Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • September 19, 2012 View. At this site, 11 years ago, a number of people -- some reportedly with friends or relatives in the Twin Towers -watched the World Trade Center collapse. Can there be any site in Ridgewood more likely to turn depression into desperation? Ridgewood Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli had a concept that works: Plant a tree in Campanello’s memory. Taking that one step beyond, perhaps every person who wishes to honor Campanello should plant a tree in his memory -- on public property with public permission, or on their own properties if they want to act immediately. The time for treeplanting -- when the leaves fall spontaneously -- is now drawing near. This idea is not just sentimental, but especially appropriate. This young man died as a result of an asthma attack. While I do not have the specific details, asthma and other respiratory diseases can be aggravated by poor air quality. Dr. Jill Stein, MD, a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, said she went “green” because of the drastic increase in infant mortality since she started practicing medicine in the 1970s. Dr. Stein has pointed out while running for president on the Green Party ticket that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have done much to control atmospheric pollution. Both major parties are in hock to Wall Street moneymen who make some of their best money from industries that pollute, and little if any from industries that promote “green” energy. Since Dr. Stein’s onslaught is bipartisan, I would call it objective, even though my own integrity compels to point out that Richard Nixon was the president who signed the Clean Air Act, while Ronald Reagan said the White House did not need solar panels. Both political parties seem to support fracking. I think that the Clean Air Act may have delayed the impending environmental catastrophe, but considering both major candidates running today, we are far from out of trouble. Senator Bernard Sanders from Maine shared some of the concerns. He said something has to be done about corporate pollution, but nothing will be, regardless of who is elected, unless the people take environmental responsibilities upon themselves. He pointed out that a number of small communities in Maine have already done so. Others in Bergen County have also taken action. Planting trees is one of the best ways to combat air pollution, global warming, and minimize the chronic autumn flooding of Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. This is a citizen-based effort if ever there was one. Ridgewood is said to be down to one full-time tree man, and he is the person who removes the dead and dying trees, not the person who replaces them. Yet the trees must be replaced judiciously. For example, towering oaks with limited root bases should not be planted near power lines. The towns obviously do not have the person-power to handle the whole job. They most certainly do not have the person-power to uproot the allergenic ragweed that is once again sprouting along various local and county rights of way, so planting saplings would obviously be too much to ask. Here is a tentative plan with absolutely no legislative power behind it. People close to Campanello’s family should find out if he had any particular favorite type of tree. Every time a spot opens that is not beneath a power line, they should plant a tree of that type, with or without a plaque. A living greener greater Ridgewood area, without reference to any particular party, would be a better and safer memorial to a fine young man. The other night, the friends of Nick Campanello spoke before the Ridgewood Village Council urging that a plaque be set in the stone wall at “The View,” that overlooks a large part of Ridgewood and the distant New York skyline. These people presented their concept with dignity and decorum. The sentiment was noble. The behavior was immensely touching and responsible. It’s the proposed location if the memorial plaque that is a cause for concern. Campanello aroused admiration in a large number of the people who knew him for his generous spirit, warmth, humor, and what was undoubtedly real courage in dealing with the asthma that claimed his life at 16. He was the sort of young man who should be remembered with respect and affection. However much he may have loved the vantage point at “The View,” this seems to be the worst place for a memorial to a premature death as it could inspire tragic emulation. The previous sad teen death that put Ridgewood on the map around the nation took place through a leap on a tragic impulse from another high place, specifically the George Washington Bridge. For the benefit of those youngsters who might make the same decision, we should not offer opportunities for responses by mourners to go beyond tears in expressing their sorrow. I once listened to a speaker talk about suicide and I can tell you she did not have the slightest idea what she was talking about. My niece by marriage has two degrees in psychology and has conducted professional suicide counseling, and I knew a number of people who flew that final mission under their own power. Where my niece, my wife, and my math tutor come from, killing yourself because the college exams did not go well is almost routine. Unhappy love affairs are also cited in farewell notes. Suicide by extreme courage in battle or political assassination is extolled. Westerners may comfort ourselves but most people do not kill themselves because of genetics. They kill themselves when social pressure -- sometimes self-induced, sometimes political -- convinces them their lives are worthless or an embarrassment. Voluntary death in the destruction of tyranny is a form of suicide -- and an act of great nobility where the assassination target is genuinely evil. John Wilkes Booth gave assassination a bad