Clifton Merchant • March 2013 3
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant4
Table of Contents
Chris de Vinck EssayThe Miracle of Our Existence
Transplanting LoveA Family Teams Up to Share Love
Nutritious & Cost EffectivePaulison Ave. ShopRite’s Stephanie Pose
Mental WellnessArabic Community & Mental Health
Everybody Hates YouCCMS Kids Stand Against Bullying
Filming with FrankoPower of Film to Change Social Issues
What’s Inside?6
8
16
24
28
36
38
Living on the SidelinesCrohn’s Disease and Nick Lavender
CHS MusicalCrazy for You
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Clifton Merchant • March 2013 5
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44
48
54
56
58
62
64
66
Family Super Bowl Party250 Attend the 15th Annual Event
Neighborhood NewsCommunity Items from All Over Town
Events & BriefsThings To Do during March
Student of the MonthNick Zecchino is 24th in Class of 2013
Birthdays & CelebrationsNeighbors & Friends at Milestones
CHS Class of 1963 ReunionGraduating from an Architectual Gem
Politics & BusinessLunches, Campaigns & Political Parties
Cancer Survivor Theresa ColonDoing Laps for Clifton’s Relay for Life
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March 2013 • Clifton Merchant6
Moments of Grace
How many people had to have been born in order forus to exist today? We� all� had� two� parents,� and� four
grandparents� and� eight� great-grandparents,� 16� great-
great-grandparents.� If�we�calculate� fifteen�generations
back� we� see� that� we� each� had� 32,736� great,
great…grandparents.�One�missing�person�in�this�chain,
and�we�would�not�exist�today.
In�May�of�1940�my�mother�was�eighteen-years�old.
She� lived� in� Brussels,� Belgium� with� her� mother� and
with�Henry,�her�brother.�Her�father�was�an�officer�in�the
Belgian�Army�and�he�was�already�separated� from� the
family�because�of�the�impending�war�that�crashed�upon
the�world�that�spring.
When� Panzer� Tanks,� Nazi� airplanes,� and� the
Blitzkrieg�over�ran�the�small�Flanders�nation,�my�moth-
er�was� so� frightened� that� she� begged� her�mother� that
they�leave�before�the�enemy�troops�entered�Brussels.
So� my� grandmother,� my� mother� and� my� Uncle
Henry�were�suddenly�refugees�on�a�train�heading�south
towards�France.�My�mother� said� that� the� train�had� to
stop�many� times� because� of� the� invading� planes� and
their�bombs.
My�mother�also�remembers�the�thousands�and�thou-
sands�of�people�walking,�pushing�carts,�carrying�sacks
over�their�shoulders�as�they�overwhelmed�the�roads,�all
trying�to�escape�the�oncoming�invading�army.
Finally�my�mother�and�her�little�family�arrived�in�a
French� coastal� town� they� knew� so�well:�Dunkirk.�To
my�mother�Dunkirk�was�a�placed� filled�with� summer
memories�on�the�beach.�
Essay�by�Chris�de�Vinck
Consider the Miracle of Our Existence
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 7
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In� the� history� books�Dunkirk�will� long� be� remem-
bered� as� the� place� where� over� 300,000� British� and
French� troops�were� surrounded� by�Hitler’s� army� and
doomed�to�certain�capture�and�death�had�it�not�been�for
Winston�Churchill�who�ordered�any�boat�or�ship�avail-
able�in�England�to�cross�the�English�Channel�and�save
the�solders.�Over�900�ships�carried�out�this�mission�that
is�still,�to�this�day,�called�the�miracle�of�Dunkirk.
So�there�was�my�mother�and�her�younger�brother�and
my� grandmother� standing� in� the� chaos� of�Dunkirk� in
the� spring� of� 1940.�The�Nazi� troops�were� advancing.
Over�300,000�solders�were�pushed�into�the�little�town
and�the�surrounding�fields,�and�my�grandmother�knew
that�they�had�to�leave�Dunkirk�as�quickly�as�possible.
Because�my�grandmother�was� so� familiar�with� the
city,�she�and�her�children�walked�to�the�bus�stop.�Funny
how�we�assume�things�will�still�work�properly�during
times�of�a�disaster.�But�sure�enough,�a�single�bus�was
making�its�way�through�the�swarm�of�people�trying�to
evacuate�the�dying�city.
When� the� bus� slowly� approached� the� depot,� my
mother,�grandmother�and�uncle�were�at�the�front�of�the
massive,�desperate�crowd.�Suddenly�hundreds�of�peo-
ple�surged�and�began�to�push�forward,�all�hoping�to�get
a�seat�in�the�bus.�
The�bus�kept�rolling�forward,�slowly,�slowly,�when,
because�of�the�huge�push�from�behind,�my�mother�was
thrown� under� the� bus� between� the� front� and� rear
wheels.
With� the� bus� still� in� motion,� with� the� chaos� and
shouting,� with� the� mob� pushing� forward,� my� grand-
mother�screamed�out�to�the�driver�“Stop the bus! Stopthe bus!”
The�bus�driver�heard�my�grandmother�and�when�he
stepped�out�onto�the�street�he�started�screaming�back�at
her,� angry� that� she�was�arrogantly�demanding� that�he
stop�the�bus.�But�then�my�grandmother�quickly�pointed
and� sobbed� in� a� plaintive� cry:� “My� daughter.� She� is
under�the�wheels!”
The�bus�driver�stooped�down�and�there�was�my�moth-
er,�on�her�back�with�the�rear�wheels�already�rolled�on�my
mother’s�outstretched�dress.�The�bus�driver�had�to�use�a
pair� of� scissors� to� cut�my�mother� out� from� under� the
large,�heavy�wheels.�Because�the�crowd�was�so�packed
he�could�not�drive�the�bus�in�reverse.�Because�of�this�ter-
rible� shock� to�my�mother�and�grandmother,� the�driver
gave�my�family�the�first�seats�on�the�bus.�
Seconds�later�my�mother�would�have�been�crushed
to�death.�
Seconds�later�I�would�not�have�been�born.�
Seconds�later�my�children�would�not�have�been�born.
We�are�precariously�linked�to�people�we�never�knew.
How�fragile�our�own�existence�is,�so�dependent�on�the
lives�of�our�ancestors�making�their�own�way�and�sur-
viving.�Remember�Clarence�the�angel�in�the�film�It’s aWonderful Life speaking�to�George�Bailey?�“Strange,�isn’t�it?�Each�man’s�life�touches�so�many
other� lives,”�Clarence�says� to�George.�“When�he� isn’t
around�he�leaves�an�awful�hole,�doesn’t�he?”�
In�World�War� II�alone� it� is�estimated� that�60� to�80
million�people�died.�Think�of�all� the�broken� families,
the�broken� lines� into� the� future;� think� in�gratitude� for
the�miracle�of�our�existence.
Christopher de Vinck is the Language Arts Supervisor at CHSand the author of 13 books. To order his recent work,
Moments of Grace, call 1-800-218-1903.
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March 2013 • Clifton Merchant8
Clifton Health
It�has�often�been�said� there� is�no
greater�bond�than�that�between�a
parent� and� his� or� her� child.� For
Karel�Choteborsky,� that� concept
took�on�new�meaning�when�his�daugh-
ter�Mary�gave�him�the�gift�of�life.�On
Jan.�8,�she�donated�one�of�her�kidneys
to�him.
Five� years� ago,� Choteborsky,� 66,
was� diagnosed� with� kidney� insuffi-
ciency.� He� was� treated� with� medica-
tion� for� a�while� but,� as� his� condition
worsened,� his� doctor� eventually� rec-
ommended�that�he�go�on�dialysis.�The
procedure�filters�waste�from�the�blood,
a�process�that� is�normally�handled�by
healthy�kidneys.
Although� he� can’t� be� certain� what
caused�his�kidneys�to�fail,�Choteborsky
speculates�that�his�constant�exposure�to
paint�solvents�and�inks�over� the�years
may� possibly� have� contributed� to� his
illness.�He�had�spent�40�years�working
in� the� chemical� industry� as� a� produc-
tion�and�plant�manager.
Mary,�31,� offered� to�be� a� live�kid-
ney�donor�for�her�father�right�from�the
start,� but�Choteborsky�was� against� it.
“I� was� very� hesitant,”� he� said.
Transplanting LoveDaughter helped Dad“quit part-time job”when she donated
her kidney
By Carol Leonard
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 9
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March 2013 • Clifton Merchant10
Clifton Health
“She’s�a�young�woman�and�I�was�afraid�that�something
might�happen�to�her.”
Choteborsky� was� placed� on� the� kidney� transplant
list�and�spent�four�years�traveling�three�days�a�week�to
St.� Joseph’s�dialysis� center� in�Paterson.�The� sessions
were� each� four� hours� long,� but� Choteborsky� never
complained.�He�just�hoped�that�someday�he�would�get
to� the� top� of� the� donor� recipient� list.� “I�made� it�my
part-time�job,”�he�said�of�his�dialysis�experience.
While�at� the�dialysis�center� last�year,�Choteborsky
picked� up� a� brochure� advertising� a� seminar� at� Holy
Name� Hospital� in� Teaneck� about� live� kidney� trans-
plants,�which�he�attended�with�his�family�to�learn�more
about�the�procedure.
“Everybody�told�us�that�it’s�the�best�way�to�go,”�he
said.�“There�are�so�many�applicants�for�kidney�trans-
plants�that�it�can�take�up�to�10�years�waiting�for�a�non-
living�donor.”
After�the�seminar,�Choteborsky�and�his�wife�Dolores
became�more�comfortable�with�the�idea�of�their�daugh-
ter�giving�up�her�kidney,�and�Mary�took�the�next�step.
She� called� the� transplant� coordinator� at� St.� Barnabas
Medical�Center�in�Livingston�to�set�up�an�appointment.
“They�have�a�very�sophisticated�program,”�she�said.
“I�met�with�the�donor�coordinator�who�explained�what
I� would� have� to� go� through� to� be� qualified.� They
walked�me�through�the�whole�procedure�and�answered
all�my�questions.”
