Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • January 25, 2012 toward direct care for our families. If your company has a charitable giving program, please let us know. ECF distributes about 140 bags of food to our families each month. You can help us fill our pantry. When you go grocery shopping and something non-perishable is on sale, please pick up some extra items and drop them off at ECF. Sugar, flour, salt, cooking oil, detergent, pancake mix/ syrup, and rice are always needed. You can help in a variety of ways. Consider turning your next event into a fundraiser for ECF, and ask guests to bring checks or gift cards to be used by our families. Your efforts help us to help our families in many ways, including sending a caseworker to visit the families at home or in the hospital. This support for the kids, their siblings, and parents is crucial. Kids are welcome to help, too. Many have held sales or other events and contributed the proceeds to ECF. If your Boy (continued on page 27) Our hat’s off to: The members of Girl Scout Troop 1202 and their incredible leader, Marlene, all of whom take such pride in their volunteer work. As they strive for their Bronze Award, The Academy of The Most Blessed Sacrament School in Franklin Lakes wrote this about ECF, “We all gladly take part in helping children with a sharing, caring heart.” Included in this group are: Haley, Aimee, Heidi, Maria, Julia, Gabby, Gracie, and Hannah. Thanks to Phyllis Sweetman and the residents of Evergreen Court for their sixmonth long Food Drive. Our next big event: Our Second Annual Hollywood Bash will be held on Saturday, Feb. 4. Please call us for tickets, and if you would like to get involved. We are looking for donations for our auction and for ad placements. Meet Darren: Darren had just celebrated his first birthday when he went to his pediatrician for his first checkup. At the appointment, his mom told the doctor she had noticed some swelling in Darren’s stomach while she was bathing him a few days earlier. The doctor examined him and told Mom to take him for an ultrasound. Mom immediately took him for the appointment and then went to work. About two hours had passed when the doctor called Mom at work to tell her something was terribly wrong. They told her that Darren had something called a Wilm’s tumor that was rapidly growing. He needed surgery immediately. Now, a few years later, Darren is still undergoing treatment for this cancer, but it is finally scheduled to end next month. He has a CAT scan every three months and the family continues to hope for the best. The family was just making ends meet before this happened and now Mom had been laid off from her job. Although Mom was glad that she has been home for Darren and his five-year-old brother, the medical bills have been mounting. They have found themselves in such debt that they are unable to buy the boys bunk beds. The boys are still in their toddler beds and need bunk beds because two twin beds will not fit in their room. Darren enjoys playing games on the Wii and on his mom’s phone. His caseworker, Amy, reports that all is as well as can be expected at this point, but the family could use our continued help. If you would like to donate bunk beds to this family, please contact Laura at the Northern Regional Center. Please remember that your financial support keeps the caseworker visiting this and other families regularly! We rely on our local community to help support our families. Many of them do not have the financial or emotional support to help them get through a major illness like cancer. We do not charge anything for our services. We rely on you! ECF, which was named for a little boy named Emmanuel who lost his battle with cancer nearly 30 years ago, uses monetary contributions to cover the costs associated with providing free services to any New Jersey child who has cancer. Approximately 70 cents from every dollar goes Change of election date (continued from page 4) backgrounds and advantages of serving whatever office they seek,” the mayor said. He added that another drawback may be that new members would be at a disadvantage assuming office in January because they would be picking up midstream programs they may not support. While agreeing that the issue is open for discussion, Councilwoman Nancy Peet, a former long time board member and president, said she personally believes residents “should be able to vote on the school budget plan no matter what.” She added that by keeping the election in April, “the community members/voters retain their say in the amount of school funds needed to provide a thorough and efficient education.” Peet pointed out that the increase in the number of voters the general election attracts would be a benefit, as would be the cost savings in eliminating an entire election in April. The school would still have to pay any additional costs incurred in November. The new law provides that the change may be made by a simple vote of the local board of education or by the town council. It may also be accomplished by filing with the local board of education a petition signed by 15 percent of the number of voters who voted in the last presidential election. The required number of signatories in Midland Park would be about 567. If a change is made to November, the election would have to be held at that time for four years before it can be changed back. School board members would run for election in November on the same ballot as local, county, state and federal candidates, but the school section would be clearly separate from the sections featuring other candidates. No grouping or party affiliation would be permitted for the school candidates. Nominating petitions, which will still require only 10 signatures of registered voters, will have to be filed by 4 p.m. on Primary Day in June (the same as independent candidates for political office). Successful candidates would take office during the first week of January. The vote on the school budget within cap would be abolished. Any request to exceed the cap would be voted upon in November, and the council would decide the fate of a defeated request. O’Hagan pointed out that regardless of whether the budget is actually on the ballot, voters would indirectly be casting a vote on the budget by their choice of candidate. “The public will have the last word, through their vote, if they think the budget is wrong, and therefore you will see more turnover at the school board level,” O’Hagan said.