November 23, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 27 Franklin Lakes Scribe Registration open for Art Kids Rule Art Kids Rule for children in grades three through five will return to the Franklin Lakes Public Library on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. Participants will design a winter landscape using watercolor paint techniques under the direction of Artist Brandon Dorney. Registration is required. Franklin Lakes residents may begin to register on Nov. 22. Out-of-town residents may register on Dec. 12. Registration may be completed by phone, (201) 891-2224 or by visiting the library during regular hours. This program is sponsored by Friends of the Library. The library is located at 470 DeKorte Drive. Preschool craft offered The Franklin Lakes Public Library is offering Snow Much Fun for children ages two-and-a-half to five years old on Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The program will feature wintery stories, finger plays, and a craft. Registration is required. Franklin Lakes residents may begin to register on Nov. 22. Out-of-town residents may begin to register on Dec. 9. Registration may be completed by phone, (201) 891-2224 or by visiting the library during regular hours. Paws for Reading returns Franklin Lakes Public Library is pleased to announce that the Paws for Reading program will return to the library this winter. Beginning and accomplished readers in grades one through six are invited to polish their reading and public speaking skills while reading to the well-behaved therapy dogs. Sign up for a 10-minute period on Mondays, Dec. 5 and 12 and Jan. 23 and 30 from 4 to 5 p.m. Registration is ongoing 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. Scouts sponsor Christmas Tree Sale Boy Scout Troop 34 of Franklin Lakes will hold its annual Christmas Tree Sale on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The sale will begin Nov. 26 and will be held at the Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church at 454 Pulis Avenue. The Scouts will be selling nursery grown Christmas trees, wreaths, and roping for the holiday season and will be on hand to assist shoppers with the selection and loading of trees. Ramapo Class of 1986 plans reunion The Ramapo High School Class of 1986 will celebrate its 25th high school reunion on Saturday, Nov. 26 at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes. For more information about this event, contact coordinator Barbara Collins at barbrushcollins@yahoo.com. Register for Reindeer Run The Academy of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Franklin Lakes will hold its Tenth Annual Reindeer Run on Saturday, Dec 3. The 5K race course and one-mile Family Fun Run will start in front of the school at 785 Franklin Lake Road. The course is USAT&F certified. It is also a New Jersey Grand Prix 500 Point Event. The 5K race will start at 9:30 a.m. and the Family Fun Run will begin at 10:30 a.m. In-person registration will be Dec 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and at 8 a.m. on Dec 3. Pre-registration may be completed at www.active.com. Awards will be presented to the top three overall male and female participants and in each five-year age group. Each person who pre-registers will receive a Tshirt, while supplies last, and festive post-race goodies. For more information, visit www.OYMP.net or e-mail paulbonistalli@verizon.net. P.I.N.T. Center registration open Registration is now under way for the Franklin Lakes Public Library’s P.I.N.T. Center. This program is for newborns through two-year-olds. P.I.N.T. Center offers a language-enrichment program, in which simple stories, songs, rhymes, and finger plays are presented. Each 45-minute session begins with an informal play period followed by a more formal presentation. The program will meet on Mondays from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. or from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Sessions are scheduled for Dec. 5, 12, and 19, Jan 23 and 30, and Feb. 6 and 13. Registration is required. Franklin Lakes residents may register now. Non-residents may register on Dec. 1. Register by calling (201) 891-2224 or by visiting the library during regular hours. The library is located at 470 DeKorte Drive. Shop the Rock (continued from page 17) traffic congestion and vehicle emissions. Bringing your own bag reduces the fossil fuels and other resources used to create, transport, and recycle single-use paper and plastic bags.” “Honestly, I think it’s a great idea,” said Matt Kopacki of Rock Ridge Pharmacy. “We’re really glad to embrace it, and we’re happy to reduce the plastic flow to our landfills. Plastic is a necessary evil in our business, but we’re happy to do anything we can to stop the stream of plastic pollution.” Cooperating businesses registered at press time include Beekman Wine & Liquors, Boiling Springs Bank, Giannella’s Delicatessen, Glen Rock Digital Photo, Glen Rock Paint & Hardware, Grow-Cery, Kilroy’s Wonder Market, Rock Ridge Pharmacy, Rock Sweet Shop, Sasha Hair & Day Spa, Shades of Soho, and Verizon Wireless. The bags were purchased with grants form outside Glen Rock and Hy Eisman, a nationally-syndicated cartoonist and Glen Rock resident, donated the art logo on the bags. NJSIAA reverses ruling (continued from page 5) successful without it. He singled out high school Principal Nick Capuano, who was the school’s athletic director throughout the year-long process and argued their case last spring in front of both the NJSIAA’s Advisory Committee and the Executive Committee. “We’ll move as quickly as possible to have the ruling in place,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Cirasella. The local board of education must formally decide whether it will permit homeschooled students to participate in sports. Board President Robert Schiffer said the board would consult its attorney and would hold a special meeting, if necessary, to introduce the new policy so that it would be ready for adoption at the Dec. 6 regular meeting. The Borzones are eager for their son to play during the upcoming basketball season, which starts in mid-December. Noting that practices begin on Nov. 28, Maureen Borzone pointed out that NJSIAA guidelines would permit their son to practice with the team at the discretion of the local school board until his formal eligibility is established.. The guidelines require (1) that before any homeschooler can participate. he or she must first obtain approval of the board of education; (2) proof that the student resides in the district; (3) permission of the principal; (4) compliance with the same standards of behavior and performance as all other members of the team; (5) compliance with NJSIAA eligibility rules; (6) demonstration to the satisfaction of the local school officials that the student is receiving an equivalent education; (7) demonstration to the satisfaction of the local school officials that the student is academically qualified to participate; and (8) no transfers to a home school program for athletic advantage. For example, a student cannot drop out of school because of an academic or disciplinary issue and then turn around and participate as a homeschooler. The guidelines specifically state that “any student who withdraws from a public school program to enroll in a home school program, and is ineligible at the time of withdrawal from the public school program due to his/ her failure to meet academic, behavioral or eligibility standards, shall be ineligible to compete in interscholastic athletic competition in the same manner as a student who is transferred from one school to another for athletic advantage.” (Guideline 8). “I’m excited. It’s a good decision that will benefit all the students. In a small school searching for players to fill the rosters, it benefits the entire team, and it gives the opportunity for home schoolers to participate in team building and social activities that develop life skills,” said Capuano. Midland Park had asked the NJSIAA to allow individual school districts to decide whether they would permit home-schooled students to participate in league play in teams from their town of residence. State department of education guidelines permit home schooled students to participate in extracurricular activities in their local district, but NJSIAA regulations did not. An NJSIAA rule governing eligibility for participation in interscholastic athletic programs says that the student “must be enrolled in that school,” but specifically defined an enrolled student as one whose home instruction is provided by the board of education but not one “being home schooled by parents or other parties.” With the new guidelines, “NJSIAA rules will not stand in the way” the release stated.