Laughs leaven civic session at Tavern at The Iron Horse; business leaders tuck into ranging reports
BYMICHAELOLOHAN AND JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
The Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerceʼs annual “Breakfast with the Mayors” drew a capacity crowd at The Tavern at The Iron Horse on Wednesday, with the front room limited to 50 registered attendees — other would-be guests were turned away this year for lack of space.
All 10 Pascack Valley municipal leaders were invited to provide updates — focusing on shared services, affordable housing, deer, and quality of life. The nearly twohour gathering was powered by
See MAYORS on page 24
ON THE ROAD FROM VIETNAM ON THE ROAD FROM VIETNAM
Veteran gets his due, and start on closure, after 57 years — with help from his friends
Woodcliff Lake’s Scott McDowell and Wappingers Falls, N.Y.’s Paulie Becker in Hanoi this month. Becker, a U.S. Army special forces veteran, returned from the war with PTSD. McDowell saw to it that his friend would get to return—both to Vietnam, which welcomed him warmly, and to a grateful Pascack Valley homecoming. Courtesy McDowell.
BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
FOR 57 YEARS , U.S.
Army Staff Sgt. Paulie
Becker carried Vietnam with him on his back — what he did there, and what came after It ground him down, angered him, left him in pain both physical and spiritual.
Becker has said that when he finished his special operations service nearly six decades ago, he came home to hostile crowds — the reception was cruel, and scarring: whatever heʼd done for his country, the country didnʼt want him back.
In one memory Becker has shared, he recalled landing in Oakland, Calif., and being met
ALUMNI UPDATES
Dean’s list notices, graduation announcements, college and university arts and sciences projects, and all else that reveal the world of adventure our area’s graduates are taking on.
PAGE 16
by protesters who spat, threw garbage, and hurled insults like “baby killers” at him and other returning service members.
This month, Becker went back to Vietnam for the first time since the war — a weeklong trip organized by Scotty McDowell, aimed, he said, at
Continued on page 28
GHASSALI VOWSHE’LL FIGHT ‘TO SUPREME COURT’ ON HOUSING
Reacts to judge dismissing coalition bid to stay Fourth Round affordables mandate; slams ʻhigh densityʼpain
BYJOHNSNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
Mayor Michael Ghassali told area business leaders Jan. 21 that towns across the Pascack Valley are being forced into major landuse decisions on a fast deadline, one day after a federal judge rejected a request to pause implementation of New Jerseyʼs new affordable housing law
Speaking Wednesday at the packed Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce annual Breakfast with the Mayors at Tavern at The Iron Horse in Westwood, Ghassali said he received word the night before that U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi ruled against his paying coalition of municipalities, Local Leaders for Responsible Planning, seeking to block or delay the lawʼs Fourth Round requirements.
“I got a call from our housing See APPEAL on page 27
“When this Hillsdale farmhouse was photographed on a winter day in 1914, it was already a historical property: The ForsheeBlauvelt-Peterson House…” Kristin Beuscher reports.
PAGE 4
MONTVALE
Extra soil
BY MICHAELOLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
HILLSDALE
The boroughʼs environmental consultant told the mayor and council Jan. 13 that state-required monitoring at Centennial Field — a former landfill that closed about 40 years ago — is expected to double in 2026 to nearly $115,000 following the recent detection of methane gas during soil sampling.
The borough previously paid $57,120 for quarterly methane sampling at Centennial Field, as required by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), consultant Lois Spagnola of The Environmental Group said.
Following methane detections during 2025 monitoring, Spagnola said NJDEP has now required three components for 2026:
• Quarterly methane sampling ($57,120)
•A compliance evaluation ($14,600)
• Additional subsurface methane sampling and delineation ($43,120)
The proposed 2026 budget total is $114,840, Spagnola said.
Officials said they anticipate including the costs in the boroughʼs 2026–2027 budget, which is now being developed.
Methane detected below ground during “slam bar” testing
Spagnola said her firm has conducted vent air sampling and subsurface methane testing at Centennial since June 2016.
“Methane has been repeatedly detected within the west and northwest buffer zones and around the Field House structure during several quarters of methane gas surveys conducted in 2025,” she said, citing findings from a report she discussed with council.
In 2025, slam bar testing was conducted at 17 sites around the fieldʼs perimeter, she said.
Slam bar testing involves driving a cylindrical metal tube into the ground and removing a soil “core” to test for methane gas below the surface.
Spagnola said an underground perforated piping system installed throughout the former landfill is designed to allow methane gas to be rendered harmless through contact with air and dispersed through vents surrounding the field. She said no methane gas has been detected at any vents, and that the detections
have been limited to subsurface soils identified through slam bar testing.
Spagnola also noted two “significant” disturbances of Centennial Field in 2025 — installation of a new drainage system and new natural grass sod — which she said may have affected how methane moves underground.
State also requires compliance review and expanded off-site sampling
In addition to quarterly monitoring, Spagnola said NJDEP is requiring a compliance evaluation, which will include review and updating of borough and NJDEP files, as well as evaluation of methane monitoring equipment at the field house, groundwater monitoring wells, and air vents.
The proposed additional subsurface methane sampling will be conducted at “multiple sampling locations” outside the landfill property, according to the scope of work.
Spagnola said the 2026 plan calls for testing at roughly 30 to 50 new locations to help delineate the extent of methane movement. Ground-penetrating radar will be used to help identify sampling sites, she said.
The proposal also calls for:
•Review of ground-penetrating radar data and as-built plans
•Mapping to indicate methane plume extent
• Methane data assessment and recommended next steps based on regulatory guidance
•Preliminary DEP coordination regarding a mandated groundwater sampling program
•Spagnola said the new slam bar testing would involve two geologists or scientists and take about four days to complete.
Under “limitations,” the proposal notes slam bar testing must be conducted under specific weather conditions. If weather changes unexpectedly and testing cannot proceed, additional charges of $330 per hour per geologist or other scientist would apply for lost roundtrip travel time.
A former landfill turned recreation site
During a 15-minute presentation, Spagnola provided a brief history of Centennial Field and its evolution from a landfill into recreational ballfields.
She said the landfill closed in 1986, a landfill “mining project” was conducted in 1999 to assess contents, and the site was capped and closed with an approved soil cap in 2005. A field house was completed in 2007, and staterequired methane sampling began in 2016, she said.
Spagnola said Centennial was previously used primarily for disposal of bulk waste and leaves.
Engineer to seek bids on brook’s eroded sewer manholes
BY MICHAELOLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON
The Township Council on Jan. 19 authorized its engineering consultant to solicit bids for streambank stabilization around two eroded sanitary sewer manholes along Musquapsink Brook, and approved engineering fees not to exceed $55,000 for the project.
In May 2024, township officials estimated the stream stabilization work would cost $700,000. Council voted at the time to bond for the expense, while also reducing annual road repairs and upgrades to help cover the unanticipated emergency costs.
The erosion around the two manholes was identified in the townshipʼs Musquapsink Brook Condition Assessment Report, based on a drone study by Boswell Engineering issued in February 2023.
If the manholes were breached during heavy runoff after a storm, sanitary waste could contaminate the brook, which empties into Sch-
legel (Washington) Lake and then flows to the Oradell Reservoir, a drinking-water source for Bergen and Passaic counties.
(See “Council introduces bond over eroded sanitary lines near brook,” by Michael Olohan, May 4, 2024, thepressgroup.net.)
On Jan. 19, council voted 3-2 to approve Boswell Engineering to prepare bid specifications, administer the bid award, and monitor and inspect the contractorʼs work. The scope includes removal of sediment shoals and streambank stabilization around the two eroded manholes.
The contract total is not to exceed $55,000. Voting in favor were Councilmembers Michael Ullman and Daisy Velez and Council President Michael DeSena. Opposed were Steven Cascio and Tom Sears.
Council also voted 4-1 to advertise for bids on the streambank stabilization project, with Sears opposed.
Boswellʼs contract notes the firm applied for a Flood Hazard Area Individual Permit and a Freshwater Wetlands Permit from the state Department of Environmental
Protection to restore 2,000 linear feet of stream reach along Musquapsink Brook.
Work described in the proposal includes sediment shoal removals; reconstruction of stormwater outfalls by installing headwalls and conduit outlet protection measures; stream restoration around two existing sanitary manholes and surrounding areas; removal of fallen trees; bank stabilization using vegetation and boulder rows; and dredging of about 500 linear feet of stream channel.
Boswellʼs scope of work includes preparing bid advertisements and contract documents, answering bidder questions, issuing addenda as needed, analyzing bids, and providing the township with an award recommendation letter
After the contract is awarded, Boswell would provide part-time construction administrative services to help ensure work is completed in compliance with plans and specifications, including a pre-construction meeting and part-time inspection of onsite work.
Boswellʼs proposal is based on 250 hours of work over an estimat-
ed six-month timeline. The contract notes costs not included are increases in scope; riparian or wetlands mitigation plans; structural design; as-built survey plans; and inspection time beyond 250 hours.
Boswellʼs proposed scope of work is attached to Resolution 26163, posted online.
450 Pascack Road update Administrator Mark DiCarlo said lead-contaminated soil was scheduled to be excavated Jan. 22 and Jan. 23 behind the house at 450 Pascack Road.
The township acquired the 3.2-acre property in May 2025 for $750,000. A $250,000 escrow was set aside by the seller, Robert Morris, to cover future remediation required at the site.
DiCarlo said demolition of two dilapidated structures on the property — a home and barn — would occur after excavation of the contaminated soil.
The site was initially discussed for passive recreation such as walking trails and limited parking, though no specific plans or costs have been approved.
Renova Environmental Company of Ocean Township will manage the excavation and backfilling under a $28,969 contract. Lisko Environmental of Belmar will provide oversight.
(See “Town draws from escrow to approve soil remediation at 450 Pascack Road,” by Michael Olohan, Dec. 3, 2025, thepressgroup.net.)
Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s actions come after she campaigned on freezing utility rates on her first day as governor. (Reena Rose Sibayan/New Jersey Monitor)
Bckintime... Bckintime...
Housing
groups press for action as towns fight mandates
Gov. Mikie Sherrill was sworn in Tuesday, Jan. 20, beginning her tenure as New Jersey confronts an affordability squeeze that includes both rising housing costs and looming increases in electric bills.
As one of her first actions as governor, Sherrill ordered the state Board of Public Utilities to expand bill credits intended to blunt electricity price increases expected to take effect in June, and to pause proceedings that could approve new rate hikes, according to the New Jersey Monitor
The outlet reported the credits are expected to vary based on electricity use and would be funded at least in part through a state fee assessed on electricity suppliers that fail to meet renewables standards, along with proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The first wave of credits is to be issued by July 1, the Monitor reported.
Sherrillʼs move on utility costs came as housing advocates called on
See SHERRILL on page 20
When this Hillsdale farmhouse was photographed on a winter day in 1914, it was already a historical property. The Forshee-BlauveltPeterson House on Piermont Avenue was built in the 1740s. It was demolished approximately five years ago.
IT WASASNOWY day on Piermont Avenue in Hillsdale, 1914, when this photograph was taken outside the Forshee-BlauveltPeterson House.
This farmhouse, which stood at Piermont Avenue and Meadow Road, was one of the oldest homes in the Pascack Valley. Having decayed over time and become structurally compromised, it was demolished in 2021. A modern home was constructed in its place.
The frame house went all the way back to the 1740s, which is when John Forshee (1706–1783) brought his family from Tarrytown, N.Y., and bought the land from the Blauvelts. When Forshee built his homestead, the surrounding fields and woodland included 146 acres. He was one of the original settlers in what is now Hillsdale.
Of course, Hillsdale did not exist in Forsheeʼs time. From 1710 through 1775, all of the towns now comprising the Pascack Valley were part of a massive township called New Barbadoes. This township took in a vast swath of Bergen County west of the Hackensack River. The man who named it had formerly lived in the English colony Barbados. Forshee was already well into adulthood when he built the house on Piermont Avenue. He had married Catherine Waldron (born 1698 in Harlem) on May 18, 1728. The couple had five children: Petrus born in 1728, Barent born in 1730, Johannis born in 1733, William born in 1736, and a daughter Jannetje born in 1738.
The original farmhouse was smaller than the structure shown in the 1914 photograph. Sometime after its initial construction, the eastern end of the house was enlarged by one
By Kristin Beuscher, Historian, Pascack Historical Society, Park Ridge.
Call (201) 573-0307 or visit PascackHistoricalSociety.org
room. In the photograph, this is the section on the right, behind where the man stands.
