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629 Clifton Ave • Clifton
973-777-7364459 Chestnut St • U
nion
908-686-5868
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470 Clifton Ave • Clifton
973-546-6977
EXP 12-15-10
EXP 12-15-10
EXP 12-15-10 M
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Follo
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Clifton Merchant Magazine is published the first Friday of every month at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 4
16,000 Magazines
are distributed tohundreds of Clifton
Merchants on the firstFriday of every month.
Subscribe Page 40
$27 per year $45 for 2 years
Call 973-253-4400
Editor & PublisherTom Hawrylko
Business ManagerCheryl Hawrylko
Graphic Designer
Michael Strong
Staff Writer
Joe Hawrylko
Contributing WritersIrene Jarosewich, CarolLeonard, Rich DeLotto,Don Lotz, Jack DeVries© 2010 Tomahawk Promotions
1288 Main AvenueDowntown Clifton, NJ 07011
Jesse Hastings and Joe Hawrylko have been at it foryears. And recently, Joe’s brother Tom joined their
ranks. These three twenty-somethings, who have no
kids nor nephews on the Hawks and the Tomahawks, the
two teams pictured above, are volunteer coaches in the
Clifton Stallions Recreational Soccer League.
Since 2005, Jesse and Joe, who both played soccer
as Mustangs at CHS, run two weekly practices to pre-
pare for the Saturday games, which are at 9 or 10 am.
At the end of the season, these young guys reach into
their own pockets and host a pizza party or take the
team to a movie—sometimes doing both.
Last year, Joe’s brother Tom found the time to get
involved and began to assist them. This fall, along with
Paul Boyko, Tom took ownership of a team of his own
and is having a great time. These young coaches invest
five or six hours a week, calling parents, meeting with
league officials and instructing a dozen or so sixth
through eighth graders about the finer points of the
friendly, yet competitive game.
Volunteers are always needed in the Clifton Stallions,
as well as other leagues in town. And you don’t have to
be a coach. Pitch in at the fieldhouse or help organize a
much needed fundraiser. Learn more about volunteering
with the league at cliftonstallions.org.
By Tom Hawrylko
At the center, three young volunteer coaches: Jesse Hastings, Joe Hawrylko and his brother Tom.
Volunteers always needed...
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 5
Clifton Transactions79 ATHENIA AVE 99 AVONDALE AVE2 BARRISTER ST725 BROAD ST77 CHRISTIE AVE
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For More Details & Photos, Visitwww.PickPina.com
Pina NazarioSales Associate#1 Agent 2009 Clifton Office
“The highest privilegeI can ever receive is a referral from friends, family, and clients.I welcome the opportunityto serve you.”
Direct (973) 594-4312
Email:Pina@PickPina.com
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©2010 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed toColdwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal HousingOpportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC. If your property is currently listed with a realestate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estatebrokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully.
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 6
Clifton Merchant Magazine1288 Main Ave. Clifton 07011
tomhawrylko@optonline.netLetters
to theEditor
2010
Mustang Coaches Joe Grecco and Bill Vander Closter.
Hall of Famer: I was among the
Class of 2010 inducted into the
Clifton Athletic Hall of Fame—what
a great honor! Thanks to the Hall
Committee, the Board of Education,
Lou Poles, Frank and Flo Calise and
especially the great athletes I was
privileged to compete with. Go
Mustangs! My only regret was
leaving the affair before the last three
inductees were introduced due to my
daughter becoming ill.
Ed Curreri Class of 1961 edcurreri@yahoo.com
October’s fantasy football story by
Jack DeVries which squared the 1946
Mustangs under Coach Joe Grecco
(left) and the powerhouse 1973 squad
led by Coach Bill Vander Closter
made fans scratch their heads from
Clifton to Texas. That’s where Craig
Chananie attended a wedding and, he
said, some old Mustangs debated the
story outcome over cocktails.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 7
My family and I were more than surprised when wediscovered our triplet boys and niece on the October
cover. Your photographer did an incredible job capturing
them enjoying the spirit of Halloween, the excitement of
the parade and the festivities of the HarvestFest.
Your graphic artist did an amazing job by adding the
Emerald City, poppy fields, and of course, the yellow
brick road. As a former teacher, all I can say is A+!
Believe it or not, the four children still often watch
The Wizard of Oz and jump at the chance to wear their
costumes and perform. They know their songs and
parts well and love to re-enact scenes from the movie.
Last year’s festivities brought together many of our
family members and we all marched in the parade. My
brother, sister and I grew up in Clifton and know the
HarvestFest Parade is a long-standing tradition. That
being said, imagine our pride when our children were
first place winners in the Family/Floats category.
Surprises don’t come along very often but when they
do, it is extremely important to thank those responsible.
This cover and these pictures will be treasured always,
framed in our homes and forever in our hearts. Thank
you for this wonderful memory, and thanks to you and
your staff for the pride you take in your work. Jody Vaccaro
Wayne
Last month’s cover photo was taken by Derek Teixeira.
I spent some of the best years of my life at theClifton Boys Club, first as a gym rat, then cleaning
ashtrays at the bingo hall and finally two years as gym
director. So many great memories... but the October
story about Tom DiDonna brought to mind what was
one of the top moments for the athletic year of 1972.
The Clifton basketball team, with about a 500
record, went cross town to top ranked arch rival Paul
VI, ranked number 1 with 15 or so wins. Both teams
had kids who played together at the Boys Club and in
the park summer leagues. It was a game Clifton had
to win and nobody gave us a chance.
Bottom line: An air ball from Mike Will hit off the
referee and bounced to an opportunistic Mustang
who laid it in to put Clifton ahead in the last minute.
Two foul shots by Pete Cannizzo in the closing
seconds secured the victory. After the game, an
underclassmen took the words to Don McLean’s
American Pie and changed it to these words:
And the three men I admired the most, Wash,Moran and Joe Bigos, they took the last train to thecoast, the Day the Patriots died!
Joe BarrieOwings Mills, MD
jzbarrie@yahoo.com
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 8
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When I was a boy, my younger brother rushedinto the house and said, “Look what I found on
the driveway!” and he opened his hand and there, on
the flat of his palm, was an Indian arrow head.
“Is it real?” I asked.
My father looked at it and said, “Yes, it is. The real
thing. See how the edges are chipped away?”
Indians? Indians in New Jersey? Indians on my
driveway? I, like everyone else, learned about the
Lenni Lenape Indians in grammar school. There were
three tribes in New Jersey: the people of the stone
country to the north, the people who lived down river
in the south, and the people of the ocean.
We were told in our school days that the pilgrims
survived their first winter in the 1600’s because the
Massachusetts Indians helped the Europeans with
farming and shelter, and so today we have the heritage
of Thanksgiving, the sharing of the harvest with assur-
ance that we will survive another winter.
An entire civilization disappeared when the colonist
poured into America in the 17th and 18th centuries, and
little remains: broken arrow heads, and grainy photo-
graphs in history books. The Morris County Museum
preserves beautiful American Indian headdresses, deer-
skin skirts, beaded clothes, and models of Indian
lodges.
I was an American Indian for about a week. My
older brother had this idea that we could make tepees
with long sticks from the mock orange bush and weave
in strands of grass and clumps of leaves. We built two
just at the edge of the woods on my father’s property.
We had a difficult time staking the sticks in a circle, and
trying to tie the sticks at the top.
We found clay at the bottom of a small stream
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 9
Thanksgiving...By Christopher de Vinck
Thanksgiving...
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 1010
that wiggled through the woods, and with just the right
amount of squeezing and kneading, we wrung the water
from the clay and turned it into a pliable consistency. I
made my Indian bowl the size of a cupcake. I held a
lump of clay in my hand, rolled it into a ball, squeezed
it to the size of a doughnut, and then I pressed my
thumb in the middle, and there it was, my bowl.
We baked our clay pots in an Indian camp fire my
brother constructed: a ring of stones surrounding a
small pit. I will always remember the glee I felt when I
pulled out my baked pot: warm and solid. I ran to the
house, dug out a few bottles of model ship building
paint, and a brush and I ran back outside, waving the
paint above my head.
I remember carefully painting alternating strips
down the side of the bowl: yellow, red, green and blue.
I was the new Indian artist.
We no longer find much evidence of the America
Indian here in New Jersey. At Thanksgiving we see
images of pilgrims and Indians sharing a sumptuous
meal. Boys pretend they are Indians building teepees
with grass and sticks, and make clay pots with painted
strips.
We need to remember the estimated 15,000 Lenni
Lenape people who lived in New Jersey when the pil-
grims arrived. They cultivated potatoes, corn, beans,
squash, ate salmon and bear. They believed their God
pushed up a turtle from the Atlantic which formed the
island of North America, and they believed that their
ancestors emerged from an oak tree that grew from the
turtle’s back.
Hannah, the last living Lenni Lenape, lived in
Chester County. She was born in 1730, grew herbs, was
a famous healer in her region, and died in 1802.
This Thanksgiving let us remember the spirit of the
America Indian, they who believed that “we must walk
lightly in spring because that is when Mother Earth is
pregnant.” Let us give thanks to tribes of men and
women who saved the lives of the first pilgrims.
And let us sit at our Thanksgiving tables and do as
the America Indians suggested over four hundred years
ago: “Before eating, always take a little time to thank
the food.”
Dr. Christopher de Vinck, a graduate from Teachers College,
Columbia University, is the Language Arts Supervisor at
Clifton High School; an adjunct professor of English
Education at Montclair State
University, and the author of 12 books.
His best know work is The Power of the
Powerless (Crossroad Books) a book
on the struggles and joys of loving his
severely disabled brother. This essay is
from his upcoming book ‘Moments of
Grace: Days of a Faith Filled
Dreamer,’ to be published next Spring.
Let us remember the spirit of theAmerican Indian, they who believed that
‘we must walk lightly in spring because this is when Mother Earth is pregnant.’
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 11
Saluting OurHeroes from the 38th Parallel
When you turn this page, you’ll read more about John Finley
and the US Marines pictured behind him. He took the photo
of his comrades after they spend a cold and frozen winter in 1950
fighting bravely to defend the Chosin Reservor. As brutal and bloody
as the conflict in Korea was, it has been for decades refered to as The
Forgotten War. But here in Clifton, we don’t forget. Those who
defended our country during the Korean War—as well as others who
served during conflict and peace—will be honored in the city’s annu-
al Veterans Parade, which takes place on Sunday, Nov. 7.
By Joe Hawrylko
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 12
Even a half century later, John Finley still gri-
maces when asked to recall the details of his year
spent at the 38th Parallel in the Korean War.
The brutal cold at the Chosin
Reservoir. The shallow foxholes
that served as a temporary housing
for a some 30,000 American
Marines. The deadly abyss of the
night, only cut short by a piercing
whistle, signifying that several
thousand angry Chinese and
Korean soldiers were about to
emerge from the blackness.
“When it was night, you prayed
for daytime,” recalled Finley, as he
leaned back in his recliner in his
modest home off Grove St. “The
Chinese would only attack at night.
They had bugles and whistles they
used to coordinate attacks. It was
an eerie feeling.”
Worse yet was when Finley and
his fellow soldiers would try to
advance under the cover of darkness, trying to inch
their way back to safety. “We would be told to get ready
to move. We got up, held hands and moved forward,”
he recalled. “It was night—pitch black. We held each
other’s hands like vice grips.”
It’s called The Forgotten War by some, but you don’t
need to ask Finley if that’s the name he uses for the
conflict. You can see it on his face—what happened
there, you can’t forget.
As much as the memories of Korea still haunt him,
Finley admits that he willingly enlisted at a recruitment
office with five of his buddies from Paterson in the
Summer of 1948.
“I was 18 then. We were all gung ho, everyone still
had that patriotic spirit,” said Finley.
America was still high off of its victory in World
War II, and service in the name of country was seen as
honorable and relatively safe at the time. It beat getting
drafted and stuck in the bottom of some Navy ship.
Papers signed and stamped, Finley boarded a bus for
Newark on July 12, 1948, then caught a train bound for
US Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island. After complet-
ing his basic training, he was sent to Barbor’s Point in
Hawaii in the Fall of that year.
Out there, Finley’s greatest threat was a bad case of
sun poisoning, or maybe boredom while on guard
detail. He could have been a part of the occupying
forces in Japan, Allied Germany or
any of the other countries still in
disarray from WWII, but Finley
lucked out with two years in a
tropical paradise.
“Little did I know what was
going to happen,” he laughed soft-
ly. It’s funny how you can always
recall all of the minute details on a
day that your life changed.
“It was a Sunday, June 25,
1950. I was in the rec room at
base and the TV news said that
North Korea had invaded the
South,” said Finley. “We didn’t
even know where the hell Korea
was, but we’d soon find out.”
War had just broken out at the
38th Parallel, and Finley was one of
several hundred thousand American
troops that would eventually set foot in the Asian country
as a part of a police action by the United Nations (UN).
Within days, Marines from Finley’s base, Guam,
Japan and other Pacific camps were rounded up to
make the 1st Division, and then flown to Japan for stag-
ing in August.
On Sept. 15, 1950, troops under the direction of
Army General Douglas MacArthur, invaded North
Korea-controlled territory in a daring amphibious
assault at Inchon. Tactically, the Americans were try-
ing to cut off the supply route to the North Korean
troops that had pushed farther down south.
Finley’s war began here, when touched down not
long after the initial waves stormed the beach.
“At first, it was like, what the hell am I doing here,”
he recalled. “But once you get shot at, you get accus-
tomed to it.”
Inchon was secured quickly, and Finley, along with
the 1st Division, moved on to the capital city of Seoul.
After many grueling days of bloody urban combat, the
South Korean capital was declared liberated by the
Americans on Sept. 25.
“At that time, there were so many rumors that other sol-
diers were telling you that they heard,” said Finley.
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
John Finley after USMC boot camp.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 13
“[Military brass] never told you where
you were going until you got there.”
It turned out that the 1st
Division would head back to the
boats, which transported the
troops to Wonsan in enemy-con-
trolled North Korea. The plan
was to fight inward and meet up
with troops already occupying
land near the Chosin Reservoir.
The Marines had no idea what
awaited them in the hills over-
looking the water.
“The Army and the South
Koreans were already up there,” he
said. “That’s when all the crap hit
the fan because that’s when the
Chinese intervened.”
Holding the lower lying ground
near the water, the Americans were
encircled by six divisions from the
Chinese army. The enemy attackers
had come from the mountain and in
the process, the escape route—a
treacherous, narrow road way that
stretched 78 miles to Hungnam—
was cut off.
With limited supplies and no
shelter from the brutal weather con-
ditions, the Americans only had one
option: Battle their way out.
“We joked that it was a ‘Retreat
Ho!’ because we were fighting in the
direction that we had come from,”
said Finley.
A total of 30,000 UN troops
engaged some 60,000 Chinese sol-
diers in a brutal battle that stretched
from Nov. 27 to Dec 13. As danger-
ous as the constant Chinese attacks
were, the extreme winter conditions
that reduced the area around Chosin
to a frozen tundra, could kill you
just as quickly.
“Everybody got frostbite there,”
said Finley. “We didn’t even have
our winter gear with us yet. It was
always 30-40 below zero. The
water canteens, they would burst
because the water in it would
freeze. Your guns would jam up.
You slept with your gun by your
body to keep it warm. You were
fighting the weather, that was
enemy number one.”
Even once the cold weather sup-
plies came, they were of little use in
the extreme temperatures. Each UN
soldier was given two pairs of boot
inserts, which were to be rotated to
keep the feet dry. But with the con-
stant action, the wearer would sweat
and the socks would freeze.
“They were Mickey Mouse
boots,” scoffed Finley, who suffered
from frostbite in his feet and legs.
Over 7,000 UN troops were listed as
non-battle casualties at Chosin.
“It was freezing cold up there.
