Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake VOLUME 30 ISSUE 13
You can do this
T H E PA S C AC K VA L L E Y ’ S H O M E TO W N N E W S PA P E R WESTWOOD
FIELDSTONE FALCONS WESTWOOD Wild ride for Montvale fans; girlsʼ second league championship title in three years
CAPTURE CHAMPIONSHIP
CHEERS AS
BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OLOHAN@THEPRESSGROUP.NET
Vegetables and flowers are beginning to sprout in Montvaleʼs new community garden, which officially opened May 31 at the former DePiero Farm property on Summit Avenue. The inaugural season features 40 raised garden beds available to residents, but Environmental Commission Chair Robert Hanrahan said plans are already underway to
See GARDEN on page 124
UNDER CONTRACT FOR $28.8 MILLION
BY JOHN SNYDER EDITOR@THEPRESSGROUP.NET
MONTVALE
Years in the making, lively ribbon cutting May 31 springs from volunteer efforts; site of former DePiero Farm
PLAZA
No word on buyerʼs plans; Arroyo notes property remains zoned for shopping center; warns on pending state bill
Hillsdale’s Rosa Antonini debuts empowering “Resourcefulness” guide June 9 at HFPL. PAGE 16
COMMUNITY GARDEN UNFURLS
JUNE 8, 2026
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Left to right, back to front: Coach Victor Conti, Soofia Khan, Emma Rosario, Charlotte Brinkman, Rosanna Plati, Lynn Ryan, Juliana Cote, Ella-Rose Fuller, Kara Aiello, Ariana Ripoli, Isabella Harcher, Taylor Stankowitz, Jaelyn Pawlyk, Madelyn Homberg and Giuliana Segreto. Photo credit Anthony Ripoli
O N T VA L E — Capping an undefeated season in dramatic fashion, the Fieldstone Falcons defeated previously unbeaten Eisenhower Middle School of Wyckoff, 10-6, to claim their second league championship in three years. The championship matchup had all the makings of an instant classic, with momentum swings,
clutch hitting and dominant pitching keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the final out. Fieldstone struck first in the bottom of the opening inning. Jaelyn Pawlyk led off with a single before Taylor Stankowitz advanced the runner with a sacrifice groundout. Ariana Ripoli then executed a safety squeeze bunt to bring Pawlyk home from
third base. Ripoli later came around to score, giving the Falcons an early 2-0 advantage. Wyckoff answered in the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to 2-1. But the Falcons immediately responded in the bottom half when Kara Aiello delivered an RBI hit to score Ella-Rose Fuller and restore a two-run lead, 3-1.
Continued on page 9
Westwood Plaza, the shopping center whose vacant former Kmart building has been the focus of redevelopment discussion since the retailerʼs 2023 closure, is under contract to be sold for $28.8 million. According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Hackensack-based First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey entered into a purchase and sale agreement May 26 with an affiliate of Regency Centers Corporation for the shopping center at 700 Broadway. The agreement calls for the sale of 100% of the trustʼs ownership interest in Westwood Plaza, subject to due diligence and other closing conditions. The filing says the buyer deposited $1.2 million into escrow
See PLAZA on page 84
ALUMNI HONORED
B ck in time...
We celebrate the ranging accomplishments of our local alumni—young men and women who’ve graduated from area high schools and gone on to conquer exciting new challenges. PAGE 27
This week, in this milestone year, we take a look at the past, present and future of Parkside Community Church, founded in 1886 as the Westwood Reformed Church. Kristin Beuscher has the story. PAGE 4