From the Archives

Thanksgiving Homecoming in Historic Fort Lee

A restored "Historic Fort Lee" painting will be dedicated at the Fort Lee Public Library on Saturday at 12 p.m.

The Ortlip family of artists are among many artists who called Fort Lee their home from the 19th through the 20th century. As hard as it may seem to believe today, back in the post-Civil War era through the early part of the 20th century, Fort Lee was a resort community with lavish hotels atop the Palisades.  Here many artists ventured to capture on canvas the wonderful views of the Hudson River atop the bluffs of Fort Lee’s Palisades. Many artists associated with the famous Ashcan School of the early 20th century created their art in Fort Lee. It was a realist artistic movement made up of eight members, including John French Sloan and Edward Hopper. Other artists of note to work and live in Fort Lee were George Overbury Hart, better known…

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Library to Dedicate Restored ‘Historic Fort Lee’ Painting

The painting by the late Fort Lee artist Paul Ortlip was damaged over a period of many years, but it’s now been restored and is slated for permanent display at the Fort Lee Public Library, with a dedication planned Saturday.

Thanks to the efforts of the Fort Lee Historical Society and the Fort Lee Public Library Board of Trustees, a part of the borough’s history has been restored after many years of neglect. A large painting by the late artist Paul Ortlip, a Fort Lee native, had been hanging in a small area of the Fort Lee Public Library’s meeting room, where it wasn’t really visible to the public and sustained significant damage over time. The Historical Society and the Library Board worked to have the 1970 Ortlip painting fully restored, and now that the restoration is complete, a dedication is planned for Saturday in the library’s gallery, where the painting will hang permanently. “The late Arthur Bruni, who was a very important member of the community, had…

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Monument Now Complete, Kept Under Wraps Until 9/11 Anniversary

Fort Lee Mayor wants the memorial in Constitution Park to remain “a bit of a surprise”

This September 11 is the 10th anniversary of the tragic events that have come to be known simply as “9/11.” And fittingly, Fort Lee will dedicate its first 9/11 memorial in Constitution Park that day. Last week Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich announced that the monument—built from a girder and other pieces of the World Trade Center donated to the borough by the Port Authority—has been completed. But that doesn’t mean residents can expect a sneak peak before the dedication ceremony. “Our monument has now been erected,” Sokolich said. “It’s under wraps because we’re trying to keep it as a bit of a surprise for September 11.” In March, shortly after the roughly 12-foot steel girder arrived in Fort Lee, Sokolich said the monument would feature …

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Winter Whiz Kids Set the Bar For Success

Fort Lee’s brightest now looking to the future in movement for a brighter tomorrow.

There is no formula to being a Whiz Kid, and no blueprint for the proper way to become one. It may take the drive of Fort Lee’s Nancie Sophias, the leadership qualities shown by George Padin, the singing abilities of Arev Dinkjian or the dedication of basketball player Bindi Parikh. These four student athletes are just like everyone else but they have something that makes them unique.   Sophias, for example, is a senior and one of the top runners in Northern New Jersey. She has set numerous Fort Lee High School records including the 600 meter run and is on the track team year round. If that isn’t enough, Nancie is also the Vice President of her class, the secretary of the student council, and President of the Greek Club. She has donated a …

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Whiz Kid: Bindi Parikh Learns From Books and Basketball How to be a Leader

The senior's daily journey to succeed begins long before most people wake up.

With an over-packed bookbag slung on her back, Fort Lee’s Bindi Parikh is hard to miss in the high school hallways. The senior also stands out on the basketball floor as one of the captains on the Lady Bridgemen basketball team. But it is this rare blend of dedication and success both on and off the court that makes Bindi Parikh a true Fort Lee “Whiz Kid.” “There aren’t enough words for me to describe what a wonderful student athlete she is, and not only a student athlete, but a [wonderful] person,” said Bindi’s head coach Stacie Zafiris. Parikh’s teammates have also noticed the special qualities that make up who she is. “Bindi is very unique and one of a kind,” senior guard Brianna Mattessich said. “She is always happy and I don’t think I…

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