The western end of the farmhouse, which is on the left side in our picture, was added during the 1850s. This addition contained a kitchen wing at the back. Even though this section was taller than the rest of the homestead, the contour of the land enabled the entire structure to have one continuous roofline.
Area historian Howard I. Durie wrote about the house in 1970, “The middle and earliest section of the house, with its sandstone foundation, hand hewn beams and wide floorboards, is probably the oldest extant frame building in Hillsdale.”
When Piermont Avenue was surveyed in 1775, Forshee had a total frontage of over 2,900 feet. The road itself was so named because it was the early route for farmers of the valley taking their produce to Piermont on the Hudson River, and then on to the New York City markets.
After John Forsheeʼs death, the house passed to his son, Petrus (Peter). He held on to the property for only a handful of years. On May 13, 1789, Cornelius Blauvelt bought the homestead and resided there for the remainder of his life.
Blauvelt, who died in 1807, bequeathed the family homestead to his daughter, Jannetje, wife of Andrew Peterson. Andrew, born in 1777, served as a private in the War of 1812. He survived his wife and was still living in the house in 1850. He left no recorded estate, and the farm passed to his two sons.
The homestead stayed in the Peterson family for generations until it was sold to James C. Haring, brother-in-law of Abraham W. Peterson, in 1891.
Some might recall that in the mid-20th century, the Schrier family lived in this house and operated a chicken and vegetable farm.
Leonard Schrier, a veteran of World War I, and his wife and two daughters moved to the farmhouse in 1940. The family operated a farmstand on the east side of the house, in the area now known as Meadow Drive. There they sold fresh eggs from their chickens and a variety of home-grown vegetables.
One daughter, Grace Schrier Wohn, volunteered for the Pascack Historical Society for many years. This author fondly recalls hearing her stories about growing up on the Hillsdale farm. She painted a beautiful picture of a bygone age, and we are fortunate that she wrote some of it down.
In a 2003 article for the Pascack Historical Society, Grace wrote, “Ours was just a little farm, located on Piermont Avenue beyond the present-day high school. As we looked out the back door, we could see chicken coops, wire chicken runs, the big old barn, pear and apple trees, vegetable and flower gardens, and cows grazing on the many acres of green pastureland, both ours and the land of our neighbors.”
Monsey man charged after incident at local spa
Park Ridge police said a 75year-old Monsey, N.Y., man was arrested Sunday, Jan. 18, after he allegedly made inappropriate sexual contact with a worker at a spa on Kinderkamack Road.
Police said officers responded to the spa at about 11:51 a.m. for a report of a man who allegedly asked what services were offered and whether the
worker could be fully nude.
Police said the man then alle gedly placed his hand on the workerʼs b reast without consent.
Police said the man was reluctant to leave the business and fled after the spa
called 9-1-1. Witnesses provided a New York license plate number and vehicle description, whichwas broadcast to surrounding jurisdictions, police said.
At about 12:51 p.m., Officer Carlos Alicea located the vehicle traveling northbound on Kin-
derkamack Road and conducted a motor vehicle stop in the CVS parking lot, police said.
The driver, identified as David Neuman, 75, of Monsey, was arrested and charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual contact (N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3B), police said. Neuman was
released pending a court appearance in Bergen County Superior Court on Feb. 2, police said.
Police Chief Joseph Rampolla noted the charges are accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PARK RIDGE
NEUMAN
Calamari lauded; new badges as WTPD promotes six
BY MICHAELOLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON
The Police Department honored newly retired Chief John Calamari after his 32-plus years of service, celebrated promotions for six officers, and welcomed a new hire in a jam-packed council chambers at the councilʼs Jan. 19 meeting.
A full room of fellow officers, family and friends applauded every officer receiving a promotion during a 32-minute ceremony at the meetingʼs start: Capt. Michael Glock, Lt. Richard Parsells, Sgt. Michael Ferrarini, Sgt. Christopher Osenbruck, Cpl. Peter Vereb, and Cpl. Michael Sinatra. The department honored retired Sgt. Saverio Fasciano in absentia for his 27 years of service. And cheers greeted new township P.O. Justin Boesch.
Chief Arsenio Pecora addressed Calamari: “He was a great mentor to me and so I fully appreciate everything he did for me in our relationship building me up to be the chief and I really really appreciate you and everything you did for this department.” After shaking his hand, he presented Calamari
Receiving new badges at the Jan. 19 meeting of the Township of Washington mayor and council:With WTPD Chief Arsenio Pecora are Capt. Michael Glock, Lt. Richard Parsells, Sgt. Michael Ferrarini, Sgt. Christopher Osenbruck, Cpl. Peter Vereb, Cpl. Michael Sinatra (all promoted), and P.O. Justin Boesch. Courtesy photo.
with a plaque and his “officially retired I.D. cards.” Calamari started with the WTPD in 1993.
Mayor Peter Calamari presented a former chief a plaque honoring his service. “My brother here, we tried to keep the personal side out of it during my 12 years of being on the governing body while John was
on.Well, I couldnʼt be prouder of my brother and what heʼs achieved in life,” said the mayor.
He said it seemed “just the other day” that Chief John Calamari was graduating from the Police Academy. “Itʼs all good and Iʼm very happy that you made this milestone achievement. So thank you for your service to the town,” said the mayor, presenting the former chief a second plaque, recognizing his “32 years of outstanding service.”
All officers were sworn in by Calamari. Pecora pinned their new badges. Most called up their family to hold the Bible and witness the swearing-in ceremony. The ceremony was marked by shouts of joy, babies crying, and much applause.
Following are brief highlights of the officersʼcareers. For full career histories, watch the police promotion ceremony, archived on the town website.
Capt. Michael Glock was hired by the police department in August 1996. He was promoted to corporal in 2005, sergeant in 2014, and lieutenant in 2024. His duties included traffic bureau supervisor, firearms instructor, radar instructor, AlcaTest coordinator, and investigator on Bergen County Fatal Accidents Investigative Unit.
Lt. Richard Parsells joined the department in August 2000. He was promoted to corporal in 2018 and sergeant in May 2022. Duties have included being an active member of
WTPD Chief Arsenio Pecora congratulates retired chief John Calamari, a 32-year department veteran, at the Jan. 19 meeting of the Township of Washington mayor and council. Courtesy photo.
the firearms unit, which handles firearms applications; and serving as a domestic violence liaison. He is the departmentʼs resiliency officer and a member of the critical stress management unit and Bergen County Rapid Deployment Force.
Sgt. Michael Ferrarini attended the Passaic County Police Academy in 2012 and served with the Passaic County Sheriffʼs Office for more than a year. He joined the department in 2014 as a police officer, served in the patrol division, and was promoted to corporal in 2022.
Sgt. Christopher Ostenbruck began his career as a dispatcher before being hired as a police officer in 2014, after graduating from Bergen County Police Academy. He has received numerous lifesaving awards. He has served as a traffic officer, domestic violence liaison, public information officer, social media officer, and field training officer
Cpl Peter Vereb was hired as SLEO II in April 2019 and promoted to police officer in July 2019. He serves in the motorcycle unit, child care seat technician, and firearms licensing officer. He also serves as a CPR instructor, firearms instructor for rifle and pistol, and an active shooter patrol practical response instructor.
Cpl. Michael Sinatra graduated as a Class II police officer from Essex County Police Academy in 2013. He served in Union City Police Department until 2018 and after graduating from Bergen County Police Academy in 2019, moved into a full-time position. He transferred to the local department in 2020 amid the Covid pandemic. He is a handgun and rifle instructor, physical training instructor, active shooter instructor, and motor unit officer
Newly promoted Police Officer Justin Boesch started with the department a year ago after graduating from the police academy as a SLEO II. He officially was promoted to officer on Jan. 1, Pecora said, noting he is a 16-year resident and Westwood Regional High School graduate.
George White School asbestos abatement up
BY MICHAELOLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
HILLSDALE
School Board officials unanimously approved nearly $27,000 in additional costs to complete asbestos abatement at George White Middle School at the Jan. 19 meeting.
The board a pproved two agreement modif ications with T&M Associates t otaling
then disposed of appropriately.”
The cost increases were needed due to “additional services and field conditions (that) were identified requiring modifications to the scope of work and contract amounts for both the environmental consultant (T&M Associates) and the abatement contractor (B&G Restoration Inc.),” the resolution states.
$8,150 and two change orders with B&G Restoration totaling $18,713, for a combined increase of $26,863. The work is needed to complete asbestos abatement prior to demolition work commencing, as well as future renovations, according to the resolution.
Rendering of the George G. White Middle School, post-overhaul.
The resolution notes the modifications increase T&M A ssociatesʼ original agreement of $194,800 to a revised total of $202,950.
Based on Pascack Pressʼreview of contracts, the $18,713 change orders increase B&G Restorationʼs contract from $1,294,000 to $1,312,713.
The school board honored four staff members for 25 years of service, recognizing Christine Barnhart and Jennifer Harris at Ann Blanche Smith School, and Kathleen Erickson and Clare Jennings at Meadowbrook School.
Donatello also appointed 2026 chairs and members to board committees: Buildings & Grounds: Justin Saxon and Kevin Donatello; Education: Sal Sileo and Michael Kenduck; Finance/Audit: Justin Saxon and
Kathleen Puerta; Personnel: Sal Sileo and Michael Kenduck; Policy: Justin Saxon and Michael Kenduck; Transportation: Kathleen Puerta and Sal Sileo; Negotiations: Kathleen Puerta and Kevin Donatello; New Jersey and Bergen County school boards associations: Michael Kenduck and Kathleen Puerta; and Representative to the NJSBA Delegate Assembly and Legislation: Kathleen Puerta and Michael Kenduck.
School Board Recognition Month
Trustees also approved a resolution recognizing January as School Board Recognition Month, noting that Hillsdaleʼs school board is one of 581 boards statewide that sets policy and oversees operations for local public school districts.
The resolution praised school boards for helping establish educational goals for about 1.4 million New Jersey children in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and noted that board members receive no pay for their volunteer service.
— Michael Olohan
Asked about the increase, Superintendent Robert Lombardy said additional material was discovered during the work.
“During demolition the con tractor came across material behind a unit ventilator that was not visible to the eye,” Lombardy told Pascack Press. “The material had to be sampled, tested, and
RVPD Blue Angel Program
The River Vale Police Department offers a free service to help safeguard some of the townshipʼs most vulnerable residents: seniors and medically at-risk individuals who live alone.
The program provides partici pants with a police-installed lock box containing a spare house key. The lockbox is mounted in a discreet location outside the home and is accessible only to first responders through a secure code maintained by the Police Department.
The Blue Angel Program is open to River Vale residents age 55 and older who live alone; individuals with serious medical condi tions; and residents with limited mobility. The department will install the lockbox at no cost, and participants remain in the program for as long as they meet eligibility requirements. For more information and to enroll, visit rivervalenj.org/o/pd/page/operation-blue-angel.
The T&M modifications include $1,550 to prepare variances for the state Department of Community Affairs, and $6,600 for additional design, project monitoring and TEM (transmis-
sion electron microscopy) air sampling related to about 300 square feet of unforeseen heat shield material containing asbestos in rooms 114 and 115. TEM sampling is an advanced method used to detect asbestos fibers in air samples.
The two change orders for B&G Restoration include $1,713 to prepare three state DCA variances as required, and $17,000 to remove and dispose of about 300 square feet of asbestos-containing heat shield panels behind radiators in rooms 114 and 115. The resolution authorized Board President Kevin Donatello or School Business Administrator Sacha Pouliot to approve the cost increases.
WOODCLIFF LAKE
Cupid’s Shopping Guide
Screening, dinner: ‘Eli Wiesel: Soul on Fire’ Jan. 24
Join Valley Chabad: Center for Jewish Life on Saturday, Jan. 24 for a meaningful and inspiring evening featuring a special screening of the acclaimed documentary “Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire.”
The powerful documentary illuminates the life and legacy of Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and inspirational voice.
Among his many literary and humanitarian accolates, Elie Wiesel was awarded the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize for his lifelong work as a witness to the Holocaust and an advocate for peace, atonement, and human dignity, becoming a leading voice against intolerance and injustice for all oppressed peoples. The Nobel Committee recognized him as
a “messenger to mankind,” honoring his message of remembering suffering to prevent future atrocities.
His key message: To never forget the Holocaust and to speak out against suffering and humiliation wherever it occurs.
The prize amplified his platform to fight intolerance, leading to the establishment of the United
In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Eli Wiesel expressed humility, feeling he represented the millions who perished, and stressed humanity's shared responsibility to combat evil and promote peace. AP
States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and inspiring global human rights efforts.
