Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-February 16, 2011 Issue

February 16, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Midland Park Mayor requests review of Parker Place expenditure At the request of Midland Park Mayor Joseph Monahan, the borough’s financial experts will review whether the $249,575 drainage project proposed for Parker Place could be funded all at once and left in the 2011 capital budget, or whether the project should be completed at a later date, after funds have been reserved over a period of time. The issue arose last week, as council members disagreed with Mayor Monahan, who had previously recommended putting the project on hold and funding the project over multiple years. “Given the one-week opportunity to digest what was suggested, we decided it was not a good idea,” Councilman Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan told Villadom TIMES. He added that the proposal would improve the borough’s infrastructure and said it should not be postponed. O’Hagan said this project should be handled now, so that, when unforeseen problems arise in other areas of the borough, the municipality will be in a stronger position to make the appropriate repairs affordably. He noted that the Parker Place project would remedy a flooding issue in that area that has already been an issue for several years. Mayor Monahan acknowledged that he and the council are not in full agreement as to how the project should proceed. He explained that his suggestion was to put away approximately $80,000 a year toward this project, and complete the work when the total amount has accrued. The question, he said, is whether to complete the project “in one shot.” “We’ll do the right thing,” Monahan said, adding that the issue will be resolved. He said the borough should treat the project as it does the paving costs and vehicle purchases, noting that the borough has reserve funds for these large-ticket items, allowing Midland Park to contribute money each year. Monahan pointed out that saving money gradually would help ensure that there are no dramatic increases in the capital budget. Monahan pointed to the new two percent tax cap levy and questioned whether the $249,575 expense would bring the borough over that limit. He said that, while exceptions to the cap could be permitted, he questioned the wisdom of leaning on exceptions. “We haven’t finalized the capital budget,” he said. “It’s still open for discussion.” Other items that could be included in this year’s capital budget include $83,650 for drainage work on Wostbrock Lane, $36,000 for a pickup truck with a plow for the department of public works, $125,000 for road resurfacing, $30,000 for the DPW truck reserve, $50,000 for the fire department’s new vehicle reserve, $10,000 for computer equipment for the police department, and $6,000 for a speed sign that would calculate motorists’ speed and tally the number of vehicles that pass the sign. Starr Shapiro, a sixth grade student at Highland School, won the school-level competition of the national Geographic Bee and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. The school-level bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the ﬁrst round in the 23rd annual National Geographic Bee. This year’s bee is sponsored by Google (visit www.google.com/educators/geo). The school winners, including Starr, will now take a written test; up to 100 of the top scorers in each state will be eligible to compete in their state Bee April 1, 2011. Pictured: Highland School Geographic Bee runner–up, Tess Steuerwald, right, congratulates Geographic Bee winner, Starr Shapiro, left. Super speller SAT LAST DITCH? Your SAT Verbal-Writing-Math scores can go up 100 points or more before the cut-off. We’ve been doing it for years. Verbal-writing $60 per hour. Math $70 per hour. References from Princeton, Cooper Union, Cornell, NYU, many from Rutgers WHO WILL CARE FOR MY CHILDREN? 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