October 22, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 17 Letters to the Editor (continued from page 16) experience and mental toughness to oversee our district’s educational professionals. Note that by virtue of profession, Marcus has a leadership role in an operating room where split-second decisions have life-impacting outcomes. She knows how to be both a leader and a team member. When entering the polling booths Nov. 4, it is critical that voters -- as parents, taxpayers, or both -- recognize the difference between the PTA and BOE. The PTA serves a critical role in supplementing the resources in our children’s classrooms. The BOE is an oversight board. In addition to supporting the district’s initiatives, it must be able to make and execute policy. Therefore, it is critical that voters sup- port candidates who stand for something, have a platform, and understand accountability, discipline, and oversight. Our BOE needs policymakers, not cookie bakers. I urge all readers to investigate the candidacy of Dr. Jen- nifer Marcus. Brad Davis Franklin Lakes Promises new voice for township committee Dear Editor: I want to thank the residents with whom I have met during the last few weeks, either in their homes, on the street, or on the phone as I campaign for township com- mittee. The support for the Christie/Yudin ticket is over- whelming and encouraging. I want to reiterate that one of my primary reasons for seeking office remains the need for female representation on the committee. I was astounded to find out that, in over 100 years, only one woman has served on the Wyckoff Township Committee...and that was over a quarter-century ago! I have shared that fact with many residents, and most are not aware that female representation has been so limited. Bringing a different perspective isn’t a bad concept; it is a necessary change. I have lived in Wyckoff since 1970 and raised my family here. I have owned a small business in this community since 1972. I have witnessed our town flourish over the years; however, I believe we can do more. I am the only woman on the Wyckoff Board of Adjust- ment, but I wish that were not the case. Women need to be encouraged to participate in the process and be a part of municipal government. I hope that by running for town- ship committee, more women will think about becoming involved in public service. I hope and believe that Wyckoff residents see the need for there to be an added voice on the committee...and for it to be that of a woman. Susan Yudin Wyckoff Disagrees with McGowan supporter Dear Editor: Lido Puccini’s letter to the editor in support of Susan McGowan is full of incomplete and inaccurate comments. Puccini clearly does not understand the role of a trustee and attributes a number of successes to her when it was actually the success of the administration. It’s not McGowan who selected an effectual principal for High Mountain Road School or curriculum supervi- sor, but rather the superintendent. The board does not hire employees in the district, but either affirms or rejects the superintendent’s recommendation. Despite McGowan’s public criticism of the superintendent, she regularly sup- ported his recommendations. One has to ask: Does McGowan also wish to take credit for a newly hired principal for Woodside Avenue School who came with excellent credentials but later rescinded her acceptance over concerns with the board’s leadership -- concerns that she publicly disclosed? Puccini fails to mention that McGowan resigned as president of the board given the conflict and dissent she caused and lack of leadership ability. The Bergen County School Boards Association wasn’t aware of McGowan’s resignation. The nomination for the award McGowan boasts about was not brought before the full board for a full board discussion and approval. Going forward, the Bergen County School Boards Association is reviewing its practice to allow for public nominations with time for community input. Puccini closes his comments by stating he cannot remember any trustee having impacted the schools more than Susan has. In my opinion, the problem is that it’s all been a negative, destructive impact. While one would hope that McGowan has the best inter- ests of all stakeholders in mind, her actions, lack of trans- parency, and attitude of disrespect speak otherwise. I’ll be voting for those who can restore respect and integrity to the board of education and our town: Dixon, Holst, and Koulikourdis. Richard Koenigsberg Franklin Lakes (Mr. Koenigsberg was a Franklin Lakes School Board Trustee 2003-13.) Supporting Dixon for BOE Dear Editor: We have known Mr. Dixon for over 10 years. During that time, he has always shown a vested interest in the development of children, whether it was physical, spiritual, or intellectual development. Our children played in sports together and Mr. Dixon was always present, supportive, and involved. He has always had the best interest of children in mind, whether we were talking about our own children or the education and future of “children.” While Mr. Dixon is passionate, he is also open minded in discussions. We have worked together on various projects and events over the years and his enthusiastic, collaborative approach has always been additive to helping the team reach its goals. He is approachable (with his pervasive smile!) and we find him to be truly genuine. Mr. Dixon has shared his passion for the education of children and for their future through his work with the PTA, various charity projects, and his church. Now, with the strong encouragement from many in the community, Mr. Dixon is hoping to be able to be able to share his pas- sion, open-mindedness, and vision as a member of the Franklin Lakes Board of Education. We are confident in the competence of Mr. Dixon to work as a member of the Franklin Lakes Board of Education as well as his vision for our children’s education and future. Andrea and Jordi Visser Franklin Lakes Scanlan brings commitment to