clifton merchant magazine - may 2011
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Clifton Merchant Magazine • Volume 14 • Issue 7 • July 3, 2009
8 March '69Hi GaryHow are you, well, all good things must end and they did...i came
back to my unit but now realize i should have stayed in Cam-RhanBay but I was getting kind of nervous and lonely hanging aroundthere as I had too much time to myself to think about being home& thinking of Tracie & ya'll...
28 April '69Dear Mom & DadGary, Cindy & RobbieI'm sorry I haven't written sooner but we got some new people
into CAP & they keep rotating them around & being they got someSgt.'s in (state-side Sgt.'s) who don't know a damn thing about Viet-
A MAN OFLETTERS
From the fields of Vietnam, Guy Tulp in his own words
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Clifton Merchant Magazine is published the first Friday of every month at 1288 Main Ave., Downtown Clifton • 973-253-4400
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 4
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May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 5
Once I found a pink moth. Perhaps someone
will tell me there is no such thing as a pink
moth. There may be no such thing as a flying
horse, or a gold calf, but I say once I found a pink moth.
The front door of the large three-story house where I
grew up was protected
on the outside by
four panels of
windowpanes, nearly
like a greenhouse.
Before we entered the
house, we had to turn
into this small
enclosure of glass,
wipe our feet, turn the
doorknob, and step
into the front hallway.
I found my pink
moth in this enclosure.
It is here that birds often took a wrong turn and flapped
their wings in a rush of feathers and noise against the
glass, trying to break through the invisible barrier. It was
here that spider webs collected, bees buzzed angrily
against the glass as they too were caught in the trap.
One morning - perhaps I was eight or ten - I stepped
out through the front door. I noticed another moth was
desperately trying to find its way out of the enclosure.
Each time I found a
bee, a bird, or a moth
trapped in the porch
vestibule, I caught it
and let it go. But I
noticed this insect was
a color I had never seen
before on a moth: pink,
completely pink. I
caught the moth, held it
in my cupped hands.
What does a boy do
with a pink moth? I
stepped back into the
house, found a shoebox, filled it was grass and a soda
cap of water, and placed my moth in the box.
It died, of course. Things cannot be held too
By Christopher de Vinck
What does a boy do with a pink moth? I stepped back into the house, found a shoebox,
filled it with grass and a soda cap of water and placed my moth in the box. It died, of
course. Things cannot be held too long. They need to be set free.
M O M E N T S o f G R A C E
Keep Pedaling
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 6
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long. They need to be set free. I
threw the shoebox, the soda cap, the
grass into the garbage can, and I
buried the moth in the garden. I feel
as though I am always being pulled
between wanting to hold on to
things and wanting to let them go.
I remember the afternoon my
daughter, Karen, learned how to ride
her bicycle alone for the first time.
We began in the early fall, Karen
and I. I took her training wheels off,
but she insisted that I grasp the
handlebar and the seat as we walked
around the court.
“I’ll just let go for a second,
Karen.”
“No!” she insisted.
Perhaps Karen will be a lawyer
someday, or a singer. Perhaps she will
invent something, make a discovery,
give birth to her own daughter. I
thought about these things as we
wiggled and rattled our way around
the block. It didn't take her long to
understand how to turn the pedals
with her feet. As I held on to the
bicycle, Karen’s head and dark hair
were just to the right of my cheek.
She always looked down toward the
front of the bicycle, calling out
suggestions or laughing a bit.
After a few weeks Karen was
comfortable enough with my letting
the handlebar go, but I still had to
clasp the rear of the seat.
“Don’t let go, Daddy.”
Halloween. Thanksgiving. The
leaves disappeared. We spent less
and less time practicing. Wind.
Cold. Winter. I hung Karen's bicycle
on a nail in the rear of the garage.
Christmas. One of Karen's
favorite gifts that year was five
pieces of soap in the shape of little
shells which her mother had bought.
New Year's Eve. Snow. High fuel
bills. And then a sudden warm spell.
“Roe?” I said as we woke up. “Do
you hear that bird? It’s a cardinal. It's
been singing for the past ten minutes.
Listen.” My wife listened. I listened.
The children were downstairs
watching television.
After I showered, dressed, and
ate breakfast I found Karen in the
garage trying to unhook her
bicycle. In this last week of
January, when it is usually too cold
for the children to be outside on
their bicycles, it was nearly sixty
degrees. I walked into the garage
and lifted the bicycle off the nail.
“I love my bicycle, Daddy.”
She hopped on as I pushed her
across the crushed stones of our
driveway to the street. I gave her a
slight shove. “Let go, Daddy!” And
Karen simply wobbled, shook,
laughed, and pedaled off as I stood
alone watching her spin those
wheels against the blacktop.
Einstein spoke about time, about
the speed of light and objects
moving beside one another. I
wanted to run to Karen, hold the seat
of her bicycle, hold on to her
handlebars, have her dark hair brush
against my cheeks. Instead I kept
shouting, “Keep pedaling, Karen!
Keep pedaling!” and then I
applauded.
There is no use holding on to the
pink moth and your daughter. They
will do just fine on their own. Just
set them free.
Keep pedaling, Karen. Keep
pedaling.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 7
Dr. Christopher de Vinck, a graduate from Teachers College,
Columbia University, is the Language Arts Supervisor at
Clifton High School; an adjunct professor of English
Education at Montclair State University, and the author of
12 books. His best known work is The Power of the Powerless
(Crossroad Books) a book on the struggles and joys of loving
his severely disabled brother. This essay is from his upcom-
ing book ‘Moments of Grace: Days of a Faith Filled
Dreamer,’ which will be in bookstores July 1.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 8
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 9
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Editor & PublisherTom Hawrylko
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Contributing WritersIrene Jarosewich, CarolLeonard, Rich DeLotto,Don Lotz, Jack DeVries© 2011 Tomahawk Promotions
1288 Main AvenueDowntown Clifton, NJ 07011
We Honor Our VeteransMemorial Day is a Time to Reflect on Service
Joseph Hawrylko began his jour-ney into Alzheimer’s disease in
1969 and with him, he took his sto-
ries of service during World War II.
At his bedside until his death in
1976, my mom Julie said it was
what he saw during the war—shell-
shock—that triggered the disease.
Over the decades, I’ve often tried
to find out more about Joseph John
Hawrylko. In 1999, when I did a
commemorative journal for our
American Ukrainian Veterans Post
in Perth Amboy, one of the guys
from our church shared a happy tale
of how he ran into my dad on a troop
transport at the war’s end.
But dumb luck happened when his
namesake, my son Joseph, a writer
here, Googled his name and found
some history on his grandfather.
According to a book entitled OmahaBeach and Beyond The Long Marchof Sergeant Bob Slaughter, my father
was stationed in Devonshire,
England, with the 1st Battalion, D
Company, in December, 1943.
“Captain Schilling went on a
recruiting expedition into the regi-
mental rifle companies looking for
large, tough men to carry the heavy
machine guns and mortars—and he
found them,” wrote the author.
“George Kobe, Randolph Ginman,
Bernard Latakas, Walfred
Williams, David Silva, Stanley
Borden, Dino Pettenuzzo, Joe
Hawrylko, Ben Litwin and Bernie
Rooker were just a few of Captain
Schilling’s hand-picked men, and
they proved to be some of the best
combat soldiers in D Company.”
In 1943, my dad was 30, certain-
ly not a kid, and while both my
brother and I are over 6 feet, Joe
was short, maybe 5’8” and sinewy.
No other details on Joe are offered
but the book explains how their
intensive infantry assault training
got them ready for D-Day, June 6,
1944, when 160,000 Allied troops
landed along a 50-mile stretch of
heavily-fortified coastline to fight
Nazi Germany on the beaches of
Normandy, France.
My dad’s story is typical of gen-
erations of Americans who served
our nation honorably, too many of
whom did not return. With this edi-
tion, we pay tribute to our veterans,
shining a light on their service,
keeping their memories eternal.
During WWII, U.S. Army Rifleman,Joseph Hawrylko.
E D I T O R I A L B Y T O M H AW R Y L K O
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 10
Wounded on the battlefieldof South Vietnam inJanuary 1969, Guy Tulp
wrote to his brother Gary on March 8:
“Well, all good things must end, and
they did. I came back to my unit, but
now realize I should have stayed in
Cam-Rhan Bay... I was kind of nervous
and lonely... I had too much time to
think about being home and Tracie and
ya’ll. So when I talked to the doc he
finally let me go back to Da Nang.
“Like anybody else that has been hit
once, you really begin to get jumpy as
you worry about getting hit again. Plus,
this post Tet Offensive makes everything
a little hairier.
“Captain mentioned M.P. Duty in Da
Nang, so I’m thinking about trying to get
that, or maybe after calming down out
here, I’ll stay with the CAP (Combined
Action Group). I really do not know
what I want to do, but just know I want
to make it home alive and in one piece to
get married and see ya’ll again.
“I see you’re getting your plans
together about a new Camaro. I’m glad
you know what you want, and you’re
working hard at getting it; as nothing
good comes easy.
“So keep that in mind about anything
you do. By the time I get home I hope to
see that you have that new car, and also
passed school for the year.”
Standing in front of an oil painting of Guy done in 1979 by Sharon (Rist) Tahan, are brotherBob, mom Josephine nephew and namesake Guyler Tulp who is the son of Gary, at right.
By Tom Hawrylko
GUYLER TULPA Man of Letters
November 19, 1968
Gary, I’m goingback to the bush as we are going on a new operation starting tomorrow.When I get paid inthe field I want tomail a check of$200 to you andwant you to do myChristmas shopping.
Now listen, Iwant you to geteveryone somethingnice, and especiallyTracie and yourself.Don’t let Tracieknow as she’ll wantto do the shoppingfor you. Talk toMom and get her tohelp.
Bye for now,Your brother, Guy
In 1967, Guyler Tulp just wanted
to get on with his life. He and his
high school sweetheart Tracie
Dudinyak already had talked about
marriage—in fact, that Christmas
they became engaged. But the
draft was underway and that meant
uncertainty as many as 40,000 men
were called for induction each
month, most to the US Army.
“He didn’t want to stand around
waiting to be drafted,” his older
brother Gary, now 60, recalled of
Guy’s decision to enlist in the US
Marines. “He wanted to get it over
with, to get on with his life.”
“If I go,” said Guy, then a 18 year
old senior at CHS, “I want to join
the best, I want to go first class.”
Telling this story 44 years later
stirs laughter, pride and sorrow. Guy
Tulp did go serve his country first
class. In February 1967, he went to
Marine boot camp in Parris Island.
He came home to Clifton that spring,
sharp and squared away. Like thou-
sands of other 18 or 19 year old men
in 1967, he was soon shipped out to
Vietnam. About a year later, some
30 days short of returning home to
Clifton, USMC Cpl. Guyler N. Tulp
was killed by a missile shell
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 11
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After boot camp in Parris Island, Guy Tulp with his dad also named Guy, at theirThanksgiving Lane home around Easter, 1967.
710 Van Houten Avenue • Clifton • 973-777-1559 Visit Us Online: www.mariosrestaurantpizza.com
on April 30, 1969, when his Marine unit,
the Second Combined Action Group, was
ambushed 15 miles outside of Dang Nam.
Sadly, Guy Tulp and 28 other
Cliftonites who died in service to our
nation during the Vietnam War remain
forever young, as their names are etched
in granite on the monument in Main
Memorial Park. Their youthful, strong
and brave images are preserved in photos
or paintings found in the homes of those
who survive them. Their lives are retold
on the pages of books and their heroism
relived in stories. Every Memorial Day,
bells are rung as their memories are hon-
ored in our American tradition.
Nearly five decades later, going
through a four inch high bundle of let-
ters—perhaps 50 in total—and reading
his thoughts, opening boxes of memora-
bilia and sharing memories, Clifton’s
Guy Tulp is still 20 and forever in the
hearts of his family.
Sitting in the living room of the
youngest sibling Bob’s home (he’s now
47), is his mom Josephine (Fiorentino),
now 88 and one of Gary’s sons, also
named Guyler.
“That blows my mind,” said the
namesake, a twin who is 30 and a
Spanish teacher in the West Windsor
School District. He’s amazed at his late
uncle’s bravery. “When I was 17... my
friends and I couldn’t imagine it. We’d
talk about going away to college... but to
sign up for the Marines to go to war?”
SEVENTEEN AND SEASONED
For many American boys in 1967,
that’s the decision they faced—get a
deferment, get drafted or enlist. Guy
Tulp and his Clifton buddies—Charlie
Szabanos, Bobby Kolnut, Joe Fede and
Tommy Straccamore—wanted to go first
class so they signed up for two years with
the Marines.
They went to Parris Island boot camp
and then to Vietnam. The other boys
returned home to Clifton and have since
moved on. But Guy’s fate was found on
a combat field in Nam. His letters, which
mix concerns about his family and fiance
along with his own future and a matter-of-
fact reports of heroism on the battlefield,
are telling. Here is what he had to say to
his brother Gary on August 3, 1968:
“I don’t want you to show Mom or
Dad, but I have to tell you because if
anything ever happens to me, you will
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 12
W
M
May not be c
W
January 14, 1969
Hi Gary, I mailedpictures of the A.K.47 automatic rifle I got when I killedone V.C. last night.I wounded two others, but all wecould find were theirblood trails.
But the dude Ikilled was carryingpapers and gave thenames of two V.C.We picked them upand took them toheadquarters wherethey were questionedand proved to be part of the V.C.infrastructure andare now on their way to Saigon for questioning and punishment.
I may get promot-ed to Corporal, beingthe Skipper waspretty impressed bymy doings.
Take Care,Your Brother Guy
Guy at Gary’s First Holy Communion at St. Philip’s Church. At right, Guy and TracieDudinyak who were engaged on Christmas 1967. They planned to marry on Sept. 27, 1969.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 13
know and can tell them that all the
time I wrote and said it was peace-
ful... I was only trying to keep them
from worrying. And that I wasn’t
stupid about what’s happening
around me.
“So here’s the facts. Right now,
we’re keeping the Cong from over-
running Da Nang and there’s
39,000 Cong trying to get through,
and only about 5,000 of us.”
“We’re building bunkers and
bringing in more men and supplies
and getting ready for them to try
and get through us. But if we win,
I’ll probably be home by February,
because if we beat the gooks here,
Russia won’t supply them any-
more. And if I’m lucky I might be
transferred to Da Nang before this
big fight starts.
“But Gary, I want you to do me a
big favor, stay in school and pass.
And don’t go into the service. Now
I realize how good home was, and
how everyone worries, and Mom
and Dad don’t deserve to have to
worry about two of us. ”
In most every letter, Guy, who
some still remember as the mature
youth with black curly hair who
worked part time at Parkway
Service Center on Van Houten Ave.
and Broad St., is positive.
“He sounds like a grown man,”
Bob commented of the letters he
has read over the decades.
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Cpl. Guy Tulp was 20 years old on when he was killed in an ambush on April 30,1969. The grizzled Marine from Clifton was proud to serve our nation.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 14
The youngest brother was just 5 and still
in knickers for the funeral at St. Philip
the Apostle Church on Valley Rd., which
was on May 16, 1969.
Two incidents Bob remembers vividly.
The first is when Guy came home from
boot camp around Easter and gave
Robbie a bottle of Jade East cologne.
The second was in Sept., 1969, his first
day at School 2 on Van Houten Ave.
“Guy promised he would take me to
Kindergarten,” said Bob. “I guess that’s
when the reality set in.”
On the day the news of Guy’s death
arrived in Clifton, mom Josephine
recalled looking out her kitchen window
on Thanksgiving Lane. At the Kelly
home she noticed a Marine officer at the
door. “He went from there to Sophie’s
(her sister’s) home on the same block. “I
said to Mrs. Kelly ‘Is that for me?’ And
she said no. I said: ‘Don’t lie to me!’”
A neighbor went to get Mr. Tulp who
worked at the Garden State Farms milk
store on Main Ave. in Passaic Park. The
neighbor told him it was a problem at
home but no details. Since he was the
only one in the store, Mr. Tulp would not
leave. The neighbor called the main
office and arranged for coverage before
Mr. Tulp, who still did not know Guy was
dead, would leave.
Gary was getting into his 1964 Chevy
Super Sport in the CHS senior parking lot
that day. He was amazed when he heard
his name on the loudspeaker with a com-
mand to report to the office—he figured
he got caught cutting class.
“They told me my mom was sick, to
get home and take care of her,” he said.
“I get there and dad was at uncle Jack’s
house. He said ‘your brother’s dead.’
