October 8, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Midland Park Voters handily approve school facilities referendum Midland Park voters last week over- whelmingly approved a referendum that will raise $11.5 million to upgrade the buildings and fields of the borough’s three schools. The positive vote means the dis- trict will be eligible for approximately $2.8 million in state grant funding, reduc- ing the taxpayers’ share of the 20-year bond to $8.5 million. Of the borough’s 5,015 registered voters, 29 percent turned out at the polls. With 1,439 voters casting ballots in the special election, 919 voted yes and 520 voted no. “The Midland Park Board of Educa- tion wants to thank the community for their support of the referendum and help- ing us achieve last night’s victory,” said Board President Maryalice Thomas. “We cannot tell you enough how much we appreciate all the effort that was put forth in getting the vote out. We especially want to thank the Midland Park Education Association, Midland Park High School and Elementary PTAs, and the CAMP organization, whose tireless efforts paid off in passing this referendum.” Thomas said the next step will be for the architect to prepare the design and drawings for the project to go out to bid. “We look forward to sharing the imple- mentation of our facilities’ upgrades with you as they begin and are completed,” she said. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Cirasella shared Thomas’ sentiments. “Everyone who took time to cast a vote yesterday, regardless of position, has reinforced a key democratic principle by taking part in this important process. We Valley Auxiliary meeting to feature safety presentation Midland Park Police Sergeant Noah VanVliet will be the featured speaker at the next meeting of the Midland Park Branch of the Valley Hospital Auxiliary. Sergeant Van Vliet will discuss identity theft and make suggestions on protec- tions credit card holders may employ. His presentation will cover common “Gypsy” scams, false utility worker scams, phone call scams from a fake police agency pre- tending to hold a loved one there until “bail money” can be transferred, the most recent scam of telling victims that their computers are sending out spam, and the new “IRS you owe us thousands of dol- lars” scam. The meeting is scheduled for Wednes- day, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. at Faith Reformed Church, 95 Prospect Street. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. are grateful to now be provided with an opportunity to swiftly improve our school environments for students and staff, those with us today and those we will welcome in years to come,” Dr. Cirasella said in a statement to parents. “As we begin the next phase of this multi-faceted project, please know we will do our best to keep the community informed and continue to answer any questions you may have.” The approval gap was widest in Dis- tricts 1, 3 and five, where the number of registered voters is larger: 193 yes to 112 no in District 1; 201 to 95 in District 3 and 244 to 142 in District 5. The vote in Dis- trict 2 was 155 to 93, and in District 4, 125 yes to 78 no. The renovations will include making all the facilities ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, replacing heating and ventilation systems for more energy efficiency, window replacements, boiler replacement, corridor and class- room lighting upgrades, door hardware, and renovations and upgrades to the audi- torium at the high school. Additionally, under the proposed plan, the Sonny San- torine Athletic Field will receive upgrades to include a new track, bleachers and press box and grass field improvements.