Did you know that as a state, New Jersey has the 3rd most personal injury cases per capita? In fact, personal injury cases occurred at a rate of 30.34 per 100,000 capita, which is 218% higher than the national average of 9.53%. Perhaps even more alarming, personal injury cases account for 31% of New Jersey's entire caseload - 166% higher than the U.S. average, which lies at 11.65%. One look at those stats, and it's clear that thousands of men and women in New Jersey suffer from the unfortunate negligence of others.
The truth is, when an accident happens out of nowhere, even the most prepared New Jersey native can become a victim. Imagine driving home after a tough day at work, looking forward to relaxing, but suddenly, your life takes an unexpected turn due to someone else's negligence. Coping with the aftermath of personal injury accidents is a daunting task involving long-lasting pain, concerns about work, and worries about your loved ones.
Unfortunately, victims often fall prey to lowball settlement offers and provide official statements to insurance companies without a personal injury attorney in Oradell, NJ. Once you accept a settlement offer or make an official statement, it becomes challenging to correct the situation. That's where William Gonzalez Law Group comes in - to protect your rights and fight on your behalf for the compensation you deserve.
William N. Gonzalez was Born in 1961 in the Bronx. He moved to Puerto Rico in 1973, where he attended Middle School, High School, and freshman year at the Catholic University of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Ultimately, he transferred to John Jay College of Criminal Justice C.U.N.Y., earning a B.A. degree in 1984.
After completing that achievement, he attended Seton Hall School of Law from 1987 through 1990, earning a J.D. and admission into the New Jersey State Bar. Shortly after, he began working for various law firms until2002, when he became a solo practitioner in the Township of West New York.
Since that time, he has dedicated his practice to serving the community with honesty, integrity, and hard work. His practice was founded with the main purpose of helping those who face crisis and are in need of a personal injury lawyer in Oradell, NJ, who sticks by their side.
Mr. Gonzalez focuses on a range of personal injury cases, including but not limited to.
If you're looking for a fearless attorney to fully represent you and to fight the good fight on your behalf, look no further than the William Gonzalez Law Group. Now that you're up-to-date on William Gonzalez's background and accomplishments, let's dig a little deeper into the nuances of personal injury law and the areas of law in which he focuses.
While there are many different types of personal injury cases in New Jersey, some are more common than others - especially those that involve motor vehicles and driving under the influence. Some of the most common types of personal injury cases that William Gonzalez helps clients overcome include.
Did you know that driver error is the leading cause of car accidents in New Jersey? The truth is that negligent drivers don't pay attention. They also don't adhere to traffic laws or use the right safety precautions. They often cause serious injuries by.
If you have been injured in a car accident that was caused by someone else's negligence, it is important to have a personal injury attorney in Oradell, NJ, whom you can rely on. Your lawyer will help protect your rights and fight for the maximum compensation possible according to local laws. Your car accident attorney will also collaborate with specialists such as investigators and accident reconstruction experts to determine the cause of your injury and establish who is responsible for any damages.
There are more than eleven million trucks that operate daily across the United States, with drivers who work long hours and carry sensitive materials. In 2016, there were over 470,000 large truck and semi accidents, with human error accounting for 90% of those accidents. Truck accidents can cause injuries in several ways, such as if a truck carrying hazardous materials explodes or spills its contents, causing damage to surrounding drivers and property. Commercial trucks can also jackknife or lose control of their steering wheel, which can result in injuries to the driver or others involved in the accident.
Due to the massive size of semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles, accidents involving these vehicles often result in catastrophic injuries. If you have been injured due to a negligent truck driver who was speeding, distracted, impaired, or whose vehicle was poorly maintained, it's time to hire a trucks accident lawyer. Doing so quickly after your accident will help protect your rights against insurers and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
If you ride a motorcycle in New Jersey, you are at a higher risk of dying in an accident compared to other drivers. Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents are on the rise. The good news? William Gonzalez is highly skilled when it comes to representing motorcycle accident clients and the injuries they sustain, including.
