Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • October 3, 2012 Glen Rock Teachers, trustees have new three-year agreement by John Koster The Glen Rock Board of Education and the Glen Rock Education Association have come to an agreement on a three-year contract. Glen Rock Board of Education President Rona McNabola said the pact reflects cooperation and realism on both sides. “Both sides came to the table with an understanding that this is not 20 years ago,” McNabola said last week. McNabola said that both sides understood that, while the present economy is said to be improving, this may not yet be apparent on the local level, and both sides acknowledged this. The teachers agreed to a 1.9 percent increase for 201213, a 2.9 percent increase for 2013-14, and 2.3 percent increase for 2014-15. “Right now it’s below the majority of contracts that have been settled around the state,” McNabola said. “I feel in the negotiation process that there was much understanding and much cooperation between the two sides.” McNabola, a long-term school board veteran, said she felt the negotiation this time around was the calmest and least adversarial she had ever experienced. “There was no posturing on either side,” McNabola said. “I was very happy with the way it was conducted.” The new contract, which covers more than 300 school staff members, requires everyone covered by the con- tract to contribute to his or her own health plan under state regulations, which mandate that least 1.5 percent of the staffer member’s base salary be contributed to the person’s own insurance policy. Glen Rock Education Association representative Anne Camp said that the agreement represented a collective understanding of today’s challenging economic times and a mutual commitment to excellence in education. Meetings had begun in January and the tentative agreement was reached in July, with ratification on Sept. 20 and the board’s 8-0 vote last week. The Glen Rock Borough Council has honored Bill Koenecke, who is retiring after 37 years of service to the Glen Rock Shade Tree Advisory Commission. “The mayor and council of the Borough of Glen Rock declare that, for the time period 12:01 a.m. to 12:05 a.m. on Sept. 25, 1012, the Borough of Glen Rock will be renamed Billkoeneckeville, NJ 07452,” Mayor John van Keuren said in his whimsical tribute to Koenecke’s long service. Mayor van Keuren recalled that Koenecke had joined Koenecke honored for 37 years of service the Glen Rock Shade Tree Advisory Committee as a charter member in 1975 and had served as the chairman for the group, always with distinction. “The skill, compassion, and stability that you have provided to the residents of Glen Rock by your substantial contributions have been greatly appreciated by everyone,” the mayor added. “Our residents place high value on your long-term dedication...because, in a fundamental way, you have made Glen Rock a better town.” J. KOSTER Glen Rock citizens are invited to take a Historic Glen Rock Trolley Tour on Sunday, Oct. 7. Sponsored by The Glen Rock Historical and Preservation Society, the tours are being given in honor of the Glen Rock Public Library’s 90th Anniversary and the Friends of the library’s 30th Anniversary. Gunnar Berg will conduct the six one-hour tours of the borough’s historical highlights. Tours will begin at 10 a.m. The trolley will pick up and Historic Glen Rock Trolley Tour set for October drop off at the Rock Road entrance of the library. Trolley riders may park in the borough hall parking lot. Participants are asked not to use the library lot after 1 p.m. The last tour will be at 4 p.m. Tickets are $5; children age 14 years and under will be admitted free of charge. To purchase tickets, visit the library at 315 Rock Road or Mail n’ More at 233 Rock Road. The day of the event, tickets will be available at the library.