Summer 2014 - Hackensack RIVERKEEPER

Summer 2014, Volume X VII, Issue 2
HackensackRIVERKEEPER®is the independent, non-governmental advocate for the Hackensack River.
Anatomy of America’s Worst Superfund Site
Diamond Shamrock’s self-serving decisions led to a legacy of death and destruction.
By Christopher Len
On Friday, April 11, 2014 the
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Region 2 announced a
proposed remedy for the Diamond Alkali Superfund site on
the Passaic River in Newark. The
Diamond Alkali site now stretches
seventeen miles from Newark Bay
to the Dundee Dam near Garfield,
NJ. EPA has proposed bank-tobank dredging of the lower 8 miles
of the river to remove a variety of
hazardous substances, including
PCBs, mercury, DDT and other
pesticides and heavy metals.
The most pervasive and
dangerous contaminant, however
is dioxin, which was a byproduct
and contaminant of Agent Or-
ange produced by the Diamond
Shamrock Chemicals Company
on Lister Avenue in Newark. The
Agent Orange manufacturing process produced dioxin as a byproduct that polluted the Passaic River
and much of the Ironbound section
of Newark, and as a contaminant
contributed to countless cancers
in American servicemembers and
continued on page 3
Regional Blue Crab Advisory Goes Multilingual
A good move but enforcement remains virtually nonexistent.
By Hugh M. Carola
In the late 1990s during Governor Whitman’s administration,
the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released
the results of a multi-year study
of Blue Crabs found in the Newark Bay Complex (lower Hackensack and Passaic Rivers, New
Jersey segments of the Kill Van
Kull and Arthur Kill, and the bay
itself). The results showed such
elevated levels of dioxin, hexavalent chromium and mercury that
the state banned crabbing in all of
the affected waterways. Then, as
now, crabbing there is illegal and
subject to a fine of up to $3,000.
By 1999 “Do Not Catch – Do
Not Eat” signs in English, Spanish
& Portuguese began showing up
along those waterways. Our organization secured a grant to work
with community groups in Bayonne, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark and Passaic to inform residents
of the dangers of consuming crabs
(and finfish as well) from local
waters. For the three years of the
grant’s timeline we did our part
– not just in those communities,
but whenever and wherever we
Inside
At the Helm
2
Real Science
4
Eco-Cruise on the Passaic River 8
Reservoir Paddle Series
9
Reservoir Challenge Wrapup 10
EarthFest12
spoke to the
public. We
still do.
But
once the
initial
fanfare was
over, the
attention
of the DEP and NJ
Department of Health & Senior
Services moved on to other concerns in other parts of the state.
And what of the people whose
continued on page 7
Summer SPLASH
World Series of Birding
Watershed Field Notes
American Redstart
Vellencamp Scholarship
Volunteer Corner
Ambassador’s Update
13
14
16
18
19
20
22
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 2 m
l
e
H
e
h
t
t
A
231 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601-7304
A word from
Captain Bill
Our Advocacy Watch Never Sleeps
Greetings from the helm! You
have no idea how happy we are to
be on the water after such a long
winter/spring. Let me begin with
a quick recap: Over the weekend
of April 26-27 we kicked off our
2014 outdoor season with our
first-ever EarthFest Overpeck
(see page 12). Over 2,500 people,
fifty exhibitors and four bands
joined us at that official Bergen
County Earth Day celebration. The
weekend also marked the opening
of our Overpeck Kayak Center
and the Fifteenth Anniversary of
our Paddling Center at Laurel Hill
County Park in Secaucus.
In June we completed two
other special outdoor events: our
sixth annual Reservoir Challenge
in Haworth and our fourth annual
SPLASH event; the latter featuring a major canoe-borne River
Cleanup in Secaucus and Lyndhurst. And that’s not the half of it.
In our efforts to return public
access to the river, we’re adding
four new stops on the Hackensack
River Paddle Trail this year: Mill
Creek Point Park in Secaucus; and
16th Street, Rutkowski, and Ahern
Parks in Bayonne. In addition to
canoe & kayak put-ins, each stop
will include wayfinding and informational signage. When complete,
the trail will provide seventeen
access points along nearly twentythree miles of the lower Hackensack River and Newark Bay from
Bayonne north to Oradell.
Speaking of access, construction will soon begin at Laurel Hill
on the long-planned Riverfront
Promenade. The 900-foot boardwalk will include fishing access
throughout its length and be
ADA-accessible. Funding for the
project came as a direct result of
Hackensack Riverkeeper’s successful litigation against Honeywell International. The corporation
is currently engaged in the final
phase of its cleanup of chromium
pollution in Jersey City – a project
expected to cost them upwards of
$2 billion – and has contributed
$2.5 million to Hudson County for
continued on page 23
Phone:
(201) 968-0808
Fax:
(201) 968-0336
Hotline: 1-877-CPT-BILL
[email protected]
www.hackensackriverkeeper.org
Board of Trustees
Ivan Kossak, CPA, President
Robert Ceberio, Vice President
Rob Gillies, Secretary
Dr. Beth Ravit, Treasurer
Susan Gordon
Virginia Korteweg
Frank Massaro
Kelly G. Palazzi
Ellie Spray
Margaret Utzinger
Nancy Wysocki
Honorary Trustees
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
William “Pat” Schuber
Executive Director
Captain Bill Sheehan,
Hackensack Riverkeeper
HRI Staff
Hugh Carola, Program Director
Jodi Jamieson, Project Manager
Chris Len, Staff Attorney
Mary Knight, Operations Director
Joanna Marino, Outreach Coordinator
Chris Marinello, Watershed Ambassador
Jodi Jamieson, Managing Editor
Hugh Carola, Copy Editor
We gladly accept submissions of articles,
photography and advertisements from
the community; however, we retain editorial discretion. We do not necessarily endorse any individual or company whose
advertisements are found in these pages.
Hackensack Tidelines
is published quarterly
on recycled paper.
Riverkeeper is a registered trademark and
service mark of Riverkeeper, Inc. and is
licensed for use herein.
Waterkeeper is a registered trademark and
service mark of Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc.
and is licensed for use herein.
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Worst Superfund Site
continued from page 1
Vietnamese citizens exposed to
the herbicide.
On June 18, 2014 the Wall
Street Journal published a story
stating that the Occidental Chemical
Corporation, the corporate successor
to Diamond Shamrock, has proposed using bacteria to remove contamination from the river sediment.
The experimental bioremediation
would be far more uncertain – and
far less costly for the company.
It is important to remember,
then, just how the river became
polluted. This was not a mistake or
an accident; nor was the contamination of the Agent Orange with
dioxin an unavoidable outcome of
its manufacture. Rather, Diamond
Shamrock systematically – some
would say criminally – made
decisions that maximized profits
but also maximized the threat to
human and environmental health.
In June of 1992, the New Jersey Appellate Division decided a
dispute between Diamond Shamrock and its insurers. The quotes
below are taken verbatim from the
court decision, explaining what
Diamond Shamrock did and did
not do that lead to so much harm.
Where the court refers to TCP, it is
talking about 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, the primary active
ingredient in Agent Orange.
• Diamond knowingly and routinely discharged contaminants over
a period of 18 years. The judge
determined that Diamond knew
“the nature of the chemicals it
was handling,” knew that “they
were being continuously discharged into the environment,”
and knew that “they were doing
at least some harm.”
Diamond Shamrock Chemicals Co. v. Aetna
Cas. & Sur. Co., 258 N.J. Super. 167, 211,
609 A.2d 440, 461 (App. Div. 1992)
Page 3
• We recognize that we should not
judge Diamond’s conduct from
the vantage point of twentytwenty hindsight. The critical fact
remains, however, that Diamond
knew it was dealing with a toxic
substance. Perhaps it was not
aware of the exact extent of the
dangerous consequences emanating from its polluting activity. However, we cannot ignore
reality by accepting the blithe
assurance of Diamond that it did
not intend to injure others. The
evidence abounds the other way.
