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Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake VOLUME 14 ISSUE 18 P ASCACK VALLEY’S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER JULY 26, 2010 HELPING KIDS CauseCausePet therapy project forfor earns pawspaws Gold Award This Girl Scout earned the Gold Award by starting a mentoring program for children in Park Ridge. See page 29 MONTVALE Washtub rock Local band has vibrant history BY THOMAS CLANCEY OF PASCACK PRESS What if we told you the first Amanda Russo of Montvale earned the Girl Scout Gold Award by training her golden retriever, Beckett, to be a therapy dog. ever music video was filmed in Pascack Valley? Specifically, at the MONTVALE Park Ridge Burger King in 1972 friend - her dog, Beckett - was benefit her community. golden retriever to be a therapy by a couple of kids from Pascack by her side. Russo says she has always dog. Hills High School. When Pascack Hills High The member of Montvale been a passionate animal lover Therapy dogs are trained to Then known only as Son of School graduate Amanda Russo Girl Scout Troop 1050 earned and wanted to incorporate that provide comfort and support to the Original Synthetic Hickey earned the highest award in the Gold Award by completing into her Girl Scout Gold Award. people in hospitals, schools, Good Time Rinky-Dink Jug Band, Girl Scouting, manʼs best a 65-hour leadership project to She trained and certified her Inc., and in conjunction with a PHOTO COURTESY JAMIE WATKINS See THERAPY page 94 friendʼs father who was in posses- sion of a 16-millimeter camera, the boys filmed that milestone TIGERS POUNCE B ck in time... moment in music history only for the film to sit neglected, in a can, Emerson’s Auburn Tigers wrapped up a great A century-old postcard shows a main for nearly 35 years. season by becoming undefeated champions. thoroughfare in Park Ridge. Pascack Press recently trav- See page 4 See page 28 See JUG BAND page 34 34 JugFROM PAGE 1 Band: 40 years later, returning to townIn their first professional gig, the band opened for comedi- s an George Carlin at Newark Col- s eled to Nutley and walked in on e r the band, now called The Almost lege, now NJIT. P “The guys who booked us k Original Synthetic Swampgrass c a didnʼt realize that seven acoustic c Jug-Band.com, as they were s musicians might need more than a relearning a song - also about 35 P years old - prepping for this one microphone,” said Vascon- • cellos. 0 weekʼs concert, a homecoming of 1 It was still a blast. They 0 sorts. Theyʼll be performing on 2 , Thursday, July 29 at 7 p.m. at landed a gig opening for the 6 2 Montvale Borough Hall, 12 famed Vassar Clemens. Guitarist y l Dave Rubin still has his auto- u Mercedes Drive on the Great J Lawn (or in the council chambers graph on a small business card, if it rains). kept right next to his official jug- So now, without further intro- band membership card, hand duction, here is the oral history - signed and dated 1975. written for the first time - of this The band would play weekly unique local band. at local hotspot the Lionʼs Den (now Daveyʼs Locker) and nearly “You were supposed landed their big break in 1977. A to be serious.” high-ranking friend at Race Park There was one member of the in Englishtown, N.J., brought the band who could actually play gui- band to the 1977 Grateful Dead tar. So, naturally, the guys forced concert with the idea to sneak him to play banjo. them onstage in front of 50,000 It was to be a one-time thing: people. Ultimately overshadowed the original seven members, some by the presence of the New who had gained the trust of music Riders of the Purple Sage as an teacher Mr. McDaniels, passed the opening band, and dissed by a audition and got into the 1970 lack of access to the buffet, the Pascack Hills High School Pop band never performed despite Show. their backstage passes. “You were supposed to be “For every band you have a serious,” said Jim Vasconcellos, an Photos courtesy Dave Rubin moment where you could have original band member who is the A vintage image of the band. They’ll be performing at Montvale Borough Hall on Thursday, really done something,” said bandʼs upright bassist, washtub July 29 at 7 p.m. From left: Jeff, Dave, Gary Wickfors, Jim and Doug. Tyler. “That might have been the bassist, jug player and recaller of moment, had it been another day interesting facts. how stupid we could be on stage recording (it wasnʼt until years at the Burger King,” said Bowen. and had the New Riders been late, Rehearsals began in Novem- and get away with it,” said Vas- later that their sound was literally Jeff Tyler, who grew up in they would have thrown us on ber of 1970 - the bandʼs genesis - concellos. “It was supposed to be captured on one of Edisonʼs origi- Montvale, had recently joined the stage…” and the stakes were set high. a total inside joke - a one-shot deal nal wax cylinders). band to play fiddle and mandolin. “Some of the talent was actu- - and see how stupid we could be From those recordings, it was As a school project, Tyler story- “We could be big in Japan” ally pretty good,” said Doug in front of the whole school.” Gary Wikforsʼ song “Burger King boarded a plot for a short film. In the ensuing years, the Bowen. “And then we got up.” Blues” that would be plucked out When he enlisted a friendʼs dad band members all got married The cascading performance Catching magic in a bottle and storyboarded for an original who worked in the television and raised families. Some went of “Where oh Where” from the hit (or an original Thomas music video. The song was industry to come film it, the stage on to earn Ph.D.s, one is a best TV show “Hee Haw” culminated Edison wax cylinder) inspired by the Park Ridge Burger was set. selling author, and others are col- in seven-part harmonies and full In 1972 the evolving lineup King, the first fast food restaurant The day of the shoot, howev- lege professors. Yet, theyʼve kept choreography. traveled to Pee Wee Erwinʼs Tea- of its kind to come to the region. er, Tyler lost his notebook and the in touch over the years. “We were attempting to see neck studios and created a tape “About half the band worked star of the video didnʼt show. They With the 40th anniversary of pressed on and filmed the video, the bandʼs debut at the Pascack with classic images of the local Hills pop show approaching this eatery and comical pokes at the November, the band is planning a menu items like the “Whopper” private party to celebrate. and the “Wailer.” “Weʼd absolutely love to see Tyler would be handed the anyone who might vaguely film in a can, where it stayed for remember us because weʼre plan- nearly 35 years until his son, at the ning a reunion celebration and we time a video editing student, final- want to make sure we invite ly created a finished product, now everyone,” said Tyler. available online at their website, As the band membersʼ fami- www.jug-band.com. lies started to grow up, the band had a resurgence, with many Going pro wives, sons and daughters joining The band stayed together for performances. Now as their throughout college and started children attend college and have getting some big gigs. other pursuits, itʼs become just “We went professional,” said the adults again, said Tyler. Tyler, pausing for some comedic “Some day, when we grow timing, “for about three months up, we hope to maybe take it on until one of us got a job.” the road and go somewhere,” he The band had gotten early added. inspiration from Bowenʼs older “We could be big in Japan,” brother, who also had a jug band. said Rubin. “What weʼre hoping “They were worse than we for is a cover on ʻRolling Stone.ʼ” were!” joked Bowen. Whether inventing novelty Drawing on influences from instruments (i.e. the electric Jewʼs Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band Harp - crafted partially out of an and the 1960s folk music revival, erector set - or washboard bass) the band created its own dynamic or writing original music about repertoire of jug band, bluegrass, their lives in New Jersey (such as folk and blues - a sampler of “Rubber Necker”), the band is American music combined with a truly having fun playing and per- The Almost Original Synthetic Swampgrass Jug-band at a recent rehersal, from left: Jim flair for entertaining and crafting forming. Thatʼs something any Vasconcellos, Doug Bowen, Clyde (the dog), Jeff Tyler and Dave Rubin. original music. casual observer can plainly see. .