Forty-two years... it’s like yesterday,” he
shook his head, shuffling letters before he
paused. “You just don’t lose that.”
Repercussions to Guy’s death, Gary
stated, were “tremendous... and they still
are not over till this day.”
April 28, 1969
Hi everybody.I’ve been thinking
about what I’mgoing to do when Iget back to theworld for a living.So keep your eyesopen for me and letme know any ideasyou may have.
I’m really beginningto wonder how I’llever support a wifeand myself. There’srent, insurance,chow, clothing, medical, dental, hos-pitalization, trans-portation, electric,gas, ninety-nine thousand otherthings, savings, eventually (withinprobably two years)kids.
So please, if youcome up with anyanswers, clue mein! By the way, I took the test for high school,and I will get myEquivalency Diplomain about five moreweeks.
See ya’ll soon.Love Guy
That’s Bobby being held by mom Sophie, their late sister Cindi (Mann), who died last year,at left is Guy and Gary is on the right.
While the family celebrates Guy’s life, there are lin-
gering, bothersome facts.
For instance, when Guy was wounded and escaped
death in Jan. 1968, his father wanted his son out of
Vietnam. “My dad was very patriotic. But he felt my
brother had did enough. He wanted him out of there. He
tried calling a lot of people. In fact he had a cousin who
was a two star general in the Army. We didn’t even know
that. He came over our house and at dinner I remember
him saying there was nothing he could do. His son was
in Vietnam too and they needed every kid over there...”
Revenge was part of the equation.
“After Guy died I wanted my pound of flesh,” said
Gary. Shortly after the funeral, Gary announced that he
wanted to join, and like his brother, he didn’t want to
wait for his draft number to come. He wanted revenge.
“I needed my dad to sign the papers. But he said he
wouldn’t do it a second time. We had a helluva fight.”
Next day Gary comes home and the Marine casualty
officer who stayed close to the family after Guy’s death
was sitting at the kitchen table.
“I come in, dad tells me to sit down and he leaves the
room,” Gary recalled. “Leave your old man alone!” the
Marine shouted. “You’re not going anywhere. Give me
your draft card.” Gary showed the Marine his 1-A (eligi-
ble for military service) card. He gave the 18 year old kid
a card which classified him as ‘only surviving son.”
On May 1, 1969, a day after Guy’s death, this upbeat
letter, dated April 26, arrived at the Tulp home.
“Hi Everyone. I see Cindy receives Confirmation
tomorrow. Tell her I’m sorry I didn’t get a gift off to
her, but when I come home I’ll make it up to her. By
the way, tell her not to go off and get married. She
should at least wait until the school years are over.
“(Ha Ha! I saw in the letter about her I.D. and her
boyfriend.) I’ll be going for now, so take care and don’t
worry about me as I’ll be home before you know it.
“See you soon, Love Guy
“P.S. If you send me a package, make it a lot of spaghet-
ti and sauce, as we all loved it the last time you sent it.
“Thanks! Guy
“Dad, By the way, I took my high school test and
won’t have the results back until next month. But no
sweat. The kid’s got his stuff together.
“Your son, “the Graduate,” Guy
“P.S. By the way, I see Gary’s doing okay with
Garden State Farms. Tell him I think for now the best
thing he can do is stay working for you or G.S.F., as it’s
a start. Tell him if he’s smart and sticks with it, even-
tually it will help him get a good job with G.S. or some
other company.
“See you soon, Guy.”
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 15
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 16
Taps concludes many military funerals conducted with honors at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as hundreds ofothers around the United States. The tune is also sounded at many memorial services in Arlington’s MemorialAmphitheater and at grave sites throughout the cemetery. It became a standard component to military funerals in 1891.
MEMORIAL DAY • MAY 30, 201111 AM SERVICES AT WAR MONUMENT, MAIN MEMORIAL PARK
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 17
This Memorial Day...We Salute America’s Veterans
East Ridgelawn Cemetery invites you to visit our Mausoleum on Main
Avenue to pause, reflect and remember the lives of those who have
passed. Visits are unlimited and unaffected by the weather. Crypts are
located in the building and convenient for elderly and handicapped.
Mausoleum entombment provides greater Peace of Mind & Security.
• niches• mausoleum
• garden graves• non-sectarian
• monumental graves• no obligation pre-need counseling
• financing available one-year at no interest on easy monthly plans
East Ridgelawn Cemetery255 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07014
for more information with no obligation call:
973-777-1920
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 18
World War OneLouis AblezerAndrew BlahutTimothy CondonJohn CrozierOrrie De Groot
Olivo De LucaItalo De MattiaAugust De RoseJurgen DykstraSeraphin FioriRalph GallassoOtto Geipel
Mayo GiustinaPeter Horoschak
Emilio Lazzerin Joseph LiechtyJacob Morf, Jr.William Morf
Edwin C. PetersonRobert H. RoatAlfred SifferlenJames R. StoneCarmelo UricchioAngelo VaretoniMichael VernarecCornelius VisbeckIgnatius WuschingBertie ZanettiOtto B. Zanetti
OUR HONORED DEAD
Army Sgt. David C. Van Dillen servedfor 16 months in France during WorldWar I and returned home to Cliftonsafely.
Michael A. Waller
Director
James J. Marrocco CFSP, CPC
Manager, NJ Lic No. 3320
W W W.M A R R O C C O S.C O M
• Kenneth “Kenny” Adamo
• Richard J. Belli Jr.• Emanuel Benedetto• Norman Glenn Bly• Neil M. Cameron• Joseph Anthony Cepeda• Alfio G. Dal Pan MD.• Paul Fanelli• Frank D. Giovacco
• David C. Glasier• John J. Ingrassia• William Kasenchar• Edward Kurtz• Fred V. Lombardo• Keith J. Kusinko• Gregory K. Meneghin• Dominick R. Messina• Saul Mitchell• Carl “CJ” Mueller
• Mickey Orsages• Peter A. Pampanin• Amady Rossman• Robert J. Sautner• Eugene A. Scussel,• Michael Sinko• Stanley Sondej• James P. Trentacoste• Andrew Visotsky
Because the memory will live forever.Over the past year, we have had theprivilege of serving the families ofmany veterans. In recognition ofthe service these veterans renderedto their country, we would like toshow our appreciation thisMemorial Day. In memory of theirlives and their service, we recall...
470 Colfax Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07013(corner of Broad St.)
973-249-6111
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 19
Tim and Toby with their dad Tom.“As we reflect on the past &consider the future, we hope
you find peace & health.”
1313 Van Houten AvenueClifton, NJ 07013
Phone 973 546-2000Timothy J. Bizub, Mgr.
NJ Lic. No. 4022
515 Lexington AvenueClifton, NJ 07011
Phone 973 777-4332Thomas J. Bizub, Mgr.
NJ Lic. No. 2732www.bizub.com
Founder Joseph T. Bizub who in 1923established Bizub's Funeral Home at 205 Third St. in Passaic. For three generations, our family has proudly served our community.
World War TwoJoseph SperlingCharles Peterson Thomas Donnellan
Jerry TothFrank LennonJoseph CarboyJulius WeisfeldEdward LadwikIsrael RabkinPeter PagnilloHarold WeeksWilliam WeeksSalvatore Favata Herman AdamsEdward Kostecki
Charles Hooyman, Jr.Salvatore MichelliRichard NovakJames PotterAdam LiptakJohn Van Kirk
Carlyle MalmstromFrancis Gormley
Charles StanchakJoseph Ladwik
Karl GermelmannRobert StevensAlbert Tau
William ScottBenjamin PuzioJames Van NessGregory Jahn
Nicholas StanchakFrank Smith, JrCarl BredahlDonald YahnJoseph Belli
Edwin KalinkaStanley SwiftCharles LotzJoseph PrebolWalter NazarBenedict Vital
Thaddeus BukowskiLeo GrossmanMichael KasheyStephen Messineo
John JanekJohn YanickHerbert Gibb
William NalesnikJoseph SowmaBronislaus PitakHarry TamboerJohn Olear
John KoropchakJoseph NugentSteven GombocsThomas Gula
Raymond CurleyHarry EarnshawJames HenryJohn Layton
Charles MessineoJoseph PetruskaBogert TerpstraJohn Kotulick
Peter VroegindayMichael SobolDonald SangAndew Sanko
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 20
World War TwoGeorge Zeim, Jr.Robert Van Liere Vernon BrosemanHarold O’KeefeEdward Palffy
Dennis SzabadayLewis CosmanoStanley Scott, Jr.Charles Hulyo, Jr.Arnold Hutton Frank BarthJohn KanyoBryce Leighty
Joseph BertneskieSamuel BychekLouis NettoDavid Ward
Edward RembiszLawrence ZanettiAlfred Jones
Stephen BlondekJohn Bulyn
Gerhard KadenWilliam LawrenceRobert Doherty
Samuel GuglielmoRobert ParkerJoseph MolsonStephen KuchaJames De BiaseDominick GianniManuel MarcosNicholas PalkoWilliam SlyboomHerman Teubner
Thomas CommiciottoStephen Surgent
Albert BertneskieCharles GashPeter Jacklin
Peter Shraga,Jr.John Aspesi
Micheal LadyczkaEdward MarcheseRobert Stephan Roelof Holster, Jr.Alex HossackSiber Speer
Frank KlimockSalvatore Procopio
Harry BreenGordon Tomea, Jr.Douglas GleesonFred HazekampHarold Roy
Andrew Servas, Jr.Francis Alesso
OUR HONORED DEAD
In Loving Memory of our Founder
Joseph M. Shook, Sr.US Marine Corps 1942 - 1945
March 15, 1924 - June 9, 2008
Shook Funeral HomeInc.Over 56 Years of Service,
Still Proudly Family Owned & Operated
639 Van Houten Ave • Clifton973-471-9620
Roy B. GarretsonManager , NJ Lic.#3550
Nancy Shook GarretsonPresident, NJ Lic.#3657
Memorial Day is much more
than a three-day weekend tha
t
marks the beginning of summ
er.
To many people, especially
the nation’s thousands of comb
at
veterans, this day, which has a
history stretching back all the
way to the Civil War, is an
important reminder of those w
ho
died in the service of their coun
try.
This Memorial Day, take the
time to reflect on the lives of th
ose
who have served our nation a
nd
raise a flag in their honor.
God Bless Our Veterans!
The Shook & Garretson Families
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 21
Walter BobzinVincent LazzaroJohn Op’t HofJoseph Sondey
John ZierPeter HellrigelSteve Luka
Arthur Vanden BreeHarold BakerHans Fester
Patrick ConklinJohn Thompson
Thomas Dutton, Jr.Harold Ferris, Jr.Donald FredaJoseph Guerra
Edward HornbeckWilliam HromniakStephen PetrilakWayne Wells
Vincent MontalbanoJames MilesLouis Kloss
Andrew Kacmarcik
John HallamAnthony LeanzaWilliam Sieper
Sylvester CancellieriGeorge WorschakFrank Urrichio
Andrew MarchincakCarl AndersonGeorge Holmes
Edward StadtmauerKermit Goss
George HuemmerAlexander YewkoEmil Chaplin John HushlerEdgar Coury
Robert HubingerWilbur LeeVito VeneziaJoseph RussinErnest Yedlick
Charles CannizzoMichael BarberoJoseph Palagano
William HadrysJoseph Hoffer, Jr.Joseph PiccoloJohn RobinsonFrank TorkosArthur MayerEdward JaskotGeorge RussellFrank Groseibl
Richard Van VlietBenjamin BoykoHarry CarlinePaul DominoJohn FusiakLouis Ritz
William NiaderAlfred AipleMario Taverna
Sebastian De LottoMatthew Bartnowski
John BogertJoseph ColluraMatthew DanielsJames Doland, Jr.
305 Oldham Road, Wayne, NJ973-317-7020
www.passaiccountynj.org
Come See OurNew Facility
LEVELS OF CARE• Sub-acute Care and Rehabilitation• Long-term Skilled Nursing Care• Hospice, including Inpatient• Respite• Special Care Behavior Management Licensed by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services
CLINICAL PROGRAMS• Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementias• Neurological Disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis
• Mental Health• Respiratory: including Ventilator Dependent & Tracheostomy Care
• Peritoneal Dialysis
Providingquality care
for over 80 years
World War TwoWalter DolginkoPeter KonapakaAlfred MasseroniCharles Merlo
Stephen MiskevichJohn PtasienskiLeo Schmidt
Robert TeichmanLouis VuoncinoRichard VecellioRobert HegmannErnest TriemerJohn Peterson
Richard Vander Laan, Jr.Stephan Kucha‘Gigito’ Netto
871 Allwood Rd., Clifton973.405.5163
and
Michael P. Lewko, MDFACR, AGSF
871 Allwood Rd Clifton
anndddNJ ArthritisOsteoporosisCenter
Arthritis • Rheumatism • Osteoporosis Aging Wellness • Functional Improvement
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 22
OUR HONORED DEAD
Memorial Day Weekend Ceremonies
Sunday, May 29
• 7 pm - Volunteers decorate the area around the War Monument in Main Memorial Park with American Flags
Monday, May 30
• 6 am - Avenue of Flags Set-up at City Hall
• 8:15 am - Fire Dept. Memorial at the Brighton Rd. Firehouse
• 9 am - Memorial Day Parade, Hepburn Rd.
• 9:30 am - Allwood Memorial at Chelsea Park
• 11 am - City Wide Memoria Service at Main Memorial Park
• Noon - Military Order of Purple Hearts at the Clifton Library
• 12:30 pm - Post 347 Memorial at the Clifton Rec Center
• 2 pm - Athenia Veterans Memorial on Huron Ave.
• 6 pm - Avenue of Flags Take Down at City Hall
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 23
Korean WarDonald FrostErnest HausslerWilliam KullerJoseph Amato
Herbert DemarestGeorge ForneliusEdward Luisser
Reynold CampbellLouis Le SterDennis Dyt
Raymond HalendwanyJohn CrawbuckErnest HagberyWilliam Gould
Edward FlanaganWilliam Snyder
Allen HillerArthur GrundmanDonald Brannon
Vietnam WarAlfred Pino
Thomas DandoWilliam SiposBohdan Kowal
Robert Kruger, Jr.Bruce McFadyenCarrol WilkeKeith Perrelli
William ZalewskiLouis Grove
Clifford Jones, Jr.
George McClellandRichard CorcoranJohn Bilenski
Donald CampbellJames Strangeway, Jr.
Donald ScottHoward Van VlietFrank MoormanRobert Prete Guyler Tulp
Nicholas CerratoEdward DeitmanRichard Cyran
Leszek KulaczkowskiWilliam MalcolmLeonard BirdJohn France
Stephen Stefaniak Jr.
Nov. 8, 1961Plane CrashRobert De VogelVernon GriggsRobert MarositzRobert Rinaldi
Raymond ShambergerHarold SkoglundWillis Van Ess, Jr.
US Army/Special Forces Captain MichaelTarlavsky was killed in Najaf, Iraq onAug. 12, 2004 and buried with honors inArlington National Cemetery on Aug.24. Tarlavsky, CHS Class of ‘92, was cap-tain of the Swim Team and enlisted inthe Army in 1996. He served in Iraq andAfghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star. He is survived by hiswife Tricia, their son Joseph, his parents Yury and Rimma and a sister,Elina. The Veterans Alliance engraved his name on the Main AvenueWar Memorial in 2004— the first name added in 34 years.
The Iraq War
Our goal is to list each name accurately and without omission. If you feel there is an error, pleasewrite to us with the correction.See page 9 for our address.Thank you.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 24
The corrective procedure, Dr.Graziano said, involves placing atiny stent inside the foot, right in thecollapsed space. The stent instantlyrestores the foot's natural anatomy,and therefore corrects the imbalancepropagated throughout the body.
The procedure is minimally inva-sive, virtually painless, and is cov-ered by many insurance plans. Fullrecovery—to experience all the ben-efits—takes several weeks, butpatients are typically able to walkimmediately after the procedure.
Dr. Graziano said the foot is themost used and abused part of ourbody. “We put our socks on, put ourshoes on and basically forget aboutour feet,” he said. “My goal is toeducate and treat patients, offeringa variety of options.” For a compli-mentary consultation to screen forPes Planus or flat feet, call Dr.Graziano at 973-473-3344.
Pes Planus, also commonly known as flat feet or fallen arches,is a condition when the entire sole of the foot comes into com-plete or near-complete contact with the ground. In as much as 20to 30% of the general population, the arch simply never devel-ops in one foot (unilaterally) or both feet (bilaterally). It is a con-dition some people inherit or one which anyone, from childrento the elderly, can develop from use.
