Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • May 23, 2012 pitalized several times with fevers, infections, and low blood counts. Recently, Cristina has shown signs of depression. Marta is very concerned because Cristina asks repeatedly if she is ever going to get better. Miriam has severe asthma and significant learning disabilities and requires weekly therapy sessions at the hospital. With the amount of time she spends at the hospital with her girls, Marta considers it her second home. She is mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. Mirabella worries about her mom’s stress level. Life has been tough for this lovely family, and they are always extremely grateful for any help ECF is able to provide. The children enjoy playing computer games, but the family’s computer crashed and Marta cannot afford to replace it. A replacement CPU would be of great benefit to the family (they have a monitor and keyboard). Marta’s lengthy commute is quite expensive, so she would be grateful for gas cards to defray the cost. In addition, Kmart gift cards would enable Marta to purchase summer clothes for the girls. Finally, the children would be thrilled to have bicycles now that summer is approaching. Your generosity will be said the Ridgewood Police Department provided only “limited” services for the water company, and that he had conveyed this opinion to then Village Manager James Ten Hoeve. Fiorenzo said he also had depositions regarding improprieties from other employees, not named, that suggested that water rate money had been diverted to other departments not directly involved with water supplied to the member towns even before the rate increases. “The whole system that they have initiated is basically a one-way street,” Fiorenzo said. The lawsuit against the Ridgewood Water Utility was initiated by Wyckoff, and Wyckoff Mayor Christopher De Phillips and Deputy Mayor Kevin Rooney were present at the press conference. Glen Rock and Midland Park joined the suit later. All three towns sent delegates to the last Ridgewood ordinance vote to argue appreciated more than you know! ECF 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 toward direct care for our families. If your company has a charitable giving program, please let us know. Each month, we distribute about 140 bags of food to our families. You can help us fill our pantry. When you go grocery shopping and something non-perishable is on sale, please grab some extra items and drop them off at our outreach center. Staples such as 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 case worker to visit the families at home or in the hospital. Kids can help, too. Many have held sales or other events and contributed the proceeds to ECF. If your Boy Scout or Girl Scout (continued on page 25) that the increase in water rates was not justified. Defenders of the Ridgewood Water Utility have argued that Ridgewood’s water rates are comparable to those of surrounding communities and that the water quality is superior. Ridgewood uses artesian wells, many of which are located in the other member towns. The water utility operates offices in Ridgewood, and a testing center in Midland Park. The utility also sub-contracts water testing to other communities in northwest Bergen County, which produces an additional ratable for Ridgewood. No date has been set for the court case in which Ridgewood officials or their attorneys will answer the charges formally. Fiorenzo said that, since this was a civil action, no criminal charges were likely to result, but that serious wrong-doing had obviously taken place. Other officials declined comment due to the litigation. Our hat’s off to the wonderful residents of the Kentshire. They hosted a lovely tea fundraiser for us that was much appreciated. Thanks to Girl Scout Troop 433 for the incredible birthday bags. Thanks to Eastern Christian Elementary School for the Food Drive. Special thanks to all who came out to Blue Moon to support our Community Night. Summer needs: We need window air conditioning units, new or in good working condition, for our families. We also need boys’ summer clothing in size 7/8 and XL, and shoes in size 7. Some of our families could use prepaid phone cards for Cricket Mobile. Meet Cristina: Four-year old Cristina was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia just over a year ago. Cristina is a vivacious, outgoing child who lives with her mom, Marta, her sisters, six-year old Mirabella and eight-year old Miriam, and her maternal grandmother and grandfather in a small apartment in a busy urban neighborhood. Cristina’s father and mother have been separated for four years; her father visits the children sporadically and provides minimal child support. Marta is the breadwinner for the entire extended family, yet is only able to work part-time due to Cristina’s medical condition. Her job is a great distance from her home and the commuting expenses are considerable. In her absence, Marta’s mother, who has serious health issues restricting her mobility (and was recently hospitalized), cares for Cristina and her sisters until Marta returns home from work. Marta is a doting and loving mother who is doing the best she can to keep her family happy and together, but she is exhausted. Cristina’s medical treatment, which will continue for another two years, includes daily oral chemotherapy in addition to spinal taps and inpatient chemotherapy every three months. Cristina has been hos- Ridgewood Water (continued from page 3) were astounded, they said, to see that substantial amounts of money from Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff residential water bills had gone to subsidize Ridgewood expenses that were not part of the Ridgewood Water operation. Fiorenzo noted that the process appeared to have begun some time after 2007, when water rate increases no longer had to be justified to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. He implied that water rates for Ridgewood Water Company water before the last two increases -- the first new increase had been requested in 2009 and approved by Ridgewood Village Council in 2010 – were not part of the figures for what he said Ridgewood owed the water customers in the other towns. Since consumers in all four towns pay the same rate per gallon, the Board of Public Utilities did not have to sign off on the two latest rate increases in 2010 and 2011. Ridgewood, and only Ridgewood, had to approve the recent rate increases. Sources close to the investigation said the process started under a previous administration and stopped when Gabbert took over as village manager. Fiorenzo acknowledged, without mentioning Gabbert, that the use of water bill money to cover expenses such as the Ridgewood Police Department and Fire Department had recently stopped – which Fiorenzo said was a tacit admission of wrong-doing. Fiorenzo said he had a deposition from Ridgewood Water Company Director Frank Moritz in which Moritz reportedly