About The Editor

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” 

- Theodore Roosevelt

‎"Have a bias toward action - let's see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away."

- Indira Ghandi

"I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day."
- Abraham Lincoln 

If I could sum up who I am today, I believe these three quotes would provide a fairly accurate description.

My name is Lyle Silverman and I arrived in Paterson last year as an AmeriCorps Member at the New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC).  Though I cannot pinpoint the exact moment, at some point during this volunteer experience, my entire life was transformed in the most amazing ways.


I decided that, in my time here on this earth, I would dedicate myself to making a positive impact on anyone that I come into contact with every single day.  The teaching profession provides that opportunity for me to make this positive impact daily basis.  I know I possess tremendous value to this world and as such, I try my best to expand my positive influence wherever I can.


But why Paterson?  Simple.


From my first drive in to work, I fell in love with the Great Falls in an instant.  On any given day, I can literally sit down at Overlook Park and stay for hours while I admire the beauty of this natural wonder.


Then, as I made my way up the stairs at School #5 for the first time, I looked down at the desolate Hinchliffe Stadium and wondered how something like this could happen?  But that negative feeling quickly disappeared.  What I really saw was an opportunity to be a part of something special.  I knew in my heart that Paterson had immense potential.  


As a historian, I then discovered something even cooler.  Paterson was one of the most significant cities, if not the most, in American history.  We became the most advanced modern economy the world had ever seen and Paterson was literally where it all began.  How cool is that?  What a source of pride that must be for this city I thought, this is a remarkable characteristic to rally around.  The rich history only added to my belief in the potential of what Paterson could be.


Looking beyond the history, I saw a youth population that was eager to learn, parents that just wanted the best for their children, and leaders who were trying their best to make all that happen.  In all, I saw a population that just wanted the best for their city.  But something was off, it just seemed that no one knew exactly how they could achieve that greatness.  All this and more is exactly what has motivated me to bring this city whatever value I possibly can.


Fast forward to today, I work for the NJCDC as an Academic Instructor for Great Falls YouthBuild.  YouthBuild is an alternative school program focused on giving young people, ages 16-24, the skills to acquire their high school diploma and/or a trade of their choice.  I absolutely love my job and the difference I make in my students lives.  Still though, I always feel that I can do more, not just for my students, but for the whole city.  And so I do.


I recently began researching the subject of 'community' in my quest to make the most positive impact that I can.  One of the first things I uncovered was that potential was the wrong word to be using to describe why I chose to dedicate myself to Paterson.  I do not see potential in Paterson anymore.


Instead, I now see what is possible for Paterson.  Notice the difference?  


For these possibilities to be realized and experienced however, we must change the conversation that has left us in our current state.  The conversation amongst the community, prior to now, has focused only the negative.  That will never allow us to move forward, we have already seen the results of this conversation.


With this website and the help of the citizens of Paterson, the conversation will morph into something positive.  We will change the conversation by showing other Patersonians the entire scope of positive possibilities that can be achieved by banding together as a true community.


Soon enough, we will not have to discuss the possibility of rejuvenated Paterson.  Soon enough, the possibility will become reality.