November 27, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Mahwah Conference meets Bolger Challenge, breaks ground by Frank J. McMahon The New York-New Jersey Trail Con- ference has announced that it has raised $1 million over the past seven months for the final restoration and expansion of the Darlington Schoolhouse at 600 Ramapo Valley Road. The group’s effort earned the conference a $500,000 challenge gift from the Bolger Foundation of Ridgewood, which was presented at a groundbreaking ceremony held last week. Members of the crowd get their spoons ready to ‘dig in’ to the tilled soil prepared for last week’s ceremony. Between March and November, 657 individuals, civic organizations, and local businesses responded to the campaign with donations that ranged from $10 to $150,000. The challenge helped the Trail Conference raise funds needed to start construction work on restoring the historic Darling- ton Schoolhouse at the end of Darlington Avenue as its 21st century headquarters. At the groundbreaking, Trail Confer- ence Executive Director Edward Goodell introduced the general contractor who has been selected to manage the construction phase of the project, Mahwah-based Vinnie LaBarbiera of LaBarbiera Custom Homes. LaBarbiera also helped the trail conference finish the first phase of construction, which included structural stabilization, exterior renovation, HVAC, and utilities. Phase I was completed in 2012. LaBarbiera’s work also includes the recent restoration of the 50,000 square foot Crocker Mansion, a prominent historic building in Mahwah. Goodell praised the Bolger Foundation, saying, “They challenged us to elevate the campaign to the point where we could finally begin construction, which will ulti- mately restore and enhance this commu- nity landmark for the public to enjoy and the trail conference to use. Most of all, we thank the many contributors who stepped up to meet that challenge.” Bolger Foundation Trustee J.T. Bolger, made the following announcement, after hearing the NY-NJ Trail Conference had met the challenge: “The Bolger Founda- tion is proud to support the trail conference and the Darlington Schoolhouse construc- tion. The repurposing of this building and creating a gateway to the expansive trail network is a wonderful addition to the edu- cational and outdoor experiences the NY- NJ Trail Conference offers. When we were approached, we knew that this opportunity had to be an all or nothing and have a very short timeline, so as to inspire others to get involved. The time to wait and see is over. Phase I was complete and it was time to motivate and raise the total monies needed to complete the project. We are very excited to see this second phase start.” According to Goodell, contributions and grants for the final phase of the Darlington Schoolhouse construction amount to just over $2.5 million. He said the organization is continuing to accept contributions to (continued on page 15)