Pes planus also contributes to plantar fasciitis (with or with-out heel pain), bunion deformity, hammertoes and knee pain. Itcauses misalignment of not only the foot but of the entire lowerextremity, said Clifton foot surgeon Thomas Graziano, MD,DPM, FACFAS. He is now doing a new out-patient procedurethat takes about 10 minutes to perform and can correct PesPlanus, offering a quick return to normal activities.
“It is done on an outpatient basis here in Clifton and can beperformed on anyone from children to the elderly—as long asthey fit the criteria,” Dr. Graziano said, adding: “In order tounderstand this breakthrough solution, let's first take a look at theproblem. Flat feet is a condition medically known as hyperprona-tion. It occurs when the natural space between the ankle and heelbones, called the sinus tarsi, collapses. This space is at the centerof the foot's ability to distribute weight and motion evenly, andwhen it collapses, the foot adopts an unnatural position andshape, creating an imbalance throughout the whole body. “
Free Screening for ‘Flat Feet’
Normal Arch
Fallen Arch orFlat Foot
By Joe Hawrylko
CARL RODRIGUEZReclaiming His Life, One Day at a Time
The one thing you’ll alwaysremember is when some-one shoots at you,” said
Carl Rodriguez. Leaning back into
the sofa in the living room of his
Princeton Ave. home, he winces
very slightly as the words gently
spill over his lips. Though he
remains calm, it’s clear that the
Vietnam War has left a lasting
impression on Rodriguez, who
would love for nothing more than
to let go of the past, if only his
mind would let him.
“You’ll never, ever forget that.
Ever,” he asserts. “A bullet makes
quite a sound going past you.”
After spending 11 months in
country as a field observer in the
Army in 1967, Rodriguez came
home with war momentos that will
last a lifetime. His surgically
repaired hand throbs with pain
almost daily. He needs hearing aids
in both ears to communicate. Scars
from bullets, shrapnel and skin
grafts. Rodriguez also suffers from
flashbacks, anxiety and anger
issues—the hallmarks of PTSD, a
condition forever linked with
Vietnam Veterans who were uncer-
emoniously welcomed back to
America.
Bury his past, Carl Rodriguez
cannot. But for 40 years, he tried to
do exactly that, repressing horrific
memories only to find himself inex-
plicably lashing out at those he loved
for reasons he could not understand.
It cost Rodriguez his first marriage,
strained relationships with family
and friends and at times, made him
question his own sanity.
“You come back to normal life,
but you’re never normal,” said
Rodriguez. “You tell people they’ll
never know, never understand
unless they were there.”
He lived in this private world of
torture until 2008, when Rodriguez
returned to the Veteran Affairs
Carl Rodriguez, 67, displays his dogtags and records from his service days. The US Army Sgt. spent most of 1967 in Vietnam as a field observer.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 25
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 26
office he swore off years ago due to
shoddy treatment. Diagnosed with
PTSD, he began therapy to help
him reclaim his life. In the three
years since, Rodriguez has made
strides in his recovery. And though
he will never be able to forget
Vietnam or the ghastly affects it
had on his psyche, he has learned
that it is manageable. And that he
isn’t the only one.
“A lot of other people have gone
through the same issues,” he said.
“The best way to solve it is to talk
about it.”
PREPARING FOR WAR
“The sergeant went down a line
counting 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5,” he
recalled. “Then he says, ‘All the
fives, step out. Congrats, you’re
now Marines.”
It was this almost machine-like
process that determined his fate. It
was February 1966, and Rodriguez
was in the Newark Armory, where
fresh recruits from North Jersey
were systematically sorted and
processed depending on Uncle
Sam’s need. Rodriguez, who grew
up in East Paterson (now Elmwood
Park) was not one of the ‘fives’ and
was shipped to Fort Carson, CO,
where Army boot instructors
trained he and other recruits in the
arts of surviving in a hostile jungle
environment.
“In basic training, they kept
telling us to pay attention and learn
this stuff, you’re going to
Vietnam,” he said. “They train you
to react to every situation, If you
do that properly, you were more
than likely going to survive.”
Spending nearly a year at Fort
Carson, Rodriguez underwent
advanced training for mortar, artillery
and heavy weaponry. His proficiency
in these skills and map reading led to
him becoming a forward observer
when he was deployed to Vietnam in
January 1967.
“At the time, the mindset was
that we were going to do a good
thing,” said Rodriguez. Known as
Pops to his peers, he was 23 when
his number was called—a man
amongst boys with guns. “Being
older, your values are completely
different, especially from today. It
wasn’t about I, it was about we.”
But within a few weeks of set-
ting foot in Vietnam, that optimism
would quickly evaporate.
“The first night, we were wel-
comed into the country with a bar-
rage of mortar,” laughed Rodriguez,
who entered through Saigon.
“You’re now in Vietnam!”
The following morning,
Rodriguez and others were loaded
on a bus to go meet up with the
25th Infantry at Cu Chi.
“They gave us rifles with
A Family Practice That Feels Like Home.Affiliated Foot & Ankle Specialists
Our centers offer individual care for all members of the family and provide the most comprehensive footand ankle care available. New patients are always welcome and often immediate appointments available.
Clifton Office:1117 Rt. 46 East973.365.2208
Teaneck Office:751 Teaneck Rd.201.238.1595
Sayreville/Parlin Office:2909 Washington Rd.732.727.5502
Visit our patient education center online & make your appointment today!
www.ipodiatry.com
We now have three convenient locationsDr. Jeffrey Miller, DPM, FACFAS Dr. Tara Blitz, DPM, AACFASDr. Eugene Batelli, DPM, FACFAS
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 27
D
Do You Have Misaligned Feet?
Schedule your surgery at Clifton Surgery Center. We are athree room state of the art, nationally accredited, physicianowned facility. Smaller and more service oriented thanhospitals, patients and theirfamilies benefit from theconvenience and lower cost.
From walking and running to cycling and other
outdoor activities, it seems we are all more
active. But when our feet are even just slight-
ly misaligned, excessive motion will occur. To
address that common issue, Dr. Eugene A.
Batelli of Affiliated Foot & Ankle Specialist of
Clifton now offer the most up-to-date treatment
for the correction of “out-of-aligned” feet.
Previously, patients were told that not much
could be done for this potentially painful con-
dition. This excessive rearfoot motion is
caused by abnormal motion between the heel
(calcaneus) and ankle (talus) bones.
Symptoms can include: shin splints, growing
pains, leg cramping, knee, hip, and/or lower
back pain, arch pain, and not being able to
stand for long periods. Past treatments
included corrective shoes, custom-
molded inserts (orthotics), or exten-
sive reconstructive foot surgery.
Dr. Batelli’s procedure (subtalar
arthroeresis) consists of inserting a spe-
cialized titanium stent into the foot
that limits the excessive motion
and restores normal motion.
The surgery is performed
during a brief outpatient visit.
There is no bone cutting or
tendon transfers. In most
cases, only a bandage is
applied, no casting is
required.
The procedure is usually performed one foot
at a time and is covered by most insurance
companies. Normally, the stent will just stay in
the foot and never has to be removed. This sur-
gery is completely reversible. The stent can be
removed and the foot will be right back to
where it started. The results are immediate.
The procedure can be performed on patients
three years old and older. Additional proce-
dures may need to be performed to achieve the
best results. The surgery is covered by most
insurance companies. For more info, call
Dr. Miller or Dr. Batelli at 973- 365-2208.
Jeffrey Miller, DPM and
Eugene A. Batelli, DPM of
Affiliated Foot & Ankle
Specialists of Clifton
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 28
no ammo,” he said. Besides a lone
sniper that was quickly dispatched
from his tree top nest by the securi-
ty detail, no troops attacked the
mostly unarmed transport.
“We were all assigned to different
units when we got there. The ser-
geant asked if anyone had heavy
weapons training,” he said. “Now,
normally, you don’t volunteer for
anything. But for some reason, I did.”
In this instance, fortune favored
Rodriguez, and he was placed with
the Army 4th Battalion, 9th
Infantry “Manchus,” where he
would assist with plotting coordi-
nates for artillery strikes. This
placed him far behind the front
lines, but only for a few weeks.
“I was on the radio one day
because a guy was sick or some-
thing,” he said. “The Lieutenant
sees me and the next morning he
calls me in and tells me I did a good
job and I’m going to go to A
Company to do radio.”
Though Rodriguez knew his
new job would be much more dan-
gerous, he could not have imagined
just how soon he’d experience the
full fury of the Viet Cong army. He
would take part in a ferocious bat-
tle on Feb. 27, 1967 filled with
many instances of heroism. Among
the many honors bestowed to
troops in the skirmish were the
Medal of Honor, six silver stars,
seven bronze stars and countless
purple hearts.
The Manchus were providing
security detail for the 65th
Engineers, which were repairing a
road near Phu Hoa Dong. Two
companies provided security for
the engineers, in addition to an
ARVN (South Vietnamese) unit.
In the early evening hours of
Feb. 26, reconnaissance had detect-
ed some Viet Cong activity nearby.
However, as darkness engulfed the
jungle, it became apparent that the
enemy was preparing for a strike.
“Very early Monday morning,
all hell broke loose,” recalled
Rodriguez. “I was sleeping at the
time. Our vest wasn’t going to stop
a bullet, but it made a great pillow.
I always slept with my radio and
my rifle in case anything ever hap-
pened. I got right on the radio and
started shooting coordinates. I
walked them in closer and then
called for a ‘Fire for Effect.’”
The American artillery rained
down and lit up the dark, dense jun-
gle just enough to expose the size
of the massive Viet Cong force,
later estimated to be as large as a
full battalion—as many as 300 sol-
diers—which quickly breached the
perimeter of barbed wire and anti-
personnel mines.
Almost immediately after the
first shots were fired, the ARVN
troops fled their American allies,
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May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 29
allowing the 165th Viet Cong
Regiment to encircle the camp.
Pitch black except for muzzle
flashes which only lit up the shoot-
er’s face for a moment, the two
forces engaged in terrifying close
quarters combat.
“It was completely dark. When
it was dark, it was dark,” recalled
Rodriguez. “Like going out to the
country in night time. Every fifth
bullet was a tracer. Theirs were
green; ours were red. You had to
hear where the bullets were coming
from.”
Using his fox hole as cover,
Rodriguez called out artillery until
he was shot through his side. The
bullet did not incapacitate him, but
it did blow a hole through his radio.
Knowing that his company would
fall without his support, he ran to
another foxhole and found a war-
rant officer with an extra radio.
“I started calling artillery very
close to our position. You call in
one round to see where it lands and
from that, you adjust. There wasn’t
GPS back then. Usually, before
you go out, you call three positions
on a map,” explained Rodriguez.
“Was I responsible for our troops
getting hurt? You always wonder.
Always. Forty years later, I found
this article (which confirmed that
he did not) but you always won-
der.”
To this day, he’s still unable to
recall just how long the firefight
lasted. According to records avail-
able online, the skirmish first start-
ed at approximately 12:30 am, with
the heavily outnumbered Manchu
force holding off the 165th Viet
Cong for nearly an hour before
reinforcements arrived. American
brass was afraid that the attack was
a diversion meant to draw away
troops from higher priority loca-
tions. The Viet Cong eventually
retreated around 5 am.
“Afterwards, you sit and reflect.
Shit, I’m alive. This is my first
month here and I need to stay alive
for another 11 months? But you
put those thoughts away and you go
back and do your job,” recalled
Rodriguez. “You’re sitting there
during the evac and just see all the
body bags. I remember being on
the helicopter and seeing maybe a
half dozen bags. I didn’t know
there was so many.”
It would be a scene that would
replay over and over again during
his stay in country. Young boys,
many just barely 18 years old,
would leave on patrol and come
back to camp in body bags.
Out of necessity, Rodriguez
quickly became emotionally dis-
tant—someone you had coffee with
the other day could perish just
hours later.
“I didn’t want to know their
name, their background, whether
they had kids or family or where
they came from,” he said. “I didn’t
want to get close to people because
if they get killed, that’s the way you
get hurt.”
The methods that the Viet Cong
employed in battle also left a psy-
chological toll on Rodriguez.
Ambushes under darkness were
common. Snipers would lay in
wait in trees, while others would
spring up from tunnels to pick off a
soldier and quickly retreat before
the Americans could even assem-
ble. Simple boobytraps could catch
even the most war savvy soldiers
off guard, and mortar attacks were
a silent killer that could strike at
any time.
“Mortars you don’t hear coming.
They go straight up and straight
down,” recalled Rodriguez.
“Artillery, you can hear that go
over your head. It’s a whistling
sound as it’s coming and a woofing
sound as it passes you. You hear
that and it’s, ah, it’s ok.”
“That first skirmish set the tone
for the entire year that I was there,”
he continued. “You really
Carl with his family. From left is Rodriguez, Carla Dunphy (a special educa-tion teacher at WWMS), Nancy Hiscano, his wife, Ruth, and Susan Votack.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 30
never slept. Your body gets some
rest and you close your eyes, but
you’re always aware of what’s
around you.”
The jungle savvy Rodriguez
endured countless missions over
the next few months without any
major incidents. By the Winter of
1967, he was nearing the end of his
standard one year deployment. To
commemorate the milestone,
Rodriguez purchased a short
timer’s stick, a polished piece of
wood on which the owner notches
each day during his final month.
“You’re counting every day
there, from your first to your last,”
he explained.
Rodriguez would never carve in
all 30 notches.
His final weeks were spent at an
old French air field near the Ho Chi
Min Trail. The Americans had cap-
tured it with the intention of mak-
ing the base a staging point for
bombing runs in
Cambodia.
The base became
operational in
December of 1967, and
immediately became a tar-
get for the North Vietnamese.
After several weeks of small
engagements and bombings, the
compound came witnessed the fury
of the Viet Cong in a massive
assault on Dec. 23. Rodriguez was
with a mortar crew in the rear of the
base when the strike first hit.
“The only thing I remember was
the explosion. My ears were ring-
ing and I reached up to my face
there was blood pouring down,”
recalled Rodriguez. “Then I real-
ized it was not so much my face but
my hand.”
An enemy mortar landed direct-
ly on his position, badly wounding
Rodriguez and the rest of the crew.
He was quickly evaced out to
Saigon Air Force
Base, where surgeons
managed to salvage
Rodriguez’s right hand,
which was a bloody,
pulpy mess of flesh and
bone. Because of burns and
heavy damage due to shrapnel,
doctors performed a skin graft on
his right leg. The explosion also
severely damaged his hearing and
caused nasty wounds to his face.
Because of his wounds and his
time served, Rodriguez was sent
back stateside for rehabilitation and
eventual discharge. By the time he
was released from McGuire Watts
Army Hospital in April of 1968,
America had become a different
place.
“We were doing the right thing at
the time when we went in,”
Rodriguez explained. “In 1968 is
when everything changed, the public
perception changed. Right after the
Second from left is Sgt. Carl Rodriguez, standing with his mortarteam in an undated photo. At right is the patch for the 25thInfantry ‘Tropic Lightning’.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 31
Tet Offensive. It was all over TV and from that point on,
it was all down hill.”
Though he was not spit on like returning soldiers, the
reception was anything but warm.
Rodriguez remembers the leering eyes of protesters as
he left the rehabilitation center in fatigues. The rallies
shown on TV across the country. Hearing stories of his
returning brothers coming home to chants of ‘baby killers.’
Even when people weren’t outwardly hostile to vet-
erans, the treatment best described as callous.
When he returned to the job he held prior to entering
the war, Rodriguez was constantly badgered with ques-
tions pertaining to Vietnam. “Where did I serve, did I
kill anyone. I left after about three months and went to
a new company,” he explained. Rodriguez would go on
to have a lengthy career as a draftsman with Bendix in
Teterboro. “No one knows who you are, no one asks
any questions.”
The event that had the most profound affect on
Rodriguez took place shortly after returning home,
when he went to the Veterans Administration in
Newark to receive care for his numerous injuries.
“Some immigrant doctor there told me at the Vet hos-
pital that I was only in it for the money,” he recalled, still
clearly stung by those words 40 years later.
From that day forward, Rodriguez made a concerted
effort to repress all thoughts and memories pertaining
to his experiences in Vietnam.
“You file it away in the back of your head and never
talk about it,” he said. “You think that it will help you
if you bury it. The day to day stuff, you just try to
worry about that, just general life.”
And though Rodriguez remained silent about his 11
months in country, the memories from that year in
Vietnam haunt him in every facet of life.
