Clifton Merchant January 2012

From the Editor

4 January 2012 Clifton Merchant

New Year, New Look

Like so many of the businesses which we have written about over our 17 years, it is time to freshen up and make things new. Over the past few months, we have been experimenting with color and different papers. With this edition you will notice all our pages are now printed on a high quality, white recycled newsprint. This allows us to publish our photographs in color, making better use of this pallette which we present to you the first Friday of every month. Additionally, we are creating a website at www.cliftonmerchant.com. There you will find a portfolio of 185 covers dating back to the first edition of this magazine, which began in October, 1995. We hope you enjoy these innovations and invite you to share your comments or suggestions on how to make our magazine even better. As always, thanks to our readers and advertisers for their continued support and trust. Tom Hawrylko

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Clifton Merchant January 2012

Community Comments

Takes on the Economy

Keith Krehel, Krehel Automotive Repair/Snowbusters Ask Krehel about the economy and hell tell you that federal and state regulations are making it tougher to do business at his Paulison Ave. location. When we expanded our building we were going to add solar. But when the bids came in, the job basically doubled in price due to prevailing wage issues. I think that if politicians are serious about improving the condition for business, they would make New Jersey a Right-to-Work state. Lucy Diaz, The Kings Party House We are open three nights a week until 10 pm and that tells you something, said Diaz of her Main Ave. store. People are having more parties at home and that is a good indicator too. But the fact remains is that I am lucky. I have a full time job with the state and the two incomes combined are a real blessing.

Johnny Penkalsky, Johnnys Bar Penkalsky, also Preisdent of the Historic Botany SID, said he hopes the government would give incentives to bring back industry. His Botany Village tavern depended on those factory workers. With my end of the business in catering, you lose all that with those companies gone. Those companies used to have retirement dinners, family parties, all that down here. But that stuff has dwindled.
6 January 2012 Clifton Merchant

If signs being sold and fabricated by Sign*A*Rama on Van Houten Ave. are an indicator of the economy, then Mike Placko said 2012looksbright. We opened a second location, hiredtwoservicetechsandfulltime fabricators to be able to keep up with our work load, said Placko. His fabrication shop in Cliftons industrial section allows him to controlhisproductfromconceptto manufacturing to installation. At our Van Houten Ave. store, we added a sales person and our three designersarebusyallday. Plackos business can certainly bemeasuredbyhisinstallationsand he sees many new entrepreneurs investingintheirdreams.The2001 CHSgrad should know. He made his own early start, buying the nationalfranchisewhenhewas22.

Mike Placko, pictured at right, owner of Sign*A*Rama on Van Houten Ave., said things are looking up. He is pictured with Russell John, a new salesman for the firm.

Clifton Merchant January 2012

Community Comments
John A. Celentano Jr., Clifton Savings
Here are two examples of excessive government regulations on community banks likes ours that should have been directed at the 20 big banks that caused our nations financial mess, said Celentano, Chair and CEO of Clifton Savings Bancorp, Inc. We have one of the lowest records for non performing loans and we have always been well capitalized. But the government comes along and make us hire a risk manager. Next it was a compliance officer to document that we comply with their regs to ensure higher percentage of capital. Both those things we were already doing. Community banks did not cause this mess but we are being penalized. It's wild. Celentano sees another area where politicians should be involved but are not. Government has made it easy to shift jobs overseas. What it should do is tax those companies for the profit they make on that cheap labor. That would be an incentive for these firms to hire people in our country, creating jobs here in the USA. Jobs here will grow our economy.

Nick Tselepis, Nicholas Real Estate

Great rates and inventory make 2012 the year of the buyer. Theres a definite improvement in the market, said Tselepis. Buyers who waited for rock bottom prices know now is the time to buy. Theyve been talking about interest rate increase. If people dont take advantage in 2012, they may end up kicking themselves.

Bob Foster, Boys & Girls Club

For non-profits, 2012 may prove to be a time for greater need in terms of service but lean when it comes to raising funds. Its not so much the enrollment numbers as it is the grants, explained Bob Foster, CB&GC Executive Director. The non-profit relies heavily on contributions, which have been cut during the recession. Theres no state money or local money. The New Jersey Three Corporation was a public and state venture for the after school program we had in School 17. The state pulled all the money for it. Its done. Corporate funding is down, state and local funding is down and individual donations are down.

