July 25, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 7 Waldwick White’s Pond in Waldwick is getting cleaned up again to keep algae growth and debris accumulation in check. The borough council approved the renewed measures at its last meeting. “We want to catch it before it becomes a significant problem,” said Borough Administrator Gary Kratz. “Dredging is not going to happen overnight if at all,” he added. Kratz said that the 7.8-acre pond at the heart of Borough Park was sprayed with fast-acting herbicide last week to control submerged weed growth. The chemicals used are not toxic to fish, specifically trout, and require no water restrictions. Products are EPA-registered, and applications are conducted by NJDEP licensed aquatic pesticide applicators and operators. The amphibious debris harvester /collector will be back again in the fall to remove weeds, floating tree limbs and other debris and accumulated leaf litter from the lake and dump it at the lake’s edge. The machine does not dredge the lake, but rather rakes up plant debris and litter to increase the depth of the water along the shoreline. DPW personnel then remove the collected material to a transfer station in Jersey City. The work, which last year cost $9,400 in all, is being funded from the borough’s Open Space Trust Fund. Kratz said last fall up to 60 yards of material were collected before the project was abandoned at the urging of the Friends of White’s Pond, who insisted dredging was the answer and debris harvesting was a wasted effort. Pond gets algaecide treatment, weed harvesting The Friends of White’s Pond was founded in June 2011 as a watchdog group of concerned citizens after residents living near the pond became alarmed by its increasingly deteriorated status. The residents contend that the pond is becoming more and more shallow, as more sediment continues to build up. “We haven’t progressed, and the issues continue, with trees and limbs providing damming for sediment,” said Kratz. The administrator said that the Friends of White’s Pond committee is expected to meet with the mayor and council in the near future to propose an alternate dredging plan at a much reduced costs than previous estimates. Kratz said, however, that neither debris harvesting nor dredging is a permanent solution. “It will be a never ending saga,” he added. Removal of the organic matter is not the same as dredging. Since there is no digging and no appreciable amount of sediment is removed, the lake’s bottom is not affected; therefore, no permits are required from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. Additional stop signs at the intersection of Hopper Avenue and West Prospect Street in Waldwick were installed last week, making the busy intersection a fourway stop. The change was approved by the borough council earlier this month in an effort to reduce crashes and improve safety. The Waldwick Police Department last week issued a notice urging motorists to use caution and obey the signs and reminding them of the rules regarding right of way at intersections, which follow: “The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right of way to a vehicle which has entered the intersection. When two vehicles enter an intersection Police issue 4-way stop reminder at the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right of way to the driver of the vehicle on the right. “The driver of a vehicle within an intersection intending to turn to the left shall yield to a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard, but the driver having so yielded, and having given a signal when and as required by law, may make the left turn; and other vehicles approaching the intersection from the opposite direction shall yield to the driver making the left turn.”