Ditches were your home for a while,
but they were so hard to dig because
it was frozen out,” said Finley, who
was discharged in 1952. The entire
1st Marine Division received a
Presidential Citation after the
Americans returned home.
“We even had Thanksgiving din-
ner right in our foxholes,” he added.
After returning home, he married
his wife, Ethel, on Sept. 19, 1953,
and went to work in construction and
later as a custodian at Christopher
Columbus Middle School.
To this day, he meets up every
other year with his former com-
rades, dubbed The Chosin Few, to
somberly celebrate their safe return.
“It was just unbelieveable,” said
Finley. “I try not to think about it.”
USMC Reserve Lt. William Kullerwas reported Killed in Action in
Korea in July 7, 1951. The 37 year
old Marine had previously served in
WWII after temporarily suspending
his studies at the Georgia Institute of
Technology, where he graduated
from in June 1949.
According to his cousin, Bill
Frisch of Clifton, Kuller was
downed by sniper fire while return-
ing from his last patrol of the day.
This information was relayed to
Kuller’s wife, Gloria, by a soldier
that was with the Cliftonite at the
time of his passing.
Kuller, a second lieutenant, was
recalled to active duty in October of 1950 and was only in Korea for two
months when he was shot. The Cliftonite was working as an engineer
prior to being called to duty at the 38th Parallel.
“He went to Korea as a Marine engineer, but things were so bad that
when they got there, they turned everybody into infantry,” said Frisch.
After his passing, the City of Clifton honored Kuller, a lifelong resident
who attended School 13 and CHS, by naming the long industrial road that
stretches between Hazel and Paulison Aves. after him.
USMC 2nd Lt William Kuller
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 14
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Tom Genuardi didn’t see any
combat action while serving
during the Korean War, but his
work in outlying bases provided
critical landing, refueling and stag-
ing locations to support the work of
armed troops.
Genuardi played a pivotal role as
a Navy SeaBee—the nickname
given to the Navy Construction
Battalions—and was stationed in
the Philipines, not far from the
Chinese border.
Like many kids who graduated
high school some five decades ago,
Genuardi went down to the recruit-
ing station in the Passaic Post
Office and signed his life over to
Uncle Sam in August of 1952.
“That was the thing to do when
we were kids, like joining the
Moose of the Elks today,” said the
1950 Passaic High grad.
Looking back, he laughs at his
boyhood patriotism but has no
regrets. “It was a lousy era, the
whole world was at war. It was us
against them. But yeah, I guess
everybody was doing it and I
signed up too.”
Genuardi was shipped out for
basic training in Bambridge,
Maryland, where he remained for
16 weeks. Originally, he wanted to
be a normal seaman in the Navy,
but the military had different plans
for Genuardi.
“They made me an offer that I
couldn’t refuse,” he laughed. “I
was a carpenter apprentice, and I
had no intention of going into the
Making Way for MarinesSeaBee Tom Genuardi Built Landing Strips & Roads
By Joe Hawrylko
Tom Genuardi as a SeaBee back during the Korean War and today. His Navy training led to a career as a carpenter.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 15
SeaBees. I wanted to get into the regularly Navy, but
according to them, if I didn’t go into the SeaBees, my
first three months would be as a mess cook and you
definitely don’t want to do that.”
Genuardi was sent to Port Hueneme, California for
SeaBee training. After that was completed, he was
shipped out to the Philipines to help build a camp that
was situated some 60 miles outside of Manilla.
“Things were heating up with China too, so they
needed a base that was far enough away from China,
but within range of our B29s,” explained Genuardi.
“We built that strip strictly so we could have first
strike capability in case we went to war with China,” he
added. “We’d have plenty of time to send our fighters
in to defend us and send out B29s to bomb the crap out
of them.”
However, building a base was not that simple. The
landscape required the SeaBees to essentially shape the
earth to their needs. Luckily, Genuardi and the other
SeaBees had a variety of machinery at their disposal.
Contractors would loan out machinery and tools for
field trials, allowing the military to excavate the earth
needed to make the airfield.
“The bomber strips had to be like 2.5 miles long. The
fighter strips needed less.... but because of the prevailing
winds, there was a mountain in the way,” said Genuardi,
who was a demolitions expert. “So they took 500 feet
off of the mountain and dumped it into the bay.”
After about a year, Genaurdi was placed on motor-
pool duty, where he supervised the swimming pool for
the WAVEs—Women Accepted for Volunteer
Emergency Service. He spent the final few months of
his service in that capacity before returning home in
June of 1954.
Genuardi considered re-enlisting but decided to
return to civilian life. He worked as a union carpen-
ter for over 40 years, and was a Clifton Special Police
Officer for 36 years. Genuardi has been married to his
wife, Mary, for 54 years and has three children, four
grandchildren and one great grandson.
973-772-8451Roofing • SidingSeamless Gutters
Additions • Alterations
“Forget eating white rice,” laughed US Army vet-
eran Bob Cirkus. “To this day, I still am not a fan
of white rice. Or any Oriental food. And if there was a
backfire of a car, I’ve been known to jump into the bush-
es—That only happened once though.”
A year in the Vietnamese jungle will have a profound
effect on even the most battle hardened of soldiers—
much less a 21 year old kid. The mental scarring from
such an experience can manifest itself in countless ways.
Some spend many dark years
haunted by terrible dreams and
flashbacks. Others might have
gotten away a peculiar but innocu-
ous habit of smoking a cigarette
with a hand covering the cherry—
what savvy soldiers did in the jun-
gle at night to avoid detection
from Vietcong sharpshooters.
Considering the stuff that
Cirkus saw in country from 1966
to 1967, not being able to stomach
exotic food is, relatively speaking,
making it out pretty well.
But his time in the jungle did
leave him with some lasting men-
tal scars that aren’t quite as
humorous. Leaning forward in
his chair, his bearded face sudden-
ly turned serious.
“Just sitting down with an Oriental... that took many
years before I could do that again,” explained Cirkus. “If
I ever got into an area with too many people. I’d move
away. I had problems dealing with that. You never had
mass groups of people in Vietnam. Even though you’re
only in the jungle for a year, the impact of living in a com-
bat zone takes a toll on you.”
It was June of 1965 when the government pulled
Cirkus’ lottery number He was being assigned to the
Army, and given the political climate at the time, he knew
that meant he was bound for Vietnam.
Two years prior in 1963, President Lyndon B.
Johnson announced his intentions to increase the
American presence in the Southeast Asian country. The
numbers ballooned from just a few thousand advisors
and observers in the early 60s to nearly 200,000 troops
by the end of 1965.
In preparation for deployment, Cirkus distanced himself
from others to soften the blow if he didn’t come home.
“I already met my wife, Carol, and we had gotten
engaged,” he recalled. Carol
passed away in December after 42
years of marriage. “When I got
my greetings and salutations from
Uncle Sam, I basically called off
the wedding and the engagement
because of the fact that Vietnam
was building up. I didn’t want to
leave a widow before I left a
wife.”
Though he did write to his
fiance while in training at Fort
Dix, NJ, contact became less fre-
quent when Cirkus was shipped to
Fort Knox, KT for additional
training to repair mounted turret
guns on vehicles.
When New Years rolled around
in 1966, Cirkus was on a ship
bound for Vietnam with the 25th
Infantry. By that time, letters had become infrequent—
and that was probably for the better.
“Your family back home, your fiance... it’s all on your
mind all the time, but you have to face reality,” said
Cirkus. “Even though you’re thinking of them, you have
to worry about doing your job and what was around you.”
The 25th was stationed in the highlands of Pleiku, a
vital military supply logistics corridor. Though trained to
repair machine gun turrets, Cirkus quickly learned
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 16
A Year in a War Zone
Bob Cirkus in Vietnam in 1966.
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Bob Cirkus Became a Lifetime Advocate for VeteransBy Joe Hawrylko
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 17
A Year in a War ZoneVeterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Salute Our Vets • Sunday Nov. 7, 2 pmClifton Veterans Parade East Ridgelawn Cemetery also invites you to visit our Mausoleum on Main Avenue to
pause, reflect and remember the lives of those who have passed. Visits are unlimited and
unaffected by the weather. Crypts are located in the building and convenient for elderly
and handicapped. Mausoleum entombment provides greater Peace of Mind & Security.
• niches• mausoleum
• garden graves• non-sectarian
• monumental graves• no obligation pre-need counseling
• financing available one-year at no interest on easy monthly plans
East Ridgelawn Cemetery255 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07014
for more information with no obligation call:
973-777-1920
Once again we are
proud to help spread
the word and remind
residents to stand along
Main Avenue on Nov. 7
near Main Memorial Park
to Salute our Veterans.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 18
that a successful soldier needs to develop key skills not
taught in basic training to get by in the jungle.
“Once you have knowledge of some stuff, if you get
the books and the right tools you can repair anything,” he
said. “Anything that fired a bullet, I repaired. If I could-
n’t repair it, it didn’t get fixed.”
Cirkus worked on everything from a standard issue
M1911 pistols to a 175 inch track Howitzer, a mobile
artillery cannon with a range of more that 30 km. But no
single item gave Cirkus more trouble than the M-16.
“The M-16 was basically a brand new weapon, which
we called the Matel toy because of the fact it would jam
up a lot,” he explained. “It wasn’t meant to be put in that
environment. You were either in mud or you were in
dust. There was no in between.”
As a result, many servicemen tried to get their hands
on alternative means of defense, like the old M-14s,
enemy rifles or shotguns.
“The pointmen used to use sawed off shotguns and it
was a ‘military issued’ type situation,” recalled Cirkus.
“It got to the point where if one had to get fixed it wasn’t
replaced, so what I used to do was if I couldn’t fix one,
I’d confiscate it and use it for parts on others. I literally
had guys cry to me.”
He didn’t say anything at the time, but secretly, Cirkus
understood, even sympathized, with those who shed tears
before him. A powerful weapon like a shotgun
Bob Cirkus, far right, helping raise funds for the familiesof deployed Guardsmen. At left is former NationalCommander of the Jewish War Veterans, Dan Weiss andBrigadier General Glen Reath.
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 19
Do you ever feel burning, tingling ornumbness in your feet and toes?Don’t ignore the symptoms—theycould be a warning sign of diabetes.
Thomas Graziano, DPM, MD, FAC-FAS, says those symptoms may becaused by diabetic peripheral neuropa-thy, or nerve damage. Neuropathy inthe feet can lead to permanent numb-ness, deformities such as bunions andhammertoes, and dry skin that cracksopen and won't heal.
“Diabetic peripheral neuropathy isnot only painful but dangerous,”says Graziano, a Fellow of theAmerican College of Foot and AnkleSurgeons with offices in Clifton. “It's aleading contributor to foot ulcers inpeople with diabetes."
In the United States, diabetes is theleading cause of peripheral neuropathyand can lead to further complications.And it’s often undiagnosed—out of the23 million Americans with diabetes,one in four don’t know they have it.
According to FootPhysicians.com,even diabetic patients who have excel-lent blood sugar control can developdiabetic neuropathy.
“When you have diabetes, especiallydiabetic neuropathy, a minor cut onyour foot can turn into a catastrophe,”says Graziano, who noted that 20 per-cent of ulcer cases require amputation.
Patients who are black, Hispanicand Native American are twice as like-ly as whites to need a diabetes-relatedamputation. The annual cost for dia-betic ulcer care in the U.S. is estimatedat $5 billion. For more information orto schedule an appointment, contactDr. Graziano at 973-473-3344 or visitwww.drtgraziano.com.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month: Know the Symptoms.Diabetics are prone to
foot ulcers, due toneurological and
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diabetes are many andin the foot, problems
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Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 20
saved lives in the bush. Even at his camp, where Cirkus
spent most of his time doing repairs, danger lurked nearby.
“One day, I was standing on the Pleiku motorpool area,
all the sudden there was a gunshot and a guy took a sniper’s
shot in the palm of his hand,” he recalled. “There was no
such thing as a front line over there.”
That was a fact of life in the jungle that Cirkus learned
very quickly upon being stationed at Pleiku. The
Vietcong had the homefield advantage. This was their
territory, and the natives had no qualms about using
relentless guerrilla warfare to physically and mentally
exhaust the Americans.
“[The base] was built in a peanut field, but yet there
was tunnels all running underneath it, but at the time, they
[American commanders] didn’t know about it,” he said.
“A North Vietnamese would be in a hole for a couple
days, pop his head out to take a shot and spend a few
more days hiding in that hole and then he’d try to get
away.”
Trouble found you ever if you didn’t look for it at
times. And though he didn’t regularly patrol the jungle
like other GIs, Cirkus would occasionally have to venture
up to a forward position for emergency repairs. Luckily,
the Army supplied him well.
At his disposal were a Jeep, a three quarter (pick-up
truck), a deuce and a half (dump truck) and a helicopter.
And each war machine came heavily armed: The Jeep
had 50 and 60 caliber machine guns, and the three quar-
ter and the deuce and a half both had two sets of each gun.
“I was well prepared,” Cirkus said of his time riding
shotgun through the jungle. “I used to go to Cam Ranh
periodically to pick up supplies. Whenever I used to
appear at the convoy, the MP would ask me to take the
lead, mainly because of all the armor I had.”
Back HomeAfter almost a year in the jungle, Cirkus returned to the
United States in February 1967. Though the war was
already underway for nearly a decade by the time he
deployed, Vietnam was just starting to reach its apex
when Cirkus was being sent home.
Public opinion on the police action in Vietnam com-
pletely flipped, with more and more people calling for an
end to the conflict. The nation was in the midst of unrest.
Hippies protested Vietnam on college campuses, while
Civil Rights activists took to the streets.
Cirkus, stationed in Ft. Hood, TX prior to his June
1967 discharge, recalled how much the country had
changed in the span of a year.
“My discharge date was Monday and it was the
Saturday before. I was sitting there, watching the news
and I look up at the TV and there’s tanks blocking off the
Garden State Parkway going into Newark,”
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 21
saved lives in the bush. Even at his camp, where Cirkus
spent most of his time doing repairs, danger lurked nearby.
“One day, I was standing on the Pleiku motorpool area,
all the sudden there was a gunshot and a guy took a sniper’s
shot in the palm of his hand,” he recalled. “There was no
such thing as a front line over there.”
That was a fact of life in the jungle that Cirkus learned
very quickly upon being stationed at Pleiku. The
Vietcong had the homefield advantage. This was their
territory, and the natives had no qualms about using
relentless guerrilla warfare to physically and mentally
exhaust the Americans.
“[The base] was built in a peanut field, but yet there
was tunnels all running underneath it, but at the time, they
[American commanders] didn’t know about it,” he said.
“A North Vietnamese would be in a hole for a couple
days, pop his head out to take a shot and spend a few
more days hiding in that hole and then he’d try to get
away.”
Trouble found you ever if you didn’t look for it at
times. And though he didn’t regularly patrol the jungle
like other GIs, Cirkus would occasionally have to venture
up to a forward position for emergency repairs. Luckily,
the Army supplied him well.
At his disposal were a Jeep, a three quarter (pick-up
truck), a deuce and a half (dump truck) and a helicopter.
And each war machine came heavily armed: The Jeep
had 50 and 60 caliber machine guns, and the three quar-
ter and the deuce and a half both had two sets of each gun.
“I was well prepared,” Cirkus said of his time riding
shotgun through the jungle. “I used to go to Cam Ranh
periodically to pick up supplies. Whenever I used to
appear at the convoy, the MP would ask me to take the
lead, mainly because of all the armor I had.”
Back HomeAfter almost a year in the jungle, Cirkus returned to the
United States in February 1967. Though the war was
already underway for nearly a decade by the time he
deployed, Vietnam was just starting to reach its apex
when Cirkus was being sent home.
Public opinion on the police action in Vietnam com-
pletely flipped, with more and more people calling for an
end to the conflict. The nation was in the midst of unrest.
