September 28, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Glen Rock Commission hosts sustainability symposium by John Koster Cindy Mehallow, chair of the Glen Rock Environmental Commission, reported that last week’s first regional conference on sustainability was a signal success, and will be repeated on a quarterly basis by municipal environmental officials. “Environmental issues such as storm water and air quality cross manmade boundaries and are often best addressed on a regional basis,” Mehallow said. “We are hoping that this event will open channels of communication and cooperation among the environmental commissions in our area. We can learn from each other, help each other, and accomplish more together than separately.” “This is a unique opportunity for peerto-peer learning,” added Naomi Gamorra of the Glen Rock Environmental Commission. “Through an open exhange of ideas, we hope to share best practices and brainstorm ways to become more effective in our efforts to protect the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the communities we serve.” The meeting took place Sept. 20 at the Glen Rock Municipal Building and drew delegates from the environmental commissions of Fair Lawn, Franklin Lakes, Hawthorne, Paramus, Ridgewood, Rochelle Park, and Wyckoff. Mehallow said that 21 delegates attended and spent the first part of the meeting exchanging credentials and e-mail addresses and telephone numbers, and the remainder exchanging ideas. Mehallow said she was impressed with all the delegates, and in particular liked plans from Ridgewood for solar energy at the Ridgewood Water Company treatment plant, and for wastewater initiatives explained by delegates from Fair Lawn and Hawthorne. “People were very appreciative of us hosting the meeting,” Mehallow noted. “They were very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with their peers and to establish a rapport and to make and hear suggestions.” Wyckoff Mayor Kevin Rooney, who had a township committee meeting to attend, said he approved of the concept of a regional approach to environmental concerns, which parallel those of WOLF – the purchasing coalition that includes Wyckoff, Oakland, and Franklin Lakes - to exchange information and save money by joint purchasing. (continued on page 10)