTIONClifton, Silva, a representative forDutch Hill, said that he doesn’t haveaccess to everything he would like to.

The candidate cited BrunoAssociates, the grantwriting firmunder contract with the city, as anexample of instances where there istoo little information released fromCity Hall.

“As an outsider, we only hearwhat he’s done. We don’t hearwhat’s in the works,” said Silva.

He added that a lack of communi-cation with residents about grants,the sewer tax or the Ameripay scan-dal causes citizens to lose faith intheir government.

Silva said that the Council’srestructuring plan may help repairthat relationship, but it shouldn’ttake an economic disaster to bringabout fiscal responsibility.

“[The recession] made [theCouncil] look into it, but maybe itshould have been done in the first orsecond year,” he explained. “Rightnow, I think all the departments arebasically down to the nitty gritty.There’s not much more you can takeaway. The Health Department isdown to basic people. Housing isdown to basic people. Maybe thequality of life officers can helpHousing out.”

Still, the candidate was encour-aged by early ideas, specifically thequality of life officers. Silva said theservice provided by these employeespays for itself and simultaneouslyhelps the city, and the Councilshould look into bolstering thedepartment’s roster.

“We’re so diverse now, maybe weshould be hiring a Muslim or aLatino,” said Silva, who would liketo see more diversity in all city

departments. “In different areas oftown, residents would respect them abit more or they would understandtheir way of living.”

The candidate welcomes changesin the DPW and is eager to see whatsavings are produced from restruc-turing in the department.

“They did a heck of a job with thesnowstorm without a super,” saidSilva. “When we had a supervisor,everyone was complaining abouttheir street. Maybe we could hireone of [the four DPW departmentheads] to be acting DPW supervisor,or leave it the same way and have allfour report to the city engineer [whowould then answer to City ManagerAl Greco].”

The candidate would also like tosee an increased police presencethroughout Clifton. Silva said thatwith the economic downturn, crimewill rise. To save money, he wouldlike to ask Passaic County SheriffJerry Speziale to expand patrolsbeyond the city’s east side.

“Putting [police] towers inBotany for us was great,” said Silva.“We’re grateful, but we need it allaround, especially in the shoppingcenters.”

An Involved CitizenGeorge Silva believes he’s the mostexperienced of all challengers in race


Mentioning Botany Village, thecandidate reiterated his desire to seea ward government implemented;Silva was an advocate for suchchange in the 2006 Council race, butdoubts it would happen soon.

“It seems like this city is not readyfor that type of change yet,” he said.Silva noted that he would support amove to have a study about the dif-ferent forms of government to gener-ate interest. He said he would alsobe interested in taking advantage ofthe new law that allows municipali-

ties to have non-partisan Councilelections moved to November.

“The outside influence happensanyway,” Silva explained. He saidpolitical parties and special interestgroups are present in any election.“The only thing you’re going to getis more people out in November tocome to an election and we’re still anon partisan group of citizens. Ifit’s $100,000 [in savings], maybewe could hire one or two cops.”

Amongst both the legislators andstate residents, the passing of the law

was controversial. However, Silvasaid he’s comfortable making toughdecisions that will benefit residents.The candidate referenced the munic-ipal layoffs in 2009 and praised theCouncil’s decision, saying he toowould make such a choice.

“I don’t believe any of those sevenCouncil members would fire some-one for no reason,”he said. “It’s notan easy job. If I was on the Counciland I had a decision to make for80,000 compared to one or two peo-ple, we have to look at the whole pic-ture. With the situation they were in,they had no other choice.”

Silva said his decision makingability and involvement in the com-munity make him an ideal candidate.

“I want Clifton to get better and Ifeel with my knowledge and thework I’ve done in Botany, DutchHill and the Lakeview area, I feel Ihave a lot more experience than oth-ers,” said Silva. “The only thing I’mnot going to know is what goes onbehind closed doors.”


We’ll Mail Your Easter Order!

We now bake Homemade Hungarian RétesRétes, or Strudel,

is one of Hungary’s mostrenowned dishes. We bakeit like in the old days andoffer it to you in Lekvar,Poppyseed, Sour Cherry,

Apple. Apricot or Cheese.

Our cases are filled withfresh Poppyseed, Lekvar,

Apricot and otherHungarian Spices!

The Jozsa Family, now in our second generation...

• Holiday Hams & otherTraditional Easter Foods

• Pork, Beef, Cheese &Meat Products

• Home Style Smoked Bacon& Smoked Sausages

• We make our own Salami & offer many fine Imports


Andy White’s motivation for run-ning comes down to his desire to seenew City Council representatives.

“I think we need a change,” hesaid. “We need to get some youngerpeople involved in the city on thepolitical side. I’m 43, but I think weneed to get some new, fresh ideas onthe Council.”

With virtually no political experi-ence, White will embark on his firstcampaign.

“My [platform] is that I want tomove the city in a positive direction.I want people to work together tomake Clifton a better place to live,”said White. “I don’t want to dwellon negatives from the past. I don’tthink it’s healthy. We need to dwellon the future.”

Looking forward, the candidatesaid that the most pressing issues aretaxes and quality of life. “I want tohold the line on taxes. My ultimategoal would be to lower the taxesfrom what it was last year,” he said.“We’d have to look at the budget linefor line and see where we couldmake cuts.”

White, a Passaic Police Officerfor 20 years and former CliftonEmergency Dispatcher, said he’sencouraged by the Council’s restruc-turing plan. The candidate said hewould like to take a long look at theDepartment of Public Works.

“We need to have a DPWdirector that knows the city,” saidWhite. “We should be looking tohire from within, someone thatknows the system and knowswhat’s expected of them. In thepast, that had been lacking.”

Though he praised the removalduring recent snow storms, Whitesaid that the DPW needs a perma-nent replacement for the director.He noted the problems with snowremoval last year and said thatsuch a move would make thedepartment more efficient and pos-sibly lead to savings.

White said he was also pleasedwith the concept of quality of lifeofficers, but he would like to seethose employees be aggressivewhen hired.

“They can tackle all complaintsto unkempt properties, garage salessigns that are illegally posted andillegal housing,” said White, whoexpressed his desire to see the offi-cers work in the evenings as well.“At night, there’s the element of sur-prise. Visit people on weekends.”

With increased patrols, Whitebelieves that officers would not onlypay their own salary, but start gener-ating more income for the city. In acity fresh off of a budgetary short-fall, saving every penny counts, butWhite said that the Council mustbalance savings with quality of life.

“I don’t want to do anything thatwill hurt the quality of services fortax payers,” said White. He pledgedto maintain current senior citizenand recreation programs, andexpand where possible.

White was said that many resi-dents were unhappy with how the2009 budgetary shortfall affectedtheir services. “Layoffs have hurtthe city,” he said. “You see the com-plaints with the DPW. They’reworking with less people.”

He considers fire, police andDPW services vital to the city, andthat the sewer tax seemed to benecessary to preserve those servic-es. However, White considered thetemporary closure of Fire Station 2and the subsequent layoffs a mis-take. His opposition to those cutswas based on the reduction of criticalservices, and not a sign of supportfor local unions.

“I will have knowledge of howtheir contracts work and every-thing,” said White. “But I wantresidents to know that just becauseI’m a police officer doesn’t meanI’m not my own person. I’m goingto do what’s best for the citizens ofClifton.”

For certain departments, the can-didate said he would like to increasethe ranks if possible.

“I think we need more [cops],”stated White, noting that crime inthe region has increased during therecession. “Anybody can buy ascanner and listen to it to see all ofthe officers in Clifton go from callto call to call.” Because the depart-ment is understaffed, he said thepolice cannot be proactive.

Preserving ServicesTaxpayer First, Passaic Police OfficerAndy White has the Big Picture View


While he acknowledges that the economy will preventany new hirings, White said that it’s important to at leastreplace retiring officers. The candidate said that fundingmay be available through grants.

For seven years, White has been writing grants for thePassaic Police Department and would be willing to assistthe city’s grant writing firm, Bruno Associates.

“We should look at everything. Any types of grantsthat are out there we should apply for,” he said. “A lotof it is just gathering information and putting it together.”

As far as where to make cuts in the budget, White saidthat it would require a comprehensive review. He said hewould like to study garbage pick up frequency. Whitewould also like to look into hiring part time or seasonalpersonnel to maintain City Hall and other properties.

The candidate said that he feels money is being squan-dered at the Wellington Ave. emergency communicationcenter. The leased building off of Main Ave. is not beingutilized properly, he stated, and necessary upgrades arecostly. He feels that the building should have been builton the DPW site or other city-owned property.

White also said that a similar lack of accountabilitycost the city some $900,000 in the Ameripay scandal thissummer. “I feel that somebody should have been heldaccountable,” he said. “No body was manning the store.$900,00 and nobody knew about this. It’s pretty hard tobelieve that nobody knew about it. There’s no checksand balances there. I don’t know if it’s the Council, butit’s under their watch.”

Still, despite his criticisms, White feels that theCouncil did an adequate job in the past four years. “Withall the mandates that are put forth by the state with thefour percent cap and everything else, it ties your hands,”he said. “The government has to look to take some ofthose mandates off of cities.”

White said he would also like to see more involve-ment from our County and State representatives. “Wehave to get our Senator and Assembly people moreactively involved in Clifton,” said White, who is favor ofmoving the Council elections to November to savemoney. “Shiela Oliver’s our speaker now. We needmore help from (her). They should come to Councilmeetings and speak and let the citizens of Clifton knowwhat they’re doing for the city. They’re our reps.”

If possible, White said he would like to see those offi-cials or members of the NJ League of Municipalitiescome to Clifton to give a no-cost presentation about thedifferent forms of government.

Though personally in favor of Clifton’s Council-CityManager form of government, he is intrigued by wardrepresentation and staggered terms. White, a formerDutch Hill representative for ACTION Clifton, wouldalso like to include input from residents in any study. Hesaid that feedback from citizens is something the Councilmust consider with any decision.

“I think we need to realize that Clifton is not what itused to be in the 60s, 70s and 80s,” said White. “Wehave to face reality that things are changing... We need todeal with these changes more appropriately in order forthe city to run more positive and efficiently.”

The City of Clifton is acceptingapplications without regard torace, color sex or ethnic origin,from residents of Passaic & Essex

County, for the part time posi-tion of School Traffic Guard.

Several positions nowopen. Starting rate

$12.92 per hr. PaidPrescription plan after 1year of service + vaca-tion. Interested individ-uals may apply at thePersonnel Office atClifton City Hall, 900

Clifton Ave. Clifton, NJ,8:30 AM -3:30 PM. Applications

are accepted on an ongoing basisfor this position. City of Clifton is anEqual Opportunity Employer.