In his acceptance speech, Wiesel expressed humility, feeling he represented the millions who perished, and stressed humanity's shared responsibility to combat evil and promote peace.
The film underscores the enduring importance of remembering the Holocaust, combating antisemitism, and passing Jewish history and values to future generations. It serves as a vital educational experience which inspires reflection, responsibility, and Jewish pride.
Etc...
This is a teen and adult friendly event that will take place at Valley Chabad in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, as we come together to mark Havdallah, the conclusion of Shabbat. The evening begins with a pasta and salad dinner at 7:30 followed by the film screening at 8:15. Valley Chabad is proud to host this powerful documentary, which offers a profound exploration of Elie Wieselʼs life, legacy, and enduring impact. The film meaningfully complements Holocaust studies and Jewish education, providing an opportunity for reflection and learning.
Cupid’s Shopping Guide
Residents call for alternatives to cell tower at Stonybrook
BY MICHAELOLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
HILLSDALE
At least 50 residents spoke out against a proposed 150-foot cell tower at Stonybrook Swim Club during a two-hour town hall meeting Jan. 20 at Borough Hall, with many asking the mayor and council to consider all options and alternatives before approving the tower.
Approximately 100 residents jammed the council chamber to air concerns, with many citing studies they said indicate possible health impacts and lower property values for homes near large cell towers.
Many urged the borough to consider smaller towers — possibly the height of telephone poles — that they said could provide similar coverage while being less obtrusive and “ugly,” as one resident put it. No decisions were made by council. The next regular meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m.
Most residents who spoke did not give their full names, sometimes offering only a first name and many not giving any name at all. Most said they want improved service but believe other options should be explored before approv-
ing a 150-foot tower. Several cited “new technology” they said could eventually replace the need for such a tower, and urged the borough to explore other approaches.
One resident noted that a cellular tower planned for River Valeʼs new Public Safety Complex might be one option to help improve service in Hillsdale areas with onagain, off-again coverage.
Council members Chris Camp, Melissa Mazza-Chiong, Robert Colletti Jr., Clemente Osso, John Ruocco and Anthony DeRosa attended the forum, along with Mayor Michael Sheinfield and Borough Attorney Mark Madaio.
While most speakers called for alternatives to a 150-foot tower, several said improved cell service is needed to ensure better access to police, fire and ambulance service during emergencies.
One resident described a frightening incident in which her husband had to use a landline to reach emergency services when his cellphone failed to connect during an emergency involving their son near an outdoor pool.
Some residents said spotty service in certain areas, including Pascack Valley High School, could create problems during an emergency at the school. Others
said unreliable service makes it difficult to reach children during pickup times, or as darkness falls, when children cannot be reached by phone on the grounds at Pascack Valley.
Several residents said they live in the so-called “dead zone,” where the proposed tower is expected to improve coverage. However, they said their service through other carriers — such as T-Mobile and AT&T — was excellent, with few dropped calls.
They urged the borough to look into why those carriers have reliable service while Verizon customers do not in the same area, suggesting Verizon place equipment on existing infrastructure used by other carriers instead of building a new tower. It was not clear what council members would do, as the town hall was held to hear public comment.
Borough Administrator Mike Ghassali, who moderated the twohour forum, said the council would likely meet Feb. 3 or 10 to consider authorizing the mayor to sign a lease for the property. However, Ghassali also said the borough could delay that decision until March, as officials planned to question Verizon representatives before voting.
Ghassali said Verizon must
prove that Stonybrook Swim Club is the best site for a cell tower when the proposal comes before the Planning Board. That will not occur until the council authorizes the mayor to sign a property lease with Stonybrook, he said.
Councilman John Ruocco suggested Verizon Communications appear at another town hall to answer residentsʼquestions before the borough proceeds. Verizon was awarded a contract by council Dec. 9 to lease the Stonybrook Swim Club property. However, the Dec. 9 resolution said the borough must meet four conditions before authorizing Mayor Michael Sheinfield to sign the lease.
Those conditions include: holding a town hall meeting (held Jan. 20); a council vote after reviewing comments received at the town hall; no construction or site activity until the lease is fully executed and all land-use
approvals from the Planning Board and other reviewing agencies are obtained; and allowing the borough to require reasonable revisions to the site layout based on input from borough professionals and reviewing agencies, provided those revisions do not materially affect the bid.
Special counsel Peter Lupo, a telecommunications consultant, told residents the area near Pascack Valley High School was not found suitable for a potential cell tower due to limited space. He said Hillsdaleʼs uneven topography could make smaller towers — the option many residents preferred — less effective because of the boroughʼs hilly areas.
Some residents called for an independent study of radiofrequency waves, and said it should be completed before council approves any cell tower lease. The proposed lease is for five
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
Knights of Columbus Mother Seton Council #5427 rocked its annual winter food drive Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 collecting roughly 200 bags of groceries and more than $2,000 in checks, cash, and gift cards for two area food pantries.
Donations were delivered to the Helping Hand Food Pantry in Hillsdale and Our Lady of Good Counselʼs food pantry in the Township of Washington.
Grand Knight George Toole commended Ed Garland and Danny Licini, food drive chairmen,
Cupid’s Shopping Guide
for another successful food drive.
The chairmen said the drive again saw strong community support.
“We collected about 200 bags of groceries and also received over $2,000 in checks, cash and gift cards, which also went to the two food pantries,” they reported. “It was another strong volunteer turnout and participation from the town was great as usual. We thank all the donors, personal and corporate, for their generosity and kindness.”
Toole also thanked donors and
volunteers and recognized co-sponsor Pascack Press for its role.
“My sincere thanks to all who
donated and to my brother knights and their family members who worked on the drive,” he said. Applications for membership
are welcome from qualified individuals, the council said. For more information, call 201-664-0422 or visit kofc5427.com.
Kids to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day
The Westwood Regional School District will mark Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27) with two student programs featuring speakers from 3GNY, an educational nonprofit founded by grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.
District officials said seventh graders at the middle school will meet with a 3GNY speaker on Wednesday, Jan. 21, and ninth graders at the high school will do so on Wednesday, Jan. 28. In advance, students will take part in
lessons using resources from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, designed to provide historical background and help students learn how to combat antisemitism.
3GNY, founded in 2005, says its mission is to preserve Holocaust legacies and educate diverse communities about the perils of intolerance, while also providing a supportive forum for descendants of survivors. The organization says its community now exceeds 6,000 and it operates as a
For information on museum activities and resources, and to plan your visit, go to ushmm.org
covering these programs.
Knights of Columbus Mother Seton Council #5427 rocked its annual winter food drive
At the year-end dinner meeting of the GFWC/NJSFWC Woman's Club of Westwood, First Co-Vice President Lynda Bager welcomed three new members: Debra Massi, Rachael Burack, and Jane Stern. Each was given a copy of “The Collect,” read at every club gathering, and a jar candle momento.
The club says, “We’re always happy to welcome new members!” For more details about the club, give us a call at 201-916-1580 or check out our website, westwoodwomansclub.org.
Valentine’s Menu
Valentine’s Menu
Dine-In Seatings • 6pm & 8pm 5 COURSE PRIX FIXE $95 per person plus tax TAKEOUT CHOOSE ONE
STARTER
Crab Cakes with Dijon Mustard Cream • Eggplant Rollatini
Heart-shaped Ravioli with Marinara or or Vodka Sauce
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Rigatoni Bolognese
ENTREE
Chicken Marsala or Francese with Mashed Potatoes & String Beans
Chicken Rollatini with Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Light Wine & Tomato Sauce with Broccoli Rabe and Mashed Potatoes
Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce with Mashed Potatoes &Asparagus
Roasted Fillet Mignon with Mushroom Demi Glaze with String Beans and Mashed Potatoes
DESSERT
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Tiramisu
Puff Pastry w/ Berries & Port Wine Sauce
Chocolate Almond Torte
Carrot Cake
Cannoli
DESSERT
Tiramisu
Cannoli - Vanilla or Chocolate (1 each)
Puff Pastry with Mixed Berries & Port Wine Sauce
WESTWOOD
Madeleine Ciocco
Cupid’s Shopping Guide
Township’s Killian Gilroy reels in third Emmy
BY JOHNSNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON
ALTHOUGH KILLIAN
GILROY lives and work in Winter Park, Fla., he still talks like a township kid.
The 2018 Westwood Regional High School graduate, a township native whose family has lived on Woodfield Road for more than two decades, has earned his third Emmy Award, a December 2025 win for “Saltwater Cowboys,” a series that follows the everyday lives of Florida fishermen.
“I love coming home,” Gilroy said in a recent interview with Pascack Press “Thereʼs nothing like that small-town living.”
Gilroy said he returns to Bergen County whenever he can, especially around the holidays, and still keeps close ties with friends from home.
“I have a lot of friends — and still the same friends — and obviously all the memories that Iʼve made in high school,” he said.
The latest Emmy adds to wins in 2023 and 2024, giving Gilroy three awards in three years — a remarkable run for a young filmmaker still early in his career.
“Itʼs very rewarding, especially seeing my name in the credits of the shows I work on,” he said. “But to have something physical on display is amazing. And now that I have three Emmys, itʼs an incredible motivator to get out and do more.”
“It’s
Gilroy credits his parents, Chris and Mike Gilroy, as constant supporters — and said theyʼve attended all three Emmy ceremonies.
“Theyʼve honestly pushed me to go and join me,” he said. Theyʼre among his biggest fans, naturally
In the run-up to the third ceremony, “They said if I donʼt go… theyʼre going without me.”
His grandmother — another beaming supporter — lives in Lyndhurst, he said.
From local libraries to making his own movies
When asked what helped spark and sustain his love of film, Gilroy surprised himself with his answer: the library. He said he and his twin brother, Kyler, used to ride their bikes to the public library in the township and visit Westwoodʼs, borrowing stacks of DVDs — sometimes 12 movies a week — trying to meet the sevenday return deadline.
“That accessibility really made me appreciate there are a
million bajillion movies out there,” he said. “Itʼs really nice to be able to enjoy them, be inspired by them — and hopefully for myself, be able to make one.”
In high school, he and friends started filming on phones and holding what he described as their own mini film festival.
“That was my real experience,” he said. “Making something is the best way to learn and to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. Thereʼs no better tool than to mess up and try it again.”
Florida-based career, Jersey state of mind
Gilroy attended Full Sail University in Winter Park, earning a bachelorʼs degree in film — and said the program helped him understand how collaborative the work really is, and how essential it is to trust other departments on set.
“You have to rally the troops,” he said. “You trust the camera department, the grips and gaffers — you canʼt do everything
yourself. You focus on telling the story and making it work.”
After graduating during the COVID era, Gilroy briefly returned home to the Township, working at RiteAid in the town center mall before heading back to Florida in 2021. He has been based in Winter Park since, near the school and the industry contacts that launched his career.
Third Emmy:
ʻSaltwater Cowboysʼ Gilroyʼs newest Emmy came for “Saltwater Cowboys,” filmed on working boats along both Floridaʼs Gulf Coast and Atlantic Ocean. He worked as a key production assistant, DIT (digital imaging technician), and postproduction supervisor, supporting the series both on location and in the editing workflow
“We were highlighting the different kinds of fishermen,” he said, from those targeting red snapper to those pulling crab traps all day.
CONTINUED ON PAGE
very rewarding, especially seeing my name in the credits of the shows I work on,” Gilroy told Pascack Press on Jan. 20. “But to have something physical on display is amazing.” Above:with his latest Emmy, and parents: dad, Mike, and mom, Chris. Courtesy photos.
‘Unsigned’ painting a Johann Berthelsen keeper
Hi, Jon,
I inherited a p ainting about 40 years ago and canʼt make out the artistʼs signature — even with a m agnifying glass, help from family, and a visit to a local antique dealer. The dealer was interested in buying it but couldnʼt identify the artist. The painting is 13 by 10. Can you tell me who painted it, and what it might be worth? I may want to sell it soon. Chris Hi, Chris,
I certainly understand your frustration in trying to identify this artist. You can be certain that art dealers, on a regular basis, spend a great deal of time trying to figure out the signatures on paintings.
That said, there are many works of art that, based on style alone, I can identify fairly quickly sometimes even before I locate the signature. Your beautiful painting is one of those.
The work was executed by the important Danish artist Johann Berthelsen (1883–1972), a selftaught Impressionist painter best known for poetic scenes of New York City, often in the snow.
Berthelsen was born in Copenhagen and moved with his mother to Wisconsin at an early age, where he quickly gravitated toward the arts — singing, acting
and painting. He later moved to Chicago, where he received a full scholarship to attend the Chicago Musical College.
