Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • May 15, 2013 Wyckoff When Ed Kalpagian realized Hurricane Sandy had wrecked the playground at Washington School in Wyckoff where his children attend, he knew he had to get involved. He knew his company, State Farm, had a community grant program that might be able to help, so he urged another dad, Brian Saxton, to enter the school in the competition. A member of the Library Board and a father of a Washington Elementary first grader and a set of twins who will be attending Washington next year, Saxton submitted an entry essay to the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program. The program donates $25,000 to 40 different causes submitted by different neighborhoods from the U.S. and Canada. The community voted on Facebook on the applications, and Washington Elementary School finished 30th out of 3,000 entries nationwide to rebuild a “Safe School Playground.” The school is getting the $25,000 to help rebuild the playground, including purchasing new ADA compliant equipment and fixing the grounds. “I just want to thank everybody once again for their support,” said Saxton. “Not only did people vote, but they shared the cause on their Facebook pages and other ways, and we really got a lot of support because of that,” Saxton added, singling out Kalpagian. “Ed is my personal agent. He not only takes care of me as a client, but he looks out for the community as well. This grant would not have happened if he did not bring this to my attention.” Kalpagian is a State Farm agent in Allendale. The award was presented to Washington Principal Scott Blake during the PTO’s annual Ladies’ Night Out last week. “We’re looking forward to breaking ground and repairing our playground. I would like to express thanks and gratitude to Brian, Ed and State Farm for making this possible,” Blake said. Concluded Kalpagian: “I’m proud to run a business and represent State Farm; I’m even more proud to be a member in the community of Wyckoff. It’s a great town with fantastic people, and to be a part of helping the children of our community is a blessing,” he said. State Farm grant awarded to Washington School Brian Saxton, Washington Elementary School Principal Scott Blake, and Allendale State Farm Agent Ed Kalpagian. Principal’s withdrawal (continued from page 8) between the school board and the district administration. “It’s a pretty scary thing for an administrator to walk into a district where the board of education does not respect the administration’s recommendations,” Schwartz said. “It’s really devastating to the students, the teachers, and the community in general. Christine Laquidara was a phenomenal candidate and it will be very difficult to find another leader of that caliber in a short time period, so it is really a loss. “I hope the board of education woks together with the superintendent going forward to bring us back together again. They really have to work together.” Donna Luciano, the president of the Franklin Lakes Education Association, which represents the teachers in the district, reacted to Laquidara’s withdrawal, saying, “We’re saddened that a woman so highly qualified does not feel she can work in the Franklin Lakes School District.” Referring to the board’s decision not to reappoint two district teachers, Luciano said she is not confident that the board acted in the best interest of the district. She explained that two non-tenured teachers had been recommended for renewal by their principals and the superintendent and she asked, “What had the board members seen that made them feel justified in their decision?” She wants the board to rethink their decisions and renew the teachers’ contracts.