Hippies protested Vietnam on college campuses, while
Civil Rights activists took to the streets.
Cirkus, stationed in Ft. Hood, TX prior to his June
1967 discharge, recalled how much the country had
changed in the span of a year.
“My discharge date was Monday and it was the
Saturday before. I was sitting there, watching the news
and I look up at the TV and there’s tanks blocking off the
Garden State Parkway going into Newark,”
PODIATRYThomas Graziano, DPM, MD
1033 Clifton, Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-473-3344
Jeffrey Miller, DPM
1117 Route 46 East, 2nd Floor
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-365-2208
Eugene A. Batelli, DPM
1117 Route 46 East, 2nd Floor
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-365-2208
Zina Cappiello, DPM
886 Pompton Ave, Suite A-1
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009
973-857-1184
Glenn Haber, DPM
140 Grand Ave.
Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-0212
John Mc Evoy, DPM
152 Lakeview Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-340-8970
Kevin Healey, DPM
152 Lakeview Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-340-8970
Matthew Welch, DPM
6506 Park Ave.
West New York, NJ 07093
201-662-1122
Anas Khoury, DPM235 Main Ave.
Passaic, NJ 07066
973-473-6665
PAIN MANAGEMENTLadislav Habina, MD
1117 Route 46 East, 2nd Floor
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-357-8228
Kazimierz Szczech, MD
1033 Clifton Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-473-4400
Binod Sinha, MD
1117 Route 46 East, 2nd Floor
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-777-5444
Todd Koppel, MD
721 Clifton Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-473-5752
ENDOSCOPYPiotr Huskowski, MD
1005 Clifton Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-778-7882
CHIROPRACTICMichael Gaccione, DC
26 Clinton St.
Newark, NJ 07012973-624-4000
Terry Mc Sweeney, DC
600 Mount Prospect Ave.
Newark, NJ 07104
973-485-2332
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1070 Clifton Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-773-9880
ORTHOPEDICSKent Lerner, MD
17 Jauncey Ave.
North Arlington, NJ 07031
201-991-9019
UROLOGYDaniel Rice, MD
1001 Clifton, Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-779-7231
OPHTHALMOLOGYCharles Crowley, MD
1033 Clifton Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-472-6405
GENERAL SURGERYKevin Buckley, MD
1100 Clifton Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-778-0100
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1100 Clifton Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-778-0100
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1117 Route 46 East, Suite 301
Clifton, NJ 07013
973-779-4242
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 22
recalled Cirkus. “A lot of the guys knew I was from
Jersey and I was just like, ‘Holy Christ, I was in a com-
bat zone and I come back to this?’”
He had no idea just how bad things had become at home.
“I got off the plane and my mother and father had just
met me. We were walking through LaGuardia Airport
and these two college boys approach me,” he recalled. “I
was still wearing basically my jungle fatigues and he
says, ‘Wow, did you just come back from Vietnam?
Wow, are you one of them f---ing baby killers?’ And then
he spit on me.”
Cops intervened before Cirkus could act, but the inci-
dent was forever etched in his memory with the other ter-
rible things he experienced due to Vietnam.
“People would welcome me with open arms and other
people would pass comments—’How can you do this?’
said Cirkus. “It’s my country. Right or wrong, I’m going
to stand behind it.”
The reception that the returning soldier received after
Vietnam is part of the reason he remains so involved in
veteran affairs.
Cirkus is a member of the Epithian Order, the Jewish
War Veterans Post 47 and is Past State Commander of the
Jewish War Veterans, where he has held a number of
national posts as well. The Cliftonite is also affiliated
with VFW 6487, the American Legion Vets Post 30,
Vietnam Vets of America Chapter 800, Jewish Memorial
Chapter Clifton, and he is on the Veterans Advisory
Board at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans
Cemetery in Wrightstown.
“I was also affiliated with the Catholic War Vets—
Yeah, I got in there, too,” he laughed.
Cirkus explained how he uses his influental positions to
create awareness and recalled an interview he did with
Channel 4 Philadelphia as the State Commander of the
Jewish War Vets some years back. The journalist, who was
perplexed that Cirkus was on hand to meet the soldiers
despite not knowing any personally, asked the Cliftonite to
the treatment of today’s soldiers with the reception that he
received upon returning home from Vietnam.
“I felt like I stood there for about an hour and at that
time, I turned to her and said, ‘You know what, it’s all
about them and not us,’” recalled Cirkus. “And then we
walked away. The only thing I can say as a Vietnam
Veteran—and probably any other Vietnam Vet will tell
you the same thing—we’re never going to let what hap-
pened to us happen to any other military personnel. We
will never let society ever forget the solider.”
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 23
recalled Cirkus. “A lot of the guys knew I was from
Jersey and I was just like, ‘Holy Christ, I was in a com-
bat zone and I come back to this?’”
He had no idea just how bad things had become at home.
“I got off the plane and my mother and father had just
met me. We were walking through LaGuardia Airport
and these two college boys approach me,” he recalled. “I
was still wearing basically my jungle fatigues and he
says, ‘Wow, did you just come back from Vietnam?
Wow, are you one of them f---ing baby killers?’ And then
he spit on me.”
Cops intervened before Cirkus could act, but the inci-
dent was forever etched in his memory with the other ter-
rible things he experienced due to Vietnam.
“People would welcome me with open arms and other
people would pass comments—’How can you do this?’
said Cirkus. “It’s my country. Right or wrong, I’m going
to stand behind it.”
The reception that the returning soldier received after
Vietnam is part of the reason he remains so involved in
veteran affairs.
Cirkus is a member of the Epithian Order, the Jewish
War Veterans Post 47 and is Past State Commander of the
Jewish War Veterans, where he has held a number of
national posts as well. The Cliftonite is also affiliated
with VFW 6487, the American Legion Vets Post 30,
Vietnam Vets of America Chapter 800, Jewish Memorial
Chapter Clifton, and he is on the Veterans Advisory
Board at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans
Cemetery in Wrightstown.
“I was also affiliated with the Catholic War Vets—
Yeah, I got in there, too,” he laughed.
Cirkus explained how he uses his influental positions to
create awareness and recalled an interview he did with
Channel 4 Philadelphia as the State Commander of the
Jewish War Vets some years back. The journalist, who was
perplexed that Cirkus was on hand to meet the soldiers
despite not knowing any personally, asked the Cliftonite to
the treatment of today’s soldiers with the reception that he
received upon returning home from Vietnam.
“I felt like I stood there for about an hour and at that
time, I turned to her and said, ‘You know what, it’s all
about them and not us,’” recalled Cirkus. “And then we
walked away. The only thing I can say as a Vietnam
Veteran—and probably any other Vietnam Vet will tell
you the same thing—we’re never going to let what hap-
pened to us happen to any other military personnel. We
will never let society ever forget the solider.”
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 24
As Veteran’s Day approaches,I remember my Uncle Sal
Sperlazzi. Like so many of his
Greatest Generation, Sal served
during World War II, joining the
U.S. Navy at age 29. When he left
for the Pacific, he was an expectant
father awaiting his first son Robert,
a future Passaic teacher.
Uncle Sal died last year at the
age of 95. As these World War II
veterans leave us, we must remem-
ber the supreme sacrifices they
made. We enjoy our
freedom today
because of these brave
men and women.
Sal, who once
worked at the Doherty
Silk Mill and managed
boxers, was a “humble
hero.” He was a sailor
who couldn’t swim
and was usually sea-
sick. Working in the
engine room of his
beloved USS Tallulah – a fleet oiler
that would earn seven battle stars in
WWII – Sal would race to the
ship’s deck when Japanese planes
attacked.
His job was to wear big asbestos
gloves and catch the shells of the
anti-aircraft guns firing at the sky.
“I only missed once,” he said, “my
first shell. But I never missed
again.”
In 1944, American military lead-
ers planned to drive
through the central
Pacific, right to
Japan’s doorstep.
Key to their plan was
the capture of the Mariana Islands,
which meant occupying Saipan and
neighboring Tinian, and recaptur-
ing Guam. These islands were crit-
ical to their strategy; needed air
strips could be built and enable the
Air Corp to fly their new long-
range bomber, the B-29
Superfortress, directly to Japan.
Previous invasions had been
against coral atolls – small and
about a dozen feet above sea level.
In contrast, the Marianas were large
and volcanic with mountainous
interiors. Formidable enemy
defenses were entrenched.
Bombardment by our ships and
massive air strikes would support
the invasion.
On June 15, 1944, it began. It
was a costly battle – American
casualties numbered 24,000 killed
by the campaign’s end in August.
My “humble hero” Sal Sperlazzi
was there. He spoke of watching
the shelling of Guam from the
Tallulah’s deck (“It resembled fire-
works,” he said) and witnessing a
Kamikaze plane shot out of the sky
By Adeline De Vries
Uncle Sal was an Everyman
Uncle Sal Sperlazzi found a little time for R&R (rest & relaxation)during WWII. Above, Sal with his niece, Adeline, who is also themom to frequent Clifton Merchant contributor, Jack De Vries.
A Humble Hero from the Greatest Generation
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 25
As Veteran’s Day approaches,I remember my Uncle Sal
Sperlazzi. Like so many of his
Greatest Generation, Sal served
during World War II, joining the
U.S. Navy at age 29. When he left
for the Pacific, he was an expectant
father awaiting his first son Robert,
a future Passaic teacher.
Uncle Sal died last year at the
age of 95. As these World War II
veterans leave us, we must remem-
ber the supreme sacrifices they
made. We enjoy our
freedom today
because of these brave
men and women.
Sal, who once
worked at the Doherty
Silk Mill and managed
boxers, was a “humble
hero.” He was a sailor
who couldn’t swim
and was usually sea-
sick. Working in the
engine room of his
beloved USS Tallulah – a fleet oiler
that would earn seven battle stars in
WWII – Sal would race to the
ship’s deck when Japanese planes
attacked.
His job was to wear big asbestos
gloves and catch the shells of the
anti-aircraft guns firing at the sky.
“I only missed once,” he said, “my
first shell. But I never missed
again.”
In 1944, American military lead-
ers planned to drive
through the central
Pacific, right to
Japan’s doorstep.
Key to their plan was
the capture of the Mariana Islands,
which meant occupying Saipan and
neighboring Tinian, and recaptur-
ing Guam. These islands were crit-
ical to their strategy; needed air
strips could be built and enable the
Air Corp to fly their new long-
range bomber, the B-29
Superfortress, directly to Japan.
Previous invasions had been
against coral atolls – small and
about a dozen feet above sea level.
In contrast, the Marianas were large
and volcanic with mountainous
interiors. Formidable enemy
defenses were entrenched.
Bombardment by our ships and
massive air strikes would support
the invasion.
On June 15, 1944, it began. It
was a costly battle – American
casualties numbered 24,000 killed
by the campaign’s end in August.
My “humble hero” Sal Sperlazzi
was there. He spoke of watching
the shelling of Guam from the
Tallulah’s deck (“It resembled fire-
works,” he said) and witnessing a
Kamikaze plane shot out of the sky
before it hit a ship. Each
morning, Sal served at his
station, catching hot shells
during battle as the large
guns ejected their hot cas-
ings.
But a more nerve-wrack-
ing time for him would
come later. Below in the
engine room of the oil-filled
vessel, Sal would listen to
the thunder of battle, know-
ing one well-aimed strike
would bring a fiery death.
Saipan was secured on July 9, 1944. Within two
weeks, army units and Marines stormed ashore at
Guam, then Tinian. Immediately, military engineers
leveled the northern half of the island and built the
bases for the B-29s. In August 1945 from one of these
fields, a Superfortress took off on a secret mission to
Hiroshima, ushering in the Atomic age and hastening
the end of World War II.
On Veteran’s Day, I remember Uncle Sal and all the
other veterans. Each contributed to our standard of liv-
ing and freedom today. They courageously did their
jobs and many never came home.
“Hero,” as defined by Daniel Webster, is one who is
“endowed with great strength, a champion, a man
admired for his achievements and noble qualities, one
who shows great courage and is self-sacrificing.”
We owe all our heroes a debt of gratitude.Uncle Sal was an EverymanVeterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Melanie Ciaffi
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 26
On the battlefield, an air evac-uation is the difference
between life and death for a
wounded soldier. But James
Marrocco of Marrocco Memorial
Chapel sent us a note and these
photos to let us know that the prac-
tice was innovated by his uncle, a
Paterson physician.
Fight surgeon Major William A.
Marrocco of the 27th
Bombardment Group perfected his
system while stationed at Bataan
and New Guinea during World War
II. The concept eventually evolved
into the helicopter medivac, which
was popularized in Vietnam and is
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Medical Innovations at WarMedivac Techniquesby William Marrocco
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 27
Klimek105 Avondale Ave. Clifton
Siding
Pettke333 Harding Ave.
Roofing
Nolasco430 Terhune Ave. Passaic
Roofing
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As a civilian, Marrocco was a
physician in Paterson who
answered the call to arms in the
Fall of 1941. After his officer
training, he was shipped out to the
Philippines in November.
The air lifts were first planned
at Archer Field in Brisbane,
Australia, the home of the Fifth
Air Force. Receiving troops from
the nearby island combat zones,
Marrocco first learned by trial and
error. He later enlisted the help of
General Douglas MacArthur to get
around military bureaucracy.
This allowed Marrocco to coor-
dinate so that last planes exiting
the battlefield would have room
for the first few wounded.
Eventually, Marrocco managed to
get dedicated flights from the bat-
tlefield for wounded troops, com-
plete with on-flight medical staff.
He also perfected medical supply
drops, which originally were
stored in empty ammunition con-
tainers and dropped from planes
flying over the combat area.
Marrocco eventually took flight
surgeon courses so he could join in
on medivac operations. He also
saw ground action, suffering
minor shrapnel wounds while sta-
tioned at Java.
1232
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Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Medical Innovations at War
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 29
Story by Joe Hawrylko
“Iwas drafted right on mybirthday, June 25, 1941,”
said Jim Scangarello, as he sat at his
kitchen table in his Dutch Hill
home. Though he now gets a
chuckle at his bad luck some seven
decades ago, the Cliftonite wasn’t
so humored when Uncle Sam came
calling.
“That was a terrible day. I was
with my girlfriend (and later, his
wife), Angelina,” said Scangarello,
who served in the Army. “I was
crying because I didn’t want to
leave home. She was my girlfriend.
I wanted to stay home with her.”
But with Europe rapidly losing
ground to Axis Forces, it became
obvious that America would even-
tually enter the conflict.
Scangarello left his job at Bright
Star Battery, where he had worked
since dropping out of Clifton High
School to support his family during
The Depression, and prepared for
his new life.
“I got on a bus at Broad St., by
where the fire house is,” he
recalled. “We went to Newark to
some armory, and there was about a
1,000 guys.”
As he was processed, an officer
pulled him aside and instructed him
to head towards the front of the
room: “They called me up front .”
Scangarello continued. “and every-
one yells, ‘Happy Birthday!’”
It was a brief, light-hearted
moment in an otherwise gloomy
time for Scangarello. In total, his
family sent three sons—Jim, his
twin, Peter, and Tom—off to fight
the Axis Powers. Peter served in a
tank unit in General Patton’s Army
in France, and Tom flew Air Force
B-17s on bombing runs over
Italian-controlled Africa.
Scangarello’s soon-to-be wife
also had family in service.
Angelina’s brother, US Army 2nd
Lt. Stephen Messineo, was killed in
action on Feb. 18, 1944 in Italy, on
the Anzio Beachhead.
The Army first shipped out
Scangarello to Port Eustis, Virginia
for basic, and then to Florida for
barrage balloon training. “They
were like really big balloons, like a
giant airship,” explained the
Cliftonite. Barrage balloons were
a short-lived means of anti air
defense. In the early years of World
War II, most precision strikes were
carried out by dive bombers.
