Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • September 19, 2012 cultural activities. There is an additional reason not to set a plaque on The View. At this site, 11 years ago, a number of people -- some reportedly with friends or relatives in the Twin Towers - watched the World Trade Center collapse. Can there be any site in Ridgewood more likely to turn depression into desperation? Ridgewood Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli had a concept that works: Plant a tree in Campanello’s memory. Taking that one step beyond, perhaps every person who wishes to honor Campanello should plant a tree in his memory -- on public property with public permission, or on their own properties if they want to act immediately. The time for tree-planting -- when the leaves fall spontaneously -- is now drawing near. This idea is not just sentimental, but especially appropriate. This young man died as a result of an asthma attack. While I do not have the specific details, asthma and other respiratory diseases can be aggravated by poor air quality. Dr. Jill Stein, MD, a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, said she went “green” because of the drastic increase in infant mortality since she started practicing medicine in the 1970s. Dr. Stein has pointed out while running for president on the Green Party ticket that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have done much to control atmospheric pollution. Both major parties are in hock to Wall Street moneymen who make some of their best money from industries that pollute, and little if any from industries that promote “green” energy. Since Dr. Stein’s onslaught is bipartisan, I would call it objective, even though my own integrity compels to point out that Richard Nixon was the president who signed the Clean Air Act, while Ronald Reagan said the White House did not need solar panels. Both political parties seem to support fracking. I think that the Clean Air Act may have delayed the impending environmental catastrophe, but considering both major candidates running today, we are far from out of trouble. Senator Bernard Sanders from Maine shared some of the concerns. He said something has to be done about corporate pollution, but nothing will be, regardless of who is elected, unless the people take environmental responsibilities upon themselves. He pointed out that a number of small communities in Maine have already done so. Others in Bergen County have also taken action. Planting trees is one of the best ways to combat air pollution, global warming, and minimize the chronic autumn flooding of Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. This is a citizen-based effort if ever there was one. Ridgewood is said to be down to one full-time tree man, and he is the person who removes the dead and dying trees, not the person who replaces them. Yet the trees must be replaced judiciously. For example, towering oaks with limited root bases should not be planted near power lines. The towns obviously do not have the person-power to handle the whole job. They most certainly do not have the person-power to uproot the allergenic ragweed that is once again sprouting along various local and county rights of way, so planting saplings would obviously be too much to ask. Here is a tentative plan with absolutely no legislative power behind it. People close to Campanello’s family should find out if he had any particular favorite type of tree. Every time a spot opens that is not beneath a power line, they should plant a tree of that type, with or without a plaque. A living greener greater Ridgewood area, without reference to any particular party, would be a better and safer memorial to a fine young man. The other night, the friends of Nick Campanello spoke before the Ridgewood Village Council urging that a plaque be set in the stone wall at “The View,” that overlooks a large part of Ridgewood and the distant New York skyline. These people presented their concept with dignity and decorum. The sentiment was noble. The behavior was immensely touching and responsible. It’s the proposed location if the memorial plaque that is a cause for concern. Campanello aroused admiration in a large number of the people who knew him for his generous spirit, warmth, humor, and what was undoubtedly real courage in dealing with the asthma that claimed his life at 16. He was the sort of young man who should be remembered with respect and affection. However much he may have loved the vantage point at “The View,” this seems to be the worst place for a memorial to a premature death as it could inspire tragic emulation. The previous sad teen death that put Ridgewood on the map around the nation took place through a leap on a tragic impulse from another high place, specifically the George Washington Bridge. For the benefit of those youngsters who might make the same decision, we should not offer opportunities for responses by mourners to go beyond tears in expressing their sorrow. I once listened to a speaker talk about suicide and I can tell you she did not have the slightest idea what she was talking about. My niece by marriage has two degrees in psychology and has conducted professional suicide counseling, and I knew a number of people who flew that final mission under their own power. Where my niece, my wife, and my math tutor come from, killing yourself because the college exams did not go well is almost routine. Unhappy love affairs are also cited in farewell notes. Suicide by extreme courage in battle or political assassination is extolled. Westerners may comfort ourselves but most people do not kill themselves because of genetics. They kill themselves when social pressure -- sometimes self-induced, sometimes