Much of Berthelsenʼs early
R.Z.M.Fine Arts & Antiques
Inc.senior appraiser Jon Felz answers yourquestions on fine art,American coins,and great antiques.Send your questions and photos to rzmantique@aol.com
life was spent touring the United States as an opera performer. It wasnʼt until about 1910 that he began to pursue painting seriously, encouraged by the important Norwegian American Impressionist artist Svend Svendsen.
Berthelsen moved to New York City in 1920, where he began the work for which he would become best known: soft, atmospheric paintings of the city skyline that recall the romantic Impressionist landscapes of Paris from the previous century.
During the Great Depression
MOVING? DOWNSIZING?
and after the stock market crash of 1929, Berthelsen lost many of his students, and his family was forced to sell possessions and move to a smaller apartment. A fellow artist suggested he paint in oils, and he soon found success selling these works. Over time, he sold paintings to notable collectors of the era, including William Randolph Hearst, Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore.
In the mid-1930s, he also participated in several New Deal and WPA art projects. As a fellow member of the Salmagundi Club in New York City, I was able to confirm that he joined in 1935 and remained a member until his death.
Berthelsenʼs work was exhibited in New York galleries including the Barbizon-Plaza
BYJONFELZ R.Z.M. FINE
ARTS & ANTIQUES INC.
Gilroy:
FROM PAGE 12
He said the work reminded him of a theme that runs through many of the projects heʼs been part of: telling the stories of people whose labor keeps everything moving — whether itʼs fishermen at sea or environmental workers protecting the stateʼs remaining wild places.
“Nobody thinks when they go to the store, ʻWho caught this?ʼ” he said. “Of course you want the freshest catch, but you donʼt think about all the work that went into getting this one fish.”
It was unforgettable work — and at times, brutal. “One filming day, the waves were extremely choppy and I got so seasick I puked,” he said, laughing. “Iʼm a
filmmaker, not a charter fisherman after all.”
Earlier wins: yards and wildlife
Gilroy earned his first Emmy in 2023 for “Flip My Florida Yard,” where he served as a key production assistant and supported the editing department — a job that required doing a little of everything to keep production on track.
“I took behind-the-scenes photos, social media videos, carried C-stands, retrieved lenses for the camera crew, set up lunch, dumped media… anything that helped move production forward,” he said.
In 2024, he won again for “Protect Our Paradise,” a six-part documentary series focused on preserving Floridaʼs natural ecosystem. Gilroy worked as an assistant editor and production
assistant, traveling the state from Tallahassee to the Keys to spotlight what he called “unsung heroes” protecting the environment.
His favorite day of that production involved a manatee release featured in the episode “Our Wildlife.”
“That production day was
very special to me because I love manatees,” he said. “Getting to see one who was ready for release after being rehabilitated at SeaWorld was unlike anything Iʼve ever seen. Catch my drone shots throughout the segment!”
Still a movie guy
For Gilroy, the work isnʼt just a job — itʼs an art and craft he loves. He said he goes to the movies often — sometimes a couple times a week — and talks films endlessly with friends.
“Itʼs an event for me,” he said, adding that he enjoys hearing other peopleʼs takes and debating what a movie is “really saying.”
He laughed that he sometimes meets people on set who donʼt even watch movies — a detail that still baffles him.
“I feel like you need that passion,” he said. “Thatʼs what drives
me to work harder and make it better.”
Gilroy said his own rule of thumb has stayed the same since his earliest jobs.
“Half of getting the job or retaining the job is doing the job and being good at the job,” he said. “But the other half is the passion for film, the love for working with other people, the need for getting it done — and doing what it takes.”
Like many young filmmakers, Gilroy said he still hopes to land a marquee feature someday. “I always wanted to work on a Marvel movie or something with a big celebrity,” he said. “Itʼs still a major goal of mine.” He laughed when the conver-
Painting:
FROM PAGE 13
Galleries and the Jean Bohne Gallery, among others. He continued painting well into his 80s. In 1971, he was hit by a car, which caused his health to decline. He died the following year
Now, a word about value. Berthelsenʼs art is highly desirable and widely collected, with many paintings selling for tens of thousands of dollars. An average
sation briefly detoured into “Barry” (2018) — Bill Haderʼs dark Hollywood satire about a hitman trying to reinvent himself through acting — and said he recognizes how people often want a single famous credit, even though steady work is what actually builds a career.
“Quite honestly,” he added, looking back on his three Emmy wins, “I feel like Iʼm doing pretty well.”
Where to watch Gilroy said episodes of “Flip My Florida Yard,” “Protect Our Paradise,” and “Saltwater Cowboys” can be found on the Discover Florida Channel on YouTube.
work from his New York City period often sells for $10,000 to $30,000.
Based on the size of your painting and recent auction results, a reasonable current appraised value is $8,500. You might want to explore having the painting insured, as it appears likely to increase in value. By the way, Chris — you never told me what the antiques dealer offered you for it.
R.Z.M.Fine Arts & Antiques Inc. is based at 132 Dexter Ave., Pearl River,N.Y.Call (845) 7351313 or visit rzmantiques.com.
Golden Seniors toast Christmas ’25
The Washington Township Golden Seniors celebrated the holiday season with a Christmas party at Seasons in Washington Township, on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. We have this report from member Jim Dugan:
CORRESPONDINGS ecretary Maria Monteleone welcomed the members and began the formal program with the Pledge of Allegiance and then introduced Fr. Tom Norton, assisting priest at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, to say grace and deliver a warm heartfelt holiday blessing.
Seasons, known for its wonderful food, provided endless culinary treats starting with a hot and cold buffet, continu-
ing with passed hors dʼoeuvres, salad, pasta, entree, coffee, and dessert.
Christmas tunes and dance music were provided by DJ Dave Sacchi. Roy Mainelli, our very own Singing Senior, treated everyone to two Christmas carols. Joanne Toole surprised us this year by leading and singing Baby Itʼs Cold Outside (a duet with Roy).
And everyone enjoyed watching our most active members on the dance floor!
Members donated $575 to their Scholarship Fund, which presents two $1,000 scholarships each year to local high school seniors who will be continuing their education. And to all a good night!
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
Celebrating the young women of Immaculate Heart Academy
Advertisement Catholic Schools Week is a perfect time to highlight the students of Immaculate Heart Academy who regularly put their faith into
action by serving their community and ministering to people in need. Forming students as young women who embody the Gospel is at the center of IHAʼs mission, as the
ACADEMYOF OUR LADY ACADEMY
OPEN HOUSE JAN. 25
Advertisement
Academy of Our Lady will host an Open House on Sunday, Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., as part of the nationwide celebration of Catholic Schools Week.
Serving students in Pre-K through 8, Academy of Our Lady offers a faith-centered education rooted in academic excellence and character formation. At the heart of the schoolʼs mission is a commitment to Catholic values lived out daily. Faith is woven into student life through daily all-school Morning Prayer (open to families), religion instruction, monthly Mass, celebration of liturgical solemnities and saintsʼ feast days, Eucharistic Adoration, and a prayer partner program designed to encourage mentorship and friendship across grades.
“Our goal is to guide each childʼs relationship with God, self, family, and neighbor,” said Principal Katy Clemente. “A Catholic education forms not only strong students, but strong disciples and compassionate leaders.”
Academy of Our Lady offers a rigorous curriculum designed to support each studentʼs growth. With a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, teachers tailor instruction to meet individual learning needs while fostering confidence and a lifelong love of learning. The school notes that graduates consistently go on to attend top Catholic and private high schools, as well as nationally recognized universities.
Character formation is grounded in the schoolʼs four pillars: Faith, Knowledge, Community, and Respect. Students are encouraged to develop moral integrity, ethical leadership, cultural appreciation, civic
school not only challenges students academically, but supports them spiritually, empowers them to lead, and prepares them for a lifetime of positive contributions to society.
Already this school year, students have attended several Midnight Runs in New York City to provide food, clothes, and conversations with individuals experiencing homelessness. Before they leave for New York City, students participate
in a prayer service to remind them that Christ calls each one of us to serve others with love and compassion.
In addition to the Midnight Runs, Campus Ministry also held its annual Christmas drive for toys, winter clothes, candy, gift cards, and books for Strengthen Our Sisters Shelter and Sacred Heart School. Then, shortly before Christmas, students spread joy and love to Sacred
Heart students by personally handdelivering bags of special treats to their school in Jersey City. Students also hosted an incredibly successful diaper drive for Saint Josephʼs Care Corner in Oradell, crafted cards for hospice patients at Villa Marie Claire, and treated more 150 senior citizens to a free dinner and companionship for the Thanksgiving holiday. Ms.
responsibility, and respect for the dignity and rights of all people.
Families attending the Open House can also learn more about the schoolʼs enrichment opportunities, including athletics, arts, leadership programs, entrepreneurship, STEM/STREAM education, and academic competitions.
Student activities include basketball and volleyball, sacred music choir, mock trial, public speaking, and student council.
Academy of Our Lady is located on a 12-acre campus at 180 Rodney St. in Glen Rock, about 14 miles from New York City. The school serves students in Pre-K through grade 8 and offers competitive tuition rates for parishioners and non-parishioners.
For more information or to RSVP, call 201-445-0622 or visit academyofourlady.org.
About Academy of Our Lady School
Academy of Our Lady is a Catholic elementary school serving students in Pre-K through grade 8 at 180 Rodney St. in Glen Rock. The school is co-sponsored by Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Ridgewood and St. Catharine Church in Glen Rock.
The school offers a wide selection of extracurricular clubs and sports, as well as before- and after-care programs. Academy of Our Lady holds Middle States accreditation and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
For more information, visit academyofourlady.org or call 201-4450622.
GLEN ROCK
Forming students as young women who embody the Gospel? Totally.
PASCACK PRESS proudly celebrates the ranging accomplishments of our local alumni—young men and women who’ve graduated from area high schools and gone on to meet new challenges with purpose and heart. We also recognize the families, teachers, coaches, and mentors who helped guide them on their journey. Through these updates, we honor not just individual achievement, but also the community that helps shape thoughtful, resilient, and compassionate citizens of an interdependent world.
EMERSON
“Family Town” students continue to earn honors and take part in campus life across the country.
• James Madison University:
Alyssa Gabriele (Sport & Recreation Management) and Avery Lauterback (Nursing) joined the Class of 2029;
•Southern New Hampshire University: Anayeli Garcia was named to the Presidentʼs List for Summer and Fall 2025;
•Alvernia University: Noelle De Magistris was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025 while studying criminal justice;
•Emmanuel College: Rylee Smith took part in the collegeʼs New Student Day of Service;
•Hamilton College: Isabella Piccinich matriculated as a member of the Class of 2029.
HILLSDALE
Area students were recognized for academic achievement and semester honors.
•James Madison University: Adam Dinic (Engineering) and Nicholas Tabano (Finance) joined the Class of 2029; Kaleigh Higgins was named to the Presidentʼs List for Fall 2025; Nicholas Tabano , Conor Higgins, and Isabella Russino were named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Lehigh University: Lana Freedberg was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025 and is double majoring in accounting and finance;
• Kutztown University: Sarah DeFiglio was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Palmer College of Chiropractic: Eric Kierney was named to the Deanʼs List for the Summer 2025 trimester;
• University of Wisconsin–Madison: Genevieve Simmons and Robert Wasserman were named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•College of the Holy Cross: Jessica Sundlin was named to the Spring 2025 Deanʼs List;
• Hofstra University: Robert Colletti was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Bucknell University: Colin Krause and Madison McKay were named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025.
“REI: USPTO Patent Application Risk Evaluation Framework,” the university announced.
The work was part of WPIʼs Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP), a core undergraduate requirement that emphasizes project-based learning and tackling real-world problems.
Students typically complete the IQP during junior year and apply science and technology skills to issues with broader community or societal impact.
Park Ridge cadet earns Citadel “gold star” academic honor
Students from Montvale earned academic honors and took part in hands-on learning opportunities.
• James Madison University: Kasey Feheley-Shell (Marketing) and Brynn Casey (Communication Studies) joined the Class of 2029; Riley Grieco and Olivia Kubicka were named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•College of the Holy Cross: William Vozzolo enrolled as a member of the Class of 2029;
• East Stroudsburg University: Kerrin Sullivan participated in a professional partnership program with Camelback Resort, gaining real-world experience in hospitality operations;
•Lebanon Valley College: Tyler Duffy was recognized as a student-athlete during the Fall 2025 semester and was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Bucknell University: Kathryn Wrynn was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025.