To counter this, massive balloons
are tethered with numerous long,
metal cables and floated up to 5,000
feet. Pilots must either risk being
downed by the cables or go higher
up, into the range of flak cannons.
This was the primary means of
anti air defense at the Panama
Canal, where Scangarello was sta-
tioned in 1941 after completing his
training. The waterway was a vital
gateway for US warships, shaving
weeks off of travel by making it no
longer necessary to sail around the
bottom of South America, known as
Tierra Del Fuego.
By Joe Hawrylko
Jim Scangarello (above left and pictured today on the next page) with his brothersin 1942. Jim joined the Army, while his twin brother, Peter now deceased, (middle)served in a tank unit under General Patton’s command in France. Tom enlisted inthe Air Force, participating in B-17 bombing runs over Italian-controlled Africa.
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Official 24th SalutationJim Scangarello Received Greetings and a Song in 1941
Though it was feared that Japan might progress to
Hawaii and beyond after Pearl Harbor, the heart of the
Axis fleet never reached the Americas.
“No one came there. It was pretty safe there,” recalled
Scangarello. As the Americans entered the war following
Pearl Harbor, the tides began to change and the Allies
went on the offensive.
The US military determined that an attack on Panama
was not a realistic threat and sent Scangarello, along with
the rest of the troops at the Canal, in for re-training. The
Cliftonite learned to be a pole climber, helping rebuild
downed lines of communications in Europe towards the
end of the war in October of 1944.
“I went to France. We landed on Omaha Beach, but
there were already way ahead of us,” he recalled. The
Allies stormed France in June of that year in a series of
beach invasions. They moved east in a string of victories.
“The Nazis would retreat and damage everything, and we
had to fix it up.”
Though not directly involved in front line action,
Scangarello’s duties were vital to American success in
Europe, as it re-opened communication lines over the con-
tinent. He served in that capacity until his discharge in
the Fall of 1945.
“I never fired a pistol or a rifle or nothing,” said
Scangarello. “I was just lucky, that’s all.”
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 30
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 31
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Honored for His ServiceNational Guardsman Rich Ashton Still Front & Center
By Carol Leonard
Whether it’s a design and layout job for a payingclient or a voluntary project for the Clifton
Arts Center, Rich Ashton is the kind of guy who puts
his heart and soul into everything he does.
For the past 20 years or more, Ashton has given count-
less hours of his time and talents to various community
organizations in Clifton, from the Little League to the arts
center and, more recently, the Athenia Vets. He also
serves on the crew of volunteers who put up and take
down thousands of American flags around city hall for
the Avenue of Flags display on Veterans Day, Memorial
Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.
A native of Paterson, Ashton moved with his family
to Clifton when he was 14 years-old and graduated
from Clifton High School in 1969.
He recalls his childhood days as
being filled with playing sandlot
baseball and other games with his
pals from the neighborhood where
he grew up.
“We’d play outside all day until
the street lights came on, and then
it was time to go home,” he said.
Ashton also knew that he had a
propensity for art from a very
young age. “When I was a kid, I
always like to draw,” he said.
“When I saw something that I
liked, I’d sit down and draw it. All
I knew is that I wanted to draw pic-
tures.”
Following high school, Ashton’s artistic talents won
him a partial scholarship to the Newark School of Fine
and Industrial Arts. He also completed course work at
the Art Students League and the School of Visual Arts
in New York City.
Like many young men of his generation, Ashton
came of age at the height of the Vietnam War.
Although he could have taken a student
deferment from the military draft, he
decided instead to join the Army National
Guard, taking a leave of absence from his
studies for six months to attend basic
training. He returned to complete his
course work, while serving his country in
the National Guard for six years.
Ashton spent the early part of his graphic arts career
working for a number of different employers, including
print shops, advertising agencies and an art studio. In
1982 he started his own business, Ashton Art & Design,
which he continues to operate out of his house.
He and his wife Dot have lived in their Allwood home
for 32 years, raising three children, Lauren, 31; Richie, 28;
and Kim, 24. They also have two grandchildren.
Rich Ashton above with the logo hedesigned for the Clifton Art Center and as
a National Guardsman in 1970.
His involvement in volunteer activities in town began
when his son played baseball with Southern Division
Little League and he offered to help as an assistant
coach. He later served two years as vice president and
two years as president of the league, overseeing
fundraising and construction of a batting cage and a
new clubhouse at the league’s Mount Prospect Park
headquarters.
As his son moved on to play Babe Ruth and
American Legion baseball, Ashton got involved in
those programs as well, and he served as president of
the Clifton Athletic Association for several years when
his daughter was active playing softball.
Ashton stayed on as a volunteer for the Clifton youth
sports programs well beyond the years of his kids’
involvement. In fact, he continued to design the cover
for the Little League’s opening day program until just
last year.
He got involved with the Clifton Art Center 10 years
ago after winning a logo design contest before the cen-
ter first opened in 2000. The logo, which has become
the “image” of the arts center, incorporates a sketch
Ashton did of the front roofline of the old federal quar-
antine barn at the rear of the City Hall complex, which
now houses the center.
“I thought it was a great idea for the community to
have an arts center,” Ashton said. “It provides a won-
derful opportunity for students from the high school
and local artists to show their work for the residents
to enjoy. Without the volunteers, there would be no
Arts Center.”
Ashton served two years on the Art Center’s advisory
board, and he continues to volunteer his time to design
every post card, banner, poster and other graphic materi-
als that advertise the center’s shows and events.
“He’s an all-around good guy and a true friend of the
arts center,” said Board of Trustees President Jeff
Labriola. “Anytime we call him, he’s always there to
help.”
Ashton was honored for his contributions to the suc-
cess of the Clifton Arts Center at the center’s 10th
Anniversary Gala on Oct. 17.
In recent years, he has added the Athenia Veterans
organization to his list of volunteer activities, develop-
ing a Web site for the group and helping to initiate a
quarterly newsletter for which he does all the design
and layout.
Ashton is as meticulous in the work he does as a vol-
unteer as he is when working for one of his business
clients. “It’s a matter of pride,” he said. “Whether
you’re getting paid for something or doing it because
you just want to help out, it’s still a part of you. It’s who
you are as a person.”
Rich Ashton is a true gem of the Clifton community.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 32
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 33
To most Navy recruits, being stationed aboard a sub-
marine probably doesn’t sound too appealing.
Cramped quarters, months spent thousands of feet under
water, essentially isolated from human contact except for
those aboard the sub as well.
But Joe Imperato was fascinated with those sleek,
technology-laden war vessels that likely haunt the
dreams of claustrophobics everywhere.
So enamored was he that in 1979, Imperato, then just
a 17 year old boy months removed from his high school
graduation, enlisted with the Naval Reserves and volun-
teered for submarine duty. “It was the cutting edge tech-
nology,” he explained. “We know more about outer
space than we do our own oceans, so a submarine is just
jam packed with technology.”
Imperato was initially stationed on the USS Harold J.
Ellison DD8-64, a destroyer, for a ten month stint.
Afterwards, he was placed on active duty and assigned to
the USS Francis Scott Key, a nuclear submarine, in 1980.
During his first patrol, Imperato was a non-designated sea-
man, and generally handled any tasks that were assigned.
“I worked in the galley, sent messages, steered the
ship,” he explained of the variety of duties a young sea-
man would attend to. “I did what all junior people do.”
Due to having a little experience as an electrician, the
Navy wanted him to become a phoneman. Imperato
was a non-designated seaman, which means he essential-
ly could be assigned to any duty aboard the submarine.
The opportunity allowed him to experience a number
of different positions. Imperato ultimately decided on
being a radioman and passed the required test despite not
attending any courses. He went on to spent 12 years in
service, most of it aboard submarines as a radioman. In
total, he served aboard six subs.
Most often, his vessels covered target packages, act-
ing as America’s nuclear deterrent against a Russian
strike. “I was the guy who’d take the message that said
launch the missile and decipher it,” said Imperato.
Though his role on each vessel was essentially the
same, the atmosphere aboard each sub is entirely
dependent on the makeup of
its crew.
“You have to breed rapid
comradery with people. It’s
not like on a ship. If someone
doesn’t do their job, there
could be a casualty,” said Imperato. “Everybody realizes
you have to depend on everyone else doing their job.”
Though he intended to go career, the Cliftonite retired
in 1991 due to an injury that he did not disclose.
However, Imperato is still active in local and regional
veteran affairs groups, having twice served as the
Commander of Post 8 in Clifton and as the Passaic
County Commander for the American Legion.
Imperato still looks back fondly on his Naval career.
He said his favorite submarine was the USS Andrew
Jackson, a ship he looks back on with fondness.
“The Andrew Jackson wasn’t a crew. It was a fami-
ly,” said Imperato. “It was the quality of people at that
time. They were really a terrific crew, a family.”
“If you saw a pair of shoes underneath a bathroom
stall, you knew whose they were,” said Imperato. “The
first five years of my marriage, I spent more time with
my shipmates than my wife.”
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
The SubmarinerJoe Imperato Served Underseas During the Cold War
By Joe Hawrylko
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 34
Ever since he was a young child, Aneudi Diaz was
enamored with the military. Now he’s on the path
to becoming a United States Marine Officer.
“I just wanted to try something new in life and I
always had that dream,” said the 2004 CHS graduate,
who is the first in his family to join the service.
Diaz, currently in the Reserves and working
towards getting his Bachelor’s degree to become an
officer, first began seriously considering enlisting
while in high school.
“It’s the kind of lifestyle I want to live,” he
explained. “Not to sound crazy, but even when I was
little, it was interesting. When I was small, I had all
the GI Joes and watched the cartoons... then in high
school, I really learned about it and went to the
recruiter’s office.”
“Most of my friends are in the Marines. They were
there even before I went,” Diaz continued.. “That
really helped me out because that was the one branch
I could ask about and learn what was really going on.”
Then just 18 years old, he was ready to enlist but
was unable to pass the tests required to become a
Marine. Instead, Diaz headed back to school, receiv-
ing his Associate’s in criminal justice at Berkeley
College in 2008.
But even after graduating, he still had the urge to
become a Marine, and enlisted in the reserve in
January of this year.
After enlisting, Diaz
was shipped to Paris
Island for boot, in what
he calls the most physi-
cally and mentally chal-
lenging event in his life.
“You’re not going to
want to be there, you’re
going to be stressed out, you’re going to be
depressed,” he explained. The ordeal forced him to
rise up against adversity and become a leader. “But
at the end, when you graduate, you’re going to be
like, that’s why that branch is considered the best of
them all.”
After nearly eight months, Diaz completed his
training on Aug. 15. “Right now, I’m working
towards being an officer,” said Diaz. He plans to
head back to school to earn his Bachelor’s degree as
required by the Marines.
Diaz, who has lived in Clifton since emigrating to
the United States from the Dominican Republic in
1996, said he’s considering a Marine career, either as
a reservist or on active duty. He views his service as
a patriotic duty to the United States.
“It’s a new country, you go to be thankful for what
you have,” he said. “I wouldn’t have accomplished
things like this in the Dominican Republic. This is
my way to pay back America.”
We Salute Our Veterans!Assemblyman Thomas P. GiblinState of New Jersey1333 Broad St., Clifton, NJ 07013office: 973-779-3125www.assemblymangiblin.comView The Giblin Report on Thursdays at 9 pm, Channel 76
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
A Patriotic Duty By Joe Hawrylko
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 35
Even without ever physically engaging the enemy,deployment can be mentally exhausting. Uprooted
from home and dropped in a foreign country halfway
across the globe, loneliness is a fact of life for soldiers.
That’s why National Guard Sgt. Alberto Perez is so
grateful to have had the support of Mayor James Anzaldi
and his fellow Cliftonites during his tour of duty in Iraq
this past year. “Right before I went over there, I bumped
into the mayor at city hall,” he recalled, a DPW worker
who has lived in Clifton for 17 years. “He goes to me,
‘When you get there, make sure you send me a letter or
card so we can take care of you.’”
Perez, who joined at 17 years old, spent nearly three
decades in the Guard and never entered a warzone. He
joined to help in domestic disasters—Perez was activat-
ed to help with flooding following Hurricane Floyd in
1999 and in the aftermath of 9/11.
But with the government dipping into its reserve pool
the New Jersey Guard was activated in 2008, and Perez
given his orders to head to Iraq. Once there, he wrote to
Anzaldi as instructed and waited.
A couple weeks later, Perez, who worked as a Military
Police guard in a jail, left his shift to find a gift from
home waiting for him at command. He lugged the pack-
age on a ten minute hike back to his quarters, eager to see
who sent him something.
“I got this big box that I carried back to my room after
a long, 12 hour shift,” recalled Perez. “I’m a man, I’ve
got feelings. There were tears coming out of my eyes,
that someone cared about us all the way over here.
Anzaldi had sent a care package from City Hall con-
taining goods that Perez had requested for his squad.
The gesture touched the Cliftonite—besides family, why
would anyone else care? Perez figured that he’d spend
his ten months in country lonely and homesick.
“Especially Guardsmen, we’re part-timers. We get
lonely—I’ve never experienced it like that before,” he
explained. “I can tell you I felt lonely man. But Mayor
Anzaldi, right away he answered. And every two weeks,
he sent me a post card—it never failed. I got them all
back at my house.”
Not long after the mayor began keeping regular con-
tact with Perez, other people began writing. American
Legion Post 8 frequently supported Perez and his troops,
and the children at St. Andrews and School 11 kept reg-
ular contact as well.
“We flew the New Jersey flag in our combat zone in
honor of the mayor and what he did for our soldiers,”
Perez said proudly. “We also flew one for St. Andrews,
the kids at School 11 and Post 8.”
The Cliftonite said support from his friends back
home and his faith are what brought him back to his fam-
ily at the end of 2009.
“That’s what kept me strong, sharing the gospel with
the kids—well, I called the soliders [also in his guard
unit] kids,” laughed Perez. “Those were times I will
never forget. They just found me real calm, and I’d just
share my faith with them. God forbid something hap-
pens to me, I know where I’m going.”
When the Cliftonite finally came home, Anzaldi was
the first person he went to after greeting family. “I shook
his hand and hugged him when I got back,” said Perez.
“I don’t care who likes him. who doesn’t. But this just
shows... it just shows what kind of guy he is.”
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
Mail Call in Saddam’s PalaceBy Joe Hawrylko
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 36
Albert Andrezzi isn’t the kind of guy who likes tosit around alone at home watching TV.The World
War II veteran, who will turn 89 in January, would much
rather be at his crossing guard post on Lexington Ave. in
front of School 17 or helping the nurses on 6 West in his
volunteer role at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Andrezzi was born and raised in Paterson during the
days of the Great Depression, so he knows what its like
to have to work hard to make ends meet.
He left school after eighth grade to help support his
family, which included nine brothers and sisters.
“I took whatever menial jobs I could find,” he said.
At age 20, Andrezzi was drafted into the military. A
newlywed at the time with a pregnant wife, he was
shipped overseas following basic training shortly after his
first son was born in 1943.
Andrezzi spent nearly three years overseas during the
war, first in England and later in Belgium, France and
Czechoslovakia, serving in General Patton’s Third Army.
“It was a rough time,” he painfully recalled. “I’ve seen
my share of war. I was in five major battles. Our job was
to get prisoners and interrogate them.”
Andrezzi said that serving in the military helped shape
him as a man and prepared him to take care of himself,
but he doesn’t hesitate to express his disdain for war.
“I think it’s unnecessary. Killing each other, for what?
It’s such a waste of humanity. We should just learn to get
along instead of fighting.”
After returning from the war to his wife and young
son, Andrezzi worked as a roofer for a number of years
before taking a job as a mill operator at the Curtiss-
Wright plant in Wood-Ridge, where he worked for 34
years. He and his wife May went on to have three more
children and the family moved to Clifton in 1970. At age
62, Andrezzi was forced to take early retirement when
Curtiss-Wright shut down its Wood-Ridge plant.