STOP!if you want a job


Board of Education ElectionThe field of candidates includes some new and some oldfaces. Can they bring harmony & progress to the BOE?Almost overlooked due to the brewing City Council race is theBoard of Education election, which will take place on April 20. Thenine member board has been particularly maligned in recent months,awash in controversy as commissioners engage in verbal spats at mostevery meeting. The Board oversees a budget in excess of $150 mil-lion, and its members must juggle the needs of the students with fiscalresponsibility in an increasingly turbulent economy.

At least one new commissioner will be elected, with Jim St. Clairopting to not defend his seat after just one term on the Board ofEducation. That vacant spot could potentially be a swing vote in meet-ings, as the Board is essentially split into two ‘factions’. IncumbentsKim Renta and Norm Tahan—considered part of that majority groupwith St. Clair—will seek re-election.

Challengers include Philip Binaso, former Board of Ed commis-sioner Wayne Demikoff, Joseph Fazio, Jr., John Houston, former BOEcommissioner Mary Kowal, Barbara Novak, Gary Leonard Passentiand Gina Marie Scaduto. All candidates will be interviewed in theApril Clifton Merchant. You can also meet these individuals at theClifton Licensed Beverage Association’s Candidate Night at Bliss, 955Allwood Rd., on March 12, from 4 to 9 pm.

CommissionersNorm Tahanand Kim Rentawill attempt toretain theirseats in April.Jim St. Clair(right) will not.


JeffLabriola

Optimist ClubFriend of Youth

On May 2, the Clifton Optimist Club will hold itsannual awards dinner at the Clifton Recreation

Center, recognizing four Clifton residents for theircontributions to the community. Among those who willbe honored is Jeff Labriola. The 30 year-old ChristopherColumbus Middle School art teacher and foundingmember and chairman of the Clifton Arts CenterAdvisory Board will be presented with the club’shighest honor, the 2010 Friend of Youth Award.

Story by Carol Leonard

Hanging on the wall in Jeff Labriola’s classroom atChristopher Columbus Middle School is a framedremembrance of his days as a second grader at School 16.

The students were asked by their teacher to writeabout and illustrate with a drawing what they wanted tobecome when they grew up. It’san assignment that pretty muchevery adult can remember hav-ing to do in one form or anotherduring his or her years in school.

With a steady hand and pen-manship more advanced thanmost children his age at thetime, Labriola clearly stated onthe white lined paper, “When Igrow up I will be a teacher andshow the class how to makesome art projects.”

Little did Labriola know atthe time that his dream as ayoung boy would actuallybecome his life’s work.

His colorful illustrationshows a classroom with a calen-dar and alphabet and numberchart on the wall, a neatlyarranged teacher’s desk with abox of tissues and a red apple at the far end, and whatappears to be an art table in the center of the room.

Labriola can’t quite remember why he also includeda smiling blue octopus with its numerous outstretchedlimbs in the picture, but he says that it symbolizes forhim today the many roles he plays in his whirlwind lifeas a teacher and advocate of the arts in the community.

Labriola hung the piece in his classroom to be aninspiration to his students to follow their own dreams

for the future. “I always tell them, if you have a passionfor something in your life, you need to use your educa-tion to get what you want,” he said.

As a young child, while most of his friends wereplaying with toy trucks, and bats and balls, Labriola

was busy drawing and creatingother works of art around hishome. “As soon as I was oldenough to pick up a pencil, Iwas drawing all the time,” hesaid.

“I was never much of an ath-lete or a video gamer,” he wenton. “My artwork gave made mefeel good about myself andgave me a sense of identity.”

Labriola continued to devel-op his artistic talents through-out his middle school days atWoodrow Wilson, where he gotinvolved with the stage crewand helped create the sets forthe school’s annual musicals.

At Clifton High School, hetook advantage of the wide vari-ety of course offerings in thevisual arts, taking classes in just

about every art form, including advanced placementcourses in art history and studio art.

Labriola credits teachers Carol Harmon, now retired,and Maryann Baskinger, now supervisor of visual andperforming arts for the school district, for instilling inhim an excitement for art that he tries to bring to hisown students today. “They made art come alive andmade me feel that I wanted to do that for other kidssomeday,” he said of his former teachers.


the New Bairn School

1451

199 Scoles Ave. CliftonwwwNewBairnSchool.com

973-473-4912

The Best in Private Education Offers Programs for INFANTS through FULL-DAY K • 7 AM-6PM

36 Years of Quality, AffordableChildcare Service

7am to 6pm

Think Summer!Register Now for

our Full Day ProgramFull Day Kindergarten


In addition to his coursework in art at the highschool, Jeff served as art editor of the yearbook and asdirector in his senior year of The Gallery, a quarterlyshow of student artwork.

As a senior, he also participated in Officials Day dur-ing the city’s celebration of Youth Week and wasassigned to shadow Councilwoman Gloria Kolodziej.

“With our mutual interest in the arts, we talked a lotabout the need for arts related programs in the commu-nity,” Labriola said of his day with Mrs. Kolodziej.

After graduating from CHS in June 1997, Jeffenrolled as an art education major at Montclair StateUniversity.

The following summer, he was hired as the firstsummer art intern for the City of Clifton. His jobincluded doing surveys and other background work tohelp establish the Clifton Arts Center, which opened in2000 in one of the old federal animal quarantine barnson the rear of the municipal complex.

Labriola helped form the Arts Center AdvisoryBoard later that summer, and was chosen by the othermembers to serve as chairman. He also served as thecenter’s interim director for several months, while stillan undergraduate at Montclair State.

One of the goals of the Arts Center’s Advisory Boardwas to develop a partnership with the school district, so

that the center would be a place where Clifton studentscould display their artwork as well as attend workshopsgiven by local artists.

“We wanted to get as many people in the communi-ty as possible interested in coming to the center,”Labriola said. “We knew that the best way to do thatwas to get kids involved in our programs.”

And get kids involved they did. With the conven-ience of being located adjacent to the high school cam-pus, the Arts Center serves as an extension of theschool’s art classrooms and provides a professionalatmosphere for the students to hold their annual springGallery exhibit for all community residents to enjoy. Italso offers a nearby field trip experience for studentsfrom the talented and gifted (TAG) art programs at thetwo middle schools and elementary schools.

“I’m so proud of my involvement in this project forthe community and our students, Jeff said of the ArtsCenter, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary thisspring.

Labriola completed his degree at Montclair State inMay 2001 and was hired to fill an art teaching openingat Christopher Columbus Middle School the followingSeptember.

“I always thought that I would teach in high school,”Labriola said. “My own middle school years were awk-

1170

Melissa Jaycox, Director • First Presbyterian Church 303 Maplewood Ave. Clifton • 973.523.7704

10%SSIIBBLLIINNGGDDIISSCCOOUUNNTT

OOFFFF

WEE CAREC HILD CARE CENTER

After-School Pick-Up @

Clifton School 5

• Infant & Toddler Program • Precious �’s• Pre�School & Pre�K Program • Open � am to � pm• After School Pick�Up

(from School � and School �)

• When public schools areclosed� we’re open!

• Weekly Chapel


NJ License 13VH00726700

Since 1960

ward for me trying to fit in socially, so I never thoughtthat I would ever want to return to middle school toteach. But within the first month, I loved it.”

Labriola said that teaching art has enabled him toform a special bond and relationship with many of hisstudents and their families.

“I try to make my class a comfortable and relaxedplace,” he said. “Kids today are so caught up in tech-nology, but they also need to learn to use their brainsand their eyes to create something with their hands thatthey can be proud of. Many of them are unaware oftheir talents.”

In addition to teaching seventh and eighth grade artcycle classes, which meet for one marking period, Jeffteaches an enrichment art homeroom. The special classfor selected students with an interest and talent in artbegins at 7:45 am every day and runs through the reg-ular homeroom period.

“It’s a very enjoyable part of my day,” he said. “It’svery exciting for me to work with kids who are so pas-sionate about art. We get to do more in depth projectsand I have them for the whole year instead of just onemarking period.”

In 2004, Labriola was instrumental in bringing achapter of the National Junior Art Honor Society toChristopher Columbus to recognize qualifying students

for their artistic talents, good character and communityservice contributions.

As faculty advisor to the Student Council for the pastseven years, Labriola works with student leaders onfundraising for school activities and community serviceprojects, including a Teddy bear collection for the hol-idays. Over the years, the students at ChristopherColumbus have collected donations of more than 2,000Teddy bears that were distributed to pediatric patientsin local hospitals and, this past holiday season, to chil-dren enrolled at the Cerebral Palsy Center on Main Ave.

Labriola always sets up a grand display of the donat-ed Teddy bears in the main office at the school to helppublicize the project.

Arguably Labriola’s most masterful and heartfeltwork happens every June, when he coordinates withparent volunteers to turn the lower gymnasium into amagical dancehall for the eighth grade Farewell Dance.

The theme is different each year and is kept secretuntil the eighth graders come down the stairs on thenight of the dance. “Hollywood,” “Around the World”and “New York, New York” are just some of the themesJeff has dreamed up for the elaborate decorations,which take many volunteer hours of his time to designand put together with the parents. The latter themeincluded a huge replica of the Statue of Liberty.


“It’s my gift to the eighth graders and it gives me awonderful chance to get to know the parents better aswe work to put it all together,” Labriola said.

For the first time this year, Labriola is also workingwith student members of the stage crew at ChristopherColumbus, designing the set for the spring musical,Aladdin. “It’s a Disney show and I’m a Disney freak,”Labriola said.

“I was looking for a new way to get involved withother kids in the school, especially those who weren’tselected for art homeroom, he said. “I think it’s essen-tial to kids’ academic success to become involved withthe school and their community.”

Although still in the early years of hiscareer,Labriola’s dedication and hard work are appreci-

ated and acknowledged by his colleagues, supervisorsand students.

“He’s a natural at what he does,” Mrs. Baskingersaid. “He’s passionate about his job and that translatesinto how he is able to motivate the students. That’swhat you want to see in a teacher.”

Last year his students successfully coordinated adrive to have him voted “Favorite Teacher” in a compe-tition sponsored by North Jersey Media Group, parentcompany of The Record and Herald News.

“Mr. Labs is the best teacher of all time,” one of hisstudents wrote on the Web site Rate My Teacher.“Super cool,” is how many others describe him.

In 2006, he received an Excellence in Education Awardfrom the Clifton Teachers Association and a NJ GovernorsTeacher Recognition Award. He has also been nominatedfor Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and for aGolden Apple Award from the Herald News.

More important to Labriola than awards, though, isthe knowledge that he has had an influence and impacton the live of his students.