Id. at 215
T
hey caused uncounted victims
years of health problems, they
robbed the Passaic River from Newark, they caused billions of dollars
of environmental harm so they could
make more money and for no other
reason. Shed no tears for them.
• In the Autumn of 1959, Diamond’s representative, Thorton
Holder, offered a two-step process by which dioxins could be
eliminated, or at least reduced,
in the manufacturing process.
Despite specific preventive recommendations, Diamond made
a conscious decision to run the
autoclave, in which chemicals
were processed into TCP, at a
higher temperature than suggested by Holder. The reason for
its decision is obvious. When the
temperature in the autoclave was
reduced, the reaction time was
prolonged, resulting in a decrease in the volume of production. The general rule was that
a reduction in temperature of
ten degrees reduced the reaction
time by 50%. The only conclu-
sion to be drawn is that Diamond’s management was wholly
indifferent to the consequences
flowing from its decision. Profits
came first. Id. at 212-13
• Almost from the day production of the phenoxy herbicides
commenced, Diamond’s workers
experienced a skin disease called
chloracne. Chloracne was characterized by Diamond’s corporate medical official, Dr. William
York, as a “serious ... very disfiguring social disability.” It was
clear that by June 1955, Diamond, though not certain of the
specific cause of the chloracne,
was aware that something in its
chemical processing to which its
workers were exposed resulted
in this inflammation. Id. at 182
• Diamond was advised to reduce
air contamination, and to insist
on both personal and plant
cleanliness. Specific recommendations for reducing the level
of worker exposure to the toxic
substance included the covering of conveyor belts, installing
spouts through which liquid or
powder went into cans or bags
with suction around them to
prevent spillage, channeling
the chemical liquid overflow
to pipes, not open gutters, and
using the least toxic solvents
for cleaning. As testimony from
plant employees at trial graphically demonstrated, however,
these suggestions were either
ignored or poorly implemented.
Id. at 182
• Contaminants, including dioxin
from the TCP process, were
regularly vented directly into the
atmosphere from the autoclave
and another piece of equipment, the anisole drop tank. In a
deposition, James Worthington,
Diamond’s manager of scientific
continued on page 4
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 4 Worst Superfund Site
continued from page 3
services, acknowledged that
dioxin indeed entered the environment through some of the plant’s
air vents. A former Diamond employee, Nicholas Centanni, testified that a grayish cloud of smoke
would come out of the scrubber,
which was attached to the TCP
process building. The cloud of
smoke would flow into the atmosphere but residue from the smoke
would settle on employee cars in
the parking lot causing the paint
“to pit”-to look as if acid had been
thrown on the cars. Id. at 214
• In 1960, a reaction in a TCP
autoclave whose temperature
was “out of control” caused
an explosion which destroyed
the larger of the two process
buildings on Diamond’s Newark property. The building
was reconstructed in 1961 but
thereafter production was limited to phenoxy herbicides. The
old but undamaged chemical
manufacturing building was the
site of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T production along with their esters
and amines. Former Diamond
employees provided graphic
descriptions of the company’s
heedless indifference to the
environmental damage which
resulted from its manufacturing
operations. Id. at 184
• The Agent Orange was always
on the floor; it solidified into
a slippery oil film that made
normal walking impossible. To
move one had to “sort of slide
along” instead of taking steps.
The floor was not cleaned daily.
Rather, every other week or so it
was washed down with sulfuric
acid. As we mentioned previously, the sulfuric acid wash
damaged the concrete floor, turning it to dust. Therefore, every
few years the company installed
a new concrete floor. The floor
was then hosed down and the
water directed into trenches
which ran directly into the river
or into an industrial sewer. However, many times the trenches
would block up, sometimes
by trash, but generally by the
chemical material which would
solidify. The liquid would back
up onto the building floor or
Real Science for Real People
Passaic River Superfund Cleanup
By Dr. Beth Ravit
Last month I had the opportunity to listen to the
EPA presentations (Newark and Kearny) discussing
the proposed cleanup of the Passaic River, home to
the largest designated Superfund site in the country.
The Passaic sediments contain dioxins, PCBs, PAHs,
mercury, copper, and pesticides (DDT, Dieldrin) in
the lower eight miles of the River, where sediments
from bank to bank are contaminated up to a depth of
fifteen feet.
Because the Passaic is the largest Superfund
site, the cleanup will also be the largest Superfund
remediation attempted – more complex than the
Hudson River PCB cleanup now under way. There
are serious questions about how long the Passaic
cleanup activities will take, what the disruption to
local communities and the environment will be, and
where and how the contaminated sediments will be
disposed.
There are three remediation options being considered1 for the lower eight river miles:
1.Remove all sediment contamination
2.Remove some contamination and cap with
sand/rock bank to bank
3.Remove contamination ‘hot spots’ and cap with sand/rock 220 of 650 acres
There are also three options for disposing of the
contaminated sediments:
1.Bury in Newark Bay and cap with sand/rock
2.Dewater and bury off site
3.Recover usable components and dispose of
contamination offsite
The costs associated with the three choices range
from $370 million (Option 3) to over $3 Billion
(Option 1). EPA is recommending Option 2, estimated to cost $1.73 Billion. The Responsible Parties
(a group of 73 companies that were or are engaged
in industrial activities along the Passiac) are arguing
for remediation Option 3. I believe Option 1 should
be selected because the idea of leaving this dangerous contamination in place and capping it to be
problematic for the following reasons:
• Capping (proposed in Options 2 and 3): Although
the name implies a heavily engineered structure,
a ‘Cap’ is actually composed of a layer of rock
covered with sand (total cap depth of 24 inches)
that is placed on top of the contamination and re-
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
spill out of the trenches and onto
the surrounding ground.
Id. at 214-215
• Pipes with caustic material also
ran between the two buildings.
Often the material would freeze.
In order to free the substances,
employees would break and
then steam clean the pipes. The
material steamed from the pipes
would either be released onto
the ground or discharged into the
river. Pipelines along the 2,4,5-T
unit constantly became clogged
with phenol which would seep
into the ground because the
trenches designed to carry the
substance away from the building had been destroyed by acid. Id. at 185
• Aldo Andreini, employed by Di-
Page 5
amond between 1959 and 1969,
explained that he was a formulator who was required to clean
the 10,000 gallon storage tanks
located on the plant site. The
storage tanks contained amine,
butyl-T 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D. The
witness recounted that he would
clean the tanks by shoveling out
the sediment once or twice each
month. The procedure was to
shovel the sediment to someone
outside who was holding a drum
and then the filled drums were to
be carted away. In the process,
both liquid and solid materials
fell off the drum onto the ground
where they would be washed
off. Andreini was also charged
with loading railroad cars with
Diamond’s product. When the
mains in place. This 24 inch cap would need to be
maintained in perpetuity1. This is similar to having
to replenish sand beaches, but the replenishment
would take place underwater after storm damage
or scouring occurs. Since we seem to have trouble
managing simple infrastructure maintenance (such
as keeping storm drains free to prevent flooding)
It’s doubtful that we would perpetually maintain
infrastructure that is underwater and out of sight.
• EPA acknowledged that the proposed capping technology has been in use for about 10 years, so there
is no long-term information or research about how
the proposed cap would perform over longer time
periods. EPA did acknowledge that annual maintenance is required. Three questions arise:
1. Who will pay for and be responsible for annual continual maintenance in perpetuity?
2. What happens when budgets (of whoever is responsible for the maintenance) get tight?
3. Which regulatory authority will be responsible for monitoring performance in perpetuity?
EPA used the argument that the contaminated
sediments should not be buried in Newark Bay and
covered with a cap because the cap would need to be
maintained in perpetuity. I find this argument even
more compelling when considering the possibility
insides of these rail cars were
washed down with water, the effluent would seep onto the tracks
and into the ground. Id. at 185
• A carbon absorption system was
devised and installed in September 1967. The carbon tower
was able to remove dioxin at
or below one part per million.
