Letter to the Editor

This is going to be cross posted: soon the bell will ring…. for Faber et al…

Me: a very caring and curious parent. I have a bunch of questions and thoughts for the group: I realize tone is difficult to interpret at times when reading typed words….Keep in mind, I am a hard worker and pretty even keeled guy. I own a business at the same time, a full time college student as well as taking other coursework during my sparse free time that will help me further in my career. I have been employed in neighboring towns since 1997/98′ ate lunch in Glen Rock since back then almost daily. Up until we moved here from Ft. Lee in 2012 where we sent our twins to private kindergarten as it was full day, we never knew anything about the history of the way things have been lined up for the future of Glen Rock. I just fell in love with this fine town as a guest, when on lunch breaks mostly. I had thought, maybe one day, if I find a mate and got married, it may be here, in Bergen County, Glen Rock would be the ideal town to live in. It reminded me of the suburbs of my home towns where I grew up. Fanwood and Westfield NJ, both in Union County and within a few miles of each other. I miss home, at the same time, know that I started a family here and we are here to stay. My wife is a medical professional close by, we both give our time when we can to our children’s school as volunteers for various activities since they began 1st grade last year. My children took rec. ballet, last winter, and soccer this past spring and recently moved up into Brownies as well (enough about us).

What is the reason If there are 2 separate budgets, and 2 separate boards? The use of the town fields overlap with both boards, what reason is there that both budgets and boards that share this field for both BOE and Rec. are not contributing to both fairly? Do they share these costs of maintaining? If the rec. leagues pay the town 50k a year for space/field usage, do the schools? when they practice on Faber? Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out if the rec. leagues can just lease time from the BOE of it’s use of their time on fields? The BOE could, take action and absorb instead of take advantage of this problem… the BOE could contribute to the Faber Fields use, since they use it just like the rec. leagues… Going in circles… need to get squared up… then charge accordingly to the rec. leagues which would help pay down the debt, which would free up cash flow and make our debt to equity ratio more attractive… to financial lenders. Do they share this cost of maintaining Faber? Does this seem fair to let the BOE use it for free? I honestly am not in familiar territory here, but what do other towns do? Is there a fair way of assessing and paying for all this amicably? I know the rec. leagues pay the town for use of their training/playing teams time, why does it seem like it’s a one way street? I know we all pay either way with our taxes, has anyone analyzed the money and where it goes and for what? Is the high schools money, only for their property? or the entire school systems, (I think yes, as I read they practice at Coleman) I mean, if the boe has it’s teams share, play or practice at Faber, do they owe the municipality back pay? Or can they do whatever they feel like? (For the record, I am 100% for sports in both the rec. and school divisions) Wouldn’t it be fiscally responsible that they share the burden, perhaps, their credit is better than the towns, perhaps it isn’t, regardless…they get state and federal funding, free money, if not why? I … wouldn’t it be wise to raise these questions at the board meetings and use some of the state money given to us, I don’t even know how to find out how much that is, who knows? Just a thought, for those concerned with the extra expense. I just want what makes my heart body and soul feel better. Knowing we can shoot for the stars with no buyers remorse (findings that may come to light down the road, once the federal gov’t/epa decides to test crumb rubber further, for cancer as it may have links to it, stated in the media as of late). These health concerns and injuries, are the reason I do not support art. turf. I have no problem with a blend, a sand/silica base alternative media without crumb rubber, the lead in the blades of synth turf can and should be monitored annually by a 3rd party lab, to assure no lead has eroded off the fibers as known to happen after a large number of years, 5-12 depending on hours of play. When this happens, the dust particles which eroded off the fake grass blades are known to blow around and get kicked up when kids/ people play around and run etc.. Sounding like a broken record,,,,,,,, has anyone thought that it may be special and insightful for us to share the research gathered at Faber and the Arboretum, with State and private Universities?

Just trying to think outside the box