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8 January 2012 Clifton Merchant

Frank Carlet, real estate attorney

Recognized as one of Cliftons go-to attorneys for land use laws, Carlet said that new development has stalled this past year, a trend he doesnt see changing due to a few factors. The economy and lack of any vacant land in Clifton, explained the founding partner of Carlet, Garrison, Klein & Zaretsky. In the past, developers had torn down abandoned industrial buildings to make way for new commercial developments. We dont have any big industries. Theyre all down
Fernando Davila and Judith Fabero areoptimisticandfeelthere isamarketforsmallbusinesseslike theirs.  Their quiet and relaxing La Guitarra Cafe at 1159 Main Ave., opens at 7 am six days a week to offerbreakfastandlunchtoworkers in local firms.  On Friday and Saturdaynights,LaGuitarraisopen late for live music and open mic. Visitors can relax in their lounge, performmusicorreadpoetry. Downtown Clifton is great.  Its busy and diverse with so many cars passingby.Withourloungeandgood food,wethinkwecanmakeitwork. Thats why we added the evening hours,saidFabero.

now. If you drive down Rt. 3, except for Roche, everything else is filled and theyre not industrial. Theyre all commercial. Even in other districts of the city, the situation is the same. Its been very quiet. Business has been very slow. Theres no place left to build, added Carlet. Instead, he expects new businesses to utilize and retro fit existing space rather than demolishing and starting from scratch as was done in the past.

Fernando Davila and Judith Fabero recently opened La Guitarra Cafe at 1159 Main Ave. During the day, the cafe opens at 7 am and offers breakfast and lunch. On Friday and Saturday nights, La Guitarra features live music and open mic sessions.

Clifton Merchant January 2012

Year in Review

Faces& Events of

2011

A look back in photos at 2011... Top: On Jan. 27, Clifton residents woke up to an estimated 19 inches of snow, with snow drifts towering much higher. Hannah and Lukas Kulesa are pictured on top of one of the drifts in front of Able Hardware, which their family owns. Middle left: Two girls cheer on competitors at the Knights of Columbus Tank Pull Event which took place on June 26 on Clifton Ave. April Student of the Month Antonio Palomba. Taras Petryshyn, a fifth grade teacher at School 8, was profiled in October. Participants in the Knights of Columbus Tank Pull.

10 January 2012 Clifton Merchant

Above: Preparing for the 7th annual Locks of Love cutathon at Christopher Columbus Middle School are 6th grader Aseeal Yasin and teacher Lisa Poggi who plan on donating their hair on May 2, 2012. Top right: Amanda Marakovitz, Melaina Oliveras, Kinnery Chaudhari, Gabriela Punales and Jenna Vallo, featured in the Sept. story, Growing from 9/11. Below: Ray Lil, and his grandchild at the 13th Annual Family Super Bowl Party on Feb. 6. Halloween 2011 came a day late due to a snow storm.

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Clifton Merchant January 2012

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Year in Review

Santa Claus visits the Passaic County Elks CP Center on Main Ave. Dec. 10. Shaban Magdi Eldomiaty in Egypt during the Arab Spring revolution, who is profiled in our October edition. Left, Assemblyman Thomas Giblin hosted a legislative breakfast on Dec. 14. Among those attending include Terri Duda from Berkeley College, Giblin, Attorney Angelo C. Morresi, Passaic County Economic Development Director Deborah Hoffman, as well as Andrew Musick and Frank Robinson of the NJ Business & Industry Association.

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CHS Commencement on June 27. The howling winds and pouring rain of Hurricane Irene may have caused chaos and mayhem elsewhere in the state, but it was not enough to stop the wedding of Ryan and Sharon Meltzer who stood before the rabbi on Aug. 26,

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Clifton Merchant January 2012

13

Year in Review

In the early morning hours of Nov. 6, the Clifton Fire Dept. received a call for that a fire had trapped a family inside of an Elmwood Dr. home. Firefighters from Station 2which was nearly closed just a few years agoresponded in just one minute, and quickly saved a 10 year old boy from the blaze. Those who responded are above, from left: Jason McGurk, Daniel Hertel, Steven Turi, Kenneth Prior, Thomas Tafro, Deputy Chief Leopold Loder, Jr. and Lt. William Ricci.

From May 9-12, they bicycled from Clifton to Washington DC as part of the Police Unity tour: Brian Fopma, Richard DiBello, Robert Bais, Randy Colondres, John Kavakich, David Kishbaugh and Tom Hawrylko. For details or to be a sponsor of the 2012 event, call Hawrylko at 973-253-4400.

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14 January 2012 Clifton Merchant

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Clifton Merchant January 2012

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Year in Review

The Hawks, coached by Jesse Hasting and Joe Hawrylko, participated in the Fall Clifton Stallions Rec League, now in its second year at the new Athenia Steel Park. Neal Goldenberg holds a small turbine manufactured at Polymer Technologies on Clifton Blvd.

16 January 2012 Clifton Merchant