“It’s not easy living on Social Security,” he said.
He babysat for his daughter’s children for a while
before taking a part-time job as a crossing guard, a posi-
tion he has held for 25 years.
Veteran & VolunteerAt 89, Albert Andrezzi is also a School Crossing Guard
Story & Photos by Carol Leonard
Veterans Parade: November 7th 2pm • From Main & Sylvan Aves. to War Monument in Main Memorial Park
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 38
Andrezzi was assigned to the School
12 neighborhood until School 17 opened
in 2004 and his post was moved to
Lexington Ave. He works from 8-9:30
a.m. for the opening of school, and
returns from 2:30-3:40 p.m. when school
lets out.
His face lights up with a big smile
when he talks of his work as a crossing
guard. “I like that a lot, crossing my lit-
tle children,” he said. “I’ve adopted all of
them.”
Over the years, Andrezzi has watched
many of his charges grow up, and he
enjoys seeing them again after they’ve gone on to middle
school and high school.
“It makes me feel good when they stop and tell me that
I used to cross them when they were little,” he said. “I
have one little boy that I cross now and I used to cross his
father when he was a boy.”
Andrezzi said that he misses his work as a crossing
guard over the summer breaks and looks forward to the
start of the new school year every September.
He got involved as a volunteer at St. Mary’s Hospital in
2005 after his wife passed away. “We were married for 65
years,” he said. “That’s a long time to be with someone
and I didn’t want to be home alone by
myself all the time.”
Andrezzi does an early evening volun-
teer shift on Tuesday and Thursday, and a
late morning shift on Wednesday after
leaving his crossing guard post. He
spends his time on the 6 West unit, bring-
ing water to the patients, taking speci-
mens to the lab, picking up prescriptions
from the pharmacy and assisting nurses
with errands.
“A lot of the patients are elderly and I
like to help them out,” he said. “If I see
that they need something, I’ll go and tell
one of the nurses for them.”
Even when he’s not at his crossing guard job or at the
hospital, Andrezzi likes to stay active.
“I’m always doing something,” he said. “I take walks
in the park. I’m always trying to be busy. That’s what
keeps me going.” Very often, you can find Andrezzi with
his friends Dennis and John Orlovsky at their Gulf Service
Station on the corner of Lakeview and Piaget avenues,
which is a short walk from his home.
“I go down there and hang around,” he said. “I help
them clean up. Sometimes on Sunday we go out together.”
Andrezzi is also grateful for the love and support of his
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 39
four children, Robert, Michael, Judy and Nancy. “They
take good care of me and watch over me,” he said.
“Mostly every night I’m by one of my daughters.”
Counting them on his fingers, he said he has 14 grand-
children and 10 great-grandchildren, although he won’t
swear to the accuracy of those numbers. “There’s so many
of them that I lose track,” he chuckled. “When we all get
together, we must have about 50-60 people in the room.”
Andrezzi has no plans to slow down any time soon,
and his advice to those who want to live as long a life
as he has is simple: “Don’t sit around for hours in front
of the TV. Get out and do something – anything.”
At St. Mary’s Hospital, he’s the center of the staff attention but at School 17, he keeps his eyes on his charges and traffic.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 40
Pay it forward. That’s the logic thatNazaree Jones, an eighth grader at
St. Clare School on Allwood Rd., had in
mind when she volunteered to sweep the
streets of Passaic. Repaying a good deed
by doing another is what drives volun-
teering, a point she stressed to the 300
donors at the 29th annual awards dinner for
the Tri-County Scholarship Fund on Oct.
12 at Hilton Parsippany.
The program is affiliated with the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson and
provides tuition to children from econom-
ically challenged families in kindergarten
to 12th grade to attend private and
parochial schools in Morris, Sussex and
Passaic Counties.
“I am lucky to have the opportunities
that my parents never had when they
attended school in Passaic,” the diminutive
13 year old told the audience. “This oppor-
tunity and my family have played an impor-
tant role by guiding me on how to give back
to my community.”
By Tom Hawrylko
Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers � Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers � Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers
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please turn to page 44Nazaree Jones with St. Clare Principal Sr. Joseph Nelinda.
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 41
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 42
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 43
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✝ Faith ✝ Family ✝ Future
For more information, call Mr. McKeown (ext. 30)
Jones decided to start by pitching
in to clean the streets of Passaic.
“During this past summer, I vol-
unteered with members of the
Passaic High School Environmental
Science Club and Team Blanco, in
an effort to bring awareness on the
importance of volunteering for our
community,” she explained. “I also
wanted to make my neighborhood a
cleaner and more beautiful place to
live. I didn’t know exactly what the
day would bring, but I encouraged
my friends to join me and we all
had a good time.
“I realized how so little of my
time can actually make a big
impact,” Jones said. “The experi-
ence was fun, so I am going to vol-
unteer in any other way I can. I
really would like to volunteer in a
local hospital and read books to sick
children in honor of my cousin that
passed away from Leukemia. I feel
pleasure in being able to help others
as I am being helped.”
Looking to her future, Jones said
she would like to someday work in
the medical field so she can help oth-
ers. Of course she has to first attend
high school and college but the St.
Clare student has some plans to pay
it forward post college graduation.
“When I become a very success-
ful person, I will create my own pri-
vate scholarships for kids like
myself,” she said. “I think everyone
deserves equal opportunities in life
and a chance to better themselves.”
The Tri-County Scholarship
Fund was founded in 1981 through
the leadership of Edward L.
Hennessy, Jr. and Bishop Emeritus
Frank J. Rodimer to give students in
poorer communities an educational
choice.
Since that time three decades
ago, more than 27,000 scholarships
have been awarded. Families in the
lowest income levels are able to
choose safe educational opportuni-
ties for their children in schools that
offer a sense of family and a disci-
plined learning environment. The
children that receive Tri-County aid
thrive in the private and parochial
schools and show above-average
standardized test scores.
In the past two years, Tri-County
awarded more than $1.8 million to
1,100 students. The average income
of the families receiving Tri-County
assistance was $25,000.
The Fund is governed by a
diverse group of business leaders
who understand that the education
of our children in the inner cities is
a positive investment that will
affect individuals and the communi-
ty as a whole in a profound way.
St. Clare Principal Sr. Joseph
Nelinda said the support of the Tri-
County Scholarship Fund is greatly
appreciated by the families of the
students and the adminstration of
the schools they attend for it allows
Catholic Schools to stay strong in a
tough economy.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 45
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 46
As people begin to shuffle in tothe Boys and Girls Club
bingo hall off of Colfax Ave, Alice
Hener walks in and heads back to
the little room in the back to distrib-
ute the paper gamecards as she’s
done every Thursday and Saturday
afternoon for the past 20 years.
That kind of longevity is impres-
sive in a paid job, but the number is
even more poignant when you learn
that Hener, 86, hasn’t collected a
dime for her services. She’s the
type of person who volunteers her
time and expects nothing in return.
She just likes pitching in and mak-
ing friends along the way.
“The people are nice to me here
and I really appreciate it,” smiled
Hener. It only takes a couple hours
of her time per week, but this small
act of volunteering goes a long way
towards supporting the Club. Her
bright and bubbly personality also
helps too..
As she walks in, the patrons
greet Alice, as she prefers.
Everyone from the bingo players
to the cooks in the kitchen know
her. If you’ve sat and heard the
numbers get called at the Boys &
Girls Club, you’ve met Alice.
By Joe Hawrylko
Bingo!She Wins!
Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers � Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers � Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 47
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 49
Prior to the start, she sits behind
the counter of the sheet room far in
the back corner of the hall. Hener
is there to collect money for the
paper bingo sheets and keeps an
eye on the lockbox.
“Once everyone gets in, pays
and gets a sheet, they start bingo
and I go home,” she explained.
“I think I’ve only played bingo
once over the years,” Hener
laughed. “I can’t just sit there and
play the table like that.”
Though her role is relatively
minor, Hener’s contributions are
very much appreciated.
“Alice is just a great lady, she’s
been with us for years,” said Bob
Foster, Executive Director of the
Club, who noted that bingo accounts
for about 30 percent of fundraising
for the B&GC. “Volunteers like her
are why it works.”
Hener first got involved at the
Club around 20 years ago, not long
after her husband of 45 years,
Elmer C. Hener, passed away.
“It really just started as some-
thing to get me out of the house,”
she said. But she kept on coming
back because she enjoys the compa-
ny of the people and because
Hener’s always been one to pitch in
for a good cause.
The Cliftonite has long been
involved with volunteering, having
started a half century ago with the
Boy Scouts.
“My husband was already on the
Council and they were on the way to
becoming Eagle Scouts, so I became
den mother,” she said.
Eventually, her boys, Robert and
Donald, grew up and moved on, but
Hener stayed involved, eventually
working for the Scouts.
“I did it when they were in
Clifton, and then the two combined
and moved to Wayne. They’re now
in Oakland,” she said. Hener
worked for the Boy Scouts of
America for over 50 years, a mile-
stone that the organization recog-
nized with a certificate a while back.
Even though she’s long since
retired, Hener is still active as the
assistant scoutmaster for Troop 15, a
group of 21 disabled scouts based out
of St John’s Evangelical Lutheran
Church on Broad St.
“It’s just an easy way to stay
involved in your community,” she said.
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November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 50
Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers � Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers � Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers
There are few things in Clifton that bring our com-
munity together more than our fabulous high
school sports and arts programs. Who can forget that
Championship Mustang Football Game at Giants
Stadium in 2006? Or, the pride we all feel each and
every time we see our Mustang Band perform?
It was that love of the very best of Clifton’s schools
that prompted a group of parents and alumni to form the
organization known as Mustang Pride, Inc. Mustang
Pride is a recognized 501C3 charity which focuses on
providing some of the extras that our school budgets can
no longer support. Rather than further burdening the
Clifton taxpayers, Mustang Pride intends to solicit cor-
porate donations and grants to reach its goals.
While there are many worthy projects that need and
deserve attention, Mustang Pride has chosen its first two
Mustang Pride Walk-a-Thon Brings CliftonitesTogether!
Gary Anolik, Co-President; Kim Renta, Secretary; Gerard Scorziello, Treasurer; Gloria Kolodziej, Honorary Walk-a-Thon Chairperson; Jennie Sekanics, Mustang Pride Student Representative and AnnMarie Genneken, Co-President.
By Kim Renta
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 51
projects to honor our legendary sports and arts pro-
grams. The group hopes to supplement money already
available with the Clifton Board of Education to
upgrade the auditorium at CHS, making it the perform-
ing arts showcase it can truly be. In addition, Mustang
Pride will raise the funds needed to install artificial turf
at Clifton Stadium. Both of these projects will not only
benefit our students and community for years to come,
but also have the potential to generate significant rental
income for the Clifton School District.
The first community fundraising event is a Walk-a-
thon being held on Saturday, November 27th at Main
Memorial Park and Clifton Stadium. This event is
bringing together all types of Cliftonites, from Mayor
Anzaldi, to Board of Education President Jim Daley,
from 2009 State Pole Vaulting Champion and current
Yale freshmen Emily Urciuoli, to Doretta Halpern
whose late father was the revered principal of CHS from
1962 to 1988. These people, and many others from all
generations, all neighborhoods and many graduating
classes, will join Honorary Walk-a-thon Chairperson,
Gloria Kolodziej as we walk in support of our schools.
It’s the first step in what Mustang Pride hopes will be
a long-standing Clifton tradition. Even after the initial
goals are reached and the projects are completed,
Mustang Pride will move on to other endeavors to
enhance the academic, sport, art and social experiences
of Clifton’s students. To be a participant in the Walk-a-
thon or to volunteer, please contact Mustang Pride at
www.cliftonmustangpride.com.
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In today’s business climate it is rare to find someonewho has worked at the same place for his or herentire career. That is, of course, unless your name is
Lorraine Greaves. The lifelong Clifton resident has
served as director of the Volunteer Department at what is
now St. Mary’s Hospital on the Boulevard in Passaic for
more than 40 years.
During that time, Greaves has worked under six
different administrators and has seen the hospital’s name
change four times, as it was taken over by Atlantic Health
Systems, Passaic Beth Israel Hospital and, most recently,
St. Mary’s Hospital. What hasn’t changed is Greaves’
dedication to her unpaid staff of volunteers who touch the
lives of thousands of patients and visitors each year, as
well as provide valuable support services in various
departments of the non-profit healthcare facility.
With a degree in human development from Rutgers
University, Greaves began her career at what was then
Passaic General Hospital in 1966 as assistant director of
personnel and public relations. Several years later, she
was asked to create a volunteer program for the 350-bed
community hospital.
“I started out with a handful of volunteers that I recruited
through church groups and the county’s RSVP (Retired
Senior Volunteer Program),” she said. “That number grew
as I went out and spoke to more groups and the word spread
that we were looking for volunteers.”
Today, Greaves’ department includes more than 150
volunteers, from 14 to 90 years-old. Many of them are
from Clifton, including husband and wife team Joe
and Marie Patti (facing page). Both in their 80s
and married for 56 years, the Pattis have been
hospital volunteers for more than 10 years. Joe
volunteers three days a week, working at the
information desk one day, helping out in the
Nutrition Department another and
transporting patients from
the surgical recovery room
on the third. Marie comes in two days, making follow-up
phone calls on discharged emergency room patients.
“We’ve available for whatever they need us for,” Joe
said. “You have to stay busy; it’s what keeps you alive.”
Once a month, Greaves conducts an orientation
program for new volunteers. The mandatory four-hour
session includes a tour of every department,
demonstrations on how to enter and conduct oneself in a
patient’s room, use of a fire extinguisher and other safety
issues, as well as wheelchair training and practice in
feeding patients. For the latter, Greaves has the new
recruits practice by feeding each other cups of Jello.
Following orientation, Greaves allows the volunteers to
choose the type of work they want. She uses her
observation of their skills and personalities to help guide
them into the areas she feels they will be happiest. Some
people decide that they would rather be in a non-patient
area, such as medical records or central sterile supply;
others prefer direct contact
with patients or visitors.
You Can Call ThemProfessional Volunteers
Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers � Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers � Clifton Pitches In & Volunteers
Photos and story by Carol Leonard
Volunteers Becky Martin and Joan Angle with Director of Volunteers Lorraine Greaves.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 52
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 53
“I always tell them that they should
try something for at least three times
to see if they like it,” she said. “If they
don’t, they can always change to
something else. The important thing is
that, when they leave the building, I
want them to feel good about
themselves and want to come back.”
Volunteers work four-hour shifts,
one to three days a week, depending
upon their interests and the amount of
time they have to offer. During the
school year, many of the teenage
volunteers are only available to work a
two-hour shift in the evening and
Greaves allows them that flexibility.
According to Greaves, it’s a mixed
bag of circumstances that attract
volunteers. While many are older retirees, like the Pattis,
who want to keep busy and meet new people, others are
younger adults who just want to give something back to
the community. Some are former patients or retired
employees, such as Becky Martin of Clifton, who wanted
to continue her relationship with the hospital.
Martin, 81, is a graduate of the old Passaic General
Hospital School of Nursing and worked at the hospital as
an operating room (OR) nurse for 40 years. After retiring,
she returned as a volunteer three days a week.
Among her assignments, she works outside the OR,
keeping family members up to date when their loved ones
are in surgery. As a former OR nurse, she is able to
reassure family members if there is an unexpected delay
during the surgery or when the patient is moved into the
recovery room. “They’re very appreciative of what I do
and that makes me feel good,” Martin said.
Cliftonite Joan Angle knew that sitting around at home
wouldn’t be a good thing for her after she retired as an
administrative assistant for the NJ State Crime Lab. She
works escorting visitors to the right department or patient
floor. “I enjoy being with people and I feel helpful and
needed,” she said. “It’s also good exercise.”
