October 27, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Midland Park Wortendyke Park’s pavilion and bikeway in Midland Park may be getting lights if the town receives county funds. The borough has applied to the Bergen County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund for moneys to do the project. The borough is seeking $32,750 from the county trust fund, an amount which will have to be matched dollar for dollar from the borough’s own open space trust fund. The pavilion in the 11-acre park was erected with open space trust funds in 2004 at a cost of $100,000. The lighting represents the next phase. “It’s difficult to utilize the park for functions right now because it has no electric hook up,” said Borough Administrator Michelle Dugan. She said that if groups need a microphone or the gathering runs into dusk, there is no recourse, and no evening activities can be planned. “Keeping in mind the residents that adjoin the park, we don’t want anything that floods the area, just to increase the level of security there,” she added. Borough seeks grant for pavilion lighting The project would include bringing in the electricity and installing electrical outlets and fixtures under the pavilion as well as bollard lighting around the walking/bike path. The pavilion provides sheltered space for family and neighborhood picnics, arts and crafts and other recreational activities. The area is popular with residents seeking a less hectic, more protected environment than the Dairy Street recreation area. The borough targeted the park for improvement more than 10 years ago and began searching for outside sources of revenue to clean up the underused property. The area, which abuts a residential zone, was overgrown and generally run down. Federal Bikeway Grant moneys were secured to install the bridge over the brook, put in the bike path, cut down dead wood and seed the area. The construction of the park-and-ride facility by New Jersey Transit, at no cost to the borough, opened up the playground area and provided parking for it. The building of three new homes on Englishman Drive resulted in the developer improving the access road, adding parking spaces, and donating some funds for the lighting, which are now in escrow and will be applied to the new project. The modular playground adjacent to the park-and-ride lot was finished in 2007 after years of delays caused by the state Department of Environmental Protection over wetlands buffer encroachment issues. Dugan said grant awards will probably be announced in late spring but noted that this application will be judged much more competitively than previous awards because fewer funds are available. The county this year reduced the open space tax, which funds the grants, from one cent to one-quarter of a cent. Incumbent council members Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan and Nancy Peet and former councilman Kenneth Kruis are vying for the two available seats on the Midland Park Borough Council in next week’s election. Kruis, who said is a registered Republican, is running as an Independent to challenge the long-time Republican incumbents. No Democrats are on the ballot. O’Hagan and Peet point to their record of accomplishments, including the fact that local services have not been affected by the downturn in the economy and reductions in state aid. They said that as budget caps from Trenton get tighter, the borough “will need experienced council members with comprehensive knowledge of borough operations to sort through the departmental requests and make tough GOP candidates face Independent “If the shoe fits, REPAIR IT!” Best Shoe Repair by (201) Magazine decisions that will have the least impact on our citizens. We believe we have a decided edge in evaluating where spending cuts can be made without jeopardizing services,” they said. “Our message to the electorate is to stay with the proven team that has kept local services intact. Our record speaks for itself: No furloughs. No layoffs. No bonding, and continue to pay as we go to avoid future debt. We are conservative, frugal and compassionate in our stewardship,” O’Hagan and Peet said in a statement. Kruis, who served a term on the council from 2005 to 2008, said he believes in term limits for public officials and is running again to offer a choice in the election booth. (continued on page 14) 25 Years in Shoe Repair It’s time to protect & weatherproof your fall favorites! ���������� ����������� ��� ������ ������ ������ �� ����� ������� ������� ������ ���� ������ Hours: Tues-Fri ���������� ��� ���������� Closed Mon ������ �������� 8:30-5:30, Sat 8:30-4:oo, ������ ��� ��� ������ ����� ������� ����� �� ������������ RE-ELECT Bud O’HAGAN & Nancy PEET grown children are parents facing the same economic frustrations as are our residents, and we have empathy. “Living within our means” is not just a slogan for Bud O’Hagan and Nancy Peet, but a way of life. They bring this philosophy to the borough council: “Your family cannot spend money it doesn’t have, and neither should your local government.” Through their expert leadership and management skills, they have made Midland Park an affordable family place to live. Midland Park Council Members Sun et Orch s Their Record Speaks for Itself! 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