July 28, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 15 Franklin Lakes Scribe Tax payment date extended The Aug. 1 tax bills for property owners in the Borough of Franklin Lakes have not yet been mailed. Certification of the borough’s budget by the state has been delayed and consequently Bergen County’s certification of the tax rate had not been set. The grace period for the Aug. 1 tax payment will be extended past Aug. 10 deadline. The final extension date will be indicated in the mailing. Children’s photography workshop set The Franklin Lakes Public Library will offer a photography workshop for children in grades four and up on Aug. 11. The program will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Attendees are required to bring a digital camera. Registration is required. Franklin Lakes residents may register on July 29; non-residents may register on Aug. 6. All registrations may be made by calling (201) 891-2224 or by visiting the library during regular hours. Genealogy class offered to children Children in grades four through six are invited to explore their family histories at a genealogy class to be held at the Franklin Lakes Public Library on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 2:30 p.m. Children will receive an introduction to genealogy by the local history librarian. Registration is required; non-residents may register on July 29. All registrations may be made by calling (201) 891-2224 or by visiting the library on DeKorte Drive during regular hours. Beading and jewelry workshop set The Franklin Lakes Public Library will hold a beading and jewelry workshop for children in grades three through six. Participants will create original “Pirate Jewelry” with local artist Jacque Benevento on Tuesday, Aug. 3 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Registration is required; non-residents may register on July 30. Registrations may be by phone at (201) 891-2224 or by visiting the library on DeKorte Drive during regular hours. Children’s craft program offered The Franklin Lakes Public Library is offering a sand craft to children in grades two through five on Tuesday, Aug 10 at 2 p.m. Participants will use colored art sand to make a keepsake or gift. Registration is required. Franklin Lakes residents may register beginning July 29; out-of-town residents may register on Aug. 6. Register by calling (201) 891-2224 or by visiting the library during regular hours. Paws for Reading continues The Paws for Reading program at the Franklin Lakes Public Library will continue through the summer. Beginners and accomplished readers who will be entering grades one through six can make friends with well-behaved certified therapy dogs while polishing their reading and public speaking skills. Children are invited to read to one of the dogs for 10-minute periods on Aug. 2 and 16 from 4 to 5 p.m. Registration is required. For further information, call (201) 891-2224 or visit during regular library hours. Next Stage eNSemble performs restoration comedy New Jersey’s Next Stage eNSemble will perform “The Rover” on Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Franklin Lakes Public Library. The Rover” or “The Banish’d Cavaliers,” first appeared on stage in 1677. The author, Aphra Behn, was a spy for Charles II against the Dutch. However, Charles was slow to pay her for her services, if he ever paid her at all. Behn sought to make money first with her poetry, and then with plays and novels. This restoration comedy features multiple plots, dealing with the amorous adventures of a group of Englishmen in Naples at Carnival time. Free tickets may be reserved at the adult reference desk; call (201) 891-2224. Nonresidents will be put on a waiting list and contacted if space is available. Superintendent (continued from page 7) district until the previous superintendent has left. Romano added, “Roger was extremely accommodating to me. He actually facilitated most of my visits with the PTAs, administrators, and teachers, and I really appreciated that.” Romano said Phase I of his goals for the district will be to look, listen, and learn, and Phase II will be to ask thoughtful questions while not making qualifying statements. “You listen to the answers and have conversations around those questions and answers and bring people on board to show them you value what they do and then you start to form short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals. “I’ll tell you what I’d like to see, but it is not based on a deficit. It’s important that we understand the value of balance and we educate the whole child. It’s not just about test scores and grades, but it’s about character, it’s about confidence, and the value of learning those kinds of things. You want them to love coming to school and you want them to love who they are. “Here’s the essence of me: Every morning I kiss my four year old son good bye and I say to him, ‘Have fun today. Learn a lot. I love you.’ Those are my goals. You want children to love learning, to love themselves, to care for each other, and to celebrate their differences and find out what they have in common. It sounds a little corny, but it’s who I am you know.” Romano said he has also recently met with his administrative cabinet, which consists of the district’s business administrator, principals, technology coordinator, supervisor of special education, and the director of curriculum and instruction, and he will be meeting with this group twice a month throughout the school year. One of the things Romano said he intends to bring to the table early on is systemic operations. “Franklin Lakes is filled with many, many pockets of excellent, wonderful things that teachers are doing and wonderful things administrators are doing,” Romano emphasized. “The power will come when everyone starts doing them systemically in a centralized process that is consistent horizontally and vertically through articulation. “I ask people to be systems thinkers. We owe that to the children. I want to create systemic operations without killing the culture. That’s the concept of balance. Every school building has the right to have its own culture and practices, but they are part of an organization. That’s what I have identified as a growth point.” Romano said he also believes in “servant leadership,” a concept in which the leader places himself at the bottom of the organization and holds up everyone else. He also said he has been fascinated by many parents who have apologized to him for being over-involved in the public schools. “Franklin Lakes is a high performing district and the parents are involved and my response to that is to thank them because I will take that any day over apathy. I’ve experienced apathy, and there is no cure for apathy,” he said. “The possibilities are endless when parents are committed to their children’s education. My job is to channel it in a positive direction and to make sure my door is always open.” F.J. McMAHON Summer Home Improvement Guide In The Villadom TIMES Summer Home Improvement Guide, you’ll reach thousands of potential clients. Show them what you’ve got! Call The Villadom TIMES to place your advertisement in this special section. 201-652-0744 AUGUST Publication Date: Advertising Deadline: ����������������� ���������������� JULY 4 28 In The Villadom TIMES, you will reach 56,300 households right in your own back yard. ZONE 1: Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff, Midland Park ZONE 2: Glen Rock, Ridgewood ZONE 3: Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, ZONE 4: Ramsey, Mahwah YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSPAPER �����������������������������������������