John Cichowski
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Articles by John Cichowski
Test your Hollywood knowledge with a 2026 Oscars quiz (with NJ ties!)
John Cichowski For The Record/NorthJersey.com March 12, 2026, 4:05 a.m. ET If you’re stumped guessing who will win an Academy Award this year, it might help to recall a time when Bette Davis played strong, unyielding women who went to hell and back to get what they want in films like “The Letter” and “Now, Voyager.” Yeah, I know: What does a former New Jersey transportation columnist know about picking winners for an Oscars quiz?
Test your Hollywood knowledge with a 2026 Oscars quiz (with NJ ties!)
John Cichowski For The Record/NorthJersey.com March 12, 2026, 4:05 a.m. ET If you’re stumped guessing who will win an Academy Award this year, it might help to recall a time when Bette Davis played strong, unyielding women who went to hell and back to get what they want in films like “The Letter” and “Now, Voyager.” Yeah, I know: What does a former New Jersey transportation columnist know about picking winners for an Oscars quiz?
Take our Oscars quiz and test your knowledge of Hollywood history Original
Hollywood’s big celebration is on the horizon, which means it’s time to sharpen our skills for picking winners in our annual Oscars quiz, but as Academy Award winner Bob Dylan once observed, “The times they are a-changin'.” It used to be easier to suggest winners, especially when big epics like “Lawrence of Arabia” or the first “Gladiator” movie — or even last year’s “Oppenheimer” — were in the running.
What can we learn from Bob Zufall, NJ’s humanitarian role model?
Dr. Bob Zufall’s retired colleagues couldn’t turn him down in 1990 when he asked for volunteers at the modest, free health clinic he was creating in Dover. They didn’t know that his one-night-a-week operation would grow into an award-winning, seven-county behemoth that now serves some 45,000 uninsured or under-insured patients who otherwise would swamp hospital emergency rooms. But they knew their old friend and his wife sometimes flew to South America to help treat the impoverished.
Think you know movies? Test your knowledge with our 2024 Oscars quiz
If you’re stumped picking Sunday’s Academy Award winners, consider taking our annual Oscars Quiz to learn about theories like the Motherhood Advantage. Don’t scoff. Since 1929, certain acting roles have carried built-in advantages. For example, it’s no secret that the academy has shown preferences for alcoholics, prostitutes and characters with disabilities. But research shows that motherhood trumps them all.
Deadly deer incidents don't always happen on the road Original
"Get down here now! I've been trying to reach you!" barked the voice on the phone. Naked and wet from showering after a day of gardening, I hadn't heard an order like that since editors summoned me to riots, car crashes and murders many years ago. "There's blood on the street!" added the caller - my wife Susan. "Police are here." Blood? Surely not on our woodsy, law-abiding block! Not where squirrels scale my oaks and deer trample my begonias.
Deadly deer incidents don't always happen on the road
“Get down here now! I’ve been trying to reach you!” barked the voice on the phone. Naked and wet from showering after a day of gardening, I hadn’t heard an order like that since editors summoned me to riots, car crashes and murders many years ago. “There’s blood on the street!” added the caller – my wife Susan. “Police are here.” Blood? Surely not on our woodsy, law-abiding block! Not where squirrels scale my oaks and deer trample my begonias.
Road Warrior: 10 years later, this is what I've learned from the mistakes of Bridgegate
It can be sobering to recognize how much time it takes sometimes to recognize you made a mistake, as in: “Oh, I thought that arrow pointed north, not south.” For my part, I kicked myself for nearly seven years for not acting sooner in September 2013 when readers insisted that heavy traffic on the George Washington Bridge was far more serious than the routine non-news commuter heartbreak there.
Paterson’s Pat Kramer was a visionary who saw majesty through a watery lens
5-minute read John Cichowski Special to NorthJersey.com A long, long time ago when the Paterson mayor was young and I was even younger, I remember questioning his reverence for a certain waterfall. “It’s just falling water,” I said.
Stumped picking Oscar winners? Try going with the trend: Here's our quiz Original
If you're tired of guessing wrong a moment before each Academy Award winner is announced, maybe it's time to revise your Oscar-picking strategy before the big Hollywood reveal. Why not consider using historical trends to help pick winners? You know - the precedents and patterns that weather forecasters and stock market analysts rely on to make predictions.
