Wyckoff November 23, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 15 Local officials honor township’s crossing guards by John Koster The Wyckoff Township Committee and Police Chief Benjamin Fox took a moment out of the most recent public meeting to honor the crossing guards whom Chief Fox credited with helping Wyckoff maintain an outstanding traffic safety record. “School crossing guards serve a valuable public safety purpose in our community,” Mayor Kevin Rooney said as he prepared to present each crossing guard with a proclamation. “New Jersey has the highest population density of any state and also has one of the highest vehicle and pedestrian accident rates. Thirty years ago, 50 percent of the students walked or biked to school. Today, 85 percent of students are driven to school, resulting in congestion in school zones far beyond what the streets were designed to handle. The Bergen County Joint Insurance Fund has indicated that school crossing guards have the most dangerous municipal job.” Chief Fox also praised the crossing guards from coming out in all sorts of weather. He and Patrolman Kevin Kasak, the police liaison to the guards, demonstrated the flashing stop signs purchased by joint funding of the township committee and school system. The signs reportedly increase motorists’ attention, especially in the dark or rainy weather. The crossing guards honored by Municipal officials honored the township’s crossing guards at a recent public meeting. name, many of them present at the township committee meeting, were Kenneth Amendola, Clarence Baker, Richard Carruthers, Allison Carter, Ellen DeCeglia, Edward Della Motte, Marjorie Fenkart, Donald Harris, Thomas Hayes, Cynthia Hazan, Robert Hesse, Linda Kosowicz, Hugh O’Neil, Bernadette Pail, John Proctor, Albert Riffel, Charles Romano, Peter Tani, Marilyn Taylor, Frederick VanDam, Louis Warnet, Charles Wisloh, and Karen Yennie.