Family-oriented parties disappear

First Night, the family-oriented New Year's Eve celebration that many communities have held since the 1970s, is dead in Passaic County.

The county's 16 communities will offer little more than the same auld, same auld Dec. 31 options, ranging from pricey nights out at local restaurants to gatherings of friends culminating with watching the ball drop in Times Square on television.

Yet, the nearby township of Montclair's First Night celebration will be bustling with enough activity to rival anything outside of midtown Manhattan.

The lineup includes a juggler, a ventriloquist and SpongeBob SquarePants to entertain children. Older folks will be dazzled by the European acrobatic troop Cirque Le Masque and The Fab Faux, a band that performs Beatles tunes with extraordinary authenticity.

The five-man act features musicians from David Letterman's and Conan O'Brien's late-night talk show bands.

Pat Brechka, Montclair director of recreation and cultural affairs, said tonight's celebration would be the township's 20th, although the municipal government made a concerted effort to develop the event during the past three years.

Last year's event cost $145,000 to produce, not including police and fire department overtime expenses, Brechka said.

The cost was defrayed by a $45,000 line item in the municipal budget and $56,000 paid by corporate sponsors, she said. Total income for the event last year was $185,000. Financial information about Monday's celebration was not yet available, she said.

But the real secret to the event's success, Brechka said, was the people behind it.

"You need a ton of volunteers," she said.

The first First Night celebration was held in Boston in 1976 as an alcohol-free public festival to mark the New Year with art, ritual and festivity, according to the Web site for First Night International.

The organization issued licenses to 131 cities this year to hold First Night celebrations according to its prescribed standards.

Participating communities must establish a local nonprofit to organize the events, performing and visual arts must be highlighted, and no alcoholic beverage companies are allowed to underwrite the celebration.

The number of local First Night communities has reportedly waned since 2000, after a period when interest in the events had built through the 1990s as the new millennium approached.

Scott Rumana, former mayor of Wayne, said the township had attempted a First Night celebration about 12 years ago, but the local nonprofit ended up losing money. The township had to step in to pay vendors and entertainers, Rumana said.

Rumana added that Wayne, a community without a definitive "downtown" area, was at a disadvantage.

"The way we're laid out, it just didn't work," he said. "A lot of people didn't buy into the whole concept."

Deborah Hoffman, Passaic County director of economic development, said communities with arts venues and a variety of restaurants were best suited for successful First Night celebrations.

While there hasn't been any data collected on the events' impact on local economies, Hoffman said First Night could serve as an engine to drive commerce for retailers.

"That kind of an activity is a great way to boost the profile of local businesses," Hoffman said.

Evelyn Malave, owner of The Corner Outlet in Clifton and founder of the Lakeview Avenue Merchants Association, has particular interest in the economic development power of a First Night event.

Malave, who said she would be in Montclair tonight, said Clifton's ethnic restaurants and music studios were among the reasons First Night could be successful in her community.

"It would be a perfect opportunity to showcase our city," Malave said. "Our diversity is what would really make it special for us." _____________________________________________________________________________

CLIFTON -- Frustrated by a steady decline in business, merchants in the city's Lakeview section have formed a community group to help bring customers back.

Evelyn Malave, who owns The Corner Outlet, a sneaker store on Lakeview Avenue, said she established the Lakeview Merchants Association in October with four other local business owners to stem the tide of stores closing on the thoroughfare.

"We want to be able to retain the people that we have and let (customers) know that we're here," Malave said. "Right now, most people drive down the avenue. We want them to stop."

A 99-cent store just went out of business, while a consignment shop may close because its owner can't pay the rent, Malave said.

"We want to make it into a thriving shopping district," she said.

Lakeview is a neighborhood on the city's eastside that was the scene of a robbery and stabbing earlier this month. The merchants association's goal is to change customers' perception of the area, and convince them it's a safe place to shop.

The group now boasts 20 members -- but still has a long way to go to persuade the more than 150 Lakeview businesses to join.

Since forming, the group pooled money to buy holiday decorations like the red velvet bows that were wrapped around trees along Lakeview Avenue. They also hosted a networking event for the business owners last month and are planning a street fair for when the weather gets warmer.

Two other city business districts -- Main Avenue and Botany Village -- are Special Improvement Districts, where business owners pay a tax to finance maintenance and beautification.

Malave said the Merchants Association is the first step in making Lakeview a Special Improvement District.

"We've never had an association," Malave said. "This will allow us the opportunity to contemplate the issue."

Mayor Jim Anzaldi called the Lakeview Merchants Association a "wonderful idea" that could be the catalyst for designating Lakeview as a Special Improvement District.

"That would be something I would hope, because of their solidarity, they could go toward," Anzaldi said. He added that Lakeview is the next neighborhood to receive a face-lift under the city's streetscape program.

Lakeview business owners said they supported having a Merchants Association.

"That's a good idea," Jim Dench, owner of Lakeview Brake and Front End Inc. said. "We could use some more business."

"It will help the community," said Mike Kourani, owner of the Alnajah Driving School on Lakeview Avenue. "Lakeview is a nice location for business -- that's why I got my business here." ______________________________________________________________________________

CLIFTON INSIDER: Lakeview Merchants Association: Holds their Inauguration Meet and Greet

The businesses along Lakeview Avenue recognized the need to come together and seek a solution to some of the obstacles faced by community business districts. They joined together and formed the Lakeview Merchants association.

Their first meeting was held in the Lester Herrschaft Community Center on City Hall Grounds where merchants and businesses owners gathered.

Also in attendance were Councilman Steve Hatala, Councilman Matt Ward, City Manager Albert Greco and Downtown Clifton Executive Director Angela Montague all on hand to lens support to the fledgling economic group.

The Association is made up of Merchants/Service Businesses and Professionals that work on and around Lakeview Avenue in the Lakeview Section of Clifton. The Association has elected an enthusiastic and energetic group of professional men and women, President - Evelyn Malave of the Corner Outlet Store; Vice-President -Jessica Pilkin of Mille Fieri Floral Design; Secretary - Janet Resto of Proper of United Assurance Insurance Agency and Treasurer - Heriberto Rivers a CPA.

The Group is working to build and promote all Lakeview Avenue/Section Businesses in order to draw new business to the Avenue. They strive to work with the merchants and professionals along with seeking support from the City of Clifton in order to bring about necessary improvements on Lakeview Avenue and in the Lakeview Section. They are a unified business voice in the community looking to take back and take ownership of their community.

The group is planning on handing out to all their customers a merchant directory, Decals and ID cards will be available to

Association Members. They are also creating an internet link on the Lakeview Merchant Association web-page and Merchant newsletter with advertising and the latest happenings, all while focused on drawing new and fresh businesses to the area.