service Dear Editor: Growing up in Wyckoff, I was fortunate to be coached in sports, as well as supervised on service projects, through school and my church by adults who were generous with their time. One of these coaches and leaders was Wyckoff Township Committeeman Brian Scanlan. Through my childhood and teenage years, he volunteered his time coaching various sports, and taught us the principles of commitment and hard work. When I was in high school, Mr. Scanlan organized community service projects through Saint Elizabeth’s which included Habitat for Humanity. I am grateful to Mr. Scanlan for creating opportunities that allowed me to contribute to my community at a young age. Through Mr. Scanlan’s efforts, I learned the value of ser- vice to our community. On Election Day, Nov. 4, I am voting to re-elect Brian Scanlan to the Wyckoff Township Committee. He has a love of Wyckoff and commitment to service that we con- tinue to need on our township Committee. Lauren Torrisi Wyckoff Voting for Vicki Holst Dear Editor: Our exceptional schools are the cornerstone of our com- munity, and they were the driving factor in my family’s decision to move to Franklin Lakes 30 years ago. I have been active in our school district for over two decades and know what is needed to get things done for the advance- ment of our children. Vicki Holst has what it takes. I have known Vicki for more than seven years and have observed the passion, dedication, and hard work she puts into everything she gets involved with. Time and again, I have witnessed her ability to jump right into a task and make a situation better than it was before. If I had to choose one word to describe Holst, however, it would be authentic. Vicki’s dependable and trustworthy nature is necessary on the board. In all the time I have lived in Franklin Lakes, I have never witnessed the type of discord and personality conflicts that seem to have plagued our board of education in the last two years. Lack of teamwork detracts from providing the best possible educational environment for the children. Now is the time for a change. Our community, our schools, and our children need trustees who can be trusted. We need people like Holst, whose record of giving exemplifies what kind of board member she will be. I trust her to represent the true values of our community. Vicki will seek and value input. She will collaborate with others and provide much needed transparency. She will operate with the highest level of respect and professionalism. On Nov. 4, I will proudly vote for Vicki Holst and urge you to do so as well. Karen Arnone Franklin Lakes Voting for Christie & Yudin Dear Editor: As a former mayor of Wyckoff and chief of the Wyckoff Fire Department, I write today to ask my fellow Wyckoff residents to join me in strong support of Doug Christie and Sue Yudin for township committee. Wyckoff is such a special community. Its downtown is vibrant. Its families are active. It is home. While it has changed a bit in appearance since I was mayor, it is still the same small town that my wife and I are still proud to call home. Doug Christie and Sue Yudin have both raised their families here and operate small, successful businesses in town. They are accountable and honorable. They are avail- able and willing to serve the people of Wyckoff for the right reasons. Wyckoff is not a political game to them. It is home. Both have local government experience in elected and appointed positions which brings added perspective to the committee. And, truth be told, I think it would be an addi- tional benefit to have a woman join the group! Please join me in full support of the Christie/Yudin team on Nov. 4! Gordon Stanley Wyckoff Scanlan has won his support Dear Editor: In the upcoming general election, Wyckoff Township Committeeman Brian D. Scanlan has earned my support to continue the excellent work he has been doing. Since first elected, Committeeman Scanlan has forged good working relationships with the other members of the committee. In one recent election, Scanlan’s praise for another commit- teeman during a public work session even found its way into a letter supporting that committeeman for re-elec- tion. Putting aside partisanship, he has voted “yes” on the annual choices of the other four committeemen for mayor and deputy mayor, despite being awkwardly passed over in the rotation by committeemen with less experience. Committeeman Scanlan brings a high level of energy and commitment to his position and his liaison assignments, whether it’s the library board, where he wrote an excellent history of the library that appears on the library’s website; the recreation board, where he leads a task force to review the recreation department’s performance and offerings; or our town’s Finance Committee, where he has put his busi- ness experience to considerable use as deputy chair. When he does need to raise his hand to stop a particu- lar train from leaving the station, such as the proposal just last month to raise the resident fee for our municipal park and ride from $65 to $250, Committeeman Scanlan does so with grace and humility, and always in the spirit of compro- mise and consensus. For these reasons, I’m voting for Committeeman Scan- lan for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Christopher Byers Wyckoff Urges support for Brian Scanlan Dear Editor: I have known Brian Scanlan and his family for 21 of the nearly 22 years I have lived in Wyckoff, and have always been impressed by his volunteerism. For example, Brian has helped our local schools raise money for improve- ments not covered by traditional school budgets. He and his family have been in leadership positions for charitable endeavors such as Habitat for Humanity and Saint Martin’s Soup Kitchen ministry at Saint Elizabeth’s. In his free time, Brian has been a coach for more than two dozen recreational sports teams. He always made sure that the kids walked away at the end of the season with life (continued on page 18)