December 19, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 7 Wyckoff Boonstra seen as township’s mayor for 2013 by John Koster Wyckoff Deputy Mayor Rudy Boonstra is seen as the township’s mayor for 2013. The Wyckoff Township Committee will officially select a new leader when the group reorganizes on Jan. 1. Mayor Christopher De Phillips, who opted not to seek reelection this year and will be leaving the township committee, said, “I’m not saying that he (Boonstra) will be the mayor, but he would be a great choice if he were appointed mayor.” The Wyckoff Township Committee consists of five members who are elected to staggered three-year terms. Each year, on Jan. 1, one member is appointed to a oneyear term as mayor. Boonstra has served one term as Wyckoff’s mayor and is a 40-year veteran of the Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department. He has also served on many municipal boards and sometimes serves as the unofficial chaplain at Wyckoff Township Committee meetings when members of the ordained clergy do not attend and offers the usual opening prayer after the pledge of allegiance. The former deputy mayor survived a Republican primary challenge a few years ago when Reverend Jeffrey Boucher filed for a spot on the Republican ballot. Boucher survived a challenge to his filing by members of the Wyckoff Republican League, and retained his spot on the primary ballot. He lost to Boonstra in the general election. Boonstra, however, joined the unanimous vote of the township committee to appoint Boucher as one of the three first responders to be honored by the Bergen County Freeholders last week for their work in helping out during and after Hurricane Sandy. The Reverend Boucher’s Powerhouse Christian Church provided emergency shelter for Wyckoff residents who lost electricity and heat as a result of the hurricane. The other designees were Douglas Struyk, a CPA and manager of Wyckoff’s Christian Health Care Center, which also provided food and shelter in the aftermath of the hurricane, and Lieutenant David Murphy of the Wyckoff Police Department, Wyckoff’s “Mr. Everything” in terms of emergency activities. Wyckoff Assistant Fire Chief Lou Graglia, rather than Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Rose, will be named fire chief for 2013 based on amicable agreements between Chief Rose and the township administration. “I have decided not to seek appointment on Jan. 1 due to the fact that an opportunity came up in the last two weeks for me and my wife to purchase a home for our family outside Wyckoff, and we will be pursuing that,” Chief Rose said. “I will be remaining Graglia to be next fire chief on the Wyckoff Fire Department and will be continuing to work closely with Lou to ensure a smooth transition. Lou has over 20 years of experience in the department and will be an excellent leader for the tremendous group of dedicated volunteers we have in Wyckoff.” Rose, Graglia, and the entire 100member Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department was widely praised by residents and members of the township committee for (continued on page 25) The Wyckoff Zoning Board of Adjustment has asked proponents of the new Vista addition to the Christian Health Care Center to provide plans for a new road entrance location for the 199-unit adult living project. The request indicates that the zoning board members do not want the entrance to feed traffic in from Cedar Hill Avenue, where revised traffic could require a new traffic light. Bergen County approvals would then be needed, as Cedar Hill Avenue is a county road. “They don’t want a traffic light,” an informed observer said. The Wyckoff Zoning Board of Adjustment also asked the Vista proponents for more detailed information on whether the construction materials would be combustible or non-combustible. Board requests revision The revised Vista plan reduced the number of units from 258 to 199, as requested by the board of adjustment earlier this year, and reduced the footprint of the addition by about 30,000 square feet. The cost of units to mature residents who want independent living with care near at hand was also reduced from the original proposed figure of around $400,000 to somewhere between $300,000 and $250,000. Many neighbors of the project in Wyckoff and Hawthorne have objected and declared it intrusive, but proponents argue that independent living for mature, ambulatory people is a genuine need in the area. The hearing will continue on Feb. 12. J. KOSTER