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RHS MARCHING BAND INVITES MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICIANS TO PRACTICE, PIZZA AND PLAY

RHS Band

RHS MARCHING BAND INVITES MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICIANS TO PRACTICE, PIZZA AND PLAY: Student musicians in grades seven and eight are invited to practice with the RHS Marching Band on Friday, September 30, enjoy dinner together with the band, and then play at the football game that evening. RSVP to RHS Marching Band Director John Luckenbill by Wednesday, September 28 (201-670-2800, ext. 20744 or jluckenbill@ridgewood.k12.nj.us).

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Ridgewood Residents Rally to pull together as a village and help Kenny, the owner of La Bella Pizza rebuild!

Ridgewood's La Bella Pizza destroyed by Sunday Fire
photo by Boyd Loving
April 27,2016
the staff of the Rmidgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, La Bella Pizza which is located in Ridgewood New Jersey, burned down from an electrical fire on Sunday. The owner, Kenny, is such a wonderful man, he’s very nice to everyone who walks into La Bella . Please help Kenny rebuild and reopen his pizzaria with donation. Thank you so much.  https://www.gofundme.com/2tf6wq3w

“Hi Everyone. I ran into Kenny from LaBella Pizzaria outside the store a little while ago. He is devastated and still in shock over the electrical fire. He told me he lost his “baby” on Sunday. I told him that we are all praying for him and we miss him, and he has our love and support. He misses us and he wants everyone to know he loves you all and he will be back as soon as he can be. He is very grateful and thankful for our prayers and concern. Please continue to pray for Kenny, he has a long road ahead rebuilding. “
Dolores Miller Parks

“Anytime I have reched out to Kenny he has been more than helpful. For example , he was supposed to do the pizza for LaX Day this weekend…..30 pies at almost nothing…..every other place in town was way more $. And while insurance does cover, it will not cover everything. A few years back I had shoulder surgery…walked in and orderd about $50 worth of food to feed the family…..he looked at me and said feel better…this is on me! LEts keep in mind….bussiness cant help every need they are apporached with……they get hit up constantly by every school in the district. Im happy Dougie took this upon himself. He saw the need, and did what he thought was right. WHile there may be some who disagree, ther are many who agree and think this is a wonderful thing!”
Nancy Kennedy

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A Mano Launches Pizza “Doughnation” Program to Benefit Local Charities

a mano

DECEMBER 16, 2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood, New Jersey’s premiere authentic Neapolitan trattoria A Mano, has proudly introduced a pizza program to benefit local charities. In the “Pizza in Sospeso” (so-SPEY-zo) initiative, customers can purchase a full size Margherita pizza at half price for $6, to be donated to help feed the less fortunate. Each time twenty five pizzas are purchased, A Mano will deliver the Pizzas in Sospeso to a diferent regional charity.

The pizza-giving drive was inspired by a long-standing tradition of cofee donating in the cafes of Naples, Italy. A café sospeso, Italian for “suspended cofee”, is a cup of cofee paid for in advance as an anonymous act of charity. A patron who experienced good luck would order a sospeso, paying for two cofees but only consuming one. A needy person would then be served a complimentary café sospeso.Said head Pizzaiolo Michele D’Amelio, “At A Mano we are all about the traditions of Naples. Bringing the idea of sospeso to pizza is a great way to give back to the community and help the needy. No one should have to worry about where their next meal is going to come from. We’re trying to do our part to lessen that pressure and bring smiles to people’s faces during the holiday season.”

The pizza-providing program which debuted on December 9th, has already surpassed A Mano’s expectations. Added D’Amelio, “In one day our customers purchased the first twenty-five pizzas.

We keep a tally on a board in the restaurant so everyone can see how many pizzas need to be bought to reach the next goal of twenty-five. It’s exciting and a such a gratifying feeling to know we can help care for people in need.”

The initial group of charitable pizza recipients include: Youth Consultation Service in Hackensack, Eva’s Village in Paterson, Center for Food Action in Mahwah and Family Promise of Bergen County.

The drive is slated to run though the first week of the new year, however, if the program’s success continues, the end date will be extended indefinitely.

A Mano is located at 24 Franklin Avenue (at Chestnut Street), Ridgewood, NJ. Hours of operation are: Monday through Thursday, 11:30AM–10:00PM, Friday and Saturday 11:30AM-11:00PM and Sunday

12:30PM–9:00PM. Tel. 201.493.2000, www.amanopizza.com, www.facebook.com/AManoPizza, @AManoPizza.

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Award-Winning Pizza Chef from Italy Joins A Mano in Ridgewood, NJ

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JUNE 23, 2015

RIDGEWOOD, NJ, Ridgewood, New Jersey’s premiere authentic Neapolitan trattoria A Mano, proudly welcomes to its staf, multi-award-winning pizza chef Michele D’Amelio. The decorated pizza maker from Italy, has been appointed to head pizzaiolo overseeing the Neapolitan pizza-making team, and is already heating things up by crafting special pizzas for the restaurant.

Born in Avellino, Italy in 1988, it was in Lioni, a small town outside of Naples, where D’Amelio was raised, and his fascination with pizza-making blossomed. At a young age, each week D’Amelio played with dough his mother used to bake bread in the family’s wood-burning oven. He quickly learned to make pizza for the family, and years later at age 19, began working at a local pizzeria. In 2010 his passion for pizza pinnacled in the opening of a family-run pizzeria, Chest’é Pizza, in Lioni.After honing his craft, D’Amelio’s competitive spirit kicked in and he entered several prestigious pizza competitions.

In 2010 he took the second place title in the Regina Margherita Association’s Margherita STG competition in Naples, Italy. Next, in 2013 he traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada with the Caputo/Orlando Foods’ team of master pizzaioli and was crowned first place champion in the Italian Style category at the International Pizza Expo. In 2014, D’Amelio was awarded second place in the coveted

Pizza World Championship in Parma, Italy.Eager to promote internationally the product of his homeland, the prize-winning pizza-maker accepted a two-
year consulting position to help open Pizzeria Testa, a Neapolitan pizzeria in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, and ultimately settled at A Mano. Said D’Amelio, “I am very proud to be able to share pizza Napoletana with people in the United States. There is nothing quite like authentic Neapolitan pizza, and at A Mano, we make pizza with the same methods used in

Naples for more than 300 years. Tradition is important and something that should be passed on. It’s culinary history.”A member of the elite Italian pizza-governing organization APN (Association of Neapolitan Pizza Makers), D’Amelio has been granted authority to ofer APN certification to aspiring Neapolitan pizza makers who train under his guidance.D’Amelio has made his first culinary mark at A Mano by crafting masterful creations which will run as specials on weekends beginning June 26th. Highlights include:

Pizza Fiori: imported smoked bufalo mozzarella, zucchini flowers, zucchini, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil

Pizza Pugliese: homemade mozzarella, fava beans, Italian ham, peas, fresh basil, extra virgin olive

Pizza Terra Mia (“My Land” – tribute to D’Amelio’s home – ingredients are imported from the Naples’s area): cherry tomato sauce, imported bufalo mozzarella, basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil (cherry tomatoes from Campania, bufalo mozzarella, olive oil and flour from Naples)

A Mano is located at 24 Franklin Avenue (at Chestnut Street), Ridgewood, NJ. Hours of operation are:Monday through Thursday, 11:30AM–10:00PM, Friday and Saturday 11:30AM-11:00PM and Sunday 12:30PM–9:00PM. Tel. 201.493.2000, www.amanopizza.com, www.facebook.com/AManoPizza