Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • April 6, 2011 Notre Dame takes first place Pictured: Ramsey’s fourth grade girls’ recreation basketball team, ‘Notre Dame,’ recently won first place. Boye award (continued from page 4) are key in making the Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes Triathlon possible. She volunteers her time at the library and at her children’s schools. She is employed by the Indian Trail Club. Parker has been a resident of Wyckoff since 1995 along with his wife and two daughters. A Bergen County native, he also lived in California where he owned award-winning Mexican restaurants. He then returned to the New York City area for a decade working in telecommunications, before getting back into the restaurant business with the opening of 3 Chicas Mexican Kitchen in Wyckoff nine years ago. Whether it is helping local charities or organizations with fundraising efforts through community nights and donations, raising funds for care packages for the military, disaster relief efforts, or helping families with ill children, Parker knows that it is important to give back to the community that gives so much to him, his family, and his business. Parker is on the Wyckoff Y Board and is chair of the Community Outreach Committee, which partners with many local organizations. He is also on the Buddy Walk Committee and runs its Annual Golf Outing. He serves as the chair of Wyckoff Day, is a member of the WyckoffMidland Park Rotary, Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce, and the newly formed Wyckoff Community Green Team. Hoppe has been a resident of Wyckoff since 1984. In 1987, she was instrumental in the formation of a play group of four toddlers with autism which eventually became the Alpine Learning Group, a school dedicated to the needs of children with autism. In 2000, Hoppe, her husband Jim, and other parents founded the Quest Autism Foundation, a public charity dedicated to providing adult services to the autism community. The Quest Autism Program opened its doors in July 2005 at the Wyckoff Family Y. The program is continuously growing and serving more young adults in the workplace. Hoppe is currently the director of fundraising for Quest Autism Foundation and is a managing director of Quest Autism Programs. She appeared on NBC News and Nightline as an advocate for autism. She is proud to be the mother of Jaimie Hoppe and Christine Hoppe Centa and stepmother of Lynn Hoppe Porterfield and Dr. James Robert Hoppe. Woods is a well-known area artist. He grew up in Franklin Lakes and attended Parsons School of Design and New York University. He spent three years in illustration study under Milton Charles and worked as a book cover illustrator and animation assistant for Amblin Entertainment and Dreamworks in Los Angeles. Over the years, Woods has shared his passion for art with the members of the Wyckoff YMCA. He created a beautiful mural in the lobby area and has volunteered his expertise to many artrelated events at the Wyckoff YMCA. He lives on a small farm in the Catskills with his partner. The Flakers have been members of the Wyckoff Family YMCA for over 10 years and have earned this first-ever recognition as inspirational Y members. Carol was a teacher for 19 years in the Allendale school system and Gary’s career spanned banking and employee benefits. The two have always been actively involved at the Y, including Gary’s role as a volunteer human resources consultant for the organization. Over the years, they have enjoyed many interests including camping, skiing, golfing, boating, traveling, and community service. Since they retired, the Y has been a constant source of activity for the couple, offering exercise classes, theater trips, aquacise, therapy, and many other endeavors. The two are a valuable asset to the Wyckoff YMCA through their involvement, enthusiasm, and desire for the organization’s continued success. Tickets for the Friends of the Y Dinner are available at $70 per person. Call (201) 891-2081. Mahwah municipal budget (continued from page 5) increase of $488,208 in pension contributions, an increase of $388,000 in insurance payments, an increase of $150,000 in the tax appeal reserve, and an increase of $123,000 in debt service. He advised, however, there is a decrease in the township’s payroll of $719,450 which reflects a reduction in staff through attrition, retirement, and layoffs. He added that the township is still in negotiations with the white collar, blue collar, and police collective bargaining units, and additional layoffs may be required. Campion said the service reductions included in the budget for cost savings include the new split schedule for waste collection, which reduces collections to once a week for eight months of the year, and the elimination of the collection of recyclable materials such as grass clippings. Mayor John DaPuzzo emphasized that while the owner of a home with the township’s average assessed value will realize a decrease in the total property tax obligation, some homeowners with higher assessments may see their property tax rise as compared to last year. He also emphasized that most of the major increases in the budget’s appropriations are not controlled by the township and yet this budget’s appropriations are down significantly from last year. “The only thing left in our budget to trim are services and employees,” DaPuzzo said, adding that he did not think the township’s residents would want to take services away from the senior citizens or children, or to eliminate garbage collection altogether. He also noted that this is the first time the township has eliminated employee positions that were not done through attrition. “We’re really in a very difficult position now,” DaPuzzo said, “because there is really nothing left to cut.” The township’s final tax rate will not be known until June or July when the Bergen County Board of Taxation tallies up all the tax rates that make up the township’s total. Break the Highway Trend! ...not your community’s back. Local businesses are the backbone of your community and the trend to shop the big guys on the highway hurts us all.Your local businesses have what you want... at the right price... and close to home. So, why hassle with the highways? Save Time! Save Gas! Save Money! SAVE YOUR COMMUNITY! We Need You SHOP LOCALLY. IT’S SMART. ...and besides, it’s so convenient!