Newsstand: Local News


Mayor's Message
September 2007

On a personal note, I am so grateful and thankful to all the well wishers and individuals who sent cards, letters and baskets after my recent health scare. As reported in the Suburbanite, I had a significant blockage in a coronary artery that was detected during a mid-July stress test, and immediately was admitted to Hackensack University Medical Center for an angioplasty and installation of a stent to restore healthy blood flow. I cannot thank the people at HUMC enough for their tremendous care and support in my hour of need. I am pleased to report that I am feeling better than ever, and am making lifestyle changes that, although difficult, were necessary to prevent further damage. The outpouring of support from the community at large and both sides of the political aisle was most heartwarming. (No pun intended!!)

I would like to express my personal thanks and congratulations to the three Demarest Police Department Special officers who, on their own initiative, arranged to attend the Passaic County Police Academy for police training. Completion of that training will allow these officers to legally fulfill more routine police functions in support of our regular officers, permitting the regular officers to complete their duties more effectively and efficiently. The summer concert program has been a success, with weather forcing the rescheduling of a couple shows, but in all, the programs were well received. Many thanks to Councilman Connolly and the Recreation Commission for their efforts in coordinating the concert series. Please join me at the Second Annual Demarest Day celebration tentatively scheduled for September 29.

Kudos to John Crosman and the Demarest DPW for their diligent efforts to keep our community looking great, notwithstanding some powerful storms this summer that left a mess of debris strewn about town. I would also like to extend my personal congratulations and gratitude to Jackie Fulin and the Demarest Swim Club board for their extraordinary efforts to nurse the swim club back to fiscal health under trying circumstances. We have a wonderful facility here in town that I urge you all to consider joining next summer.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our Jewish families and friends in town a very happy New Year. Please keep in mind schools will be re-convening and leaves will begin falling shortly, please exercise caution while traveling on Borough streets, be aware of children at play and sharing the road with motorists.

Council's Corner
June 2007

We are pleased to announce that Susan Mores is our new acting Borough Clerk . She will add a new dimension to our municipal services. Taking her place at the construction office is Diane Larson who has many years of expertise in this area. We are also studying new ways to make our municipal government more efficient to better serve you.

The second phase of the Railroad Depot restoration is underway. The work will focus on the first floor exterior, with new lighting, new windows and doors, stained glass window and paved walkway. Completion scheduled for Fall 2007. The South Street bridge and Morton foot bridge are to be installed by August 2007. The vehicle bridge to Wakelee field with separate pedestrian component is be installed by year's end. The plans for the new DPW building are with the architect.

Kudos to Chief Powderly and his department for doing an extraordinary job during the recent storms. A new crossing guard has joined the staff near the Middle school. The crosswalks on our county roads will be repainted. Grants are currently being sought for various projects around the town to ensure public safety.

The Council would also like to remind residents to be wary of strange animals. There have been sightings of coyotes in Bergen County. Sightings alone should not cause alarm but are signal to take the preventive measures. Significant damage and coyote problems should be reported to Police at 201-768-1540 or Wildlife Services at 908-735-8793.

Disaster Information Bulletin
April 26, 2007

Bergen County Declared a Disaster Area. Individuals, Households, and Businesses are Eligible for Assistance.

The President has authorized Bergen County as a disaster area.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses during the recent noreaster storm and flooding event of April 14-20, 2007 can begin applying for assistance through FEMA by registering on-line at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585(TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.

Assistance coordinated by FEMA may include grants to pay for temporary housing, home repairs, and other serious disaster related expenses. Low interest loans from the US Small Business Administrations will also be available to cover residential and business losses not fully covered by insurance.

FEMA notes that damage surveys are still underway and additional forms of assistance may be designated at a later date.

Election New
Spring 2007

School Board Election Š April 17th
Polls are open from 2pm-9pm
Primary DayŃJune 5th
Polls are open from 6am-8pm

District 1 votes at Borough Hall and District 2 & 3 at the County Road School for both elections.

The last day to register to vote for the School Election is March 27th and for the Primary Election is May 15th. The Borough ClerkÕs office will be open form 9am to 9pm on se days for the convenience of the residents.

