As the former borough attorney for Northvale from 1991 through 2006 I had the distinct pleasure of knowing and working with Martha Rooney and many of the Borough’s fine volunteers. In an community it is not the politicians who really matter, but rather, along with the residents, the volunteers who work everyday to help people make a community a better place. These volunteers, firefighters, sports coaches, Planning Board members, Board of Health members, program organizers, ambulance corp personnel and so many others work in conjunction with the Police Department, DPW and schools to form the fabric of a community. Politicians come and go, but volunteers like Martha Rooney work for residents for decades.

Martha has served Northvale for 29 years as a certified EMT ambulance corp volunteer as well as having been elected to the highest offices in the corps. In 1986, then Mayor John Hogan also appointed her to the Board of Health. Since 1986 Martha has served on the Health Board with distinction as president, being re-nominated and confirmed by Democrats and Republicans. Anyone who knows her will attest to her concern for people and her dedication to any position in which she serves. Consequently, she received Northvale’s Volunteer of the Year award by then County Executive Pat Schuber.

In November 2007, a new Republican majority was elected in Northvale. They promised good government, positive change and to work with Democrats for the common good. They got off to a questionable start not even able to coordinate a reorganization meeting with Hogan. Then they did something that undermines their pretensions of good government and support for volunteerism. They failed to reappoint Martha Rooney to the Board of Health and allowed the mayor to appoint a friend. Hopefully, this person will be better than last year’s appointment of an individual who attended only one board meeting.

It’s ironic that the voters of Northvale thought that these guys were going to bring about positive change. I know that John Rooney who worked hard for their election, thought that they were his friends, while at their first meeting they turned on John’s wife Martha for whatever reason, they have yet to explain.

It is not hard to understand someone being replaced because of a change in the political make-up but it is mind-boggling when dedicated volunteers are tossed aside by their own party without so much as a "thank you" or explanation as to why the change.

Dwight deStefan
Former Borough attorney

 
O’Keefe, Hollenfer are good for department
To the editor:

Recently, events in Englewood have brought the Englewood Police Department to everyone’s attention and although I do not want to discuss that situation, I would like to comment on two Englewood police officers. The first one is Capt. William "Willie" Hollenfer.

I have known Willie since we went to Tenafly High School together. I have found him to be an honest, forthright and trustworthy person. I have also had the opportunity to work with Willie over the years during my career as a Tenafly police officer. His professionalism and his ablilty to handle himself in all situations have always impressed me. One of the things that I admire about Willie is his ability to lead men and the respect he garners from others. When I hear the negative things being said about him, it is clear that those people do not know Willie.

The same can be said for Deputy Chief Arthur O’Keefe. I have know Artie for more than 20 years and for a portion of that time, he has been going to school to better himself as a police officer for the City of Englewood. Artie is a no nonsense administrator and while that might be hard for some people to take, he is honest, fair and dedicated to the Englewood Police Department and I would imagine he makes Englewood Police a better place to work. In the conversations I’ve had over the last 20 years, Artie has spoken of his love for his department and his wish to bring it to its full potential.

It would be a devastating blow to the Englewood Police Department to lose either of these two officers.

Paul A. Cantwell
Tenafly

 
Opinion was not based on fact
To the Editor:

My name is Cathy Pierorazio. I have a 10-year-old son with severe food allergies to Dairy, egg peanut and tree nuts. I take offense to the editorial’s lackadaisical comments on how "fear surrounding peanut allergies is propagated by notions that have not been supported by science." I can assure you that there is no medical journal or scientific study that can better describe living through the experience of an anaphylactic reaction, a VERY common and often deadly reaction to peanut allergy. The editorial writer has clearly not done his homework regarding this very sensitive topic. Perhaps he should consult with one of the family members of the over 200 people who died last year from food allergic reactions.

I also take offense to the comment concerning skin contact with an allergen. Maybe the writer would like to come to my house and see what happens to my son’s face when someone kisses his cheek after eating a piece of cheese. The last thing I would ever allow is for some quack to spread peanut butter all over his arm to prove a moot point. He uses words like "casual exposure to peanut butter is unlikely to elicit a significant allergic reaction." In my world unlikely doesn’t cut it. And what exactly is a significant reaction? All allergic reactions are significant. There is no reason for me to EVER, EVER put my child in an unsafe environment. What could the writer’s agenda be to be attacking the policies schools put in place to protect children and keep them safe? These policies and plans took years to implement.

I have been fortunate so far in that my child has not had a reaction in school. I believe the reason he has remained safe is that I have been diligent about working with his school nurse, the 504 Coordinator, the principal and all of his teachers. I have painstakingly raised awareness to people who, like the writer, had no clue about the seriousness and dangers of accidental ingestion to an allergen. This is not to say that I have not carried my son into the emergency room while he gasped for air. Accidents do happen, no matter how diligent you are. And that is why there are provisions in school. That is why these children eat separately from others. That is why people like the writer should not express opinions about things they have no knowledge about.

To learn more about food allergies, visit www.foodalergy.org or www.foodallergyinitiative.com

This not an opinion or a view…this is reality from a family that lives with life threatening food allergies every day.
Cathy Pierorazio
Food Allergy Activist
Norwood

The undersigned plan to vote in the Feb. 5 Democratic Presidential Primary for Barack Obama. We believe his candidacy has brought a new level of hope that we can work past the angry issues which divide us domestically, and present a new face to the world, that of a nation, which once again stands for principle. It is not just younger voters who have been inspired by Obama’s vision. We are senior citizens who have learned from experience to be skeptical, but we also think we have learned to recognize truly extraordinary potential when we see it. Barack Obama is the sort of leader who emerges once in a generation.
Sondra J. Greenberg
Norman W. Davis
Englewood