In recent years, Greaves has gotten more volunteers
from among the ranks of the unemployed, who want
something meaningful to do as they continue to look for
a job. Some use their volunteer experience as an
internship while training for a new career. Occasionally,
volunteers are hired for paid employment openings at the
hospital. “This past year, the hospital hired four of our
volunteers,” Greaves proudly said.
Once a year, on the Saturday
before Thanksgiving, the hospital
honors all of its volunteers for their
service at the annual Volunteer
Awards Breakfast, and gives special
recognition to those who have given
100 hour or more of service during
the year.
During her tenure at the hospital,
Greaves has had some volunteers stay
on as long as 20 years or more and, in
some cases, has even seen the children
of volunteers become volunteers
themselves as teenagers or adults.
“Not everybody stays that long,
though,” she said. “For some, their life
has taken some kind of turnaround
and they need something for a while,
and then they leave. Older people get sick and can’t come
anymore. Teenagers move on to college or other interests.
That’s just the way it is, and that’s ok, too.”
Greaves, who declined to give her exact age, simply
stating “I’m up there,” isn’t saying yet when she plans to
retire. But when she does, she’ll likely become a
volunteer. To learn more about volunteering at St. Mary’s
Hospital, call Lorraine Greaves at 973-365-4549.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 54
LeTip of Clifton meets Wednesday Mornings at IHOP
LeTip of Clifton is an organization
of men and women whose purpose
is the exchange of business tips and
referrals. They do that at special
events—such as a cocktail party at
Sophia’s Restaurant in late
October—and at weekly breakfast
meetings on Wednesdays at 7:01
am at IHOP on Route 3 West.
The concept of LeTip is that each
business category is represented by
one member—in short, there is just
one realtor, one insurance broker,
one printer, and so forth.
Jay Stack, owner of IGM Creative
Group, noted the Clifton LeTip has
27 members. “Within six months
from now we hope to double our size
and have a substantial amount of
business offered to our members
through tips given from one member
to another,” he explained.
Potential members are invited to
the first two meetings for free.
Dues are split two ways—there is a
$325 fee paid to the national organ-
ization and a one time $75 mem-
bership charge to the Clifton chap-
ter. For info, call President Hugo
X. Carvajal at 201-362-3581 or go
to www.Letipofclifton.com.
Capalbo’s Gift Baskets Relocates to Allwood Rd.
After half a century in Nutley,Capalbo’s Gift Baskets has moved to
Clifton. Located on 350 Allwood
Rd., across from the Promenade
Shops, the new store is filled with the
fresh fruit and gourmet baskets for
which Capalbo’s has long been
famous. In addition to the fruit and
cookie baskets, Capalbo’s also offers
wine baskets, too. For more details
go to www.CapalbosOnline.com or
call 973-667-6262.
Dentist Louis Vita offers TMJ Seminar for Hygienists
Louis R. Vita, DDS, of the Vita
Head Neck & Facial Pain Relief
Center in Clifton, will conduct a
workshop for dental hygienists to
help them detect symptoms of TMJ
or Temporomandibular Joint disor-
der. The free event is at the Regency
House Hotel in Pompton Plains on
Nov. 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
Participants will receive two
Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Light refreshments will be served
during Dr. Vita’s illustrated presenta-
tion. Reservations required; for
details, call 201-394-4351 or email
lkcrenick@optonline.net.
Clifton LeTip members Jay Stack of IGM Creative Group, Dr. Christa M.D’Amato of Atlas Chiropractic & Rehab Center, Denise Dotoli of TLCRestoration, Inc. and Hugo Carvajal of Emerald Financial Resources. Thegroup seeks new members and meets every Wednesday at IHOP at 7 am.
The City of Clifton received a
$212,000 state grant as a result of
businesses and residential refuse
that has been redirected from land-
fills and into the recycling system.
Clifton Recycling Coordinator Al
DuBois (inset) said the city is the
4th largest grant recipient in New
Jersey. The funds are dedicated to
help promote and continue the city’s
recycling efforts. In addition to the
grants, the city in 2009 generated
about $368,000 in revenue from the
sale of recycling materials.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 55
Conservative and stable, credit unions have been
the wallflower of financial institutions for the past
several decades as flashy mortgage brokers and large
glitzy banks lured in customers. However, the recent
shenanigans of the nation’s banks has led consumers to
consider the benefits of using credit unions once again.
During the past several years, the popularity of credit
unions has been on the increase and membership has
risen from 87 million five years ago to 92 million mem-
bers nationwide today. Amidst the bleakness of the eco-
nomic crisis, everyone from personal financial managers
to national economic advisors are becoming credit union
advocates, pointing to the generally lower cost of credit
unions to the consumer, as
well as the greater financial
security they offer.
Lourdes Cortez, presi-
dent and CEO of North
Jersey Federal Credit Union
(NJFCU), couldn’t be hap-
pier. She offers another
benefit of credit unions, this
one a bit more philosophi-
cal. “Credit unions, funda-
mentally, are about people
helping people, providing
service to our members and
our communities. Credit
unions are not simply finan-
cial institutions.”
A bank, she explains,
makes money for only a
select group of owners or
investors and part of the
profit comes from higher
banks fees on such services
as ATM transactions and checking, as well as by offering
lower rates on consumer savings. So the convenience of
banks—easy access to money machines and branches on
every corner—comes at a cost to the consumer.
Credit unions, on the other hand, are set up as not-for-
profits owned by the account holders. Earnings are
returned to account holders, known as members, in the
form of lower loan rates, higher interest paid on savings,
free financial counseling and lower fees. Another benefit
is the support credit union return to their ‘community’ in
terms of donations to certain causes and charities.
As the winner of the 2010 “New Jersey Credit Union
of the Year” Award, NJFCU, with headquarters in
Totowa, exemplifies the kind of customer service and
community commitment that credit unions provide. “We
received our award for the innovative approaches that
allow our members to make better use of their money,”
said Cortez, noting that the recognition mirror’s NJFCU’s
motto of “Above and Beyond Banking.”
Cortez, who grew up in Paterson and came up through
the working ranks of NJFCU, is passionate about her
credit union’s community
involvement. Personal
financial education is a
large element of NJFCU’s
outreach to its members and
community, and she
encourages staff to do com-
munity service, for which
they receive comp time.
She is particularly proud
of a student-run branch of
the credit union that will
open in Paterson’s John F.
Kennedy High School next
year and hopes to get
approval for a similar pro-
gram someday in Clifton.
Of NJFCU’s 31,000
members in North Jersey,
more than 1,500 Cliftonites
are account holders with the
credit union. One of the
services that NJFCU pro-
vides to members is a cleverly designed mobile banking
unit—the Green Machine—a branch on wheels, really.
The Green Machine arrives every Friday afternoon at
St. Mary’s Hospital, making it simple for members to
deposit checks, withdraw cash, open accounts, transfer
funds directly outside their place of work. Credit unions
serve a defined field of membership. Eligibility to join a
credit union can be based on affiliations with an
Wallflowers of Banking?Credit Unions growing segment of industry By Irene Jarosewich
Marzena Fernandes branch manager of the Polish andSlavic Federal Credit Union with a customer.
f
employer, such as postal workers or public school teach-
ers, ethnic heritage, even religion. Some credit unions
memberships are based on a geographic area, such as
NJFCU, which serves 31,000 members throughout North
Jersey. Their service area generates assets of more than
$183 million.
Two other credit unions have an extensive member-
ship base in Clifton, the Self-Reliance (NJ) Ukrainian
Federal Credit Union, with more than 3,000 members in
the Clifton/Passaic area, and the Polish and Slavic
Federal Credit Union (PSFCU) with more than 8,000
members in Clifton—that’s almost 10 percent of the
city’s population.
Established in 1976 in Brooklyn, the Polish and Slavic
Federal Credit Union began to offer immigrants great
rates on mortgages to purchase and renovate homes in
Greenpoint. This strategy of helping immigrants, notes
Martyna Florczak, PSFCU Communications and
Community Marketing Specialist, resulted in bringing
prosperity to an underdeveloped neighborhood. Today
the Greenpoint neighborhood in Brooklyn is the one of
the most sought-after real estate markets in the New York
City area, she claimed. In general, she added, wherever
PSFCU opened a branch, new businesses would spring
up around it, reviving local economies.
PSFCU’s Clifton branch on Clifton Ave. opened in
September 1996. As part of its community outreach,
PSFCU just launched the Youth Advantage program, the
goal of which is to teach young people how to manage
their finances. However, the program managers also
hope that this financial education will trickle up to the
children’s parents. The parents, according to Florczak,
often are not financially educated, likely as a result of
being first generation immigrants from Europe, unfa-
miliar with language and American financial institutions
and processes.
PSFCU, a single credit union with a network of
branches in New York, New Jersey and Illinois, has
over one billion dollars in assets and is the largest
Polish financial institution outside of Poland, as well as
the largest single ethnic credit union in the United
States. PSFCU members choose to help support Polish
supplementary schools in the US, schools that help
children of Polish immigrants retain their heritage. In
turn, PSFCU also offers high school and college stu-
dents scholarships. In the past 10 years, PSFCU has
given out more than $1.2 million to support the educa-
tion of young credit union members.
The credit union and cooperative movement began in
the middle of the 19th century in England, quickly caught
on in Germany and then spread throughout northern and
eastern European countries. In the first decades of the
20th century, intellectuals from the territories of western
Ukraine, who were studying abroad in Europe, began to
bring home the idea of cooperatives and in the 1920s,
with strong support from the Ukrainian Catholic Church,
a network of credit unions and cooperatives took root in
Ukraine. This tradition of self-help and self-reliance was
carried on as immigrants from Ukraine came to the
United States after WWII.
Clifton’s Ukrainian credit union, Self-Reliance (NJ)
Federal Credit Union, with headquarters on Allwood
Road, and a branch in Passaic, is part of a network of
more than 25 independent Ukrainian credit unions
The Self Reliance (NJ) Federal Credit Union made a $10,000 donation to St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in cel-ebration of its centennial. Pictured from left is SRFCU Board member Dr. Michael Lewko, Fr. Andrij Dudkevych, BoardPresident Ken Wanio, Vice President in Charge of Operations Jaroslaw Fedun and CEO Val Bogattchouk.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 56
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 57
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in the United States and Canada
with combined assets of 2.2 billion
dollars in 2009. The chief executive
officer of Clifton’s Ukrainian credit
union, Val Bogattchouk, notes the
importance of ethnic credit unions
in educating immigrants about
financial responsibilities and oppor-
tunities in America. A key function
of Self-Reliance is to offer services
in the Ukrainian language.
Though some banks offer bi-lin-
gual speakers to help clients, ethnic
credit unions such as PSFCU and
Self Reliance that provide all finan-
cial services in an immigrants native
language help reduce the stress of
assimilation, reduce the risk of
grave financial mistakes and open
possibilities that immigrants proba-
bly would not receive through tradi-
tional banks, such as obtaining small
business loans with low collateral.
Self-Reliance, which celebrated
its 50th anniversary last year, has
donated about $750,000 during the
past ten years in support of educa-
tion, youth organizations, sports
events and publications for its mem-
bers and the local community.
SRFCU recently provided a
donation to mark the 100th anniver-
sary of St. Nicholas Ukrainian
Catholic Church, which many of its
members attend. Another proud
moment during the history of Self-
Reliance was the support its board
of directors and members offered
Ukraine following the collapse of
the Soviet Union.
Lourdes Cortez sees a brighter
future for credit unions. “For
decades, we haven’t been telling our
story very well,” she commented,
though that is changing now.
NJFCU, which was established in
1936, has grown progressively every
year since its inception, and unlike
most major banks in existence today,
has never been bought out, closed
down, merged, TARPed, taken over,
re-organized, or rearranged.
Stability, longevity, financially
conservative accountability and com-
munity service is a winning combi-
nation, she believes, that will contin-
ue to bring people around to switch-
ing to a credit union.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 58
Santa arrives in
Downtown Clifton
Traditional Tree Lighting on FridayDec. 3, 7 pm • cor. of Clifton Avenue & First Street
Holiday Party on Saturday! Dec 4, 11 am to 2 pm at the
Clifton Rec Center, 1232 Main AvenueBring Your Camera & Take
A Photo with Santa!
Downtown Clifton Economic Development Group announces...
sponsored by
Info: 973-253-1455 • www.downtownclifton.com
Enter to Win
a boy’s or
girl’s bike
On October 4, the New Jersey CreditUnion League named North JerseyFederal Credit Union the winner of the2010 Credit Union of the Year Award.Pictured is NJFCU President LourdesCortes accepting the award.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 60
WWW.CORRADOSMARKET.COM
EverythingFor Your Pet!
Next to Corrado’s Garden Center600 Getty Avenue, Clifton(973) 859-2599
�
�
WE DELIVER!
SUN-WED 9AM-8PMTHUR-SAT 9AM-9PM
New Location Now Open! 201 Berdan Avenue, Wayne, NJ
New Location Now Open! 201 Berdan Avenue, Wayne, NJ
The late James Corrado (inset) must be lookingdown proudly on what his kids and grand-
kids have accomplished since he opened theflagship Corrado’s Family Affair on Main Ave.in 1975. Just last year, the family opened asecond supermarket in the Point ViewShopping Plaza in Wayne. But their mostrecent and unique addition here in Clifton isthe Pet Market on Getty Ave. across the park-ing lot from the Garden Center.
Open 7 days and neatly organized from wall to wall,the super-sized Pet Market is animal friendly,loaded with great merchandise and staffed byknowledgeable people. And deals? Pick up a100 count box of Wee Wee Pads for $24.99,great for housebreaking a puppy. How about a 44 lb bag of Iams premium
foods for dogs and cats at just $32.99? Theseare prices and deals you won’t find in any
national chain store or wholesale club.
The Corrado family businesses include the Pet Market and the Garden Center, both in the mall on Getty Ave.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 61
On a recent visit, premiumfood brands were $3 to $7 cheap-er than most any place else andyou will find most every brandname food found in supermar-kets. Shop the price for Alpo,Purina, Fancy Feast, Friskies andyou’ll find bargains. Plus, premi-um lines like Iams, Eukenuba,Science Diet, Newman’s Own andothers are offered in varying sizesand at great prices as well.
HEALTH & BEAUTY ITEMSPurchasing FRONTLINE® Plus
for Dogs, vitamins or heart wormmedicine? Corrado’s Pet Marketis certain to be competitive onthose items too. Healthcare andbeauty supplies, from shampoosand conditioners to toe nail clip-pers and all types of merchan-dise for grooming your animal,are also offered. Now, shoppers will be able to
drop their dog or cat off at thePet Market for ProfessionalGrooming while they fill theirgrocery list at the supermarket orthe Garden Center, both a shortwalk away.
CLOTHING & LEATHERSweaters, pajamas, boots, hol-
iday themed outfits ... for holdingoff the cold or just having fun,your pampered pet can be outfit-ted royally here. This comingweek, a new line of WilsonLeather collars, harnesses, chok-ers and leashes will be intro-duced and Corrado’s Pet Marketwill have the complete line—at agreat price!
FISH, REPTILES, BIRDS...Gift giving time is here and
Corrado’s Pet Market offersaquarium kits, habitats for littlecreatures, hermit crab shells andsets, bird cages and other itemsthat make great Christmas gifts.So bring your pet and take atour—and be sure to ask for afree gift. As one manager said: Everyone
that visits becomes a repeat customer!
Corrado’s Garden Center offers itemsfor Christmas and Thanksgiving!
1578 Main Ave
Clifton, NJ
07011
Order Now... Ship LaterDelivered to Your Door
1-800-232-6758 1-973-340-0628
www.corradosmarket.com
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 62
Several hundred costumed residentstook to the streets on Oct. 24 for theannual Harvestfest Parade, whichran along Lakeview Ave. and intoNash Park. The participants fea-tured here enjoyed as afternoon ofgames, fresh air and food (even anapple pie baking contest!) and fun.Photos by A.J. Sartor.
