Wyckoff October 31, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Voters to decide on raffles, representatives by John Koster As Wyckoff voters go to the polls on Nov. 6, they will select two members of the township’s governing body and will have an opportunity to decide whether to allow raffles within the township. Voters will decide whether to allow raffles for charitable or civic causes or to continue the ban that now exists. The Raffle Licensing Law, if approved, would permit specific games of chance to be conducted by certain qualified organizations including, but not limited to, charitable, educational, religious, and civic organizations within Wyckoff upon the issuance of a license by the township. An adequate number of registered voters had endorsed the proposal to put the question on this year’s ballot some months ago. Wyckoff has banned games of chance for many decades, but township committee members believe that changing demographics might be reflected in a change of opinion about raffles. The Wyckoff Township Committee election will pit Wyckoff teacher and environmental activist Eileen Avia, a Democrat, against incumbent Republican Kevin Rooney and his running mate Haakon Jepsen. Avia, who has been a teacher at the Eisenhower Middle School for 23 years, has a degree in elementary education from Jacksonville University in Florida and a master’s degree in special education from William Paterson University. She also taught in Franklin Lakes for six years before coming to Wyckoff. Avia has been past president and is now secretary of Partners in Pride, the volunteer group that battles litter and trash hand to hand. She is also a member of Friends of Wyckoff, which encourages open space acquisition and preservation, and of the Wyckoff Garden Club. She has been a recipient of a Bergen County Utilities Authority Environmental Grant and a Bergen County Clean Communities Grant for projects she has helped to organize. Avia was a member of the Wyckoff Ambulance Corps, is a leader of Cub Scout Pack 198, and was co-president of the Wyckoff Economy Shop. She is active in adoption programs for cats and dogs in need of homes, and has worked at drives to benefit local food pantries. She has been active in St. Elizabeth’s Church and has two grown sons. Jepsen, a newcomer, is currently the first alternate member of the Wyckoff Board of Adjustment. He is a senior analyst for Deutsche Bank’s global technology engineering division. Jepsen holds a BA from Towson University and a master of fine arts degree from The Catholic University of America. He studies Tae Kwon Do. He is co-director of the 20th Annual Men’s Cornerstone Program at St. Elizabeth’s Church, where he is a parishioner. (continued on page 27)