Oscar Quiz 2022 | Hollywood’s common theme this year: families in distress Original
After grappling with racial injustice, misogyny and dozens of other hot-button issues, are Hollywood’s elites returning to family themes to entice movie fans? It sure seemed that way as we researched this year’s annual Oscar Quiz ahead of the March 27 Academy Awards telecast. It turns out that most of the Best Picture and acting nominees involve themes about struggling families.
Oscar Quiz 2022 | Hollywood’s common theme this year: families in distress
After grappling with racial injustice, misogyny and dozens of other hot-button issues, are Hollywood’s elites returning to family themes to entice movie fans? It sure seemed that way as we researched this year’s annual Oscar Quiz ahead of the March 27 Academy Awards telecast. It turns out that most of the Best Picture and acting nominees involve themes about struggling families.
Can a movie about a movie win Best Picture? | Our annual Oscars Quiz
If you’re a film fan who follows the annual Academy Awards ceremonies that resume for the 93rd time on Sunday night, take a shot at answering this question: Can a film about Hollywood, especially a movie about a movie, win the Best Picture Oscar at a time when bigger dramas involving racism, sexism and ageism are playing out across America? If you’re intrigued by Hollywood’s machinations, you’re probably ready for our annual Oscars Quiz.
Oscars 2020 Quiz: How do you gain Hollywood’s rarest honor without being nominated?
John Cichowski, jwcichowski@optonline.net Published 6:09 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 There have been some crazy moments during the Oscars over the years, but here are five of the most unforgettable ones. USA TODAY If you cringe at films that reimagine Hitler, Hoffa and hallucinating villains in greasepaint, you still might consider tuning in to Sunday night’s Academy Awards to discover whether five Oscar-winning actors can achieve one of the rarest of Hollywood distinctions.
Oscars 2020 Quiz: How do you gain Hollywood’s rarest honor without being nominated?
John Cichowski, jwcichowski@optonline.net Published 6:09 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 | Updated 8:53 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 There have been some crazy moments during the Oscars over the years, but here are five of the most unforgettable ones.
Oscars 2020 Quiz: How do you gain Hollywood’s rarest honor without being nominated?
John Cichowski, jwcichowski@optonline.net Published 6:09 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 | Updated 8:53 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 There have been some crazy moments during the Oscars over the years, but here are five of the most unforgettable ones.
Oscars 2020 Quiz: How do you gain Hollywood’s rarest honor without being nominated?
John Cichowski, jwcichowski@optonline.net Published 6:09 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 | Updated 8:53 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 There have been some crazy moments during the Oscars over the years, but here are five of the most unforgettable ones.
Oscars 2020 Quiz: How do you gain Hollywood’s rarest honor without being nominated?
John Cichowski, jwcichowski@optonline.net Published 6:09 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 | Updated 8:53 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 There have been some crazy moments during the Oscars over the years, but here are five of the most unforgettable ones.
Oscars 2020 Quiz: How do you gain Hollywood’s rarest honor without being nominated?
John Cichowski, jwcichowski@optonline.net Published 6:09 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 | Updated 8:53 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 There have been some crazy moments during the Oscars over the years, but here are five of the most unforgettable ones.
Oscars 2020 Quiz: How do you gain Hollywood’s rarest honor without being nominated?
John Cichowski, jwcichowski@optonline.net Published 6:09 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 There have been some crazy moments during the Oscars over the years, but here are five of the most unforgettable ones. USA TODAY If you cringe at films that reimagine Hitler, Hoffa and hallucinating villains in greasepaint, you still might consider tuning in to Sunday night’s Academy Awards to discover whether five Oscar-winning actors can achieve one of the rarest of Hollywood distinctions.
Oscars 2020 Quiz: How do you gain Hollywood’s rarest honor without being nominated?
John Cichowski, jwcichowski@optonline.net Published 6:09 a.m. ET Feb. 6, 2020 There have been some crazy moments during the Oscars over the years, but here are five of the most unforgettable ones. USA TODAY If you cringe at films that reimagine Hitler, Hoffa and hallucinating villains in greasepaint, you still might consider tuning in to Sunday night’s Academy Awards to discover whether five Oscar-winning actors can achieve one of the rarest of Hollywood distinctions.
Oscars 2019 quiz: Test your Academy Awards knowledge
The father of restaurant owner, Frank Vallelonga, is portrayed as the driver in the five time Oscar nominated movie, 'Green Book'. Thursday 2/21/19 Kevin R. Wexler, NorthJersey If you’re still puzzling over your selections for this year’s office Oscar pool, it might help to brush up on history or at least to have a long talk with grandma or grandpa.