Board of Health
Spring 2007

Remember if you have not registered your furry friend before March 1 there will be a $25 late fee per pet. Please have your animalÕs rabies shots up to date. If your pet needs rabies shot, the Bergen County Animal Shelter offers free shots. The shots are given on the 2nd and 4th Thursday from 4:30pm to 6pm. For additional information call 201-229-4600

Congressman Garrett's Constituent Services
Spring 2007

Congressman GarrettÕs Mobile Constituent Services staff will be available on the last Tuesday of each month from 9:30am-11:30am at the Demarest Borough Hall. Residents are encouraged to bring their questions and concerns with federal issues to the CongressmanÕs attention. A representative from his office will be present to answer questions or respond to any inquires. Topic include international adoption, Social Security, transportation, housing, health care and other questions. No appointments are necessary. If you have any questions, please free feel to call 201-712-0330.

Building Department: Homeowners Beware
Spring 2007

Spring is just around the corner. Some will begin to do their own home improvements or hire a contractor to do the work. Please be sure to check with the Demarest Building Department before the project is started, to see if a permit is required to perform the alteration/rehabilitation on your home. IT IS FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION!! If there is any doubt, please contact us at 201-768-3398. We are here to help you.

Shade Tree Commission
Spring 2007

The Demarest Shade Tree Commission is once again planning to establish Demarest as a Tree City USA for the past year of 2006. Thanks to the hard work of volunteer Mrs. Lisa Carson, who has brought Arbor Day to the Middle School for the past several years, Demarest has been a Tree City USA for the past few years. Mrs. Carson is again in the process of planning for Arbor Day 2007.

Fire Department
Spring 2007

The Fire Department is pleased to announce the winners of the annual Fire Safety Poster Contest. The poster contest follows the department visits to the schools during Fire Prevention Week. The awards were ribbons and U.S. Savings Bonds. First Place received a $100 Bond and $50 Bonds were given to the "runner-ups". The following students in K-4 received the awards at the January 24th presentation:

The Fire Prevention and similar programs are funded by the department. Your continued donations will help us maintain these important activities. We hope we can count on you during our upcoming Fund Drive.

New Members: The department is pleased to announce the acceptance of Robert Motta into our Auxiliary program.

Board of Health

It is that time of the year again to renew your dog and cat license for 2007. Application for current licensed animals will be mailed at the end of December. All dogs and cats over the age of 6 months must be registered with the Board of Health. To obtain an application, contact the Board of Health @ 201-768-0167 ext# 30.

Please note: There are new fees starting as of January 2007. The fees are as follows: $8.70 if your dog has been spayed/neutered, $11.70 for dogs not spayed/neutered. The new fee for cats is $8.00. The new late fee is $25.00 after March 1.

Board of Education

LLE Playground Opening

An exciting Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on October 28, to celebrate the new playground project.

Demarest & Bergen County United

The Demarest Community was well represented at a recent Bergen County Rally organized by Dollar$ & Sense at Hackensack High School. Bergen United is a bipartisan effort to demand Bergen CountyÕs fair share of funding to help reduce the over-reliance on property taxes to fund schools. Demarest continues to be a leader in this process with the Council and Board of Education approval of resolutions supporting this effort. Our local Board of Education members going above and beyond as Grassroots Founders of Dollar$ & Sense to fight for our local taxpayers.

www.dollarsandsense.bz

Demarest Public Library

Winter Schedule

Monday & Thursday: 10am-8pm
Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 1pm-5pm

Holiday Closings

December 24-26, December 31 and January 1, 2007

Story Time

Tuesday 10:30am - 2 & 3 year olds
Thursday 1:30pm - 4 year olds
Parents or Caretaker are asked to stay.
Come for the stories, come for the fun. Stop in and check out an armful of books to read at home.

The libraryis offering a new service called Jersey Click. Jerseyclicks.org enables users to look up information in magazines, newspapers, encyclopedia and other resources through this one website from home, office, school or public library using a library card. Four new sources have been added including "Reference USA" which is commonly recognized as one of the most valued online resources by small business owners and library customers in general. Any one with a library card can use Jerseyclicks.org 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Did you know you can also apply for a library card online. Just go to www.bccls.org/demarest, click on policies, fill out the form, bring identification to the library and pick up your library card.

The Annual Fund Drive is underway. Please be generous in your support.

6.2006 Audiobook Grant for the Library

The library received a grant from the Karma Foundation to purchase MP3 players for downloading audio books from BCCLS.org website. For more information about this service, please call the library at 201-768-8714 or go to bccls.org to learn more about downloading audio books.