Nevertheless, Diamond employees acknowledged that monthly
readouts starkly revealed the
inadequacy of this approach.
Indeed, in October 1968 the
level was 8.4 parts per million;
November 1968 was 9.3 parts
per million, and December 1968
was 9.6 parts per million. Diamond’s employees admitted that
“cooking” the TCP in the autocontinued on page 6
Landside cleanup at the Diamond Shamrock site along
the banks of the Passaic River.
of leaving bank to bank contamination with only
24 inches of sand on top and considering the site
‘remediated’. New Jersey has been subjected to more
Superfund contamination than any other state in the
country, it has the largest number of designated Superfund sites, and has seen the inadequate cleanup of the
Ringwood site, which was placed on the Superfund
List a second time after it was supposed to be ‘cleaned
up’. We should not let this happen to the Passaic River
and its communities, which have suffered environmental degradation for too many decades. I hope the
EPA will strongly reconsider their proposed remedy
and choose Option 1.
1
For a complete description of the Passaic Superfund Site, the Proposed Remedies, and Disposal options to to: http://www.epa.gov/region2/passaicriver/
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 6 Worst Superfund Site
continued from page 5
clave at 170 degrees centigrade
occasionally produced TCP
with 80 parts per million dioxin
contamination. Additionally, a
government document entitled
“Herbicide Stock at Gulfport,
Mississippi” indicates that,
of the government’s stockpile
of Agent Orange, the average
dioxin content of the product
manufactured by Diamond was
greater than that of the product
manufactured by the four other
companies whose products were
stored at that location. Id. at 213
• Despite the certain and documented dangers of the dioxin
produced in the TCP process,
Diamond treated this substance
no differently than it treated any
of the nonchloracnegen-containing products. Both the air and
the ground, inside and outside
of the Lister Avenue plant, were
regularly subjected to dioxin
emissions through venting, and
contamination from spills, leaks
and “sloppy practices” in and
Id. at 213
around the plant.
• Overwhelming evidence was
presented that Diamond knew
about the release of dioxins from
its plant and the migration of
these substances to surrounding
Id. at 213
areas.
I have read a lot of court decisions since I started law school
almost fifteen years ago, but I do
not recall ever reading a court
decision so thoroughly and clearly
stating a party’s horrific actions.
We want you to remember these
quotes as you consider whether we
should allow Diamond’s successors
a less expensive, less thorough or
less certain clean up.
They caused uncounted
victims years of health problems,
they robbed the Passaic River
from Newark, they caused billions
of dollars of environmental harm
so they could make more money
and for no other reason. Shed no
tears for them.
Make your voice heard on this
extremely important issue.
Comments on the Proposed Plan
may be submitted in writing
through August 20, 2014
by email to:
PassaicLower8MileComments.
[email protected]
Or mail to:
Alice Yeh,
Remedial Project Manager
USEPA
290 Broadway,
New York, New York 10007-1866
(212) 637-4427
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Crab Advisory
continued from page 3
health the crabbing ban was meant
to safeguard? Sadly, from our perspective it seems like they’ve been
left mostly to fend for themselves.
We at Hackensack Riverkeeper continue to do our part. We
maintain signs along the river and
replace them when needed, reach
to anglers and others, and most
importantly conduct our Urban
Watershed Education Program
(UWEP). Each year that program
educates and informs hundreds
of middle school students who
live within the watersheds of the
Complex to the inherent dangers
of consuming contaminated fish,
crabs and shellfish. Our organization doesn’t have law enforcement
powers but we have the power of
persuasion and truth to help people
live healthier and safer lives.
But enforcement is exactly
what’s needed because education
isn’t persuasive enough. Several
years ago I attended a presentation
by Dr. Angela Cristini of Ramapo
College in which she described
observing people openly crabbing at Stephen Gregg Park in
Bayonne. Such behavior is bad
enough but even worse was that
Dr. Cristini witnessed those same
Page 7
people selling their illegal – and
contaminated – catch to buyers in
the parking lot! Soon afterward I
had the opportunity to bring the
situation to the attention of a DEP
official. His response was, “We
don’t want to go around busting
poor people.” My response to him
was, “So you’d rather they poison
themselves and their children?”
He had nothing to say to that.
In June we learned that the
DEP had translated the 1999 crab
signs into Mandarin, Korean, Polish, Tagalog (Filipino) and Vietnamese and will soon be installing
them alongside the others. While
that is certainly a positive, step
we feel that two others would go
much further. First, use language
that fishermen already understand.
Instead of the text-heavy verbiage
currently in use, simply stating:
“These Waters are CLOSED to
Crabbing and Shellfish Harvesting” makes more sense. Second,
sending state Conservation Officers (who do have full enforcement powers) to Gregg Park and
other illegal crabbing hotspots will
do much more to solve the problem than all the signage combined.
Few things speak louder than a
uniformed CO with a badge on
his chest, a Glock on his hip and a
violations book in his hand.
Illegal crabbing may be the
worst problem, but it’s not the
only one. On any given day at
Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus,
entire families catch large numbers of White Perch and take them
home. While hook-and-line fishing
isn’t prohibited, state advisories
against the consumption of all
finfish (perch included) from local
waters are strong and unequivocal.
In fact, in recent years only the
advisory on Striped Bass has been
lessened – and that only slightly.
Every day Hackensack Riverkeeper works toward the day when
everyone will be able to safely
consume fish – and crabs – from
the river and all waterways of the
NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. But that
day isn’t here yet. And yes, all
of us have the right to enjoy the
bounty of those Public Trust Resources, but that right has been denied by polluters’ greed and the inability of elected officials to make
them pay for what they did – and
still do. So until the message is
made clearer and officers show up
on our waterfronts, we’ll continue
to do all we can to educate and
persuade people to stay healthy so
they and their kids might one day
enjoy our river’s bounty.
Baroan Technologies understands
business and provides guidance based
on your business strategy and workflow.
Baroan Technologies becomes your
“One Point of Contact,” coordinating
and implementing all your
technology solutions.
Baroan Technologies –
helping small business owners manage their information and communications.
Tel: 201-796-0404 www.baroan.com
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 8 Join Us For an Eco-Cruise – on the Passaic River!
You read about it in the Spring issue of Tidelines; here’s how you can do it
Once again Hackensack Riverkeeper is proud to
partner with the City of Newark to offer Eco-Cruises
on the Passaic River from June through October. For
those who have explored the Hackensack and the
Meadowlands with us, seeing the Passaic provides an
amazing juxtaposition of the two urban waterways.
Most trips explore the Newark riverfront from
the mouth of the Passaic at Newark Bay north to the
city’s border with Belleville. Several Port Tours are
also scheduled, all of which include an excursion
(thanks to special permission from the Port Authority)
up the Newark Shipping Channel for close up views
of massive, ocean-going cargo ships.
All trips depart from beautiful Riverfront Park,
located on the Passaic River at Raymond Boulevard,
Newark, NJ. Just look for the “orange sticks”!
Costs: $15 per person / $5 for Newark residents
Join us on Saturday, July 12th from 10am-4pm at
Governors Island, Hoboken’s Maxwell Place Park,
and venues all around our harbor and shores
All trips are conducted on weekends and run two
hours. Here’s the upcoming schedule:
Saturday,
Sunday,
Saturday,
Saturday,
Sunday,
Sunday,
Sunday,
Saturday,
Saturday,
Sunday,
July 5,
July 6,
August 23,
August 30,
August 31,
September 7,
September 14,
September 27,
October 18,
October 19, 10AM and Noon (Port Tour)
2PM and 4PM
10AM and Noon (Port Tour)
10AM and Noon
2PM and 4PM
1PM and 3PM (Port Tour)
11AM and 1PM
10AM and Noon
11AM and 1PM
11AM and 1PM
For reservations, contact Riverfront Program Coordinator Chris Caceres at (201) 341–8311 or email
him at [email protected] with the date
and time of the tour you’d like. Chris coordinates all
the Passaic River trips listed above; he would love to
hear from you – and we would love to introduce you
to the Hackensack’s sister river. See you there!
