Meeting "That Sinatra Guy," Chamber Wine Tasting At Endless Vine, Gambling for Charity and More

• Welcome to "Club Hub," a weekly column featuring news and events from the clubs around town. Here's a look at what's going on with some of the organizations in Franklin Lakes. 

For the last 11 years, Franklin Lakes resident Jason Nazzaro has spent his days working in the financial industry and working nights bringing the music of Old Blue Eyes himself to life.

“Back in the late 1990s my sister gave me a Frank Sinatra CD,” said Nazzaro. “I knew who he was and I had known a couple of his songs, but I was not a fan, but when I listened to the CD I became a fan.”

Nazzaro soon began trying karaoke and developed a following. In 2000, he began singing Sinatra tunes to retirement homes and practiced in front of crowds. He was soon being hired to do parties, major corporate events and even television commercials.

“I was able to turn this into a hobby and another career,” he said.

He said he has cut back on his schedule to spend time with his children, but he said he is looking forward to performing for the Valley Hospital Auxiliary Project event.

“I live in Franklin Lakes and I have been very successful and I wanted to do something to give back to the community and for those less fortunate,” said Nazarro.

Many fans of Sinatra’s music consider it fortunate to hear his music.

“I have to say the biggest reward I get is people who hug me and kiss me on the cheek and say ‘Thank you for helping me relive my youth’,” said Nazzaro. “I love being known as ‘That Sinatra Guy’.” 

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Speaking of which...

...the Franklin Lakes Branch of the Valley Hospital Auxiliary will be hosting a casino night on Saturday, April 9 at  7 p.m. North Jersey Country Club in Wayne. The night will benefit The Valley Hospital Auxiliary Project and feature a variety of games including Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘Em, Roulette and even Craps. Jason Nazzaro will be singing Frank Sinatra classics.  For $100 per person, Casino Night guests will experience a Las Vegas-style party with delicious hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner, luscious desserts, wine, beer, soft drinks, music, prizes and $100 in chips. For more information, contact Ann Swist at 908-578-2286 or amswist@prodigy.net.

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The The Audobon Society of Lorrimer Sanctuary, 790 Ewing Ave., is open Wednesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. The club is holding the following events:

• Spring Break Fishing Camp on April 13, 14 and 15, from 9 to 1 p.m. for students ages 8 to 12. Join Sanctuary Director Patrick Scheuer for three days of fishing fun and instruction. Cost: member $250, nonmember $300.
• A spring plant sale 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 30 and May 1 to raise money for its butterfly garden and backyard habitat projects. 
• A walk at the Baldwin Sanctuary, a 20 acre NJAS property along the Ramapo River in Mahwah 8 to 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 17. Cost: $8 members, $12 nonmembers. 
• A walk at Garret Mountain Reservation, 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday, May 8. Garret is known as one of the best places in the East to see migrant songbirds such as warblers, vireos, sparrows, flycatchers, and others. Cost: $8 members, $12 nonmembers.
• Birding at the Celery Farm in Allendale on Thursdays in May from 7:30 a.m. to 10a.m. This distinctive area along Franklin Turnpike is a remnant farm and freshwater marsh, and has been preserved as open space with Green Acres funding. Meet in the parking lot of the Celery Farm on Franklin Turnpike, one-quarter mile north of the intersection of Franklin Turnpike and East Allendale Avenue in Allendale. Cost: $6 members, $8 nonmembers.

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Kula for Karma along with Naturally Yoga is hosting Ride the Wave of Grace beach weekend May 14 and 15, at Ocean Place Resort in Long Branch. Awaken your inner surfer, cultivate patience, courage, compassion and fearlessness with meditations, vegetarian fare, and special sessions titled Diving into the Heart of Your Dreams and Riding the Wave of Grace. For more details and reservations, contact Pam Smith, 201-807-0710 or email pam@prosmith.com.  The flier and registration form can be found at www.kulaforkarma.org.

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The Woman’s Club of Franklin Lakes is having its next meeting April 11 at  at the , Bender Court and Municipal Drive, at 7 p.m.  The program is "Conquer Your Clutter" with Linda Anders.   Linda is a Professional Organizer and owner of COC Enterprises (an organizing / cleaning business) and she will guide us on how to live a clutter-free life.  Come and bring a friend.  Refreshments will be served.  Contact Cathy Teitel at 973-248-0109 if you  have any questions.

On May 11, the Club will have its annual Dinner Meeting and Installation of New Officers at the Preakness Country Club in Wayne. 

The Woman’s Club of Franklin Lakes is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting community, area and national causes. Founded in 1949 as part of the National Organization of Woman’s Clubs, the Franklin Lakes organization has been donating funds and offering support to the Borough on a continuous basis.  This year’s key beneficiaries are Gilda’s Club and the Center for Women’s Heart Health at Valley Hospital.  

Members of the community and general area are welcome to attend Club programs as well as to join. To learn more please introduce yourself at one of our programs or contact its membership Co-Chairs: Lois Vitenson at 201-891-5119 or Alice Booth at 973-696-3476.

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The Franklin Lakes Lions Club will have its monthly business meeting on April 7 at the Franklin Lakes Library. The club meets on the first and third Thursday of every month. 

The Lions Club is the world's largest service organization, with 45,000 clubs and 1.35 million members world wide. It's primary cause is sight and blindness prevention. The Franklin Lakes chapter has about 20 members and holds five fundraisers a year to support various local groups, including St. Josephs School for the Blind, Eva's Village in Paterson, Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, Eastern Christian Childrens Retreat, The Seeing Eye and Camp Marcella, a camp for blind children. The club meets the first and third Thursday of every month. 

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The Franklin Lakes Seniors, Inc. meets on Wednesday, April 6 at 12:30 p.m. at the Bender Court Firehouse/Senior Citizen Center. The club is open to all residents 62 years of age or older. Residents wishing to join the organization may do so by attending a meeting and filling out a brief form. Initial membership fee is $5 and annual dues are $5. Meetings are $1, which goes into a 50/50 raffle, and covers the cost of a light lunch. The club meets the first and third Wednesday of the month.

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The Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc.  (RBARI) announces the following upcoming events:

• Tattoos for Rescues Fundraiser, Saturday, April 16, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Shotsie’s Tattoo, 1275 Rt. 23 South, Wayne. Come honor your four-legged friend by getting a pawprint tattoo courtesy of Shotsie’s Tattoo. Minimum donation $50, 100 percent of which Shotsie’s will donate to RBARI. Temporary tattoo of a pawprint available for a donation of $10.
• On Saturday, April 30, Rob Lehmann will be hiking 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Washington DC to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in one day to raise money for RBARI. His goal is to raise $1,000 in donations. Click here to help him reach that goal.
• Golf Outing, May 9, High Mountain Golf Club, in honor of Dr. Cheryl Welch, for the care and compassion she has shown toward the beloved shelter animals. The event includes breakfast, cart, practice balls, a round of golf at a top quality course, contests throughout, barbecue at the turn, and luncheon at the end. 
Tickets cost $180. Register here.
•  Mutts Marathon, Sunday, Sept.25, at Bergen Community College, Paramus. For sponsorship/booth information, contact Terry Blake at Terry322@aol.com.
• Tricky Tray, Wednesday, Oct. 26 at Macaluso's, Hawthorne. Save the date
• Whiskers & Tails Charity Ball, Friday, Nov. 4, at Indian Trail Country Club.  Dinner, dancing, silent auction.  Save the date. 

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The Franklin Lakes Education Foundation is having a golf and tennis outing on June 9. Check back for more details.