Villadom Times Weekly Newspaper Online - December 24, 2008 Issue

Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • December 24, 2008 Franklin Lakes New fencing approved at municipal ﬁelds by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Borough Council has approved a contract to supply and install new fencing, dugout enclo- sures, and batting cage enclosures made of galvanized chain link steel mesh at the municipal athletic fields behind the municipal building on DeKorte Drive. The $17,660 contract was awarded to Jan Fence Inc., of Wayne, the lowest bidder who can meet the requirement of installing the fencing and enclosures by the spring of 2009. According to John Ciurciu, the borough’s recreation and parks director, the current fields do not have fencing that prevents balls from going onto the nearby walking/jogging path or into the nearby creek. In addition, the height of the existing fence is only four feet beyond the first and third base areas, which does not protect fans seated in the stands in those areas from being hit by foul balls or balls that are overthrown to those bases. Ciurciu explained that the new fencing along the foul lines will be 12 feet high and made of six gauge galvanized wire mesh with top, middle, and bottom rails. He said the Helpful Hints Helpful Hints from ome Mary Says... “To test the freshness of an egg, place it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, if it rises to the surface, discard it.” 27 Franklin Tpk, Waldwick 201-652-5666 Open Sundays 9-3 new fencing will extend 84 feet down the first and third base lines, well past where the bleachers are cemented into the ground, in order to protect the children and the fans. The fenced in batter’s boxes, which are located near the walking/jogging path and are used for warm-ups, will avoid any conflict with people walking or jogging by on that path. In addition, the player area will be enclosed so the players cannot go onto the walking/jogging path. Edward LaScala, a Franklin Lakes Recreation Com- mittee member, explained to the council that the fields are used by eight-, nine- and 10-year-olds, and most teams have 12 players, so there are lots of safety concerns at the fields with the swinging of bats and foul balls going onto the walking/jogging path. “Mostly, it’s the thrown balls,” LaScala said. “If you are on the jogging path all of a sudden you are in the baseball game.” The plans drawn by the fence company indicate that the dugout fencing will be will be 21 feet long, eight feet wide, and eight feet high with a three foot opening on one side and the batting cages will be 10 feet by 10 feet by seven feet and five feet high. The existing fencing will be taken down and carted away by the fence company. Mayor Maura DeNicola explained that there is $15,000 in the borough’s capital budget for this project, but Ciurciu said the balance will come from the recreation department’s operating budget. There are not many sidewalks in the Borough of Frank- lin Lakes, but Mayor Maura DeNicola and the council have issued an e-mail reminder to all residents and other prop- erty owners to keep sidewalks that adjoin their properties free of snow and ice in order to safeguard pedestrians. Any residents planning a trip during the winter are urged to arrange for their sidewalks to be shoveled while they are away. The borough has ordinances on the books concerning snow removal and all residents and property owners may review those sections of the borough code which pertain to snow and ice removal in order to avoid a summons for not abiding by them. Section 373-15.1 of the borough code, added in Novem- ber 2004, requires that snow be removed from sidewalks abutting residential properties on main roads near schools. It states that the owner or tenant of lands used for any resi- dential purpose which includes sidewalks or other imper- vious walkways along certain public streets within the borough, must remove all snow and ice from the portion of such sidewalks or other impervious walkways that abut or border those public streets within 24 hours after the snow falls or the ice is formed, or prior to one hour before a declared school opening, whichever is later. In case the owner or tenant of those properties fails to remove such snow and ice within 48 hours, according to the code, it will be the duty of the director of the department of public works or other officer having charge of the streets of the borough to remove the snow and ice. The expense incurred by the borough to remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk or other impervious walk- ways will be assessed by the borough council and charged against the lands that abut or border the walks, which, with interest, will become a lien on the lands and will be added to the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon those prop- erties and collected in the same manner as other taxes. The owner or tenant of lands abutting or bordering on any such sidewalk or impervious walkways who fails to remove the snow and ice will be subject, upon conviction, to the penalty of between $50 and $200 for the first offense, and between $50 and $400 for every additional offense within 90 days thereafter with each day the condition exists considered a new violation. The owner or tenant of commercial lands abutting side- walks of the public streets must remove all snow and ice from those sidewalks within 12 daylight hours after the snow falls or ice is formed. “Daylight hours” includes all hours between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. In the case where the owner or tenant of any commercial property fails to remove snow, ice, grass, weeds, or other impediments as required by this section of the code the director of the department of public works or other officer having charge of the streets of the borough will remove the snow and ice and a tax lien will be placed on those com- mercial properties. Commercial property owners who fail to remove all snow and ice from their sidewalks or walkways will be subject, upon conviction, to a penalty of $50 for the first offense and $100 for every offense thereafter. Another section of the borough code states that it is unlawful for any person to throw snow or ice on the trav- eled portion of any borough road after that road has been plowed. The streets where sidewalks abut residential proper- ties next to public streets include Woodside Avenue, Pulis Avenue, Franklin Avenue, Franklin Lakes Road, and High Mountain Road. A corner is deemed to include a sidewalk curb cut. F.J. McMAHON Property owners reminded: remove snow FIREWOOD SERVICES �� CIRINO Landscaping Corp. 201-891-0955 SAVE BIG! Ask about our prepay for Season Discount! Why not get a price for 2009 Landscape Maintenance and Lawn Care Service? Lawn Care & Lawn Maintenance Programs SNOW PLOWING Full Service Landscape Company LICENSED & INSURED • www.cirinolandscaping.com