CLOSTER, N.J.—When the Closter Hall of Fame was created in 2015, each member was selected based on recognition earned for their accomplishments well beyond the borders of Closter.
Baseball legend Mickey Mantle, climatologist Wallace Broecker who coined the phrase “global warming,” jazz great Bill Evans, Muppets puppeteer Richard Hunt and many others formed an impressive group of people who had once called Closter home.
Housed in the always-busy Closter Public Library, the success of this project led to a discussion about other Closterites who have contributed to the quality of life in the borough through their efforts and volunteerism, but may not have been “famous.”
The result was presented on Sunday, Sept. 1, at the library when the spin-off WALL of Fame inducted 14 members for its first class of honorees. To be eligible for this select club, each person had to be a Closter resident for at least 35 years and contribute greatly to the community. With introductory remarks by Mayor John Glidden and committee member Erik Lenander, the standing-room-only audience learned of the significant accomplishments of each inductee whose efforts have made Closter a better place to live and raise a family.
Those honored who have died and were represented by family and friends included Alice Barkley, Olaf & Ingeborg Hagen, Jack Caldwell, Allen Brewster and Harold Benel.
Barkley formed the Shade Tree Commission and started the first recycling program in the area. Her beautification efforts led to the creation of Alice Barkley Square, a memorial on Main Street by the town clock where she is honored for her work.
The Hagens helped build the Closter Nature Center, served on its board, as well as on the Environmental Commission. Olaf and Ingeborg were avid vegetable gardeners and influenced countless children to love and protect the environment, as they did. Olaf and Ingeborg Hagen Park was created in their honor in 2011, and is located off Durie Avenue behind the Stop & Shop where trails offer quiet and peace among the birds and wildlife in this busy suburban community.
Jack Caldwell was a landscaper and excavating contractor. As a member of the Closter Elks and the Shade Tree Commission, he made his backhoes and bulldozers available for any community project that needed his attention including the building of the Belskie Museum and snow-plowing St. Mary’s parking lot where he was an active parishioner.
Allen Brewster, a lifelong lover of everything baseball, oversaw the construction of the Little League Field at Memorial Field and helped with the installation of the lights acquired from the New York Polo Grounds. He helped maintain the town’s military monuments and directed the dredging of swampland to create what is now Ruckman pond at the Closter Nature Center.
Harold Benel was a home builder, real estate broker, appraiser and code inspection official. He became a town councilman, served on the Recreation Committee, was a familiar face at the annual Lions Club Auction and a member of the Closter Ambulance and Rescue Corps. His resolve helped bring about the creation of the Belskie Museum in town, built by volunteers of which he was one.
Other inductees that are very much alive include landscape contractor Anthony Lupardi, Sr. who began his community service in the early 1950s and continues today. As a lifelong member of the Closter Fire Department, as well as the Lions Club and Shade Tree Commission, Lupardi has been instrumental in creating the Belskie Museum, the gazebo at Spectrum for Living, bridges at the Closter Nature Center and the Boy Scout and Girl Scout cabins.
Jim Gordon had a 40-year career as a police officer, retiring as a Closter Police Lieutenant in 2007. He served as president of the Northern Valley PBA, received a Citizenship Award from Closter Elks Lodge #2304, continues as an active member of the Closter Rescue Squad after 50 years as an EMS, and was Fireman of the Year in 2010.
Former Mayor Sophie Heymann arrived in Closter in 1957 and quickly blended into the community by volunteering with organizations relevant to her children including the PTO, the Brownies and Scouts, and later became president of the League of Women Voters. She was drawn to public service, serving three terms on the borough council and two terms as mayor. She was instrumental in securing grant money for Ruckman Park where a playground is dedicated to her, as well as developing Closter’s MacBain Farm Park, the gift of the Lustron House and the development of the new Closter Plaza. Don Farrell followed in his father’s footsteps as a volunteer, serving as board president and treasurer of the Closter Public Library, overseeing its expansion and creating a park called Farrell Woods behind the library. He has served in a similar capacity for the Belskie Museum of Arts & Sciences and has raised donations for the seven outdoor sculptures on the grounds. As of this year, he is the president of the museum.
Dr. Andy Baron has served as a Boy Scout leader for over 22 years and coordinates the Eagle Scout program where over 40 young men have attained that rank. Baron has supervised the rededication of Schauble, Mollicone and Amendola Parks, the construction of bridges at the Closter Nature Center and Girl Scout cabin, and a barbecue area at Memorial Park. He has served on the Board of Health and founded the Guatemala Dental Clinic which provides much needed dental care to the poor and rural communities in Guatemala.
Lenny Albanese, a contractor in the Northern Valley, served on the NVRHS Board of Education for 37 years, and has organized many fundraisers that have helped support the Closter Ambulance Corps. He and his wife Ann cleaned up and maintained Veterans’ Monument Park in Closter, and he has raised money to bring veterans to the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C.
Tommy Macnamara began working at the Closter DPW when he was 18 and joined the fire department, the ambulance and rescue corps and the Closter Elks. Because his professional work kept him in town, he was able to respond during emergencies when others were not. He became fire department chief and superintendent of the DPW before retiring, and will be remembered for the thousands of volunteer hours he gave to the residents of Closter.
Jim Oettinger succeeded Coach George Potterton in 1997 as the Director of the Recreation Commission and has continued to honor all of Potterton’s programs. Oettinger has expanded many of these program that include Labor Day festivities, the Summer Program, sports programs, revitalizing the playing fields around town, and started the Challenger Program in 1998 which supports the differently-abled youth in the Closter area. Recently, he brought the USA Patriots Wounded Warriors Amputee Baseball Team to Closter and raised a record amount of donations for them. His signature motto is “It’s all about the kids!”
MC Erik Lenander thanked the spouses and families of the honorees for supporting these volunteers as they spent countless hours away from home. He asked the public to suggest people for future Wall of Fame classes so that the tradition will continue to grow.