6.2006 Fire Department News and New Members

Your Fire Department is always working hard to improve our service to the community. From time to time, you may see us conducting a training session on homes set for demolition. These drills are valuable training tools. This may cause a little disruption on your block and we appreciate your patience and cooperation during these exercises. The Department recently conducted a large, mutual aid drill at the new Bellaire Estates to help us evaluate our response procedures and plan for any future emergencies at the soon to be completed town house project.

The Fire Department will be participating in the Annual Northern Valley Fire Chiefs Parade on October 7th in New Milford. The parade is an annual event, conducted by the Inter-Boro Mutual Aid System. Fire Companies compete for various awards. Come join us for an afternoon of fun and food. There will be numerous pieces of fire apparatus and marching bands. Bring the kids, have some fun.

Welcome to our new Fire Fighters; Rob Russenberger, Mike Morrison and Kevin Peter. Both Mike and Kevin are already certified Fire Fighters and Rob will soon be attending the Fire Academy. Also welcome to our newest Auxiliary volunteers; Stephanie Ceccon, Matt Fortunato and Jim McFadden, Jr. Interested in joining the Fire Department as a Fire Fighter or Auxiliary member? We can use the help! Call us at 201-768-0338 or stop by the Fire House any Sunday morning for information.

6.15.2006 St. Joseph's Church Changes Pastors

On June 15, Father Bill O'Malley left as pastor of St Joseph's Church to become assistant to Father Dan O'Neill at St. Anastasia Parish in Teaneck. Reverend James T. Brown, who was ordained in 1997 and is presently at Assumption Parish in Emerson, will be the new Pastor.

6.2006 Luther Lee Emerson Playground Project

The Board of Education recently approved an Ad Hoc Committee to raise funds to renovate and upgrade the playground to meet the current safety code standards. For more information or if you would like to make a donation to this project, please contact Gladys Grossman at 201-784-2084.

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What's New?

Do you want your child to have a fun-filled summer? Then sign up now for the Demarest Summer Recreation Camp (click here). Our six week summer program is offered to children ages 4-11. Camp includes daily special events, arts and crafts, sports, water activities, trips and more! Some of our special events include Water Works Day, Ping Pong Tournament, Halloween in July and much, much more. Don't miss the fun, registration is taking place now.

Summer Camp Staff Needed: The Demarest Summer Recreation Camp is currently accepting applications for summer camp counselors. Counselors must be a minimum of 16 years of age. Applications are available at the Demarest Borough Hall. Interviews will take place on May Thursday, May 22nd and Friday, May 23rd from 5:00 to 8:00pm. Application deadline is May 12th. When you have completed the application, please mail it to:

Jackie Sicheri
118 Serpentine Road
Demarest, NJ 07627

Saturday, May 10: Emerson Healthy Heart Fair
8:00 to 10:30 am at the Emerson Senior Center, Palisade Avenue, Emerson, NJ

Test your grip strength, learn your body mass index, know your blood pressure numbers, and more. More information on the Demarest Calendar.

Demarest Public Library Annual Spring Fair
Saturday, May 17, 2008, Arts & Crafts Exhibitors Welcome!

The Demarest Public Library Association's Annual Spring Fair will once again be held at the Demarest Duck Pond on Saturday, May 17, 2008 from 10 am until 4 pm (Rain Date Saturday, May 24). Attendees of all ages will enjoy fine Arts & Crafts, live music in the Peace Gazebo, baked goods, traditional Indian, Korean and Japanese food concessions, canoe rides sponsored by the Boy Scouts, exciting children's rides and games, new merchandise, discounted books, White Elephant Sale, and much, much more, at what has become a favorite tradition among area residents.

Proceeds from the annual fundraiser go directly to the Library to improve the services it offers to the community.

American Cancer Society's Relay For Life To Be Held In Old Tappan. The Relay For Life of Northern Valley, previously held at Northern Valley Regional High School, Demarest for the past three years has merged with this Relay to form a broader community event. Relay For Life of Old Tappan and Pascack Valley will begin 5:00 p.m. on June 13th and will end 7:00 a.m. June 14th. Sign up and learn more at www.events.cancer.org/ RFLoldtappanNJ.