If you were recently involved in a motorcycle accident because of another party's negligence, you can count on William Gonzalez as your advocate. It all starts with an initial consultation with a motorcycle injury attorney who truly understands New Jersey injury law.
If you have been injured while working, it can be a painful, confusing, and emotional experience. It can also be financially devastating for you and your family. Therefore, it is important to take the necessary steps to protect yourself and seek the guidance of a qualified workers' compensation lawyer in New Jersey. The William Gonzalez Law Group has been successfully assisting injured workers for years. Mr. Gonzalez's goal is to get the full compensation you need to cover your medical bills and take care of your family while you recover. If you've suffered an injury while on the job that resulted in lost wages or ongoing pain and suffering, it's time to fight for financial compensation.
Injuries resulting from trips, slips, and falls can be severe and may include fractures, brain trauma, neck, and back injuries, among others. Recovering from a serious fall can take months, and the victim may experience lifelong health issues and incur substantial medical bills.
However, in New Jersey, property owners have a legal obligation to maintain their property in a safe manner. If someone gets injured on their premises or property due to their negligence, the owner can be held liable. The victim has the right to file a personal injury claim to seek compensation for the cost of medical treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering caused by the injuries.
Some of the most common contributors to slip-and-fall accidents in New Jersey include.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a drunk driving accident, a personal injury lawyer in Oradell, NJ, can provide assistance. Despite decades-long efforts by civic organizations to curb drunk driving, it remains a problem throughout the United States, including in New Jersey, which has strict DUI laws and enforcement.
William Gonzalez believes that prosecuting drunk driving accidents not only helps clients recover compensation for their injuries but also serves as a warning to others who may consider driving under the influence.
When an accident, incident, or illness causes you physical injury or emotional pain and suffering, it is referred to as personal injury. For example, suppose you are involved in a car accident and experience a traumatic brain injury. In that case, you have the right to seek compensation for the expenses related to treating and recovering from your physical injuries. You're also entitled to financial compensation for the emotional distress you may have suffered as a result of the injury.
There are three general terms you should be familiar with as it relates to personal injury law in New Jersey:
Experiencing pain and suffering is not always limited to physical injuries. It can also affect one's emotional well-being, which may require the help of a mental health professional to properly document. Consulting with a mental health professional can help determine the extent of any potential psychological issues that may have arisen from your incident.
To provide accurate documentation of your emotional pain and suffering, it is important to record how your daily activities have been impacted and how you may no longer be able to participate in activities that you once enjoyed. This might include difficulties in communication or the inability to enjoy outings that were once pleasurable.
When someone experiences physical injury as a result of an accident, such as a car accident, they may sue for compensation for the harm done to their body. This compensation can help cover the costs of medical bills, surgeries, physical therapy, home care equipment, or any other expenses needed to aid in their recovery from the injury.
Emotional distress can be difficult to prove, especially when it involves defamation of character or threats to one's physical safety. It's important to understand, however, that emotional distress is valid. You have the right to seek compensation for any fear or trauma you have experienced and should not hesitate to fight for what you deserve.
If you have suffered a serious injury due to an accident, it's time to protect yourself and your family with the help of a personal injury attorney in Oradell, NJ. Unlike your lawyer, the insurance companies involved in your personal injury case are not on your side and are known for presenting offers that don't fairly compensate you for your losses.
In New Jersey, determining who is legally responsible for an accident usually involves assessing the negligence of the person at fault. Proving negligence or negligent acts as the cause of serious injuries and damages can be one of the most challenging aspects of a personal injury case. While some accidents are just that - accidents - in other cases, such as drunk driving car accidents, it is clear that the act of criminal negligence caused the accident, and the person responsible should be held liable for the damages.
According to New Jersey law, there are four elements that must be covered when trying to prove negligence in personal injury cases. Those elements include the following.