“At the very beginning, the nightmares were
severe,” he explained. “You’d see different events
from then that you’re reliving.”
Rodriguez lost count of the times he found himself
back in the foxhole just outside of Phu Hoa Dong,
reliving the terrifying ordeal that left him with a bullet
scar along the right side of his chest. Countless other
scenes have replayed in his mind, over and over,
against his will.
“Sometimes, I’d wake up in the middle of the night
to do a security check,” said Rodriguez. This meant
getting out of bed, checking all of the windows on the
house, and then going outside to check the perimeter of
his property, which rests on the Nutley border. “If you
wake up, you just got to do it if you want to fall back
asleep.”
Eventually, as his condition worsened, symptoms of
PTSD began manifesting in other aspects of his life.
Sometimes it was presented as anxiety in normal situa-
tions, such as a small gathering of friends. In restau-
rants, he’d find himself checking for exits, planning
escape routes, the second he walked in.
In more severe instances, certain stimuli could trig-
ger flashback. For many years, Rodriguez had trouble
being around those of Asian origins. The attacks
Known as combat fatigue orshellshock in earlier conflicts,Post-Traumatic Stress Disorderis one of the many ailments asso-ciated with the Vietnam War.
A full quarter of all returning sol-diers from that conflict are thoughtto have suffered from PTSD atsome point in their lives. LikeRodriguez, many did not receiveproper treatment once returninghome and the symptoms becomechronic. Patients experienceflashbacks to the original traumat-
ic event, and haveissues with sleep,anger and relation-ships with others.
And while PTSD ismost often associat-ed with Vietnam vets,many other returningsoldiers from otherwars have sufferedjust the same. Withproper treatment, thecondition is manageable. Formore information, call the Newark
Department of Veteran Affairs at1-800-827-1000.
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 32
on 9/11, which he watched unfold
from his job in Teterboro, disturbed
him greatly. Other triggers were
more peculiar.
“The smell of rain... it was
always raining down there,”
recalled Rodriguez. “You’d be
talking with someone and the con-
versation ends and you’re back in
country. There, the days of rain on
end would mean action slowed
down. You liked rain.”
Even something as simple as the
scent of a bar of soap conjured up
chilling recollections of Vietnam.
“It was better to not be clean,”
he explained. “When you’re clean,
you smell. There’s a jungle odor
that you can’t pick up. Guys who
just showered stuck out.”
Though it was most severe in the
years following his discharge, the
symptoms never fully diminished
with time. Rodriguez was cog-
nizant of the changes to his person-
ality, his odd behavior, his dark
demeanor. He was unable to con-
trol it and questioned his own sani-
ty on many occasions.
“I think that contributed to the
failure of my first marriage,”
admitted Rodriguez. “I spoke to
my daughter after my first wife had
passed. She was speaking to her
mom, who said that when I first
went in I was a warm, sweet person
and when I came back I was com-
pletely different and cold.”
MOVING ON WITH LIFE
If a complete stranger had
approached him in 1968 and
offered to sit down for a candid and
unbiased discussion about his time
in Vietnam, Rodriguez would have
quite adamantly said no without a
moment’s hesitation. The answer
would have probably been fol-
lowed by a few choice explicative.
Yet, in April 2011, he found him-
self spending more than three and a
half hours in a tell-all interview with
a writer whom he had just met earli-
er that day. It’s a scene he could
have never imagined several decades
ago, and yet, at the same time, the
conversation is just one step in a
long process of healing the mental
wounds inflicted during the war.
It’s progress that probably would
not have happened without a little
prodding from his wife, Ruth, who
pleaded with Rodriguez to return to
the VA to collect on the benefits he
earned so many years ago.
In 2008, he went in seeking
assistance for the lingering aches
and pains in his hand, back and leg.
However, doctors also diagnosed
Rodriguez with PTSD.
Though it came as a shock to
him, the news was also a welcome
relief. Rodriguez was not insane
after all. And he was not the only
one of his brothers suffering from
the same affliction.
“I began therapy and started seeing
results right away,” he recalled.
Eventually, Rodriguez progressed to
the point that his psychologist decid-
ed to put him into group therapy.
“I’m becoming more social,”
said Rodriguez. “We’ve become
quite close as friends.”
Between the solo and group
therapy sessions, the Cliftonite has
been able to manage the effects of
his condition. Rodriguez has gone
about mending relationships that
had deteriorated over the years.
Social settings aren’t as uncomfort-
able as in the past. The severity
and frequency of the nightmares
and outbursts has significantly
decreased.
“They taught us a breathing
technique to deal with anger,” he
said. “Road rage is still a big thing,
but I’m making progress. You just
say that it doesn’t matter and move
on. Just try to move on.”
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May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 33
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 34
By Joe Hawrylko
BILL GUARINOSpeaking Italian Saved His Life
When he was drafted by the US Army inApril of 1943, Bill Guarino wasn’t just
scared of going to war, he was pretty sure
that he wasn’t going to come back. Like all young boys
who grew up in that era, Guarino expected to go off to
fight the Axis Powers when he turned 18, and he
accepted that he may very well die in some lonely fox-
hole on some foreign battleground.
Recalling those memories
nearly 70 years later, Guarino
is still a bit amazed that he
made it home alive. But
unlike most veterans, he attrib-
utes his safe return not to his
physical abilities, luck or faith,
but to Italian, which was the
only language used in his par-
ent’s Paterson home.
“Italian saved my life,”
Guarino said bluntly.
When a general learned of
his talents, Guarino was pro-
moted and from then on,
served as a radioman for the
camp commander. Though
not off the battlefield,
Guarino’s ability to translate
meant he was no longer the
one expected to charge head-
first into battle.
If military brass had known he could speak Italian
when he was drafted in April of 1943, Guarino might
have had an entirely different experience all together.
“I can still remember my number after all these
years,” he said. “3-7-7-9-3-3-2.”
Processed at the Newark Armory, Guarino was sent
to Camp Blanding, FL, where spent five forgettable
months training. At the end of August, he received
orders to ship out and spent most of September on a
boat which was part of a large convoy bound for Italy,
where Allied troops were in the midst of liberating the
fascist country.
Guarino got his first taste of war long before he even
reached Italy.
“We were heading for Naples and at Gibraltar, they
bombed us,” he said, recalling the evening that approx-
imately eight German dive-
bombers attacked under the
cover of darkness. “We did-
n’t think we would be going
to war yet. In fact, we when
we were bombed, we were
playing poker on the top of
the ship. Everything seemed
normal. We saw some tracers
and thought it was our guys
and then we saw the ships
just go down.”
“We were sent downstairs
into the hull, which was
awful,” added Guarino. He
waited out the ordeal in
cramped living quarters with
barely enough room for the
binks. “Everyone took out
prayer beads when the first
ship went down and we were
sent downstairs.”
The ship he was on narrowly escaped major damage,
but the convoy did suffer losses.
“It was maybe an hour tops, but they bombed and
strafed everything,” said Guarino. “About five or six ships
went down out of about 100 ships in the convoy. They had
battleships and everything, and they fired all those guns
and I don’t think any of those planes went down.”
After the attack, the convoy split up and Guarino’s
Bill Guarino while in Italy, circa 1943.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 35
We Recall the Post Memberswho Died this past year...
Clifton Memorial Post 347American LegionCommander Domenic Chiappone • Past Commander Lou Poles
God Bless Our Veterans • God Bless America
• Leo Czubat• Elmer J. Lucas• Joseph J. Nikischer• Charles R. Timm
• Michael S. Wacyra• George Warholak• Matthew A. Millelferi
ship was rerouted to Port Bizerte in
Tunisia which was being used as a
replacement depot for Allies in
Italy since the end of the North
African Campaign a few months
earlier.
To pass the time while awaiting
deployment orders to Italy, Guarino,
took to designing menus for the base
mess hall, often listing the dishes in
English and Italian.
On Thanksgiving, a general came
by to inspect the facilities and pro-
moted the corporal on the spot. The
officer inquired about the menus
and, after learning that Guarino
spoke fluent Italian, the Paterson
native was promoted to replace the
corporal.
Because of the situation in Italy,
Guarino’s talents would prove to be
highly useful.
After secretly signing an
armistice with the Allies on Sept. 3,
1943, Italy became engulfed by tur-
moil. Germany invaded to keep the
Allies at bay and make use of the
leftover Italian supplies.
The new Allied-backed Italian
government arrested Benito
Mussolini, who was then rescued
by the Germans a few weeks later.
The dictator formed the Italian
Social Republic (RSI) in Northern
Italy, which remained loyal to the
Third Reich, setting the
Bill and his wife, Jane, have been married for 11 years.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 36
stage for what was essentially a civil war.
In January of 1944, Guarino was deployed with the
34th Infantry, stationed near Naples, Italy. His ability
to translate helped coordinate with Italian resistance
fighters, interviewing RSI POWs and speaking with
locals from the war ravaged country. Because of these
skills, Guarino enjoyed perks that other soldiers did not
have access to.
“I didn’t have to sleep in the fox holes. I slept wher-
ever my camp commander slept. I was his radio man,”
explained Guarino. “We would take a house and stay
in it for the night.”
His fluency in Italian also usually led to good rela-
tionships with the locals, who helped along the way.
“We’d usually sleep in a grapevine or a cornfield for
cover. Well, we did that one day and I saw the farmer
and started speaking Italian with him,” recalled
Guarino, who also used his leave time to go visit rela-
tives near Naples. “He said his corn was going to go
bad if no one husked it. So me and two other guys did
it and we ended up having a big dinner that night with
the farmer and his two daughters.”
But as much as his ability to speak the language of
the natives put him in the rear with officers, it did not
take Guarino out of danger entirely.
“You try to be careful, but looking back, sometimes
you just get lucky,” said Guarino. “The first day of
combat, my company commander got shot right
between the eyes right after I finished talking to him.
We were going to take a hill and he gave me a prisoner
to take back. I came back and he was dead. And after
that, I was in a house with two guys that got bombed.
It blew a huge hole in it. Sometimes, you just got to
have luck.”
That factor would play in Guarino’s favor quite often
when he entered the battle. With the 34th, he took part
in the First Battle of Monte Cassino, a brutal skirmish
in which both sides sustained heavy losses. His outfit
breached the Rapido River that had stopped many other
Allied companies and marched towards the town before
being stopped.
Suffering losses as high as 80 percent, the entire 34th
Infantry was awarded the The Presidential Citation for
the legendary performance in battle. It would late take
five allied infantry division to successfully accomplish
the task of taking Monte Cassino, which was mostly
obliterated by the end of the battle.
Throughout the entire country, the scene was the
same: Most of Italy’s famed culture and architecture
was in ruins from the war.
“Florence was completely bombed out when I was
there. And across the country, every bridge was
knocked out. If they didn’t knock it out, we did,” said
Guarino, who visited Italy twice after the war. “Rome
wasn’t touched at all though.”
In June of 1944, his time on the battlefield came to an
end when he was promoted to company clerk. Guarino
had earned himself an office job with perks that included
travels to some of Europe’s most prized resort areas:
Italian Riviera, Switzerland and the French Riviera, the
last of which he said is overrated.
“If you had two cartons of cigarettes, you could stay
a weekend anywhere,” he recalled. “It took five in
France.” Guarino held that job until the Winter of 1945,
when he was discharged and sent home.
“December 12, 1945,” he added with a laugh.. “I
remember it because one of my best cousins got mar-
ried and I just got hime. I came in my uniform.”
After the war, Guarino was awarded the Bronze Star
in recognition for his efforts as an armed soldier server-
ing as a translator in combat. He had a lengthy career
as a manager at Sears in furniture. Guarino has resided
in Clifton since 1992, and now lives with his wife of 11
years, Jane, in an apartment tower off of Allwood Rd.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 37
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 38
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By Joe Hawrylko
CHARLES LEWISCool Under Fire
Composure is perhaps themost important trait onecan have on the battlefield.
A soldier must be stoic; when enemy
gunfire rains down, decision making
must be quick, and action, even
quicker. There is no room for fear,
empathy or any other emotions
which cloud judgement.
For medics, composure is flat
out vital to the job—while others
are headed into battle to engage the
enemy, the combat medic is merely
evading gunfire long enough to
tend to the wounded.
Charles Lewis has those nerves
of steel and he’s got the Bronze
Star to back it up. Twenty four
years old when he earned the pres-
tigious award in 1944 and all of
120 pounds, he was likely the
smallest man on the battlefield on
any given day. But Lewis was an
exemplary soldier, willing to risk
death to tend to a fallen brother.
“I wasn’t married at the time, so
I wasn’t as nervous,” said the
Passaic native and the youngest of
11 children. “I got on that bus and
Charles Lewis, a WWII Army Veteran, showcases his awards.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 39
it took me to Fort Dix. I wasn’t
scared. I take things as they come.
If you get scared over there, you’d
be in trouble.”
Drafted in November of 1942,
he expected to land in the Air Force
due to his smallish stature. But in
war time, soldiers are assigned based
on need, not personal preference,
and Uncle Sam decided that Lewis
would was Army property. He was
placed in the dental technician pro-
gram and sent Camp Maxey in TX,
where he became a member of the
102st Infantry, 407th Medical
Detachment.
After his training was complete,
Lewis was transfered to Brooke
General Hospital in San Antonio, TX
for three months. There, he was a
self-described‘bed pan commando’,
tasked with the upkeep of the hospi-
tal, in addition to his dental duties.
“We kept the camp clean,”
recalled Lewis. “The job was so
good. We kept on coming home
each night”
In September of 1944, Lewis
was deployed to the European
Theater, where the Axis Powers
were in disarray.
“When I came to Europe they
were on the edge of Germany,” he
recalled. Lewis landed in
Cherbourg, France, and was moved
inland by truck. The
Charles Lewis with his grandchildren. Top row is Jason Gobee and TracyConaughton. In front is Robin Farris, Lewis and Tim Conaughton.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 40
Germans in retreat across much of
Europe, but some straggling groups
still roamed about the countryside.
These small packets of resistance
were harder to locate than a full
regiment, which lead to surprise
strikes.
“The first attack we had, we
were in the reserves on the Rhone
River. And across from the river is
a mountain and down at the bottom
is an open field for reserves,”
recalled Lewis. “They told us to
dig in, so we dug holes deep
enough to hide, and deep enough to
stop a tank.”
“We’re sitting in these holes and
all the sudden I hear ‘medic, medic!’
I look up and I see that the Germans
can see us atop the mountain and
they’re firing,” he continued.
In that instant, training kicked in
and Lewis leapt out of his ditch,
headed straight for his ailing com-
rades, dodging
bullets and
artillery fire
along the way.
“I ran over and the soldier has a
hole in his face the size of a silver
dollar and he’s not talking,” he
explained. “His hand is hanging by
a little cord, so I cut it, wrapped it
and put it with him.”
To this day, Lewis still does not
know the fate of the man. He does-
n’t even remember too many
details from that first skirmish
beyond that incident. The gravity
of the situation didn’t even set in
until several hours after the last
bullet was fired.
“I remember sitting by myself,
shaking and crying,” recalled
Lewis. “I remember an officer
came over and said you got the
Bronze Star for what you did in the
tank ditch.”
Hours later, he was back on
patrol searching for remaining Nazi
outfits.
“We would take a town and
move on somewhere else,” he
added. “I was in action for a week,
maybe 11 days.”
But in less than two weeks of
action, Lewis experienced all of the
terrors of war.
“A man I knew, Fisher, a had a
shell land in his hole and cut him
right in half,” he stated. “There
was nothing I could do. I told and
officer and that was
it.”
It was his own
brush with death that
prematurely ended
Lewis’ stint in battle.
Allied troops were
preparing for what
seemed to be an
uncontested river
crossing. However, as
the boats began to
near the opposite
shoreline, a hail of German
artillery and machine gun fire
rained down from high atop the
hills. Further complicating the
crossing were landmines which
were submerged underwater and
caught the first troops to hit the
coast off guard.
“They were shelling us. They
saw us coming,” said Lewis. Once
close enough to stand, he quickly
jumped out of the boat. “One lands
in front of me and then another and
then I say to myself, ‘Hey, those
two are in line with me so I better
move.’
He quickly waded to the side,
just narrowly avoiding the artillery
shell that instantly killed a nearby
soldier. A matter of feet from point
of impact, Lewis was likely spared
Charles Lewis and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, in an undat-ed photo. At right, Lewis during his service years.
because the bomb detonated in the water, dulling the
explosion and limiting the damage done by shrapnel. A
single piece of metal the size of a quarter was lodged in
his calf, where it still rests today.
“The kids behind me got it the worst,” he recalled.
