October 8, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 29 Wyckoff Wanderings Wyckoff Y presents ‘Fright Night’ Opera 691, the Wyckoff YMCA’s in-house opera com- pany, will present “Fright Night” just in time for Halloween. This two-act program includes spooky music in Act I and Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Medium” in Act II. Professional opera singers, the Studio 691 Dance Company, and a youth ensemble of Bergen County residents will perform “Fright Night” on the Y’s Carl Pfeifer Performing Arts Stage on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and students, and $15 for children. Champagne and sweet treat will be available during intermission. Visit www.wyckoffymca.org to purchase tickets or call the Y at (201) 891-2081. Concert series continues Grace United Methodist Church at 555 Russell Avenue will present its fifth annual “Music Feeds the Soul” concert on Sunday, Oct. 19. The 4 p.m. concert will feature vocalists Lori Vanderaa, Steve Gant, and “The Joyful Silvertones,” instrumentalists Kevin Cummines and Melissa Kay, and others. The suggested donation is $8 and one non-perishable food item. Proceeds from the concert will go to CUMAC Food Pantry in Paterson. For more information, contact the church office at (201) 891-4595 or e-mail KVanderaa@hotmail.com. For infor- mation about CUMAC and a list of recommended food items, visit www.cumacecho.org. Valley Hospital Auxiliary sets fundraiser The Wyckoff Branch of the Valley Hospital Auxiliary and Tons of Toys in Wyckoff is holding a fundraiser to ben- Drug Take-back earns USDEA praise The Wyckoff Police Department was praised by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency for another successful run of Operation Take-back on Saturday, Sept. 27. Wyckoff police reported that 289 Wyckoff residents dropped off 217 pounds of prescription and over-the- counter drugs at Wyckoff Police Headquarters. The township has taken part in the USDEA-sponsored Operation Take-back since 2010 and has collected 1,635 pounds of unused or outdated drugs since the inception of the program. Police point out that leaving drugs in medicine cabinets or other locations where youngsters or older efit the Breast Surgery Program at the Luckow Pavilion and the Valley Home Care’s Butterflies Program. Visitors to Tons of Toys at 315 Franklin Avenue may decorate Halloween characters for a donation. The decora- tions will be hung in the store through Oct. 31. Participants may decorate a ghost for a $1 donation, a pumpkin for a $5 donation, or a bat for a $10 donation. No purchase at the store is necessary. The Valley Hospital Auxiliary’s pledge is to raise $1.5 million for the expansion of the hospital’s Breast Surgery Program at the Luckow Pavilion, and to support Valley Home Care’s Butterflies Program, a palliative care and hos- pice program for children. Auxiliary holds Fish & Chips Dinner The Wyckoff Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary will host its second annual Fish & Chips Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 18. The event will be held at Protection Fire Com- people may take them by mistake or misjudge dosages is potentially dangerous. Law enforcement officials report that some teenagers become addicted to heroin by first becoming addicted to prescription pain-killers and then finding out that street heroin is cheaper. Once the drugs are dropped off at Wyckoff Police Headquarters, the USDEA picks them up and inciner- ates them in their containers. No record is kept of whose drugs were turned in for incineration, so the privacy of the residents is protected. Anyone who has questions about drug disposal is invited to call Wyckoff Detective Sergeant Mike Musto at (201) 891-2121. pany 1 on Scott Plaza from 5 to 7 p.m. The dinner will be catered by Argyle’s of Kearny. Chicken will be available with advanced notice only. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children under eight. Call (201) 891-1348 to pur- chase tickets. Lacrosse registration announced Registration for the 2015 spring lacrosse season for boys and girls in grades three through eight is under way and will continue through Oct. 31. Registration may be completed at https://register.communitypass.net/Wyckoff. Space is lim- ited, and early registration is encourages. The registration fee is $85. The recreation department no longer handles each player’s registration with US Lacrosse. Membership is still required by the league, and players should register at www. uslacrosse.org. (continued on page 30) Letters to the Editor (continued from page 12) Vassilios (4) are directly impacted by the education they receive. We have a vested interest in ensuring that our board of education functions in the manner that reflects the values we teach our children: those of respectful dis- course and good intentions. I want to see our school and town’s reputation shine. I have a successful litigation practice in Hackensack, and serve as a mediator in Passaic County and an arbitrator in Bergen County