In New Jersey, determining who is legally responsible for an accident usually involves assessing the negligence of the person at fault. Proving negligence or negligent acts as the cause of serious injuries and damages can be one of the most challenging aspects of a personal injury case. While some accidents are just that - accidents - in other cases, such as drunk driving car accidents, it is clear that the act of criminal negligence caused the accident, and the person responsible should be held liable for the damages.
According to legal duty, the defendant has a responsibility to ensure the safety of the victim and prevent harm. In New Jersey, drivers have a legal obligation to operate their vehicles safely in regard to other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Businesses are legally obliged to maintain their premises in a safe manner, ensuring there are no hazards such as ice, snow, or slippery floors.
To prove that the defendant is responsible for an accident, it must be shown that they behaved in a way that they knew could cause harm to others. Additionally, it must be demonstrated that a reasonable person in the same situation would have acted differently. For instance, it is common knowledge that driving a car, truck, or motorcycle under the influence can lead to an accident.
One of the biggest reasons to hire a personal injury lawyer in Oradell, NJ, is so they can prove that your injuries are a direct result of the other party's breach of duty. This means that you need to demonstrate that your injuries occurred due to the defendant's actions. To do so, it is recommended that you seek medical attention from a physician who can document your injuries and confirm that they were caused or worsened by the defendant's negligence. It is crucial to document your injuries with a doctor, as it can be difficult to obtain compensation for injuries that were not properly documented.
When filing a claim, you must show proof of loss, which may include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering compensation.
If you've been injured due to someone else's negligence, you should act fast to file a claim and hire a lawyer. In New Jersey, you only have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit or claim. If you fail to file a claim within the time frame set by the statute of limitations, you will lose your opportunity to do so. In most cases, if you attempt to file a claim after the two-year deadline, the defendant will file a motion to dismiss. There are very few exceptions where a personal injury claim may be filed beyond the two-year mark.
The William Gonzalez Law Group specializes in helping you get back on track after a setback. With decades of experience in personal injury law, Mr. Gonzalez can assist you in cases such as car crashes, truck accidents, slip and fall incidents, motorcycle accidents, DUI accidents, workers' compensation cases, and more.
When you are unable to work, have mounting bills and medical expenses, and your quality of life is affected, you need a strong and reliable advocate on your side, and William Gonzalez is the man to call for help. Whether you need assistance with a complex personal injury case or need trustworthy, easy-to-understand legal advice, contact the William Gonzalez Law Group today.
2-minute readNorth Jersey officials marked the Oradell Reservoir Dam's 100 years of providing drinking water to Bergen and Hudson counties on Wednesday.“The dam and the reservoir that it creates provides a really reliable drinking water source," said Alan Weland, the vice president and general manager of Veolia New Jersey, the for-profit utility that operates the reservoir and provides drinking water to nearly 1 million customers in North Jersey. Without it, he said, North Jersey "as it exists today couldn&rsq...
North Jersey officials marked the Oradell Reservoir Dam's 100 years of providing drinking water to Bergen and Hudson counties on Wednesday.
“The dam and the reservoir that it creates provides a really reliable drinking water source," said Alan Weland, the vice president and general manager of Veolia New Jersey, the for-profit utility that operates the reservoir and provides drinking water to nearly 1 million customers in North Jersey. Without it, he said, North Jersey "as it exists today couldn’t be the way it is.”
Bergen County Executive James Tedesco called the dam an “essential component of New Jersey’s water infrastructure.”
At the turn of the 20th century, entrepreneurs began developing a system to provide safe drinking water to a growing population in North Jersey. The Hackensack Water Company, now known as Veolia, already served about 100,000 people. But the area soon needed a larger reservoir to supply high-quality water for a post-war boom.