He especially enjoys it when former students comeback to visit and express their appreciation for the timespent in his classes. “That’s when you know thatyou’ve made a connection that will last a lifetime,” hesaid. “It’s something that you can’t get working in thebusiness world.”

C.GenardiContracting Inc • Clifton

973-772-8451ROOFING • SIDINGSEAMLESS GUTTERS

ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS


Dr. Thomas Graziano is helping patients get rid of debilitat-ing pain with a treatment that uses your own blood to helpyou heal. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, relieves pain bypromoting true healing of musculoskeletal conditions such asplantar fasciosis and Achilles tendonitis/tendonosis.

The method, the New York Times reported, “centers on inject-ing portions of a patient’s blood directly into the injured area,which catalyzes the body’s instincts to repair muscle, bone andother tissue. Most enticing... is that the technique appears tohelp regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which could short-en rehabilitation time and possibly obviate surgery.”

Dr. Graziano said PRP has been used for years in surgicalcenters to improve the success of bone grafting (especially indental surgery) and also by cosmetic surgeons for speedinghealing time and decreasing the risk of infection after surgery.

Only in the last few years have doctors and surgeons like Dr.Graziano been experimenting with injecting PRP for the treat-ment of chronic pain—and he has found it especially effective.

“After a repetitive stress or soft tissue injury, it’s normal forthe body to increase blood flow to the injured area and sendcells to clean up damaged tissues and initiate the healingprocess,“ said Dr. Graziano. “The goal of PRP injections is tointensify your body’s efforts by delivering high concentrationsof platelets to stimulate the body’s natural healing response.”

Achilles heal, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, rotator cufftears, meniscal tears, osteoarthritis and chronic low back and

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy Speeds RehabOne Hour Procedure Uses Your Own Blood to Hasten Healing, Relieve Pain

neck pain are all being treated with the injectionof PRP—and getting people of all ages back toenjoying their life, pain free.

To create PRP therapy, a sample of blood isdrawn and placed into a centrifuge which sepa-rates the platelets from the rest of your blood.“The concentrated PRP is then injected into andaround the point of injury, jump-starting andsignificantly strengthening your body’s naturalhealing response,” said Dr. Graziano.

Because the patient’s own blood is used,there is no risk of a transmissible infection, hecontinued. PRP therapy is less risky and moreeffective than cortisone injections, which actual-ly blocks the healing process.

The procedure takes about one hour includ-ing time to spin your blood in the centrifuge.Performed safely in Dr. Graziano’s office or inan out-patient setting, PRP therapy relieves painand heals the injury without the risks of surgery,general anesthesia, or hospital stays, and with-out prolonged recovery time. In fact, mostpatients return to their jobs or usual activitiesright after their PRP treatment.

For more information, call Dr. Graziano at973-473-3344 or visit www.drtgraziano.com.


Now, some five decades later, thatIrish kid from the old neighborhood isoften the recognizable face and voice ofClifton when news related to police busi-ness or emergencies from our city isbroadcast across the region during thenightly news.

Detective Captain Robert Rowan,who has served with the Clifton PD formore than 35 years, recalls that thesechildhood impressions inspired him intohis career in police work—nearly fourdecades of public service that he says hehas really enjoyed, and one for which,over the years, he has earned seven com-mendations.

His commitment to excellence and hisservice to the community are among thereasons that Capt. Rowan has been cho-sen by members of the Clifton OptimistClub to receive the 2010 Judge Joseph J.Salerno Respect for Law Award.

Currently, as commander of theInvestigations Bureau of the CliftonPolice Department, Capt. Rowan has atruly wide range of responsibilities, stuffthat he has literally learned on the job.Among his task are the managing of allthe divisions of the investigationsbureau, detective, juvenile, narcotics, aswell as being the police spokespersonfor the police department, giving newsbriefings on a daily and weekly basis toall media outlets.

“Everything we do is crime-related,”said Rowan of his current position, “andthe detectives who perform the investiga-tions are very dedicated. They do a greatjob, which makes my job easier. Our

From a Childhood Dream to a Lifetime of Satisfaction

Story by Irene Jarosewich

Buy a $5 raffle to win a $500 TREK, thanks to our friends @ Allwood Bicycles. Call Tom Hawrylko for a ticket—973-253-4400.

As a young boy on Manhattan’s West Side, growing up near 105thand Amsterdam, Robert Rowan admired the beat patrolmen thatworked for the New York City Police Department. He saw that the offi-cers took pride in their post and the sector where they worked.


detectives are very professional, and through theirefforts, many crimes have been solved and many crimi-nals taken off the streets.” He began as a police officer in

the patrol division of the Clifton PD in 1974, then waspromoted to sergeant and in 1985, to lieutenant. He wasassigned as a training officer, and in 1997, when promot-

ed to captain, moved to managing theadministrative services of the department.In 2002, he came to his current position.

Each position, said Rowan, was inter-esting in its own way. “There’s a definiteexcitement to being a first responder,”noted Rowan, reflecting on his time in thepatrol division, responding to what policeknow as “hot calls” – crimes in progress.

As he moved up, however, workbecame more management, and this iswhere his education – an undergraduatedegree from St. John’s College in Queensand an MBA from Iona College – helpedwith contracts and budgets.

Rowan married his high school sweet-heart Joyce, who is now a teacher inPassaic. The Clifton residents have beenmarried 40 years, and the couple has threechildren: Patrick, a psychiatrist atSomerset Hospital; Mike a lieutenant withthe Clifton Fire Department, and Kerry, astay-at-home mom to three of the Rowan’ssix grandchildren.

Capt. Bob Rowan and his wife Joyce with their grandkids: Liam, Jimmy,Aoife, Felicia, Shawn and Pierce.


With 35 years in Clifton, Rowan acknowledges thathe has seen changes in the city.

Notably, because of the development on Route 3, thenature of policing has changed. Another change over theyears is the SROs—School Resource Officers. Theseare cops who are now stationed in CHS and the twomiddle schools. Rowan said the officers are there todeal with issues and head off problems. Being in theschool gives the police a chance to interact with stu-dents, develop a rapport with them, a system that makesboth the teachers and students happy.

However, he adds, despite the changes, “Cliftonremains a town of hardworking people, maybe the eth-nic composition has shifted a bit, but the crime rate hasstayed stable, which is relatively low for the size of citythat we are. And the mission of the PD has remained thesame, keeping conditions safe for society.”

Over the years, The Record newspaper of NorthJersey has conducted surveys and twice in recent years,the Clifton PD was voted the top police department inthe region by the people surveyed.

In fact, according to the City of Clifton website,Clifton was listed as the 45th “Safest Place to Live” inthe United States. This information appeared in the 14thedition of Crime City Rankings: Crime in MetropolitanAmerica in 2007 and was based on the FBI’s crime sta-tistics report. The report looked at 378 cities in America

with 75,000 residents or more.Rowan’s philosophy of crime enforcement is practi-

cal. “Unfortunately,” he said, “you can’t and never willeliminate crime altogether. It is just part of humannature. The key to keeping crime low is enforcement,nipping things in the bud. If you tolerate minor infrac-tions, then people will think that’s OK and eventuallythis will result in increased crime. I believe in the bro-ken windows theory – that if you see a broken windowand it is not fixed, it sends a message that no one cares.It is important to send a message that someone cares andto keep matters under control by enforcing city laws andordinances. This is the strategy employed by MayorGiuliani in New York in the 1980s and it worked. It’s alesson that can be learned by all police departments.”

Rowan also believes that is important to keep publicinformed with regard to criminal activity in their com-munities, primarily for their own protection, but also sothat the residents know what is going on in their com-munity and how their department is serving them.

“I’m genuinely very appreciative of having been cho-sen to receive the Optimist Award,” said Rowan. “It hasbeen my good fortune to serve the city of Clifton and thepolice department for 35 years. I really cannot seemyself doing anything else. I enjoy the camaraderie ofthe men and women I work with, all of whom are verydedicated professionals.”


The 2010 Clifton Optimist Awards is on May 2 at 4pm at the Clifton Recreation Center, 1232 Main Ave.Tickets, which include a sit-down dinner and beverages,are $32.50 (checks to Clifton Optimist Club). For info,call Optimist members Tom Hawrylko at 973-253-4400or Ted Munley at 973-473-2200, ext. 112.

On the previous pages, we featured Jeff Labriola whowill receive the Club’s highest honor—Friend ofYouth—and Police Captain Robert Rowan who willreceive the Judge Joseph J. Salerno Respect for LawAward. In last month’s magazine, we profiledCommunity Service Award winner Barbara Watterstonand Jack Kuepfer, who will receive the Clifton OptimistLifetime Achievement Award.

Many remember the late Joseph James Salerno, atleft, as the honorable Passaic County Superior CourtJudge, a position held until his death in 1992. But toCliftonites, Judge Salerno, a longtime Optimist, wasalso respected for his contributions to his town.

To commemorate his association with Clifton, JudgeSalerno will forever be associated with the CliftonOptimist Club’s Respect For Law Award.

The Clifton Optimist Club’s Community ServiceAward is a fitting tribute to the late Clifton Mayor andlongtime Optimist Stanley Zwier because the formerAthenia resident was involved in many communityevents, even up until his death in 1999.

Barbara Watterston Jack Kuepfer

Judge Joseph J. Salerno Mayor Stanley Zwier


DiversityThrough Dining

By Irene Jarosewich

A dancing dragon led by a masked monk ushered in the New Year celebration atChina Garden on Main Ave. in Delawanna on Feb. 20. The characters and theirentourage of performers danced into the Hong Kong style restaurant, greetingguests to annouce the Year of the Tiger. So Gung Hay Fat Choy!... whichtranslates to ‘best wishes and congratulations... have a prosperous and good year!’


ost people I know choose a restaurant, gosee what’s on the menu, and then decidewhat to eat. Not us. Nope. My husbandand I are what I call “urge eaters.” One of

us gets an urge and we get into our car and head out tothe restaurant that will scratch that itch.

Over the years, we have developed some pretty spe-cific tastes. So through trial and error during our eightyears here in Clifton, we’ve developed a short list ofour go-to places for well-prepared, reasonably pricedmeals. In late fall, the first urge of the winter seasonusually strikes for a basket of really good fish ‘n chips.That’s when we go to the Shannon Rose.

It’s definitely a stretch to call the Irish pub in CliftonCommons an ethnic restaurant, despite its Irishmoniker. And the cavernous size feels more like a chaineatery than a cozy mom-and-pop. But then, hey, we’rehere for the pints of Harp and the beer batter. And thestaff has always been friendly and cheerful.

The sad truth is that good fish ‘n chips are hard tofind these days. Most of the stuff out there beingpassed off as the classic seafood and potato duo is somecombination of pre-battered minced fish patties andfrozen French fries dumped in hot oil. The taste is com-plete yuck, enough to make a Gaelic wharf man weep.

