Ridgewood August 22, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 5 Visitors conclude village tour, head to Washington by John Koster Ridgewood Councilman Thomas Riche and Village Manager Ken Gabbert hosted the students visiting from Haiti last week. The group is visiting under the auspices of a U.S. State Department-sponsored program coordinated through the Ridgewood YMCA with support from the YMCA’s World Service Program. The group also toured the Ridgewood Police Department headquarters. The 20 Haitian students and their two tour directors learned something about how Ridgewood government operates, and Ridgewood’s Riche and Manager Gabbert learned just how bright the YMCA-sponsored Haitian youngsters are. The students were puzzled that anyone would consider Ridgewood a “village” when, to them, Ridgewood seemed like a small, affluent, clean, and friendly city with a lot of trees. Riche, seconded by Gabbert, explained that every community in New Jersey once had to vote on what form of government the people wanted. Some chose to be boroughs like Glen Rock and Allendale, some chosen to be townships like Wyckoff and Mahwah, and Ridgewood and a handful of others chose to be villages, which meant they opted for a five-member council with a rotating mayor’s seat and a full-time manager. One student asked about the other New Jersey municipalities that have chosen to be villages. In addition to Ridgewood, New Jersey’s other villages include Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park, and South Orange. “What qualities did you have that made the other people chose you?” one of the girl students asked Riche of his own election. Riche said modestly that before his last election, some Above: Ken Gabbert (left) and Tom Riche (center) with the Haitian students, tour guides, and host family members at the council chambers. Left: Riche gives a key to Ridgewood to Bellevue Pierre Cosney. people wanted to turn Graydon Pool into a “water park” and he and his council running mates wanted to keep it a scenic lake with swimmers. The Haitians concurred that the people made a good decision when they elected Riche to the council and saved Graydon as a lake. Councilman Riche explained the officially non-partisan election, which the Haitians found democratic and egalitarian. (continued on page 13)