Work began on a 250 million-gallon reservoir in 1901. Between 1911 and 1923, laborers took on an “amazing engineering feat” to replace a wooden dam with a 23-foot-tall concrete structure that “has stood the test of time” for a century in Oradell, Weland said. “The structure was built to withstand all conditions while meeting an ever-increasing demand.”
By the time it was completed in 1923, the concrete dam was 402 feet long and 23 feet high and could hold 3.5 billion gallons of water.
Today, an average of 98 million gallons a day are drawn from the Oradell. The highest single-day draw was 163 million gallons on July 22, 2011. “The growth and development of this water company over 150 years made possible the growth and development of Bergen County," said Mary Amoroso, a Bergen County commissioner. "Without this water, we would not be thriving and growing as we have been.”
The existing reservoir can hold 3.5 billion gallons of water.
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Beyond providing water, the reservoir is home to 12 types of fish and is visited by other wildlife. Veolia has implemented biodiversity projects as one method to preserve the watershed. People can also enjoy recreation on the Hackensack River, which the dam contains, with the installation two years ago of a kayak launch.
“We've now given access to a body of water that no one ever had access to," Tedesco said. "And now people get to see the beauty of this section of the river that no one was able to.”
Veolia’s team works daily to maintain the dam and reservoir, and officials praised the century-long efforts of people who kept the system alive and well. Tedesco recalled their ongoing efforts and “significant progress” to bring “truly clean” drinking water to people when the county announced that lead was present in the water.
Many residents in towns surrounding the Hackensack River, including Oradell, where the dam is, were affected by flooding last year. At the time, Tedesco urged Veolia — then called Suez Water — to mitigate flooding after the watershed surged twice within seven months. Water levels in the river reached 6 feet after Hurricane Ida’s aftermath caused flooding across the region.
Rich Henning, then the executive vice president of communications for Suez, said there's a misconception that the company's reservoirs function like a flood-control dam. Rather, they're constructed as water supply dams that the utility wants as full as possible so that "we have the water when we need it the most."
More:Bergen blames Suez for flood damage, saying utility should warn of brimming reservoirs
The dam's construction had unintended consequences down the river. The Hackensack River is tidal, flowing into Newark Bay and ultimately the Atlantic. Since the Oradell Dam was built, it has held back some of the Hackensack's freshwater flow downstream, which has allowed saltwater from New York Harbor and Newark Bay to reach farther up into the Meadowlands.
As a result, the Meadowlands was transformed from a freshwater marsh into a tidal saltwater one, destroying large stands of Atlantic cedar trees.
The Oradell Reservoir Dam turned 100 and Veolia — the utility company that owns and operates the dam — celebrated the milestone Wednesday, noting its importance in the growth of Northern New Jersey.Without the reservoir, company officials said, North Jersey would look much different than it does today. Oradell is a vital water supply that provides 35 billion gallons of water annually to nearly 1 million residents and businesses across Bergen and Hudson counties, including Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Wood- Rid...
The Oradell Reservoir Dam turned 100 and Veolia — the utility company that owns and operates the dam — celebrated the milestone Wednesday, noting its importance in the growth of Northern New Jersey.
Without the reservoir, company officials said, North Jersey would look much different than it does today. Oradell is a vital water supply that provides 35 billion gallons of water annually to nearly 1 million residents and businesses across Bergen and Hudson counties, including Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Wood- Ridge, Teterboro and Paramus
“Today we celebrate the Oradell Dam as an engineering feat that has withstood the test of a century, and we also recognize the people at our company and in our communities who had the foresight to build it,” said Alan Weland, Vice President and General Manager of Veolia’s operations in New Jersey. “Without a reliable source of drinking water, North Jersey would not exist as we know it today.”
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Weland was joined by Bergen County Executive James Tedesco, Oradell Mayor Dianne Didio and other state and local officials, who spoke about the importance of the dam to the region.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Bill Pascrell, Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise and numerous other elected officials honored the company with proclamations commemorating the dam's 100 years of service.