At The Shannon Rose, they do fish’n chips proper.Proper requires whole fillets of cod, and fresh beer batter,

and somebody who’s paying attention to hand-dip andthen fry the fish without over or under doing it. The filletsneed to be served immediately and eaten hot and crispywith malt vinegar and salt, followed by a cold beer.

I say skip the Shannon Rose tartar sauce (good tartarsauce is tangy, made with healthy amounts of lemonjuice and/or mustard, ingredients that seems to be com-pletely missing). Unless you like really boisterouscrowds with your meal, you can also skip Friday andSaturday nights if all you want to do is eat. And nodoubt, there are other tasty items on the menu at theShannon Rose, but good burgers and sandwiches canbe ordered easily elsewhere. Not so, good fish ‘n chips.

It’s also a stretch to call Italian an ethnic cuisine inClifton. It’s more like home-cooking, except that inrestaurants, somebody else is doing it.

However, for decades I lived outside of New Jerseywhere the typical choice of Italian food was betweendoughy pizza and spaghetti, with or without the meatsauce. So I still get giddy when I eat luscious lobsterravioli, tender veal piccata or a real Made in NewJersey pizza that tastes like perfection.

But oddly enough, the urge that gets me out the doormost often in Clifton is not one of the more elaborateItalian dishes—rather it’s the humble eggplant rollatiniat the casual and cozy Taste of Tuscany found on thelower level of Styertowne Shopping Center.

M


If you think the Empanada Spanish Grill is all about the variety ofthe delicious baked items owner and chef Abel Alicea prepares daily,you are only half right.

It is true that Abel, a self taught chef, prepares over 20 varietiesof empanadas, with at least five daily flavors cooked from scratch andsold six days a week. And it is also true that he bakes his empanadas,a healthy switch to the classic stuffed dough comfort foods. Heexplains: “Several years ago when my wife Madeline became ill withChronic Fatigue Syndrome and was told she was not allowed to eatfried food, frying was eliminated from the Alicea household menu.This was the inspiration for our baked not fried empanadas.”

But the tasty truth is that Abel and his team spend Mondaythrough Saturday preparing a variety of slow-cooked Puerto Ricanand Caribbean classics, ready for take out or dine in his casual andcomfortable restaurant, located on Market St. near theintersection of Brighton Rd.

A Clifton resident for 14 years, Abelestablished his business in Clifton in order toshare his love for food and culture with hiscommunity. He said while the foods ofPuerto Rico tend to be misrepresented as fried,Abel is introducing daily slow cooked specials so thatresidents can taste cuisine from the Island that is nutritious andtasty. All served with rice and beans, they include: Monday: Choice of spare ribs or chicken stewTuesday: Choice of pepper steak or broiled quarter chickenWednesday: Choice of chicken wings or beef stewThursday: Choice of Spanish baked chicken or bacalou(Cod fish with onions and green peppers)Friday: Choice of pernil or fishSaturday: Choice of ropa vieja or chef special

Empanada Spanish Grill also has a selection of classic sandwiches,such as the Cuban with roast pork, ham, Swiss and pickle preparedon a panini press and the Riki Raki, which is toasted ham and cheesewith lettuce.

A graduate of Ramapo College with a degree in Accounting, hewas employed in the computer technology field for nearly 20 years.After the company he worked for was sold and his positioneliminated, he decided to pursue his lifelong passion and to open hisbusiness late last year.

EmpanadaSpanish Grill

Lunch • Dinner • Free Local Delivery ($10 Minimum)Catering of Authentic Puerto Rican & Caribbean Foods

Owner and Chef Abel Alicea

His passion for food, family and culturewas the inspiration. “I began to cook at ageseven,” recalled Abel. “Growing up with amother that was unable to care for herfamily, I learned to feed myself and others ata very young age. I love to cook andEmpanada Spanish Grill is really a dreamcome true for me. I’m delighted to say thatClifton has welcomed me and our familyrestaurant.”

8 Market St., Clifton 973-272-8202 Mon-Sat 11-8 pm (Wed till 6 pm) Closed Sunday

bakedempanada.com


For lovers of eggplant, a good rollatini is the tip offto a good place to eat. Honestly, anybody can throwtogether a decent ratatouille or moussaka. But a goodrollatini has to be crafted and the end result has toplump and sturdy, not soggy (which is when you knowyou’re eating the reheated frozen kind).

While it has no liquor license, Taste of Tuscany hasbeen full, even crowded, each time we’ve gone. Andthough we’ve experienced long waits, the staff makesan extra effort to be accommodating, with the host orhostess often bringing out trays of food samples forthose waiting in line to munch on. The restaurant issmall, seating is tight, but the place always feels upbeat,probably one of the reasons for its popularity.

As spring tumbles into the dog days of summer, I getan urge for cool and simple ceviche. A fresh, well-bal-anced ceviche, a cold marinated fish dish, along with adrink like a pisco sour and a light salad is a great sum-mer meal—and yes warm weather will soon come!

Discovered by us only last summer, Con Sabor aPeru on Lakeview Ave. is one of those terrific littlerestaurants that can comfortably be called “a find.”

The Peruvian food is fresh and tasty, the prices aregreat and the staff is super nice. And they have a choiceof not one, but several different types of ceviche.

Popular in Spain and Portugal, as well as LatinAmerican countries, the basic components of ceviche

are raw seafood and the juice of citrus fruits – lemons,oranges and principally limes. The seafood is immersedin the juice and marinated for several hours – sometimeslonger, the acidity of the citrus juice “cooking” the fish.

Ceviche recipes are numerous, mixing differenttypes of seafood and juices or adding ingredients suchas minced onions, herbs such as cilantro or differentpeppers. The end result of any ceviche is that theseafood must be firm. Marinated too long and itbecomes mushy, watery and too acidic. Once I wasserved a ceviche mixto – mixed seafood – that I

To get started in an Arabic or Turkish restaurant, beginwith the classic mazza— a sampling of hors d'’euvres.


7 am to Midnight7 Days A Week

503 Paulison Ave., 973-471-0868 Cuellar Family Markets

Michelle Diaz is a Registered Dietician at thePaulison Avenue ShopRite.

She will answer yournutrition questions and helpyou select nutrient rich foods!

National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaigncreated by the American Dietetic Association. Paulison Avenue ShopRite supports

this effort and reminds you of the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

Nutrition from the Ground Up reminds you to eat right and stay close to thebasics. Choose nutrient rich foods, those lower in calories and filled with vitamins, min-erals and fiber. Steer away from foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, sodium,

cholesterol and sugars. For more info, ask for Michelle at our Courtesy Counter.Remember:Variety from all food groups is key to healthy eating.

Paulison AvenueShopRite


thought was overdone and the staff at Con Sabor a Perucheerfully exchanged the dish immediately.

During our years in Clifton, we’ve developed newfood habits. I’ve shed my fear of bad pizza and havebecome a fan of extra thin crust. For my husband, it’sMario’s house Italian salad. Mario’s, a Clifton landmarkin Athenia, has become a regular stop-off for us. I pre-fer my small thin crust Emma’s-style pizza simply withcheese and fresh tomatoes, hold the sauce.

Mario’s isn’t the only place I go to for thin crust – theNona, or Grandma’s Pie, at Taste of Tuscany is also oneof my favorites for thin and extra crispy. Mario’s, how-ever, holds a special place on our taste buds since it isone of the first restaurants where we came to eat whenwe moved here, the first being the Tick-Tock Diner.

Waiting for our kitchen to be remodeled, we began toget to know Clifton through Mario’s. The Van HoutenAve. restaurant is still family-owned, and the food, someof which is great, some of which is not (give up alreadyon the clams casino – gummy, gummy, gummy!) hasmore or less remained the same for three generations.

Mario’s remains popular because it has something foreveryone in the family, and a lot of the dishes are stillserved family style. It’s the kind of place where you cango with a friend, whittle away a couple of hours talkingin a back corner, eating your way through appetizers,entrees, deserts and no one will chase you out.

And then there’s the salad dressing, the house Italian.My sister thinks it just packets of Good Seasons dress-ing made by the bucketfuls in Mario’s kitchen, but Idon’t know, I’ve tried to imitate the flavor at home andfailed. My husband swears it’s the best Italian dressing,even the best dressing – ever!

At Mario’s, he orders the mixed salad, which to theuninitiated simply looks like a large plate of shreddedlettuce with some other vegetables thrown in, takes thedressing and then douses – no, I’m sorry, drowns the let-tuce. A couple pieces of bread to mop it up, a bowl ofsoup and some iced tea and he’s a happy camper.

So when I hear the words, “you know, I’m in themood for a really large salad,” I know that’s the code for“let’s go to Mario’s.”

Back in 1953, Maria Leonardi opened a small shop on Parker Ave. in Botany Village called Maria’s Ravioli. There she made and sold a a variety of pasta products and sauces, all from fresh ingredients. Dishes enjoyed

for generations in villages throughout Italy—and in North Jersey—inspired her menu. It is a tradition carried ontoday, through a third generation of the Leonardi family, giving today’s Nonna Maria’s its authentic Italian fare.

Grand Opening Special

Save $2 per lb, through March 31.Lobster Ravioli $9.99/lb

Take Home Meals • Over 50 Homemade Pastas • Ravioli • Sauces

We’re Here 7 Days a WeekMon - Fri : 10 am - 7 pmSat & Sun : 10 am - 4 pm

See our Menu, Order Online!www.mariaspasta.com

Made Fresh Daily Over 50 Varieties

1132 Route 46 West Across from Fette Ford, Just past the Hearth

The Original of Botany Village is back in Clifton...now at...

Homemade PastaFAMILY OWNED SINCE 1953

Alexus Steak House973-746-6600955 Valley Rd

Aji Limon Peruvian973-272-3660 1239 Main Ave

Al Jannah Restaurant973-340-00051462 Main Ave

Al Khayam973-772-00501543 Main Ave

Angelo’s Pizzeria973-777-559972 Market St

Baranda Cafe973-246-18441551 Main Ave

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

Bogey’s Sports Pub973-523-4653103 Valley Rd

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

Buco Ristorante973-779-3500 953 Allwood Rd

Cafe D' Amici973-777-60701131 Bloomfield Ave

Century Buffet973-471-8018166 Main Ave.

