A Brief History of the Wyckoff Home Owners Alliance (WHOA)

In 1990, the Wyckoff Board of Education announced their intention to place on the ballot a bond issue of $7.4 million to expand and upgrade the Wyckoff schools. The issue would be voted on in February, 1991. In early January a group of seven homeowners met to discuss ways to organize opposition to the proposal. Members of that initial group were:

Jack Alacchi

Guy Cappello

Debbie Henderson

Sam Roach

Walter Smith

Phil Tornetta

Sy Winston

This group met again on January 29th in Sam Roach’s home, augmented by the following additional Wyckoff homeowners: Norman and Alice Laird, Janet Harkins, Pat & Rose Tucciarone, Doug Feick, Louise Marahrens, Augusta Grogan, Carolyn Garlick and Joe MacDougall.

At this meeting the name WHOA was proposed by Pat Tucciarone and accepted. Also, Walter Smith was named Chairman and Phil Tornetta, Treasurer. Also at this meeting, the mission of the group was declared to be:

WHOA is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that will communicate to the local governing bodies the views and concerns of Wyckoff citizens.

Joe MacDougall agreed to handle publicizing the next meeting on Feb. 13th

That meeting was attended by 60 residents on a snowy evening but it had a triumphal tone in recognition of defeat of the bond referendum. Over 50% of voters turned out, an unusually high percent for a school election.

WHOA took strong positions on candidates for the Wyckoff Board of Education in April 1991, and voters agreed with WHOA’s recommendations.

By August, 1991, the group counted 147 families in its membership.