As�an�active�young�woman�who�enjoys�skiing,�run-
ning�and�playing�soccer,�Mary�said�she�was�concerned
about� the� long� term�effects�of� the� surgery�and� living
with� only� one� kidney.� “I�was�much�more� frightened
before�I�started�the�process,”�she�said.�“I�learned�that
it’s�actually�an�extremely�safe�surgery.”
The�next� thing�was�for�Mary� to�be� tested� to�see� if
she�was� a� compatible� donor� for� her� father� and� to� be
certain�that�she�was�in�good�enough�health�for�the�sur-
gery.�
An�important�thing�that�Mary�also�learned�was�that
if�she�hadn’t�been�an�appropriate�match�for�her�father,
but� was� still� willing� to� be� a� donor,� she� would� have
been�placed� in�a� registry� to�match�her�kidney�with�a
compatible�recipient.�In�return,�her�father�would�have
received�a�kidney�from�another�compatible�live�donor.
The� process� began� last� August.� After� having� her
blood� drawn� to� see� if� her� type� and� antibodies
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 11
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant12
Clifton Health
matched�her�dad’s,�Mary�found�out�that�she�was�a�suit-
able�donor.�Then,�she�had�to�be�cleared�medically.�This
included�a�CT�scan�of�her�abdomen�to�make�sure�that
she� had� two� healthy� kidneys.� “A� small� percentage� of
people� are� actually
born� with� only� one
kidney,”� she� said.
“They� tested� every
major� organ� system
in�my�body.”
Mary� passed� the
medical� exams� with
flying� colors� and� in
November,� she� and
her� parents� set� the
date� for� the� surgery
to�be�in�January.�“We
decided� that� we
wanted� to� enjoy� the
holidays� before
going�through�this,”�Choteborsky�said.
Before�the�operation,�Mary�and�her�father�each�met
with� various� members� of� the� transplant� team� at� St.
Barnabas,�which�is�one�of�the�largest�transplant�centers
in�New�Jersey.�“They�have�a�great�support�and�educa-
tion�program�for�donors,”�Mary�said.�“The�head�of�the
team� met� with� me� for� over� an� hour� and� walked� me
through�everything.�I�met�with�a�social�worker�and�the
donor�advocate,�so�I�had�all�my�questions�answered�and
I�wasn’t�afraid.”
The�whole� family,� including� the�Choteborsky’s� son
Karel,�and�his�wife�Tatiana�also�met�with�members�of
the�transplant�team�to�learn�what�to�expect�and�how�they
could�help�during�the�recovery�process.�“They�want�to
make� sure� that� everyone� is� well-informed,”
Choteborsky�said.�
Dolores�felt�confident�that�they�were�doing�the�right
thing.�“I�was�convinced�that�Mary�was�healthy�enough
and�that�she�would�be
okay,”�she�said.�“And
I� was� looking� for-
ward� to�my� husband
having�a�new�kidney
and�not�having�to�go
for� dialysis� any-
more.”
To� help� ease� his
anxiety� before� the
o p e r a t i o n ,
Choteborsky� attend-
ed� a� relaxation� pro-
gram� recommended
by�a�friend.�It�includ-
ed�training�in�medita-
tion� and� positive� thinking.� “I� believe� it� really� helped
me,”�he�said.
On�the�day�of�the�surgery,�father�and�daughter�were
brought�into�adjoining�operating�rooms.�Mary’s�proce-
dure�started�first,�about�an�hour�before�her�father’s.
When� he� was� ready� to� receive� the� kidney,� they
removed�the�donor�organ�from�Mary.�Her�operation�was
completed� in� two�hours,�while�her�dad�was� in�surgery
for�about�four�hours.�
After�coming�out�of�the�recovery�room�the�two�were
assigned� to� rooms�next� to�each�other� in� the� transplant
wing�of�the�hospital,�where�Mary�stayed�for�two�nights.
As�an�organ�recipient,�Choteborsky�was�under�quaran-
tine�and�given�immune�suppressant�drugs,�which
At Mary’s CHS Graduation in 2003, Karel, Mary and Dolores.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 13
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PASSAIC COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Visit us at www.pccc.edu/ceor call 973-684-6153
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of the United Statesof America
and to the republicfor which it stands,
one nationunder God,
indivisible,with libertyand justice
for all.
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This class has certainrequirements whichmust be met.Advanced registrationand testing are required.
Call 973-684-6153for an appointmentor come to 32 ChurchSt., 3rd Floor, Paterson.
FREE
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant14
Clifton Health
he�will�be�on�for�the�rest�of�his�life.�He�remained�in�the
hospital�for�five�nights�before�going�home�to�complete
his� recovery.�This� includes� keeping� away� from�public
places�until�at�least�April,�while�his�immune�system�gets
stronger.�
Mary�stayed�with�her�parents� in� their�Clifton�home
for�about�five�weeks�while�regaining�her�strength�after
surgery�and�to�help�out�with�her�father.�“After�about�two
weeks�I�started�to�feel�much�more�like�my�old�self,”�she
said.�“It�just�takes�time�to�get�back�your�stamina.”
Dolores� took� a� leave� of� absence� from� her� job� as
director� of� marketing� and� volunteers� at� Preakness
Hospital�to�stay�home�with�her�husband.
Young�Karel�took�over�the�upkeep�of�the�two-family
home�that�he,�his�wife�and�their�three�year-old�daughter
Sofia� share� with� his� parents.� � Other� extended� family
members�including�Dolores’�siblings�also�pitched�in�to
help.� � “I’m� relieved� that� it’s� over,”�Mary� said.� “I� feel
lucky�that�I�was�able�to�do�this�for�him.�Now,�I�hope�he
continues�to�recover.”
Mary�went�back�to�her�Manhattan�apartment�and�her
job� as� a�book�editor� at�Random�House�Publishing� at
the�end�of�February.�She�hopes�to�gradually�return�to
her�active� life,�which� includes�playing� in�a�corporate
soccer�league�and�practicing�yoga.
Choteborsky�also�used�to�ski�and�play�soccer�before
his� illness,�but�he�says� that�he�will�be�content� to� just
live�a�normal�and�healthy�life.�
He�and�Dolores�would�like�to�get�back�to�traveling,
including� visiting� his� two� sisters� in� his� native�Czech
Republic.� “He� hasn’t� been� there� in� four� years,”
Dolores�said.�“Traveling�that�far�was�impossible�when
he�was�on�dialysis.�The� farthest�we�would�go�was� to
the�Jersey�Shore.”�
The�couple�also�enjoy�going�to�the�theater,�movies,
concerts�and�museums�and�they�hope�to�resume�all�of
those�activities�when�Choteborsky�is�permitted�to�get
out�more�in�public.
Choteborsky�gets�teary�eyed�when�he�speaks�of�all
the�help�he�received�from�his�family�and�how�grateful
he�will�always�be�to�his�daughter�for�the�sacrifice�she
made�for�him.�
“What�a�great�thing�it�is�to�have�this�kind�of�support
in�your�life,”�he�said.
The Honorable
Sheila Y. OliverSpeaker of New Jersey
Proudly Serving Assembly District 34...
Clifton, Orange, East Orange & Montclair
15-33 Halsted St., Suite 202 East Orange, NJ 07018973-395-1166 • [email protected]
paid for by Committee to Elect Sheila Oliver
269 New Jerseyans were killed by guns in 2011.Lives lost forever, families broken. Giventhose facts, I want our state to be the leaderon gun violence prevention. Whether it’s onthe streets of our communities, a movie the-ater or an elementary school, we needmeasures that do more to protect residents.Enough is enough. No more talk. It’s timefor action on gun violence.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 15
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Remember: Variety from all food groups is key to healthy eating.
Cuellar Family Markets
Paulison AvenueShopRite7 am to Midnight
7 Days A Week
503 Paulison Ave., 973-471-0868
At the Paulison AvenueShopRite, Registered DietitianStephanie Pose is in the store fivedays a week. Her job is to helpour shoppers make good decisionsregarding the importance of foodchoices and to help you developsound eating and physical activityhabits. She is also available for storetours for individuals or groups aswell as one-on-one nutritionalcounseling. These services are freeand it is another way for all of usat Cuellar Family Markets to saythank you for shopping here. Callor visit Stephanie to find out more.
National Nutrition Month®is a nutrition education andinformation campaign created by the American DieteticAssociation and it is run every March.
Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day reminds you to eat rightand stay close to the basics. Choose nutrient rich foods, thoselower in calories and filled with vitamins, minerals and fiber.Steer away from foods that are high in saturated and trans fats,sodium, cholesterol and sugars.
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant16
During Christmas of 2011, Nick Lavender came down with what he thoughtwas a stomach bug. But after several days of feeling ill, he went to his physi-cian, and then spent New Year’s in the hospital before his doctor’s fears were
confirmed: Crohn’s disease. That would mark the start of the roughest six monthstretch of Lavender’s life.
“This was a different type of feeling. It felt like a bad
cramp,” recalled the CHS 2010 grad. His doctor sus-
pected food poisoning, but when the pain persisted, the
physician thought it was an appendix issue. “I had to go
to the hospital for a bunch of MRIs, CAT scans and all
that good stuff.”
The tests detected swelling in the appendix, as well as
inflammation in Lavender’s intestines, leading the doc-
tors to believe that the issue was Crohn’s Disease. A fol-
low up trip to a gastrologist confirmed those suspicions.
“I had never heard of it. I did a lot of research on my
own to see what it was and it was scary,” he said.
Crohn’s is an uncurable disease that affects the digestive
track, causing nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach, loss of
appetite and other issues. The severity of the symptoms
varies by case. “Every story is different. Every person
feels it differently. It affects everyone differently.”
“Crohn’s is heredity and you would think there’s a
past family history,” he continued. “However, no one in
my family has a history of stomach problems.”
Unfortunately for Lavender, who was thin before the
onset of his disease, Crohn’s would cause him plenty of
physical and mental anguish for nearly half a year.
“For me, it was the roughest five months of my life,”
he explained. “From January to May, I couldn’t eat any-
thing. Not a single piece of food. Just applesauce,
yogurt, jello... Everything I ate caused me pain. I had
nausea every day. I lost 35 pounds and I was in bed all
the time. When I wasn’t in school, I was in bed sleep-
ing. I was just so weak and tired all the time. I would
throw up on a daily basis.”