“For a century, the Oradell Reservoir has been the source of clean drinking water for residents and businesses in Bergen and Hudson counties,” Tedesco said. “Unless you have been to the plant and see what happens on a 24-hour basis, you don't know the amount of effort and the quality of the work that's done by the employees here."
The reservoir that would become essential to the state's water supply had humble beginnings. In 1892, the Hackensack Water Company, now known as Veolia, was serving 100,000 people, a population that would quadruple over the next two decades. To meet this demand, the company expanded the reservoir.
In the early 1920s, work began on another expansion to satisfy the needs of a postwar population boom. By the time the dam was completed in 1923, the concrete dam was 402 feet long, 23 feet high and could hold 3.5 billion gallons of water.
Today, an average of 98 million gallons a day are drawn from the Oradell to meet the needs of North Jersey. The highest single day draw? That record — 163 million gallons — was set on July 22, 2011.
“The growth and development of this water company over 150 years made possible the growth and development of Bergen County. Without this water we would not be thriving and growing as we have been,” Bergen County Commissioner Mary Amoroso said. “I congratulate Veolia on the 100th anniversary of the wonderful dam."
As the community grew, the water system grew,” Weland said. “It is an integral part of our community here, including the economic health of our community as well as public health.”
ORADELL — A hole in the roof of the Blauvelt Mansion that alarmed preservationists has been repaired, but there are lingering worries about the fate of the historic mansion.The shingle-style, 25-room estate, which sits atop a long grassy hill on Kinderkamack Road at Soldier Hill Road, has been in limbo for years. CareOne, a network of assisted living facilities, had contracted with the mansion's former owner, Jeffrey Wells, to build an assisted-care facility on the property’s front lawn in 2007, but two prop...
ORADELL — A hole in the roof of the Blauvelt Mansion that alarmed preservationists has been repaired, but there are lingering worries about the fate of the historic mansion.
The shingle-style, 25-room estate, which sits atop a long grassy hill on Kinderkamack Road at Soldier Hill Road, has been in limbo for years. CareOne, a network of assisted living facilities, had contracted with the mansion's former owner, Jeffrey Wells, to build an assisted-care facility on the property’s front lawn in 2007, but two proposals have been rejected by the borough.
CareOne bought the property outright in a foreclosure auction in 2013, and no new plans for the site have been proposed since.
In recent weeks, residents complained about the condition of the property. Stephen Depken, the borough’s construction official, spoke with a representative of CareOne, who let him inspect the exterior last month. He discovered a hole in the roof and a possible infestation of animals.
Last Friday, representatives from CareOne said the entry point into the building had been fixed by an animal control officer and a roofer, and "the situation has been resolved."
JoAnn Young, a member of the Oradell Historical Committee who has been leading the charge to preserve the estate, over the weekend replaced her “Save the Blauvelt Mansion” sign along Kinderkamack Road for the fourth time, highlighting how long the effort to ensure the historical home is preserved has gone on.
"It's a landmark in Bergen County and Oradell," Young said. "We really hope it's preserved and will be there forever."
Young is worried about the state of the building, especially the interior, which she hasn't seen in years. She is concerned that raccoons may have entered through the hole in the roof and possibly made nests in the third floor of the mansion. She's also concerned about ivy that’s been growing on the front wall of the mansion, which could damage and weaken the stone foundation.
Young is hoping that one of the mansion highlights, a double staircase, with turn-of-the-20th-century carved banisters, and a wooden balcony on the second floor that matches the staircase, had not been damaged as a result of the hole and possible rodent infestation.
Young's dream for the Blauvelt Mansion would have the property become a community center. She said she would love to see local nonprofits share a space on the second floor to allow them to be closer to the communities they serve, and maybe even a small restaurant in it to host benefits.
There was a renewed effort in 2019 urging community members to reach out to Bergen County commissioners to continue discussions on the preservation of the mansion, but nothing new seemed to have come from this effort.
