May 16, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 Ho-Ho-Kus Toddler playground area eyed for borough by Jennifer Crusco Ho-Ho-Kus Councilwoman Maryellen Lennon recently approached her peers on the governing body with a request to look at the possibility of bringing a playground for toddlers into the borough. “We can talk about it,” Mayor Thomas Randall told Lennon, noting that the same request had been investigated approximately 15 years ago, without success. Lennon noted that some borough residents had expressed an interest in supporting a play area that would be designated for toddlers. Randall responded that he welcomed the residents’ thoughts about this issue. “We’ll brainstorm,” Lennon told the mayor. Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Administrator Don Cirulli recently reported that some preliminary research is being done in regard to the proposal. “Finding an appropriate space with parking is the first hurdle,” Cirulli noted. The administrator added that the borough is looking into the issues of appropriate construction for a toddler play area and is researching liability issues. Ho-Ho-Kus has a handful of parks, including East Park on Hollywood Avenue, Memorial Park on East Franklin Turnpike, the Ho-Ho-Kus Town Green near the Ho-HoKus Inn, a small parcel across from the Ho-Ho-Kus Post Office, and the 16 Acres, which is a combination of woodlands and wetlands. “There is not much available space,” Councilwoman Lennon told Villadom TIMES, “and a lot of logistical issues have to be addressed, such as an appropriate location, safety, and liability. We are in the very preliminary stages.” Lennon explained that the concept of the toddler play area was raised by several mothers from Ho-Ho-Kus. She encountered the women when she took her grandson to a toddler playground near the Ridgewood Library. When she met the other Ho-Ho-Kus parents who had brought their own children to Ridgewood, the women said it would be nice to have a similar facility in Ho-Ho-Kus. “I promised to look into it and consider the feasibility,” Lennon said, acknowledging that the inquiry was a casual one. Asked about the features of a toddler play area, Lennon explained that the playground would be geared toward children under the age of five. She said the equipment for toddlers would be scaled down from that used by grammar school children. For example, she said the climbing areas would be lower, the steps would be smaller, and the slide would be less steep and not as long. The councilwoman said the questions at this point include whether the project is do-able, including whether the borough has the space and available parking. “It would be nice if it happens,” she added. The Ho-Ho-Kus Garden Club will hold its Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 19. The sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ho-Ho-Kus Town Green at Sycamore Avenue and Franklin Turnpike. A large variety of plants Garden Club hosts Annual Plant Sale from members’ gardens, annuals, and perennials will be sold. The event will also include a Bake Sale. This fundraiser supports the club’s horticultural scholarships. For more information, call (201) 447-5331.