By Nicholas J. Veliky
June 08, 2007

And we begin another chapter in Clifton's most dramatic epic. . . Once again Clifton's Board of Adjustment voted to deny the application for a school to be located on 290 Brighton Road, right in the middle of one of Clifton's industrial zones. The 4 to 3 vote to deny the application is the Board of Adjustments second ruling on the Brighton Road application. The first ruling was appealed in Superior Court where Judge Passero sent the application back to Clifton's Board of Adjustment for another look. The question of whether or not to build a school in an industrial zone has polarized this city and cost taxpayers and interested parties an extraordinary amount of money. Imagine what would happen if all the energy spent fighting, or should I say discussing this issue, was put to intelligent thought and dialogue, we would probably be well on our way to coming up with an adequate solution that would not sell the students of Clifton short. Instead, we are most likely headed back to court for round three of this epic battle. One thing does continue to stand out in this saga, it's the people who continue to think that they are in the know and spread untruths about the process and the Board of Adjustment's role and responsibility regarding the Brighton Road school application. Many continue to use the public portion of community meetings as a soapbox for their rant. Nothing is ever accomplished by this type of behavior. While on the subject of behavior, we have it from multiple sources that a councilmember in attendance had some choice words after the vote. Now tell me, is that any way to lead by example?

The Kalamazoo Michigan Board of Education has hired Clifton School Czar Dr. Michael Rice as the new superintendent of the Kalamazoo School District. Rice's new post calls for a late August start date, and his salary is said to be $175,000. I guess for now it's adios Mikey! But wait; has anyone seen his letter of resignation?

Here we are, just a few weeks away from the July 1st one year anniversary of the "new Clifton City Council". It seems like only yesterday new faces appeared on the scene and filled meetings with talk of change, a goal oriented council with new ideas and out of the box thinking that would change the face of Clifton for the better. Things take time and yes, a ship the size of Clifton doesn't change direction quickly, however in order to make a change in direction you have to move the rudder and Clifton's rudder hasn't moved very much at all. Yes, there was the much anticipated Think Tanks, with all the buildup; one would have thought that the ideas generated in these brainstorming sessions would have rocked Clifton to the core. Actually it was more of a ripple, and that came from the residual blasting on Garret Mountain. While many are still optimistic, there are those who have decided to uproot and move and others with plans in the offing. Let's hope over the remainder of this administration, the City Council takes the helm and steer this city into calmer smoother waters.

While the Middle School Carnival was a resounding success, you had to know there would be some controversy. It involved the dunk tank and a disappearing banner. The Rosemawr Citizens Association after being vilified for their stance on Latteri Park wanted to show their support of the middle schools by sponsoring the dunk tank. They even paid a premium for their sponsorship so they would be able to display a large banner announcing their support and sponsorship. The banner was placed on the dunk tank for the first evening of the event only to be removed and was nowhere to be seen the subsequent evening. After much ado, the banner was located and reluctantly relocated, however this time far enough from the tank that it didn't serve the purpose for which it was intended. Who would have thought something as well intentioned as a Carnival could be the stage for continued battle?

Word has it that the ethics charges against Board of Education Commissioner Michael Paitchell have been delivered but have not been made public. I guess we will have to wait for the official release . . .

The Relay for Life is scheduled for June 30 and July 1st. The event needs your support. We would like to repeat the same offer we presented for last years relay; The Clifton Insider, the community newspaper that truly cares about Clifton and its residents, the one that "Celebrates Clifton and its continuing Renaissance" will donate all proceeds from every new subscription received from now until July 31 to the Relay for Life. . . Subscribe to the Clifton Insider and have it delivered directly to your mail box 26 times a year and support the Relay for Life at the same time. Once again, Dr. Andreas Skounakis' Alternative Chiropractic located on Clifton Avenue and the Clifton Insider have joined forces to form a Relay for Life team, the "Paper-Backs". If you would like to join our team and participate in the June 30 and July 1st event, simply contact the Clifton Insider and we will be glad to sign you up. All that is required is a willingness to make a difference in your community. . .

The Clifton Rotary Club will sponsor the 5th Annual Robert P. Hammer Memorial Golf Outing on Thursday, August 2 at the Wild Turkey Golf Course in the Crystal Springs Golf Resort. This year's event is sponsored by Athenia Mason Supply. This is an exceptional cause and deserves the support of the community. The Clifton Rotary Club brings a number of good programs to the community and it's events like these that fund their efforts. If you are interested in supporting the outing by becoming a sponsor or to participate in the outing, contact Dr Jeffrey Schulman, Golf Chairman at 973-742-3400 and tell him you read it in the Clifton Insider.

The annual city picnic and Independence Day fireworks display will take place Sunday July 1 (there is a rain date of July 4th for the picnic only). The picnic promises to be a fun filled day with a great variety of food, games and activities including family races from 1:00 to 3:00pm, which will take place throughout the day. The fireworks which begin at dusk will feature a performance by Clifton's Community Band which will begin at 7:30pm. Tickets are available through the City Clerk's Office, or you can call the Mayor at 973-470-5757. . .

St. Philip the Apostle Parish located on Valley Road in Clifton will sponsor their 27th annual Carnival from Wednesday June 13th through Sunday June 17th. This much anticipated annual event is a great place for some family fun. The Carnival features rides for all ages, games of chance and skill, a variety of great food and of course the ever popular, Zepoli. Visitors to the carnival stand in line just to get a serving of these sugar coated donut like treats. Mark your calendars and plan on paying St. Philip Carnival a visit…

Dads are true heroes of the family. Their role is often understated, however their guidance and hard work while seeming to go unnoticed, is always appreciated. Dads often play in the background working extra hours to help the family get ahead. A dad can be a true friend and a pillar of strength at the same time. Dads often take it on the chin and never let on. Fathers' Day is June 17. If you are lucky enough to still have your dad make it a point to be sure to say thank you and let him know how much you appreciate all he has done for you.

Another school year is quickly coming to a conclusion and with the close of the school year comes graduations and new beginnings. The Clifton Insider would like to congratulate all the members of the class of 2007 and wish them good luck as they begin their future endeavors. Some will join the workforce while others will continue their education training for a variety of careers and some will head off for institutions of higher learning. All with one thing in common, they are in search of the American Dream. Good luck to one and all.