Clifton Buffet973-478-688879 Ackerman Ave

Chengdu 46973-777-88551105 US 46

China Garden973-773-7633306 Main Ave

Con Sabor A Peru973-340-0008109 Lakeview Ave

Djerdan Burak973-513-9050223 Parker Ave

El Mexicano973-546-2348 1293 Main Ave

Fitzgeralds Harp & Bard973-772-7282363 Lakeview Ave

Foodies Cafe973-773-30621348 Clifton Ave

Hungarian Meat Center973-473-1645189 Parker Ave

IHOP973-471-7717680 Route 3 West

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

Kamils Restaurant973-772-19721489 Main Ave

Karpaty Deli973- 546-4659457 Clifton Ave

La Piazza973-478-3050150 7th St

La Riviera Trattoria 973-478-4181 421 Piaget Ave

La Riviera Gastronomia973-772-9099429 Piaget Ave


From Delawanna to Downtown and in all neigh-borhoods of our community, Clifton is a city ofdining diversity. Turn towards Paterson from ourDowntown Clifton office (near the landmarkWhite Castle) and find restaurants serving cuisinesfrom Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. My favorite isthe original Toros, an open, casual restaurantwhere the house speciality is the lamb shank. Headtowards Getty Ave. to your shortcut to Newark'sFerry St.—the Portuguese Tavern. Across fromthe famous Egg Platter, your white haired hostSilvio makes sure all is done right, from the Sangriato the house fish specialities. So go out and exploresome new culinary adventures.

DiversityThrough Dining

Some Dining Options...

Amy Barkalow of Jamie’s Restaurant & Cigar Bar onBloomfield Ave. (973-779-8596). Along with Kamils onMain Ave., they are Clifton’s two restaurants wheresmoking is legally permitted.

Luxor Restaurant973-772-2700341 Crooks Ave

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

Milano Restaurant973-614-0408561 Van Houten Ave

Osaka Sushi973-815-0801116 Market St

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

Polonia Meat Market973-777-7355785 Van Houten Ave

Portuguese Tavern973-772-9703507 Crooks Ave

Red Cat Martini Bar973-928-49511168 Broad St

Rick’s American Bar & Grill973-778-7100550 Allwood Rd

Seasons Chinese Cuisine973-777-5538Styrertowne Shopping Center

Stefan & Sons Meat Store973-546-3288246 Dayton Ave

Sultan Restaurant/ Banquet973-772-1995429 Crooks Ave

Taste of Tuscany973-916-0700Styrertowne Shopping Center

Tick Tock Diner973-777-0511281 Allwood Rd

Toros Turkish/ Mediterranean973-772-8032 489 Hazel St

Troops Subs973-365-15441212 Van Houten Ave

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

Zen Sushi973-253-7788433 Piaget Ave


Established in Botany Village in 1953 by MariaLeonardi on Parker Ave. in the old Italian section ofBotany, Nonna Maria’s Homemade Pasta is a thirdgeneration company which reopened in a strip mallon Rt. 46 West. “I’ve opened up my grandmother’sbusiness again,” Joy Langevin said proudly.

“I spent a lot of time with Nonna,” recalled the 38year old. The 3,400 square foot “factory” whichopened in Feb. has modern equipment to createsome 50 or so varieties of pasta, sauces and othertraditional foods. While much is modern, the secretis in Nonna’s Old World recipes.

Maria’s Ravioli was established 56 years ago andLangevin’s father, Joseph worked there and boughtthe business from his parents in the ’70s. After Mariapassed away in 1988, he relocated it to Wayne. “I’mexcited to move back to Clifton because that’s whereour clientele is,” said Joy. “The customers that cameto Wayne remembered my grandmother.”

Customers will find take-home items such aspasta, ravioli, and lasagna, all made fresh daily on thepremises, with no preservative. “This is a family busi-ness with a lot of pride and tradition attached to whatwe do,” said Joy. “It’s not just a job.” She added theychose to locate Nonna Maria’s Homemade Pasta onRt. 46 instead of in Botany because the highwayoffers accessibility and greater visibility.

See Facebook for Nighly Specialssearch ‘The Clif Tavern’

605 Clifton Ave.973-365-2060

Kitchen Open 11 am - 2 am Daily

Beers On–TapGuinness • Bud • CoorsLight • Yuengling • Bass

Sierra Nevada • Seasonals

We Party 365 • 7 am to 3 am

7 Days A Week Great Lunch Specials

It’s a St. Patrick’s Day Feast!Wed., March 17 from noon...Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinners $7.50Clifton’s Biggest Corned Beef Sandwich $5.00

CHS ‘72 Reunion, March 13. No Cover. Contact Bill Geiger @ 973-557-3613 or on Facebook

Write [email protected] to change/update a listing.


The Clifton Arts Center presents A Taste of Primavera,an art exhibit and sale of artwork by the members of theClifton Association of Artists. The exhibit is on viewfrom March 10 through April 17. There will be a recep-tion open to the public on March13 from 1 to 4 pm.Admission donation/fee is $3 for non-members.

The exhibit will include works in various art mediumssuch as oil, acrylic, pastels and mixed-media by profes-sional and amateur artists from Clifton and the area.

The Clifton Association of Artists was established in1963 by a group of eleven individuals. The mission ofthe Association is to promote the advancement of art andculture in Clifton by creating an environment for theexpression of the visual arts.

The Clifton Arts Center and Sculpture Park in associ-ation with the Clifton Public Library seeks to preserve,enhance, interpret and extend the reach of its programsfor the benefit and well-being of citizens. Events are sup-ported, in part, by a city-funded operating budget com-bined with the financial and in-kind donations from thenon-profit board, Clifton Arts Center, Inc.

The Gallery first opened to the public in January of2000. The Clifton Arts Center is located on the groundsof the Clifton Municipal Complex near the intersection ofClifton and Van Houten Aves. Gallery hours are 1 to 4

pm, Wed. through Sat.; group tours are available byappointment. The CAC meets at 7 pm on the firstMonday of the month at the Lester Herrschaft Centerbehind City Hall. The Association also sponsors annualart shows and sales. Call President Tom Dzubina at973-546-8977 or via [email protected].

Photo by Kim Basile

Clifton Arts Center Director Roxanne Cammilleri will present a lectureentitled: Picturing Health: Medicine & Art at Chilton Memorial Hospital inPompton Plains on April 21st at 2 pm.

The presentation addresses the relationship between medicine and art.Paintings viewed will explore the subjects of the doctor/patient relationship,physical fitness and health and healing across generations.

Also, the history of art and the development of medicine from the ancientGreeks to the present day are highlighted. The presentation is meant tohelp view not only paintings, but ourselves and our physicians with opti-mism and present the notion that health is affected as much by ouremotional lives as by our physical well-being.

The lecture is at the Collins Pavilion of Chilton Memorial Hospital.Call 973- 831-5367 or go to www.chiltonmemorial.org

Photo of Roxanne Cammilleri by Christopher Gore


Clifton’s Kayla’s Krew (left) wasshowcased at the 2010 NJ DARE(Drug Abuse Resistance Education)convention in Atlantic City. DARE isa national program that providesskills kids need to avoid involvementin drugs, gangs and violence. Krewmembers are lead vocalist KaylaBariliari, a fifth grader who attendsSt. Andrew’s the Apostle School; gui-tarist Adam Kosecki, a 7th grader atWoodrow Wilson Middle School;School 14 5th grader Trevor Rokosnyon bass; Briana Sista, a 5th grader atSchool 14 on keyboards; PatriciaBaran, a 5th grader at St. Andrew’son tambourine and Jared Stein, aSchool 14 5th grader on drums. TheKrew has performed at variousClifton street fairs and fundraisers;they are available to perform atevents by calling 973-779-7464.

Mariel Vasquez portrays Dorothy(what, no casting for Toto?) whenCHS presents the classic musicalThe Wizard of Oz. on March 19-21.

Cast members include DominickMarrone as The Wizard, JakeWilson as The Gatekeeper, TriciaTorley as Auntie Em, Juan Beltranas Uncle Henry, Michael Sunbury asHunk/ Scarecrow, Brian Bender isHickory /Tin Man, Ariel De Leon isZeke/Lion, Sarah Robertson isAlmira Gulch/Wicked Witch of theWest while Amanda Zaccone isGlinda the Good Witch of the North.

The Osians include: AdrianaShaw, Allsion Green, Bhavin Shah,Carol Fattal, Cassandra Lee,Fernando Cerezo, Gabby Punalas,Gabrielle Cabacab, JennieSekanics, Kristen Stanford, IleanaRamos, Mario Godoy, MatthewLouie, Michael Sconzo, MikeTecza, MiSook Mandonca, PeterAdamo, Rachel Gutierrez, RobertKozielec, Sorab Kochhar, SueEllen Lian, Trina Wijangco,

Yesserette Cardenas, Jon Salen,Jonas Avncema.

Directed by Liz Eisenmenger,other staff members include BobMorgan conducting the pit, AlynHeim on vocals, choreography byMrs. Marzella while the rehearsal

pianist is Matthew Wilson. Postersand artwork were under the direc-tion of Cynthia Sauchelli.

For tickets, times and more infor-mation, call CHS at 973-470-2310.Admission is $7 for students andseniors; $10 general admission.

CHS senior Ivan De Dios created the Five Faces of Oz (above) which is theposter to promote the show. Another design by fellow senior Kathy Lopez,also in the Design Applications Class, created the art for the t-shirts.


Blame It On The Movies is a musi-cal cavalcade of wonderful songsand themes from some of theworld’s favorite films and it will bestaged by Theater League of Cliftonin April. Dates are April 16, 17 and18; April 23, 24 and 25 with per-formances at the theater at School 3,365 Washington Ave. Info:www.theaterleagueofclifton.com.

Beauty in Diversity: A Celebrationof the Cultures of the World. The7th One Heart International Festivalof music, dance and drama (right) isMarch 28, 7:30 pm on the stage ofthe YM-YWHA, 199 Scoles Ave.,Clifton. Admission is $10; $8 forstudents and seniors. Produced byNew Jersey Music & Arts, perform-ers include the WAIT Dance Teamand the New Hope Players. For info,call 973-272-3255 or go tohttp://njma.homestead.com.The 2010 Passaic County FilmFestival is on April 17 in thePassaic County Public Safety

Complex, 300 Oldham Rd., Wayne.The event is a showcase of collegeor high school film students whoare residents of Passaic County.This is the fifth annual events andis presented under the auspices of

the Passaic County EconomicDevelopment Dept., 930 RiverviewDr., Totowa. For info, call DeborahHoffman at 973-569-4720, write toher: [email protected] orsee www.passaiccountynj.org/film.


Nancy Read’s first job as a youngnurse was in a maternity ward’s

nursery, cradling newborns. “I heldthose precious little lives in my armswondering what sort of life they’dgrow into and with whom they’d liveit,” she recalls of those days at DoverGeneral, not long after her 1978 grad-uation from Mountainside Hospital’sSchool of Nursing.