For complete info about the tours and all waterfront activities at Riverfront Park, please visit: http://
newarksriver.wordpress.com/.
Letters to
HackensackRIVERKEEPER
Dear Captain Bill Sheehan -
I applaude all your efforts over the years to keep the river a
clean and viable river for all to enjoy and treasure.
If only we could convince the public that rivers are not dumping
grounds!
Were I many years younger and stronger to volunteer but that’s
not possible so please accept my small donations.
For more information, or to sign up as a
volunteer, visit www.CityofWaterDay.org
I wish you and your staff and many volunteers the best in their
continued efforts to make the River a thing of Pride.
Most sincerely,
Caroline M. Sutton
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 9
20
Hackensack Riverkeeper and United Water present:
The Second Annual
Corporate Cup Challenge
on beautiful Lake Tappan
Friday, July 25
Arrival: 10:00 AM
Race time:11:00 AM
Lunch:
12:00 PM
Lake Tappan, Washington Avenue North,
Old Tappan, NJ
Spectators welcome!
Lunch will be provided lakeside after the race!
Enter your company to compete against other local firms in an exciting paddle race!
The winner will be awarded the prestigious Corporate Cup!
Half-mile and 1-mile legs (thus the need for 6 team members) –
We encourage having a team of 3 females and 3 males or a minimum 2 females
Requested donation to Hackensack Riverkeeper: $250. Limited availabilty, please register by Friday, July 18.
Lake Tappan
Paddle Day
AF
en
ly Fri
i
m
a
dly Open Day o
f Pa
ddl
e!
Saturday, July 26
Rain Date: Sunday, July 27
Lake Tappan, Washington Avenue North,
Old Tappan, NJ
Rentals AvailableReserve one today!
Registration for both events: www.HackensackRiverkeeper.org or call 201-968-0808
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 10 Sixth Annual Reservoir Challenge Brings out the Best!
By Joanna Marino
The day of the Reservoir Challenge at Oradell
Reservoir started out bright and warm. Volunteers
swarmed to set up tables and chairs, put up banners,
unrack the kayaks, and make sure that everything was
in place for the 5k and 10k races. Eager racers started
arriving that morning for the 9:30AM running start
of the races. The reservoir was flat and calm until
the racers started getting on the water. As soon as the
racers were in position the wind started gusting – putting the real “challenge” in the Reservoir Challenge.
Gerald Kastner finished the 10k race in his specialty
boat in a swift 58 minutes 18 seconds and the 5k race
was completed most quickly by Igor Ioshpa in 33
minutes 37 seconds.
The Mayor’s Cup Race topped off the day’s racing events. Twelve mayors or their delegates took
to the water and tried for victory. It was Mayor Ray
Cywinski of Demarest who once again took the First
Place prize – for the fourth time! Although every-
And they’re off! This year began with a running start.
Our tandems provide
family fun and years
of bragging rights.
Or relax, kickback and enjoy an afternoon guided paddle.
photos © Chris Trento
This year featured women’s categories.
10K winner Debra Anderson (c) and 5K winner
Maureen McDowell (r).
one agrees that New Milford Mayor Ann Subrizi’s
delegate – Councilman Diego Robalino – with his red
wig swept the “Best in Show” category.
Rosie’s Weenie Wagon provided fun lunch fare
with her original gourmet hot dogs. The kimchi hot
dog was delish! The Joisey Devils entertained us with
their high-energy cover songs and ushered us into the
guided paddle portion of the day.
This event is a unique opportunity for all participants to enjoy the beautiful Oradell Reservoir which
is normally off-limits to paddlers. If you missed it
this year be sure to join us next year for your opportunity to experience this gem in our watershed.
We’d like to thank United Water, Charlie Browns,
Bank of New Jersey, Grand Dynamics International,
Hackensack University Medical Center, Rosie’s
Weenie Wagon, and The Coachworks for their
support of the Reservoir Challenge. And a special
thanks to the Emergency Services of Bergen County,
Haworth and Oradell for keeping us safe.
Winners of the mens’ divisions show off their medals in a line up with the captain.
The ladies of United Water enjoy
the day and cheer on the paddlers.
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Mayor’s Cup Challenge
First
Second
Third
Demarest Mayor
Ray Cywinski
Westwood Mayor
John Birkner, Jr.
Bergenfield Mayor
Norman Schmelz
Mayor Ray Cwinski is no stranger to this
race. He is a four-time winner of the
Mayor’s Cup. And it’s only our 6th season.
Come on mayors...it’s time to start training.
Page 11
Reservoir Challenge 5K Winners
Race
Race
Number
Specialty
# 216
SK1-Recreational
# 206
(Men)
SK1-Recreational
#221
(Women)
Tandem
#218
Canoe
#219
Reservoir Challenge 10K Winner
Race
Race
Number
Speciality
#2
SK2-Race Kayak
#9
(Men)
SK2-Race Kayak
#1
(Women)
SK1-Recreational
#8
(Men)
Canoe
#5
Name
Igor Ioshpa
David Lewis
Finish
Time
33:38.0
40:14.5
Maureen McDowell
41:40.4
John and Kyle Birkner 38:29.1
John and Mike Shea
54:26.1
Name
Gerald Kastner
Akif Zaman
Finish
Time
58:18.1
1:23:42.0
Debra Anderson
1:32:38.0
Chuck Beucler
1:25:21.4
Kenneth and Bill Vogel 1:32:38.0
Dine to Donate
oon Mexican Cafe
Blue M
Community Night
to support
Wednesday , September 17, 2014
Englewood 11:30AM- 9:00PM
Lunch, Dinner, Take-Out & Delivery
**Also Applies to Catering and Gift Cards**
Eligible groups include non-profit schools and 501(c) organizations.
Donation amount excludes proceeds from tax, gratuity, gift card and retail purchases.
Valid for dine-in, take-out, online orders, catering or curbside service. Alcoholic beverages included.
Not valid on delivery. Event proceeds void if flyers are distributed in or near the restaurant.
Manager, please attach this flyer to the guest check.
Please present this coupon when you dine at the Blue Moon(s) listed above and 20% of
your bill (excluding tax and gratuity) will be donated to the organization listed above.
Seating will be based on first come, first serve, we will not be accepting reservations on
these evenings. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotions, offers, or
coupons. This offer is only valid for the date listed above and only at the location listed
above. Please contact the restaurant directly to see if your town is in our delivery zones.
No customer discount will be given.
www.BlueMoonMexicanCafe.com
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 12 WeLoveU volunteers pose with garbage collected on the Palisades Park side of Overpeck Creek. Look at all those tires!
Our First Bergen County EarthFest Overpeck
Friends, families, food, vendors, festivities, craft beer garden and music to celebrate our Earth
On April 26, over 2500 people joined Bergen
Food trucks and facepainting, wolves and bats,
County and Hackensack Riverkeeper to celebrate
hotdogs and empanadas, recycled birdhouses and
Earth Day during our inaugural festival at the New
repurposed wine corks were found throughout the
Overpeck County Park.
fairgrounds, but ice cream topped off the day for the
County Executive Kathleen Donavan started off
kids big and small! Great Lakes and Kohler kept the
our morning with the official ribbon cutting for the
beer flowing all afternoon until the rains came in.
new kayak dock. A big thanks goes out to EZ Dock
An unexpected added attraction was the Blue Sky
of Seaside Heights, for completing the new dock in
Amusements carnival hosted by the Teaneck V.F.W.
time for EarthFest. The music of Ridgefield Park’s
They generously donated a portion of the day’s proGhandarva provided the soundtrack of our first-ever
ceeds to Hackensack Riverkeeper. Thank you!
Recycled Regatta.