Clifton Health
By Joe Hawrylko
Now on the SidelinesCrohn’s Disease Didn’t Derail His Dreams
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 17
Dr. Michael Basista, Medical Director of Immedicenter
Immedicenter1355 Broad St. • Clifton • 973-778-5566www.immedicenter.com
When March comes in like a Lion,We’re here for Chills, Spills & Ills
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March 2013 • Clifton Merchant18
Clifton Health
At that point in time, Lavender was in his sophomore
year of college at NJIT, having transfered from
Connecticut State University. He had planned on speak-
ing with the basketball coach about opportunities as an
assistant or manager, but the sudden onset of Crohn’s
completely derailed those hopes since it was such a strug-
gle just to get to class in the morning.
Things became so bad at one point that Lavender spent
three days in the hospital in the middle of the semester
after his disease created small holes in his intestines,
which allowed food and waste to seep through, causing an
infection.
Still, despite his debilitating illness and the three day
hospital stay, Lavender focused on academics and ended
the semester with straight A’s.
“I found a way to always remain positive. To fight
through it, roll with the punches,” he said. “I couldn’t
even drive myself to school. My parents would drive me
to school, wait three or four hours until I was done and
then would drive me home and I would go to sleep. That
was pretty much my life for those five months.”
Eventually, doctors were able to control his disease
using a combination of daily pills and periodic intra-
venous medicine.
“Every nine or ten weeks, I have to go to the doctor to
get an infusion of Remicade,” he said. The medicine is
administered intravenously for three and a half hours at a
doctor’s office. “It’s pretty much the main medicine used
to treat Crohn’s. It puts the patient in remission for long
periods of time.”
In the end, he lost 35 pounds off of his 155 pound
frame. It took months to get back up to his normal weight,
and today, Lavender is sitting at a healthy 170 pounds.
“Trying to tell a teenager they can’t eat, that’s the hard-
est thing in the world,” he laughed. “I used to drink six
Boost meals (a liquid protein meal) a day. Those were the
most disgusting things.”
Lavender is fortunate that he has not had to drastically
alter his diet since his disease has gone into remission. If
anything, he has started to eat more healthy.
“Everybody is different. I am very fortunate that I can
really eat anything,” he said. “Nothing really bothers me
much. Spicy foods, I try to stay away from that in the
past since it has bothered my stomach, but I’m really
lucky that I get to eat anything that I want pretty much.
But I try to stay away from fast food, McDonalds and
that stuff. I try to eat a lot of home cooked meals and
fruit every day.” continued on page 22
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Clifton Merchant • March 2013 19
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March 2013 • Clifton Merchant20
Maria Sokolina, DDSDr. Maria Sokolina, DDS, is a firm believer in continuing her education.
That is why this Clifton Dentist is a leading authority on alternative solu-tions to CPAP Breathing Machine in use for Sleep Apnea. She complet-ed hundreds of hours of continuing education for Sleep Apnea at DawsonAcademy, USDI Institute for Orthodontic Training and Tufts University.
Dr. Sokolina graduated from NYU Dental School in 1998 with thePeriodontics Honor Award. Her postgraduate training was at NewarkBeth Israel Medical Center. Dr. Sokolina is also a member of theAmerican Academy of Dental Sleep Apnea. She also has activeteaching privileges at Mountainside Hospital in Glen Ridge.
For 10 years as he got ready for bed, Lou Chimentorigged up a CPAP machine to manage his OSA. First
he’d fill the cumbersome machine with dis-tilled water, then connect tubes and a
mask before plugging it in to createthe positive air pressure he neededto regulate his breathing
While the CPAP helped, themachine’s tubes, wires andnoise kept him restless, prevent-ing a solid 8 hour sleep. To sayit affected the life of this 49-year-old is an understatement.
“I went months withoutsleep... two, three hours anight. I felt like a zombie.”
So when Chimento foundout about the Dental Sleep
Apnea Appliance and visited Dr.Maria Sokolina at Harmony Dental Arts,he knew he had found a solution.
Thanks to Dr. Sokolina,
For the first time in months,I’m sleeping through
the night!
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This syndrome isn’t just annoying for you and your partner.OSA can be deadly. Those who suffer from this disease areat higher risk for heart attack. Many people use a CPAPmachine which can affect your sleep quality, sex life andmuch more. But why suffer through something that is soeasy to correct? If you suffer from OSA, visit Dr. Sokolina atHarmony Dental Arts. Learn about the Dental Sleep ApneaAppliance, an unobtrusive, comfortable, effective andcustom treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Dental Sleep Apnea Appliance
is a Highly Effective Solution...No Surgery, No Breathing Machine! “This thing is a life changer,” he said. “Anyone
using a CPAP machine gets a hold of this appli-ance, they’d love it.” Chimento pulled the DentalSleep Apnea Appliance from his pocket andpopped it in his mouth to show how easy it is touse—and to travel with.
Similar to a dental retainer, the Sleep ApneaAppliance is custom made of two separatepieces. Now when he goes to bed, the devicehelps prevent OSA while allowing Chimento to stillspeak, yawn and drink. Most importantly, it doesnot require an electric motor or head gear.
“Dr. Sokolina and her staff are great,” he contin-ued. “She fitted me for the appliance in one sit-ting. I came back for adjustments as I got used toit for comfort and fit. But she is always on time,never making me wait. While I appreciate thatkind of service, what I value most is how Dr.Sokolina addressed my Apnea and actually gaveme my life back. If you have OSA, give her a call.”
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Clifton Merchant • March 2013 21
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant22
Clifton Health
Lavender, who is an avid sports fan, also tries to keep
in shape, but still sometimes finds his energy sapped.
“I try to remain as active as possible,” he said. “I’ve
always been an athletic person. I get tired really quickly.
Every day I’m tired all the time.”
Lavender occasionally gets minor flare ups of his dis-
ease. In the event of a sudden attack, Lavender said that
he will go to a liquid diet for the rest of the day, and get as
much rest as he can. However, overall, the disease is at a
stage where it is entirely manageable.
“I just try to not think about it. If it happens, I deal with
it then,” he said. “Crohn’s is a struggle, something you’ve
got to adapt to and work through it. If you don’t treat it
right away, it is more harmful than it needs to be. Just lis-
ten to the doctors, listen to what you’re supposed to do and
stick with it.”
Because Lavender’s illness is in remission, he is free to
pursue his two passions: teaching and coaching. The CHS
grad is majoring in technology education, and would like
to teach a drafting at a high school. He is also a paid man-
ager for the school’s D-1 basketball team, and travels
around the country with the squad. “I want to be a coach
one day, so this kind of sidelined me for a bit,” said
Lavender. “I finished out the year without doing anything.
The first thing I did was I went to the coach’s office and
had an interview with him and everything went well.”
“It’s a great opportunity for me,” he explained. “They
gave me an in-depth role with the team. I’m very
involved with the team and the coaching staff. I travel
with the team pretty much across the nation.”
Ironically, one of the school’s assistant coaches also has
intestinal issues, and the two have bonded.
“It’s funny. I work for NJIT basketball now. I’m the
head manager and the assistant has Colitis, which is pret-
ty much the same thing except it affects a different area,”
he said. “But my experiences are completely different
than his. He gets flare ups once a week. It’s crazy.”
“I am able to sit down and talk about my experiences
with him. He shares stuff with me and we laugh about it,”
he said. “Being able to talk about what I am going
through and laugh about it, it’s kind of been a big help.”
With the disease now in a manageable stage, Lavender
is looking ahead to the future.
“I definitely want to coach at the high school level. If
I have an opportunity at the college level, maybe a grad
assistant or something, that would be great too,” he said.
“I definitely want to be a coach one day. That’s why I am
doing what I am now.”
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 23
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March 2013 • Clifton Merchant24
Clifton Health
America and our diverse communities, espe-
cially in northern New Jersey, are a nation
of immigrants, with each group adding its
cultural traditions, including food, to the
country’s shared multi-ethnic experience.
As part of National Nutrition Month which is in
March, the Paulison Avenue ShopRite and the store’s
Retail Registered Dietitian Stephanie Pose offers ways
to “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day” with foods from
all corners of the globe.
“As a registered dietitian, I am
asked every day, ‘What should I eat?’,”
said Pose. “The answer of course is, ‘It
depends.’ Eating is not a ‘one-size-fits-
all’ proposition. I make recommenda-
tions that accommodate the food pref-
erences, cultural traditions and cus-
toms of the many and diverse groups
who live in our community.”
“The U.S. population is changing.
By 2050, half of the population will
be non-white. We need to have a glob-
al perspective on food and focus on
diversity and multiculturalism, espe-
cially as they relate to the nutritional
health of families,” stated Pose, who
is also fluent in Spanish.
“My goal is to promote and sup-
port good health awareness and prac-
tices for customers, store associates
and community partners,” she said.
“Good health, good nutrition and
doing it all in an affordable way is
part of our mission here.”
Throughout March, Stephanie will
conduct healthy recipe demonstra-
tions, store tours, and one on one con-
sultations for groups and individuals
surrounding the “Eat Right, Your
Way, Every Day” theme.
By Tom Hawrylko
Nutritious andCost Effective
Healthy, affordable menu items from ethnic traditions can be found in the aisles of your local supermarket
At left, Stephanie Pose discussing healthy food options with Angela Manzueta of the Family Head Start of Passaic as they plan for a tour.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 25
YOUR MAIN CHOICE FOR ALL YOUR SERVICES & NEEDS
From Accounting Services to Tax Preparation to
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pers this financial season — and year round!
The Downtown Clifton Business District —
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March 2013 • Clifton Merchant26
Clifton Health
One of her popular subjects—
Shopping Solutions on a Budget—will be presented to the Cooperative
Extension of Passaic County and
others. While her presentation takes
visitors up and down the 19 aisles of
the store, for those that can’t attend,
she said to try these strategies for
eating healthy on a budget:
• Be prepared when shopping. Have
a meal plan and a detailed shopping
list for the week. And remember,
the old saying that going shopping
while hungry is sure to cost you an
extra dollars and calories is true.
