August 24, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 23 Franklin Lakes Scribe Kindergarten Meet and Greet set The Franklin Lakes Newcomers and Neighbors will host its Fifth Annual Kindergarten Meet and Greet on Wednesday, Aug. 31 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Pulis Avenue Recreation Field Playground. (Rain date: Sept. 1.) The get-together, which is open to members and nonmembers, is for children who will begin kindergarten this September. RSVP to Michele De Luccia at mmd100@yahoo.com. Be sure to include the child’s name and the school he or she will be attending. ESL classes to begin Talk Time English Conversation, an English as a Second Language class, will be held Sept. 16 through Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Franklin Lakes Public Library at 470 DeKorte Drive. This free eight-week program is open to beginning through higher level students. Franklin Lakes resident and former Pascack Valley school district ESL teacher Jacqueline Basralian will facilitate the classes. Registration may be made at the adult reference desk or by calling (201) 891-2224. Class size is limited, so early registration is encouraged; non-residents will be put on a waiting list and contacted if space is available. Vendors sought for boutique benefit The Franklin Lakes Branch of the Valley Hospital Auxiliary is currently seeking vendors for its Fourth Annual Pre-Holiday Brunch and Boutique Shopping Extravaganza set for Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes. This event will raise money for the auxiliary’s pledge to The Valley Hospital’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit and Valley Home Care’s Maternal Child Health Program. For more information, call Dorothy at (201) 337-1686 by Oct. 12. Cheerleaders hold Car Wash The Ramapo High School Varsity Cheerleaders will hold a Car Wash on Saturday, Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lower athletic field parking lot. The entrance is located off of Franklin Lake Road, just before the Ewing Avenue. The cost is $10 per car. Proceeds from the event will go toward the cheerleaders’ trip to the national competition in Orlando, Florida. Job search assistance classes available The Franklin Lakes Public Library is offering a series of four, four-hour classes specifically designed to assist in a job search. Sessions will be held on Wednesdays, Sept. 7 through 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Topics to be covered include e-mail communication, exploring the Internet, basic elements of Microsoft Word, resumes, cover letters, thank you notes, and performing an online job search. This series is provided by the Broad Band Technology Opportunity Program administered by the New Jersey State Library through a grant by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Classes will be conducted by Bergen Community College instructors. Classes are free, and residents from any community are welcome to attend. To register, contact the Franklin Lakes Public Library Reference Desk at (201) 891-2224. Class size is limited, so early registration is encouraged. The Franklin Lakes Library is located at 470 DeKorte Drive in Franklin Lakes. Reading program finale David Smith, as seen on “America’s Got Talent,” will perform juggling tricks and amazing feats on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Franklin Lakes Public Library. Families with children of all ages are welcome to this end of the summer reading program celebration. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Registration is required, and may be completed by calling (201) 891-2224 or by visiting the library during regular hours. The library is located at 470 DeKorte Drive. Opinions sought The Franklin Lakes Public Library is asking residents to complete a survey aimed at improving the services its renders to the community. The survey takes just a few moments to complete. To use the online version, visit www.franklinlakeslibrary.org and select “Participate in our Library Survey.” For those who prefer paper copies, forms are available at all library service desks. The library is located at 470 DeKorte Drive. Town Fair plans under way Planning for the Sept. 24, 2011 Franklin Lakes Town Fair is in full swing. The Town Fair Committee invites all local businesses, Chamber of Commerce members, school and community organizations, and houses of worship to participate in this year’s celebration, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Rain date: Sept. 25.) The event will include carnival rides and food, which will be available until 8 p.m. Non-profit organizations may sell food, games, drinks, and rides. Franklin Lakes residents and businesses may sell items or sponsor an activity. Out-of-town crafters may participate for an added fee. Participant registration forms may be found on the borough website, www.franklinlakes.org. Click on the Town Fair icon. For more information, contact Mary Ellen Marra at (201) 857-3931 or maryepremiere@aol.com. Wyckoff Township Committee (continued from page 5) made the decision in 2008 to accept no money from firms doing business with the township, township employees, or county or state political committees. That’s my policy this year and I have expanded it to include not accepting contributions from other office holders and local developers. “I also learned about pay-to-play in the ethics course I took at Rutgers in 2009 and in my own reading and research since then, including in drafting a pay-to-play reform ordinance which I submitted to this body last December and upon which no action has been taken. We used the so-called ‘fair and open’ process of hiring our new auditor earlier this year, and though it is not actually required, we requested information on all political contributions made by the firms applying for the work. “High Mountain Title Company, of which our current planning board attorney is a principal, and who receives enough income from this firm that it must be reported on his ethics form, made a contribution in 2009 to a municipal campaign in Wyckoff. “Harold Cook, according to the Advisory Committee on Judicial Misconduct investigating Mr. Cook, our former zoning board attorney, made contributions to ‘Friends of Senator Hank McNamara.’ Mr. Cook does not deny that these contributions were made but according to the Bergen Record blames them on his former partner, Mr. Perconti. “Friends of Senator McNamara made contributions to Wyckoff municipal campaigns in 2007 and again in 2008. Is this wheeling? I don’t know, but it makes me very uncomfortable. “In view of these events, I see absolutely nothing wrong with my letter to Mr. Christie. I also hope we will get moving on our own pay-to-play ordinance, which, incidentally, is recommended in the governor’s ‘Best Practices’ checklist.” “There are insinuations all over the place and I just don’t know where this is going,” Boonstra said. He said Scanlan also owed an apology to Township Administrator Robert Shannon for the use of the term “so-called” in describing Wyckoff’s ethical code. Shannon was at the meeting, but didn’t speak about the issue and Scanlan didn’t address the request for an apology. “I think that there is an insinuation that those who are making the contributions are not acting appropriately,” said Township Committeeman Christopher De Phillips, who is an attorney. “They have every right to make political contributions provided that they are not over the limit.” “This letter was not appropriate,” De Phillips said. “We have a legal obligation and a personal obligation to keep separate the township committee and the zoning board of adjustment.” “You know there’s nothing crooked going on here, and yet you keep doing this smarmy stuff and I think it’s despicable,” Boonstra told Scanlan. “I object to your language,” Scanlan told Boonstra. “All I’m asking for is transparency.” Scanlan asserted that one development firm had contributed an amount in excess of $300 -- the legal maximum -- to a Wyckoff campaign. Scanlan said he had declined contributions from any township employees or developers who might do business with Wyckoff. “I don’t believe that contributions should be made by people seeking no-bid contracts,” Scanlan said. Mayor Kevin Rooney rounded out the discussion by pointing out that Scanlan had accepted a campaign contribution from a local restaurant. Scanlan said the restaurateur was a long-term Democrat and that he had not said he would not take contributions from businesses, only from public employees and developers. Scanlan, the first Democrat elected in Wyckoff since the Great Depression of the 1930s, has long been one of several political figures -- including maverick Republicans and other Democrats -- who have criticized the township committee for appointing members of the committee and the boards from a limited pool of candidates. Republicans have countered that the appointees are long-term residents with long experience in public service.