Page 2 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • May 2, 2012 Villadom Happenings RBARI to honor Cheryl Welch The Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc. will hold its 2012 Golf Outing in celebration of the life of Dr. Cheryl Welch on Monday, May 14. The event will be held at the High Mountain Golf Club located at 845 Ewing Avenue in Franklin Lakes. The fee to participate is $720 for a foursome, and $185 for a single golfer. The outing will include continental breakfast, cart, practice ball, a round of golf, contests throughout the day, barbecue at the turn, and lunch at the end of the round. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m. To register, visit rbari.org/golf, call (201) 337-5180 or e-mail to golf@rbari. Space is limited. Gardening series begins Jacobsen Landscape Design and Construction is offering a series of free presentations on spring gardening at its Design Center and Display Gardens at 413 Godwin Avenue in Midland Park. The series will include brief presentations followed by question and answer sessions. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the talks will begin at 7 p.m. Call (201) 891-1199 for more information or visit www.jacobsenlandscape.com. On May 10, landscape designer and garden care specialist Carmia Schepmoes will present “Seasonal Color in the Garden.” Future programs will include: “Lighting Design for the Garden,” May 24; “Feng Shui in Your Garden,” June 7; and “Designing a Deer Resistant Landscape,” June 21. Seniors invited to ‘meet’ Teddy Roosevelt Local seniors are invited to join historical impressionist Peter Small on Friday, May 4 at 10 a.m. in the Chapel at the Holland Christian Home in North Haledon. Small will present his impression of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Roosevelt was a noted politician, historian, outdoorsman, and naturalist. He founded the legendary Rough Rider cavalry in the Spanish-American War, and served as governor of New York and vice president before becoming president following the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. Beyond public service, Roosevelt is known today for his namesake teddy bears. Refreshments will be served and attendees will have an opportunity to win a gift basket and take a tour the facility. For more information, call (973) 427-4087 or visit www. hollandchristianhome.org. Business & Food Expo set The Mahwah, Meadowlands, and the Hackensack Regional chambers of commerce will host Connections: Business & Food Expo 2012, on Wednesday, May 23 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, 355 Plaza Drive in Secaucus. The expo will feature exhibits from companies involved in food services, hospitality, technology, financial services, wellness, and many other industries. Area companies may purchase booths to promote their businesses. Participants will meet some of the area’s business leaders, experience their products, and share ideas and business referrals. Companies who are members of the Mahwah Chamber will receive a free admission ticket when they register online. The cost for non-members is $25. Booth space and sponsorship opportunities are also available. For reservations and more information, visit mahwah. com or call (201) 529-5566. Legion seeks volunteers American Legion Post 53 of Ridgewood is seeking volunteers to help place American flags at the graves of veterans on Saturday, May 19. The group will mark 900 graves. Participants will meet at 9 a.m. at Valleau Cemetery in Ridgewood. For more information call, Gerry Maksymowicz at (201) 445-5742. Seniors travel to Atlantic City The Northwest Bergen Senior Activity Center in Midland Park will host a trip to Caesar’s Casino in Atlantic City on Wednesday, May 30. The cost of the trip is $25 per person and includes a casino bonus of $25 for slot play. Participants must have valid government-issued photo identification to receive the casino bonus. The group will leave from Graydon Pool in Ridgewood at 8 a.m. and return at approximately 7 p.m. To register, visit the senior center or mail a check for $25 to: NW Seniors, 46-50 Center Street, Midland Park, NJ 07432. Please include a phone number on the check. Call (201) 445-5690 for further information. The Northwest Bergen Regional Senior Center is open to all Bergen County area senior citizens age 60+. A wide variety of activities, services, and a hot lunch program are offered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CMI needs volunteers Community Meals, Inc. is seeking volunteers to deliver meals between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. (continued on page 28) Bergen County Superior Court Judge Alexander Carver III has temporarily blocked the recent firing of seven Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority commissioners. In April, Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan fired the commissioners for continuing to accept their medical benefits and their annual stipends of $5,000 per commissioner. Last week, Judge Carver did not act to change Donovan’s veto of the commissioners’ stipends, but did order that their health benefits remain untouched until the lawsuits between Donovan and the NBCUA have been resolved. Carver found that the commissioners could face potential harm through the sudden suspension of health benefits. The county counsel’s office filed a lawsuit to recover the compensation paid to the seven commissioners since November 2011. The commissioners are charged with accepting the stipends and health benefits despite Donovan’s vetoes, which were upheld by the New Jersey Divi- Firing of commissioners now on hold sion of Local Government Services. The NBCUA’s suit challenges Donovan’s vetoes and her right to fire the authority’s commissioners. Before Judge Carver’s action, the Bergen County Board of Freeholders voted unanimously to halt any future pay and benefits to Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority commissioners, thereby rescinding a 1979 ordinance. The seven commissioners who received dismissal letters from Donovan include Chairman William F. Dator of Mahwah, Vice Chairman Michael Kasparian of Ho-HoKus, and Commissioners Brian Chewcaskie of Allendale, Peter Dachnowicz of Waldwick, Frank Kelaher of Ramsey, Marion Plumley of Midland Park, and Jason T. Shafron of Wyckoff. Newly-appointed Commissioners Elizabeth Salazer of Saddle River and Kenneth Gabbert of Upper Saddle River, who had not taken stipends or received health benefits, did not receive the dismissal letter.