503 Paulison Ave., (973) 471-0868
celebrate theseason
• Whole Turkey, Pernil, Ham, or Beef or Vegetable Lasagna• 1/2 Tray of Rice with Gandules or with Vegetables• 1/2 Tray of Potatoes, Macaroni, or Sweet Potatoes
• 1/2 Tray of Garden Salad• 1 Pack of Dinner Rolls• 1 2-liter Bottle Cold Soda• 1 Bottle of Sparkling Cider• 1 10-inch Store Baked Pie
(Assorted)
$69.99 Serves 10 to 12 PeopleOffer good through 12/31/2010
Your time is valuable. Enjoy it with your family and friends. Let us prepare everything from your party platters to
a complete holiday dinner! We’ll even cater your affair.
Holiday Dinner Menu
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 63
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 65
Our club swimming pool & party room is available to groups and families
For info, call Aquatics Dept.973-773-2697 ext. 31
Boys & Girls Club of Clifton
25 Kids$225
25 Kids$225
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 66
www.patersonfarmersmarket.com
Paterson Farmers Market449 East Railway Ave., Paterson10 Retail Stores Daily: 7am-8pm
973-742-1019
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Flat Red Onions
Potatoes • Peppers
Corn • Squash
Seasonal Fruit
& much more!
Always Farm Fresh, For Your Thanksgiving Holiday
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 67
* Rents are government subsidized. Tenant rental portion is based on annual income. Admission is based on a waiting list. If you have a disability & need assistance with the application process, please call Linda Emr at 973-253-5311.
Enjoy Affordable*Independent Living for Seniors at theMiriam Apartments at Daughters of Miriam Center/The Gallen InstituteA Jewish continuum of care campus at 127-135 Hazel St., Clifton, NJ 07011 973-253-5310 • www.daughtersofmiriamcenter.org
In a beautiful, suburban setting experience privacy in your onebedroom or studio apartment with supportive services whileremaining independent with dignity. The Miriam Apartments,
located on the 13-acre campus of Daughters of Miriam Center/TheGallen Institute, are available to seniors age 62 and over and/orpersons with mobility impairments. Independent living at theapartments is just one facet of the continuum of care offered atDaughters of Miriam Center. Whatever your needs might be–inde-pendent living, rehabilitation, or skilled nursing care–the Centeroffers it all, in a Jewish environment, in one location.
• Medical Services• Registered Nurse: M-F• Healthcare Counseling• Recreational Activities
• Social Services• 24 Hour Security• Housekeeping• Kosher Dinner Meal
• Transportation Assistance
• Beauty Parlor
• Library on premise
• Shabbat Elevators
• Rabbi & Synagogue on-site
Apartment Features:
You’re a Neighbor,Not a Number.
TomTobinAgency.com BillEljouzi.com
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 68
Light a Candle for Those WhoHave Passed: Marrocco Memorial
Chapel on Colfax Ave. hosts its
Holiday Remembrance Service on
Dec. 9 at 7 pm to assist those who
have experienced the death of a
family member or friend. The serv-
ice begins with a video tribute, a
candle lighting ceremony and a
short talk about loss. After the hour
presentation, there is a reception and
a chance to talk informally. All are
welcomed to attend the free pro-
gram. Reservations requested but
not required. Call 973-249-6111.
Paramus Catholic High School’sathletic fields are usually filled with
school spirit, competition, pride and
fun. But on Nov. 7 and 8, thing get
a little more serious. The field
becomes a Tent City where over 75
PC students will live as the homeless
live. This is the fourth year students
will participate in PC’s Tent City,
where high schoolers will experi-
ence the lack of shelter and daily
comforts they are used to. Students
are permitted to bring only the
clothes on their backs, a large card-
board box and one large tarp. They
will eat only what is provided to
them by the local community, and
they will only use blankets, coats,
and sleeping bags that have been
donated. Students are not permitted
to bring toiletries, cell phones, or any
electronic devices and will create
their homes from the items they
bring. The day will continue with a
series of witness talks, prayers, and
activities, such as preparing meals
for local homeless shelters. Students
will receive a simple lunch and din-
ner, served soup kitchen style. They
will sleep outside in their boxes,
regardless of the weather conditions.
Tent City kicks off PC’s
Thanksgiving Food Drive. For
details, call 201-445-4466.
St. Brendan School hosts a Grocery
Auction on Nov. 14 from 1 - 5 pm in
the school gym at the corner of
Lakeview and Crooks Aves. The $10
admission includes one sheet of
prize tickets. For advance tickets,
call 973-772-1149 or 973-820-5523.
St. Mary Protectress UkrainianOrthodox Church on Washington
Ave., offers a homemade stuffed cab-
bage sale on Nov. 20 from 10 am to 2
pm. The ground beef and rice stuffed
treats are priced at six for $9 or 12 for
$18. Place orders by phone on the
church’s answering machine at 973-
546-2473 by Nov. 15. Leave a name
and phone number for confirmation.
Is there a home in your area that isbeautifully maintained and land-scaped and really makes the neigh-
borhood special? Nominate it for a
Clifton Beautification Award. Call
973-279-5174 or send the address to
the Clifton Beautification Committee
at wwaltgarden@aol.com. The
homeowner will be notified and the
award will be presented at a City
Council meeting in spring. The
Awards are presented yearly so nom-
inations can be made anytime.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 69
THE SOFTESTBERBER EVER!Our Berber...• will not unravel• will not permanently stain• will not fade or fuzz
Family Owned since 1927
John Samra was a Clifton motorcycle officer who
died in the line of duty on Nov. 21, 2003. To keep his
memory alive, a scholarship fund was established in his
name and events such as the John Samra Memorial 5K on
Oct. 24 help fund it. Presented by the Clifton PBA and
supported by the Clifton Roadrunners, participants includ-
ed newcomers, youth, competitive runners and seniors
who are pictured above. Alicia Feghhi was the first place
female winner (pictured left) with a time of 23 minutes
and 14 seconds, while first place male winner Hector
Rivera (at right) set a new course record with his time of
16:06. The next road race in our city is The CliftonStampede on Nov. 21. For details, call 973-470-5958.
For all things related to running in Clifton and northern
New Jersey, call Clifton Roadrunners President Barbara
Tupper at 201-991-8106 go to cliftonroadrunners.com.
John SamraMemorial5K Race
Photos by A. J. Sartor
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 70
Project Graduation 2011 is months away, but the
planning has already started. Chair Mary Ann Cornett
has scheduled a meeting on Nov. 8 to discuss the Prom
Fashion Show, which is annually one of the school’s
biggest fundraisers. Funds from the event will benefit
Project Graduation, a drug and alcohol free event for
seniors after they walk the field. The meeting will con-
cern the date, price and location for the Prom Fashion
Show. For information, call 973-779-5678.
Blue State Productions, theater in residence at St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church on Clifton Ave., Clifton, announced it
will present the Tony Award winning Broadway drama
Having Our SayFeb. 11-26 as part of Black History Month.
This will be followed by the musical Godspell in April.
Auditions for Having Our Say are Dec. 3 and 4. Godspellauditions are Jan. 7 and 8. Volunteers for behind the scenes
work are also needed. No pay, non-equity. Call 973-472-
9445 or email BlueStateProd@aol.com for more details.
The CHS Class of 2000 will celebrate 10 years on
Nov. 26 from 7 to 11 pm at 3 East, 217 Rt. 3, Secaucus.
3 East co-owner, Frank Ponte, a CHS Class of 2000
alum, will offer an open bar and food for $65, payable
at the door—no reservations. Call 201-210-2094 or
visit www.3eastbarandgrill.com.
Art In Bloom is an exhibit and sale of floral and
nature’s landscape designs in various media such as oil,
pastels, watercolors and mixed-media. The exhibit is at
the Clifton Arts Center and will feature the work of
Sandy Askey-Adams, Jill S. Balsam, Christine
Calandra, Clifton’s Janet Golabek and Lisa Palombo.
The exhibit will be displayed Nov. 10 through Dec. 18.
A reception open to the public is on Nov. 13 from 1 to 4
pm. The Clifton Arts Center Gallery hours are
Wednesday through Saturday 1 to 4 pm. Group tours are
available by appointment. Admission is $3. For more
information check the website at: www.cliftonnj.org.
On Oct. 23, members of the Hungarian community, led by Father Laszlo Vas (St. Stephen’s R.C. Magyar Church, Passaic)and Reverend Jozsef Vasarhelyi (Hungarian Reform Church, Passaic) and city officials raise the national flag at City Hall.The date commemorates the 1956 uprising againist Communist rule in the capital city of Budapest. Photo by László Kerkay.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 71
The 16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. JazzFestival & Dinner is on Jan. 15 at the Church of the
Assumption, 35 Orange Ave. Produced by Seifullah Ali
Shabazz, performers include Jazzy Bear and Friends,
Arnetta Johnson & Subito Sound, Mark Turner, Bridge
Johnson and doo wop bands Quiet Storm and Choice.
Dinner is at 6 pm. Tickets are $35 or $40 at the door.
For more information, call 973-478-4124.
The Silver Starlight Orchestra will play a USO-type
program of big band sounds, patriotic music and tunes
from World War II at the 13th Annual Salute To
Veterans Concert. Held on Nov. 23 at John F. Kennedy
Auditorium in CHS. Doors open at 6 pm and the show
starts at 7. Call the Clifton Rec Dept. at 973-470-5958.
Veterans from the six branches of services should
bring military nostalgia to share memories and artifacts
in a display area prior to the show. All guests are
encouraged to come in uniform or dress in patriotic
attire. The evening begins with a grand entrance of
flags. The night concludes with a USO Canteen in the
school’s cafeteria.
Admission is free but donations of canned goods or
cash contributions for Thanksgiving baskets are accept-
ed. Bring a non-perishable food item as ‘admission’ to
the concert. The series is produced by Bob Obser and
the Clifton Rec. Dept. and is funded in part by the
Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council at PCCC
through a grant from the NJ State Council on the Arts.
The Quiet Storm, a doo wop band from Philadelphia, will be among six groups performing at the 16th annual Martin LutherKing Jazz Festival & Dinner on Jan. 15 at the Church of the Assumption. At right, the Silver Starlight Orchestra performsat Clifton High School in a Salute to Veterans hosted by the Clifton Rec Department on Nov. 23.
Get details about PCCC’s affordable tuition,financial aid options, and flexible day, evening,
weekend, or online schedules at Passaic County
Community College’s open house on Nov. 13 from
10 am to 1 pm at the main campus in Paterson.
PCCC offers more than 60 academic programs at
locations in Passaic, Paterson, Wanaque and Wayne.
Plus, adults who have some college credits but never
completed their degree should ask about DARC, a
program that makes it easier than ever to finish your
college education. To attend, RSVP and find out
more at wwwpccc.edu/openhouse. Walk-ins are also
welcome. Spring classes start in January; download
an application at www.pccc.edu/applytoday. Call
973-684-6868 for more info or with any questions.
Clifton author Glory Read reminds readers that some 5.3 mil-lion Americans live with Alzheimer’s Disease. She knows firsthand the impact it has. Her late husband Phil is the subject ofher book ‘Everything Will Be Alright: an Alzheimer’s Memoir.’To contact the author write to gloryg@optonline.net.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 72
Bringing Out the Best in Kids is the mission and
vision of the Optimist Clubs of Passaic and Clifton.
That’s why before the annual Optimist Cup
Thanksgiving Game between the Indians and
Mustangs, members sponsor a Hot Dog Night. Held on
Thurs., Nov. 18 at 6:30 pm—this year at the Athenia
Veterans Hall on Huron Ave.—the event celebrates the
tradition of an 82-game rivalry between the two high
schools, which spans 87 years.
And it’s just not the gridiron rivalry being celebrat-
ed that night. Two girls volleyball teams, both squads
of cheerleaders and members of both marching bands
will attend. A tradition for over the past decade, all kids
eat for free and that’s why Optimist Club members seek
the community’s support.
The public is invited—tickets are $10—and we ask
parents, community leaders and adults to purchase tick-
ets, even if you can’t attend. Remember we need to
feed some 200 kids who we don’t charge—so your
donation would be appreciated.
At the hot dog dinner, a student from each team will
speak about their experience on and off the field and what
the rivalry means to them and their teammates. As
Optimists, we hope that the Hot Dog Night makes the
world a little gentler, as kids from the two towns get to
know each other as competitors and neighbors.
For tickets, contact Clifton Merchant Magazine edi-
tor and publisher Tom Hawrylko at 973-253-4400, Ted
Munley at Clifton Savings Bank at 973-473-2200, ext.
112 or Passaic HS VP John Ciuppa at 973-470-5602.
Mustangs, Indians and the Optimist Cup trophy, which will be awarded Thanksgiving Day at Boverini Stadium, Passaic.Clifton players: Thomas Trommelen (78), Max Egyed (8), David Ricca (54), Joe Chiavetta (21), Angelo Minuche (34).Passaic players: Delreese Delgado (51) Santos Arroyo (37), Juan Anziani (53), Angel Santana (11), Andre Dixon (5).
HOT DOG NIGHTHOT DOG NIGHTHOT DOG NIGHTP
The Optimist Clubs of Clifton & Passaic present... The Optimist Clubs of Clifton & Passaic present...
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 73
1923 . . .Clifton 12 ......Passaic 7
1924 . . .Passaic 23 ......Clifton 0
1925 . . .Passaic 21 ......Clifton 6
1926 . . .Passaic 21 ......Clifton 6
1927 . . .Passaic 13 ......Clifton 0
1928 . . .Passaic 24 ......Clifton 0
1929 . . .Passaic 24 ......Clifton 0
1930 . . .Passaic 26 ......Clifton 0
1931 . . .Passaic 7 ........Clifton 0
1932 . . .Passaic 26 ......Clifton 7
1933 . . .Clifton 7 ........Passaic 6
1934 . . .Passaic 26 ......Clifton 0
1935 . . .Passaic 6 ........Clifton 0
1936 . . .Passaic 34 ....Clifton 14
1937 . . .Passaic 6 ........Clifton 0
1938 . . .Passaic 19 ......Clifton 6
1939 . . .Passaic 31 ......Clifton 6
1940 . . .Passaic 13 ......Clifton 6
1941 . . .Passaic 0 ........Clifton 0
1942 . . .Passaic 19 ......Clifton 0
1943 . . .Clifton 12 ......Passaic 6
1944 . . .Clifton 26 ......Passaic 6
1945 . . .Clifton 6 ........Passaic 0
1946 . . .Clifton 26 ....Passaic 14
1947 . . .Clifton 32 ......Passaic 0
1948 . . .Clifton 7 ........Passaic 7
1949 . . .Clifton 12 ......Passaic 0
1950 . . .Passaic 20 ......Clifton 7
1951 . . .Clifton 26 ......Passaic 6
1952 . . .Clifton 33 ....Passaic 12
1953 . . .Clifton 21 ....Passaic 20
1954 . . .Passaic 7 ........Clifton 6
1955 . . .Passaic 7 ........Clifton 0
1956 . . .Clifton 48 ......Passaic 0
1958 . . .Clifton 40 ......Passaic 7
1959 . . .Clifton 41 ....Passaic 21
1960 . . .Clifton 28 ......Passaic 6
1961 . . .Clifton 35 ......Passaic 7
1962 . . .Clifton 31 ......Passaic 6
1963 . . .Clifton 50 ......Passaic 0
1964 . . .Passaic 27 ......Clifton 0
1965 . . .Clifton 15 ....Passaic 13
1966 . . .Clifton 7 ........Passaic 0
1967 . . .Passaic 7 ........Clifton 7
1968 . . .Clifton 27 ....Passaic 10
1969 . . .Clifton 40 ......Passaic 0
1970 . . .Clifton 49 ......Passaic 0
1971 . . .Clifton 20 ....Passaic 12
1972 . . .Clifton 35 ......Passaic 6
1973 . . .Clifton 75 ....Passaic 12
1974 . . .Clifton 47 ......Passaic 6
1976 . . .Clifton 28 ......Passaic 6
1981 . . .Passaic 20 ......Clifton 3
1982 . . .Passaic 33 ......Clifton 0
1983 . . .Passaic 20 ......Clifton 7
1984 . .Clifton 16 ......Passaic 0
1985 . .Passaic 28 ......Clifton 7
1986 . .Passaic 21 ......Clifton 8
1987 . . .Clifton 24 ....Passaic 13
1988 . . .Clifton 22 ....Passaic 22
1989 . . .Passaic 22 ......Clifton 0
1990 . . .Passaic 14 ......Clifton 7
1991 . . .Passaic 33 ....Clifton 16
1992 . . .Passaic 13 ....Clifton 10
1993 . . .Passaic 0 ........Clifton 0
1994 . . .Passaic 12 ......Clifton 7
1995 . . .Passaic 21 ......Clifton 7
1996 . . .Clifton 23 ......Passaic 6
1997 . . .Passaic 22 ....Clifton 20
1998 . . .Passaic 25 ......Clifton 0
1999 . . .Passaic 20 ......Clifton 7
2000 . . .Clifton 21 ....Passaic 14
2001 . . .Clifton 20 ....Passaic 19
2002 . . .Clifton 19 ....Passaic 14
2003 . . .Clifton 17 ......Passaic 0
2004 . . .Clifton 48 ......Passaic 0
2005 . . .Clifton 7 ........Passaic 6
2006 . . .Clifton 14 ....Passaic 12
2007 . . .Clifton 18 ....Passaic 13
2008 . . .Clifton 28 ......Passaic 0
2009 . . .Clifton 7.........Passaic 0
Passaic vs. Clifton
1923 2009
INDIANS35 Wins41 Loses5 Ties
MUSTANGS41 Wins35 Loses5 Ties
Happy Thanksgivingand many thanks foryour continued support
Surrogate Bill Bate
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 74
The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee
William’s first successful play, will
be produced by CHS teacher Dave
Arts with performances on Nov. 19
at 7:30 pm and Nov. 21 at 2 pm.