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At one point, it seemed the county might be interested in purchasing the mansion from CareOne. Discussions between the county and CareOne concerning the mansion date back to 2016, when then-Freeholder John Felice said, "The county is working diligently [with CareOne] to see if there is a way that they can incorporate some type of partnership in keeping the Blauvelt and the great lawn there and using it for a different purpose."
It's unclear where these negotiations stand now. A call to the Preservation Section of the Bergen County Parks Department was not returned, and representatives from CareOne did not comment.
Mayor Dianne Didio said she has not heard any news about where talks are between the county and CareOne, but added that she would like to see the property preserved.
"It's been a very long process and I'm hopeful something good will come of it," Didio said. "I hope that someone will step in and take it over and restore it, but it's not something that the borough can afford to do."
Stephanie Noda is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Noreen Springstead remembers what led to her first job after she graduated from Rutgers University."Originally, I thought I was going to go into the Peace Corps, and then I ended up getting married at a fairly young age, at 23, so I wanted to have a job, have a career that would make a difference," Springstead said.That first job was in 1992 as an administrative assistant sitting at the front desk of the New York City office of ...
Noreen Springstead remembers what led to her first job after she graduated from Rutgers University.
"Originally, I thought I was going to go into the Peace Corps, and then I ended up getting married at a fairly young age, at 23, so I wanted to have a job, have a career that would make a difference," Springstead said.
That first job was in 1992 as an administrative assistant sitting at the front desk of the New York City office of WhyHunger, a nonprofit founded in 1975 as World Hunger Year by singer-songwriter Harry Chapin and radio personality Bill Ayres.
Springstead, now 50, never left. The Oradell native and current New Milford resident has served as executive director of the organization since 2015.
The founders of World Hunger Year sought to end hunger and poverty by supporting grass-roots movements and community solutions. Today, WhyHunger is known for its annual Hungerthon campaign, running this year through Dec. 12, to raise money through concerts and radio programs, among other ways.
Springstead, a mother of three, spoke to NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network New Jersey about WhyHunger and the challenges of her work.
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Q. What are some accomplishments for WhyHunger under your term as executive director?
I will give numbers in the past five years: We've invested about $2 million in 355 front-line organizations that are really providing solutions to hunger in their communities. We've helped 2.4 million children access healthy meals. We've connected 1.4 million families to healthy food. And we've trained 104,000 farmers in sustainable food growing, what is called agro-ecology.
Q. What has kept you at WhyHunger?
I have a really long view on what it's going to take to solve social problems and it's not an easy fix, and it's been really adventurous all along the way. I have traveled the world; I've worked with incredible people in the context of community and community efforts. And I have had incredible opportunities to work with some of the greatest musicians, who are drawing attention to hunger in America and around the world through Hungerthon and in other ways.
Q. Can you talk about how hunger affects the area where you live and grew up?
This is what's going to surprise people: The Center for Food Action in New Jersey [also founded by Chapin and Ayres and based in Englewood], who they help and the families they help. These are suburban and somewhat affluent towns — 45 people in Allendale [2017 numbers], that's an affluent town; 207 people in Ridgewood. I can point to maybe some of the more obvious ones: Lodi [3,241], Garfield [7,489]. Ninety-eight people in Northvale.
Q. How has doing this work for half your life changed you?
Everybody is so anxious, there's so much horrible news, and I get up to go to work every day to really do something positive in the world and get to see some of the most amazing people operating in communities, solving problems, being real participants in progress. It's very uplifting; it makes me very optimistic, in spite of the bad news, that through our everyday actions we can build a better world.
