Bergenfield Elks Lodge Hosts Mock Council Event for Bergenfield Middle and High Schoolers

Students Involved in Bergenfield Antler’s Lodge #35 Spend Day Running Mock Municipal Government

The Bergenfield Elks Lodge #1477 recently collaborated with the Borough of Bergenfield to celebrate Elks National Youth Week with their youth program, Bergenfield Antler’s Lodge #35, taking part in a mock council session that taught the 6-11th grade students about the importance of local government.

“The Bergenfield Antlers Lodge #35 make a difference in our community one day at a time.  Embracing youth and community is my passion and was my drive to form the Bergenfield Antlers,” said Tom Boyce, Bergenfield Antlers Youth Activities Coordinator. 

Mayor Arvin Amatorio and Councilman Marc Pascual kicked off the event, held at Borough Hall, by reading a proclamation on behalf of the government body in honor of Elks National Youth Week. The Mayor commended them for their commitment and dedication, and Councilman Pascual celebrated them as the future leaders of Bergenfield. 

The students were then invited to sit on the dais, and hold a mock session, as the Bergenfield governing body. After holding a brief election for the position of mayor, they addressed topics such as: hiring summer counselors for the Recreation program, payment of bills, and considering an ordinance prohibiting the use of lawn mowers before 8:00 a.m.

“I always look forward to coordinating this event with the Elks because it brings me joy to teach Bergenfield students about our roles in municipal government,” said Bergenfield Borough Clerk Marie Quiñones-Wilson. “The students are always eager to learn and excited to sit on the dais as great leaders.”

“The Antlers” are a youth-focused subdivision of the historic Elks Lodges that promotes support of youth, veterans, and communities. Antlers obtain service hours for volunteering, learn life skills, participate in activities, and can apply for different scholarships offered by the Elks. 

The following Bergenfield Antlers participated in the mock court program this year: Jude Boyce, Maddison Boyce, Christopher Budiman, Kayla O’Neil (elected mayor), Marco Garibaldi, Angelo Tamayo, Ashley Budiman, Sophie Almonte, and Nikki Farias.

If anyone is interested in joining Bergenfield’s Antlers Lodge, please contact Advisor Tom Boyce at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The Borough of Bergenfield and the Stigma-Free Committee (SFC) invite you to a Mental Health Awareness Event - Together for Mental Health, this Wednesday, May 25, at 5:30 PM at Conlon Hall. There will be a meet and greet with the SFC and authors Diana Hamlet and Sonja Sharif of A Kid's Grief Journal. Yoga with Rita follows from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and then a presentation and Q& A with the book authors from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. 

 "I hope anyone in need joins us on Wednesday to find connections and support with the Bergenfield Stigma-Free Committee and the members of our communities," said Mayor Arvin Amatorio of the event. "Remember... you are not alone." 

"This is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to support the social and emotional wellness of youth through journaling," said Mairead Tully, Chairwoman of the Stigma-Free Committee.

"The past few years of the pandemic have been hard on all of us," said Councilman Tom Lodato. "Please do not hesitate to reach out if you or someone you love is in need of support."

For questions or additional information, please contact the Mayor's Wellness Campaign at (201) 387-4055 ext 6.

Bergenfield Girl Scout Troop Cleans Up Local Park

Troop 98459 Earns Park Clean Up Badge at Cooper’s Pond Park 

If you noticed Cooper’s Pond Park looked cleaner lately, that's because Girl Scout Troop 98459 spent the afternoon on May 3rd earning their Park Clean Up badge by picking up trash and debris, with the goal of learning the importance of environmental responsibility.

“We are so grateful to Troop 98459 for coming out to set an example for their community by demonstrating that we can all have big impacts on our surroundings,” said Jaime Luppino from the Bergenfield Dept. of Public Works. “Cooper’s Pond looks great and their new Girl Scout patch is well earned.”

The Girl Scouts picked up trash that had been discarded around the park, and have been learning about garbage and pollution and the negative effects they have on the environment. They were working towards earning a new badge, which are given to scouts as they learn new life skills and make positive contributions to their community.

“The Scouts found a way that they could assist with a problem in their own backyard,” said Mayor Arvin Amatorio. “Seeing litter scattered around a park makes it more likely others will also litter. What the Scouts did has a farther reaching impact than just beautifying one of our green spaces, it reminds us all to take care of our environment and treat it more respectfully.”

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BERGENFIELD, NJ – On Sunday, May 22, Bergenfield residents are invited to join the Bergenfield Police Department on a bike tour of their borough in order to commemorate May as Bicycle Safety Month.

“Bergenfield has so many beautiful places to bike ride and with the summer weather approaching we want to encourage our residents to get out and enjoy their borough by biking in a safe and responsible manner,” said Police Chief Mustafa Rabboh. “This event is the perfect opportunity to teach your family bicycle safety tips such as how to make sure a helmet fits correctly or how to use hand signals on busier roads. Plus it’s a great excuse to spend time with friends and family outside in our community!”