We can’t say enough to thank all the folks with
The Recycled Regatta was quite the spectacle.
the WeLoveU Foundation for coming out to our Earth
Even though we only had two teams this year, they
Day Cleanup on Sunday. It was our biggest cleanup
gave us quite a show! Team Olay Olay (Girl Scout
ever, almost 400 people. Needless to say it was the
Troup 124 of River Edge) beat out Team Gar-Barge
most garbage we ever collected at one cleanup.
from an engineering standpoint. The young
ladies even helped rescue the Gar-Barge from
a watery grave. Both teams did an amazing job
and thouroughly entertained the spectators! We
invite you to start planning your boat design
now for next year’s race!
Later that morning attention turned to the
Fishing Derby sponsored by Ramsey Outdoor
and East Jersey Trout Unlimited behind the
park’s main stage. Kids of all ages angled for
the biggest fish and great prizes from Ramsey.
On the main stage everyone was entertained
with a performance by the Center for Modern
Dance Education; and the music of Loretta
Hagen, Back to the Garden 69, and Frantic!
WDHA DJ Kim Mulligan and WNBC correGar-Barge crew off to a tenuous start trying to get launched for
the race. Team OlayOlay watches as one Gar-Barge team memspondent Brian Thompson were on hand to
ber is fished from the water.!
keep the show moving along.
Special Thanks to:
The County of Bergen
County Executive
Kathleen Donovan
Bergen County
Dept. of Parks
East Jersey
Trout Unlimited
Great Lakes Brewing
Kohler Distributors
Town Motors Subaru
Inserra ShopRite
PSE&G
United Water
Hackensack University
Medical Center
Haftek Concrete
Washout Systems
Ramsey Outdoors
Public Lands Every Day
Scarinci Hollenbeck
Teaneck VFW
The Coachworks
Blue Sky Amusements
The Record
WDHA
Whole Foods
Balthazar
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 13
Summer Started with a SPLASH Cleanup
Volunteers show up to get rid of the trash.
By Joanna Marino
We had a picture perfect day
for this year’s SPLASH event. The
SPLASH Summer Solstice cleanup was a Waterkeeper Alliance
SPLASH Series Event, presented
nationally by Toyota and is done
annually in support of the National
Waterkeeper Alliance. This year’s
SPLASH event took place at Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus.
Set up started for this event days
before with the arrival of a dumpster donated by Wilenta Carting.
We had the essential help of the
Hudson County Parks Department
which provided us with the use of
a flatbed trailer for our stage and
brought us chairs to use that day.
Volunteers braved the midday
sun and heat to make the Hackensack River cleaner. Some took
canoes out on the river to fetch
trash that was unreachable from
the shore. Other folks walked
along the banks, paths, and roads
interspersed in and around the
park picking up trash. Still more
volunteers made several trips out
onto the marsh with Captain Bill
on the Edward Abbey looking to
fetch larger and more daunting
debris. An industrial boom and
several large tractor trailer tires
were among the larger pieces of
trash that were collected from
the marsh. All of the volunteers
worked tirelessly in the June heat!
The second part of the day
started with speeches by Captain
Bill, Secaucus Mayor Michael
Gonnelli, Secaucus Environmental
Coordinator Amanda Nesheiwat,
and Waterkeeper Alliance Executive Director Marc Yaggi. They all
had wonderful things to say about
Hackensack Riverkeeper and its
role in preserving and defending
the watershed.
After the speeches ended the annual potluck BBQ started! The
BBQ was accompanied by the
musical stylings of Frantic (www.
franticband.com), the biggest
3-piece band in the universe. The
burgers and hot dogs were generously donated by Ducks Unlimited. We had several tricky tray
baskets to win including Bath &
Body Works items, Ducks Unlimited t-shirts, a bathroom scale, and
a $75 gift certificate to Eastern
Mountain Sports. The BBQ was a
wonderful time, a beautiful day for
it, and it was topped by a perfect
sunset over the Hackensack River.
We would like to thank Waterkeeper Alliance, our national event
sponsor, Toyota, and our local
sponsors Wilenta Carting, the law
offices of Krivit & Krivit, and
Ducks Unlimited for their support
in making this event a success!
Top (left to right) Marc
Yaggi, Waterkeeper’s ED;
Mayor Michael Ganilli
and Amanda Nesheiwat;
and Captain Sheehan
Below (left to right)
Charlie Stelling managing the grill; and
members of the SPLASH
cleanup crew.
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 14 World Series of Birding 2014:
Of Birds, Family and the Finest of Friends
RiverCreepers, donors step up in a big way in the aftermath of loss.
By Hugh M. Carola
photos © BigStock
It seems that each year I go
through the same ritual: I ask
myself, “Do I still want to do the
World Series or should I just do
the paperwork and let the RiverCreepers (who all are much
better birders then me) handle the
‘birdwork’?” Each year I choose
the former and am always glad
I did. This year was different. I
dispensed with ritual and was
completely looking forward to
those annual eighteen hours of
birding intensity. But sadly, it was
not to be.
Many of you reading this
already know that I was unable
to lead the Hackensack RiverCreepers because my dad, Robert
Carola, passed away on May 8;
just two days before the WSB.
As hard as he tried, the proud
Navy vet and hardcore Green Bay
Packers fan just couldn’t hold off
cancer’s inevitable “victory”. On
May 13 we laid him to rest beside
my mom and grandparents.
Even before dad’s passing
knocked me off the roster we were
already down a man due to Dave
Kaplan being sidelined with illness.
However three wonderful, extraordinary people stepped up and made
the day a complete success: René
Buccinna, NJ Audubon’s WSB
coordinator; and of course our team
mates Kerul Kassel and Ray Duffy.
René gave us the go-ahead to field a
2-person team (something not usually allowed); while Kerul and Ray
took to the field in earnest. And then
some. By the time they finished, our
Purple Martin and nesting gourds. Native Americans first attrracted
Martins to nest near their villages because of their ability to consume
large numbers of mosquitoes and other annoying insects.
dynamic duo listed 125 species (our
second-best showing ever), including four never-before-listed birds. I
cannot thank them enough for what
they did for me and for Hackensack
Riverkeeper.
And of course we greatly appreciate our longtime Corporate
Sponsor, Shop Rite Supermarkets,
which supports our team and the
entire WSB by catering the Finish
Line Brunch in Cape May. While
we were unable to avail ourselves
of a loaner vehicle from our Corporate Partner Toyota of Hackensack
due to my absence, we salute them
nonetheless and look forward to
working with them again in 2015.
Of course, every year I reserve
the biggest thanks to those who
made the per-species pledges and
WSB-earmarked donations in support of Hackensack Riverkeeper.
This year I also extend my heartfelt
thanks to the wonderful people who
made WSB donations in honor of
my dad. The outpouring of sympathy and support was something I
will never forget.
Being of the “old school” my
dad didn’t always understand what
working for a nonprofit was about
but he knew that I loved it and that
was good enough for him. He didn’t
care so much about saving wetlands
or creating public river access; what
he did care about was me being employed at something I liked doing.
Early on in my career, he and mom
(who passed in 2011) told me, “We
never saw you this happy in any
job; it’s so nice to see you finally
found a place to shine.” And they
say that parents are the last ones to
know. Go figure.
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 15
NJ Audubon Society’s 31st Annual
World Series of Birding
May 10, 2014
Hackensack RiverCreepers • Tally: 125 species
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-heron
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Glossy Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Clapper Rail
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
*
*
Lesser Yellowlegs
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Forster’s Tern
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Monk Parakeet
Barn Owl
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged
Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
*
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Boat-tailed Grackle
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
*
*Four new listings
upping our cummulative
list to 182 species.
