Autumn Years Fall 2023

publisher’s letter

T ime flies when you are having fun.” A cliché statement, but a statement so true! This fall my husband Sean and I are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. Throughout my life I would hear this statement every so often, and I have to say it must be true since the past 30 years have flown by. Sean and I have had a lot of adventures together, one of the biggest was raising our two amazing children (yes I am a little biased!). In the blink of an eye I have a 23-year-old daughter and 26-year-old son. Thinking back 30 years ago, I couldn’t imagine what would lie ahead. And of course who would have imagined creating a magazine celebrating life over 55 that is currently in its tenth year! I look back over all the adventures we have had together and look forward to all that are yet to come over the next 30+ years. And now to the present. Our cover feature is a remarkable woman who has had a diverse life and career. Rabbi Ziona Zelazo shares her story, which began in Israel over 70 years ago and her personal journey that led to the United States and a life filled with new insights and new learning. There was a time not that long ago when going to the movies was the highlight of a night out with friends and family; in fact, my first date with my husband was going to the Westwood Theater. In this issue, Tim Adriance spotlights Bergen County movie theaters over the past 100+ years. It’s the first of a two-parter that provides not only an overview of our earliest theaters but some of the early films that were shot right here as well. Yankees or Mets? That’s the big question if you’re a baseball fan living in this part of the world. Meet Paul Semendinger, a man of many talents and accomplishments but whose love of the New York Yankees makes answering that question a no-brainer. Planning a vacation? Why not look beyond traditional locations and consider philan tourism, something I never knew about until Brian Mackay of Cruise Planners brought it to our attention. Visiting less traveled countries and experiencing their culture and diversity will not only provide a memorable trip but will also help to support the economic development of these off-the-radar destinations. Check out the six countries Brian has highlighted. Before I close, I want to congratulate Bonnie O’Brien and her team from Transition Professionals Re-entry Services, which was featured in our Summer issue. The organiza tion recently received a $947,000 grant from the State of New Jersey, Department of Labor, enabling it to provide training and employment to more than 200 people recently released from incarceration and/or currently on probation. The grant will help ensure they will be placed in sustainable living wage positions leading to successful and satisfying careers. Our best to all involved. Heidi

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CELEBRATING LIFE OVER 55

Your cover feature on Glenn Corbett was very interesting and a real eye-opener. It’s remarkable to learn once again that our county holds such an amazing and versatile group of residents. Glenn’s work is so note worthy, especially as we continue to hear on the news about fires break ing out in homes and businesses across the region. Thank you, Glenn, for your commitment to keeping us safe and to your magazine for sharing his story with us. –Barry Feller decades but have never been there and never knew its amazing history. After reading about it, we visited the town and walked through the Closter Nature Center. A great article and a great community. –Jeri Lopessi came with my wife and I to your expo in May. The exhibitors were very friendly and helpful, the loca tion was enjoyable and the band that played during lunch was ter rific. All in all, we had a great time and are looking forward to your next event. And I should add that my visitors wished they had an expo like yours to attend back home. –Pete Furillo Just wanted to let you know that my family visiting from the West Coast Closter, known as the “Historic hub of the Northern Valley,” embodies what we think of as small-town America. A munici pality since 1904, Closter covers just over three square miles. Historically, it was a large unde fined region between the Hud son and Hackensack rivers that roughly extended as far south as Englewood and as far north as Tappan, New York. Closter gets its name from the Dutch, who named the isolated location Klooster (which trans lates as “a quiet place, a monas tery or cloister”). Over time, the name was anglicized to Closter. Thanks for your article on Closter. We’ve lived in Bergen County for

Rich in History and Town Spirit By Tim Adriance CLOSTER

SUMMER 2023 I AUTUMN YEARS 45

FALL 2023 I AUTUMN YEARS 1