Today, she has come full circle. Read–who as a girl growing up in

Ridgewood aspired to be a nun andwho today is a registered nurse wholives in Clifton and serves as anordained deacon in the EpiscopalChurch—is a hospice nurse. Theterminally ill are her new charges.

“To walk with the dying to the edgeof their life, and gently hand themover to yet another journey, is a giftthat they share with you,” she said. “Ahospice nurse needs to recognize thathelping ‘birth’ their patient into deathis just as important as the day that per-son was born into this life.”

Death, though, is a matter of tim-ing for this nurse, a vegetarian whosefirst generation 2002 Toyota Prius has99,378 miles on the odometer fromtrips to those on their end journey andstickers reading “Episcopal Clergy”and “Support Peace.”

A Nurse’s JourneyNancy Read: A Good Shepherd to People in all Stages of Life

In March of 2001, a profile ofNancy Read began on the cover of this magazine. What follows is an update of her story(the picture here is current) as she continues her journey.


ituated on 80 acres, East Ridgelawn Cemetery andMemorial Park are among the most beautiful sites innorthern New Jersey. Through the center of the park is aplateau facing east where we now offer prime plots.Nearby is our Mausoleum where visits are unlimited andunaffected by the weather. Crypts are located in thebuilding and convenient for the elderly and handicapped.To discuss these options or those below, call or visit.

Since 1905, We’ve Been Helping Families & Friends

• NICHES • MAUSOLEUM • GARDEN GRAVES • NON-SECTARIAN

• MONUMENTAL GRAVES • NO OBLIGATION PRE-NEED COUNSELING

S


Her husband Phil’s friends, when told about her pro-fession, most always respond: ‘That must be so hard –so depressing.’ “But it’s really not,” he tells them. “InNancy’s mind, she doesn’t think it’s a coincidence thatshe’s involved with hospice.”

“I think it’s very much alife’s calling that I have chosento listen to and to follow out,”Nancy said. “My own sense ofspirituality has deepened to anextent that I don’t think it couldhave without having done hos-pice nursing.”

She has grown to love nurs-ing the souls of those in crisis,whether they be actively dyingor, as she says, “slowly dying.”

By that, she means thosewho she ministered to years agoas a visiting nurse on the streetsof Paterson and Passaic, thosesuffering from substance abuse,poverty and neglect.

It’s a journey of her own thattook her to CPE, orClinical PastoralEducation, atChrist Hospital inJersey City to fur-ther strengthen her “call” to what she calls soul nursing.Christ Hospital is affiliated with the Episcopal Church inthe Diocese of Newark. In 2005, she left for a 3-weekstint with the Red Cross to help those in need in the wake

of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Texas and Louisiana,organizing a field team to reach those in rural areas.

Two years later, she was appointed the archdeaconof the diocese, a post she held for two and a half years.

Her latest pastoral assignment isat Grace Episcopal Church inNutley, where her husbandsings in the choir. She, too, wasjust named to the board oftrustees of The House of theGood Shepherd inHackettstown, a continuing careretirement community.

In the past two years, herjourney has taken her to the road—literary. She joined the CliftonRoadrunners Club and ran herfirst marathon, in Philadelphia.She’ll be running in the JerseyShore Marathon in May.

It’s a path not unlike someoneshe bears a physical likeness too,namely the most Rev. KatharineJefferts Schori, the first woman

elected presidingbishop of theP r o t e s t a n tEpiscopal Churchin America. The

Most Rev. Schori, in fact, was featured in the January2008 issue of Runner’s World. Both are trim.

Rev. Read, as she is called, lost 45 pounds on herrunning journey.

“To walk with the dying to the edge of their life,and gently hand them over to yet another journey,

is a gift that they share with you.”


In the here and now, she facesdeath each day, making rounds athomes and long-term care facilitiesfor Homeside Hospice, a smallnurse-owned operation based inClark. “I love hospice nursing morethan any other kind of nursing I’veever done,” she said. “I think thereason for this is that I get to care forthe whole patient, not just the phys-ical aspects.”

After all the years, she has alsonoticed some similarities betweenthe comings and goings.

“Tears surround births anddeaths, yet we feel joy at one andsadness at the other,” she said. “Itshouldn’t have to be all sadness at the time of death.”

Read, like so many parents, saw the Disney movieThe Lion King years ago, listening with her children tothe song Circle of Life. It is a case of art imitating life.

“Life to me is very much circular,”she said. “Eachphase transitions toward another, leading us furtheralong in our journey. We need to view death as part ofthat circle in the journey. I don’t necessarily view deathas the ‘end’ of anything.”

Death, she said, is perhaps justan end to how we’ve experienced‘life’ in the past, moving on to a‘kind’ of life that goes on beyondthat which we call death. Aperson’s perspective—religious orspiritual beliefs —affect this.

Nancy has been at the bedside ofmany a dying patient and friend.She has come away with the viewthat death is a continuum.

“I believe no one ever truly diesalone,” she said, noting that almostevery dying person somewherealong the way sees his or her moth-er. A mother is present at birth, shesaid, returning to help re-birth a

now-grown child into death and beyond. “Can you see the beauty of the continuum of the

circle in this?”she asks. It’s no mistake, those words spoken by a dying

soldier in Saving Private Ryan. “Momma, Momma,”the soldier says while cradled by his buddies.

Accompanied by the “vision” of the mother at deathmay be several of the dying person’s deceased familyand friends.


These events, unseen to the caregivers, comfort andexcite, in a good way, the dying, she said. This is thepoint, she said, where forgiveness and healing takesplace, something that was not somehow possible earlierin life. She treasures these words from Emily Dickinson:

This world is not conclusion;A sequel stands beyond,

Invisible, as music,But positive, as sound.

It is words likes these are allow her to stand withcompassion and calm while others might weep in panic,she said.

Nancy operates in a day when there are nurses whonever have to “touch” patients—working in insurance,research or case management. She considered herselffrom the old school.

“I wanted to help people in need,” she said. “I wasdrawn to and still am, to hands-on nursing.”

Death, though, is a constant. It is also frightening. Todeal with it all, the hospice nurse needs to be centeredand grounded in her own sense of faith, she said.

There are issues of life after death, heaven and hell,the existence of God and being reunited with pre-deceased loved ones. And there’s the strength needed tosay the “Final Four:”

“I love you, I forgive you, I thank you and goodbye.”

An educator and legendary coach, Fernando Rossi is assured of a place

in Clifton History. But for his family, friends and neighbors, the former

Luddington Ave resident will be remembered as the

husband of the formerCleonilde Petrocelli

and the father ofTina and Giuseppe.

Mustangs Soccer CoachF e r n a n d o R o s s i


Carla Perino received ChildhoodDevelopment Associate (CDA)Credentials fromthe Council forP r o f e s s i o n a lRecognition inWashington, DC.She earned the cer-tification by spend-ing over 480 hoursworking at theBoys & Girls Club of Clifton, astate-licensed child care setting,with 120 hours of formal child careeducation and observation. Bypassing the oral and written exami-nations, the 2009 grad of PassaicCounty Technical Institute (PCTI)in Wayne who now attends BergenCounty Community College, isauthorized to own, manage or oper-ate a day care center. She is thedaughter of Gary and Debra Perino.

Mike Kester received his Bachelorof Arts Degree from MontclairState University onJan. 31. While heis pursuing careeropportunities inlaw enforcementor public service,Mike worked hisway through col-lege at Clifton’sACME Markets, where he is stillemployed. He is a 2005 grad ofClifton High School and the son ofRobert and Cynthia Kester.

School 16 on Grove St. will holdits Tricky Tray on April 15 at 6 pmat the Valley Regency. Tickets are$45 and include a deluxe buffet.Prizes include Coach bags, bigscreen T.V.s and more. Call 973-489-8323 for info or [email protected].

St. Mary Protectress UkrainianOrthodox Church Easter Bazaaris on March 14, from 1 to 4 pm.Ukrainian crafts and arts, includingtraditional embroidery and decorat-ed eggs (Pysanky) will be sold at thechurch hall, 81 Washington Ave.Additionally, the church kitchen willbe open for lunch. Purchase home-made poppy or lekvar rolls ($8 /roll)but orders must be placed by March5; leave your name and order on973-546-2473. All proceeds to ben-efit ongoing church repairs.

Support the Clifton Boys & GirlsClub Seahawks swim team by din-ing at Mario’s Restaurant on March15. The Seahawks are fundraisingfor their trip to the B&G Clubnationals in Florida. Mario’s isdonating10% of all orders, eat-in ortake-out, from 4:30 to 9:30 pm—mention Seahawks when ordering.


The 80th Annual St. Joseph’s Dinner Dancehosted by the Geraci Citizens League is onMarch 13, 6:30 pm at theBrownstone. Tickets are $90and includes dinner, dancingand an open bar. OrganizerNina Corradino said theGeraci League first organ-ized in 1930 by the residentsof a small town in Sicily,Geraci Siculo. “This is our80th anniversary—come and continue our tra-dition to celebrate the feast of St. Joseph. Wewelcome all to share the feast day. Bring yourfriends and family—the more the merrier.”For tickets: 973-470-8982 or 973-278-0356.

A St. Patricks Day Dinner Dance is at St.Andrew’s RC Church Hall on Mt. ProspectAve. on March 13 at 6 pm. Tickets are $35 ortwo for $60 and include a corned beef and cab-bage traditional Irish dinner along with per-formances by Jimmy Bryne and The LateShow. Call 973-473-3711 for tickets.

Councilwoman Gloria Kolodziej (with stu-dent Natalie Pych) was honored at St.Andrew’s on Jan. 31 for her years of supportfor the Catholic Schools of Clifton. She wasa frequent guest at St. Andrew’s duringCatholic Schools Week and the staff, studentsand parents wanted to recognize Kolodziej’sservice prior to the Councilwoman's retire-ment from elected office on July 1.


SS. Cyril & Methodius ChurchFish & Chips Dinner is on March 10at 5:30 pm at 218 Ackerman Ave.Tickets are $15 and includes cakeand coffee. Take out is available andthere is a raffle. Call 973-772-3448or 973-772-8806.

School 11 HSA’s Tricky Tray isMarch 19 at 6:30 pm at the Boys &Girls Club. Admission is $10 andincludes a sheet of tickets and a $200mystery prize chance. For info, call973-546-5111 or 973-546-0758.

The CHS Prom Fashion Show/Tricky Tray is on March 10 at theVenetian in Garfield. This is thelargest fundraiser for ProjectGraduation—the safe, all night partyheld on graduation night, at anundisclosed resort. To help raisefunds, senior Mustangs will be walk-ing the runway showcasing tuxedos-from Clifton’s DeLuxe Formal Wearand prom gowns from La Faye/Angelica Fashions. Admission is$40. For tickets, to make a donationor to provide a prize, call chairMaryann Cornett at 973-779-5678.