Other highlights:
16 Warblers
13 Waterfowl species
10 Shorebirds
The 2014 Hackensack
RiverCreepers are:
Ray Duffy, co-captain
Kerul Kassel, co-captain
Next WSB:
May 9, 2015
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 16 Hackensack Watershed Field Notes
By Hugh M. Carola
It’s said that every cloud has
a silver lining. If that’s true, then
the “cloud” that was the winter
of 2013-14 gave us the “silver
lining” of a wonderful, drawn-out
spring migration. Spring gave
us lingering Snowy Owls, more
Black Skimmers than ever before
and right now there are enough
raptors nesting along the river to
worry every pigeon, rabbit and
shallow-swimming fish for miles
around. And speaking of nesting
raptors…
This year seven pairs of Ospreys are nesting along or near the
lower Hackensack River. There
are nests in Teaneck, Carlstadt,
Lyndhurst (2), Kearny (2) and Jersey City. The last one – a purposebuilt nesting platform located on
the grounds of PSE&G’s Hudson
Generating station – has been
occupied the longest, having first
produced chicks in 2007. The success of that pioneer nest certainly
led the way for the amazing return
of Ospreys to our watershed; and
inspired the utility to construct
two additional platforms at Hudson earlier this year.
It’s also said that from small
things, big things surely come.
That first small step in Jersey City,
taken at the request of Captain
Bill Sheehan over fifteen years
ago, has certainly led to something big: the establishment of an
Osprey colony in our watershed.
But lest you think this column is
only about Ospreys, pray, by all
means, read on…
Alder Flycatcher – Single
birds were observed in cottonwood trees (which are related to
alders) on 5/29 at Liberty State
Park in Jersey City; and on 5/31 at
Kearny Marsh.
American Kestrel – This diminutive falcon species has been
declining in recent decades, so it’s
always uplifting to receive reports
of them. Several were noted on
3/10 hunting over the closed
landfills adjacent to Richard W.
DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, NJ.
American Woodcock – A
single male was heard calling the
evening of 3/11 at Laurel Hill
Park in Secaucus, NJ. Another
was observed in a Saddle Brook,
NJ yard on 3/16 & 17.
Bald Eagle – March arrived in
a most auspicious way with three
eagles seen on 3/1 soaring over
our offices at 231 Main Street in
Hackensack. A week earlier on
2/25, seven eagles (2 adult, 5 immature) were observed perched in
tall Cottonwoods at Hackensack’s
Foschini Park. Local nesting pairs
were confirmed in Ridgefield Park
(the Overpeck pair) on 3/15 and at
Greenbrook Sanctuary in Alpine,
NJ on 3/16. Nesting eagles also
returned to sites at United Water’s
Oradell Reservoir and Woodcliff
Lake. Both adult and immature birds were observed on the
Kane Tract wetlands in Carlstadt
throughout May and June.
Barn Owl – It was a real surprise this spring when a pair was
discovered nesting inside a box
girder underneath the eastbound
Route 3 Bridge over the Hackensack River on 5/8.
Black Skimmer – It was a truly “Skimmerific” springtime with
upwards of thirty of these unique,
sleek birds being observed, photographed and enjoyed along the
river - mostly in the neighborhood
of River Barge Park in Carlstadt,
NJ – throughout the months of
May and June.
Cinnamon Teal – Extremely
rare east of the Rockies, nonetheless a single member of this duck
species was observed by different groups of birders at DeKorte
and the Sawmill Creek Wildlife
Management Area in Lyndhurst/
Kearny through 5/28.
Common Merganser – A late
lingerer was spotted on 5/14 in the
river just off Fairleigh Dickinson
University’s Metropolitan campus
in Hackensack/Teaneck, NJ. Another (the same?) was seen 5/31 in
the river near the BCUA wastewater treatment plant in Little Ferry.
Eastern Phoebe – A great
harbinger of spring, one was
observed at Schmidt’s Woods in
Secaucus on 3/11.
Fox Sparrow – Several of this
large sparrow species were heard
singing at Schmidt’s on 3/11
(which was a pretty good day at
that small wooded park).
Great Black-backed Gull –
Two nesting pairs – with chicks
– have been noted near the mouth
of the river in Jersey City and Kearny atop ruins of the NY Central
RR bridge.
Great Cormorant – This
year’s late-arriving spring may
have contributed to one of these
large birds being seen (and calling) over Laurel Hill Park in
Secaucus on 4/28.
Marsh Wren – On 3/2, the
wetlands at the Teaneck Creek
Conservancy were where this
soon-to-be-numerous species was
first reported in our area in 2014.
Northern Harrier – A pair of
these Meadowlands nesting (and
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Pied-billed Grebe – A single
bird was noted June 1-3 swimming at Lincoln Park West in
Jersey City, within the area of restored saltmarsh along the Hackensack River. Hopefully there’s a
mate and a nest as well.
Red-headed Woodpecker –
Finally a non-Ridgewood report!
A single bird was reported on 3/3
in Harrington Park.
Red-necked Grebe – One of
these large grebes was seen just
off Liberty State Park on 3/1.
The next day three were noted
swimming just off the Peninsula
at Bayonne Harbor (the former
Military Ocean Terminal). A pair
was seen at River Barge Park in
Carlstadt on 3/14.
Red-tailed Hawk – Nesting pairs were back (with chicks
already fledged) along the river in
Carlstadt and up underneath the
NJ Turnpike bridge over Berry’s
Creek Canal in East Rutherford.
Ring-necked Duck – A nicesized flock of eighteen of these
divers was observed in the river
near Kenneth B. George Park in
River Edge on 3/4.
Rough-legged Hawk – This
past winter brought decent numbers of this large Buteo to our
area; the last report was received
on 3/10 from DeKorte.
Snowy Owl – As winter
began its slow transition to spring,
lingering owls were still being
seen in the Meadowlands: two at
DeKorte on 3/2 and single birds
near Valley Brook Ave. in Lyndhurst on 3/4 and 3/8.
Tree Swallow – With tons
of snow still on the ground and
insects still in hibernation, an
intrepid half-dozen of these birds
was seen at DeKorte on 2/23.
White-winged Scoter – Usually seen on the ocean or in bays,
a small flock of four (1 drake,
3 hens) was observed in a most
unusually location: just off Mill
Creek Point in Secaucus, NJ on
2/22. A single duck was noted
just off the Peninsula at Bayonne
Harbor on 3/2.
Thanks to all our spotters and
as always, a tip o’ the naturalist’s
hat (from A to Z) to: Anonymous,
Jay Auslander, Pete Bacinski,
Scott Barnes, L. Carmody,
Ray Duffy, Gene Dunton, Rich
Dwyer, Thomas Halter, Gil
Hawkins, Lynn Kramer, Joseph
Labriola, Lorraine Matys, Bill
Sheehan, Robert Somes and Mary
Ellen Woods.
photos © BigStock
Endangered Species) was observed on 3/10 at DeKorte and on
5/12 over the Sawmill WMA.
Osprey – Our first report of
2014 was of a single bird flying
and perching in the vicinity of the
Bergen County Utilities Authority
(BCUA) treatment plant in Little
Ferry, NJ on 2/21. By late May a
record seven nesting pairs were
confirmed in our watershed.
Peregrine Falcon – What we
believe to be the same female we
“met” last year defending territory
on the westbound Route 3 bridge
is back – but as of 6/10 she’s
got a mate and three chicks with
her! Amazingly, a couple miles
downriver in Secaucus another
pair is raising two chicks in a
nest on the decommissioned NJ
Transit Boonton Line bridge. And
once again, the Route 46 bridge
over the river is home to another
nesting pair, this time with three
chicks.
Page 17
(left) Red-necked,; (center) Grebe Cinnamon Teal; (right) Barn Owl
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 18 Birds of the Hackensack:
American Redstart
When I think of the American Redstart (Setophaga
ruticilla), I am reminded of a Disney-esque wood
sprite; an enchanted creature that through its energetic
hopping from branch to branch and emphatic singing,
seems to be attempting to communicate some kind of
vital message to the humans around him. “Redstarts”,
as they are almost invariably referred to by birders,
are representatives of the group of birds collectively
known as wood warblers. Warblers are small, active
creatures that inhabit mature woodlands and transitional habitats throughout North America.
When it comes to Redstarts, that activity seems
to be ratcheted up several notches. It is rare in my
experience to see an American Redstart perched in one
place for very long. They heighten their visibility by
moving about constantly at or near eye level, vocalizing further into the day than most warblers. If this was
not enough, both male and female American Redstarts
twitch their tails and spread their tail feathers during
their other movements. In fact, “start” is an antiquated
term for tail. It is not easy for a bird only 5¼ inches
long to be so visible but the Redstart manages the feat.
