Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • May 16, 2012
Glen Rock
Central Avenue parking regulation approved
by John Koster The Glen Rock Borough Council last week adopted the revised ordinance to prevent commuters from turning Central Avenue into a commuter parking lot so they can park free when they take the bus to New York City. The ordinance limits parking on the west side of Central Avenue from Rock Road to a point 50 feet short of Park View Place to four hours Monday through Friday. This restriction will allow people who are visiting All Saints Episcopal Church or friends to park near the church or their friends’ homes, but will prevent commuters from leaving their cars on Central Avenue for 10 to 12 hours a day. Neighbors had expressed concern -- not with the concept, but with the wording of the ordinance. As a result, the Glen Rock Borough Council initially withdrew the ordinance, revised it, explained the changes to the neighbors, and then re-introduced it. Mayor John van Keuren noted the neighbors’ desire to take part in government activities with respect and approbation. The ordinance was adopted without comment. At the same meeting, the Glen Rock Council granted official borough recognition to the Rock Raiders, a recreational baseball team, so the pre-teen players may use borough sports fields for a period of one year. Meanwhile, the Ridgewood Village Council simultaneously approved by resolution the shared services agreement that allows Glen Rock and Ridgewood to use the same tub grinder and to share the cost of operation and maintenance of the equipment on a two-to-one cost as needed, with Ridgewood, which has roughly twice the population of Glen Rock, picking up two-thirds of the cost and Glen Rock paying for the remaining one-
third. The tub grinder is used to grind tree trunks and large limbs into chips with can then be redistributed as mulch for local gardeners or for municipal use. This particular shared service agreement is often highlighted as an example of how municipalities can share the cost of equipment not needed on an emergency basis rather than each purchasing an expensive piece of large equipment that is not in constant use.
French becomes brigadier general
Kristin Knapp French was promoted to brigadier general on Sunday, May 6, 2012 in Kandahar, Afghanistan by Major General (Promotable) Patricia McQuistion, commander of the Army Sustainment Command. French, who grew up in Glen Rock, is the first female general to have a command in Afghanistan. Pictured: MG Patricia McQuistion and BG Kristin Knapp French.