Allendale
May 18, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 9
Borough’s new police chief takes oath of office
by John Koster Allendale’s new police chief, George Scherb, took the oath of office administered by Mayor Vince Barra. Scherb’s appointment, which was announced at a previous public meeting, came after the council evaluated the sergeants who indicated an interest in becoming chief through a written test, an extended interview, and a try-out on duty. After praising Sergeant Alvin McCarthy and Sergeant Todd Griffith for their dedication and professionalism, the committee that included Mayor Barra and Council Members Susan Lamonica and Ari Bernstein chose Scherb as the best among three excellent candidates. The council had earlier debated replacing the sworn police chief with a public safety director or with a sharedchief arrangement with another town. After evaluating input from the police and the public, the governing body decided that a sworn police chief would give the Allendale Police Department one additional badge and gun, and would be worth the disparity in salaries between the more expensive police chief and the more economical -- but unarmed -- public safety director. In the brief meeting that preceded the oath, the council also adopted the 2011 municipal budget, with absolutely no public comment. The municipal budget totals $12,257,505, and Mayor Barra won kudos when he kept his word to have a zero percent tax increase, which led to a very quiet budget hearing at a prior meeting. “A lot of people are wearing guns out, there so I want to get out of here as quickly as possible,” Mayor Barra joked. Many police officers had turned out in full uniform in honor of Scherb’s promotion. The mayor also issued a proclamation, declaring May 15 to 21 as EMT week. He was photographed with a large
Allendale Police Chief George Scherb
contingent of emergency medical technicians who attended the meeting in force to receive the plaque.
Ho-Ho-Kus
Ryan DeMarco, a member of Ho-Ho-Kus Boy Scout Troop 54, recently gained the Ho-Ho-Kus Council’s approval for his community service project. DeMarco is working toward his Eagle Scout award, the highest honor a Boy Scout can achieve. The Boy Scout advised the council that he plans to paint house numbers on the curbs in front of borough residences. The project will help emergency services personnel to locate homes quickly and easily. DeMarco said he plans to send postcards to residents who have curbing near their homes and ask those citizens to contact him with requests and permission to paint the house numbers. Mayor Thomas Randall asked the Eagle candidate if he needed to achieve a particular number of residents’ responses. DeMarco responded that he planned to receive approval for the project first and then determine who would like the service. “It was last done 15 years ago,” Councilman John Mongelli recalled. Councilman Phil Rorty advised DeMarco, “I’m a fireman in town and they (the curbside house numbers) will be a great help.” After a few other questions regarding how DeMarco plans to paint the numbers, the council granted him approval. The Scout noted that he will also need to obtain approval from the Boy Scouts to proceed with the project. Four year ago, Ramsey resident and Eagle Scout Tyler Buysse of Boy Scout Troop 31 carried out a house number painting community service project in his town. The Ramsey Scout encouraged residents to contact him by email or by telephone with their requests for house numbers, and publicized his contact information in the Ramsey edition of this newspaper. Buysse and his volunteers received hundreds of requests, and painted approximately 500 house numbers, which are now affectionately referred to as “Buysses.” In areas where there were no curbs, Buysse or a member of his crew painted the house number onto a rock in a prominent location. J. CRUSCO
Scout gets approval for service project
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