Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • October 26, 2011 Waldwick Daniel De Marco, an Eagle Scout candidate from Waldwick Boy Scout Troop 88, plans to improve public safety in his hometown by painting Maltese crosses in front of the borough’s fire hydrants. These painted emblems will make the hydrants more readily visible to firefighters, who need quick access during an emergency, and to members of the community, who might otherwise park too close to a hydrant. “Due to issues with time, weather, and resources, we initially plan to do half of the town,” De Marco said in his project description. “However, if we have time and resources available at the end, we will Service project will improve visibility of fire hydrants keep doing other sections of town. We would ideally do the streets that are east of Crescent Avenue all the way to Route 17. Fire Chief Ken Warr has requested traffic yellow paint, as it would be very noticeable during night and day.” De Marco noted that the troop is not permitted to work on the county roads that pass through Waldwick, including Crescent Avenue, Franklin Turnpike, and Wyckoff Avenue. All of the volunteers who work on this painting project will be required to wear safety goggles, gloves, and reflective safety vests while they are at work. Volunteers will work in teams of three, and at least one adult will be a member of each work team. The adult will be responsible for watching traffic as the Boy Scouts paint. The volunteers will use maps to identify which hydrants are to be marked. Once the crosses have been painted, the hydrant locations will be updated and the amended map will be returned to borough officials for reference. De Marco indicated that he plans to request donations of supplies from local businesses, and may hold a Poinsettia Sale to raise funds to support his work. He noted that those who already have supplies, such as safety goggles and gloves, will be urged to use their own items. However, he will provide the necessary supplies to those who do not have their own. Estimating some of the anticipated costs, the Eagle Scout candidate said he will need three five-gallon containers of paint at a total of $255, and eight Maltese cross templates at a cost of $400. De Marco added that Chief Warr has already pledged $100 toward the project. The Scout pointed out that the amount of time needed to complete the project will depend on the number of volunteers. He estimated that he will need between 20 and 25 people to help with the project. “Considering that Waldwick is about two square miles of land with 395-405 hydrants…there is quite some ground to cover,” De Marco said. “With the expected amount of people, the main project may take 10 hours or more. I estimate that a three-person crew could paint the cross and move to the next hydrant in about 12 minutes.” If his estimate proves to be correct, De Marco said each team could complete approximately five hydrants per hour. “If I have eight teams…we could complete approximately 40 hydrants per hour,” he added. “Therefore, the project may last two days, considering the time needed for lunch (about 30 minutes), breaks (about 1530 minutes), and the possibility of issues with navigation.” The Woman’s Club of Upper Saddle River will host a Dinner and Wine Tasting Fundraiser on Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Savini’s Restaurant in Allendale. The cost is $75 per person. All are welcome. Proceeds will go to local charities. For further information call Nickie at (201) 638-6765. The club invites women over age 40 to become involved in the community through the club’s community outreach Club hosts dinner, wine tasting benefit fundraisers and social events. The club holds an annual baby shower for Shelter Our Sisters, sponsors a writing contest in the public schools, presents awards to outstanding students at Cavallini School and Northern Highlands Regional High School, and supports the Highlands Scholarship Foundation. For details about the group’s activities and upcoming meetings, contact Nona at (201) 934-9562.