Q. What brought you to New Milford, not far from where you had grown up?
I love New York City, but really I live a very vibrant, rooted life in New Jersey with family and friends. It's kind of the best of both worlds — I get to experience and have our hub of activity in New York City, but I am part of the New Jersey community. It reminds me of how I loved growing up in Oradell and being involved in the community.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com
ORADELL — A lifelong collector of trinkets and antiques has to answer the hardest question a man like himself can face: keep or sell?"American Pickers," the History Channel reality show that showcases the adventures of "pickers" Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they travel the country to find antiques to either resell or keep, made a stop in the borough to visit Sam Tripsas, who has collected antiques for decades.The episode will air on the History Channel on Monday at 9 p.m..Tripsas, 60, can recal...
ORADELL — A lifelong collector of trinkets and antiques has to answer the hardest question a man like himself can face: keep or sell?
"American Pickers," the History Channel reality show that showcases the adventures of "pickers" Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they travel the country to find antiques to either resell or keep, made a stop in the borough to visit Sam Tripsas, who has collected antiques for decades.
The episode will air on the History Channel on Monday at 9 p.m..
Tripsas, 60, can recall digging through old dumps to find bottles as a 10-year-old. His father would sometimes take him hunting, but he found himself more interested in searching for old bottles and trinkets than shooting animals.
"The Coca-Cola graphic caught my eye," Tripsas said.
Some of his prized possessions, in fact, are Coca-Cola machines from the 1950s, a jukebox from the early 1950s, and two phone booths from the 1930s.
“When I saw them in the movies, I wished I had one of those,” Tripsas said about the phone booths. “Instead of watching movies, I was looking at the props.”
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One is rarely enough, though. When he finds something he likes, Tripsas said, he'll find 10 more.
Being on "American Pickers," surrounded by people of similar interests, was a "thrilling experience."
Some items that cast members Wolfe and Danielle Colby pulled out of Tripsas' jampacked garage were things he said he hadn’t seen in years.
“Seeing them get excited about what I get excited about was neat,” Tripsas said. “They were very nice to us. It was an experience of a lifetime.”
Before the History Channel came calling, Tripsas never considered parting with pieces of his collection. The experience, however, showed him that sometimes others can find value in the objects that brought him joy.
"I was thinking about how someone else is going to enjoy this," Tripsas said. "I would wonder where this is going to end up, and how someone like me is going to appreciate what I was collecting ever since I was a kid."
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While most of his treasures are packed into his garage, attic and basement, some special pieces are inside his century-old home. Tripsas has a 35-year-old Coca-Cola machine in his kitchen that still works.
“When my daughters were little, they would put in a dime and get a Coke,” Tripsas said. “I plug it in when I have company over.”
His vast collection also includes clocks, gasoline pumps, signs and street lamps. Tripsas still has the bottles he collected as a child, and sometimes he attends a meeting of bottle collectors in Oakland to discuss his finds.
The hunt for new pieces is probably the most exciting part of collecting, he said.
He's routinely at flea markets and antique stores, but the real treasures often are hidden away. A stop at a gas station might lead to inquiring about any old signs that haven't seen the light of day in a while.
“It’s more fun when you’re getting it from the source,” he said.
Not long ago, Tripsas, who is also a member of the borough’s historical committee, discovered old pharmacy and milk bottles in a local dump. He is hoping to figure out where the pharmacy that provided the bottles — inscribed with the name “Ralph F. Finello, Pharmacist” — was located in town. He has donated the pharmacy and milk bottles to the Oradell Public Library.
Tripsas has filled his own house with pieces that complement the 1910 colonial, including bookcases and clocks from the turn of the previous century. Perhaps his oldest piece is a coffee grinder from the 1890s that may have been used in a local grocery store.
“They would grind coffee and put it in a bag for you,” Tripsas said.
He's keen on memorabilia from the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, which he loved to attend as a child.
Tripsas said his collecting has slowed down somewhat, but every so often something will catch his eye. A collection of old doorknobs. Vintage windows or doors for his house, where he's engaged in a years-long restoration project.
"I like to preserve the past," Tripsas said. "People liked to make fun of me when I was kid for living in the past, but, really, I like the present, too."