August 28, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Wyckoff Township transfers $20,000 for Russell Farms by John Koster The Wyckoff Township Committee voted last week to transfer $20,000 earmarked for work on Wyckoff Com- munity Park to the start-up money for work on Russell Farms, the new park in the township’s Sicomac section. The money will be used to fund a walking path around the inside perimeter of the Russell Farms park at Sicomac Avenue and Russell Avenue, activation of the on-site well, purchase and installation of a fence, the purchase and planting of trees, asphalt improvements at the entrance of the park, and the purchase of a sign. The vote was unani- mous and there were no negative comments from the public. “This money will allow us to get this park open so that the residents of Wyckoff can enjoy it. . .turn it a little bit back to nature as opposed to a blank canvas,” Deputy Mayor Kevin Rooney at last week’s public meeting. “This grant and the municipal match will help us get started this fall so the park may be used more rapidly rather than just letting it sit,” said Brian Scanlan. “I think it’s a good idea to get going on it.” A formal dedication ceremony for the park is antici- pated next year at a date to be announced. Russell Farms was originally a fruit orchard and a farm stand. The four-acre lot was purchased by a developer, but Wyckoff officials turned down plans for condominiums on the site, and plans for single-family houses evaporated due to the lagging housing market. (continued on page 23) Committee omits jail time for sprinkler violations Wyckoff residents who let their lawn sprinklers vio- late watering restrictions may have to pay $50 fines, but unlike Glen Rock and Midland Park and Ridgewood resi- dents, they will not be facing a highly unlikely 90 days in jail or water service shut-off based on last week’s adopted version of the watering ordinance promulgated by the Ridgewood Water Company. The Wyckoff Township Committee voted last week to adopt the edited version of the Ridgewood ordinance which subjects watering violators to a fine of $50 pay- able to the Wyckoff Violation Bureau but deleted “not to exceed $500 or imprisonment for a term of not to exceed 90 days, or both.” The Wyckoff version also cut the wording that empow- ered the Ridgewood Water Company, which serves Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Midland Park, and Glen Rock, to cut off the supply of water to the premises of violators -- unlikely in any case due to safety and sanitary consid- erations. Glen Rock and Midland Park retained the original (continued on page 17)