• When your store is running a sale
on lean protein, buy extra pounds of
chicken breasts or fish. Then, at
home, divide the protein into indi-
vidual serving sizes and freeze it for
up to three months.
• When you see a good price on
fresh fruit or vegetable, buy extra
and freeze it. Berries and broccoli
will freeze and last for months.
• Cut snack foods. Cartoon charac-
ter cereals are unhealthy and pricey.
Choose air-popped popcorn (buy
bulk corn kernels, not the
microwave bags) and dried fruit.
• Make your own nutritious soups,
chilis and stews. Recipes are chock
full of healthy yet inexpensive
ingredients that will feed you and
your family for many meals.
• Other than milk, avoid buying
beverages loaded with sweeteners.
As part of the community service
by the Paulison Avenue ShopRite,
Stephanie’s services are free of
charge. Call 973-600-0161 or email
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 27
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant28
Clifton Health
Mental WellnessThe Mental Health Association in Passaic County offers programs for the Arabic community to overcome social barriers and stigmas
By Joe Hawrylko
With 36 regular clients and many more on a waiting list, RajaSalloum is a busy woman. A licensed clinical social worker at the
Mental Health Association in Passaic County (MHAPC), her
typical day consists of speaking with patients, listening to their
issues, and offering advice, therapy and any assistance she can muster from her
cozy office at 404 Clifton Ave. in Downtown Clifton.
Salloum is the center’s liaison to the region’s large Arab-American population,
which is estimated at more than 30,000 in Paterson alone. It’s a demanding job, but
one that Salloum loves waking up for every day—helping others is her passion.
A practicing Muslim herself, Salloum is keenly aware of the many societal and
religious issues that Arab-Americans face. Many years ago, she chose to no
longer wear her hajib, which is the religious scarf that Muslim women in the pres-
ence of non-related adult males.
“I was asked by my dad to wear it, but never by force,” she said. Traditionally,
girls are expected to start wearing it by age nine. “It was challenging in the
beginning. I don’t think clients realized that. I challenged the ground I
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 29
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant30
Clifton Health
stand on. That should not define my ability to work
with them.”
Salloum, who lives in Clifton with her husband and
three children, understands what it means to be a prac-
ticing Muslim and an Arab-American. Just like her
clients, she is active in the social and religious commu-
nity. She understands their concerns about upholding
the family name, even if that might conflict with per-
sonal beliefs.
Salloum has been there before, and she wants to be
an ally to those in her community who need help.
The need for someone such as Salloum was realized
by the MHAPC in 2006, after a task force was formed
with the goal of increasing outreach to the growing
Arab community. The group determined there was two
main reasons that individuals did not seek help: stigma
and not knowing where to turn.
“If you think about Arab families, there’s a collective
id… they’re not so individualistic,” Salloum explained.
“The main function is to service family and maintain
family honor and reputation in society is central to Arab
psychology. There is that sense of commitment to that.
Whatever behavior is exhibited by one child, it repre-
sents the whole family.”
By 2007, the MHAPC was starting to hold small
meetings in local mosques, schools and community
centers, where they solicited anonymous questions
from the crowd. Soon, administration realized that
there was a definite need for services, but members of
the Arab community were skeptical of turning towards
outsiders for help.
“We were just amazed—people were desperate for
help. I think a lot of them did know there was some-
thing wrong. I think they recognized they were strug-
gling with something, but where were they going to
go?” said Salloum. “This was post 9/11. There
“It was challenging in the beginning,” Raja Salloum said of her decision tonot wear a hajib. “I don’t think clients realized that. I challenged the ground
I stand on. That should not define my ability to work with them.”
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 31
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Clifton Health
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was a lack of trust in going to any place that would
offer services. When you are a therapist, you have to
ask very personal questions. To them, it was, why
would I go out after I see on the news a woman has her
hajib pulled off in the middle of the street, or a taxi
driver in New York City is killed because people
thought he was Muslim. Post 9/11 really did not help
in terms of reaching out to people for services. That’s
why I think this program timing was just right.”
Salloum’s background as a Muslim and an immigrant
from Jordan, combined with her warm, caring personali-
ty and passion for her job is what makes her perfect as the
MHAPC’s outreach coordinator. She is aware of the
issues facing the community, but with a Master’s in social
work, she is qualified to offer professional help to those
who need it most.
According to Salloum, an Arab-Americans who is suf-
fering from a crisis of some kind would first turn to fam-
ily for help, then going to a religious leader if the problem
persisted. “The main individual support is the family—
uncle, aunt, grandmother,” she explained. “Before they’d
go outside, they go there. Once they go outside, they tend
to go to their community leader. If they’re Muslim, they
go to a mosque to see the Imam. He would play coun-
selor basically.”
Unfortunately, those with mental issues are sometimes
viewed as not being religious enough, rather than some-
one suffering from mental illness. It’s a stigma that has
Some of the staff at MHAPC. From left: Marjorie Izaguirre, Family Support Specialist, Joanne Green ExecutiveDirector, Rebekah Leon, Associate Executive Director, Dennise Babin, Assistant Director of Outreach Services, StevenSacks, Community Outreach Advocate, Yolanda Cobos, Parent Support Specialist
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 33
dated back for many years, but
recent outreach work has been slow-
ly breaking down that cultural barri-
er. Salloum explained that many of
her patients are actually referrals
from Imams that the MHAPC has
developed a relationship with.
“It’s a sense of relief for them to
have someone to talk to,” she
explained. Because the Arab-
American community is so tightly
knit and the stigma surrounding ther-
apy, Salloum takes great care in
making sure that clients who know
one another will not have appoint-
ments at similar times. “A lot of
people just go under the guise of,
‘Oh, she just helps us talk better to
each other.”
Salloum said that convincing the
family members of a patient to
accept therapy is often one of the
most difficult barriers to overcome.
“I have many women who start to
come, but then go ‘Oh my husband,
oh my father,’” she recalled. “I tell
them to bring them—I welcome
them. It disarms them.”
While the MHAPC’s outreach has
been making headway in the com-
munity as a whole, Salloum noted
that younger people are more apt to
seek out help.
“They’re more exposed to the
idea of therapy,” she said. But
overall, the clients that Salloum sees
regularly are diverse; adolescents
and seniors, males and females, and
people from many different educa-
tional and religious backgrounds.
“I have the most diverse diagnosis
of anybody else. We think it’s that
we’re the one program in the com-
munity. What’s most common?I
want to say depression, anxiety… I
don’t know why. But there’s ones
with serious mental illness like
schizophrenia, it’s hard to hold onto
them,” she said. “The more educat-
ed people are, they more they tend to
think, how can I have a problem? I
have my Ph.D, I have my Doctorate,
how can I see this woman? No one
is immune frome treatment, or hav-
ing an issue either.”
Salloum said the most important
step in turning a new patient into a
regular is to make sure that they are
at ease. Therapy sessions are not just
about whatever mental illness the
patient has, but their overall quality
of life: How are their relationships?
Do they enjoy their job? Do they
have concerns?
“One thing you have to keep in
mind is the political arena. What is
going on in the world?” she said.
“Let’s say I’m seeing a Syrian fami-
ly. What’s going on in the world is
directly affecting them and we take
that for granted, even before Arab
Spring.”
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant34
Clifton Health
Since the implementation of the
Arabic out reach program, the
MHAPC client list has grown. But
Salloum knows that she has plenty of
more work to do overall. “This is the
best we’ve been, but it could be better,”
she said. “There’s still all this stigma.”
Mental Health Associationin Passaic County
You don’t have to be an Arab-American to make use of the serv-
ices offered at the MHAPC. Besides that specialized program,
the MHAPC offers a wide variety of services to help those going
through any number of problems, including counseling, therapy, peer
to peer therapy, in-home series, specialized programs for children and
the elderly, self help, legal services and more.
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 26.2 percent
of Americans 18 and up suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in
any given year. The MHAPC was formed in 1948 and is a non-prof-
it organization, with the primary goals being advocacy, support and
education. The MHAPC is a part of 240 such organizations in the
nation.
The MHAPC will hold a fundraiser beefsteak on June 14 at the
Boys and Girls Club at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $50, and entertainment
will be provided by Brookwood. For more information on this event
or services offered, visit www.mhapassaic.org, call 973-478-4444, or
visit the offices at 404 Clifton Ave.
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March 2013 • Clifton Merchant36
Everybodyhatesyou.
You don’t hear bullying like thisevery day but chances are yourkids do. These students atCCMS are taking a standagainst bullying...by beingmore than a bystander.
Bullying is not just a harmless rite of passageor an inevitable part of growing up. Words
like the headline on the facing page instill fear
in the classroom, on the playground or even
online. To address that issue, students from Christopher
Columbus Middle School are taking a stand against their
peers being bullied, pledging to be silent no more.
They did it by performing a true to life play
Bystander—A Portrait in Apathy—for sixth graders at
CCMS and Woodrow Wilson Middle School.
Participants, members of the CCMS Character Ed
Club included Rosangela Garcia, Stephanie Celis,
Tatianna Ayoub, Wurood Saleh, Dalia Huerta, Alyssa
Dobles, Alejandra Garcia, Gabriel Sanchez, Brandon
Lima, Cindy Fajzullah, Hazem Atallah, Sammy
Tamimi, Justin Tunjo, Aylien Nunez, Aaliyah Damiano,
Jessica Santana, Yousef Yousef, Nicole Hiromoto,
Aseel Tasin and Shelsea Jara.
Students took the work beyond recited lines. Many
shared their own stories with bullying. The message was
simple: if you witness bullying and don’t report it to
someone, you are part of the problem. Character Ed
members also help defuse issues as they arise in the
classrooms and hallways by acting as peer mediators.
Estimates are that nearly one-third of all school-aged
children are bullied. Students involved in bullying are
more likely to have challenges in school, to abuse drugs
and alcohol, and to have health and mental health issues.
And the presentation by the CCMS students evoked
awareness.
