Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • December 21, 2011 Glen Rock Olivia D. Summers, a student at Glen Rock Middle School, has won the District 2level competition of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest. Summers is now eligible for state-level competition. Participants were required to write an essay about why they are proud of the United States. The local-level contest was sponsored by Thomas D. Egan Glen Rock VFW Post 850. Ninety-seven students entered this year’s contest. The top three winners in the local contest were: Christina d’Ecclesus of Academy of Our Lady, who took first place; Summers, who took second place at the local level; and Margaret Sword of Academy of Our Lady, who earned the third place award. Contest winners named; Summers also takes district VFW member James J. Meskill Jr. is pictured with Olivia Summers, Christina d’Ecclesus, and Margaret Sword. Contract talks (continued from page 7) meeting on Dec. 14 and a former New York City schoolteacher, won the tacit approval of the council members when she urged the council to take all responsible means to keep school costs under control as taxpayers struggle with their tax bills in a troubled economy. Council members declined to comment on the negotiations, which are the purview of the school board. The Ridgewood Village Council was forced to lay off 34 full-time employees due to economic constraints in 2010, and the jobs of the two newest police officers were saved only when the members of the PBA offered to take one-day furloughs without pay to cover the cost of the two newcomers’ salaries. The Ridgewood Board of Education has also enacted cost-cutting measures. J. KOSTER