Oscars 2019 quiz: Test your Academy Awards knowledge
The father of restaurant owner, Frank Vallelonga, is portrayed as the driver in the five time Oscar nominated movie, 'Green Book'. Thursday 2/21/19 Kevin R. Wexler, NorthJersey If you’re still puzzling over your selections for this year’s office Oscar pool, it might help to brush up on history or at least to have a long talk with grandma or grandpa.
Road Warrior John Cichowski bids farewell
Sloppy roads trigger reader outrage John Cichowski, The Road Warrior, @njroadwarrior Randolph officials have petitioned the New Jersey Department of Transportation for turning lanes on Route 10 where it meets Dover Chester Road, the site of at least three fatalities over the last several years.
What are your Road Warrior 2019 New Year's resolutions?
More than a decade of persistent deaths and chronic traffic jams prompt change John Cichowski, The Road Warrior, @njroadwarrior Readers offer annual suggestions for reducing road crashes, deaths and typical driving frustrations Road Warrior John Cichowski has been writing his column since 2003.(Photo: John Cichowski/NorthJersey.com) Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet?
New Wayne MVC coming soon?
Firing of contractor sets construction back a year
Wayne MVC: A different kind of motor vehicle agency delay
Signs misstate Wayne MVC "coming soon" John Cichowski, The Road Warrior, @njroadwarrior Firing the contractor has postponed replacement of the shabby, often crowded 38-year-old Wayne MVC for another year A torn “Coming Soon” sign announcing a new, improved MVC office might have been accurate a year ago, but no more.
Wayne MVC opening delayed to November
Signs misstate Wayne MVC \
How New Jersey DWI deaths spawn 'little miracles'
CLOSE A vigil was held last week in Hackensack to honor the victims of DWI incidents in northern New Jersey.
North Jersey DWI victims remembered
A vigil was held last week in Hackensack to honor the victims of DWI incidents in northern New Jersey.
Legal weed is just one drug hazard worth drivers' worry
CLOSE According to a new government study, rising death rates from opioid abuse are lowering Americans' life spans.
How NJ snowstorm commute may be Phil Murphy's Bridgegate
CLOSE Snow slows drivers headed north on the Garden State Parkway in Washington Township during a nor'easter on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. Liz Johnson/NorthJersey.com Comparing the consequences of two politically poor traffic judgments New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, center, speaks during a news conference addressing a snowstorm that hit the northern New Jersey region a day earlier, Friday, Nov.
Dumont man wants sidewalk named after sister killed by car
CLOSE Robert Popp of Dumont, lays flowers at the spot where his 15 year old sister was killed by a hit-and-run driver there in November 1969. North Jersey Record Dumont man wants sidewalk named for his sister killed on Rte.
Road Warrior: Drivers become unnecessary for 39 cars
California permit allows driver-less vehicles – plus several other bits of transportation news that got buried in heavy election traffic If you visit California’s Silicon Valley in the near future, here’s a history-making piece of transportation news you might have missed while most motorists were focusing on the midterm elections: A limited number of cars will soon begin tooling around on roadways in five Santa Clara County towns WITHOUT DRIVERS either in the front or back seats.
This Paterson man has overcome brain injury — one trash pickup at a time
The display screen on her phone said “Restricted,” but Robin Peer picked up anyway, and sure enough, the soft-spoken man on the line began telling her personal things about herself. “He described my eyeglasses and the four-leaf clover that a co-worker gave me,” Robin recalled. “He even knew my boyfriend’s phone number.
Benny Gonzalez 'gives back' to the city that's helped him thrive
Anti-litter activist tries to return stolen items to rightful owners
Kids are twice as likely to be fatally hit by a car on Halloween. Mind these safety tips
The day devoted to ghosts, goblins and house-to-house candy hunts kills more American kids than any other day of the year If you’re about to dress your little ones in scary ghost, witch or goblin attire for their big candy-begging day, you might want to pay attention to the answer to this genuinely scary question: On which day of the year are American children most susceptible to being fatally injured in traffic?
Kids are twice as likely to be fatally hit by a car on Halloween. Mind these safety tips.
The day devoted to ghosts, goblins and house-to-house candy hunts kills more American kids than any other day of the year If you’re about to dress your little ones in scary ghost, witch or goblin attire for their big candy-begging day, you may want to pay attention to the answer to this genuinely scary question: On which day of the year are American children most susceptible to being fatally injured in traffic?