The rain-or-shine ride around Bergenfield will begin and end at the Bergenfield Police Headquarters on Washington Avenue with riders of all ages encouraged to participate. All riders must complete the hold harmless form and bring it with them on the date of the event. The first 50 riders 16 years of age and younger who submit their hold harmless forms, starting at 9 am, will receive a free helmet. All riders who are 16 or younger will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of several bicycles at the end of the ride.

To access the hold harmless agreement, please visit: bergenfieldpd.org/downloads/category/5-registration-forms.

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BERGENFIELD, NJ --  A celebratory groundbreaking ceremony took place in Bergenfield on Wednesday, May 4, this week, as municipal, police, Borough, and administration staff gathered to kick off the construction of what will be a new, three-story, 30,000 square foot police and municipal building for the Borough. In attendance were Mayor Arvin Amatorio, Council President Buddy Deauna, Council Members Rafael Marte, Ora Kornbluth, Thomas Lodato, Marc Pascual, Hernando Rivera, in addition to a variety of other Borough administrators, engineers, architects, and members of the construction team.

Mayor Amatorio opened the ceremony remarking, "Our new Borough Hall is being built with union labor and will stand for another 100 years representing progress and good government. I want to offer my sincere thanks to all of the council members, without whom this effort wouldn't have been possible, including Council Members Marte, Deauna, Kornbluth, Lodato, Pascual, and Rivera, Borough Administrator Corey Gallo, as well as the many engineers and architects who worked with us to design our new building.”

A crucial part of the decision to construct a new building was the excess of mechanical and structural problems in the existing building due to age, that would have required continued costly maintenance. 

“We were kicking the can down the road for years with the old building,” said Council President Deauna. “It has served us well for almost 100 years but our new state-of-the-art municipal complex will save taxpayers significant money in infrastructure maintenance and massive energy costs.”  

Built to provide various programmatic elements, including municipal police, Borough administration, municipal departments, a courtroom, and council chambers, the design of this facility organizes each function by level – with the police department located on the lower level, municipal offices on the second level, and courtroom and administration spaces on the third level.

Of particular note is the building’s future prominent and ceremonial frontage on North Washington Avenue for civic functions, with a more discreet frontage and a sallyport on a side street for police access. The new design will also feature expanded parking and landscaping.

“This new building will allow all those who work here to better serve the people of Bergenfield for years to come,” said Council Member Kornbluth. 

“Bergenfield deserves first class facilities that support the needs, growth, and development of our residents and employees, and this project delivers on that promise while also meeting our responsibility to lower the burden on local taxpayers,” said Council Member Rivera, who was one of the project’s strongest advocates and a member of its design committee. 

“We’re here to honor the old building as well as reflect on all the hard work it took to get us to this day,” said Council Member Marte. “This is a special day for Bergenfield as our vision is finally becoming reality!”

“Part of our Borough’s mission statement is ​​ensuring that all new developments complement quality of life and be an asset to the community - and that is exactly what we are accomplishing here!” said Council Member Lodato.

“All progress is bittersweet as you must accept the changes that come with it. We will certainly miss the old building but our new borough hall will be a beacon of growth for our borough,” said Council Member Pascual. 

Designed by RSC Architects and incorporating work performed by subconsultants T&M Associates and EvTech Consulting, contractor Epic Management, and construction manager Anser Advisory, LLC, this new facility will be built behind the existing municipal building in phases prior to its demolition in order to maintain important community functions. It is expected to be completed by August 2023, with demolition commencing shortly thereafter.

As John P. Capazzi, AIA, President of RSC Architects, noted, “This new facility is offering a thoughtful and organized program for the Borough that will serve to improve efficiency, provide a functional layout, and create dedicated spaces for important community employees. It’s always been a focus of ours at RSC to consider how our designs improve user satisfaction and communities at large.”

RSC Architects is an architectural firm that provides programming, planning, architectural design, interior design, and construction administration services. Anser Advisory is a national capital program and project advisory firm offering solutions to public and private sector clients implementing capital projects and programs. Epic Management was established in 1971 and has successfully built/managed thousands of projects by providing program and construction management services as a consultant or agent, design/build, construction management, and general construction project delivery services.

For more information on the Borough Hall construction project please visit: https://bergenfield.com/about/new-borough-hall-construction-project

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From L-R: Councilman Marc Pascual, Council President Buddy Deauna, Councilman Hernando Rivera, Mayor Arvin Amatorio, Councilman Rafael Marte, Councilwoman Ora Kornbluth, , Councilman Tom Lodato.

From L-R: Dan Connelly, President of the Anser Advisory Group, Councilman Hernando Rivera Council President Buddy Deauna, Councilman Rafael Marte, Councilwoman Ora Kornbluth, Mayor Arvin Amatorio, Councilman Tom Lodato, Borough Administrator Corey Gallo Councilman Marc Pascual, John Capazzi, President RSC Architects, Ken Mihalik, Senior Project Manager, RSC Architects, and William Morris, Vice-President, EPIC Construction.