Franklin Lakes October 17, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Council agrees to allow Car Show to continue by Frank J. McMahon The Jersey Lakeland Region-Vintage Chevrolet Club of America’s annual Car Show & Flea Market will again be held at McBride Field in Franklin Lakes over Memorial Day weekend in 2013. At its last work session, the borough council agreed that the show should be allowed to continue at that location. A resolution confirming this approval is expected to be adopted at the council’s public meeting on Oct. 16. The council’s decision followed recent work session discussions that revealed concerns about the number of events being scheduled at McBride Field. Mayor Frank Bivona questioned if the VCAA Car Show was appropriate for the borough due to the additional traffic and the competition it creates for the Urban Farms Shopping Center through the sale of food and other products. The council agreed that the show, which has been held at McBride Field for almost 35 years, should be allowed to continue at that site after receiving reports from the borough’s recreation director, the police officer in charge of traffic safety, and the superintendent of the department of public works. Recreation Director John Ciurciu said the VCCA has been “great to work with” and there has not been any damage to the field over the past couple of years due to the VCCA’s show. Police Officer Robert Lyon noted that the show has been held at McBride Field for many years, and “the organizers have done a great job with this event.” DPW Superintendent Brian Peterson said, “The Vintage Car Show requires minimal effort by the Franklin Lakes Department of Public Works. The only thing they ask for is to cut the grass and to provide some extra garbage cans during and after the show. Overall, they do a good job of keeping the field clean with the number of people that attend the show.” The borough also received a letter from the mother of a young boy who attended the show last year as a recipient of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is one of the charities that benefits from the show. The woman explained how much her son enjoyed the show and sitting in the cars. She said they plan to attend next year. The council was concerned that United Water NJ’s construction project at a portion of the field might create a safety hazard during the show. Mayor Bivona explained that he has met with representatives of United Water NJ and learned there will be no access problem due to the construction. Bivona also explained that the field will soon have a parking lot and a permanent ball field on the site once the construction of the United Water NJ well facility is completed on the Wyandotte Drive side of the field. Franklin Lakes Borough Administrator Gary Hart added that all the construction equipment will be fenced off, and United Water NJ will work with the borough to ensure the construction does not conflict with the VCCA’s show. Ron Panicucci, the president of the VCCA, has been personally involved with the show for 28 years. He wrote to the Franklin Lakes Council and attended recent meetings in support of continuing the show at McBride Field. Panicucci pointed out that Franklin Lakes provides the largest number of show cars during the event, and the 2012 show produced more Franklin Lakes cars than any of the shows in the past eight years. Panicucci added that the Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve is now included in the club’s fundraising efforts. The car club’s main charity for the past 18 years, Panicucci said, has been the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey. The club has contributed $33,000 to that charity. The club president said the VCCA has also been providing for an annual monetary award to a vocational high school student interested in pursuing further education in automotive technology or repair, and the club has donated over $16,000 in scholarships and annual contributions to the American Cancer Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Panicucci said the car club will pay a permit fee of $750 for the use of the field based their request for three days to provide time to set up the event. He also proposed a donation to the borough to be based on 75 cents per spectator. Based on the average spectator count for the past three years, this donation could provide $1,000 to the borough.