December 5, 2014
For our 50th Leonia Lives interview we have compiled a three-part series of updates of many of the past 49 interviews. We feel fortunate to live in such a diverse and talented community and are honored that so many of you shared your lives with us. Everyone has a story to tell and we look forward to the opportunity to write it.
Douglas Chung: Violinist/Concertmaster (February 2013).
Douglas remains a member of the Leonia Board of Ed, Planning Board and Leonia Arts. He also teaches strings at the Leonia Conservatory of Music. “Since the interview, I have been Director and Concertmaster of three classical concerts with Atempo Chamber Ensemble, and Concertmaster at the annual Handel’s Messiah Christmas Concert held at Palisades Presbyterian Church in Old Tappan. Our next one is Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. and all are invited to attend. My Soloist Music store moved to 265 Fort Lee Road.”
Charley Ryan, Co-Owner Brooklyn Bowl (April 2012).
“In January 2014, we opened a Brooklyn Bowl in London and in March, our Las Vegas outpost. They’re bigger (Las Vegas is 78,000 square feet!) and in some ways better than the original. It’s a challenge to manage properties that are eight time zones apart! We are exploring many other opportunities, but only our Chicago project is signed and sealed. It will be in the West Loop and will have a major rooftop component, and I’m thrilled about it. We’ll open there in 2016. Inspired by my neighbor Joan Comiskey, I’ve started working on a book–no due date for that, though!”
Lynne Marotta: Callanetics instructor (July 2013).
“I am now a Registered Instructor of Ortho-Bionomy, and have already taught six classes. My teaching has involved travel to Bozeman, Montana; Grand Junction, Colorado; and Rockford, Illinois to name a few. I have taught two classes in Leonia as well. I am having so much fun that my husband Ron, at the age of 65, has decided to learn Ortho-Bionomy as well. My new favorite place in Leonia in the past year is SunDo. Michael Lee the Master teaches you how to breathe with movements that will extend anyone’s life. He also is a skilled acupuncturist. A great find in our small town!”
Jackie Choi and Hideki (Kino) Kinoshita: Ultramarathon Runners (March 2012).
Since the interview, Jackie became the first female Korean American Assistant Prosecutor in Bergen County, and married Robert Koslow. They now reside in Jersey City, with their goldendoodle puppy Yossarian.
“We’re planning on spending our honeymoon in New Zealand and Hawaii this winter, running ultramarathons and hiking. My bachelorette party was a 100 mile race that began and finished in Times Square. I’ve run an additional six 100 mile races since my interview was published. I’ve become an official New York Road Runners pacer and for the past two years, I paced the New York City Marathon.
Kino continues to to work for Parsons, as a Senior Engineer as well as run and raise money for charities.
“At the time of the interview, I had finished 88 marathons and ultras and raised $53,000 for charities. That figure has increased to 176 marathons and ultras completed and $83,000 funding raised. I also finished running a sub-4 hour marathon in all 50 states plus DC, being the 38th recognized marathon runner to do so. I am almost halfway done with running a sub-3:30 marathon in all 50 states. Aside from Antarctica, I have finished a marathon or ultras on every continent. I have mixed up my training by taking on swimming and cycling by competing in triathlons, and will attempt my first Ironman triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile marathon run) in 2015 at Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada. I have moved from Leonia, NJ to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY.”
Richard Palka: Commander American Legion Post 1 (November 2011).
Richard remains the Post Commander. “We recently completed our tenth MIA/POW vigil. I am now the Cubmaster of the new Cub Scout Pack 71 sponsored by Post #1. Boy Scout Troop 71 has moved to the Post after over 50 years at Holy Spirit Church, which recently closed. My wife Charlene and I celebrated our 36th anniversary.”
Fred Stern: Poet (November 2012).
Fred passed away in January 2014, just a few months short of his 90th birthday. Following Fred’s profile in Leonia Life, he continued to write, lead poetry discussions, and organize readings. In 2013 he was invited by his hometown Augsburg, Germany to be a guest at their annual program to educate school children about the Holocaust. Fred declined, but the program did publish an impressive book, Lebenslinien/Lifelines describing his family’s long history in Augsburg, his boyhood there, the family’s flee from Germany, and their experience as refugees in England and the US. Included in Lifelines was a reproduction of Leonia Life’s article “Leonia’s Poetry Man.” So since Lifelines is now in schools and libraries throughout Germany, so is Leonia Life.
Pete Shanno: Running Coach (June 2014)
Pete celebrated his 70th birthday on October 2. He continues to coach long distance running at LHS. His team placed fourth at the state sectionals and qualified for the Group Championships (top 5 teams qualify). He is organizing the 2015 July 4 Run for Fun.
Inga Thrasher, Emmy-award winning Hairstylist, Choreographer (July 2012).
“At the time of the interview, I was a 3-time Emmy nominee and now I am a 3-time Emmy Winner! Our team has won the last three years for the following SNL Shows/Hosts: 2012 – Zoe Deschanel, 2013 – Jennifer Lawrence and 2014 – Anna Kendrick. I am so proud and blessed to work with such an amazing team of Hairstylists at Saturday Night Live, which is currently in its 40th season! I’ve continued to work with Summerstage at Leonia as Choreographer and Hair designer. Our last shows were South Pacific and Les Miserables. My daughter Olivia is a senior at LHS and the college hunt is on! She participates in the Drama Club and she recently started a film club at school. Anna is a sophomore and is the goalie for the varsity soccer team. My husband is currently in the orchestra of Aladdin on Broadway.”
Bahram Sayari, Construction Manager/Sculptor (May 2012).
“This past summer I brought two more larger-than-life figurative sculptures home, one inside made of plaster and one outside made of concrete. At that time, both Ann and Irealized there is no more room for large sculptures. I have now started on very small figures made of wax, one of a horse and another of a standing woman. Once i become more proficient I can bronze cast some of those. Moving from clay to wax has allowed me to explore a different medium as well as play with abstract ideas rather that working from live models. I am having fun with it.”
Marissa Mazza: Special Ed Teacher (April 2013).
“Since I was interviewed, I became the Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant (LDT-C) at Leonia Middle School. I am currently being trained as an Orton Gillingham Scholar through FDU’s nationally accredited Orton Gillingham Dyslexia Specialist Training Course. I am engaged, and Dave and I will be getting married on November 6, 2015 at St. John’s.”
Chris Watson: Players Guild Director, (March 2011).
“I have directed one musical a year with the Players Guild since our interview, including 110 Degrees in the Shade, High Society, Crazy for You, and Swing. I am looking forward to conducting a workshop on musicals, featuring performances from some of the shows I’ve directed, this coming January 15.”
Richard Howell: Comic Book Artist, (July 2014).
Richard continues working on his online DEADBEATS comic strip (for free, at claypoolcomics.com). “I was recently surprised on the street by a family guy (with his wife and children) who remembered me from a time–when he was a child–that I displayed to them how comics were assembled. It’s always great to know that your work has a positive effect on the world.”
Roland Weimer: Entrepreneur (September 2013).
“Since our interview, I’ve traveled on business to Germany four times and China once. As a Rotarian, I traveled to the Dominican Republic to install bio sand water filters. I traveled to Guatemala with members of the Leonia Presbyterian Church to help build a bottle school. I hosted three members of Children from Uganda during their tour of the US. This was a year of anniversaries as well. I visited my hometown of Collenberg, Germany to celebrate the 800th anniversary. My wife Kay and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and we held the 15th Annual Leonia Oktoberfest, which was a Rotary fundraiser for the Weekend Snack Pack Program.”
Leonia Lives 