“The guidance counselors’ offices were packed for the
rest of the day with kids discussing horrible experiences
with bullying,” said Kim Dreher, who teaches sixth grade
math at CCMS. She coordinated the event along with
Damein Callum, a 8th grade math teacher. The CCMS
HSA helped underwrite the event.
The campaign to end bullying is also active at CHS.
There the ERASE (End Racism and Sexism Every) Club
meets every Tuesday after classes in E312. The goal is
to provides a progressive environment for all students to
discuss issues related to sexism, gender and civility.
ERASE holds various fundraisers and awareness
campaigns during the year, which goes to support groups
such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,
as well as the Passaic County Women’s Shelter and
more. At the meetings, students are encouraged to speak
with their peers about their experiences, and on occasion,
the group brings in public speakers.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 37
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant38
Clifton Health
Clifton’s Sheryll Franko above with John Turturro. At left is the subject of her recent film, Ted “The Voice” Williams.
When she founded Falling Awake Productions in 2008, Sheryll Franko
had a simple goal: inspire change by creating social awareness about
issues using her camera. And over the years, she’s done just that, trav-
eling United States, as well as Europe, the Middle East and North Africa
while tackling a wide range of issues.
“My firm has long produced media committed to changing social consciousness on
pressing, modern topics,” explained the Clifton native who now lives in Manhattan. “I’ve
met all these people who tell me their stories. It’s all really phenomenal—inspiring.”
By Joe Hawrylko
Clifton NativeSheryll Franko
Uses the Power ofFilm to Change theWorld, One Movie
at a Time
Filmingwith
Franko
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 39
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant40
Clifton Health
Falling Awake Productions has championed numer-
ous causes through film, and does extensive work with
non-profit organizations.
Called Out in the Dark is an upcoming short that
examines the youth of the Middle East and how
they’ve expressed themselves in the midst of several
revolutions. The project was sponsored by the Moving
Picture Institute and is currently in post production.
Falling Awake Productions is also starting a new
project, Bescherming, which means protection in
Dutch. This film will focus on Holocaust survivors.
However, though she’s covered a number of topics
over her career, one issue that Franko has revisited on
several occasions is mental health. It was her first
short on the subject, Crazy Enough to Care, that pro-
pelled her career to new heights back in 2008.
The film was partially shot in the Netherlands and
focused on Drew Horn of the Turn-A-Frown Around
Foundation, Inc. Horn, who suffers from bi-polar dis-
order, regularly visits lonely patients at mental institu-
tions and nursing homes in the region.
Crazy Enough to Care was warmly embraced by
critics, and the film earned an honorable mention at
the 2009 SAMHSA Voice Awards in Hollywood.
“Somehow it went viral and ended up on the
Independent Film Channel, BBC, in the Netherlands,”
she said. “Where this all goes, I haven’t really
thought much about mental health. When I first did
the film with Drew, before I knew it the film was suc-
cessful and I was getting calls from NYC and San
Fransisco if I can come make a film with someone.”
The success of Crazy Enough to Care immediately
boosted Franko’s profile within the industry, and
Falling Awake Productions began to take on new
clients, doing a variety of jobs for non-profits and
businesses alike.
However, despite covering a variety of issues in her
films, Franko has always returned to mental health.
Two of her upcoming films will focus on the topic.
Heart and Soul focuses on those with mental illness
dealing with physical ailments brought about by sub-
stance abuse. Those suffering from mental illness and
addiction are more likely to die early, with cardiovas-
cular disease and stroke being the leading causes.
“A lot of people tend to think that these issues
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Sheryll Franko in studio with John Turturro (right)and an unidentified individual.
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Clifton Merchant • March 2013 41
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant42
Clifton Health
are isolated. It’s chicken and egg
really,” she said. “People can take
a drug and it can trigger an issue or
vice versa.”
The short film is narrated by Ted
Williams, a voice actor whose
career was derailed by mental
health issues and addiction. He had
spent many years homeless until a
video of him demonstrating his
vocal talents on the side of the road
went viral on Youtube in 2011.
Williams is now on the road to
recovery, and was invited to partic-
ipate on the project after a produc-
er tipped off Franko.
“He was really enthusiastic about
appearing in the film. He embodies
what we’re trying to push forward in
Heart and Soul,” she said.
“What drew him to the film was
his own story,” she said. The film
is available for $20 at
www.heartandsoulfilm.org “We’re
giving him this whole new plat-
form. Not just a viral Youtube star,
but his own platform for all of these
issues.”
Franko’s other current project is
a feature length documentary, Howto Touch a Hot Stove.
Narrator John Turturro
(Transformers, The Big Lebowski),
best sums up the premise of the
film in the trailer on Franko’s web-
site: Stigma is something that ismade, not given. But the goodnews is that if it is something made,it can also be unmade.
“That film, I am hoping to show
on college campuses to get the con-
versation started about mental ill-
ness,” said Franko.
Learn more about How to Toucha Hot Stove, Heart and Soul and
Franko’s other projects at her web-
site, www.fallingawakeproduc-
tions.com.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 43
d
People often ask me what our group isall about. Mustang Pride is the pride we
have for our town, the history that we
helped create and the happiness we all
felt growing up here.
Mustang Pride is a core group of peo-
ple who care about the children of
Clifton and aspire to give our kids and
share with our community the same
experiences we were blessed to have
had. It is also our hope to be able to
instill some of those same old fashioned
values into our children—and our com-
munity—and show them by example
that it is important to give back, and not
just receive.
Over the three years Mustang Pride has
been serving Clifton, the group has been
involved in many ways. We have donat-
ed money to the sound system upgrade for
the CHS auditorium, supported Project
Graduation and made a contribution for a
new sign for School 2 which was dam-
aged during Hurricane Sandy.
We do our giving through fundrais-
ing. And we ask individuals and busi-
nesses to help. Our next event is at CHS on March 9 at
noon. It is a basketball game between the famous
Harlem Wizards and the Mustang Pride Fireballs.
It will be a fun event with guest coach Mayor Jim
Anzaldi. The game will be officiated by Clifton Police
Chief Gary Giardina and Passaic County Sheriff Rich
Berdnik. Some of the Fireballs are pictured here so we
ask that you buy a few tickets and attend with the family.
Other ways to support Clifton Pride is to become a
sponsor or purchase tickets to the May 4 Clifton’s Got
Talent event we co-sponsor with Clifton Recreation.
Come out and spend a day or night at the 2nd Annual
Mustang Pride Family Carnival at Christopher Columbus
Middle School on May 22 through May 26. On Sept. 20,
there will be a beefsteak/tricky tray. Proceeds from all
events will benefit kids in our Clifton Public Schools.
As President of the group, I want to thank Vice
President Jack Jaeger, Secretary Bernice Mekita,
Treasurer Josephine Chichi, Membership Chair
Michelle Filippone and fundraising co-chairs Ro Frucci
and Lori VanBlarcom Huk.
If you are interested in becoming a Mustang Pride
sponsor, supporter, attend or volunteer for one of our
events, write to me, AnnMarie Genneken at agen-
[email protected] or any of those listed above, including
Jack Jaeger at [email protected].
Come out March 9 at noon at CHS to see them play the Harlem Wizards.Kneeling: Mark Gengaro and Tom DiDonna. Middle: coaches KrystalCevallos and AnnMarie Genneken. Back: Steve Shukaitis, Jack Jaeger,Bob Foster, Tafari Anderson and Joe Kolodziej.
Mustang PrideBy AnnMarie Genneken
March 2013• Clifton Merchant44
Clifton Health
When Theresa Meffen started datingIrving Colon at the end of 1999,she had a hunch that he was some-
one special. And that gut feeling
was proven right after the man she would go on to
marry stood right by Theresa’s side in a year that saw
her mother pass away, her being diagnosed with
appendicitis and then Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“Before she died, I told my mom, ‘This is the man
I was going to marry,” she said. “She thought I was
crazy because I was an 18 year old. But I was right.
I knew if he stayed with me through all of that, he
wasn’t going anywhere and we were going to make
it through anything. I knew he was special, but that
just made him extra special.”
The two began officially dating on Christmas
Day, 2009, shortly after meeting at Bergen County
Community College. Though they were both from
Clifton, they did not know each other. Theresa grad-
uated from CHS in 1999, while he graduated from
Eastern Christian High School that same year.
“We were on cloud nine. We were that couple that
were always happy and disgustingly cute,” she
recalled.
That all changed four months later in April of
2000, when Theresa’s mother suddenly became ill
and was admitted to the hospital.
“She was in the ICU for almost two weeks before
she passed away,” she recalled. “Irving was at my
SurvivorCancer
Theresa Colon shares her story...
and explains howher new found
can help others
Inspiration
Theresa and Irving Colon will again
participate in the Relay for Life at
Clifton Stadium from June 8 to 9.
For info on volunteering or joining
a team, call 1-800-227-2345
or visit www.relayforlife.org.
Clifton Merchant •March 2013 45
side the entire time, taking me to
and from the hospital, picking up
my grandparents from the airport,
meeting my entire family and help-
ing us with all the arrangements for
the funeral.”
Eventually things seemed to
return to normal, but Theresa didn’t
know that the most challenging 12
months of her life were just begin-
ning.
“I went back to school and work-
ing part time at the library and
Irving went back to work,” she
recalled. “All seemed to be going
well when I suddenly started having
pain in my abdomen and had to have
emergency surgery for appendici-
tis.”
Theresa’s surgery was successful,
and she soon returned home.
However, at the doctor’s office for a
routine check up a few weeks later
in September, the Cliftonite
received startling news. “Upon
examination the doctor discovered
an enlarged lymph node in my
neck,” she said. “I was diagnosed
with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma stage
two at just 19 years old.”
“When we found out that I had
cancer we were devastated,”
Theresa continued. “I underwent
chemotherapy and a month of radia-
tion. I lost all my hair, and was pret-
ty sick from the treatment. But at
every treatment, test and doctors
appointment, Irving was there. He
showed me the true meaning of love
when he was just 20 years old.”
Theresa said it was the loss of
hair that concerned her more than
the diagnosis itself.
“That was the hardest part.
When the surgeon said you’ve got
cancer, alright I can deal with that,”
she said. “Then I started questions.