PARKRIDGE
Local students received a wide range of academic and campus recognitions.
• James Madison University: Marco Brattoli (Finance), Justin Meyers (Finance) and Sophia Cochrane (Communication Sciences & Disorders) joined the Class of 2029; Daniel Lustig, Luca Manganelli, and Hailey Moran were named to the Presidentʼs List for Fall 2025;
• College of the Holy Cross: Emmy Mazzacano was named to the Spring 2025 Deanʼs List;
•Hofstra University: Anthony Gibbons was named to the Provostʼs List for Fall 2025, recognizing students who earned a perfect 4.0 GPA;
•Muhlenberg College: Matthew Manning joined the football program during the Fall 2025 season while studying finance;
Bucknell University: Amanda Cicero was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025.
Park Ridge student rocks professional-level research project at WPI
Scott Riccio of Park Ridge, a Robotics Engineering major at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Class of 2027), recently completed a research-driven team project,
List for Fall 2025.
River Vale grandparents share achievments of Haley N. Javier
Haley N. Javier, granddaughter of Cheryl and Anthony LaSpada of River Vale, recently graduated with honors from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.
Antoinette Dacey of Park Ridge was recognized for academic achievement during the Spring 2025 semester at The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina, according to the school. Dacey earned gold star recognition, an honor awarded to cadets and students who achieve a 3.7 GPA or higher. The recognition also places recipients on the collegeʼs deanʼs list. Cadets who earn the honor may wear gold stars on their uniforms during the following semester, while eligible non-cadet students receive a certificate, the college said.
RIVER VALE
River Vale students earned honors ranging from Deanʼs List recognition to research presentations.
•James Madison University: Gianna King (Inclusive Early Childhood Education), Luke Good (Justice Studies), Isabella King (Exploratory) and Sinead OʼBrien (Exploratory) joined the Class of 2029; Gianna King and Julianna Bonanos were named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025; Callie Muska was named to the Presidentʼs List for Summer 2025;
•Southern New Hampshire University: Kledis Leka was named to the Deanʼs List for Summer 2025; Mahaleah Kani Lujan and Jared Blumenthal were named to the Presidentʼs List for Summer and Fall 2025;
•Hofstra University: Nicolas Mercado and Ryan Murphy were named to the Provostʼs List for Fall 2025; Evan Parnther was named to Hofstraʼs Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•University of Wisconsin–Madison: Ethan Schwartz was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
• Western Connecticut State University: Joseph Rocco Battista was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Clarkson University: Donald R. Duffus was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Miami University: Sophia DeVincenzo was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
• James Madison University: Julia Haboush graduated in Fall 2025 with a degree in health sciences;
• Bucknell University: Abby Romero was named to the Deanʼs
Sciences), Connor Stewart (Finance) and Dylan Francis (Sport & Recreation Management) joined the Class of 2029; Isabella Parrino, Dylan Francis, and Madison Carrazana were named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Muhlenberg College: Julia Gorham e nrolled as a member of the Class of 2029; •Emmanuel College: Aidan Huvane participated in the New Student Day of Service;
A 2022 graduate of Indian Hills High School in Oakland, she is the daughter of Stephanie and Daniel Javier. She will begin her career at Zurich Cantonal Bank in June.
River Vale’s Gabrielle Brayman presents research on Jewish Italian music liturgy
Gabrielle Brayman of River Vale presented original research at Muhlenberg College this fall on “Jewish Italian Music Liturgy Through Translation and Transliteration,” the college announced.
Brayman, studying Music and Jewish Studies, worked on the OTJIM (Online Thesaurus of Jewish Italian Music) Research Project and transliterated older recordings of Jewish Italian liturgy — including psalms and blessings — for inclusion in the online archive.
The work was supported by The Centro Primo Levi NY, in collaboration with the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation and the Viterbi Family, according to the release.
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON
Township of Washington students were honored for strong semester performance and leadership.
• James Madison University: Ciara Leahy (Accounting), Ryan Ruesga (Marketing) and Camryn Dempsey (Health Sciences) joined the Class of 2029; Jason McCarter was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025; •Southern New Hampshire University: Stacie DeSena and Aimee Haz were named to the Presidentʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Muhlenberg College: Sabrina Russo was named president of the campus group Fun With Science and performed in the studen t dance showcase “Reset: New Dances”;
•PennWest University: Connor Munson was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Bucknell University: Logan Bush and Lauren Hroncich were named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025.
WESTWOOD
Westwood students were recognized in academics, service, and campus life.
•James Madison University: Shannon Saunders (Health
•Hamilton College: Luke Bussanich and Andre Chevrier matriculated as members of the Class of 2029;
• Shenandoah University: Ariana Gaub was named to the Presidentʼs List for Fall 2025;
• Kutztown University: Shannon Pryor was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
• Hofstra University: Emma Lagatol was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Saint Maryʼs College: Sofia Saljanin was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025;
•Commonwealth University–Bloomsburg: Morgan Hornidge w as named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025.
Westwood alum Ashley Francis graduates summa cum laude from SCAD
Westwood Regional High School alum Ashley Francis graduated summa cum laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) after making the Deanʼs List every semester, her family said. Francis earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration, with a concentration in Concept Art/Il lustration for Entertainment, along with a minor in Storyboarding. “We couldnʼt be more proud,” her parents, Trish and Greg Francis, tell Pascack Press
WOODCLIFF LAKE
Woodcliff Lake students earned semester honors at a range of institutions.
•James Madison University: Christine Diaz (Marketing) and Aidan Cozza (Exploratory) joined the Class of 2029; Riley Haworth was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025; • University of Wisconsin–Madison: Isabelle Benedict, Jessie Polson, Spencer Shinrod, and Jack Swerdloff were named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025; Gavin Gross, Zachary Kramer, and Matt Schwartz earned Deanʼs Honor List recognition; •Bucknell University: Sami Rowbottom was named to the Deanʼs List for Fall 2025.
CURATED BY JOHN SNYDER
JAVIER
FRANCIS
‘How much cash should Ikeep on hand?’
HO W MUCH
c ash should I have now? It seems like a simple question, but the answer can be complicated — especially in times of market volatility. Apart from an emergency fund, the amount of cash or liquid assets you need depends on many factors, including the current state of the market and major life events.
“There isnʼt really a general rule
in terms of a number,” says Michael Taylor, CFA, Vice President – Senior Wealth Investment Solutions Analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.
“We do say it shouldnʼt be more than maybe 10% of your overall portfolio or maybe three to six monthsʼworth of living expenses.”
Taylor notes that the number could change depending on whatʼs going on in the economy and markets.
“You should make sure your emergency fund and cash reserves can meet your current needs,” he says.
Taylor shares five events that should prompt a conversation with
your financial advisor about how much cash to have on hand.
1. When the market is in flux. The state of the market can have an impact on how much cash you should have on hand, how long you decide to hold an asset as cash, or when to convert assets to cash. This can be especially true when you foresee a large discretionary purchase such as a vacation home or a luxury vehicle.
“Plan for those purchases or defer them so you donʼt have to liquidate assets at a loss during market uncertainty,” Taylor says.
2. When your job status may
change. If youʼre contemplating a career move such as starting a business, retiring soon, or facing a possible layoff, consider meeting with your financial advisor. “If you donʼt have enough cash on hand during those transition periods, you might have to dip into an investment account or sell a stock at an inopportune time,” Taylor says. “That means you could end up losing money when you can least afford it.”
3. When your marital status is about to change. Getting married or paying for a wedding? According to “The Knot 2023 Real Weddings Study,” on average in 2023, couples spent $35,000 total on their wedding, including ceremony, reception and engagement ring. Note that doesnʼt include a honeymoon or the expense of setting up a household.
A divorce can set you back as well, thanks to legal fees, asset division, and other costs. That means you need enough cash on hand to weather the transition from being single to getting married or vice versa. Talking to a financial advisor ahead of time can help you identify how much onhand cash you need.
4. When your child is ready for college. According to projections by Wells Fargo Advisors based on the College Boardʼs “Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid,” the estimated cost of attending a private college for four years (including tuition, fees, and room and board) starting in the 2024 – 2025 school year is more than $251,000.
“Itʼs important to plan so that you have enough liquidity to pay those tuition bills when they arrive,” Taylor says.
5. When you receive a windfall. If you receive an inheritance, a large bonus, or a generous financial gift, ask your financial advisor about investment options relative to the amount of cash you should have in your portfolio. If that money stays in
savings or short-term CDs, it wonʼt decrease in value, but it also may not be able to earn to its full potential.
Your long-term goals, risk tolerance, and spending and saving habits also affect how much cash you should have on hand. A financial advisor can help you strike the right balance.
Total yearly costs for in-state tuition, fees, books, and room and board (transportation and miscellaneous expenses not included). Base is 2024 – 2025 school year. Costs for all future years projected by Wells Fargo Advisors in November 2024 assuming a 3.3% national average increase per year for private colleges (based on a 10year historical average).
Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc., is a registered investment adviser and wholly-owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.
This article was written for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Eric Kohlmeier, Senior Financial Advisor, Managing Director – Investments in Park Ridge at 201-505-0472.
Investment and Insurance Products are:
• Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency
• Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate
• Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested
Sometimes even good people get into bad trouble...a mistake in judgement...a careless moment...an act out of desperation, and before you know it you find yourself with serious legal problems. This can be frightening for most of us. One thing for sure...those problems won’t go away by themselves, and without proper legal representation they may even get worse.
Our attorneys handle situations like yours on a daily basis and are prepared to help you get the best possible results whether you are faced with a civil matter, a criminal matter or whether you are trying to have an earlier charge, arrest or conviction expunged.
ERIC KOHLMEIER
Health,Wellness &FitnessGuide
‘Oxygen is fuel, information, and medicine…’
BOOSTYOUR BRAIN POWER
By Dr. Eric Kaplan, DC, DACNB, FACFN, FABVR
Advertisement
OXYGEN
i s the m ost underrated nutrient in modern health care. We talk endl essly about v itamins supplements diets and steps per d ay yet forget t he one thing you cannot survive more than a few minutes without.
Oxygen is not just air. It is fuel, information, and medicine. Without enough oxygen the body does not heal, the immune system weakens, the brain slows down and energy disappears. You can eat the cleanest diet on Earth but if oxygen delivery is poor your
Sherrill:
FROM PAGE 4
the new administration to press ahead on affordability reforms tied to New Jerseyʼs housing shortage and rising rents.
In a statement released on Inauguration Day, the Cherry Hillbased nonprofit Fair Share Housing Center urged Sherrillʼs administration to take “bold action” on housing costs, calling for steps including ending diversions from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, reforming zoning laws to allow more housing options, streamlining permitting and regulatory processes, expanding support for first-time and first-generation homebuyers, and strengthening tenant protections.
Fair Share Executive Director
body is running on fumes. Your immune system is powe red by oxygen. White blood cells use oxygen to create oxidative bursts that help neutralize bacteria and viruses. This is basic physiology taught in medical schools yet rarely discussed in everyday health conversations. When oxygen levels drop, the immune response grinds. This is one reason chronic infections linger and why people who are sedentary stressed and shallow breathers get sick more often. Oxygen-rich env ironments are hostile to many pathogens and supportive to healing.
Although the brain makes up only about 2% of your body weight it uses roughly 20% of your oxygen supply. Oxygen is required to deliver glucose and nutrients to brain cells so they can produce energy. When oxy-
Adam Gordon, who served on Sherrillʼs transition team, said the group looked forward to working with the administration “to translate those commitments into action.”
The renewed push comes as municipalities statewide continue implementing New Jerseyʼs 2024 affordable housing law, A4/S50, which established requirements and timelines for the upcoming “Fourth Round” affordable housing cycle.
At the same time, a coalition led by Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali — operating as Local Leaders for Responsible Planning (LLRP) — continues a legal challenge to the 2024 law, arguing the mandates represent an overreach and could force development levels towns cannot responsibly support.
In Bergen County, Ghassali
gen delivery is reduced, the brain compensates — slowing down. That looks like brain fog, poor f ocus anxiety, depression, headaches or memory problems. Long-term oxygen deprivation is associated with serious neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinsonʼs, Alzheimerʼs, and dementia.
E nergy is another oxygen story Mitochondria, the power plants of your cells, require oxygen to make ATP, which is your cellular energy currency. No oxygen, no energy. Many people complain of chronic fatigue yet spend their days sitting indoors breathing shallowly and staring at screens. Thatʼs not an energy problem, itʼs an oxygen problem.
