October 23, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 19 Letters to the Editor (continued from page 18) difficult economic environment. No family, town, state, or even the federal government has been immune from these pressures! And many of us have had to make difficult choices to ensure the economic health of our families. In such an environment, with reputations, livelihoods, and future prosperity at stake, it is unfortunately no sur- prise that many people are getting the unmistakable sense that, increasingly, our leaders from the federal government on down to the local level, are just fighting among them- selves rather than coming together in a civil manner to try to solve our difficult problems. This is why we need a new type of practical, civic-minded leader -- a leader who knows how to get things done by listening to both sides of an issue, building consensus, making decisions, and get- ting results. The voters of Mahwah are lucky to have such a leader available to them: Gregg Sgambati, who is running for Mahwah Township Council on Nov. 5. I have had the opportunity to get to know Gregg, due to his wife’s work with my wife’s past work in the Mahwah school system, and am convinced he will bring a strong sense of balance, reasonableness, practicality, compassion, and wisdom to his future efforts on behalf of Mahwah. Gregg has already been serving our town with dis- tinction. Among his other efforts, he is a member of the Mahwah Environmental Commission and vice president of the New Jersey Search & Rescue at the Ramapo Valley County Reservation. In addition to his service to our town, Gregg is also a highly educated professional, having recently been awarded his master’s in public administration from Columbia Uni- versity. He deeply believes that one of Mahwah’s unique strengths is the beautiful natural park system we all have access to. Recently, Gregg led the Mahwah Environmen- tal Commission that brought to us what I hope will be an annual event in Mahwah: Mahwah Parks Day. Mahwah Parks Day is a wonderful, positive reminder that we live in a beautiful community. This natural beauty is a major factor that drew many of us here in the first place. What could be more important than the proper stewardship of our natural resources in the long run: for our children and our children’s children? In sum, Mr. Sgambati would bring a breath of fresh air, professional experience, strong values, an action-oriented and practical perspective from the business world, and the wisdom a balanced perspective can add, all of which will serve our community well. Please vote for Gregg Sgambati for Mahwah Council on Nov. 5. Pink power Frank Manziano Mahwah It is the policy of the Villadom TIMES to have a signed copy of letters to the editor in our files. Fax a signed copy to (201) 670-4745 or mail to Villadom Times, P.O. Box 96, Midland Park, NJ 07432. Signed letters may also be dropped off at 333 Godwin Avenue in Midland Park. Dan Royce, third grade teacher at Ramsey’s Tisdale School, and his students Josie, Billy, Vincent, and Amanda proudly show off the pink shirts they wore in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.