name in America because he killed a good president. Killing Stalin a century later would have made the doomed assassin a Russian hero. Some kids who commit suicide do it because of intense personal grief or because they set their sights impossibly high and should have been told to be more realistic. Some others do it because their friends did it. “Cults” that form to assuage personal grief or guilt in the aftermath do not help other kids avoid the same tragic decision. Campanello, however, did not plan his death. He was a brave young man with a health problem who tried to live the most normal and helpful life possible. He did a great job with the time he had, and a lot of people obviously loved and admired him. He sounds like the sort of person who would have preferred to be remembered through social and cultural activities. There is an additional reason not to set a plaque on The An idea for a greener, safer monument to a fine young man Mahwah Master Plan (continued from page 8) designated as such in the township. In addition, Burgis advised that the master plan contains a recommendation for a township-wide shuttle system, a redesign of the Route 17 and Route I-287 interchange, the participation in the safe streets to school program, and the development of a pedestrian trail system in the township. According to Burgis, a master plan is a compilation of one or more written or graph proposals for the future development of a municipality. The document is developed and adopted by the planning board as a guide for future development and is used by the governing body to create and adopt zoning ordinances. Burgis pointed out that zoning ordinances must be reviewed by the planning board to ensure they are consistent with the master plan. Burgis explained that, while the master plan is a guide for the township, it has some legal weight because applicants seeking variances to the township’s zoning ordinance must show that their requested variance does not create a substantial impairment of the intent of the master plan. David Roberts of the Maser Consulting firm, the township’s current professional planner, also pointed out that a zoning board’s denial of a variance has a presumption of validity in court if it is based on the impairment of an updated master plan. The master plan, which is available online at www. mahwahtwp.org, contains an environmental inventory with information about the township’s natural resources including streams, flood plains, waterways, wetlands, soil characteristics, threatened species habitats, and the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act. Another section describes the land areas occupied by municipal facilities such as the municipal building, the police department, fire department, ambulance services, department of public works, schools, the library, parks, and recreation areas and open space. There are 15 general goals and objectives in the master plan and they include: providing adequate light, air, and open space; promoting the establishment of appropriate population densities and concentrations; the preservation of the environment; and the promotion of the free flow of traffic and a desirable visual environment. The general goals also include the conservation of historic sites, the encouragement of senior citizen community housing construction, the utilization of renewable energy sources, and the promotion of the maximum practicable recovery and recycling of recyclable materials. Several residents spoke to the board about various aspects of the master plan and expressed their agreement with the recommendation to restrict big box stores in the township, the office park zoning of the Crossroads property, and their interest in developing a safe bicycle path. Planning Board Chairman Todd Sherer carried the hearing to the Oct. 15 board meeting to provide more time for the public to ask questions and add comments before the board votes to adopt the master plan. it is vague and could have unintended consequences, especially on small business owners trying to get their businesses started. All the voting members of the planning board, however, agreed that the ordinance complies with the township’s master plan. Since then, the council has delayed any action on the ordinance as they debated the wisdom of prohibiting all temporary signs on public property and in public rights of way in order to prohibit political signs at election times. Fede has advised the council that it cannot single out political signs for prohibition, but could control the size of the signs as long as the size and distance limit on the signs would allow them to be read from a reasonable distance. He also advised that, based on previous case law, the council could limit the time signs are posted as long as that limit applies to all signs at all times of the year. He said placing time limits on the posting of signs before and after an election would pose a constitutional problem. Some council members have also voiced concern about the enforcement difficulties the ordinance would place on township officials. Sign ordinance (continued from page 8) ordinance, the council voted to table any action until Sept. 20, when all members of the council are expected to be present. The new ordinance was introduced in June by a 4-2 vote of the council. Councilman John Roth and Councilwoman Lisa DiGiulio cast the dissenting votes. Roth voted against the introduction because he said the ordinance was not clear and contained too many ambiguities. DiGiulio voted against it because the ordinance would prohibit residents and taxpayers as well as candidates from posting temporary signs on public property and in the public rights of way. The majority of the planning board’s membership subsequently approved of the intention of the ordinance, although alternate member Ellen Stein voiced her objection to it. Stein said that, while the ordinance is well intentioned,