“It was like getting hit with a stick really hard. It did-
n’t hurt too bad, but it would have done more damage
to take it out.”
While recovering from his injuries that day, Lewis
ran into an old friend from dental school, who helped
him secure a new job in an office, taking him off of the
front lines.
Following the Germans surrendered, Lewis was sta-
tioned in the Bavarian Mountains near Switzerland to
wait out the waning days of the war.
“It was beautiful,” he recalled. “We were part of the
occupying force. We had showers.”
Lewis remained on that work detail until his dis-
charge in October of 1945.
After returning home, Lewis, along with his brothers
Ernest and Arthur, went on to start their own business,
Commercial Printers, which the family operated for
more than 40 years—a majority of which were in
Clifton— before selling the company in the early
1980s. Lewis was also active in the Clifton Civil
Defense for over 30 years.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 41
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T hanks to your support, we will be onour bicycles May 9-12 and cycling300 miles to Washington, D.C. to
create awareness of police officers whohave died in the line of duty and to raisefunds for the National Law EnforcementOfficers Memorial.
CyclistRobert BaisRandy ColondresRichard DiBelloBrian FopmaTom HawrylkoJohn KavakichDavid KishbaughElena Siery
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For more on the tour, visitPoliceUnityTour.comFor more on the Clifton PBA:CliftonPBA36.com
Thank You
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 42
And to all of our
contributors:The Altman Group
Athenia Mason
Barilla Pasta
The Bike Path(Formally Allwood Bicycles)
Bliss Lounge
Board of Education:Teachers, Employees
and Admin.
Boys & Girls Club
Fette Ford
Gams
Neil’s Pizza
Paulison Ave. ShopRite
Pub 46
ShopRite of Nutley
Anthony Pacelli/Titan Realty Group
Vito’s Towing
u Clifton!
And thank you to so manyof our friends who putchange in a bucket, purchased a raffle or
made a contribution ofany amount in helping usmeet our fundraising goal.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 43
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 44
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 45
By Joe Hawrylko
GEORGE BALKJYMemories from Europe
George Balkjy (front row, right) poses with some brothers in battle. Pictured with him is Joe Wood, Joe Sands, Joe “Bobo”Andria, Joe Coleogne and Tom Ortalano. The photo was taken at the ruins of St. Lo, France on Sept. 22, 1944.
Even now, more than 70 years after the fact,George Balkjy’s eyes still get wide when he
recalls the thunderous roar of the hundreds of
American bombers preparing to crossing the English
Channel in preparation for D-Day.
“I’ve never seen so many planes and ships in my life! “
said Balkjy. “Oh, there must have been 400-500 planes,
flights of 100 at a time. Flight after flighter after flight for
hours.”
Most of the memories from World War II years, both the
good and the bad, still evoke similar reaction to this day.
Balkjy remembers growing up with the certainty that he’d
be drafted. He waw the horrors of the Battle of the Bulge
first hand. And he ended his military career with a stint in
the beautiful country of Norway, an oasis in the war rav-
aged landscape of Europe.
At 86, Balkjy looks back on his life with a sense of awe.
He’s a living link to the Greatest Generation, an era of peo-
ple who braved some of the most turbulent times in
America.
“I remember at night, the car headlights,” said Balky,
recalling the fear that gripped the country during the
war years. “They would be half painted black to keep
the lights down. People were afraid of getting bombed,
I remember that. I think they caught two German spies
not long before I left.”
Balkjy was drafted by the Army in June of 1943 at the
age of 18 after graduating from Paterson Central High the
previous year.
“I had worked in my father’s grocery store, the
Stationary Market, in Paterson to that point,” said
Balkjy, who opened the iconic Ace & George’s
in
ja
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May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 47
Market after his discharge. “I had
friends who were already in, so I
knew what to expect. I went by
School 23, got on the bus and went
to Newark.”
At the armory, Balkjy underwent
routine tests as he was processed by
the military. He was set to join the
infantry like most draftees before
doctors discovered an ailment that
would possibly spare his life.
“I was taking an eye test and
they asked me what number I saw
in this bunch of colored circles,”
recalled Balkjy. “I said,’What
number?’ It turns out, I was color-
blind.”
The two friends from Paterson
that he enlisted with, John Raad (the
namesake of American Legion Post
438 in Paterson) and Joe Attara,
became GIs and were killed in action
shortly after entering the war.
Balkjy was sent to Camp Joseph
T. Robinson in Little Rock, AK for
training and was designated as a
member of the 46th Field Hospital.
From there, he was deployed to the
European Theater in February of
1944, where the Allies were prepar-
ing for a massive assault to reclaim
France, which would come to be
known as the Invasion of
Normandy.
“They took us to this place called
D-Day Hill, which was loaded with
tanks and firepower,” said Balkjy.
“We knew we had to go over. It was
just a matter of time.”
For the next several months, the
Allies would train and prepare for
the invasion in secrecy.
“I was homesick, but after a few
months you get over it,” said
Balkjy, who entered France
through Normandy a few days after
the June 6 invasion.
In Europe, his role was a litter
bearer, the name given to those
tasked with receiving the wounded
who came in on stretchers. Balkjy
was also used to move heavy
machinery and crates in the hospital,
and administered needles and other
simple remedies if the hospital was
inundated with soldiers.
Though he was well away from
the fighting, the job required Balkjy
to transport soldiers who were often
gravely injured. “You get shook up
but after a while it becomes
Balkjy in an undated service photo.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 48
second nature,” he explained.
That would be Balkjy’s role as the
Allies marched across Europe,
reclaiming many iconic cities that
had fallen under Nazi rule.
“We were about five miles
behind the line until we got to
Berlin,” said Balkjy. “We were
supporting General [George]
Patton’s Army. Europe was com-
pletely devastated, bombed out the
whole way.”
“Oh Christ. I remember being in
Aachen and Cologne. I had never
seen a city so devastated in my
life,” he continued. “I mean wiped
out, totally wiped out. Just piles of
rubbish everywhere.”
But before reaching Germany,
Balkjy first had to survive the
Battle of the Bulge, a failed offen-
sive launched in surprise by the
Nazis in December of 1944.
“We would read the Stars &
Stripes (the Army newspaper) to fig-
ure out what was going on. The Stars
& Stripes is how we knew we were in
the Battle of the Bulge,” he said.
Taking place in Belgium, severe
winter storms prevented the Allies
from utilizing air support. Though
the Americans won the battle, it
was costly, with some 19,000 US
soldiers killed in action.
“The weather was so bad the Air
Force couldn’t come,” said Balkjy.
“We were stuck there in the hospital.
Then one day they told us to get on
the highway and walk. There were
no cars and no trucks. Some of our
patients couldn’t walk, so one of the
MDs stayed behind with them.”
After the Allies defeated the
Nazis at the Bulge, the march to
Berlin continued. In the waning
days of the war, Balkjy caught a
glimpse of the legendary general of
the Third Army.
“We were told that Patton was
coming through on the highway, so
we all went and lined up,” he
recalled. “The first thing I saw was
a Jeep with four stars on it and this
real loud siren. Then come a big
tank with Patton sticking out the top.
And he’s sitting there like this,” said
Balkjy, crossing his arms and flash-
ing a stern look across his face.
“And he’s got these two pearl pistols
and a big white helmet. And he goes
on by and we throw him a highball.
He was showtime alright.”
Just a few short weeks later, Hitler
committed suicide and Germany
surrendered. With the war over in
Europe, Balkjy and the 46th Field
Hospital were to care for Russian
POWs, where he remained until his
discharge in January of 1946.
“It was the best time of my life,”
laughed Balkjy. “Blue eyes, blonde
hair and it was almost completely
untouched by the war. I just
remember saying, what the hell is
this, paradise?”
By Joe Hawrylko
BERNIE FICACCIHanging Out in a Huey
Bernie Ficacci was ahead ofthe curve when he snuck
behind his parents back to
get his enlistment papers signed in
the Winter of 1961. “I started getting bored here so I
went to Newark to go sign papers,”
said Ficacci, 70. “I wanted to get it
over with really.”
Though the draft was in place, vol-
untary enlistment seemed like a rela-
tively safe bet at the time. To those
that even knew that Vietnam existed,
the developments in the country
seemed relatively minor. By the time
Ficacci had signed his Army papers,
President John F. Kennedy had
already deployed some 10,000 troops
as ‘advisors’ to the region.
Ficacci’s basic and advanced
infantry training at Fort Dix was
normal. There, he learned how to
man the massive miniguns
attached to the sides of the Huey
helicopter. However, when he
was shipped to Hawaii to await
deployment orders in 1962, it
became apparent where he and the
other recruits were preparing for.
“I had to do jungle training and
all kinds of prison camps. You go
in case you get caught so you
know what to expect,” he
explained. “If you got caught,
you’d end up getting hurt. They’d
hang you from a tree.”
However, Ficacci and the others
took the training a little overboard
at times.
“I ended up getting stitches in
my leg,” he laughed. “We were
fooling around and in it went.”
But despite that incident,
Ficacci’s days in Hawaii were fair-
ly stress free; far more leisure than
work, with off days spent on the
beach.
Naturally, like any young man
with too much time on his hands,
he found trouble.
In Vietnam in 1962, Ficacci with another soldier named Conway.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 49
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 50
The Army had organized war games, and Ficacci and
a fellow soldier decided they had enough and wanted to
go home.
“We ended up changing armbands and taking a tank,”
he said. “My buddy started
driving. He was doing pretty
good... right until he hit a
Volkswagen. It was a bunch
of girls from Hawaii
University driving through
the pineapple fields.”
Perhaps due to the fact that
a stray tank hitting a car isn’t
something likely to be
believed, Ficacci and his
friend made it safely back to
camp without any problems.
However, Ficacci was
growing bored with life in
Hawaii. Deployment was
inevitable, so he volunteered
to get shipped out to Vietnam
in 1963, around the time that
President Lyndon B. Johnson
was expanding the war.
Ficacci landed in Saigon at Tan Son Nhut Air Base on
a 90 day Temporary Deployment with the 25th Infantry,
tasked with training South Vietnamese soldiers and run-
ning patrols. “I showed the South Vietnamese how to get
in and out of the chopper,” he said. “We tried to teach
them how to fight but they’d always run.”
And though he was not walking in the notoriously
dangerous jungles, there are plenty of risks when hang-
ing halfway out the door of a moving helicopter.
“One golden BB, that’s all it took,” he said. “I was a
crazy guy, but I’d get shakes after I’d come back from
missions. But when you’re out there, you don’t think,
you keep shooting. I had a pilot who always said, ‘You
do the shooting, I’ll get you home.’
Ficacci was sent back to Hawaii when his TDY con-
cluded at the end of 1963. He served on the competitive
Army Rifle Team until his discharge in 1964.
“I was spit at when I came home from Oakland to
Newark,” recalled Ficacci. “They called me baby
killer, mother killer. You couldn’t do anything because
the MPs were there and you’d get in trouble. When
you had your uniform on, you had to have respect for
everyone.”
Even after all of his experiences in Vietnam, it’s the
treatment of those returning veterans that bothers him
most.
“I lost 56,000 brothers there, ”he said.
Ficacci, who graduated Clifton High School in 1959, enjoying a little free time on thebeachers of Hawaii in 1962.
2001199119811971196119511941
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Did You Graduate CHS in
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 51
By Rich Delotto
CLIFTON POWSRemembering Those Incarcerated During WWII
For over six months, a book entitled
Unbroken has been on the best seller list. It
is the story of a WWII aviator who bailed
out of his B-24 bomber over the Pacific and
began a two and a half year journey of survival,
mistreatment, torture and eventually, liberation.
What he endured is beyond description. The
fact that he lived to tell his story is a miracle.
What that man did what his life after the war is
another miracle waiting to be read. That
man’s name is Louis Zamperini, alive and
well at the age of 94, now living in California.
During WWII, at least 49 men from Clifton were
forced to surrender and became POWs to the Axis pow-
ers. Two of them never returned from incarceration:
Army PFC Joe Carboy, 52 Gould St., was wounded in
the Philippines on Jan. 6,
1942. He returned to duty
but was taken prisoner that
May. He later died in captivi-
ty.
Army Sgt. Charles Hooyman
Jr., 18 Union Ave., was reported
captured on Bataan, survived the
Bataan Death March and was
taken to a prison camp in the
Phillipines. After the war, fellow
POWs reported that Hooyman was
executed by Japanese guards.
This Memorial Day, take a moment to remember the
millions of servicemen and women who have made the
ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Harry Alexander 39 Byron Pl.
Joseph Avato 127 Warren St.
Charles Bayer 37 Ann St.
Daniel Barna 32 Mahar Ave.
Theodore Becker 89 Speer Ave.
Joseph Blasczyk 100 Highland Ave.
Andrew Bodi 285 Lakeview Ave.
Joseph Bush 13 Fenner Ave.
Edward Calderaro 250 Hamilton Ave.
Patrick Commincioto 30 Marconi St.
Ignatius Corrao 286 W. 3rd St.
Peter Daniels 106 DeMott Ave.
Robert DeGhetto 21 Piaget Ave.
Nicholas Demchak 30 Arthur St.
John Derling 92 Fenner Ave.
Curt Doescher 22 Broad St.
Leo Durkin 272 E. 1st St.
Abner Fleisher 815 Valley Rd.
Raymond Foster 31 Hamilton Ave.
Michael Franke 63 Center St.
Joseph Friedman 60 Hadley Ave.
Charles Gebauer 36 E. 7th St.
John Kmetz 223 E. 6th St.
Peter Kowal 106 Monhegan St.
Fred Maden 110 Market St.
Stanley Manista 51 Major St.
Roger Marlin 253 W. 2nd St.
Emil Mason 106 Monhegan St.
Charles Maurer 90 E. 9th St.
Robert Mabey 121 Madison Ave.
Steve Olesak 232 E. 6th St.
Alexander Pasko 18 Milosh St.
Harry Pollack 178 Ackerman Ave.
James Prehart 654 Lexington Ave.
George Ralph 123 Oak St.
Louis Salerno 4 Althea St.
Russell Reed 84 McCosh Rd.
Arnold Rubin 3 Madison Ave.
Donald Sang 31 Madeline Ave.
Raymond Schmidlin 871 Valley Rd.
Saul Schwartz 408 S. Parkway
Joseph Taverna 46 Summit Ave.
Frank Tiedeman 336 W. 2nd St.
Lawerence Tumminello 38 Arthur St.
George Van Brook Hoven 17 Huron St.
Lawerence Van Liere 535 Lexington Ave.
Joseph Wade 38 Valley Rd.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 52
Deep in the soul of everyparent lies the paralyz-ing fear that something
bad, really bad, can happen totheir child - something out-of-con-
trol, something that cannot be
fixed, something that will cause
pain forever. And, for a few par-
ents, despite all their best efforts,
despite their best intentions, despite
all their love and care, this terrify-
ing realization that something bad,
really bad, can happen one day
comes true.
With poignant emotion, Dennis
Benigno still recalls the moment in
1984 when he received a call from
Clifton police to his office at
Hoffman-LaRoche. His son Dennis
John, 15, had been hit by a car. It
was 3:20 in the afternoon of August
22 and Dennis John, walking home
from a football physical, was hit by
a car that swerved to avoid hitting
another person. His son flew into
the air and upon landing, hit his
head on the rock-hard road.
“Six months earlier,” said
Benigno in a tone still tinged with
disbelief, “I saw a colleague of
mine at work and in his eyes was a
look of deep distress. His son had
been injured in a construction acci-
dent; for several days had been
lying unconscious. I had asked him,
‘John, I don’t know how you do it
– how do you get through it when
your kid is hurt that bad?’ Can you
believe that? I asked him that. Then
I got the call about Dennis. Then I
knew how John did it.”
Dennis John, now 42, cannot
communicate, but his parents,
Dennis and Rosalind Benigno,
think that he understands some
things. He has severe Traumatic
Brain Injury (TBI) and is in a min-
imally conscious state. Lying in a
raised hospital bed on the first floor
of the Benigno’s Hazel Street
home, he seems aware, although
not clear to what extent. At times,
says Rosalind, he can move his
right arm slightly. Dennis John is in
excellent health, with clear pale
skin and dark eyes that look out
OUT OF TRAGEDYCOMES A MISSION TO BRING HOPE
By Irene Jarosewich
Mom Rosalind with Dennis Benigno in a recent photo.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 53
onto his immediate world. The
Benignos take some comfort from
the knowledge that their dedication
to their son’s care, with the assis-
tance of nurses, means that Dennis
John is not in any pain.