North Jersey Federal CreditUnion offers an Organic Bankingprogram to help Generation Y mem-bers reduce their carbon footprintand build their credit. Transactionsare done electronically or remotely,and mobile banking applicationsallow access via computer or mobiledevice. Members get a discount ona Credit Builder Loan in which theycan borrow up to $3,000 at a 7.99%,30-month term. Borrowers can alsosave money when they open a CD ata matching term to the loan. There isno membership fee to join NJFCU.For details, go to www.njfcu.org

Clifton’s Natalie Warchola first learned how to ‘write’ Pysanky asa young girl at the Ukrainian Center in Passaic. The word comesfrom the verb pysaty, ‘to write’, as the designs are not painted on, butwritten with beeswax. Natalie explains:“This batik method of decorating eggs isdone by applying hot wax on the egg anddipping it in a succession of dye bathsafter each layer of wax is applied to thedesign of the egg— it sounds difficultbut it is really very simple— then allthe wax is melted off the egg andall the colors are revealed...magic! The result... spectacular! This simple folk art started well over 2,000years ago to praise pagangods and it was adoptedby Ukrainian Christiansin 988 to celebrate Easterand Christ’s resurrection. It is an art I love to share, and I can teach you our folk art.”

The Folk Art of Pysanky.Take a class with Natalie andyou’ll have two completedPysanky to take home and theknowledge to do more!Classes are $50 and include afull kit of dyes, kistkas or writ-ing tools, bee’s wax and adesign booklet. To sign up for aclass, please call St. NicholasUkrainian Catholic Church inadvance at 973-779-0249 oremail [email protected].

On Palm Sunday Weekendshe’ll hold classes in the SchoolCafeteria of St. NicholasUkrainian Catholic Church, 223President St. in Passaic. Classesare on Saturday, March 27 from2 to 6 pm or Sunday, March 28,from 1 to 4. Attend either!

Learn the Art of the Ukrainian Easter Egg



Hello, I’m Dan Brown, a candidate for one of the sevenopen seats in the Clifton City Council election on May 11, 2010.

As an attorney with my own practice, I put myself through law school by work-ing a full-time job during the day and attending classes at night. I’ve worked hardall my life to achieve my goals and I will be equally committed to serving our city.

As a Councilman, I would bring a fresh, positive outlook to leading our city andsolving the issues which confront our community. That includes seeing that our taxdollars are spent wisely and that our hometown remains an affordable place to live.

My wife, Sue and I bought our home about five years ago and look forward toraising a family here. We believe in the future of Clifton and want to be a part ofwhat makes our community tick—that’s why I decided to enter this campaign.

For those of you who have already shown me your support by signing a peti-tion so that I can get on the ballot, thank you.

For those who I have not yet met, invite me to one of your group’smeetings—I would like to share my opinions, hear your concerns and the

positive things you have to say about Clifton.

Paid for by Daniel Brown for Clifton City Council, 101 Cambridge Ct, Clifton, NJ 07014

Elect Dan BrownClifton City CouncilClifton City Council

for

Write or Call me: [email protected] or 973-859-0054

Candidate Dan Brownwith his wife Suzannah.The couple has lived on Cambridge Courtsince 2005.


Jennie Tietjen’s motivation to become a speech pathologist stems fromher experiences as a student at School 2 on Van Houten Ave. It was therethat she was enrolled in speech therapy courses under Mrs. Sobota, whoworked to correct a speech impediment she had developed as a child.

Now, as a senior deciding on her future, the CHS Student of the Monthlooks back at her time in that classroom as her main motivation to pur-sue a career in speech pathology.

“When I was little, I had speech and Mrs. Sobota taught me how tospeak,” recalled Tietjen of her time at the Van Houten Ave. school.Looking forward to her adult years and a future career, she’d like topass the experience forward. “If I can change one other person, I’dbe happy.” Ranked 77th in the class, Tietjen said her choice of col-lege has been narrowed down to either William Paterson Universityin Wayne or Kean University in Union.

“Those two have the best programs in the state,” she explained.“If I go to Willie P, I’ll commute. If I go to Kean, I’ll live there.”

Tietjen’s acceptance to her schools of choice was due in part to herdiverse background at CHS.

Tietjen is enrolled in honors English with Miss Hamilton. “NicholasSparks is my favorite author,” said Tietjen. She listed The Notebook andDear John as her favorite works by the writer. Tietjen has been studying signlanguage with Ms. Schmidt, a discipline which could prove useful in hercareer after graduating.

In addition to her strong grades, Tietjen is involved in many extracurricu-lar activities. For the past three years, she has managed the volleyball teamafter playing in her freshman year. She has also managed the boys tennissquad each year while at CHS.

The senior is active in the conservation club, having joined in her sopho-more year after encouragement from her teacher, Mrs. Dutch. “Now I haveMrs. Sternsack,” she said. “I liked it, so I just stayed with it.”

Outside of school, Tietjen volunteers at the North Jersey DevelopmentalCenter, where she writes cards for patients, since the NJDC guidelines do notpermit volunteers to visit those under its care. She also assists with the youthgroup at her parish, St. Timothy’s, a Lutheran church in Wayne.

On top of her academics and volunteer work, Tietjen holds two jobs. The18 year old has spent the last two years as a cashier at Stop & Shop, work-ing some 20 hours over a five day work week. Tietjen is also a secretary forQuality Construction. No matter what college she attends, she plans on hav-ing some source of income when she continues her education.

“If I stay home, I’ll probably stay with these two jobs,” she said. “Atschool, I’ve got to see what I can handle. I’ll probably apply for a job oncampus to keep myself busy when I don’t have class.”

Because of her active volunteer activities, employment and the academicchallenges she took on at CHS, Tietjen isn’t intimidated by the rigors of col-lege. “I just like to strive for the best and challenge myself,” she said.

Story by Joe Hawrylko

CHS Student of the Month

You’ve spent years saving and investing for the day whenyou can put work behind you and enjoy the things youlove. But the only thing that should change on that day isyour strategy.

At Edward Jones, we can create a strategy to help ensurethe money you’ve saved will be there for you throughoutyour retirement. So you may look forward to a steady, stableincome for years to come.

To find out why it makes sense to talk with your Edward Jones financial advisor about your retire-ment savings, call today.

www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC

RETIREMENT IS NO TIMETO STOP PREPARINGFORRETIREMENT.

Cy YannarelliFinancial Advisor.

730 Broad Street Suite 2Clifton, NJ 07013973-777-9620

It’s simple, really. How well youretire depends on how well youplan today. Whether retirement isdown the road or just around thecorner, if you’re working towardyour goals now, the better off you’llbe. Preparing for retirement meanstaking a long-term perspective. Werecommend buying quality invest-ments and holding them becausewe believe that’s the soundest waywe can help you work toward yourgoals. To find out more, call today.

Cy Yannarelli, CFP, CLUFinancial Advisor730 Broad StreetClifton, NJ 07013973-777-9620Open 8AM - 6PM

Sat. 9-1www.edwardjones.com

Member SIPC

DREAMING UP THE IDEAL

RETIREMENTIS YOUR JOB. HELPING YOU GET THERE IS OURS.


2010 Clifton FamilySuper Bowl Party

Thanks to our sponsors, admission was acanned good which were donated to St. Peter’s Haven. The 12th Clifton FamilySuper Bowl Party was sponsored by...

• Optimist Club of Clifton • Rotary Club of Clifton • Jim & Rita Haraka & Family • Steve & Ellen Corbo & Family • Clifton Police PBA Local 36 • Clifton Firefighters FMBA Local 21• Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin • Clifton Moose Lodge 657 • Passaic County Surrogate Bill Bate • The Bassford Family /

JSK Landscaping & Const. • Mayor & City Council,

City Manager, City Attorney • CASA: Clifton Against Substance Abuse • Daniel & Suzannah Brown• in memory of Murray ‘Moe’ Abill

by Vito & Carolyn DeRobertis

On Super Bowl Sunday, hundreds of kids and theirparents enjoyed a family night of activities at the Boys &Girls Club of Clifton. With open gym and swim, plushundreds of pizzas, hot dogs and soda, those whoattended watched the Game on two big screen tvs...


18141814

Proud to Represent CliftonAssemblyman Thomas P. Giblin1333 Broad St., Clifton, NJ 07013office: 973-779-3125www.assemblymangiblin.com

View The Giblin Report Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, Channel 76

1232

Benjamin Moore Paints and much more...

Able Hardware745 Van Houten Ave.

973.773.4997Mon.-Fri. till 7pm

Sat. till 5pm

194 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell • 973-403-9968 –– 2 Union Ave., Paterson • 973-595-1647

F R E E S U N D A EBuy One Ice Cream or Yogurt Sundae,Get Another FREE With This Coupon

Coupons May Not Be Combined.

$200 OFFAny Size Ice Cream Cakes

Coupons May Not Be Combined.

GelottiHOME MADE ICE CREAM

ITALIAN ICES • SOFT ICE CREAMSHERBERT • YOGURT • CAKE • GELATO

1380

Sponsors (cont’d)...

• in memory of Florence, George H. Trinkle Jr.,& George H. Trinkle III

• in memory of Ben & Sylvia Delancyby Doreen Delancy-Williams

• in memory of Henry Dougherty by Barbara Dougherty

• Carlet, Garrison, Klein & Zaretsky • Thomas Miller & Estelle Palko• TD Bank • Frank Gaccione• Knights of Columbus

St. Philip the Apostle Council 11671• Boys & Girls Club of Clifton• Clifton Merchant Magazine

2010 Clifton FamilySuper Bowl Party



Name: __________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________

City: ____________________________________________State:_________________________________________

Zip:______________________Phone:_____________________________________________

Email:________________________________________________________________________

PLEASE MAKE CHECKS TO TOMAHAWK PROMOTIONS, 1288 MAIN AVE., CLIFTON, NJ 07011

Have Clifton Merchant Mailed.$27/YEAR SUBSCRIPTION Sorry but due to problems with Bulk Mail Delivery

we no longer offer a $16 rate for Clifton Subscribers.


Regina Mundi Council #3969, Knights of Columbusrepresents six Roman Catholic parishes in Clifton—St.Andrew, St. Brendan, St. Clare, St. Cyril & Methodius,St. John Kanty, and St. Paul—and Holy FaceMonastery. The Order of the Knights of Columbus isthe world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organiza-tion. Founded in 1882, it is named in honor ofChristopher Columbus and dedicated to the principlesof Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism.

Here in Clifton the K of C has a long history of serv-ice—a legacy members say that want to continue forgenerations to come and that’s why they are recruiting.

