Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • May 28, 2014 Area Russell Farms Park ribbon cutting is June 7 by John Koster The official ribbon-cutting ceremony at Russell Farms Community Park has been scheduled for June 7 at 10 a.m. The park, developed from the original Russell Farms orchard and farm area at Sicomac Avenue and Russell Avenue, was originally slated for condominium construc- tion, and later for single-family luxury houses, but residual pesticides prevented construction. Wyckoff was able to buy the land from Barrister Construction after state and federal environmental agencies certified that the pesticides had been removed, and the land was developed for passive recreation. The 22 fifth grade Girl Scouts of Troop 76 in Wyckoff have developed a tree guide to help visitors appreciate the many types of trees in the new park. Almstead Tree & Shrub Care will be releasing benefi- cial insects as part of the ceremony. These insects will help control pest insects during the early stages of their devel- opment without further use of pesticides. This company also donated the 130 trees in the park’s tree nursery, which will be used as a venue for seminars for the public, Scouts, garden clubs, schools, and non-profit organizations inter- ested in general and enhanced horticultural techniques. This event will also include information about pruning, propagation, planting, mulching, and organic methods to control pests and diseases. Members of the Wyckoff Township Committee will also take note of the six benches donated by residents in memory of loved ones. The benches will allow residents to sit and enjoy their surroundings while visiting the land- scaped park. Phase I of the improvements at Russell Farms Com- munity Park included the installation of the walking trail, improvements to driveway entrances and sidewalks, instal- lation of shade trees, construction of a gravel parking lot, installation of dog waste stations to prevent littering, and the addition of a fence. Officials also secured the well pump for the irrigation of the trees and plants with a new Dutch style shed to house the new irrigation pump. Local primaries uncontested On Tuesday, June 3, registered voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots in the Republican and Democratic primary elections. Independent candidates will not appear on the primary ballot; they have until the date of the primary to announce their candidacy in the November general election. The primary elections will be uncontested in Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff. Franklin Lakes Mayor Frank Bivona and incumbent Council Members Paulette Ramsey and Joseph Kelly intend to seek the Repub- lican nomination in the June 3 primary and ultimately new terms in the Nov. 4 general election. No Democrats filed for their party’s primary this year. Bivona will be seeking his second four-year term as mayor after serving one year as a borough councilman. Ramsey will be seeking her seventh three-year term on the council while Kelly will be seeking his second three-year term. All three candidates were endorsed by the borough’s Republican Club. Bivona was elected to the council in 2009. He earned a BS from Adelphi University and went on to a 31-year career in finance from which he retired in 2008. His experience was primarily in the banking and bond insurance busi- ness, and he worked with municipalities country-wide on the issuance of debt obligations. He has served on several charitable boards, including Junior Achievement and the YMCA of Greater New York. Ramsey has been a borough resident for 46 years. She was an elementary school teacher after graduating from William Paterson University. Ramsey was appointed to the borough council in 1995, elected to her first term in 1996, (continued on page 29)