“The worst thing” said Benigno,
with sadness clearly in his voice,
“is to come down the stairs every
morning and see my son alive, but
not able to live – it kills me – it kills
me that I can’t help my kid more.”
After the accident, Dennis John
spent several months in a hospital,
then in rehabilitation, and when it
became clear that nothing more
could be done, the Benignos
brought their son home.
DEALING WITH THE TRAUMA
You just cannot plan for some-
thing like this, say the Benignos,
you just can never be ready.
Financially, Dennis John is still
covered under a catastrophic injury
insurance mandate that was in
effect in 1984, so he will get med-
ical attention for the rest of his life.
However, in 1990, that mandate
was repealed by the New Jersey
state legislature in agreement with
insurance companies and coverage
was capped at $250,000 for life.
“Two hundred fifty thousand!”
snorts Benigno with irritation,
"That’s nothing! That’s one month in
the hospital for an injury like this.”
Dennis and Rosalind, who mar-
ried in 1964, both grew up in
Garfield. Their first-born is daugh-
ter Kim Anne, who now lives in
Oakland, New Jersey with husband
Bill Lyons and twin eight-year-old
boys, Ethan and Jack. The
Benigno’s second child, Dennis
John, was born in 1969.
“We’ve always been a close
family,” said Rosalind, “Kim is
dedicated to her brother, as is her
husband. The boys love their uncle.
We could not have done it, come
this far, without one another. When
I saw my son lying there in
“When we realized that right now there is very little more that we could do for our son other than keep him healthy and comfortable,
we didn't want to stop there. Brain injury victims cannot speak.
We wanted to speak for him.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 54
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the hospital, I just looked at him
and said ‘God, he is now in Your
hands.’ It is our family, our friends,
our faith that gave us the strength to
come this far.”
The Benignos soon realized that
their son would not get better, that
they had reached the limit of what
current medical and rehabilitative
treatment could provide. They
decided to take their newfound
knowledge about brain trauma and
work to expand brain injury
research with the goal of finding a
cure. The Benignos were a bit
stunned by how little expectation
there was about ever finding a cure
for TBI, even among knowledge-
able health professionals, as well as
the miniscule sums being given to
fund research about repairing trau-
matic brain injuries.
Injured brain can be repaired;
brain cells and brain tissue are
capable of regeneration. The inside
of the skull is a rough, boney, sur-
face. When the brain, a soft, fluid-
filled sac of tissue abruptly collides
with the scaly, rough surface of the
inner skull, the result of a fall or
accident or collision, brain cells
and tissues are damaged and die.
However, with the advances of sci-
ence, various avenues of research
are exploring different ways that
cells can be regenerated and
repaired. Major advances have
been made in the regeneration of
liver cells, for example, but funding
for brain trauma research has been
given a low priority.
Brain injuries are one of the
most common injuries in the
United States. Currently, in all age
groups, an estimated 5.5 million
people in the United States are dis-
abled from TBI; of these, 3.2 mil-
lion have suffered severe and per-
manently debilitating conse-
quences from their brain trauma.
According to Center for Diseases
Control, traumatic brain injury is
more prevalent than many other
well-known health disorders –
more than prostate cancer (250,000
diagnosed cases annually) or
epilepsy (2 million Americans) or
muscular dystrophy (several thou-
sand cases nationwide). A brain
injury can be relatively mild, such
as a concussion; sometimes the
injury can be fatal. However, mil-
lions live in the middle with moder-
ate to severe brain trauma, alive,
but not able to function fully.
The primary source of brain
injuries is motor vehicle accidents,
but TBI also can be caused by bicy-
cle accidents; motorcycle acci-
dents, seniors falling, slippage on
snow and ice, sports injuries such
as from football, soccer, skiing,
snowboarding, fights and brawls,
even gunshot wounds to the head.
A brain injury can happen to any-
one, anytime, anyplace – throwing
a family’s life into a tailspin. Since
the primary source of brain injuries
is motor vehicle accidents, every-
one is vulnerable.
According to federal government
statistics, traumatic brain injury is
the leading cause of death and dis-
ability among young Americans
under 30. Last year, approximately
1.5 million people sustained a trau-
matic brain injury; of those, 1.1 mil-
lion were treated in a hospital and
released; 235,000 required longer-
term hospitalization; 50,000 died.
The national cost of TBI is estimated
to be $60 billion annually.
TBI has been named the signa-
ture wound of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, with an estimated
360,000 brain-injured men and
women having returned from these
conflicts.
Due to the nature and unpre-
dictability of the severe disabilities
associated with brain injury, many
victims live out their lives institu-
tionalized without hope of
improvement. And because of the
national prevalence of brain trauma
victims, experts refer to TBI as the
"silent epidemic”.
The Benignos attribute general
low awareness in part to a funda-
mental misconception between
injury and disease. A brain injury is
different from diseases of the brain,
such as Alzheimer’s or brain can-
cer. People cannot comprehend fix-
ing the brain – but it can be done. It
can be repaired. Stem cell technol-
ogy, genetic research, nerve cell
rejuvenation are all avenues of
research to pursue.
Rosalind also believes that anoth-
er reason that finding ways to repair
traumatic brain injuries receives
such low priority is because victims
cannot speak and, therefore, there
are no high profile people to publi-
cize the problem - such as
Christopher Reeve for spinal cord
injuries or Jerry Lewis for muscular
dystrophy – no one to promote
Dennis sr. and Rosalind with Dennis, daughter Kim and her husband Bill Lyons with Ethan and Jack.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 55
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 56
awareness. In turn, the families of
TBI victims are so overwhelmed
with caring for the injured, or so con-
sumed with guilt when a victim
needs to be institutionalized that
their feeling of hopelessness leaves
them gripped in silence.
So the Benignos began their
mission.
NATIONAL, STATE, LOCAL –HEAVY LIFTING
New Jersey is the first state, said
Benigno, to provide a continuous
source of money to state facilities to
fund brain injury research. For years,
Benigno spearheaded an effort to
establish the New Jersey
Commission on Brain Injury
Research, which has an interesting
funding source: a one dollar sur-
charge is added to all New Jersey
motor vehicle traffic violations,
which is then funneled into brain
injury research. The struggle was a
long one, but finally the Brain Injury
Research Act was approved in
Trenton. On January 3, 2004, then
Governor Jim McGreevy came to the
Beningo home for a public signing.
“It was a great day,” said
Benigno, “and as a result of the
Act, now more than 3.5-4 million
dollars each year go to New Jersey
research facilities such as Robert
Woods Johnson or UMDNJ specif-
ically targeted for research on brain
injury repair. For the first five
years, starting in 2005, I was the
Executive Director of the New
Jersey Commission, now I am a
volunteer commissioner. People
from other states come to New
Jersey to see how we did it.”
Besides working on the state
level, Benigno worked with New
Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell to
convince Congress to focus on the
problem, as well. With the urging of
Benigno, Pascrell pushed to estab-
lish a Congressional Brain Injury
Task Force in 2001, which he now
co-chairs. In the past few years, the
profile of the task force has risen
considerably due to hearings held
about the dramatic increase in brain
injuries among returning combat
veterans. Benigno hopes that
research and experience garnered in
military hospitals from these
tragedies will spill over soon into
civilian research.
Besides working with state and
national officials, the Benignos
have established a private founda-
tion – The Coalition for Brain
Injury Research – a not for profit
501(c)3 that does public awareness
and fundraising events to raise
money for research grants dis-
persed annually to selected appli-
cants from throughout the United
States. Recent recipients include
the University of Texas and the
University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Ten years ago,” said Benigno,
“research on how to repair the brain
was not even a blip on the screen.
But look at cancer research 40
years ago, we’ve made tremendous
advances in cancer treatment since
then. Brain injury is still on the bot-
tom rung of the funding ladder, but
at least we’re on the ladder. There
have tremendous advances in neu-
roscience in the past decade alone.”
Dennis, an architect by profes-
sion, is retired now, although still
does work occasionally for private
clients. He continues to devote
most of his time to the foundation
and increasing public awareness
about TBI.
“When we realized that right now
there is very little more that we could
do for our son,” he said, “other than
keep him healthy and comfortable,
we didn't want to stop there. Brain
injury victims cannot speak. We
wanted to speak for him. We do not
want others to feel as overwhelmed
as we did and for the situation for
brain injury victims to always be
hopeless. Maybe research into brain
injury repair will not provide results
quickly enough to help our son. But
we do this so that in the future, oth-
ers can have hope."
On June 10, the Coalition forBrain Injury Research is sponsor-ing its annual beefsteak dinner at6:30 pm at the Clifton AtheniaVeterans Hall, 147 Huron Ave.Comedy entertainment, a silentauction and 50/50 raffles areplanned. Tickets are $45 and pro-ceeds will benefit the search for abrain injury cure. For ticket infor-mation, call Dennis Benigno at973-632-2066. For more details onthe programs of the Coalition, go towww.brainjurycure.org.
Dennis Benigno in 1984.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 57
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For 14 years, Clifton’s Dave Szott made a livingin the trenches of the NFL, spending a bulk of
his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and later
making stops with the Washington Redskins and New
York Jets. He’s been named to All-Pro teams and
achieved life goals he made decades ago as a child.
But despite his success on the field, it’s what he’s
done off of it that he finds most rewarding.
Though his official title with the Jets is Director of
Personnel, one might consider Szott to be a profession-
al mentor. His role is to assist New York Jets players in
any off the field matters: financial advice, completing a
Dave the MentorBy Joe Hawrylko
Mustang receives Clifton Optimist Friend of Youth Award
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 59
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degree and life in general.
It’s a position that perfectly suits
his skills. Szott had many role
models in athletics while growing
up in Clifton, and since his playing
days, has been highly active in
many different charities.
“I have a great deal of pride in
Clifton,” said the 1986 CHS gradu-
ate. “Many great men came out of
Clifton football: Jack Purcell (a
long time youth coach), Steve
LaPage, the high school wrestling
coach. There was a good core of
guys that wrestled and played foot-
ball through high school: The
Monaco brothers, Steve Pulion,
Rich Cinoa, Brian Smith, myself.
We won counties all four years. It
was a great era in Clifton. The city
had such a great mix of diversity
and ethnicities.”
The experiences he had as a young
boy growing up in Clifton influenced
Szott to enact positive change no mat-
ter where life takes him.
“It really is a privilege,” he said.
“I feel the game has given me so
much. God has given me a plat-
form,” said Szott. “The popularity
of the game allows me to talk about
subjects that are near and dear to
my heart.”
Faith and charity work have
been intertwined since Szott
Fighting Mustang Dave Szott was an anchor on the offensive line. Facing page, Szott with his boys Shane and Josh.
gr
S
P
at
go
P
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 60
was drafted by the Kansas City
Chiefs in 1990.
“In Kansas City, I fought as a 7th
round pick and made the team,” he
recalled. “I remember standing
there on Arrowhead Stadium with
70,000 ravenous, screaming fans
and realizing I had accomplished
all of my life goals. That’s when I
really started to search.”
Seeing other rookies consumed
by self-indulgence and greed
inspired Szott to look for guidance
from a higher power.
“I needed more depth and under-
standing of my faith,” he explained.
Szott was a parishioner at St.
Andrews as a child. “I ended up
From left, dad Ed., mom Kay and his grandmother in his early pro football days. He and his wife Andrea, also a CHS grad.
gravitating to a more fundamental type church.”
His renewal of faith also gave way towards a sense
of charity. Shortly after making the team, Chiefs man-
agement approached Szott about helping various
groups in the community.
“There’s a scripture that reads, ‘Feed the widows,
father the fatherless,” recalled Szott, who has been
affiliated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
since his days as a Chief. He also was motivated due
to family ties.
“I have an older brother who is visually impaired,”
Szott said of his brother, Kevin, who is five years older
and suffers from Rentinitis Pigmatosa.
These two factors paved the way for the Cliftonite’s
involvement with two large charitable organizations:
Szotts for Tots and the Children’s Center for the
Visually Impaired.
Szott’s already sizable activity in charitable organi-
zations increased when his son, Shane, was born in
1995 and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy a few months
later. Unfortunately, as Shane grew older, he required
more specialized care that wasn’t available in Kansas
City. In 2001, Szott requested a trade so that he could
find a team closer to an appropriate treatment center.
“As much as I loved Kansas City, I did what was
best for my family,” said Szott, who landed in
Washington playing for the Redskins. His fami-
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 61
ly moved back to New Jersey, and Szott would take a
train down to Washington, D.C. each week, saying with
the team for five days at a time before returning home.
“It was a very tough decision, walking away from
something that you had worked for your whole career,”
he added. “I never envisioned leaving there. I had
spent my whole career there.”
After a year with the Redskins, Szott signed with the
New York Jets, where he played until his retirement at
the end of the 2003 season. However, the Cliftonite
stayed with Jets organization, working his way up from
offensive line coach to his current role as director of
personnel, something he explained as being an H&R
director for football.
“What I’m doing now I did as a player,” said Szott.
“Whenever I would see a young man in need, I’d pull
him aside and he can’t take that advise or not and I
respect that.”
And despite being retired as a player, Szott still uses
his name to generate awareness for numerous causes.
Szott is also on the Board at the Children’s Learning
Center in Wyckoff, where he assists with fundraising.
He is on the Board of the Matheny Medical and
Educational Center, which is Shane’s school in
Peapack. His wife, Andrea, is on the Friends of the
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 62
Matheny Medical and Educational
Center Board.
Szott is advisor and coach for his
younger son’s football team, the
Morristown Wildcats. Last year,
the squad played a scrimmage
against the Clifton Junior
Mustangs, led by Szott’s good pal
Joe Gaccione at Albion Park.
“We also have camp here [the
Jets’ training facility in Florham
Park] in the Spring and I get some
of the Jets players to help out,” he
added.
“My dad and Jack Purcell (who
coached Szott in youth football)
flew to Kansas City. I took them
fishing to thank them,” said Szott.
“I had the best role models for
parents. My mother was on the
Board of Education in Clifton.
Education was stressed,” said
Szott, who earned a degree in polit-
ical science from Penn State in
1996. He took courses in the off-
season to complete his studies. “I
watched my parents support Kevin
for years, and it helped relieve
some of my anxieties when I had a
son of my own who was disabled.”
“The life lessons you learn
there—preparation, teamwork,
dedication. Seeing planning all
come together,” he said, “Jack’s got
buddies that still call him up.”
“Faith, family, football: those
are the three ‘Fs’ in my life,” he
said. “I like to keep it simple. If I
get more of anything else, the plate
is too full.”
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 63
Clifton Optimist Awards
Sgt. Billy Gibson will receive the Judge Joseph J. Salerno Respect for Law Award from theClifton Optimist Club. He is one of four recipients to be feted at the 2011 Awards Dinner whichis on May 22 at the Clifton Recreation Center, 1232 Main Ave.Other recipients include former NFLer and 1986 CHS grad, gridiron legend Dave Szott. He
will receive the Club’s highest honor, the 2011 Friend of Youth Award. Jack Whiting will receivethe Community Service Award and former Councilwoman Gloria Kolodziej will be honored for herLifetime Achievement. Tickets are $35. For more information, call Optimist Club members Tom Hawrylko at 973-
253-4400 or Ted Munley at 973-473-2200 x112.
8 Franklin Place, Rutherford, N.J.07070 • 201-636-2355www.TheBikePath.biz
Allwood Bicycle is Now
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 64
• Worms • Salmon Eggs
• Rods & Reels
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• Tackle Boxes • Hip Boots
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Fresh water and salt water fishing are well under
way!! Come to Meltzer's for all your fishing needs. We
have frozen salt water baits as well as live freshwater
baits. Excellent selection of rods and reels, including
Shimano, Daiwa and Penn. Knowledgeable sales staff,
real fishermen, free advice. Large selection of lures and
terminal tackle.
It’s May! Bass are Biting!
And the Trout are Still Out!
JUNE 4 & 5
Free Freshwater Fishing Days
Meltzer’s now offers LIVE BAIT!• Shiners• Fatheads• Worms
Allwood Community Church, at
the corner of Merrill and Chelsea
Rds., holds its annual fish and chips
dinner on June 4 from 5:30 to 7 pm.
The event will be catered by
Tastefully British. Tickets are $12,
or $10 for children under 10. Call
973-471-8019 or 973-777-6360.
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Boys& Girls Club of Clifton hosts its
4th Annual Tricky Tray on May 6
at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $15 and
include one sheet, dessert and cof-
fee. Call 973-773-2697 ext. 43.