‘Well, am I going to lose my hair?’
‘Yes.’ That’s when I started crying.
What does a 19 year old female
worry about? And I had long hair at
the time too.”
In anticipation of the treatments,
Theresa cut her hair short. Not long
after she started chemo, the
inevitable happened.
“When that first clump came out,
that was hard,” she said. “I handed
it to my father and he almost started
crying.”
Theresa’s had started to return
after her chemo, but started falling
out again after she started radiation
in January. “My hair stylist said to
not cover what I had so that it will
grow back in faster,” she said.
Throughout the whole ordeal,
Irving was right at her side through
every treatment, every appointment
and every bad day.
“I felt so bad for him,” she said.
“He probably wanted to go out,
wanted to go to the mall or whatev-
er, but we couldn’t. My white cell
count was almost nothing... we rent-
ed movies, just sat and talked. We
ordered in a lot.”
After chemo and radiation,
Theresa was declared cancer free in
February of 2001. Just a month
later, the young couple was
engaged. They’re now happily mar-
ried for more than 10 years, and
have a five year old son, Jonathan,
who attends School 15.
“When things get tough we
always go back to the first year we
were dating and say to each other if
we made it through that we can
make it through anything,”
she said. “I have married my best
friend and I could not of asked for a
better husband.”
As a form of repayment to Irving
and the doctors, family and friends
that supported though her ordeal,
Theresa has become involved with
several cancer charities. In 2005,
she donated her hair to Locks of
Love, and plans to do so once again
next year once it is long enough.
And for the past eight years, she has
participated in the Relay for Life at
Clifton Stadium, serving on the
committee for the past two years.
“I really enjoy it,” she said. “It’s
my payback for being here still. I
don’t think I’ll ever stop doing it.”
.
March 2013• Clifton Merchant46
Arts & Music
The Garden State Opera offers two spring shows. On
March 21, the GSO hosts a concert at the Sequoia Senior
Center, 565 Broadway, Passaic, from 11 am to noon.
Singers Justyna Giermola and Nathan Letourneau per-
form arias and duets from the operatic repertoire accom-
panied at the piano by Tristan Cano. Donation is $5 at
the door. Then on April 6, the GSO takes the stage at the
San Giuseppe Santa Croce Camerina Society, 131
Wagaraw Rd., Hawthorne with two works from Mozart:
L’ Oca del Cairo and scenes from Cosi’ fan tutte. The
performance will feature a chamber orchestra; tickets are
$25. Call 973-685-9972, or for more details, visit
www.gardenstateopera.homestead.com.
Blue State Productions, in residence at St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church, 380 Clifton Ave., presents the clas-
sic musical Godspell. Directed by Mac McCormick
and Joseph Schreck, Jr., performances are on March 8,
9, 16, 22, 23 and April 5 and 6. Tickets are $20; $15
for students and seniors. Kids under 12 pay $10.
Opening night tickets are $10. Since proceeds benefit
St. Peter’s Haven Food Pantry, patrons are asked to
bring a non-perishable food item. For tickets and other
information, visit www.bluestateproductions.com,
email [email protected] or call 973-607-1924.
Lambert Castle, the Victorian-era mansion on the ridge
of Garrett Mountain Reservation on the Valley Rd. bor-
der between Paterson and Clifton, presents Message ina Bottle: The Bottleworks of Dr. Etta Ehrlich. The
exhibit is displayed until April 28, Wednesday through
Sunday, 1 to 4 pm. Admission is $5. For more info, call
973-247-0085 or visit lambertcastle.org.
The Theater League of Clifton presents Murder MeAlways by Lee Mueller. Staged at Mario’s Restaurant on
Van Houten Ave., this whodunit gives the audience clues
to help solve the crime. Tickets ($40) on sale with
various shows March 1 to 10. For dates and times, call
973-928-7668 or go to www.theaterleagueofclifton.com.
Applicants have until March 31 to join Impact 100
Garden State, a new philanthropic organization which
seeks grant proposals from non-profit groups that have
programs or projects in Passaic, Morris, Somerset and
Sussex counties. Grants may be applied for in any of
five focus areas: arts and culture, education, environ-
ment, family, health and wellness. Impact is based on a
successful model that started in Cincinnati 12 years ago
and is now used across the country: gather 100 women
to join together to make a transformational giant. Grant
size will be tied to the number of members. Membership
is limited to women, but grants can benefit anyone.
Annual membership dues is $1,000. Letters of Intent
due April 15 and full applications by June 15. Final
selection will be announced in October. For more
details, visit www.impact100gardenstate.org or follow
@impact100nj on Twitter.
Justyna Giermola nad Nathan Letourneau of the GSO.
Godspell will be performed at St. Peter’s Church.
Clifton Merchant •March 2013 47
Inspirations...50th Anniversary ofClifton Association of Artists is an
exhibit and sale by members of the
CAA. Opening at the Clifton Arts
Center on March 6, the diverse exhib-
it of art will be displayed through
April 13. The CAA was established in
1963 by a group of twelve artists.
The mission of the Association is to
promote the advancement of art and
culture in Clifton by creating an envi-
ronment for the expression of the
visual arts. Admission is $3. Go to
www.cliftonnj.org or like Clifton
Arts Center on Facebook.
A Jazz Tribute Celebrating Artwith Mike Luipersbeck is on
March 16 at 3:30 pm at the Clifton
Arts Center on the City Hall
Campus, 900 Clifton Ave. Tickets
are $10 and include refreshments,
and a viewing of the original art-
works by the CAA. Money raised
goes to support the Clifton Arts
Center, Inc. Luipersbeck is a retired
Clifton detective and accomplished
musician. His trio of musicians will
also feature pianist, Peter Greco,
bassist, Ron Naspo, and vocalist,
Ms. Corinn Somers. The perform-
ance will feature selections from
The Great American Songbook,
ranging from Jazz to Broadway to
Doo-Wop. RSVP in advance. For
details, call 973-472-5499.
The Ninth Annual Passaic County Film Festival is on April 20 at
10 at the Fabian 8 Cinema, Center City Mall, Paterson. Admission to
the preview and parking are free. Nearly 90 films were submitted by
students and independent film makers from the county. Film entries
are 10 minutes in length and fall into the following categories: gener-
al short film, public service announcement, documentary/historic
film, and music video. One grand prize will be selected and given the
Costello Award. The event is sponsored by the Passaic County Board
of Chosen Freeholders and the members of the Passaic County Film
Commission. For more information, call 973-569-4720.
March 2013• Clifton Merchant48
Family Super Bowl Party
Family Super Bowl Party (our 15th!)
Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013 • Photos by Alice Cantwell & Andrea Petrozzini
Clifton
Super Bowl 47 was a great success at the Boys & Girls Clubof Clifton. Over 250 people attended the 15th annual alcohol
and gambling free event. The success of the family party was
made possible by nearly 21 sponsors and dozens of volunteers
who helped to decorate the hall, cook and serve food and soft
drinks and then clean up after the party. Families enjoyed an
evening packed with activities such as arts & crafts, shooting
pool, playing ping pong or table hockey in the game room,
swimming in the heated Olympic sized pool or playing a host
of ballgames in the gym. Another annual tradition is that
admission is a non perishable food item. Over 250 items were
collected and prepared by the Club’s Keystoners for donation
to St. Peter’s Haven community food pantry.
Clifton Merchant •March 2013 49
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• CASA—Clifton AgainstSubstance Abuse • Jim & Rita Haraka &Family• Rotary Club of Clifton• Assemblyman Thomas P.Giblin• In memory of Florence, George H. Trinkle, Jr. & George H. Trinkle III
• Barbara Dougherty in memory of Henry Dougherty
• Clifton Police PBA Local 36
• Clifton Firefighters FMBA Local 21
• JSK Landscaping/The Bassford Family
• Carlet, Garrison, Klein & Zaretsky
• Liberty Tax Service, Richfield Shopping Center
• Theater League of Clifton
• Mayor, Council, City Manager & Municipal Attorney
• Tom Miller• Dr. George Foukas, DMD• P&A Auto Parts• St. Philip The Apostle Knights of Columbus
• The Fieldhouse Family
Thanks to our sponsors, admission
was a canned good which was
donated to St. Peter’s Haven. The
15th Clifton Family Super Bowl Party
was sponsored by...
Family Super Bowl Party
March 2013• Clifton Merchant50
• Open 7 am to 6 pm• Weekly Chapel• 16 Teachers & Aides —
Many here over 20 years!
• After-School Pick-Up at School 5
• When public schools are closed, we’re open!
WEE CARE CHILD CARE CENTER
1170
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SIBLINGDISCOUNT
RegistrationNow Ongoing!
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Jennifer Henkel, Director • First Presbyterian Church 303 Maplewood Avenue, Clifton • 973.523.7704
Accepting Children from Birth to Age 12
Clifton Merchant •March 2013 51
• Open 7 am to 6 pm• Weekly Chapel• 16 Teachers & Aides —
Many here over 20 years!
• After-School Pick-Up at School 5
• When public schools are closed, we’re open!
Jennifer Henkel, Director • First Presbyterian Church 303 Maplewood Avenue, Clifton • 973.523.7704
Name: __________________________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________________
City: _______________________________________State:____________________________________
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March 2013• Clifton Merchant52
Our cycling team leaves Clifton on May 9 inthe Police Unity Tour. Before the 300 mile
bicycle trek to Washington D.C. begins, the
Clifton group must raise more than $21,000.
The Police Unity Tour is an annual bike ride
with police officers from across the country.
Our destination is our Nation’s Capital and the
purpose is to commemorate fallen officers.
Over 19,000 cops have given their lives in
the line of duty, and their names are etched on
the National Law Enforcement Officers Monument and Memorial
in Washington D.C. Each name represents a sad story of an officer
who was killed in the line of duty, including Clifton Police Officer
John Samra, who died in the line of duty on Nov. 21, 2003.
Our team rides in Johnny’s memory and for all who gave their
lives in the line of duty. The reason we need to raise the $21,000 is
to maintain the monument and build a museum in our Nation’s
Capital. To contribute, see any of the PUT members listed on the
facing page, go to www.cliftonpba36.com and click on Police Unity
Tour or call Tom Hawrylko at 973-253-4400.