S leep apnea is a perfect example of what happens when oxygen drops repeatedly. Breathing stops, oxygen levels fall and
says the coalition includes Allendale, Closter, Englewood, Franklin Lakes, Hillsdale, Montvale, New Milford, Norwood, Old Tappan, Oradell, River Vale, Washington Township, Westwood and Wyckoff, along with Cedar Grove, Clark, Denville, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Holmdel, Hawthorne, Little Falls, Mannington, Millburn, Mendham, Montville, Montgomery, Parsippany–Troy Hills, Sandyston, Totowa, Warren, Wall, West Caldwell, Woodland Park and Wharton elsewhere in the state.
On Facebook on Jan. 19, Ghassali alleged “several” municipalities were “misleading their residents into believing they are part of the coalition opposing high-density housing,” calling that “bad leadership.”
— Staff writer John Snyder
the brain goes into emergency mode. The result: poor sleep, high b lood pressure, weight gain, mood issues and increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Many think they are bad sleepers when, really, they are oxygen-deprived.
Breathing technique matters. Most adults breathe incorrectly using shallow chest breathing instead of diaphragmatic breathi ng. Diaphragmatic breathing allows the lungs to fully expand, improving oxygen intake and carbon dioxide removal.
Carbon dioxide is not the enemy but it must be expelled properly. If it builds up the blood becomes more acidic and oxygen delivery to tissues becomes less efficient. Good breathing is a balance of oxygen in and carbon dioxide out.
One simple tool is the 4-7-8 breathing technique. You inhale through the nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale slowly for eight seconds. This calms the nervous system, improves oxygen utilization and helps reduce stress.
Another powerful practice is hostage tape. To help get a deep sleep, your mouth is gently taped shut, forcing more efficient nasal breathing. Nasal breathing filters air, increases nitric oxide production and improves oxygen absorption. You do not need tape during the day, it is for night time (if you want to get rid of the CPAP machine that is given to patients with sleep apnea).
Nature is oxygen therapy. Trees, plants and grasses produce oxygen and reduce air pollutants. Being in nature increases oxygen
Tower:
FROM PAGE 9 years, with four automatic fiveyear extensions possible.
Some residents suggested Hillsdale should have an “optout” option if the proposed tower does not improve local cellular service.
Others said they feared having daily sightlines marred by an imposing 150-foot tower that offers no improvement in service.
An attorney representing a local condominium homeowners association presented photos of cell towers that, he said, had gone on fire or collapsed due to malfunctions or severe weather
intake, lowers stress hormones and improves mood.
Studies show that time outdoors reduces depression and anxiety. Oxygen and sunlight together are a powerful antidepressant combination without side effects.
D epression is often discussed as a chemical imbalance but oxygen imbalance plays a role too. Reduced oxygen delivery to the brain affects neurotransmitter production and brainwave patterns. When people move more, breathe better, and get outside, their mood often improves without medication.
For those who need deeper support hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a powerful option. HBOT increases oxygen delivery to tissues supporting immune function, brain health circulation and healing.
We offer a hyperbaric oxygen therapy session for $21 (normally $200). We also offer qEEG brain mapping for $21( normally $600) to evaluate whether your brain is getting enough oxygen and functioning efficiently.
Oxygen is not optional. It is foundational. If you want better immunity, more energy, clearer thinking, better sleep and a stronger brain start with your breath.
To learn more you can call or text (201) 261-2150 or email info at kaplanbrainandbody.com. Visit www.kaplandc.com. Breathe better, think better, live better.
Kaplan Brain and Body 212-620-8121 www.kaplandc.com
He said alternatives should be explored before council votes to authorize a cell tower lease at Stonybrook.
Several residents suggested the borough conduct an independent study to better understand why some areas have poor coverage, instead of approving a new lease that could lock the community into a tower for 25 to 30 years.
One resident said home values could drop without reliable cellular service, noting residents should be able to reach emergency services by cellphone, work remotely, and rely on their carrierʼs local service.
(See “Air your cell tower thoughts (pro, con) at session Jan. 20,” by Michael Olohan, Jan. 5, 2026, thepressgroup.net.)
Health,Wellness &FitnessGuide
WOODCLIFF LAKE
For caregivers on Alzheimer’s, finances
The Alzheimerʼs Association will present an educational program, “Managing Money: A Caregiverʼs Guide to Finances,” on Thursday, Jan. 29, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., in partnership with Christ Lutheran Church, 32 Pascack Road.
The program is intended for caregivers and families supporting someone with Alzheimerʼs disease, dementia or another chronic illness, and will include tips for managing someone elseʼs finances, preparing for future care costs and the benefits of early planning.
The event will be hosted by Reverend Marc A. Stutzel and presented by Terry Ciulla, volunteer community educator. Kim-
The Alzheimer’s Association presents an educational program, “Managing Money: A Caregiver’s Guide to Finances,” on Thursday, Jan. 29, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., in partnership with Christ Lutheran Church, 32 Pascack Road. Register.
berly Paton, Esq., of Paton Law Firm LLC, will be a guest presenter. Registration is required by
calling 800-272-3900 or visiting https://action.alz.org/mtg/761401 651. Food and light refreshments will be provided.
Kindergarten orientations Jan. 29
The Park Ridge School District will hold kindergarten orientation and registration for the 2026-27 school year for children who will be 5 years old by Oct. 1, according to the district.
Children who live west of Pascack Road will attend West Ridge Elementary School. Children who live on or east of Pascack Road will attend East Brook Elementary School, the district said.
Orientation sessions are for parents only and will include registration, according to the district.
West Ridge Elementary School
• Orientation and registration: Jan. 29, 6:30 p.m., Room 2
• Registration: Feb. 2 through April 10, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
East Brook Elementary School
• Orientation and registration: Jan. 29, 6 p.m., Media Center
• Registration: Feb. 2 through Feb. 6, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Online registration portals for both schools will open Jan. 30 at parkridgeschools.org under “Our Schools,” the district said. F amilies must bring required
forms and documentation during registration hours, including an original and a copy of the childʼs birth certificate and proof of residency. Proofs of residence include an original deed or tax bill and a utility bill from PSE&G or the Town of Park Ridge, according to the district. Renters must provide an original, up-to-date lease, a utility bill and an owner/landlord affidavit form.
For assistance, contact East Brook School at 201-573-6000, ext. 2000, or West Ridge Elementary at 201-573-6000, ext. 3000.
HILLSDALE
HFPL trustees 2026 meeting dates
The Board of Trustees of the Free Public Library of the Borough of Hillsdale will hold its 2026 meetings at 7:30 p.m. at the library, 509 Hillsdale Ave., Hillsdale. Meeting dates are Jan. 12, Feb. 23, March 16, April 20, May 18, June 15, Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 14. Optional meetings are scheduled for July 20 and Aug. 17.
PARK RIDGE
Seniors’ white elephant gift exchange
The Woodcliff Lake Senior Association will host Pat Schuber on Thursday, Feb. 5, for a 12:30 p.m. talk on Ulysses S. Grant and his friendship with Mark Twain, also at the Tice Senior Center.
Pickleball, chess through the Rec
The Park Ridge Recreation and Cultural Committee will offer indoor adult community pickleball on Wednesdays, Jan. 21–Feb. 25. Flyer and registration info: parkridgeboro.com. Information: Recreation Director Liz Falkenstern, 201-573-1800, ext. 521. Community Chess Club — The Park Ridge Recreation and
PASCACK VALLEY
Cultural Committee will offer a Community Chess Club on Wednesdays, Jan. 21–March 11 at the Park Ridge Community Center. Offered for ages 5–12 and an intermediate level for ages 8–14; space is limited. Flyer with locations and registration info: parkridgeboro.com. Information: Recreation Director Liz Falkenstern, 201-573-1800, ext. 521.
Ask the Dentist: Do I really need a nightguard?
Question: My dentist said that he thinks I am grinding my teeth at night and that I would benefit from a nightguard. Do I really need this? Don G., Westwood, NJ
Answer: The fact is, that there is a large percentage of the adult population and a significant percentage of the adolescent population who clench and grind their teeth. Studies vary, but most likely up to half of all adults and about 15% of children fall into this category. Interestingly, most are not aware of the habit and many deny it. Dentists and hygienists usually can identify the problem by observing the wear of the teeth and by evaluating symptoms (when present). Clenching and grinding particularly during sleep can be a silent killer of teeth and the root systems which nourish them. The habit can severely wear teeth, crack or fracture teeth and
kill or damage the nerves inside teeth, eventually causing nerve damage which can necessitate root canal procedures or extractions.
Headaches are another symptom of grinding. The pressure generated by clenching or grinding can amount to several hundred pounds per square inch on the back teeth, which is enough to cause damage over time. Keep in mind that when we eat food, the food somewhat cushions our bite.
When we clench, the pressure is tooth against hard tooth. The purpose of a bite guard or nightguard is to cushion the teeth against one another and prevent damage. Clenching and grinding is a behavior which is not easily altered, so it is best to utilize a guard to prevent its harmful effects whenever possible.
Ask your dentist or hygienist about grinding or clenching and the options available to you.
For questions about this and other dental procedures ask your dentist or contact Dr. Guller at info@pascackdental.com or call (201) 391-5565
WOODCLIFF LAKE
PARK RIDGE
ROBERT H. GULLER, D.M.D OF PASCACK DENTAL ARTS
PVstudents, staff host local vets on MLKDay
BY JOHNSNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
HILLSDALE
PASCACK VALLEY Regional High School students and staff welcomed local veterans for breakfast as part of the districtʼs annual veterans remembrance program.
Interim Superintendent Dirk Phillips said the event, held Jan. 19 in the schoolʼs Media Center, was part of the districtʼs beloved Community Day of Service initiative. “On Jan. 19, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and National Day of Service, the Pascack Valley Regional High School District humbly invited local veterans in for breakfast,” Phillips told Pascacl Press
He added, “The district wanted to show its sincere appreciation for the sacrifices and service they made to our nation, making veterans feel genuinely valued and respected.”
Staff members and students served the veterans and then sat with them during the meal, Phillips said.
He added that local veterans participate in district activities throughout the year and regularly share their experiences with students.
“We are always grateful to have them in our buildings,” Phillips said.
CLUB NEWS
Let us help promote your club or organization. Send all news to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net or mail to: Pascack Press, P.O. Box 335, Westwood, NJ 07675
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Pascack Valley staff members and students served the veterans and then sat with them during the meal, Interim Superintendent Dirk Phillips said. He added that local veterans participate in district activities throughout the year and regularly share their experiences with students. “We are always grateful to have them in our buildings,” Phillips said.
Sound off!: From General Leonard E. Wood American Legion Post 162, serving vets in Hillsdale, Woodcliff Lake, and Old Tappan: Joe Sgroi, George Kritzler, Vic Tuohy, Don Averna, Doug Frank, Zoltan Horvath, Dick Smith, and Tom Robinson. From Cpl. Jedh C. Barker American Legion Post 153 in Park Ridge: Bob Oppelt, Shaun Hutchinson, Clay Bosch, Tom Madru, Steve Kalish, Mark “Cookie” Eisner, and Edward Barboni.
Zoltán Horváth photos.
The breakfast, now an annual event, was coordinated through Regional Supervisor of Social
Studies Joe Orlak and social studies teacher Connor Quinlan. The buffet was prepared by staff and
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON
Pet license renewals due Jan. 31
Township of Washington officials reminded residents that dog and cat license renewals are due by Jan. 31.
Renewal forms were mailed in late December, the township said. Officials noted an additional $5 late fee begins Feb. 1, and a $25 late fee begins March 1.
The township said TYCO Animal Control will send letters in mid-March, followed by summonses in April for licenses that remain unpaid.
Residents who no longer own a pet or who have acquired a new
one are asked to contact the Township Clerkʼs office at (201) 6644425.
Under state regulations, residents must provide a rabies vaccination certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian showing the animalʼs immunity extends through at least the first 10 months of the 12-month licensing period, officials said.
Area dog Bean Randolph is very nearly up on his pet license Township of Washington dog and cat license renewals are due by Jan. 31. Late fees begin accruing Feb.1
MONTVALESENIORSPLAN BERMUDA CRUISE
The Montvale Seniors announce a group cruise to Bermuda aboard Norwegian Cruise Lineʼs new Norwegian Aqua, an 8-day/7-night trip sailing Saturday, June 20, through Saturday, June 27. The cruise departs from New York City and includes sea days and an extended stay in Bermuda (Royal Naval Dockyard) before returning to New York. Rates (per person, double occupancy) are listed as $2,213 for an inside cabin (Category IA) and $2,899 for a balcony cabin (Category BA). The package is advertised as including the cruise, gratu-
ities, port charges and government fees, plus select onboard perks (including an onboard credit). A passport is required. An initial deposit is required to reserve; final payment is due Tuesday, Jan. 20. Bus transportation to/from the cruise pier may be available for an additional charge. Military discount available.
