Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • August 31, 2011 Ho-Ho-Kus Resident asks council to hire additional police officers by Jennifer Crusco Resident Gary Tyler has asked the Ho-Ho-Kus Council to hire some additional police officers to aid the borough’s department. At present, the Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department is down two members who were not replaced after they retired, and recently lost two additional officers who have medical issues. Tyler also pointed out that some police officers are eligible for retirement. Former Police Chief Gregory Kallenberg and Officer Mike Tuttle are the latest members of the department to retire. While there have been several subsequent promotions within the police department, those two employees have not been replaced per se. Police Chief John Wanamaker reported that Officer Greg McBain, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, is expected to be out indefinitely. McBain was injured while he was removing a log from a local street after a recent storm. The chief added that Officer Sean Leonard has also been out with a herniated disk. Wanamaker noted that the department, which has had 16 officers, is down to 14 officers, and is currently running with just 12. In order to keep the department running efficiently, Wanamaker said he, his lieutenant, and the detective have been covering shifts. The chief added that Sergeant Ed Freeman recently announced his plan to retire in March 2012. Earlier this summer, Tyler’s wife, Carol, also expressed her concerns about police personnel. She asserted that the department’s staffing issue had led to the cancellation this year’s popular Junior Police Academy, which had been run each July since 2006. Mrs. Tyler, who the captain of the Ho-Ho-Kus Ambulance Corps, said when she writes the schedule for the corps, she needs 18 volunteers. She added that the most important thing is to get two more people on the police department. She noted that there are legal limits on the number of hours police officers can work, and expressed concern about stretching those limits. In a previous interview, Chief Wanamaker said he had recommended that the council consider hiring another police officer to afford him more flexibility in scheduling, to permit his personnel to attend courses at the Law & Public Safety Academy, and to allow the department to run the Junior Police Academy. Chief Wanamaker said the borough must prepare for the future, as there are five officers who are now eligible for retirement and they could exercise that option at any time. Earlier this year, when the decision was made to cancel the 2011 Junior Police Academy, Chief Wanamaker told Villadom TIMES that the officers who run the program, including Sean Leonard, Christopher Minchin, Anthony Balestrieri, and M Mosca, had tried to work on the situation from every angle, but could not resolve every issue. The chief gave credit to the officers who have run the program for trying to make it a reality, but said it was not financially responsible to commit to it this year. Ho-Ho-Kus Jottings Movie under the Stars, Sidewalk Sale set The Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber of Commerce will host its Movie and Entertainment Night at the Ho-Ho-Kus Green on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. This event will be followed by a Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, Sept. 10. The Friday night movie will be the third installation in a popular children’s tale. The band known as Kangaroo Jones will be back again this year to provide the entertainment. Douglas to discuss ‘Shutter Bug’ mission Ho-Ho-Kus resident Scott Douglas will present a program on his “Shutter-Bug” mission for underprivileged youth to the Women’s Guild of Ridgewood’s Old Paramus Church on Sept. 7 at 1:15 p.m. The program will be held in the church’s barrier-free education building at 660 East Glen Avenue, Ridgewood. A Christian layman, Douglas is a master photographer and founder of this mission. He will share his unique story of “Shutter-Bug” camera clubs in the New York City area, Uganda, and elsewhere. He is president of Dancker Sellew & Douglas, and a member of Ridgewood’s First Presbyterian Church. For more information, call the church office at (201) 444-5933. Seniors plan events The Ho-Ho-Kus Seniors will host a series of events, beginning with a visit on Sept. 21to Adam Todd’s Restaurant in Andover where they will see “The Legend of Lanza.” Carol Greene, president of the Friends of the Hermitage, will present “Franklin Turnpike: 300 Years of Local and Through Traffic” on Sept. 27. Greene will draw from her award-winning book “The Ramapough Cronicles: A 300 Year History of Mahwah and its Surrounds.” On Oct. 11, Nancy Atkins Peck will present “Carl Kemm Loven: Designer of Dreams.” Loven was a well-known architect who designed homes in Glen Rock, Ridgewood, and Ho-Ho-Kus; local shopping centers; and planned communities such as Sterling Forest. On Oct. 25, the group will take a trip to Villa Roma in Callicoon, New York for Oktoberfest. Meetings of the Ho-Ho-Kus Seniors take place the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month in the Hermitage Education Building. Beverages and desserts are served at noon, and programs begin at 1 p.m. or as noted. Residents age 55 and up are welcome to attend. Contact Joan at (201) 444-4896 for program information. For trip information, contact Sue at (201) 444-7235.