For the birder, a look at these birds is worth the walk.
IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS?
Frank R. Massaro, Attorney at Law
Over 30 Years Immigration Experience
Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association
212 244-3998
www.frankcitizenship.com
39 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10006
photo © BigStock
By Ivan Kossak
American Redstart
Adult male American Redstarts are black on the
head, wings, breast and back; white on the belly and
show bright orange patches on the wings and sides
of the breast. This black and orange motif prompts
me to think of the Redstart as “The Halloween Bird.”
The females sport a similar pattern but the black and
orange is replaced by gray and yellow. Howard E.
Parkhurst in his The Birds’ Calendar (1894) describes
the pair thus, “If the male Redstart is a fiery coal, the
female is a trail of ashes in his wake.” Young males
look similar to females but the yellow is darker,
becoming closer to the orange of the adult males.
Redstarts are unusual among warblers in that it takes
two years for the males to acquire the striking black
and orange adult plumage.
The song of the adult American Redstart is an
emphatic series of 4-7 somewhat buzzy “wee” and
“see” notes. This song is highly variable. One birder
I know once said “If you can’t figure out that warbler
song, it’s probably a Redstart.”
American Redstarts are common over most of
their breeding range which encompasses the eastern
half of the United States and southern Canada. West
of the Mississippi this range extends west from Nebraska and Wyoming north and west through Canada.
They winter for the most part in Central and South
America as well as in the Caribbean. They can be
found breeding in most of the northern half of New
Jersey as well as forested areas in the southern part of
the state. In our watershed they can be found fairly
easily in migration but limit their nesting activities to
the extreme northeast section of Bergen County. The
woodlands around State Line Lookout and behind the
Rockleigh town hall look like excellent places to find
this bird.
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 19
From Wyckoff to the Banks of the Hackensack River
Meet Julianne Goodman – our 2014 Ron Vellekamp Environmental Scholar
By Hugh M. Carola
This year’s applications took a very long time
to start filtering in. In the three and a half months
between New Year’s Day when we announced the
scholarship and one week before the Earth Day
deadline, we’d received only four. But during that
final week an even dozen came in, making a total of
sixteen for us to review. Out of them all, one application stood head and shoulders above the rest, making
our decision a complete no-brainer.
On June 17 Captain Bill and I had the pleasure of
meeting Ms. Julianne Goodman at the Bergen County
Academies and presenting her with the 2014 Ron
Vellekamp Environmental Scholarship. The $1,000
award can be used to help cover any costs associated
with her first year at college. This fall Julianne will
join the Class of 2018 at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) College of Arts and Sciences. According
to her application essay, she plans “to study environmental economics and gather the necessary skills to
tackle sustainable solutions to climate change.”
Each year every applicant is encouraged to document her/his environmental and conservation activities during their high school years but Julianne’s went
back as far as middle school. As a seventh grader at
Eisenhower MS in Wyckoff she founded the school’s
Go Green club and served as its president for two
years until her graduation in 2010. Her high school
accomplishments are literally too numerous to list
but mention must be made of her participation in the
American Youth Leadership Program to Malaysia &
Singapore in 2013. Sponsored by the U.S. State Department, she and 17 other American students spent
one month last summer working with students from
Asia and Europe on a multifaceted program focused
on environmental sustainability.
“Julianne presented us with such an amazing list
of environmental education, advocacy and action
bona fides such as we have never seen before,” said
Captain Bill Sheehan. “After reviewing them all and
then meeting her in person, I’m certain that she is
destined to do many good things in the service of our
earth, its people and wildlife.”
Julianne is also the first scholarship recipient to
live outside of the Hackensack River Watershed. But
as the award is open to all graduating seniors who
live in and/or attend school within the ‘shed, one
Julianne Goodman accepting her award from Captains Bill
Sheehan and Hugh Carola.
whose alma mater literally sits on the bank of the
river is, as they say, a natural.
The late Ronald Vellekamp was a science teacher
in Ridgefield, New Jersey. During his life he also
served as a Palisades Interstate Park ranger, Scout
leader, and trustee of Hackensack Riverkeeper. The
scholarship that bears his name is a fitting tribute to
an educator whose life was lived in the service of
others. Applications for the 2015 Scholarship will be
accepted beginning in January.
Page 20 r
e
n
r
o
C
r
Voluntee
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
ramer
By Lynn K
Quidis Cleanup–Lincoln Park West, Jersey City,
April 11, 2014
It was a gorgeous spring day for the first corporate cleanup of the 2014 season. An early morning
reconnaissance of the area revealed a beautiful
Wilson’s Snipe hunting along the shoreline. The
Quidis employees were an enthusiastic group! Some
employees put on waders to walk through the marsh
while others cleaned along the shoreline. A couple
of very determined volunteers spent the day digging
buried tires out of the sand along the water.
New Milford Green Acres Cleanup–
Girl Scout Troop 1506–April 12, 2014
This was another beautiful spring day
where Hackensack Riverkeeper teamed
up with the Girl Scouts. Tina Young
and her troop of Scouts hosted a public
cleanup behind the swim club. Lots of
the bottles, paper, and other consumer
waste was found along the woods adjacent to the river.
Liberty State Park Cleanup–April 13, 2014
Organized by our Watershed Ambassador, Chris Marinello, and the Nature
Interpretive Center at Liberty State Park, this scenic cleanup was also graced
with exceptional weather. Early in the day the Park Ranger gave us a tour of
the park and spoke of their future plans for the Nature Center. The highlight
was a watching a red tailed hawk catch breakfast right before our eyes! We’re
pretty sure it was a squirrel.
Fairleigh Dickenson University
Cleanup–April 16, 2014
We had to scrape the ice off the
windshield for this cleanup which
we hold annually in conjunction
with FDU’s Earth Day festivities. It
was too cold and windy to get out
the canoes and we spent a few hours
in many layers of clothing huddled
around hot cups of coffee. Word
gradually spread among the students about the clean up and things
picked up. It ended up being a good
cleanup with lots of student involvement on both sides of the river.
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
Page 21
Newark Cleanup–Riverbank Park–May 2, 2014
The park itself was relatively clean but the river bank
south of the park was a clean up crew’s paradise! The
Panasonic employees are experienced volunteers and
went right to work with no shortage of debris to pick
up. Captain Bill, who brought the Edward Abbey to
the cleanup gave small ecotours to rotating groups of
volunteers to help them familiarize themselves with their
new surroundings on the Passaic. The find of the day
was a rusted, old roller skate, the kind that used to clip
onto your shoes from the 50’s. Unfortunately though, no
skate key!
Overpeck Palisades Park Cleanup–April 27, 2014
In conjunction with EarthFest, this was possibly the largest
cleanup in the history of Hackensack Riverkeeper with
an attendance close to 400 people. Most of the volunteers
were from the WeLoveU Foundation –who were a very well
organized and hard working group of volunteers! Groups
of 100, led by team leaders equipped with walkie-talkies
maintained contact with each other and kept the garbage
moving. When there was too much debris to fit in Charlie’s
truck, they formed a 100-person assembly line running
from the woods to the finish line. It was a perfect finale to
Earth Day weekend.
Wolf Creek Cleanup–Ridgefield–May 19, 2014
For the second year in a row a cleanup was held at Wolf
Creek and was sponsored by the Ridgefield Environmental Commission for students from the Ridgefield
Memorial High School Spanish Language Class and
their teacher Mrs. Olga Escobar. There were 17 students
involved in this successful 2-hour long clean up. Thank
you to all involved!
Town Motors Cleanup–McKay Park–May 18, 2014
This was a fun cleanup with a small but terrific group of
high-energy high school seniors from Bergen Academies.
