Wyckoff March 25, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 13 Police captain to retire after 35 years of service by John Koster When Wyckoff police officers tell new department members stories about the old days, one of their favorite tales is of Hagedorn’s Hunch. “That was my big career arrest,” Captain Kenneth Hagedorn recalled recently. Almost 20 years ago, Captain Hagedorn was on night patrol when he spotted a black van in the parking lot of the Wyckoff Reformed Church. Hagedorn learned that there had been a burglary reported after he saw the van, and a year later, he saw the same van in the same parking lot and staked it out. “I put two and two together and staked it out on foot, and when the guy came back I questioned him. “He was not only a burglar but (also) a serial rapist who had raped an adult female victim in Wyckoff. Based on my arrest, he was convicted and sent to prison for a number of years. I took him off the street. That was my big career arrest.” Most of the time, Hagedorn said, his police work, now coming to a close after 35 years of service, was behind the scenes, helping to administrate and coordinate the work of other officers. A lifelong resident of Midland Park, Hagedorn graduated from the Eastern Christian schools, earned a degree in political science from Rutgers University, and parlayed 90 of his 120 credits from Rutgers into a second bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from William Paterson. “I never went for my master’s degree, though, because I had too much split shift work,” he said. Hagedorn won a reputation for solid, reliable police work on the road and at headquarters, from an entire generation of police officers. “I never caused a lot of publicity,” he said recently. “I Captain Kenneth Hagedorn always did my job. My lack of sick leave will reflect that. I always worked behind the scenes. I tried to be as helpful as I could to everyone.” Police officers and elected officials said that Hagedorn, like Chief John Ydo, who is also retiring this year, will be missed around headquarters. Members of the force will continue to tell recruits about how Hagedorn’s Hunch turned out to be a highlight of a steady career for the Wyckoff Police Department. The Wyckoff Township Committee has announced an increase of $2 per household for the 2009 sewer rates. “The township committee continues to view one of its highest priorities to residents of this community to minimize the tax burden while at the same time providing the outstanding services that make our community such a desirable place to live,” said Mayor Joseph Fiorenzo. “Despite increases in all utility costs, this year’s sewer rate includes only a $2 per year rate increase from $414 to $416 per year, or less than a one percent increase in the rate.” The rate for a two-family house will be $468 for 2009, while multi-family structures with three or more units are $224 per unit plus $2.37 per 1,000 gallons for flow in excess of 208,050 gallons. Commercial properties are $416 plus $2.37 per 1,000 gallons in excess of $104,025 gallons. Combination commercial and residential dwelling units are charged an annual rate of $772 plus $2.37 per 1,000 gallons in excess of 145,635 gallons for a commercial unit and one separate residential dwelling unit, and $559 for a commercial and one multi-family dwelling unit with the same excess usage charge. Commercial units with two or more multi-family dwelling units pay $416 plus $184 each. Flow in excess of 104,025 gallons plus 41,635 gallons for each multifamily dwelling unit is charged at $2.37 per 1,000 gallons. Township committee members note that the elected officials of the municipal government have control over approximately 15 percent of residents’ tax dollars, with schools, county government and the regional sewer authority controlling the remainder of the money. J.KOSTER Sewer increase is less than 1%