For information, call Rosemarie Kelly (201) 391-8718. For reservations, contact Grand American Tours (800) 423-0247 or visit grandamericantours.com. P Paassccaacck k P Prreesss s welcomes press releases, birth announcements, wedding announcements and event photographs from all towns in the Pascack Valley. Send all news to pascackpress@thepressgroup.net
PASCACK VALLEY
teachers. PVHS Principal John Puccio Jr. welcomed the veterans.
seven:Mayor Mark Bromberg of River Vale, Carlos Rendo of Woodcliff Lake, James Koth of Oradell, Keith Misciagna of Park Ridge, Michael Ghassali of Montvale, Michael Sheinfield of Hillsdale, and Thomas Gallagher of Old Tappan.
Schedule conflicts and illness prevented the mayors of Westwood, Emerson and the Township of Washington, or their representatives, from attending.
The chamberʼs leadership: President Tony Pallogudis, Vice President Anthony Rizzo, Treasurer Kenneth Baron, Secretary Greg Giardino, Technology Director Ralph Crespo, and External Relations Director Teri Capparilli.
In opening remarks, Pallogudis said the chamber brings together business owners and professionals to enhance our community while donating a portion of event proceeds to local charities and awarding scholarships to graduating high school seniors in Pascack Valley public schools.
The chamber hosts events throughout the year. Its premier event is the Citizen of the Year dinner. The group participates in ribbon cuttings and business anniversary celebrations. As is
At the Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce Breakfast with the Mayors on Jan. 21, at Tavern at the Iron Horse in Westwood: Mayor Mark Bromberg of River Vale, Carlos Rendo of Woodcliff Lake, James Koth of Oradell, Keith Misciagna of Park Ridge, Michael Ghassali of Montvale, Michael Sheinfield of Hillsdale, and Thomas Gallagher of Old Tappan. John Snyder photo
typical of chamber programs, the breakfast was a warm and lively networking event as well. Highlights:
• River Vale Mayor Mark Bromberg talked about the 10member Pascack Valley Mayors Association, noting it helps create “efficiencies for the towns” that otherwise wouldnʼt be. He touched on shared services, com-
pletion of the Public Safety Complex due before spring, and the “banner year” at the town-owned River Vale Country Club. He said the club brings in a lot of folks from outside the area and “hopefully we get some spillover” as visitors discover local restaurants and the greater Pascack Valley.
He praised the golf course management team, noting administration and town council oversight has “worked out well.”
• Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo said the “800pound gorilla,” the stateʼs affordable housing mandate, was changing the borough. He talked about 370 units going in at 300 Chestnut Ridge Road, the former BMW property of some 21 acres.
He said properties scheduled for development include the for-
capacity 50 guests
mer Hilton Hotel campus, purchased by Zygi Wolf, planned for 148 townhouse units and in negotiations. He said a settlement with Party Cityʼs owner means 91 housing units with 20,000 square feet of retail space here.
He mentioned “community benefits” of the affordable hous-
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ing settlements include a $2M contribution tied to restoring the Westervelt Lydecker House, at Werimus and Old Mill roads, and reinvest in community recreation areas. He noted the May opening of Woodcliff Park, more than
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
A
enlivened the meeting space reserved for the Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce Breakfast with the Mayors on Jan. 21, at Tavern at the Iron Horse in Westwood — cards were exchanged, and new connections made. John Snyder photos
Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo and Hillsdale Mayor Michael Sheinfield at the Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce Breakfast with the Mayors on Jan. 21 in Westwood. John Snyder photos.
Mayors:
FROM PREVIOUS PAGE seven years after the borough acquired the former Galaxy Gardens nursery site.
• Park Ridge Mayor Keith Misciagna said his borough has enjoyed three consecutive years without a municipal tax increase. “Not only are we holding taxes in check, but weʼre doing things,” Misciagna said. He singled out the restoration of the historic train station and saving — and planning to restore — the 1770 Frederick Wortendyke Homestead, oneof the Pascack Valleyʼs oldest Dutch Colonial homes.
Misciagna said he was looking forward to this yearʼs 250th anniversary of Americaʼs independence and celebrating an event at the train station. He touted success in grant funding over acquiring the Wortendyke Homestead, plus a grant to maintain the site.
He talked about the advantages and disadvantages of the boroughʼs local public utilities, which cover water and electric distribution. He noted that a local resident, Kerry Shelby, was instrumental in getting a public referendum on the ballot —
Park
term to run farm operations, and prevailed in a legal challenge contesting that award.
Ghassali said the borough would name the farm “Fair Share Farming Center,” a tweak aimed at a courtroom foil and driving force for housing justice (in its view): the Cherry Hill-based Fair Share Housing Center. (FSHCʼs executive director, Adam Gordon, served on
and approved — which showed that residents were willing to invest up to $5 million to dredge and restore Mill Pond, also called Electric Lake, the site of the boroughʼs first hydroelectric power station. Park Ridge was the first Pascack Valley town to electrify its downtown, thanks to power from Mill Pond dam turbines.
• Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali reacted to a federal judge having just ruled against his Local Leaders for Responsible Planning lawsuit to pause the March 15 affordable housing deadline. [Editorʼs note:weʼve broken this out as a page 1 story in this issue:“Ghassali vows heʼll fight ʻto Supreme Courtʼ on housing.”]
Ghassali said the borough loves its acquisition of DePiero Farm and its soon-to-open, 1-acre community garden. The DePiero family farmed in Montvale for 101 years, and the borough acquired its remaining 8.4-acre tract in August. It leased the farm to DʼAgostino Landscaping of West Nyack, N.Y., for a 20-year
new NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrillʼs transition team and is looking forward to her advancing the cause.)
• Hillsdale Mayor Michael Sheinfield said all area towns are dealing with flooding, the deer population and planning events to celebrate Americaʼs 250th anniversary. He said figuring out what to do for the 250th anniversary celebration will likely be “a heck of a lot easier” than figuring out what to do about regional flooding and deer population concerns.
He said deer population impacts concern the East Coast and “there is no simple solution to that, but weʼre talking about it.”
He talked about improvements made at Centennial Field allowing its more frequent use. He said a $5.8 million improvement at Memorial Field was underway with “all the bells and whistles,” including an artificial turf field, playground and basketball courts.
He said The Piermont, the 256unit luxury apartment complex on Patterson Street, is nearly ready to
open, as rental units are now open for previewing. He said a new community center there will likely have a grand opening sometime this spring. The site of, and around, the former Alexander Cleaners has been remediated, he said.
[Note:With apologies to Oradell and Old Tappan, weʼre reserving those mayorsʼbreakfast notes for our web version of this story. Visit thepressgroup.net for that and more.]
Afterward, we asked several guests what they took from the event. Meals on Wheels North Jersey executive director/ Tri-Boro Food Pantry director
Janelle Larghi said in part:“I think that the mayors are always so busy defending themselves that they donʼt ever really get a chance to talk about what theyʼre actually getting done.”
Standing near Park Ridge Mayor Misciagna, she said, “People come at them with one issue … but look at all the other things that heʼs getting done… accomplishing a lot of other great things for our community.”
Event sponsors included Pascack Valley City Lifestyle, LMC, CareBuilders at Home of Woodcliff Lake, and Columbia Bank. For more information visit PascackChamber.org.
GPVCOC Vice President Anthony Rizzo, center, shares a moment with Kanela Morada, Provident Bank Westwood assistant manager, and Joe Chinnici, Provident Bank Park Ridge manager John Snyder photo.
Ridge Mayor Keith Misciagna; Meals on Wheels North Jersey/Tri-Boro Food Pantry director Janelle Larghi. John Snyder photos.
Introduction to seed starting, microgreens
The Sundial Garden Club will sponsor a presentation by Master Gardener Lynne Proskow on Monday, Feb. 2 at 4 p.m. at t he Hillsdale Public Library, 509 Hillsdale Ave.
The program, “Introduction to Seed Starting and Microgreens,” will offer an overview of how to start seeds successfully indoors and outdoors, including techniques for both cold- and warm-season vegetables.
Proskow will d iscuss potting mixes, containers, timing, watering, and light r equirements, and will also cover growing microgreens under lights.
Proskow practices organic regenerative gardening using permaculture principles and is
passionate about healthy food, eco-restoration, and teaching o thers sustainable growing methods. She lectures widely and works with a variety of g roups, including seniors, garden clubs, Girl Scouts, and individuals, helping to create pollinator gardens and organic vegetable gardens.
The program is open to the public, up to the seating capacity of the library meeting room.
FROM PAGE 15
Emily Ash ʻ19, director of Campus Ministry, credits the success of each of these events to the compassion of her students: “Our young women constantly strive to make their com-
tic service should be: selfless, loving, and using one's God-given gifts to meet the needs of His people.” Service at IHA also extends to the athletic field as sports teams regularly host fundraisers and events for various causes. The schoolʼs many clubs also get involved in service opportunities as part of their mission. In fact, during the 2024-25
munities a better place through their service. They are an antithesis to the idea that success is defined by how well others know you, because instead of desiring to make themselves known, they strive to make God known in the lives of others. Their service points to what authen-
school year, IHA students served more than 31,000 hours and went above and beyond what they were required to accomplish. On average, students served double the number of hours required as they truly embrace the schoolʼs commitment to serving others.
Appeal:
FROM PAGE 1
attorney that the federal judge ruled against us, asking for a stay for the March 15 deadline,” Ghassali said, adding that the decision changed what he had planned to say at the breakfast.
Ghassali is the lead figure in LLRP, a coalition of municipalities challenging the 2024 law, A4/S50. He told attendees that towns must still meet the March 15 deadline to adopt and file zoning ordinances and housing plans, even as his coalition prepares to continue its legal fight.
He said the judge found local officials lacked standing to bring a constitutional challenge, and concluded that even if the 2024 law were struck down, municipal obligations would still exist under “nearly 50 years of New Jersey Supreme Court decisions.”
Ghassali reiterated his argument that the stateʼs regional formula is outdated and unfair to suburban towns, saying Region One includes “Jersey City, Hoboken, West New York, and other municipalities with extensive transit, jobs, and infrastructure,” and that if certain “exempt urban aid municipalities” were held to the same calculation, Montvaleʼs obligation would drop by “approximately 74%.”
He said Montvale plans to appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, “and then if we fail there, weʼll take it to Alito; weʼll go as far as you can.”
By Alito he meant the U,S, Supeme Court:A case decided in federal district court can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which covers New Jersey. After that, parties may petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. For the Third Circuit, that justice is Samuel Alito.
ʻJust a nightmare…ʼ
At the breakfast, Ghassali framed the fourth-round obligations as a generational turning point, warning of high-density redevelopment pressure and arguing that local governments are being forced to act under the threat of losing legal protections.
“We as mayors, by March 15, we are going to be signing these rezoning ordinances with a gun to our heads,” he said. “We donʼt want to do it. We will have to do it. If we donʼt do it, we will lose our immunity and — disaster.”
Ghassali emphasized that he supports affordable housing, but criticized what he described as a system that prioritizes density and market-rate development.
“Weʼre for affordable housing. Weʼve been building,” he said. “But the high density is just a nightmare.”
Ghassali describes LLRP as a broad municipal coalition. In Ber-
nor amid broad pressure, and with zeal, to address affordability and housing costs.
On Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, Fair Share urged Sherrillʼs administration to take “bold action” on housing affordability, including ending diversions from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, reforming zoning laws to allow more housing options, streamlining permitting and regulatory processes,
expanding support for first-time and first-generation homebuyers, and strengthening tenant protections.
Gordon, who served on Sherrillʼs transition team, said the organization looked forward to working with the new administration “to translate those commitments into action.”
For more information, visit us at ThePressGroup.net.
gen County, he has said participating towns include Allendale, Closter, Englewood, Franklin Lakes, Hillsdale, Montvale, New Milford, Norwood, Old Tappan, Oradell, River Vale, Washington Township, Westwood and Wyckoff, among others statewide.
In a Jan. 19 Facebook post, Ghassali alleged that “several” municipalities were “misleading their residents into believing they are part of the coalition opposing high-density housing,” calling that “bad leadership.”
