October 15, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Midland Park Marra to retire; Powderley named acting chief Midland Park Police Chief Michael Marra announced last week that he will retire early next year after two and a half years as head of the 14-man department. His last day of work will be Friday, Oct. 24, followed by terminal leave and vacation days. “I want to thank Chief Marra for his 28 years of ser- vice. He’s done a terrific job and has done a lot for the town,” said Councilman Nick Papapietro in announcing the chief’s retirement. “It’s time, but I have no immediate plans at this time,” said Marra of his decision to retire now. “It’s been a plea- sure serving the people and businesses of Midland Park, and I am extremely grateful to the mayor and council for giving me this distinct opportunity to serve as police chief,” he added. The borough council appointed Lt. Michael Powderley to serve as acting chief effective Oct. 25. Papapietro said he would be evaluated during the acting period before the council makes a decision on a permanent appointment. Among his accomplishment during his time as chief, Marra pointed to the restructuring of the department’s policies and procedures manual, which is now in its final stages, and the institution of a directed patrol pro- gram, whereby officers perform security checks at all the Historical collection to be evaluated Midland Park Memorial Library has received a state mini grant to professionally evaluate the borough’s histori- cal collection and make recommendations for its preserva- tion. Sponsored by the New Jersey Historical Commission, the Caucus Archival Projects Evaluation Service (CAPES) grant will provide up to $3,000 for the review. Library Director Sue Lazzari said a resident had brought the grant program to her attention and she decided to apply. “We are now the stewards of the collection, and we are taking that responsibility seriously. The materials are a wonderful resource and valuable to the town,” Lazzari said. The Midland Park Historical Society, which organized in the 1980s, collected the materials and kept them in the library building, displaying a select few in the Englishman Room. When the building was renovated, the items were placed in storage, where they remain today. As membership in the Historical Society dwindled and the group became inactive, the library was officially declared the depository of the historical materials. Lazzari said the collection includes records, photo- graphs, videos, scrapbooks and artifacts contributed by residents and other interested parties over the years. Francis Rodriguez, the borough’s historian and past president of the Historical Society, said a similar survey as the one being proposed now had been done in the 1980s, and that it had guided his group’s preservation work. “It’s a good idea to have it done again,” Rodriguez said. The evaluation will survey the condition of materi- als and provide estimates of remedial needs. It may also focus on the institution’s methods of assessing, accession- ing and processing materials, including the preparation and arrangement of items, the development of storage systems, and the creation of descriptions and finding aids. Lazzari said once the CAPES assessment is completed, the library can apply for a grant of up to $15,000 to address the recommendations. These initiatives may include: con- servation of historical materials (including proper storage for preservation and ready public accessibility), digitization projects, editorial and publication projects, educational ini- tiatives, exhibitions, media, public program and research. town’s school buildings on a daily basis. Additionally, he said that through the dedication of Sgt. Greg Kasbarian, the department is communicating with residents through social media, including Facebook, Twitter and the Nixle emergency notification system, in addition to SwiftReach and Reverse 9-1-1. Marra, who started as a dispatcher in 1985 and offi- cially joined the department in July,1986, was promoted sergeant in 2004, to lieutenant on July 1, 2011 and to chief in October, 2012. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2007 and a master (continued on page 4)