POLICE UNITY TOUR
Officer John Samra
We Ride For Those Who Have Died.
Clifton Merchant •March 2013 53
Bicycle Riders:Robert Bais
Randy Colondres
Richard DiBello
Tom Hawrylko
Daniel Ishak
Motors:Mike Adamo
Robert Bielstein
Derek Fogg
Brian Fopma
Gary Giardina
Support:Mark Centurione
Michael McLaughlin
2013 CliftonPolice UnityTour Members
cliftonpba36.com
BotanyVillage
East Clifton / Lakeview
Dutch Hill
Albion
Athenia
Allwood /Richfield
RosemawrMontclairHeights /Greglawn
Delawanna
Downtown /Clifton Center
Your check of$50 or moreDine in w/coupon. Cannot be
combined w/any other offer.
1 coupon/table. Excludes lunch
menu specials.
$10 OFF
Your check of$25 or moreDine in w/coupon. Cannot be
combined w/any other offer.
1 coupon/table. Excludes lunch
menu specials.
$5 OFF
An illustration of a Lenni LenapeIndian, the tribe which originallypopulated our region.
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant54
DelawannaBaseball legend Cal Ripken is at Barnes & Noblein Clifton Commons on March 5 at 6 pm to sign‘Wild Pitch’, his third book in his “All Star” Seriesgeared to 8-12 year old readers.
Clifton CenterChristopher Columbus Middle School HSA hostsa Tricky Tray on March 15 at 6:30 pm at the Boys& Girls Club. Tickets are $20; bring your ownfood and beverages. Alcohol is permitted but noone under the age of 18 will be admitted. Lastyear’s event was sold out. Call 973-818-6045 orwrite [email protected] for tickets.
RichfieldSt. Andrew’s HSA presents a St. Patrick’s party at400 Mt. Prospect Ave. on March 9 at 6 pm. Costis $40 or $70 a couple. Call 973-473-3711.
Botany VillageBands are being sought for Clifton’s HistoricBotany District Free Summer Concert Serieswhich begins the second Friday of June. For info,write to [email protected].
Dutch HillThe Dutch Hill Neighborhood Association meetsMarch 21 at 7:30 pm at the Family FellowshipChurch, at the corner of Second St. and DeMottAve. The group’s flea market is June 1 in WeaselBrook Park. Vendor space is $35 while food ven-dor are charged $100. Call 973-365-2577.
East CliftonClifton Recreation hosts the Bunny Bash on March30 at Nash Park. Breakfast (for a fee) at the HotGrill is at 7:30 am and the Egg Hunt is free andstarts at 9:30 am. For info, call 973-470-5959.
Lakeview The artwork of Jane Van Wie, a fourth grader atSt. Brendan School on Lakeview Ave., is featuredwithin the 2013 Passaic County Clerk Calendar.
Neighborhood News
Babka • Holiday Breads • Cinnamon Bread • Cup Cakes • CheesecakesHoliday Cookies • Danish • Pies • Buns • Muffins • Donuts • Coffee
308 Lakeview Ave. Clifton973-772-3837 • Se Habla EspañolLakeviewbakeryonline.com
Happy EasterWe’ll be open Easter Sunday
Clifton’s BESTRye Bread!
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 55
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant56
Politics & Business
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Since 1927
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Director of Homeland Security EdwardDickson (pictured at right with Governor
Chris Christie) will be the guest speaker at
the Passaic County 200 Club’s Winter
Breakfast on March 13. Held at The
Brownstone, the event starts with breakfast
and networking at 7:30 am. Tickets are
$25. RSVP by March 8. Make checks
payable to the 200 Club of Passaic County,
3 Garret Mountain Plaza, Suite 204,
Woodland Park, NJ 07424. The 200 Club
is an organization whose members will
provide financial support to the survivors
of public safety officers killed in the line of
duty. For details, call 201-450-1271 or
email [email protected].
The North Jersey Regional Chamber of Commercepresents the 13th annual SAVOR Food and Wine
Festival on March 4. Held at Preakness Hills Country
Club in Wayne, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, over 25 restau-
rants and purveyors will be on hand with food and
wine. Tickets are $50. On March 8, the NJRCC’s fifth
annual Women’s Leadership Event is at The
Brownstone. Free admission thanks to Berkeley
College. Passaic County Surrogate Bernice Toledo and
Deborah Hoffman, Director of Passaic County
Economic Development, are among the speakers. On
March 14 at 5:30 pm, the NJRCC and the Tri County
Chambers of Commerce are teaming up for a night of
merriment at Gary’s Wine & Marketplace in Wayne.
Tickets are $15 or $20 for this night of wine sampling,
cheese tasting and networking. For more information,
visit www.njrcc.org, or call 973-470-9300.
Lunch and Learn is the theme of the March 18 event
at the North Jersey Federal Credit Union. Beginning at
noon, lunch will be served at the group’s headquarters,
711 Union Blvd., Totowa. Guest speaker is Betty
Heiman, CEO of Transparent Health, who will discuss
health care reform. Free. RSVP by March 11. Call
973-785-9200 or [email protected].
The Clifton Teacher’s Association, the union which
represents 1,100 staff members—teachers, paraprofes-
sionals, coaches and athletic trainers—has an election.
CHS teacher James Costello is running for President
against Frank Gengaro, a WWMS Child Study Team
member who has served as CTA chief for 15 years.
Running unopposed: Recording Secretary Jean Sogorka,
of CHS; Treasurer Saundra Josipowich, of WWMS;
Corresponding Secretary Frances Chiarelli, of WWMS.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 57
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Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. was reappointed to the
House Committee on Ways and Means and House
Budget Committee. The 113th Congress will be the
second term Rep. Pascrell will serve on the Budget
Committee, and the fourth term in which the Democrat
from Paterson will serve on Ways and Means, where he
will continue to serve on the Subcommittee on Health.
The Passaic County Republican Party nominated
Frank Feenan, a retired captain in the county
Prosecutor’s Office, to run against Richard Berdnik, a
Cliftonite and first term Democrat sheriff in the Nov. 5
election. The GOP also endorsed Philip H. Weisbecker,
Jr., a former mayor and councilman in West Milford,
and Christian E. Barranco, a union electrician who lost
the Pompton Lakes Council election as a Democrat in
2011 and then switched parties. They will run against
incumbent Democrats Pat Lepore and Terry Duffy.
The Clifton Republican Club meets March 12 at 7:30
pm at VFW Post 7165, 491 Valley Rd. Open to all reg-
istered Republicans, annual dues are $10 and refresh-
ments will be served. Future meetings are April 9, May
14 and June 11. Call 973-365-1060 for more info.
Kevin O'Neil, owner of Clifton’s IHOP on Rt. 3, withemployee Damien Burke. The two and extra crewsworked on National Pancake Day on Feb. 5 as some1,172 shortstacks were served at no charge. Patrons, inreturn, donated $1,172 to the Children’s MiracleNetwork, the beneficiary of this nationwide effort.
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant58
Events & Briefs
CHS Class of 1987 Mustang Robert Haraka. athlet-
ic director of Morris Hills High, has been selected to
received the Directors of Athletics Association of New
Jersey (DAANJ) North 1 Sectional Award of Merit.
Haraka sits on the Executive Committee of the Morris
County Secondary Schools Athletic Association and is
also the President of the Northwest Jersey Athletic
Conference. He will receive the award at a banquet at
the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City on March 20. Haraka
resides in Bloomfield with his wife Laura and their two
daughters. His parents, Jim and Rita, live on Rollins
Ave. For more info, call the school at 973-664-2307.
A half-century ago, services of the Erie Railroadconnecting Clifton, Passaic and Paterson to
Ridgewood, Hawthorne and other towns was terminat-
ed. The April 1, 1963 closing marked a change in the
physical as well as the cultural landscape in the area. On
March 13 at 7 pm at Lambert Castle, on Valley Rd. on
the Clifton/Paterson border, Passaic Historian Mark
Auerbach will discuss the significance of the line that
tied together the northeast US as well as the changes
made locally by the removal of the tracks. The public is
invited to attend. Presented by the Passaic County
Historical Society, go to lambertcastle.org for details.
The CHS Class of 1960 will hold a reunion on July 18
at Tomahawk Lake in Sparta from 10 am to 6 pm. The
$25 ticket includes all you can eat food throughout the
day as well as free parking. Make out checks to
Kathleen Ploch Mack, and mail to 311 Cleveland Lane,
Rockaway Township, N.J. 07866 and include your con-
tact info. Contact Nancy Lewis Zink at 570-588-9473 or
([email protected]) or Phyllis Tiedeman
Brescia at 352-259-3023 or ([email protected]).
St. Mary Ukrainian OrthodoxChurch, 81 Washington Ave.,
will host a Ukrainian Easter Egg
(Pysanka) Decorating Class on
March 21 from 6 to 8 pm. Open
to all ages, cost is $12 and the
price includes supplies. RSVP by
March 18. The kitchen will also
be open offering perogies, baked
goods and ethnic gifts. For info,
call 973-546-2473.
The Feast Day of St. Joseph is on March 19 but the
Geraci Citizens League’s 83rd Dinner Dance is on
March 16 at The Brownstone at 6:30 pm. Tickets are
$90. Call chair Nina Corradino at 973-470-8982.
The St. Paul’s RC Church Rosary Society will host a
fish and chips dinner/Chinese auction fundraiser on
March 13 in the church basement in Downtown
Clifton. Funds will benefit Lindsey Loeb, a toddler in
need of a heart transplant. Call 973-246-7974.
Liberty Tax (Richfield Shopping Center) employeeswill be participating in the Relay for Life at Clifton
Stadium on June 8. Liberty Tax will also be working
with the ACS to donate tax services to cancer survivors.
Join Team Liberty; call 973-778-0700. For info about
Relay for Life, visit www.cancer.org.