The stream we were to have cleaned was cut off by construction so we moved to a small adjoining creek. Wearing
waders, the volunteers discovered an entire area filled with
discarded old gym equipment and household stuff which
they proceeded to haul across the creek, over a chainlinked fence and into Charlie’s truck in efficient assembly
line fashion. We ended up filling a dump truck’s worth of
garbage. Great kids! Great day!
Page 22 Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
WMA 5 Ambassador Update
Ambassador finishes
term leaving a
cleaner watershed
By Christopher Marinello
I am sad to say that this
There was a lot of small garbage debris
is my last Tidelines column.
from Hurricane Sandy still scattered
My term as your 2013-2014
along the sides of a trail, and we reWatershed Ambassador
moved most of it.
is coming to an end and I
I also had the pleasure of helping
couldn’t be happier to have
the Hoboken Green Team with Rain
had the opportunity to serve
Barrel training. At that event I taught
in the Hackensack River
residents about the role of Green InWatershed. Over the past
frastructure and how it helps mitigate
ten months I met and worked
the effects of stormwater – which often
with many terrific people
causes flooding in their city. All attendwho are devoted to betterees then built rain barrels which they
ing our environment. I’ve
took home and installed.
Chris
conducting
a
Volunteer
Stream
completed over 80 waterAlong with watershed presentaMonitoring Training with students from
shed related presentations,
tions, I taught two school groups how
conducted 35 biological and Park Ridge High School.
to conduct Biological Stream assessvisual stream assessments,
ments. These included in class preand accumulated over 500 volunteer hours from the
sentations where we went over the various benthic
great people who joined in my events.
macroinvertebrates that we might find in the streams,
I wish to thank all of the teachers who invited me
sampling techniques, and stream safety. Afterwards
into their classrooms to teach their students about
the students, teachers and I went to a nearby stream,
non-point and point source pollution. I was also
where we caught creatures that we later identified and
able to reach out to lots of students through Captain
used to judge the quality of the stream. Not only did
Hugh’s Combo programs. Throughout the spring,
the trainings give students relevant field experience;
many school groups came out to Laurel Hill Park
they showed the importance of citizen science.
in Secaucus to take advantage of these environmenI really value all the wonderful experiences I had
tal education activities. When not on the boat with
as a Watershed Ambassador and am very grateful to
the captain, the students worked with me onshore
have served my term with Hackensack Riverkeeper.
learning about how pollution that lands on the streets
Being able to work closely with Captain Bill and his
makes its way into our streams and eventually out
crew has allowed me to make the absolute most out
into the Hackensack River. I had a blast doing these
of my term of service. Thank you all so very much.
programs and would like to give many thanks to
As for me, I’ve accepted a graduate assistantHugh for allowing me to be a part of them and for be- ship position at Montclair State University in their
ing an awesome supervisor!
Sustainability Science program. While I continue on
I got the chance to work with some great groups
the path of helping make communities more sustainand organizations this year. A special thanks to Mike
able, I hope to continue working with the Watershed
Ruscigno and Pat Hilliard of the Bayonne Nature
Ambassador Program, as it has done great things
Club. Together we hosted a shoreline cleanup near
and will continue to do so for many years to come.
the city’s 16th Street Park. Despite snowy weather,
Please make sure to reach out to next year’s ambaswe cleaned up a large amount of the trash and debris.
sador who will begin in September. It was a pleasure
Another big thank-you goes out to the staff of Liberty serving as your ambassador this year, and I hope you
State Park for helping me organize a cleanup there.
continue fighting to keep our waters clean!
Hackensack Tidelines-Summer 2014
At the helm
continued from page 2
waterfront enhancements on the
Hackensack River.
As you know, Hackensack
Riverkeeper is about much more
than fishing, boating and hosting
events. We are first and foremost
a clean water advocacy organization dedicated to the protection,
preservation and restoration of the
Hackensack River Watershed.
Over the years our advocacy
has led to collegial relationships
with the US Army Corps of Engineers, NJ Meadowlands Commission (both former adversaries), and the Bergen and Hudson
County Parks Departments.
Litigation has led to the valuable
partnerships we now enjoy with
United Water, the City of Bayonne
and the Village of Ridgefield Park.
Our Corporate River Stewardship
program engages dozens of companies large and small each year in
active conservation. Environmental advocacy, education, action
and litigation is the fourfold heart
of Hackensack Riverkeeper.
You can enjoy our events, rent
our kayaks, relax on Eco-Cruises,
fish off docks we helped build
and bird in the wetlands & woods
we helped protect. However, we
must remain ever vigilant. Right
now there are forces looming that
threaten the very victories we all
worked so hard to achieve. Here
are some examples:
As you read in our cover story,
Hackensack Riverkeeper continues the fight to secure justice for
the lower Passaic River and the
people who live alongside it in Essex, Hudson, Bergen and Passaic
Counties. As our attorney Chris
Len ably explains, the greatest
impediment we face is the legacy
of Diamond Shamrock and its
Page 23
refusal to accept responsibility for
creating the worst Superfund site
in America. But it’s a fight we will
win.
At this moment under the
guise of ‘flood protection’ foreign nationals and ivory tower
academics are conspiring to undo
wetlands protections guaranteed
by the Meadowlands Master Plan
of 2004. When Chris pointed out
that the Clean Water Act prevents
much of what they hope to do,
their Dutch-accented response
was, “Acts can be changed.”
We continue to oppose attempts
by the Christie Administration
and the NJ Legislature to make it
easier to build in flood-prone areas
under the guise of “streamlining
the permit process.” Many of those
very same places were devastated
by Hurricanes Irene and Sandy.
Despite everyone claiming Sandy
was a game-changer, it continues to
be business as usual in Trenton.
All of which leads me to once
again ask you to stand with us
morally and financially as we continue the ongoing fight for clean
water, public access, protected
habitats and your right to enjoy
them all. Your support empowers us to do all of those things.
Whatever you can contribute to
the cause is gratefully appreciated.
My staff and I would love the opportunity to thank you in person at
your river.
Yours in conservation,
Be a Friend of
Hackensack Riverkeeper
TL214
Your help is urgently needed. Hackensack Riverkeeper® operates
with assistance and contributions from concerned citizens such as
yourself. Please show your support for environmental health and
conservation within the Hackensack River Watershed by making a
donation today. HRI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your
donation is tax deductible.
Name ______________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________
City, State, Zip_______________________________________
Phone # (required) (_____)_________________________________
_______
Email ______________________________________________
_____$250 _____$100 _____$50 _____$35 $_______(other)
____Amex
____Visa
____MC
____Discover
Card #__________________________________ V code_________
Signature: __________________________Exp. Date ___ /___ /___
____ My employer will match my gift. A form is enclosed.
____ Contact me about volunteering for Hackensack Riverkeeper®.
____ Please remove me from your mailing list.
Make checks payable to:
Hackensack Riverkeeper, 231 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
or visit www.hackensackriverkeeper.org/donate.html to donate online.
231 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601-7304 • 201-968-0808 • HackensackRiverkeeper.org
• Clean, Plentiful Drinking Water
• Public Access To Local Waters
• Open Space Preservation
• Wildlife & Habitat Conservation
• Safe Boating, Swimming,
Paddling, Fishing
HackensackRIVERKEEPER®
Member of
SAVE THE DATE!
Annual Awards Celebration
& Sustainable Seafood Fest
Honoring Mayor John DeRienzo
and Inserra Shoprite Markets
Hey Anglers–Check this out!
Report your catch to Captain
Hugh and we’ll include it in
Tideline’s Fieldnotes!
In April, Larry Ball caught this
39-pound Striped Bass in the
Hackensack River just off of Laurel
Hill Park. Congratulations Larry!
We are always looking for wildlife
reports to add to Capt. Hugh’s
Field Notes; and we are happy
to see that the river offers some
EXCELLENT fishing!
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Florentine Gardens,Rivervale, NJ
Cocktail reception starts at 7PM
For more information contact [email protected] or call 201-968-0808
photo © Jonathan Green
HackensackRIVERKEEPER®- Protecting The Public’s Right to:
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 451
HACKENSACK, NJ
07606