The play focuses on Tom
Wingfield, his mother, Amanda and
his sister, Laura, who are left to
fend for themselves in a small
apartment in St. Louis, MO, when
his abusive and alcoholic father
abandons them.
Tom imagines escaping from his
drab existence, Amanda dreams of
the deep south of her idealized
girlhood, while Laura (a physical
handicap replacing her real-life
mental illness) lives in the isolated
world of her glass ornament
collection. This fragile balance is
shattered when Jim, an emissary
from the real world, enters their lives.
The actors are four CHS stage
veterans, all seniors. The include
Mike Sunbury as Tom, in his fourth
CHS production. Sarah Robertson,
who won a state award for her
portrayal of Linda Loman in Death of
a Salesmen, is cast as Amanda. Laura
will be performed by Paige Sciarrino,
who was one of just 26 applicants
accepted to the Rutgers Summer
Acting Conservatory. Kurt Irizarry,
another familiar face of the CHS
stage but who expects to have a career
backstage, has been cast as Jim.
The set for The Glass Menagerie
was designed by Julie Chrobak and
will be constructed by Ken Kida,
and the CHS Stage-Craft Club. For
information and tickets, call CHS
at 973-470-2312.
Mike Sunbury, Kurt Irizarry, PaigeSciarrino and Sarah Robertson are theensemble for The Glass Menagerie.
Tennessee Williams on the JFK Stage
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 75
You’d have to look hard to find amore involved person at Clifton
High School than Melanie Ciappi.
The senior who was named student
of the month, constantly volunteers
her time for numerous causes, both in
and out of school.
“I like helping people and being
on my feet all day,” explained
Ciappi. One of the first programs
she became involved with was stage
crew, which helps coordinate and set
up all of the school’s performances.
As a sophomore, Ciappi initially tried
out for the play, but switched to stage
crew after Mrs. Eisenmenger
recruited her as a stage manager for
musicals.
“At stage crew, I’m always on my
feet, always doing something or
trying to help this person or painting
or building,” Ciappi said. “There’s
always something to do. I like that.”
She did her first musical that year,
Rent, and stage crew has become a
passion since. “There’s definitely no
doubt about it, I want to do stage
crew in college,” said Ciappi. The
senior said that she made sure that
ever school she considered had a
theater department. She is currently
leaning towards Rutgers, where
Ciappi wants to study nursing.
Besides stage crew, Ciappi has
taken on other leadership roles in
school. She is currently president of
the ERASE (End Racism and
Sexism Everywhere) Club at CHS.
“We raise awareness of everyone
in our school. We have so much
diversity, so we have to bring
attention to everyone else’s needs,”
said Ciappi.
“We have a day of silence, where
no one talks for the day at all,” she
said. “It’s to protest for the people
who get harassed for their race,
gender or anything, but don’t speak
out of the threat of violence. It’s a
vow to them.”
One of her more recent interests
has been supporting the American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Ciappi raised over $1,000 for the
group following the passing of her
brother, Michael, took his own life
last year. In the months since then,
she has learned to look past the
tragedy and find a positive way to
continue his legacy.
“In May, I have suicide awareness
month,” said Ciappi, who will do a
presentation to her peers. “I also
want to do little bookmarks for every
student, with five signs you’d notice
in your friends.”
With her efforts, her brother’s
spirit will continue to live on.
“April 15, once that happened, I
started becoming involved,” she
continued. “I want to raise
awareness, not just in school, but
everywhere.
CHS Student of the Month By Joe Hawrylko
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 76
Sitting in his office at Clifton High School lastspring, Robert D. Morgan reviewed musical arrange-
ments for the Mustang Marching Band’s fall 2010 cam-
paign. Morgan, the director of band, along with his assis-
tant directors Lauren Chen and Matt Brody, decided on a
1960s Motown theme, which has been presented during
this season’s halftime performances during football
games at Clifton Stadium.
Each year, ever since Morgan became director in 1972,
the process to select the band’s seasonal repertoire begins
much the same way—the starting point in the Mustang
Band’s development as the “Pride of Clifton” and the
“Showband of the Northeast.” Over the years, the atten-
tion to detail, along with the dedication of students, has
yielded the band’s well-deserved reputation for excel-
lence—inside and outside of Clifton. It’s a cumulative
performance legacy that will be celebrated when the band
marks its 75th anniversary in 2013.
Guided by Morgan, the Mustang Band, in effect, rein-
vents itself each school year, creating new programs
while remaining true to its guiding traditions. The spec-
trum of music available for consideration spans work by
John Phillips Sousa to pop tunes by The Beatles, reinter-
preted to fit a marching band format. In years past,
Morgan often would write arrangements himself.
“We review the new music that comes out each
spring for marching bands,” Morgan said, referring to
scores offered by a half-dozen publishing houses. Ideas
for seasonal programs can be hatched in a variety of
ways: during conversations with musical colleagues;
enjoying a cup of coffee with his wife, Michele (who
coaches the band’s majorettes); hearing a familiar tune
on the radio; or the proverbial artistic inspirational jolt
in the middle of the night.
While music is the foundation, developing the band’s
program involves other key elements that are woven
together to create a complete performance package.
“We’re trying to tell a story during halftime,” he
explained. “There’s a theme behind the music and the
marching that ties everything together.”
The announcer’s script is an integral part of the
show; the narrative that connects one song to another
and describes the band’s marching formations. Music
often is selected to showcase the routines of the
majorettes. The band’s formations on the field are
images symbolizing the theme of a particular song. For
example, the highlight formation this season features
the iconic “heart pierced by an arrow,” a familiar, sen-
Keeping those Mustangs...Marching — not Colliding!
Photos and Story by Michael C. Gabriele
Keeping those Mustangs...Marching — not Colliding!
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 77
timental design carved into millions of trees, which
represents the lyrics to the Sam Cooke 1960s hit
“Cupid.” (“Cupid, draw back your bow, and let your
arrow go, straight to my lover’s heart for me.”)
When a halftime show clicks, when all the elements
come together and the
band nails a perform-
ance, the audience
cheers and the band
director smiles.
However, a seamless
effort, by design, hides
the underlying mechan-
ics of the program—the
complexities that go
into crafting a show.
Morgan and his
assistants orchestrate
the positioning of
musicians on the field,
aligning band members
to create a “centered”
sound that spotlights
the timbre of each
instrument, depending on the arrangement of each
song. When the marching musicians do their quick
turns, there is both an audio and visual effect for the
audience—the change of direction alters the sound of
woodwind and brass sections while the shift in the front
and back colors of uniforms is intended to add sparkle
and catch the eye of the crowd.
And then there’s the
marching.
Precision marching
is the signature element
that defines a Mustang
Band performance. It
also is the most
demanding skill for stu-
dents to learn, requiring
athletic talent, the abili-
ty to visualize “on-the-
field” geometry, and a
strong sense of rhythm.
The marching is done in
a Big Ten college band
style, an aspect of musi-
cianship near and dear
to the heart of Morgan,
who is a 1971 graduate
of the University of Iowa. The band’s marching expertise
is a living legacy that dates back to the group’s
A field chart illustrates formations plus individual positions and locations of all band members in a particular drill. Pictured here is the field chart for theTemptations’ hit tune “Get ready.”
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 79
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founder, James Moscati in the 1930s and 1940s, contin-
ued by Stanley Opalach and Saul Kay in the 1950s and
1960s, and further enhanced during Morgan’s tenure.
Over the years, the tradition of precision marching has
come to distinguish the Clifton unit from other high
school bands. The difference is evident at the annual
North New Jersey Band Festival, the 64th version of
which was hosted by Montclair State University on Oct.
24. While the Mustangs carry the torch of precision
marching, other Garden State high school bands have
gravitated towards an emphasis on flags, spinning rifles
and swords, and eclectic, glamorous sideline orchestra-
tions that include electric guitars, keyboards and diverse
percussion stations. And instead of traditional marching
patterns, most other schools have opted for side-to-side,
forward-and-back roll steps.
“Yeah, we’re a dinosaur, but that’s OK,” Morgan con-
fessed, flashing a wry smile and leaving no doubt as to
which style of marching he prefers.
Mustang Band members are required to master the
fundamentals of a proper knee lift and a 22.5-inch for-
ward step—eight steps every five yards. The leg lift and
step involves picking up the knee and pointing the foot,
so the toe becomes a shock absorber (the toe lands first,
then the heel). It is an unnatural motion; in the typical
walking step, it’s the heel that hit the ground first.
Drills are mapped out on a math grid sheet, with each
grid box representing four steps. Band members memo-
rize the geometric patterns on the grid, translating them to
steps on the field. They also know the various calls and
signals from the drum major and utilize the end zone
lines, the sidelines and the 50-yard line as reference
points to frame formations.
“You have to keep the (formation) geometry going.
There are lots of moving parts and quick turns. The band
needs to maintain that 22.5-inch step. But when it works,
it’s like gears meshing,” he said, interlocking his fingers
to demonstrate his point.
Morgan, indeed, knows “the drill.” A 1966 graduate of
Clifton High School, he was a trumpet player during his
years in the Mustang Band. He achieved the rank of mas-
ter sergeant in his junior and senior years, equivalent to
the current rank of quartermaster. For the band director,
each season is a full-circle moment, as today’s students
are marching, quite literally, in his footsteps.
“I feel for the kids. It’s tough. I know what they’re
going through. I used to be the guy who played the trum-
pet solo during the ‘Call to the Colors’ in the pregame
show. Mr. Kay was a tough taskmaster. He brought the
band to a new level. When I became the director, I
brought it to another level.”
(Michael C. Gabriele is the publicity chairman for the CliftonMustang Band Parents Association and a member of the advi-sory board of the Clifton Arts Center.)
Robert Morgan, pictured in the band room at CliftonHigh School, has set the tempo and tone for theMustang Band since 1972.
J J J
J
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 80
Jazzlyn Caba ....................11/1Robyn Jo Paci ....................11/2Thomas Scancarella ...........11/2Kelly Tierney......................11/3Lance Dearing ...................11/4Andrew Seitz.....................11/4Victoria Krzysztofczyk ........11/5 Tanya Ressetar...................11/5Joe Angello .......................11/6Nicole Lorraine Bonin.........11/6Martha Derendal ...............11/6
Danielle Osellame..............11/6Kristen Soltis ......................11/6James Ball .........................11/7Kevin Lord .........................11/7Francine Anderson.............11/8Ray Konopinski..................11/8Marie Sanzo .....................11/8Donna Camp.....................11/9Brandy Stiles ...................11/10Tom Szieber ....................11/10Stacey Van Blarcom Takacs ...11/10
Joseph Franek III ..............11/11Laura Gasior ...................11/12
Joe Angello is 51 on Nov. 6 while Joe & Sue celebrate their 11th Anniversary on Nov. 14. Nicole Mokray
hits double digits—she turns10 on Nov. 7. Congrats Catherine & Christopher Mendez who wed Sept. 26.
Birthdays & CelebrationsSend dates & names...tomhawrylko@optonline.net
Belated Congratulations to Mary Jane & Andy Varga who celebrated their 48th Wedding Anniversary on October 26.
Happy Birthday to Amanda Grace Feiner
who will be 23 on November 29.
Our club swimming pool & party room is available to groups and families
25 Kids$225
For info, call Aquatics Dept. 973-773-2697
ext. 31 Boys & Girls Club of Clifton
25 Kids$225
Happy Birthday to Nancy Hawrylko who will
turn 25 on Nov.19.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 81
1036
Geraldine Ball ...................11/13Patricia Franek...................11/13Robert Paci ........................11/13Gregory Chase..................11/15Matthew Phillips.................11/16Anthony Wrobel ................11/16Marilyn Velez.....................11/18Joseph Tyler .......................11/19Joseph Guerra ...................11/20Jon Whiting .......................11/21Andreas Dimitratos.............11/22Katerina Dimitratos.............11/22Margaret Egner .................11/22Eileen Fierro ......................11/25Crystal Lanham..................11/25Rachel Prehodka-Spindel.....11/25Kristen Bridda ....................11/26Jessi Cholewczynski............11/26Dillon Curtiss......................11/26Bethany Havriliak...............11/26Kelly Moran.......................11/27Sami Suaifan .....................11/28Christopher Seitz................11/29Kaitlyn Graham .................11/30Barbara Luzniak.................11/30
Carolina Kazer is 93 on Nov. 29& is pictured with her son Skip.
November 2010 • Clifton Merchant 82
The Tradition Continues... No matter what the state of the
economy is, Kevin O’Neil and
Joe Argieri will make sure that the
16th Annual Thanksgiving Day
feast goes off without a hitch.
Working with FMBA Local 21
members and Clifton Firefighters,
the Route 3 IHOP and Baskinger’s
Catering have donated all of the
goods necessary to host a free
Thanksgiving Day dinner to resi-
dents who might otherwise be hav-
ing theirs alone, or who might not
be able to afford one at all.
This annual feast, started by for-
mer Deputy Chief Tom Lyons in
1994 thanks to the generosity of
IHOP and Baskinger’s Catering,
begins at 11:30 am on Nov. 25 at
the Senior Citizen Center,
behind City Hall at 900
Clifton Ave.
Seating is limited to
the first 150 residents
who respond before
Nov. 12. To reserve a
seat, or for details, call
Ann Marie Lancaster at
973-470-5802.
Kevin O’Neil of IHOP,
Clifton Firefighter Tony Latona,
CFD Deputy Chief George Spies
and Joe Argieri of Baskinger’s.
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