July 17, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3 Waldwick An Ackerman Street couple is asking the Waldwick Borough Council to waive its requirement to install a radio-read water meter in their home. John and Roxanne Surless contend that radio frequency (RF) smart meters are “not as safe as previously thought (and) should be seriously considered. RF is pollution. Just because you cannot see, taste or smell these waves does not mean that you are safe. If one can classify carbon dioxide as a pollutant, then surely RF is as Residents object to smart water meter installation well,” John Surless said in a letter to the council. “RF interferes with the electrical systems within our bodies. Some people are more sensitive than others, and can and do feel symptoms such as headaches, nausea, ringing of the ears, lethargy, etc.,” the letter adds. In May, the council decided to force the meter conversion issue by authorizing shutting off water service within 30 days to any home without a new meter. The council hopes to have the seven-year project completed At approximately 6 p.m. on July 8, a nine-year-old boy was crossing Hopper Avenue from the Waldwick Pool property to the pool parking lot. The boy reported that, when he crossed at the crosswalk, a four door, black vehicle (possibly a small SUV) was traveling north on Hopper Avenue. The vehicle stopped and the driver called out of his window and asked the boy if he wanted to sit in his car. The boy declined and ran to his mother, who was in the pool parking lot. The vehicle then left Police boost patrols after incident by year’s end so as to do away with meter readers. The RF meters allow the entire town to be read in half a day by one person, substantially reducing expenses, according to Borough Administrator Gary Kratz . The meter conversion project began in 2006, and all but 255 of the borough’s water users have been switched over. Since the May directive, 103 holdouts have been contacted, and 82 of those meters have already been replaced and 18 are in the process or still have time to respond, Kratz said. Only two customers have not responded at all and have received shut off notices for (continued on page 17) the area. At no time did the driver attempt to exit the vehicle or force the boy to get inside. The driver was described as a white male with very short black hair. No additional information regarding the driver or the vehicle is available as there were no other witnesses to this incident. The Waldwick Police Department will have extra patrols in the area and the Waldwick Pool staff will keep an extra watch for any suspicious persons or activity.