courthouses. I will leverage my skills as a mediator and negotiator to work with fellow trustees to make sure the right questions are asked and make deci- sions that promote efficiencies and academic excellence. I am confident that my professional experience and com- munity involvement will enable me to be an informed and productive member of the board of education. As both a taxpayer and a parent, I understand the importance of balancing strong fiscal responsibility with ensuring our children’s education will not be compro- mised. I will work to balance this within the tight budget constraints that Franklin Lakes taxpayers expect to be maintained. I will be a new voice with a fresh approach for our board of education and would be honored to have your vote on Nov. 4. Peter Koulikourdis Franklin Lakes McGowan brings experience to board Dear Editor: School board trustees are volunteers we elect to rep- resent us and should all be commended for their public service. Specifically, I would like to recognize Susan McGowan and thank her for all that she has done to move our district forward. I have known Susan for over five years and know her to be a straightforward, independent thinker who is able to make tough decisions and will vote to re-elect her to the Franklin Lakes Board of Education, so she can continue the work she began four years ago. Susan invests countless hours in educating herself, and not only about the issues that are specific to our district. She also engages in professional development opportuni- ties at the county and state levels in order to fully under- stand all of the issues facing public education today. As an award-winning advocate for public education, Susan is someone who has demonstrated a passionate commit- ment and unwavering dedication to serving our commu- nity. From supporting advancements in curriculum and programs that challenge and enrich our students’ learning experience to approving budgets that are accountable and responsive to taxpayers, Susan is a trustee I am confident will continue to be a responsible voice on the Franklin Lakes Board of Education. On Nov. 4, please join me and vote for experience, dedication, fiscal accountability, and a trustee who is committed to excellence in public education and re-elect Susan McGowan. Lauren Pizza Franklin Lakes Urges support for Vicki Holst Dear Editor: I invite the residents of Franklin Lakes to join me in voting for my wife, Vicki Holst, for Franklin Lakes Board of Education. While many community members have already seen what I know and love about Vicki, please let me take a moment to share it with you: Her passion and dedication to helping others. Vicki’s Wisconsin farm upbringing instilled strong values and a commitment to community in her, and I’ve seen her impact Franklin Lakes in a positive way, just as she has wherever we have lived. She has served on the board and as president of the Twins’ Mothers Club of Bergen County along with several professional boards. Vicki leads several committees in our church, volunteers with our family to feed the homeless, and is a consistent helper at PTA events. Over the last five years, she has even turned our twins’ birthday party into an annual fundraiser, encouraging local children and their families to give to the less fortunate. In keeping with her community-mindedness, Vicki attends board of education meetings and participates respectfully to be an advocate for the children and resi- dents of Franklin Lakes. Her past board experiences dem- onstrate her ability to affect consensus, and her slogan “Soar Together” invites us to join her as she strives to continue excellence in our schools while being mindful of budgetary constraints. Vicki’s genuine nature is infectious and inherently encourages the collaboration which is necessary on the board of education. Her whole-hearted manner is matched by her tenacity, intelligence, and generosity. Those who have worked with her in any arena, including multiple dis- trict committees, know they can trust her and that she puts 100 percent into anything she signs up for. You can trust her, too. Let’s “Soar Together” and vote Vicki Holst on Nov. 4! Bernie Holst III Franklin Lakes Endorses Dixon for school board Dear Editor: This is submitted in support of the candidacy of Randy Dixon to the Franklin Lakes Board of Education. Randy will be a force for transparency, fiscal oversight, and a vision for curriculum creativity. He will bring his unique ability to create a collaborative approach to problem solv- ing. I have known Randy for more than a decade and was very pleased to learn he wanted to serve on the board. My own 15 years serving on the boards in my commu- nity compelled me to encourage his decision. Randy has been a major force in our church to enrich the curriculum we adopted and at our meetings he has helped to keep us focused on the needs of our children as the first priority. The Franklin Lakes community will be well served by Randy as a member of the board of education. Herbert Ouida River Edge