The Pascack Valley community and members of local towns attended the Unity in the Valley event in PV’s auditorium to listen to community leaders, religious leaders, and specifically, a presentation by New Jersey Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal, on Tuesday, March 19. Below is feedback that The Smoke Signal received from attendees of the event.

“It meant to stand together as one… and get a real sense of unity against all the hatred that’s been spreading,” PV sophomore Skylar Fay said.

“…not only as a school but as a community,” PV sophomore Thomas Dewitt said.

“You have a lot of different cultures and I’d really like to see them get along,” junior at Bergen County Academies Anthony Dewitt said.

“When everybody can hear the same message at once, it elevates all of us,” PV history teacher Kenneth Sarajian said.

“It’s important to show solidarity,” Hillsdale resident Jessica Gomperts said.

“This is my home, my community, and I just felt like it’s something we should be apart of,” Rivervale resident  Kate Dalton said.

“I would argue that the Human Rights Leauge itself plays one of the most integral parts in this kind of discussion,” PV senior and co-president of the Human Rights Leauge Samantha Nicklas said.

“We know that they do [care] but we don’t really see that being represented,” PV senior and co-president of the Human Rights Leauge Bianca Belmonte said.

“When I go to my local JCC and there is a cop car driving around, I found it very upsetting,” said Barbara Gold, Montvale resident.

“There has been some negativity in a lot of the media so we want to turn that negativity into something positive,” Montvale Public Schools Superintendent Darren Petersen said.

“There are some powerful voices that people need to listen to and think about themselves,” PV’s Assistant Principal John Puccio said.

“Very impressed with tonight,” PV Student Assistance Counselor Christine Rossig said.

“One of the things that we’re are really trying to make sure that is important is that everybody has a voice, everybody feels safe, and everybody feels comfortable,” Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at PVRHSD Barry Bachenheimer said.

“We should love each other or be kind to each other,” Woodcliff Lake resident Howard Radow said.

“Our learning curve has to continue to go up,” PV girls basketball coach and history teacher Jeff Jasper said.

“To be in the same room as the Attorney General is such an honor,” PV senior Cassidy Smith said.

“The words the Attorney General said really spoke to me,” PV junior Jaiden Price said.

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