Kids are twice as likely to be fatally hit by a car on Halloween. Mind these safety tips.
The day devoted to ghosts, goblins and house-to-house candy hunts kills more American kids than any other day of the year If you’re about to dress your little ones in scary ghost, witch or goblin attire for their big candy-begging day, you may want to pay attention to the answer to this genuinely scary question: On which day of the year are American children most susceptible to being fatally injured in traffic?
Kids are twice as likely to be fatally hit by a car on Halloween. Mind these safety tips.
The day devoted to ghosts, goblins and house-to-house candy hunts kills more American kids than any other day of the year If you’re about to dress your little ones in scary ghost, witch or goblin attire for their big candy-begging day, you may want to pay attention to the answer to this genuinely scary question: On which day of the year are American children most susceptible to being fatally injured in traffic?
Real ID and New Jersey: A mismatched pair
The value of a driver's license turns out to be as important at the airport as it is on the road “Oh, no! I left my driver’s license at home!” The worst time for such an uh-oh moment is when a less-than-sympathetic cop pulls you over, right? Not necessarily. As my wife and I realized recently while waiting on a Newark Liberty Airport line, an even worse place might to be the queue approaching the traditionally less-than-sympathetic agents of the Transportation Security Administration.
Fatal pedestrian crash in Randolph highlights Route 10 flaws
More than a decade of persistent deaths and chronic traffic jams prompt change John Cichowski, The Road Warrior, @njroadwarrior
Lindsay Ireland's death spotlights Route 10's flaws in Randolph NJ
Improvements are being considered for a troublesome state highway that's produced its share of walking deaths in Randolph Add the name Lindsay Ireland to the much-too-lengthy list of pedestrians felled in New Jersey traffic this year — this time on Route 10 in the Morris County township of Randolph. For the North Jersey Media Group family, this loss is personal.
How to avoid October's deer rut and blinding sun glare for drivers
Fall marks the season for some of New Jersey's most unexpected traffic mishaps “Before my foot was off the gas, boom!” That’s how Oradell’s Doug Montone describes the crash involving two midnight intruders who leaped over a Route 208 divider in Franklin Lakes and wrecked the front bumper, right fender and headlight on his new Toyota Camry.
How to avoid October's deer rut and blinding sun glare for drivers
Fall marks the season for some of New Jersey's most unexpected traffic mishaps “Before my foot was off the gas, boom!” That’s how Oradell’s Doug Montone describes the crash involving two midnight intruders who leaped over a Route 208 divider in Franklin Lakes and wrecked the front bumper, right fender and headlight on his new Toyota Camry.
How to avoid October's deer rut and blinding sun glare for drivers
Fall marks the season for some of New Jersey's most unexpected traffic mishaps “Before my foot was off the gas, boom!” That’s how Oradell’s Doug Montone describes the crash involving two midnight intruders who leaped over a Route 208 divider in Franklin Lakes and wrecked the front bumper, right fender and headlight on his new Toyota Camry.
How to drive in NJ: 28 years of Road Warrior advice
Tips for coping with tickets, left-lane hogs, seat belts, E-ZPass, blind spots, high-beam flashers and more Hey, all you know-it-alls! How long have you been driving now? Ten years? Twenty years? Thirty? Even more? You would think that’s sufficient time to make us all proficient enough to learn the rules of the road and gain a little street wisdom in the process, right? Maybe, but probably not nearly enough.
How to drive in NJ: 28 years of Road Warrior advice
Tips for coping with tickets, left-lane hogs, seat belts, E-ZPass, blind spots, high-beam flashers and more Hey, all you know-it-alls! How long have you been driving now? Ten years? Twenty years? Thirty? Even more? You would think that’s sufficient time to make us all proficient enough to learn the rules of the road and gain a little street wisdom in the process, right? Maybe, but probably not nearly enough.
2 Road Warrior columnists reminisce and dish
Our former and current Road Warrior columnists share memories. John Cichowski, The Road Warrior, @njroadwarrior
Is it time for a New Jersey 'pedestrian champion'?
A grass-roots pedestrian activist calls for changes at a Bergenfield thoroughfare where a truck killed his good friend Bergenfield remains in mourning for Bob Armbruster, one of six victims killed recently while crossing crowded North Jersey roads, but few are taking his death harder than a man who has lost more than his share of friends and loved ones to road carnage.
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