political -- convinces them their lives are worthless or an embarrassment. Voluntary death in the destruction of tyranny is a form of suicide -- and an act of great nobility where the assassination target is genuinely evil. John Wilkes Booth gave assassination a bad name in America because he killed a good president. Killing Stalin a century later would have made the doomed assassin a Russian hero. Some kids who commit suicide do it because of intense personal grief or because they set their sights impossibly high and should have been told to be more realistic. Some others do it because their friends did it. “Cults” that form to assuage personal grief or guilt in the aftermath do not help other kids avoid the same tragic decision. Campanello, however, did not plan his death. He was a brave young man with a health problem who tried to live the most normal and helpful life possible. He did a great job with the time he had, and a lot of people obviously loved and admired him. He sounds like the sort of person who would have preferred to be remembered through social and An idea for a greener, safer monument to a fine young man Wyckoff Wanderings Freeholder to address Chamber Bergen County Freeholder Robert Hermansen will discuss issues facing Bergen County at the Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce’s Sept. 20 meeting. The 8 a.m. session will be held at Wyckoff YMCA Lake House at 691 Wyckoff Avenue. A light breakfast will be served. RSVP to wyckoffchamber@gmail.com. Garbage & recycling schedule to change Wyckoff will make changes in the local recycling program and the garbage collection schedule as autumn leads to winter and pickups can be reduced without sanitary problems. The curbside pickup of grass will end on Friday, Sept. 28, and will not resume until May 1, 2013. Residents may either bring grass clippings to the recycling center on West Main Street or use the “cut it and leave it” program to mulch their lawns with their own grass clippings. On Oct. 1, Wyckoff will return to once-a-week garbage collections. That schedule will also remain in force until May 1, 2013. A maximum of eight items may be left on the curb at any one weekly pickup at each household. Large, oversized landscaping barrels are not permitted. The every other week single stream recycling program will continue. Garbage and recyclables must be placed at the curb prior to 6 a.m. on the collection date, but not before 6 p.m. the night before. Empty containers must be removed by 7 p.m. on the collection day. Oversized materials and construction debris will not be accepted either as garbage or as recyclable materials, and should be disposed of by private arrangement. Curbside leaf collection will begin on Monday, Oct. 15. Gems hold Garage Sale The GEMS Girls Club of Cedar Hill Church will host a community garage sale on Saturday, Oct. 6. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church located at 422 Cedar Hill Avenue. The sale will feature children’s clothing, toys, furniture, costumes, home décor, and more. Proceeds will benefit the club’s activities. Library offers programs for teens This October, the Wyckoff Public Library will be offering a variety of programs for teens. On Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 5 to 6 p.m., Wyckoff residents who are age 12 and up are invited to attend a book discussion of “Steampunk Poe” by Edgar Allan Poe. The program will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. Copies of the book will be available to the first 25 teens who register. The discussion will be held in the Monroe Room. In celebration of Teen Read Week, Edgar Allan Poe, and the end of summer, Wyckoff residents who are 12 through 18 are invited to a party set for Oct. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. Costumes are strongly recommended, but not required. RSVP is required; call the library. A writers’ group for residents who are ages 12 through 18, will meet on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Monroe Room. Participants are asked to bring a recent writing sample. Contact Barbara at (201) 891-4866 for details. Blood Drive set The Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff will hold a Community Blood Drive on Wednesday, Sept. 19. Community Blood Services’ bloodmobile will be in the Commons parking lot from from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All types of blood are needed especially types O- and O+. Any healthy individual age 17 through 75 and weighing at least 110 pounds can donate blood. Donors should eat a moderate meal before donating and must bring identification showing signature. All donors receive a complimentary cholesterol screening with every blood donation. To schedule an appointment, call Barbara Lucia, RN, BSN, at (201) 848-5872. Register for travel basketball and baseball The Wyckoff Recreation and Parks Department has announced its upcoming registrations for the select travel basketball and travel baseball teams. Only those players who register by the Sept. 21 deadline will be contacted with tryout dates. Registration will take place in the recreation department office at Scott Plaza, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is open to Wyckoff residents only. Wyckoff boys and girls in grades three through eight are invited to try out for the traveling basketball teams. Tryouts will be scheduled for late October through mid-November. Boys ages eight through 14 (as of April 30, 2013) may sign up for the recreation department’s 2013 select traveling 8U through 14U baseball teams. Tryouts for the 9U through 14U teams will be held in October. Tryouts for 8U will take place in March 2013. For more information, call (201) 891-3350.