Clifton Mustang Band Alumni Association hosts a
bowling fundraiser on March 9 at 6 pm at Parkway
Lanes in Elmwood Park. Tickets are $50 for a couple
($25 individuals), $20 for CHS students, or $15 for buf-
fet only. The price includes three hours of bowling and
buffet, raffle. Visit www.mustangbandalumni.org.
Robert Haraka with his family—wife, Laura, anddaughters, Anna 11, and Emily, 8—after being induct-ed to the Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame in 2011.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 59
The CHS Prom Fashion Showis March 3 at 2 pm at the JFK
Auditorium. Tickets are $5 at the
door. Tuxedos are provided by
Deluxe Formal Wear and ladies
will wear fashions from
Brunellle’s, Group USA, Vesa,
Sandreen’s, Tina’s Bridal, and
Bou Bou’s. Salons include Guy
Anthony, Sante Fe, Hair Craft,
Beauty Plus and Loni’s Cuts.
Make up by April Lewandowski
and Suleiry Matos. Tickets were
printed by Mason-Porter Funeral
Home. Funds raised go to sup-
port Project Graduation, which is
a drug and alcohol free overnight
event for seniors that takes place
immediately after they graduate.
The students will be shipped to a
secret destination for a night of
partying, games and fun in a safe
environment. Info, call Maryann
Cornett at 973-779-5678.
On Feb. 6, which was National Signing Day for high school athletes, ErickFerrars (baseball, Lackawana College) and Matt Miazga (soccer, University ofMichigan) inked their letters of intent. From left, is Erick’s mother, Tanja, CHSAthletic Director Rick Handchen, and Matt’s parents, Adam and Elizabeth.
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!
Crazy For You
Mustang Thespians
Peter Adamo is Bobby Child and Alli Green is Polly Bakeras the leads in the CHS spring musical Crazy For You.
Staged March 15 and 16 at 7:30 pm with a 2 pm matinee
on March 17, this romantic Gershwin Musical Comedy
revolves around a young man—Bobby Child—who wants to
live the life of a tap dancer back in the 1930’s. His mother
and fiancée want him to settle to a career in NYC. But he is
sent to foreclose on a theater in Deadrock, Nevada where he
meets the girl of his dreams... Polly Baker. From there,
much tap dancing and singing cowboys as love triumphs!.
The cast also includes Kenneth Fowler, Greg Gwyn, Matt
Bodner, Angelia Mocera, Walter Geschleider, Nasia Robles,
Slavka Alexa Simic, Gabby Punale, Bobby Lupo, Shreya
Patel, Isaiah Polanco, Andrea Ruiz, Brandon Neal, Jessica
Mahmoud, Susan Liberti, Felipe Rodriquez, Brianna
Labanich, Maura Huelbig, Jonas Avancena, Rebekah Kusher,
Alex Moncaleano, Pamela Prandy and Jason Rosa.
Directed by Elizabeth Eisenmenger, choreograped by Lois
Manzella-Marchitto, staged by Christina Paulin, Julie Chrobak,
Ken and Matt Kida with music under the baton of Robert
Morgan, tickets are $7 for students/seniors or $10 for adults.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 61
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant62
Student of the Month
On February 23, Nick Zecchino was one of five
Marching Mustangs honored for their love of music by
participating in the North Jersey Regional and All-
State Bands.
Zecchino, along with Andrew Roennau, Nikola
Kamcev, Brian Prada and Kevin Biernat, performed at
the NJPAC in Newark along with some of the finest
musicians in the state. For Zecchino, it’s a fitting end
to his illustrious music career at Clifton High.
The CHS student of the month started learning to
play as a fouth grader at School 16 under the guidance
of Mr. Romaine. However, it was his father, Mark,
that really inspired Zecchino. “He played trumpet, sax
and drums,” he said proudly. “There was always some
type of music in the house.”
When it came time to chose an instrument in fourth
grade, Zecchino went with the trumpet. “Trumpet
looked easy,” he laughed. “I thought it only has three
valves and it sounded interesting.”
Zecchino continued to play trumpet through middle
school, attending Woodrow Wilson, before switching
to cornet in high school as a freshman.
‘There’s not much of a difference between cornet
and trumpet,” he explained. Zecchino made the switch
due to an opening at the position in the Marching
Mustangs “Cornet is a little bit warmer sounding.”
Since entering high school, Zecchino has embraced
his love of music, and spends most of his free time
involved with the many programs at Clifton High.
In addition to the Marching Mustangs, Zecchino has
been in the pit band for three years, and has spent four
years as a part of the concert band and brass ensemble.
For the past three years, he was also selected to be a
member of the honor band, which is the group that
plays at CHS commencement in June.
Tooting his Mustang Horn
By Joe Hawrylko
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 63
e
y
-
a
t
t
d
o
e
,
x
e
h
t
e
e
g
t
h
g
d
e
s
r
.
a
t
However, the crowning achieve-
ment of his Mustang musical career
has been his inclusion into the All-
State Band.
“You audition and I got into
Regional Symphonic, Regional
Orchestra and All-State
Symphonic,” he stated. Each band
has its own concert, and auditions
are held annually in January.
However, despite his love of
performance, music isn’t in
Zecchino’s future, at least as far as
his career is concerned.
“I want to keep on playing trum-
pet, but I don’t want to major or
minor in it,” he explained.
Zecchino’s passion lies in engi-
neering, due to his love of math and
science, and the influence of his
family members who work in the
field.
“Three of my cousins are engi-
neers,” he said. They specialize in
chemical, mechanical and bio med-
ical engineering. “I really like
math and science. I’ve been doing
really well in calculus AP and AP
chemistry.”
Perhaps those good genes had
something to do with his achieve-
ments... Zecchino is ranked 24th in
the class, and is enrolled in AP
English and middle college
accounting, which is a course spon-
sored by Berkeley College at CHS.
He also took AP US history as a
junior and got a four on the exam.
Zecchino’s high marks are sure
to land him acceptances from sev-
eral good schools. He has applied
to Stevens Institute of Technology,
Lehigh University, and a couple of
Ivy League schools, including
University of Pennsylvania, which
is his number one choice. “I love
that UPenn is in the city, but the
campus has its own vibe. It doesn’t
feel like it’s in the city,” he said.
Back in CHS, Zecchino still has
a few more academic and musical
performances left before his
Mustang career is over, but he is
eager to move on to new challenges
in life.
“When I get to school I’ll see
what the different types of engi-
neering are about,” he said when
asked about his future career goals.
“I am leaning towards mechanical
engineering because of the physics
aspect of it.”
They represented the MarchingMustangs at NJPAC on Feb 23:From left with cymbals, sophomoreNikola Kamcev on battery percus-sion, Kevin Biernat a sophomoretrumpet player, Nick Zecchino is asenior trumpeter and at front rightsenior Andrew Roennau, who isalso on trumpet. Missing fromphoto is Brian Prada whose tubathey are holding.
All-State Band 2013 honors...All-State Band 2013 honors...
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant64
Julie Generalli Dominick .......3/1Meaghan Franko .................3/1Kathleen Pocoek ..................3/1Eric Sudhalter ......................3/1Kenzie Lord .........................3/3Valerie Godowsky................3/5Alice Paxton ........................3/5Patricia Vigh........................3/5Carol Crudele......................3/6
Ted Grzybowski...................3/6Pat Smith.............................3/8Victoria Crudele...................3/9Pamela Culque ..................3/10Tiffany Sabo ......................3/10John Gorny .......................3/11Teddy Harsaghy.................3/11Eddie Gasior, Jr. ................3/12Mike Pesaro ......................3/12
Victor Berdecia ..................3/13Diego Hernandez ..............3/15Tyler Hughes......................3/15Laura Lee ..........................3/15Melisa Calvo .....................3/16Suzanne Ciok....................3/19Janette Hughes ..................3/19Caitlin Lotorto ....................3/19
Casey Hawrylko is 23 on March 2. Happy Belated birthday to Jayke Williams who turned 5 on Feb.26. Beware the Ides of March! Elaine Sassine... Happy 63rd birthday! Congratulations to Corey &Michelle Genardi, celebrating their anniversary on March 28...their daughter Bianca Eda is all smilesfor her 7th birthday on March 2. Margaret Solovyov celebrates on March 6.
Happy Birthday to...Send dates & [email protected]
Birthdays & Celebrations - March 2013
William Thomson will celebratehis first birthday on March 8.
Clifton Merchant • March 2013 65
Colleen Murray .................3/20Holly Sorenson..................3/20Nenad Vuckovic................3/20Monica Ahmed .................3/21George Andrikanich ..........3/22Elisabel Reyes ...................3/24Carmen Rivera ..................3/24Kyle Hooyman ..................3/24Suzanne Wachtler .............3/26Michele Andrikanich..........3/27Jennifer Mondelli ...............3/27Nic holas Surgent...............3/27Aidan Tedesco ..................3/27Muriel Curtin.....................3/28Francis Salonga ................3/31Paul McVeigh....................3/31Chris Kolodziej..................3/31
Joe & Pat Torelli celebratetheir 42nd on March 6.
Happy Birthday toPat Hiller on March 22.
Nina & Frank Corradinocelebrate 40 years March 25.
Correction: Eric Lux turned 18 on 2/3 and sister
Renee was 12 on 2/14!
Jenny Sichel celebrates her 25thbirthday on March 9.
March 2013 • Clifton Merchant66
CHS Reunion
They graduated from the ‘architecturalgem of Clifton.’ And by naming their year-
book Rotunda, they paid tribute to the ‘most
striking feature’ of the new high school on
Colfax Ave., ‘the circular area used for cafe-
teria, instruction and activity purposes.’
CHS Class of 1963 grads spent two of
their three years there. To relive that era,
Helen Kubik and Ellen Grexa have organized
a reunion on Nov. 29 at the Mountainside
Inn. Call 973-742-4466 or 973-365-2178 to
purchase tickets and more information.
Mustangs from theClass of 1963 planneda reunion for Nov. 29.
Recognize any of these 1963 grads? Fromleft, top: Vera Swiderski, Michael Zwierand Ellen Grexa. Middle: John Peto, HelenLatawiec and Jay Horwitz. Bottom:Lauren Santin, Joan Bertoli, James Janish,Audrey Johnson and Ethel Silverman.
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