BY JOHN SNYDER
OF PASCACK PRESS
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Enjoy a good meal for a great cause: Knights of Columbus Mother Seton Council 5427 is hosting a spaghetti dinner on Sunday, June 10, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Council Hall, 79 Pascack Road, to help Troop 321 Eagle Scout candidate James Stickel raise money for a veterans memorial next to the public library.
The menu includes spaghetti, meatballs, salad, bread, beverages, and dessert. There will also be musical entertainment.
The memorial, on town property, will include flags for each branch of the military, an American flag, a seat wall, monument, brick patio, gazebo, and new landscaping.
It is planned for a November unveiling to coincide with Veterans Day, which this year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
According to Bob Stickel, Jamesʼs father, planning for the memorial started last fall. James met with former Mayor Janet Sobkowicz, who approved his idea, and then met with Mayor Peter Calamari, who has been a big booster.
James also met with the library director and the commander of the VFW, and has gotten a stamp of approval from the Boy Scouts on the ambitious project.
Bob said James, 13—his and his wife Mary Ellen’s only child—is an eighth grader at Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School, is in marching band and Junior Honor Society, and plays baseball and basketball.
Bob said James has been working out plans and costs, “has met with a ton of people in town who are wanting to help,” and has been presenting on the project at such groups as the Golden Seniors.
James worked with an engineer on a concept rendering and is about to go live with a project website so residents can follow his progress and get involved.
James will also conduct a buy-a-brick fundraiser. All fundraising activities give James additional leadership experience, his father said. The Boy Scouts approved James to lead on the brick elements of his proposal, saying the flagpoles and gazebo portion would be better suited to professionals.
James started in Cub Scouts in first grade.
“He noticed that thereʼs no big veterans memorial in town and wanted to do something about that. […] Basically itʼs going to be a park,” Bob told Pascack Press.
Bob said heʼs an Eagle Scout too, is the troopʼs assistant scout master, and is president of LifeSavers, Inc. Pascack Press has reported that the Stickels and LifeSavers, Inc. have donated several AEDs and training in their use to local schools, fields, and public service organizations, including the Knights of Columbus.
James was in school when Pascack Press received Jim Duganʼs press release on the Knights of Columbus June 10 fundraiser. We will circle back to James to get more of his story as his project takes shape.
For tickets to the spaghetti dinner, write James at jrstickel07@gmail.com or call (201) 664-3528. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children 12 and younger, and $7 for seniors 65 and older. Checks are payable to WT Veterans Memorial Fund.