Page 14 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • November 11, 2009 Church purchases bank building Happy A new church will replace the Bank of America in Midland Park. The First Church of Christ, Scientist recently purchased the former bank building on Godwin Avenue across from Memorial Library. “It all came very fast,” said Neal Gorham, the church’s property manager. “We liked the location; it is zoned for a church, and it has nice parking,” he said of the property, which the church purchased at auction in mid August. Gorham said that the building will have to undergo renovations before it can be occupied by the church. The congregation presently holds services at the Ho-Ho-Kus Public School in Ho-Ho-Kus and still has its Reading Room at 40 Chestnut Street in Ridgewood. It previously owned the church at Godwin and Lincoln avenues in Ridgewood since 1964 but sold it in 2006. “It was very expensive to run, and we needed something smaller,” Gorham explained. The Midland Park building, which also houses Ackerman’s Music Center, was originally a Stewart’s Rootbeer restaurant when it was built by the Ackerman family in the 1960s. When the restaurant closed, the building was occupied by Citizens First National Bank, which was subsequently taken over by NatWest and then by Fleet Bank, before becoming a Bank of America Banking Center in 2004. Ackerman’s Music Center has a lease until 2012 and will remain on site until another suitable location is found in Midland Park, said Ackerman’s owner Ray Rosario. Midland Park Matters from the Midland Park Chamber of Commerce Officers President Chris Rossi, Eastern Insurors In-house superintendent search planned The Midland Park Board of Education has set a deadline of Nov. 20 for receiving applications from educators interested in becoming the district’s superintendent of schools. The current superintendent, Dr. William Heebink, will be stepping down from the job effective June 30 due to health reasons. “Since the board has recently been through the process of hiring a superintendent of schools, the current search will be conducted in house by the board. At this time a paid consultant will not be utilized,” said board President Rich Venditti. Dr. Heebink came to the district in May, 2008, following the retirement of August DePreker. The timeline is to have a superintendent in place for the start of the next school year, according to Venditti. The board is striving to conduct first round interviews in early January 2010 and make final selections to bring to the public by late February. The board was informed of Dr. Heebink’s departure in the beginning of September. Dr. Heebink and the full board thought it best to wait to allow the students and the new administrators an easier transition, before making a public announcement. The board recognized, however, that the process could not wait and has been working to ensure that a smooth transition occurs during this process. Board of Directors Dawn DiMuro D.C. ~ Scholarships Richard Lewis ~ Statewide Reports Ray Santhouse ~ Atlantic Stewardship Bank Ester Vierheilig ~ The Villadom Times Barbara Wostbrock ~ Brownstone Mill Antique Ctr. P.O. Box 267, Midland Park, NJ 07432 • 201-445-0100 Midland Park Chamber of Commerce ��������������������������� ����������������������