Fair Share: most towns are moving forward
For its part, Fair Share Housing Center, the Cherry Hill-based nonprofit that litigates affordable housing cases statewide, and an intervenor in the mtter, cheered Quraishiʼs ruling dismissing the federal lawsuit and denying a motion for a stay that would have delayed the lawʼs implementation.
“The courts have been crystal clear — New Jerseyʼs affordable housing law is here to stay,” Fair
Share
Executive Director Adam Gordon said in a Jan. 20 statement shared with Pascack Press
The decision follows a series of setbacks for the same coalition in state court, including a September 2025 ruling by Mercer County Superior Court Judge Robert T. Lougy dismissing similar claims “with prejudice,” Fair Share said.
Gordon disputes the assertion that urban municipalities face no affordable housing requirements, saying that cities often carry large rehabilitation obligations because of existing older housing stock and long-standing affordability needs.
“One claim raised in the lawsuit — that urban municipalities do not have affordable housing obligations — is simply false,” Fair Share said in its statement on the federal case.
Fair Share also said roughly 380 municipalities developed compliant housing plans by the Dec. 31 deadline to resolve challenges through mediation, calling the participation level “unprecedented.”
The renewed legal clash
comes as Mikie Sherrill begins her term as New Jerseyʼs 57th gover-
Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali speaks during the Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual Breakfast with the Mayors (see also page 1) at Tavern at The Iron Horse in Westwood on Jan. 21. John Snyder photo.
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making peace with what heʼd carried for nearly six decades. And when he returned, Jan. 9, he didnʼt come home quietly.
And he was cheered.
“Who loves ya,” McDowell told him in the car ride from the airport as the home crowd — starting at Demarest Farm in Hillsdale — appeared before them. “This […] country does! And donʼt you forget it. And donʼt you forget it.”
Becker was stunned. Surpris-
es upon surprises. The welcome back continued to Woodcliff Lake, perhaps standing in for Oakland, or New York City, or Beckerʼs new town, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., included residents and police and firefighters lining Wierimus Road in a parade, sirens blaring, lights flashing, Old Glory hoisted high, and news
a congratulatory video from retired Navy SEAL and New York Times bestselling author Jason Redman, and a letter and commemorative challenge coin from federal housing official Jason G. Loughran, which bore the names of President Donald J. Trump and HUD Secretary Scott Turner.
For Becker, 78, the most
“We love you, Paulie!” Back home, Paulie Becker is treated to the return from Vietnam he, and so many others, were denied when they came back from service. Above:courtesy Vicki Denichilio. Top right: courtesy John Blanos.
cameras. The loving faces of community
Afterward, Becker fielded messages of support from far beyond Bergen County, including
something that met him with respect instead of scorn — and that he raised the idea with the Woodcliff Lake Police Department, which was immediately on board. As word spread, other first responders and residents joined in, and what began as an escort evolved into a larger community homecoming.
House Foundationʼs largest donor for two years running.
McDowell raised $112,000 for the foundation in 2024, the same year the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr. VA Medical Center Memphis Fisher House was dedicated to him.
In 2025 — as the nation marked 50 years since the end of
important part was the feeling, at last, of being received.
On Friday, Jan. 9, Becker returned from Vietnam and was greeted along Wierimus Road by residents who came out to welcome him home — a homecoming he told the crowd he had never truly received.
“It was phenomenal, ʼcause I had never had that,” Becker said, his voice catching. “Even the homecoming parade in New York City. I didnʼt go to it.”
He paused, looked down, and said the thing he has carried quietly for decades.
“I even suffered inside for 57 years… for things I did,” he said.
Becker told the crowd that when he came home from the war, he once went to a priest and asked if God would ever forgive him.
“The priest told me, ʻGod has already forgiven you,ʼ” Becker recalled. “ʻItʼs up to you to forgive yourself.ʼ”
That, Becker said, is what the Vietnam trip was for.
“This trip was basically about… to turn around, and come home, and put the war at rest,” he said. “Get on with my life before itʼs too late.”
“It means everything to my heart,” Becker added. “It restores my faith in the American people. But there are people out there that really care. And whether itʼs 57 years later, it was totally awesome.”
Beckerʼs wife, Maureen Launzinger, told reporters the impact of the trip showed up immediately. “I really could see a difference in his whole demeanor,” she said.
The welcome was organized by Woodcliff Lake resident Scott McDowell, who traveled with Becker to Vietnam.
McDowell said he wanted Becker to receive a “proper welcome home” this time around —
McDowellʼs team encouraged residents to line Wierimus Road with flags and signs reminding Becker that, even late, gratitude can still do its thing. A police escort was planned, along with fire trucks from neighboring towns. The final destination was listed as 307 Wierimus Road, and organizers said a bagpiper welcome was planned at the end.
But what mattered most wasnʼt the planning. It was that people came.
The mood sharpened into a single, unmistakable moment when Becker arrived at McDowellʼs home around 12:30 p.m. — with “God Bless the U.S.A.” playing in the driveway and the street still full of people who had decided he would not come home unseen.
Scotty Macʼs way
McDowell has spent years building a community around one simple idea: if America forgot its veterans, he wouldnʼt.
Born and raised in Hillsdale and now living in Woodcliff Lake, McDowell is the founder of “Scotty Macʼs Sippy Poo & BBQ for the Veterans,” a thousands-strong Facebook community that mixes food, humor, and a relentless, almost stubborn kind of gratitude. The groupʼs name comes from a toast McDowell once posted online — raising a mason jar and saying, “Cheers, everybody! Have a little sippy poo!” — and it stuck.
In 2023, McDowellʼs annual Fisher House barbecue at Demarest Farms in Hillsdale drew an estimated 500 people and raised more than $75,000 for Fisher House Foundation, which builds comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospital. That year, McDowell told Pascack Press his event had become the Fisher
the Vietnam War—he raised another $100,000, and was given the organizationʼs Patriot Award.
“I felt like America forgot about them [the Vietnam veterans],” he said in an interview connected to the annual barbecue. “So I always get emotional.”
The “Sippy Poo” event, now in its seventh year, has drawn crowds approaching 600, and all proceeds go to Fisher House Foundation. McDowell said he once walked through a Fisher House with tears in his eyes, struck by what his community had helped build.
“Just to see what we did,” he said. “Even to be just a small part of it…”
McDowell owns Innovative Landscapes in Woodcliff Lake. He is not a veteran. He has said he “did a stint” in U.S. Navy boot camp in the early 1980s and quickly proved he was “a pain in the ass,” and that was that. His father served in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Of the barbecue: “Itʼs what I call a Scotty Mac bubble,” McDowell said in 2023. “People can come to the page, cook, have fun; thereʼs no politics, thereʼs no animosity, thereʼs nothing but positive feelings… and our main focus is to make the veterans feel at home and thankful for the service.”
He has shared that passion
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Paulie Becker finds a warm reception in Hanoi. Far right: Becker shows off his Jan. 12, 2026 welcome home letter from a representative of the U.,S. federal government. Scott McDowell photos.
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“Together we visit local VFWs and American Legion halls,” he said. “We often go around and shake the hands of our heroes and thank them for their service.”
ʻHe was a ghostʼ
McDowell said he met Becker eight years ago at his familyʼs upstate campsite, where he keeps a camper. The connection started with McDowellʼs son, Chase, who was 7 at the time. He noticed a group of men wearing similar hats and asked his father if they were part of a team.
“Heʼs like, ʻSo whatʼs those guys that wear that same hat? Are they on some sort of a baseball team together?ʼ” McDowell recalled.
McDowell told him they were veterans, and that from then on, when they saw one, they would shake his hand and thank him.
That led them to Becker.
McDowell said Chase thanked Becker, and Beckerʼs reaction stayed with him.
“He said, ʻYouʼre raising your kids right,ʼ” McDowell recalled, adding that Becker told him he had never had a young kid come up to him and thank him before.
From day one, McDowell said, Becker felt like family. And over the years, McDowell watched how much Becker carried.
“He was angry all the time,” McDowell said. “Angry at nothing.”
McDowell said Becker served three years in Vietnam, including tunnel work. Even by the standards of warfare, his work was… dirty.
“He was a ghost,” McDowell said.
McDowell said Becker was injured near the end of his service, and that the effects followed him for decades. He said Becker only recently received significant med-
ical care.
“Fifty-six years later he finally got back surgery, last year,” McDowell said, adding that Becker had been “blown up coming out of his last tour in his tunnel.”
Going back
The decision to return to Vietnam came after Becker reached a place where he could act on change he had previously dared only dream.
“He said, ʻI was talking with my therapist, and she said, maybe itʼs time to go back,ʼ” McDowell recalled.
McDowell asked if he could go too.
“I looked at him straight in the face,” he said. “ʻWould you mind if I come with you?ʼ”
Beckerʼs answer, McDowell said: “I would be honored.”
They left New Yearʼs Day, flying from JFK to Korea and then on to Vietnam.
For McDowell, it was a major jump. He said he hadnʼt flown much in his life, and that before this trip his only regular flying had been domestic.
“I used to go to Moab, Utah, mountain biking every year,” McDowell said.
In Vietnam, the trip unfolded simply. They visited a war museum and then spent most of their time taking in the city and talking.
“We really only kind of went to the museum and mingled into the culture around town,” McDowell said.
Both men were sick for much of the trip, he said — McDowell early on, Becker later — which slowed everything down.
“We both were pretty sick most of the trip,” he said. “I was the first half. Paulie was the second half. So a lot of sitting around talking.”
They stayed in a Vietnameserun hotel called La Siesta, McDowell said, where the staff treated them with remarkable warmth. At times, the rhythm of the trip was simply being outside, watching the street, and letting the days pass.
“We actually used to sit out in
front of the hotel and people-watch for three to four hours at a clip,” McDowell said. “And the staff used to bring us out all different kinds of herbal tea to try and help us feel better.”
McDowell said they were advised not to wear military clothing or veteran hats while in Vietnam.
Still, he said, Becker was embraced.
At one point, a hotel staff member told them his grandfather, 98, had served in the war, and was a decorated former officer, McDowell said. The grandfather sent a message to Becker by phone.
“He said to tell Paulie, ʻWelcome to my country,ʼ” McDowell recalled.
A mark that would stay
At some point, the two men decided they wanted something that would not fade into “a trip we took.” They wanted something that would stay.
They got matching tattoos — the Temple of Hanoi, a common symbol in the city — as a way to make sure they would always remember the experience.
“We wanted something that really reminded us of Vietnam,” McDowell said. He said the temple was their first choice out of a couple of possibilities — and once they committed, the symbolism only deepened.
Becker placed his tattoo on his wrist.
McDowellʼs tattoo became part of a leg sleeve he said he is finishing. “If it was up to me I would have done more to my leg,” McDowell said with a laugh.
Even the tattoo, though, wasnʼt the most unexpectedly personal part of the trip. McDowell said the experience brought them into contact with people who had their own losses — and who seemed to see something meaningful in the meeting.
McDowell shared a photo from the trip of a young Vietnamese woman, Anh, he said gravitated toward the two men.
McDowell said the woman
told them she had recently lost her father in a motorcycle accident, and that meeting Becker and McDowell felt, to her, like something timed — not random.
“She said that God sent us for her at this time in her life,” McDowell said.
A message from a different generation of war
After Becker returned home, he received a congratulatory video message from Jason Redman — a retired Navy SEAL, New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and veteran advocate — who had to connect.
“I had some friends tell me that you just went to Vietnam… to make peace with the demons that all of us carry that have been to war,” Redman said.
Then he spoke directly to Becker.
“Number one, welcome home, brother,” Redman said. “I canʼt tell you how much I appreciate you. You set the example for us younger warriors.”
Redman thanked Becker for his service and encouraged him to keep going forward.
“Welcome home, man,” he said. “Continue to live greatly.”
ʻYour service mattered… You are seenʼ
Three days after the homecoming, Becker received a letter dated Jan. 12 from Jason G. Loughran, regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmentʼs Region II office (New York and New Jersey).
The letter, addressed to “Staff Sergeant Paul Becker,” thanked him for his service and acknowledged the history many Vietnam veterans lived through.
“For far too many Vietnam veterans, the return home did not come with the gratitude and respect you earned,” Loughran wrote.
Loughran praised Beckerʼs decision to return to Vietnam “in pursuit of healing and peace,” and wrote that courage can mean facing memory and continuing forward.
“Please know this clearly: Your service mattered,” Loughran wrote. “Your sacrifice is honored. And your country is thankful. You are seen.”
The letter was accompanied by a HUD challenge coin bearing the names of President Donald J. Trump and HUD Secretary Scott Turner, and a United States Antarctic Program patch that Loughran wrote came from his own deployment to the bottom of the world.
