Franklin Lakes June 20, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 State grant prompts borough to pave McCoy Road by Frank J. McMahon A $146,500 state grant has prompted the Franklin Lakes Council to fund the repaving of the part of McCoy Road located within the borough. McCoy Road extends from Colonial Road, just past its intersection with the I287 highway overpass, into Oakland and back into the borough and connects with Colonial Road about half a mile farther south. It is a heavily traveled route between Franklin Lakes and Oakland, and is wellused by parents and students who travel to and from Indian Hills High School in Oakland. Franklin Lakes Borough Administrator Gregory Hart advised the council that the estimated cost of the repaving project would be $215,000, and the balance of $68,500 would have to be paid out of the borough’s capital reserve account. Mayor Frank Bivona pointed out that McCoy Road is on the borough’s schedule of roads to be repaved, and said he did not feel there was any choice but to spend the money to repave it now, or to pave less of the road. Borough Engineer James Kelly recommended that the entire part of McCoy Road that is in Franklin Lakes be repaved this year. “It makes sense to do the entire road,” Kelly said, “but we can pave to a certain point and then pick up the rest later.” Councilwoman Paulette Ramsey agreed that the road needs to be repaved, but since it extends through two towns, she felt the entire road should be done at the same time. She pointed out that Oakland is not repaving the portion of the road that lies within that borough, and she suggested that it might be better to wait until next year when the entire road in both boroughs could be repaved to avoid seams in the roadway. Bivona questioned the benefit of waiting to repave the road, thereby making borough residents on McCoy endure a road which he said is “pretty bad” right now. Kelly agreed. He pointed out that the project could cost more next year, and there is guarantee that Oakland would repave its portion of the road in 2013. “There’s always seams in paving, so technically that’s not a problem,” Kelly On June 20, the Temple Emanuel book group will host an 8 p.m. discussion of Israeli author Amos Oz’s 1994 novel “Don’t Call it Night.” Translated from the Hebrew by Nicholas de Lange, “Don’t Call it Night” tells the story of a Negev Desert settlement that is thrown into turmoil after a teen drug overdose. The book was listed as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. This program is free and open to the public. On June 24, an afternoon screening of the 1939 musical film “Mamele” (little mother) will be presented at 2 p.m. New York-born Yiddish icon Molly Picon, who entertained Temple hosts book discussion, classic film theater, radio, TV, and film audiences for over seven decades, takes the starring role. Directed by famed actor-director Joseph Green and filmed in Poland, the story portrays a dysfunctional family, but has a happy ending. “Mamele” is among the most treasured films in the American-Yiddish genre. The dialogue and songs are in Yiddish with English subtitles. The program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Temple Emanuel is located at 558 High Mountain Road in Franklin Lakes. For more information, visit www.tenjfl.org or call (201) 560-0200. said, adding that it is not unusual for the state to approve funding for a portion of a road one year and then more of the road in the future, which would result in seams in the roadway. Kelly added that the council should be pleased with the grant award because grant money is very tight this year. Hart concurred, explaining that the borough’s grant request was denied last year. Councilwoman Nathalie Lota and Councilman Joseph Kelly supported repaving the road this year. Kelly pointed out that a lot of residents are frustrated by the condition of roads in the borough, and they would be pleased to see McCoy Road repaved along with the other borough roads that are being resurfaced this year. The repaving projects will include High Mountain Road, which is being done by the county. An ordinance to fund the repaving of McCoy Road will be introduced at the June 19 council meeting.