NOTES ON PEOPLE (05/30/99)

NOTES ON PEOPLE

Honored for teaching with Tandy Award

WEST CALDWELL, N.J. - Borislaw N. Bilash, a science teacher at James Caldwell High School, has received the Radio Shack/Tandy Scholar Award.

Mr. Bilash was honored for his merit and innovative teaching as a science educator for the past 13 years. He was chosen from about 1,600 nominees as one of the top 100 science, math and computer teachers in the country. Mr. Bilash received the award in March in Boston at the National Science Teachers Convention

In addition to teaching chemistry and advanced placement physics at the West Caldwell high school, Mr. Bilash is also an adjunct professor of chemistry at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, N.J. He regularly presents workshops in science demonstrations at state and national conventions.

Mr. Bilash has published three "A Demo A Day" books, which contain a year of chemical and physical science demonstrations for the classroom. Besides the Tandy Award, Mr. Bilash has received the Homer J. Hall Award for Excellence in Chemistry Teaching and was listed in Who's Who Among American Teachers.

Mr. Bilash's photo appears in a Tandy advertisement with other teacher recipients for 1999 in the April 12 issue of Time magazine. Mr. Bilash is married to Natalia (Voronka) and has two daughters, Olesia, 5, and Ulana, 3. The family resides in Millburn, N.J., and belongs to Ukrainian National Association Branch 25.

Presented award for work with youths

CLIFTON, N.J. - Tom Hawrylko, owner of Tomahawk Promotions and the editor and publisher of Clifton Merchant Magazine, has been named the 1999 Friend of Youth by the Clifton Optimist Club. This annual award recognizes an individual who promotes positive values and supports youth programs for the children of Clifton.

At the request of Mr. Hawrylko, the Optimist Club has agreed to provide a portion of the proceeds from this year's program to fund two new Clifton High School awards at graduation to a male and a female student, both of who or consistently display fellowship, friendship and patriotism. Awardees will receive a monetary award on the basis of these attributes, which are part of the Optimist Club credo.

Mr. Hawrylko, 41, has been involved with numerous youth activities in Clifton. For the past 10 years, he has coached recreational soccer for the Stallions and the Boys and Girls Club of Clifton. He also coaches wrestling for the Junior Mustangs.

Recently, he and a group of volunteers helped launch and organize Clifton's Teen Scene, a Friday evening program for youths age 13 and up at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Many of those volunteers and Mr. Hawrylko helped organize Clifton's Family Super Bowl Sunday, an annual gambling, drug and alcohol-free party held on Super Bowl Sunday at Clifton High School, sponsored by Clifton Against Substance Abuse, the board of education and other patrons.

Mr. Hawrylko is also a class parent with Clifton Public School and has been an adjunct instructor of English and advisor to the student newspaper at Passaic County Community College for the past decade.

Another project Mr. Hawrylko is working on is a new teen magazine. The magazine will feature the writings, artwork and photography of Clifton teenagers and is funded in part by the Clifton Department of Health through a state anti-smoking program.

The father of four children, Joseph, 14, Thomas Jr., 12, Casey, 9, and Carly, 3, Mr. Hawrylko has been married for 18 years to the former Cheryl Angello. The family has lived in Clifton for 16 years. Mr. Hawrylko is a member of UNA Branch 777.

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