Regina Mundi Council will conduct membershipdrives in Clifton parishes in 2010. The first is March 13and 14, at St. Paul Church on the corner of 2nd St. andUnion Ave., at the 5:30 pm Mass on March 13 and at the7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 Liturgies on March 14th.

“We are looking for good Catholic men and women 18years of age and older who are interested in joining anorganization that actively supports brightening the lives ofthe less fortunate, the intellectually disabled, the sick, theelderly, the young, the unborn, veterans and the communi-ty,” said Peter Babits. For details, call 973-779-7279 orvisit http:/reginamundi.catholicweb.com.

Captain Gary Giardina has been named Chief of Police effective March 1 by City ManagerAl Greco. The 52 year old, who grew up in Clifton but now lives in Wayne, replaces RobertFerreri, who has served in that capacity since June 1, 2002. A 1976 CHS grad, Giardinabecame a police officer in 1978 under the CETA program and was permanently appointed tothe force on Sept. 2, 1982. He and his wife Cindy have two sons: Gary and Vincent.

Gary Giardina: Clifton’s 9th Police Chief

Chief William J. CoughlanJan. 1, 1908 - Dec. 13, 1931

Chief Tunis HolsterDec. 16, 1931 - April 13, 1934

Chief James N. MarshAug. 8, 1934 - June 1, 1955

Chief Paul DittrichAug. 2, 1955 - Oct. 31. 1957

Chief Joseph A. NeeJan. 1, 1959 - Sept. 23, 1977

Chief Edward J. KredatusMay 24, 1979 - March 1, 1990

Chief Frank J. Lo GiocoMarch 1, 1990 - May 31, 2002

Chief Robert FerreriJune 1, 2002 - March 1, 2010


This annual 300 mile bicycleride leaves NJ on May 9 in aneffort to raise awareness ofpolice officers who have died inthe line of duty and to raisefunds for the National LawEnforcement Officers Memorial.

Our Clifton Team joins over1,000 other cyclists and supportpeople on our route toWashington D.C. to remind resi-dents of the risks police officersface every day. Once in ournation’s capital, we will hold aseries of vigils and events toremember every police officerkilled in the line of duty.

Among those whose memory we honor:our brother Clifton Police Officer JohnCharles Samra whose End Of Watch wasNovember 21, 2003—killed when hismotorcycle was struck by the driver of amini-van attempting to flee an accident atMaple Pl. and Washington Ave.

For 2010, the Clifton group pledged toraise $32,000 and asks the community tosupport us via the options listed here...

CyclistsRobert Bais

Randy ColondresRichard DiBelloBrian Fopma

Gary Giardina, Jr.Tom HawrylkoJohn Kavakich

Paul Vinas

Motor EscortsRobert Bielsten

Derek FoggGary Giardina, Sr.Vincent LaRosa

Support TeamStephen BergeKevin Collucci

Rocco LocantoreMichael McLaughlin

Ellen DeSimoneMichael Horvath

Elena SieryBeth Sparks

Details & Info:see any of the aboveor go to our website

cliftonpba36.comor call Tom Hawrylko

973-253-4400

Police Unity Tour We Ride for Those Who Died

To Support the Clifton Members of the 2010 Police Unity Tour...• Make a Donation at CLIFTONPBA36.COM • Purchase a $5 raffle for a 1 in 750 chance to

win a $500 TREK bicycle (thanks Allwood Bike!)• Purchase a $15 red Police Unity Tour T-Shirt• Purchase a $25 raffle for a 1 in 500 chance to

win a 2010 Yamaha Grizzly 350 Auto Quad(a $5,849 value, thanks Motorcycle Mall!)

Attend These Events...• March 25 9 pm, Shannon Rose, Raffles, Guest Bartenders, The Mark Jeker Band, Drink Specials

• March 29 Bring the Family to TGIF, present a “coupon” & 20% of your tab benefits the Tour

• April 11 Family Pasta Dinner (Tixs $20 or $15)• April 30 Send Off Party at BLISS


Clifton’s Red Hat Angels led by Chris Lizner are gear-ing up for the Relay For Life of Clifton which beginsSat., June 12 at 2 and ends at Sun., June 13 at 7 am atClifton Stadium. Team members include Mary AnnHageneder, Joann Mack, Joyce Porter, JenniferPearson, Betsy Klos, Janet Mozolewski, Arleen Bador,Helen Kerin, Cecile Grabley, Jane Nagel, JaneBeck,Janet Wells, Cheryl Dowling. Mike Rossi andMelissa DeMolli cochair the RFL Clifton, which is anovernight community celebration. At nightfall, partici-pants will light hundreds of luminaria candles aroundthe track to honor cancer survivors as well as friends

and family members lost to the disease. “Relay ForLife represents hope that those lost to cancer will not beforgotten,” wrote Lizner, continuing: “...that those whoface cancer will be supported and that one day, cancerwill be eliminated.” To sponsor, participate or for info,write to [email protected] or go towww.relayforlife.org/cliftonnj.Team Tomahawk led by Casey Hawrylko with BeccaPotocki and Victoria Petrovic will be participating inthe Montclair State leg of the Relay for Life. They willbe doing their overnight on April 16. To join, give orparticipate, write [email protected].

Those lost to cancer will not be forgotten, those who face cancer will be supported...


The Clifton High School Class of 1960marks 50 years on May 15 at The RussianHall in Little Falls. Doors open at 6 pm andtickets are $75. For info, email Nancy LewisZink at [email protected] Mail/makechecks to Kathleen Ploch Mack, 14 AldomCircle, West Caldwell, 07006. She can bereached at 973-618-1830.

This summer, Clifton Merchant Magazinewill once again take a look back at the CHSclasses of 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and2000 when we ask “Where are theseMustangs Now?”

We’re looking for old pictures, unique sto-ries or fun facts about any of the membersfrom these classes. To share a memory, sendan email to [email protected], orcall 973-253-4400.

John Giblin

Rosalyn MarinoJoseph OrlovskyNancy LewisMarcia Graupe

Michael Gimon

Rosemary Grabowski

Byron Lagala

Barbara Novak

Robert Papa Harold Ranges

Meaghan Franko ...............3/1Kathleen Pocoek................3/1Kenzie Lord..........................3/3Valerie Godowsky ..............3/5Alice Paxton........................3/5Carol Crudele.....................3/6Ted Grzybowski ...................3/6Pat Smith .............................3/8

Victoria Crudele .................3/9Jenny Sichel ........................3/9Pamela Culque ................3/10Tiffany Sabo ......................3/10Teddy Harsaghy ...............3/11Eddie Gasior, Jr. ................3/12Mike Pesaro.......................3/12Victor Berdecia ................3/13

Diego Hernandez.............3/15Laura Lee ..........................3/15Suzanne Ciok ....................3/19Caitlin Lotorto ...................3/19Colleen Murray.................3/20Holly Sorenson...................3/20Nenad Vuckovic ..............3/20Monica Ahmed ................3/21George Andrikanich........3/22Pat Hiller.............................3/22Elisabel Reyes....................3/24Carmen Rivera .................3/24Kyle Hooyman ..................3/24Michele Andrikanich........3/27Jennifer Mondelli ..............3/27


Grace Martin is 2 on March 5. Elaine Sassine turns 63 on March 15.

Happy Birthday toEdward C. Smith!

He turns 86 on March 28.

Michael & Mary Tresca celebrate their 25 anniversary

on March 30th

Birthdays & Celebrations!send us your dates and names... [email protected]

Bianca Eda Genardi turns 4 on March 2. Her Aunt Lisa turns 50 on March 1 and Uncle Bob celebrated 50 on Feb 9. (Center) Nicole Marie Cornett & Sean Christopher Cefalo are engaged tomarry in the Summer of 2010. (Right) Happy 20th Birthday to Casey Marie Hawrylko on March 2.


1036

Nicholas Surgent ..............3/27Muriel Curtin......................3/28Leah Roundtree ...............3/29Francis Salonga ................3/31Paul McVeigh ...................3/31Chris Kolodziej...................3/31

Happy 47th Birthday toEric Sudhalter on March 1

from your Saturday MorningJunior Bowling League

Egon & ShirleyKot married 64 years on

March 15.

Corey & Michelle Genardi(above in1992) celebrate their18th anniversary on March 28.

HAVE A POOLPARTY AT THECLIFTON BOYS& GIRLS CLUB(see our ad on page 58)


810 Broad Street | (973) 272-3264

810 Broad Street | (973) 272-3264With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or

prior services. Offer expires 4-1-10.

New Students OnlyLittle Genius Academy

Your Child will Flourish in our Clean & Spacious Pre-School

M-F 7:30am - 6pm

Located behind St. John Lutheran Church

• Hot Lunch prepared on premises

• Computer, Library & Imagination Room

• NJ State Licensed

• Professional Certified Staff

• Age Appropriate Curriculum

Call owner Alicia Priegue for an appointment.

Bring your child in for a tourAges 21/2 to 5 Years old

Register Now for Clifton’s Best Summer Camp! It’s All Fun & Games!

Food For Friends is a new pro-gram at the Stop-n-Shop on BroadSt. which has St. Peter’s HavenFood Pantry as its beneficiary.

“At check out, customers areasked if they would like to partici-pate by donating a dollar for thefood bank,” explained store manag-er Christine Lysicatos. “We startedlate due to our grand opening butthanks to our customers, we raised$768.60. Our relationship with St.Peter’s is one we know will grow.”

St. Peter’s on Clifton Ave. servesas the city’s food bank and is facedwith an especially dire need—con-tributions of cash and canned goodsare down due to the economy andthe demand for service is up.

The Haven runs its CommunityFood Pantry as one step in prevent-ing homelessness for low-incomeindividuals and families. The Pantryis open three mornings a week,staffed with the help of volunteers

from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church,the community and other organiza-tions. “We tell our participants to paytheir rent and utilities first and come tothe Pantry as needed so that they donot jeopardize their housing agree-ments,” explained Ann Masiello of

The Haven. Other services include theavailability of clean, warm clothing foradults and children, baby items andsome household furnishings. If youwould like to contribute cash or goods,or are in need, call 973-546-3406 orwrite [email protected].

Ann Masiello of St. Peter’s Haven with Christine Lysicatos of Stop-n-Shop.

St. Peter’s Haven needs community support

March 2010_cover TEMPLATE 2/25/10 12:02 PM Page 3

Tomahawk Promotions1288 Main AvenueClifton, NJ 07011

PRSRT STDUS Postage

PAIDPATERSON, NJPERMIT NO. 617

March 2010_cover TEMPLATE 2/25/10 12:02 PM Page 4

Clifton Merchant Magazine - March 2010

Documents

Transcript of Clifton Merchant Magazine - March 2010