Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • September 11, 2013 Waldwick Group seeks immediate help to save White’s Pond “Friends of White¹s Pond” members crowded into the Waldwick Mayor and Council’s workshop meeting room last week to urge the governing body to take the first step towards improving the condition of White’s Pond off Hopper Avenue. Following a power point presentation highlighting the deteriorating condition of the lake, Andrea Mistretta, the group’s organizer and a lakefront resident, asked the council to commit to having test borings done this year to determine the condition of the sediment in the 7.8-acre pond. Engi- neering estimates put this cost at between $35,000-$50,000. “Andrea gave a great presentation, and we thank her and the residents who came out to show support,” said Mayor Thomas Giordano. “The mayor and council will take everything that was said into consider- ation, and they will decide if they will move the project forward,” he added. The pro- posal will be on the council’s Oct. 1 work session, he said. If the sediment is found to be clear of contaminants, Mistretta said, then topsoil companies and the agricultural industry can be notified that the sediment¹s valu- able nitrogen rich organic material is avail- able for purchase and/or free removal. She Chamber plans various events The Waldwick Chamber of Commerce has scheduled several events for coming weeks. Beth Donalds of Business Doctor of North Jersey will offer networking tips to the members of the Waldwick Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pascack Community Bank located at 64 Crescent Avenue. Light refreshments will be served. Also on Sept. 18, the Waldwick Cham- ber plans to participate in the Paramus Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 48 th Annual Golf Outing. The event will be held at the Paramus Golf and Country Club. This year’s sponsorship includes the Hackensack Regional Chamber of Commerce. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit www.paramuschamber.org. Donalds is a certified public accountant and seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in the business world. She will show members how to make the most of networking opportunities. On Oct. 4, join the Waldwick Chamber for a Charity Dance to benefit Shelter Our Sisters. The event will feature music by the disco tribute band “Dancin’ Machine.” From 7 to 11 p.m., attendees will dance the night away in the Saint Luke’s gym- nasium, 340 North Franklin Turnpike in Ho-Ho-Kus. The cost is $35 per person and includes one ticket for the prize basket fundraiser. Additional tickets are available for purchase. This is a “bring your own everything” event, and participants should plan to bring food and beverages. To purchase tickets or reserve a table for 10, send checks made payable to “Waldwick Chamber of Commerce” to P.O. Box 323, Waldwick, NJ 07463. RSVP by Oct. 1. The Chamber is seeking donations of prizes for this fundraiser. To donate an item or service, contact Kim at (201) 286- 1627 or info@waldwickchamber.com. Shelter Our Sisters is a non-profit agency that provides temporary housing for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. said sediment removal is the costliest step of the dredging process. The lake was last dredged in the 1970s. Borough Engineer Michael De Sena said if the town were to undertake the dredging project, the work would have to be bid out and the bidder would have to have a con- tractor in place to dispose of the sediment immediately as part of the bid. He also noted that several major environmental per- mits would have to be secured. Resident Ray Schmidt asked whether the town would have a responsibility to clean up the lake if the test borings show the sediment is contaminated. De Sena said that question would have to be researched. “’White¹s Swamp’ could be deemed a protected wetland, and then it will be too late for anyone to touch it. Waldwick must deal with this major issue ASAP,” Mistretta said in urging the support of the mayor and council. She said it would take her group years to raise the moneys needed to dredge the pond. “It¹s impossible for a small grassroots organization of citizens to raise the kind of funds needed in time before it turns to a mosquito swamp,” Mistretta said. “We started Friends of White¹s Pond to call attention to the Pond¹s plight, not to raise the money ourselves with negligible funds from pasta dinners, bake and rummage sales, for a project this (continued on page 21)