Holy Ascension UkrainianOrthodox Church at 635 Broad St.
has a Flea Market on May 7. Free
admission and there’ll be a
Ukrainian kitchen. Over 40 ven-
dors will be selling new and used
wares. Info, call 973-575-8355.
St. Nicholas Ukrainian CatholicSchool is presenting a four day car-
nival on May 5 to 8 on the grounds
of the school and parish, which is on
President St. in Passaic. There will
be rides and games, as well as food
and beverages. Call 973-779-0249
US Armed Service Veterans who
have been awarded the Purple
Heart, Navy Cross, Silver Star,
Distinguished Flying Cross and
Medal of Honor should contact Tom
Miller of Passaic County Veterans
Services regarding May events to
honor vets. Call 973-569-4090.
The CHS Class of 1956 will hold
its 55th year reunion on Sept. 23, at
the Cucina Calandra in Fairfield.
For details on the event or to provide
leads to classmates, contact Judi
Zagaya Den Herder at 973-779-
C L I F T O N Ev e n t s…
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Address: ________________________________________________________________________________
City: ____________________________________________State:_________________________________________
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Email:________________________________________________________________________
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May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 65
6923 or [email protected] or
Terry Guarrera Gloede at 973-773-
5910 or via [email protected].
The CHS classes of 1970 through1974 host a reunion on Nov. 4 at the
Parsippany Hilton from 7 pm to mid-
night. Cocktail hour, buffet dinner
and desert, a four hour open bar and
entertainment are $99; more details
at www.reunions-unlimited.com.
These classes will also hold a mini
reunion on May 7 at 7 pm at the
Grande Saloon. Contact Bill Geiger
at [email protected] or call
him at 973-557-3613.
CCMS 6th Annual Locks of LoveCutathon is May 16 at Christopher
Columbus Middle School. Anyone
with at least 10 inches of hair can
have their hair cut at no charge by
stylists from Salon Ilona. Contact
Kim Dreher at 973-769-0500 or via
email [email protected].
Downtown Clifton’s Street Fair is
May 14, 10 am to 5 pm, rain or
shine along Main Ave. between
Washington and Hadley Aves.
There will be music, dancing, live
entertainment, food, arts and crafts
vendors, street performers and
activities for children. For info or
sponsorship opportunities, call
973-253-1455. Vendors call JC
Promotions at 201-998-1144.
CHS Class of 1960 is hosting their
first rain or shine Picnic Under the
Big Tent on June 4 from 9 am to 7 pm
at Tomahawk Lake Water Park,
Sparta. The $36 fee covers all you
can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner as
well as birch beer, lemonade and beer.
There is a $15 additional fee to use
water slides. RSVP by May 7 to help
organizers plan the event. For details,
call Kathy (Ploch) Mack at 973-989-
3911 or email Nancy Lewis Zink at
1,325 American flags will be dis-
played on the campus of city hall on
Memorial Day, Monday, May 30.
The idea is to honor a veteran for
their time in service and to remem-
ber them in perpetuity and the job is
completed all by volunteers, who do
year round maintenance. Other days
for the display are Flag Day, June
14, Independence Day, July 4,
Patriots Day, Sept, 11 and Veteran’s
Day, Nov. 11. Volunteers are need-
ed to put up and take down the flags.
To honor a living or deceased veter-
an, purchase a flag for $100, which
includes a name plate, and a ground
socket. The vet’s name, branch of
service and the donor’s name will be
placed in the registry book. For info,
call 973-519-0858.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 66
Since1961
TheOriginal
•
Texas Wiener •
50Years
Happy 50th
Anniversary!Happy 50th
Anniversary!Open 9am - 1am, Fri & Sat ‘til 2
669 Lexington Ave. 973-772-6000ASK ABOUT OUR SPECIALSwww.thehotgrill.org
Happy 50th
Anniversary!
The Hot Grill opened on Oct. 13, 1961 on Lexington Ave., on the site of Gabe’s DriveInn, an old ice cream and hot dog stand. The owner—the colorful Gabe Maroon—
hoped to convert the land into an used car lot but could not secure the permits so he reluc-tantly opened a hot dog stand. Soon he sold it to four partners—two Italians, current ownersDominic Sportelli and Carmen La Mendola—pictured below, and two Greeks, Nick Dorisand Peter Leonidas, both now deceased. “It was Friday the 13th,” Sportelli said of the opening five decades ago, when the landmark
was nothing more than a dusty roadside stand with a few stools. “People thought we werecrazy but we became a New Jersey icon, home to the best Hot Texas Wieners.”Two decades ago, folklorist from The Library of Congress American Memory Oral History
project came to the region to determine what puts the Texas in the Hot Texas Wiener.Researchers traced the origins back to a Greek hot dog vendor in Paterson in the 1920’s. Andthen the writers and photographers of the Working in Paterson Folklife Project, followedtheir story to Clifton and onto Lexington Ave. They cited the Hot Grill as the most authen-tic of the Paterson region’s Hot Texas Wiener restaurants. So what makes a Hot Grill dog the best? Consistency, hard work, excellent service and
secret ingredients, said Sportelli. The hot dogs are made especially for them, with a blend ofbeef, pork and spices. Then, of course, they are deep-fried in vegetable oil. But the signatureflavor is the Hot Texas sauce—some say the Hot Grill chili resembles Greek spaghetti saucemore than anything cooked up in Clifton, Paterson or the Lone Star state.
Dogs are ordered two-all-the-way, two!...which means they are covered with mustard, onionswhich are diced extra small and heaped high and topped with sauce that has character,but is not terribly hot. The same way it has been served since they opened. Since 1961, the Hot Grill has fed generations of Cliftonites, serving 4,000
or more Hot Texas Wieners on a Saturday and as much as 100 gallons ofsauce. The owners have remodeled twice—once in 1967, adding boothsand stools for 60 and a more recent expansion which can seat over 150people.“Our staff and service are excellent. That means your food is
served hot and fresh,” Sportelli concluded. “When you come toHot Grill, expect everything to be the same.”
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 67
C L I F T O N Ev e n t s…
Clifton Police DetectiveTom Campbell in 2001 was
diagnosed with a rare disease
called Autoimmune hepati-
tis, which causes irreversible
damage to the liver and sur-
rounding organs. Although it
did impose some limitations,
Campbell was able to keep
the disease under control
with medications. He could
work and he and his wife Pat could attend to their kids.
But last summer, his disease became advanced and
impacted his daily life. His liver was no longer function-
ing and the medications that kept him going for the last
several years had damaged his kidneys. He began bleed-
ing internally and had to undergo several extended hos-
pital stays throughout the fall and winter months.
“Since his disease worsened, Tom has needed nearly
60 blood transfusions,” said his friend, Det. Robert
Bracken. “Being an extremely conscientious employee,
Tom did his best to stay on the job but he reached a point
when his level of fatigue was too much to bear.”
Campbell has been at home for the past two months
awaiting a liver and kidney transplant. A double trans-
plant is extremely costly and will create many out of
pocket expenses for Tom and his wife and their two kids.
“Transplant procedures are unique in that they incur
costs for both the recipient and the donor,” added
Bracken. To help defray costs, he and Det. Carmen
Bermudez have organized a beefsteak fundraiser on June
17 at 6:30 pm at the Boys & Girls Club. Tickets are $45.
To attend, donate or help out, call Bracken at
973‐460‐4255 or Bermudez 973‐296‐4713.
You’re a Neighbor,Not a Number.
TomTobinAgency.com BillEljouzi.com
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 68
Little Genius AcademyMoe’s Southwest GrillGam’s Auto ServiceClifton Rotary ClubMario’s RestaurantDeluxe Cleaners
Gourmet DessertsRaphael Orthodontics
Architectural Design Assoc.Knights of ColumbusGenardi Contracting
Cyndi Plumbing & Heating
LifeSavers Inc.The Grove
Dr. Tina ChungMushmadeClifton IHOP
Pete’s Painting
Clifton Girls Little League Softball would like to thank itssponsors for all of your help in getting us up and running!
ANNOUNCING FALL TRAVEL TEAMS THIS YEAR!!!!!10U 12U 14U AND 16U
TRYOUTS AUGUST 29 THRU SEPTEMBER 2
Our Season is Now Underway
at Main Memorial Park
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 69
C L I F T O N Ev e n t s…
The Garden State Opera presents
a concert of operatic highlights at
the YM/YWHA, 199 Scoles Ave.,
Clifton, on May 23 at noon. The
artists are soprano Laura Mitchell
and tenor Kevin Peters accompa-
nied at the piano by Wei-En Hsu.
Tickets are $10, and $5 for seniors
and students. Call 973-928-1774 or
gardenstateopera.homestead.com.
The Clifton Arts Center &Sculpture Park presents“Visions” an exhibit and sale of
artwork by the student artists of
Clifton High School. The gallery is
open Wed. to Sun., 1 to 4 pm and
Visions is displayed through May
28. The Center is also seeking
submissions in any medium that
evokes the theme of The Practiceof Art: Physicians as Artists for a
group exhibition in Nov. This show
is open to all MD doctors, who are
researchers, practicing physicians,
surgeons or dentists, and are work-
ing in the United States and who
submit for the above theme. There
is a limit of five submissions per
artist. Deadline is June 10.
Questions to rcammilleri@clifton-
nj.org. The Clifton Arts Center is at
900 Clifton Ave., on the city hall
campus. Admission is $3. For
hours/info: www.cliftonnj.org.
The Clifton Community Band’s10th Annual Lollipops & Roses
Intergenerational Concert is on
May 22 at 2 pm in the CHS
Auditorium. This special anniver-
sary edition will include favorites
from the last decade of Lollipops &
Roses concerts. Admission is $7,
children under 12 are free.
Proceeds benefit the Clifton
Education Foundation and the
Clifton Community Band. Tickets
at the door or in advance by calling
973-777-1781 or writing
PCCHC—the Passaic County
Cultural and Heritage Council at
Passaic County Community
College announced the availability
of grants. Non-profit organiza-
tions that have arts and cultural
projects planned for Jan. 1 to Dec.
31, 2012 should apply. The dead-
line is July 14. PCCHC has free
grant workshops to assist in
preparing grant applications. They
will be held on June 1 in Paterson
and Hawthorne and June 2 in
Wanaque. Call 973-684-6507 or go
to www.pccc.edu/pcchc.
The Theater League of Clifton, in cooperation with ATC Studios, presentNarnia, The Musical, based on C.S. Lewis’ classic, The Lion, The Witch and TheWardrobe. Show dates are May 20-29 at School 3 on Washington Ave. Cast,seated from left: Gabe Green, Faith Bates, Alyssa McGraw and Gregory Gwynwith Brandon Essig, Sarah Robertson, Michael Marotta, Kevin Ohlweiler andMike Sunbury standing. For tickets, go to www.theaterleagueofclifton.com orcall 973-928-7668.
CHS Senior Kelly Yoo is among thestudents who have their work ondisplay at the Clifton Arts Center.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 70
C L I F T O N Ev e n t s…
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church hosts Market Fair, a
Saturday sale of collectables, is on May 7 and 14, from
8 am to 4 pm. Free admission and there still is room for
vendors. Tables are $25 or $30 Items on sale cover a
wide variety of materials. For info, call 973-886-5105
or via email at [email protected]. St. Peter’s is at
380 Clifton Ave. and is an all inclusive Episcopal
Church supporting many initiatives. including the city’s
food bank and homeless shelter, St. Peter’s Haven.
The Geraci Citizen League held their annual St.
Joseph’s Dinner Dance at the Brownstone on March 19.
The tradition goes back to the 1930’s and the menu
included pasta with sardine and finocchi and one
orange and a delicious St. Joseph’s zeppola. “Italian
people really care about coming together,” said Chair
Nina Corradino. “They care about tradition and they
came from west and east and north and south, and
together, we made a special day.”
St. John Lutheran Church hosts a Spring Fashion
Show by Dress Barn on May 14 at 1 pm. Hosted by
the Ladies of WELCA, a table of delicious Viennese
desserts will be included as well as prizes. Tickets are
$7, call 973-779-1166 for reservations. The Church is
at 140 Lexington Ave., Passaic.
The Knight of Columbus present the Army Tank Pull
on June 26 from 8 am to 4 pm at Eddie Mayo Park,
1100 Clifton Ave. Teams of 20 are tasked with raising
funds and a test of strength. Deadline for team entry
and fundraising is June 7. Proceeds benefit the
Wounded Warrior Project and Veterans and various
Knights charities. For more info, call 973-472-0061 or
visit www.tankpullkofc.org.
At left, the Clifton Arts Center, in association withTomahawk Promotions has published The Many Faces ofPassaic County 2011. The full color 32 page tabloid cel-ebrates the artists and arts of the 16 communities of ourcounty. The project, funded by the Passaic CountyCultural & Heritage Council, also celebrates the 10 yearsof service of the Clifton Arts Center. Get a free copy at theCAC or at Tomahawk Promotions, 1288 Main Ave.
Honorary Chair of the Geraci League St. Joseph’s DayFeast Michael Corradino with Chair Nina Corradino.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 71
The 10th Annual Passaic CliftonUnico National Fundraiser is on
May 15 from 6 pm to 3 am at Bliss
Lounge, 955 Allwood Rd. Advance
tickets are $10 or $12 at the door.
Total net door and bar proceeds and
50/50s to benefit the Unico Italian
American Scholarship Fund, Clifton
Junior Mustang Football, CHS
Project Graduation and the Clifton
Stallions Soccer. Music by
Brookwood, Swingman and the
Misfit-Mutts Band, Rubber Souls,
Who Knew? and The El Supremo.
For tickets, call 973-773-2110 or go
to blisslounge.net.
St. Andrew’s the Apostle SchoolCommunity Gala on May 5 honored
Sheriff Richard and Monica Berdnik
with the Family Faith Award; Clifton
Arts Center Director Roxanne
Cammilleri with the Gloria J.
Kolodziej Community Enhancement
Award and Police Chief Gary F.
Giardina with the Mayor James
Anzaldi Service Award.
The Red Hat Angels, a team from
the American Cancer Society Relay
for Life Clifton, hosts a garage sale
on May 13 and 14 at 119 Huron
Ave. from 9 am to 4 pm. Proceeds
will support the team’s goal of rais-
ing $20,000 in the 2011 Relay for
Life Clifton, which is June 4 and 5.
For more on American Cancer
Society programs or activities, call
1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
To learn more about the Relay For
Life of Clifton, joining or starting a
team, ongoing fundraisers and
other events, visit
relayforlife.org/cliftonnj.
Thirty-one swimmers from the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton’s Seahawks Swim Team competed in the Nationals SwimmingChampionship in St. Petersburg, Florida from April 8-10 and won 3rd place. Call 973-773-2697, ext 31 for details.
Bob Foster, Executive Director of the Clifton Boy's & Girl’s Club, accepts a$2,000 check from Passaic-Clifton UNICO member and Bliss Lounge owner,Joe Barcellona. The money was raised at the chapter's April 3rd fundraiser atBliss. Also pictured is Chapter President Dave D'Arco.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 72
When Maryann Cornettstepped in nine yearsago to chair the Project
Graduation committee at CliftonHigh School, little did she know that
two years after her youngest of three
children graduated from CHS, she
would still be heading up the event.
Project Graduation is a nation-
wide program organized through the
efforts of parent and community
groups to provide high school kids
with an adult supervised drug- and
alcohol-free graduation night cele-
bration. The program has been
offered through the PTSA (Parents,
Teachers and Students Association)
at CHS for more than 15 years.
Cornett said she really didn’t
know what Project Graduation was
all about when her older daughter
was a freshman at CHS, but she
knew that she wanted to get
involved. That first year, she helped
with the Prom Fashion Show, a CHS
tradition and one of the major
fundraisers. She also served for the
first time as a chaperone for the
Project Graduation party.
“My mother didn’t get involved
when I was going to school, but I
really wanted to help out,” she said.
“I always enjoyed knowing what my
kids were doing and being around
other people.”
The West Paterson native holds a
degree in nursing from Felician
College and worked in the neonatal
intensive care unit of United
Hospitals in Newark before becom-
Maryann Cornett with her sonJoe, who graduated CHS in 2009.
MARYANNCORNETT
PROJECT GRADUATIONCHAIR STILL AT THEHELM FOR 9TH YEAR
By Carol Leonard
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 73
OUR CLIFTON DATES & LOCATIONS:WEEK 1: Boys & Girls club of Clifton
6/27 to 7/1
WEEK 2: St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church
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WEEK 4: St. Brendan’s School
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PETE VASIL’S
MVP BASKETBALLCAMP
20112011
ing a stay at home mom for many
years to Nicole, Jessica and Joseph.
