January 23, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Wyckoff Assistant chief appointed after protocol debate by John Koster The appointment of Tim Brock as assistant chief of the Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department was narrowly approved by the township committee. There was no question of Brock’s credentials or character; the issue was one of protocol. Brock was appointed with two votes in favor, two abstentions, and one township committeeman, Brian Scanlan, absent from the meeting. Wyckoff Township Attorney Robert Landel confirmed that Brock had been legally appointed. Township Committeeman Douglas Christie, a longterm veteran of the Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department, abstained because he is an active department member. Christie believed this precluded him from voting. “I don’t think the township committee should be appointing officers,” said Township Committeeman Kevin Rooney, who also abstained from voting. “I think they would better be appointed by the fire department.” Firefighter Brock had been interviewed in closed session and none of the township committee members doubted his credentials. Mayor Rudy Boonstra noted that Brock is a highly qualified, 21-year veteran of the fire department and a former deputy chief of Fire Company # 1. Boonstra, now retired from the fie department after four decades of service, voted to appoint Brock after receiving a simple clearance with a nod from Landel, who indicated that the appointment with only two votes was legal. There were no negative votes. Brock’s appointment became necessary due to a chain of events triggered when Mike Rose, the former fire chief, bought a house outside the area. Rose, praised for his past leadership and his role in updating the department’s electronics on his own time, will remain active with the fire department, but not as a chief or battalion officer. The Wyckoff Township Committee appointed Lou Graglia as the 2013 department chief, and the new department leader took his oath on Jan. 1. Since Graglia had been slated to serve as deputy chief, a spot he had to vacate, a new deputy chief had to be appointed. Wyckoff Boy Scout Troop 77 invites boys in first and second year Webelos to an Open House. The troop will entertain prospective members on Jan. 31 and Feb. 7 at Bethany Church, 568 Wellington Drive in Wyckoff. The meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. The cubs and Troop 77 will participate in building a basic first aid kit. Parent representatives from the troop committee will be on hand to answer questions. Troop 77 plans monthly group activities and trips such as camping, hiking, mountain biking at Allaire State Park, a skiing trip at Windham Mountain, and visiting historical sites such as Valley Forge, Ellis Island, and the Boy Scout Troop 77 holds Open House Intrepid. The Scouts of Troop 77 attend summer camp at Camp Rodney in Maryland. Members have attended Philmont Ranch, Floodwood Reservation, and the Northern New Jersey Leadership Training Conference. Troop 77 has been in existence since 1989 and currently has 24 members. The troop has had over 40 Eagle Scouts. BSA Troop 77’s preeminent community service in the last eight years has been in the retirement of over 3,000 tattered flags at Wyckoff Fire Company 1 on Flag Day. For more information, visit www.troop77bsa.org or call (201) 739-6575.