She and her husband, Joe, moved to
Clifton 29 years ago.
After her first year as a chaperone
at Project Graduation,
Cornett was very
impressed with the
event, so she became
a little more involved
each year. The only
year that she didn’t
serve as a chaperone
was when she accom-
panied her older
daughter and the Mustang Band on a
trip to England.
“I really do believe in Project
Graduation,” she said. “It’s a night
when they kids can get into a lot of
trouble and this provides them with a
fun alternative.”
Cornett recalled her own scary
experience on the night of her grad-
uation from college, when she was in
a car driven by her friend after the
two had attended several parties.
“We were on Rifle Camp Road
and I noticed that she was falling
asleep at the wheel,” Cornett said. “I
had to wake her up or she would
have ended up driving us into the
side of the mountain.”
Cornett feels very strongly about
the dangers of underage drinking
and she would never let any of her
teenage children serve alcohol when
having friends over to their home.
For the past nine years the PTSA
has hosted Project
Graduation at Fun Plex
in East Hanover. Prior to
that, the event was held
for a number of years at
the Great Gorge Resort
and at the West Essex
Spa & Country Club.
The graduation night
celebration begins in the
parking lot at CHS, where the new
graduates assemble at about 10 pm
to board buses to take them to the all-
night party. Chaperones check the
students’ bags to make sure that no
alcoholic beverages or drugs are
brought onto the buses.
“I really do believe in Project Graduation.“It’s a night when they kids can get into a lot of trouble and this provides them
with a fun alternative.”
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 74
973-772-8451Roofing • SidingSeamless Gutters
Additions • Alterations
“The bus ride up is the best,”
Cornett said. “The kids are so excit-
ed and noisy the whole way up
there.” Clifton Police lead the way
and accompany the caravan of 12-13
buses full of more than 400 gradu-
ates and over 40 chaperones each
year out of the parking lot and all the
way into Wayne before dropping
back and returning to Clifton.
When the students and chaper-
ones arrive, they are greeted by Fun
Plex staff and welcomed into the
complex.
“They really do a nice job of dec-
orating with balloon arches in our
school colors,” Cornett said.
“There’s all kinds of food served
from the moment they walk into the
place, and soda and water machines
are available for the kids to get what-
ever they want to drink. They also
serve breakfast in the morning
before we leave.”
The facilities include an outdoor
pool, basketball and volleyball
courts, go carts, bumper cars and a
variety of video games. A DJ is on
hand to provide music for dancing or
just listening, and the PTSA also
contracts with other entertainers
each year, such as a hypnotist, a tat-
too artist and a photographer, where
the graduates can get their picture
imposed on a magazine cover.
“There’s something for every-
one,” Cornett said. “Even kids who
just want to be by themselves have
all kinds of video games to play.”
Once the graduates arrive at the
party, no one is permitted to leave
until the group boards the buses to
return to school at 5 a.m. the next
morning.
Among the chaperones each
year are at least three Clifton Police
officers who volunteer their time
for the evening, usually the school
resource officers assigned to the
high school. Fun Plex also supplies
additional security staff to ensure a
safe and trouble-free experience for
the graduates.
The PTSA pays Fun Plex $80 for
each graduate who attends the party.
Fundraisers are held each year to
help defray some of this cost in the
ticket price charged to the students.
The price for this year’s ticket hasn’t
been determined yet, but seniors will
be receiving this information soon.
The PTSA picks up the cost for
the extra entertainment not supplied
in the contract with Fun Plex. The
group receives donations each year
from the Clifton Board of Education,
the CASA organization (Clifton
Against Substance Abuse), the
Passaic County Board of
Freeholders and the Knights of
Columbus of St. Philips parish.
Nicole (CHS 2002) and Sean Cefalo at their wedding, Aug. 14, 2010. At left,Maryann’s husband Joe, daughter Jessica (CHS 2006) with Joe and Maryann.
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 75
Register now for July & AugSummer Camp!
Cornett has a core group of about
15-20 volunteers who, like herself,
have served as chaperones every
year for Project Graduation, some
also beyond the years that their chil-
dren are in school. But each year, she
spends a good deal of time calling
around to recruit the additional chap-
erones needed for the number of
graduates attending, usually about
400-450 kids, roughly three-quarters
of the class.
“I love the night and so do the
other chaperones,” Cornett said. “I
guess that’s why so many keep com-
ing back every year. It’s great to see
these kids have so much fun togeth-
er one last time. Some of them have
known each other since elementary
school and they may not see each
other much ever again.”
She and the other members of her
committee also hope that attending
Project Graduation will help the
graduates to realize that they can
have a good time without the use of
alcohol and drugs.
Cornett fits her Project
Graduation activities around her
busy schedule as a full- time nurse at
the Passaic County Elks Cerebral
Palsy High School on Main Ave. She
began working for the program nine
years ago after spending several
years doing per diem work and as a
substitute nurse for the Clifton
Public Schools while her children
were young. She took the position
instead of returning to work in a hos-
pital because it enabled her to main-
tain the same schedule as her chil-
dren and to be there for them after
school and during the summers.
After this year, she is hoping to
turn the reigns of the Project
Graduation committee over to one of
the other parents who has been
actively involved, but will probably
stay on as a chaperone for the event.
“I think it’s about time,” she said.
Cornett is also a certified Red
Cross water safety instructor and
volunteers her time giving swim-
ming lessons and conducting water
aerobics classes for adults at the
Clifton Boys & Girls Club.
Her three children continue to
make her and her husband proud.
The oldest, Nicole, is now 27,
married and a senior world program
manager for Novartis, while attend-
ing Seton Hall School of Law part-
time. Jessica, 23, works in the fash-
ion and design field, and Joseph, 20,
is studying to be a diesel technician.
If you would like to volunteer for
the Project Graduation committee or
make a donation to the program, call
Maryann Cornett at 973-779-5678.
“I love the night and so do the other chaperones. I guess that’s why so many keep coming back every year.”
1232
Benjamin Moore Paints and much more...
Able Hardware745 Van Houten Ave.
973.773.4997Mon.-Fri. till 7pm
Sat. till 5pm
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 76
Come see us and save on:
• Carpet
• Vinyl
• Linoleum
• Wood
• Cork
• Laminates
• Runners
• Refinishing
HONEST LOWPRICING!THE HOME OF SAVINGS SINCE 1927
Clifton High School stu-dents know him as theMustang weatherman,
the affable senior who gives the
daily forecast on the CAST morn-
ing news. Those in Allwood know
him as the young man behind the
counter of Barry’s Bagel and Deli,
at the intersection of Brighton Rd.
and Market St.
Thus, it is obvious CHS Student
of the Month Sufian Mahmoud is a
young man of many talents and
hobbies. So when he meets a
reporter he explains his real pas-
sion happens to be... teeth?
CHS STUDENT OF THE MONTH
By Joe Hawrylko
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 77
CHS STUDENT OF THE MONTH
“Ever since I was young, I loved
going to the dentist,” he admitted.
“It’s kind of strange, but any time I
had a loose tooth, I would go run
and ask my mom to take me to the
dentist or try doing it myself.”
In the Fall, Mahmoud will attend
Rutgers/Newark to study chemistry,
with the strategy of moving on to a
NJ dental school after completing
his four year Bachelor’s degree.
But at college and beyond, it will
be the experiences, work ethic and
life lessons he learned from his
father, Billy, and in the CHS Cast
program that help him succeed.
“I learned a lot from my dad’s
business,” said Mahmoud, who
comes in after work and starts his
weekends off at 8 am in the shop.
“Customers are the main thing
for running a business,” he contin-
ued. “If you don’t please the cus-
tomer, the customer won’t come
back and the business won’t run.”
While he spends Saturdays and
Sundays at the bagel shop,
Wednesday nights are reserved for
broadcasts of the Board of
Education meetings.
It shouldn’t come as much sur-
prise that Mahmoud would jump at
the opportunity for more challeng-
ing work in the CAST, where he’s
been a member of the crew for the
past three years.
“I brought up the idea to Mr.
(Mike) McCunney,” he recalled of
his proposal to the CAST teacher.
“I told him we have a weather seg-
ment that we wanted to do.
Eventually, they chose me and
pulled out the green screen. I did it
and from my first time I got it right,
perfect.”
According to Mahmoud, he and
the CAST team base the production
off of real weather forecasts. Each
morning, he wakes up to research
the day’s forecast, bringing the
information to school. There,
Mahmoud and his classmates coor-
dinate to generate visuals to enhace
his presentation.
The segment has become the fea-
tured part of the CAST morning
news. Mahmoud’s personal high-
light from his third year in the pro-
gram was having the school’s first
live air segment conducted outside.
“I used to not really like being in
front of the camera, but I ended up
loving it,” admitted Mahmoud, who
previously spent most of his time
helping out with the production in
CAST. “I got a lot of feedback
from teachers and friends who told
me they love it.”
And if the dentist stuff does not
work out, Mahmoud may have a
shot at being a lawyer: “To con-
clude my CAST experience, I
looked over the Music and Video
Copyright Laws and found a loop-
hole that allows our program to
play any type of media on air.”
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 78
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 79
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 80
Mike Szwec ....................... 5/1Samantha Cruz................... 5/2Jessica Perez ...................... 5/2Jordan Lynn Bykowsky......... 5/3Maria DeGraaf................... 5/3Julia Komarczyk.................. 5/3Margie Maloney................. 5/3Thomas Zangara ................ 5/3John Anderson Jr................. 5/4Spencer Flynn..................... 5/4Russell Courtney.................. 5/6Vanessa Laine Montesano.... 5/6Mary Domyon .................... 5/7Margie Hatala.................... 5/7Dorothy Alburo ................... 5/8Terry Capilli........................ 5/8Alexandra Homsany ........... 5/8
Rory Houston...................... 5/8Frank Lo Gioco................... 5/8David Peter Mosciszko ........ 5/8Matthew Nagy ................... 5/8Hector Perez....................... 5/8Christine Siluk..................... 5/8Thomas Steranko ................ 5/8Petey Pathos ....................... 5/9Ray Zang........................... 5/9Gianna Carmela Musleh ... 5/10Jessica Camp ................... 5/12Rebecca DeChellis ............ 5/11Joe De Liberto................... 5/12Michael Lonison................ 5/12Donna De Liberto.............. 5/13Myrt Petty......................... 5/13Jeff Reilly .......................... 5/13
Michael Zawicki ............... 5/13Chuck Amucka ................. 5/14Alice De Liberto ................ 5/14Dorothy Brown ................. 5/15Earl Grosser Jr. ................. 5/15Victoria Leja ..................... 5/15Fred Gurtman................... 5/16Mark McGuire.................. 5/16Rosemary Canavan........... 5/17John Hawrylko.................. 5/17Vick Ascencio................... 5/18Jamie Antal ...................... 5/18Michele D’Amico .............. 5/18Walter Hryckowian........... 5/18Mariana Pineda................ 5/18Becky Kuter ...................... 5/19Jennifer Mulick.................. 5/20Ken Bender ...................... 5/21Joe Murolo ....................... 5/21Matthew Palladino ............ 5/21
Birthday wishes to Glory Read who turned 86 on May 8. Alexandra Maria Jarosewich was welcomedto the world on on April 21. Marcin and Kathy Krynski celebrate their 9th anniversary on May 1.
Birthdays & CelebrationsSend dates & [email protected]
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 81
Birthday wishes to Glory Read who turned 86 on May 8. Alexandra Maria Jarosewich was welcomedto the world on on April 21. Marcin and Kathy Krynski celebrate their 9th anniversary on May 1.
1036
Belated congratulations toTheresa and Dan Murolo
who celebrated their 10thWedding Anniversary onMarch 16.
Gia Camille Genardi
turns 11 on May 2!
Kage Lord ...................... 5/22Danah Alburo ................ 5/23Jessica Bielen ................. 5/23MaryEllen Krattinger ....... 5/23Michele Perez ................ 5/23Donald Lopuzzo ............. 5/24Michael Santosuosso....... 5/24Brittney Abell.................. 5/25Olivia Hryckowian........... 5/25Connie Paladino............. 5/25Derek Bykowsky ............. 5/26Alyssa Dalbo.................. 5/26Kaylee Pinter .................. 5/26Jonathan Rideg............... 5/26Fred Antes...................... 5/27Steve Bielen ................... 5/27Kyle J. Magaster............. 5/27David J. Ricca ................ 5/28Anthony Alcalde............. 5/29Valerie Gancarz ............. 5/29Anthony DeSomma......... 5/30Rachel Gergats............... 5/31Christopher Ramirez ....... 5/31Christopher Smith ........... 5/31Logan Thompson ............ 5/31
May 2011 • Clifton Merchant 82
GRAND OPENING!
MAD CA$H PRIZE$!
NO, REALLY! We’re giving one lucky customer
ONE YEAR OF FREE FROZEN YOGURT!*
(*up to $1,000 maximum)
• Low Fat Frozen Yogurts• Non-Fat Frozen Yogurts• No Sugar Added / Non-Fat Frozen Yogurts• Low Fat Ice Creams• No Sugar Added / Non-Fat Ice Creams• Sherbets• Gluten-Free Products Available• Shakes / Malts / Frozen Coffee Drinks
Sundaes / Banana Splits / Parfaits• BOBO’S Very Own “Twister”
(soft-serve with your choice of toppings blended in)• Fresh Cakes & Pies made daily in-store.
Special orders always welcome!• Watch for additional NEW ITEMS • Serving Kosher Certified Products
Get one ticket for every whole dollar you spend before taxes from 11am to 10 pm, or until we run out of tickets. Winners to be drawn at closing, and announced / contacted the next day. Grand Prize: One year free frozen yogurt (up to $1,000 maximum).
Other prizes include: two $100 Gift Cards, and ten $10 Gift Cards
1376 Clifton Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07012 (In the Richfield Shopping Center)
973-779-8229MONDAY, MAY 16, 2011Ribbon-Cutting / Doors Open at 11 a.m.
COMING SOON!Gift Cards ~ Loyalty Card Program
(The more you buy, the more you earn!)
Stop in for your chance to win, and see the same
smiling friendly faces you’ve come to know &
love... or at least like a lot!
GRAND OPENING!GRAND OPENING!GRAND OPENING!
GRAND OPENING!GRAND OPENING!GRAND OPENING!GRAND OPENING!
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M
M
MAD CA$H
MON AYY, MAYY,AADD
H PRIZE$!
YY 16, 2 11110026AA
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• Low Fat Frow Fat Frow Fat Frow Fat Frow Fat Frow Fat Frozen ozen ozen ozen ozen ow Fat Frow Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Frozen ozen ozen ozen ozen • Non-Fat Fr• Non-Fat Fr• No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar Added / Non-Fat Frdded / Non-Fat Frdded / Non-Fat Frdded / Non-Fat Fr• Low Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Creamseamsow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Cr
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ow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Crow Fat Ice Creams• No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar • No Sugar dded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice CrA• Sherbets• Sherbets• Sherbets• Sherbets• Sherbets• Sherbets• Sherbets• Sherbets• Sherbets• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Free Pree Pree Pree Products oducts ee Pree Pr• Gluten-Fr• Gluten-Fr• Shakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / Fr
Sundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / Par• BOBOBO’O’S V Verery wn “Twn “TOer V
• Fresh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storFrFrSpecial orSpecial orSpecial orSpecial orSpecial orSpecial orSpecial orSpecial orders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!Special orSpecial or
• Watch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional Natch for additional N• W• W• Ser• Ser• Ser• Serving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cerving Kosher Cer• Ser
eamseamseamsdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Creamseamseamseamseamsdded / Non-Fat Ice Crdded / Non-Fat Ice Cr
oducts oducts oducts oducts oducts vailablevailablevailablevailablevailablevailablevailablevailablevailableAAShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / Frozen Cofozen Cofozen Cofozen Cofozen Cofozen Cofozen Coffee Drinksfee Drinksfee Drinksfee Drinksfee Drinksfee Drinksfee Drinksfee Drinksfee Drinksfee Drinksozen Cofozen CofShakes / Malts / FrShakes / Malts / FrSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParSundaes / Banana Splits / ParfaitsfaitsfaitsfaitsfaitsSundaes / Banana Splits / Par
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esh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-store. e. e. esh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storesh Cakes & Pies made daily in-storders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!ders always welcome!
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s to be um).
Tomahawk Promotions
1288 Main Avenue
Clifton, NJ 07011
PRSRT STDUS Postage
PAIDPATERSON, NJPERMIT NO. 617
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