December 24, 2008 THE VILLADOM TIMES Mahwah Minutes December closings announced The Mahwah Public Library will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 for the Christmas holiday, and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for the New Year’s holiday. The Mahwah Public Library is located at 100 Ridge Road. Call (201) 529-READ. Christmas schedule announced All are invited to celebrate Advent and Christmas at Ramapo Reformed Church in Mahwah. In addition to regu- lar services on Sundays at 10:30 a.m., there are special wor- ship services and planned. On Christmas Eve, candlelight services will be offered at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. The choir will sing a Christmas Cantata at the 7 p.m. service, and the 11 p.m. service will feature traditional lessons and carols. Sunday school (for age three through grade six) and a nursery are provided during worship each Sunday. Call (201) 529-3075 for more information. The Ramapo Reformed Church is located at 100 Island Road in Mahwah. PBA aids Toys for Tots The Mahwah Policemen’s Benevolent Association, Local 143 will be collecting toys for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Campaign through Tuesday, Dec 23. The Toys for Tots Campaign is held in tribute of retired Det. Lt. Michael Marozin, who passed away in 2005. Marozin served in the Marine Corps during Vietnam before joining the Mahwah Police Department and Mahwah PBA Local 143 in 1972. The Toys for Tots program was created by the United States Marine Corps to collect and distribute toys to needy children. The goal is to deliver a new toy at Christmas along with a message of hope to needy youngsters. The Mahwah PBA has collection boxes in the follow- ing locations: the Mahwah Police Station, the A&P Super- market, CVS on Franklin Turnpike, Ramapo College, the Ramapo Ridge Middle School, and Mahwah High School. Preschool openings available Openings are available in a free public preschool pro- gram for Mahwah residents who meet Title I income eli- gibility requirements. Children must have turned three years old on or before Oct. 1, 2008 and must be fully toilet trained. Experienced, certified teachers plan nurturing early childhood experiences focusing on kindergarten readiness (pre-reading skills, math, and science concepts), social interaction, movement activities, and play skills. Seasonal field trips are scheduled and students participate in school- wide events and assemblies. The program is based at Lenape Meadows School with classes held five half-days a week, Monday through Friday (following the regular school calendar). The program has both morning from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and afternoon from 12:50 to 3:20 p.m. sessions, with placement determined by availability. Transportation is provided door-to-door. Registration forms are available at every Mahwah public school or on the Mahwah Schools website: http://www. mahwah.k12.nj.us. For further information, call Lenape Meadows School at (201) 762-2261. Bridge program for teens offered Area teenagers are invited to join a free Teen Bridge Group on Wednesday afternoons beginning Jan. 28 at the Mahwah Library. The series is free and sponsored by the North Jersey Bridge Association, an affiliate of the American Contract Bridge League. Eight weeks of lessons and games will be offered to students in grades five through 12. Lessons will be held from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. Jan. 28 through March 18. Beginning Jan. 5, interested students can sign up with the Mahwah Young Adult Librarian, (201) 549-7323, exten- sion 5, or by e-mail at jukniewicz@bccls.org. Lessons will be taught by Susan Koster, an ACBL-accredited teacher. To learn more about the school bridge programs, contact Koster at (201) 529-8083. The library is located at 100 Ridge Road in Mahwah. Writers’ collective accepts new members The Mahwah Library Writers’ Collective meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Mahwah Public Library. The group’s goal is to support adult writers at all levels. The col- lective will allow writers to share their stories and receive constructive feedback. Writers working in fiction and cre- ative non-fiction are welcome and need not to be published to join. Members are encouraged to attend regularly and come prepared with copies of their work to share. Mahwah res- idency is not required, and there is no fee. The group is accepting new members this fall. Call Cindy Herrmann at (201) 529-2938 for information. The Mahwah library is located at 100 Ridge Road in Mahwah. Young filmmakers sought The Mahwah Public Library invites high school and college students interested in film and video production to enter the Mahwah Student Film & Video Festival set for April 15 and 16, 2009 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The festival will offer students the opportunity to share their films and creative abilities and viewpoints with the public. Works by students in high school and college, up to age 24, will be featured. Entrants are invited to submit original short films, 20 minutes or less in running time, by March 13, 2009. There is no fee to submit work, but students may only submit one project for consideration. The range and style of films may include, but are not limited to, animation, comedy or parody, commercials, documentary, short feature, experi- mental, music video, personal narratives, and public ser- vice announcements. The students whose films are selected for the festival will be invited to attend, introduce, and talk about their work. Students can pick up their submission guidelines and entry form from the young adult librarian. Phone (201) 529- READ for details. OEM prepares list of residents The Township of Mahwah’s Office of Emergency Man- agement is preparing a town wide list of residents with special needs. The list, to be kept strictly confidential, will only be used by emergency management personnel in the event of an emergency, such as a fire, flood, serious storm, or power failure in the township, in order to provide assis- tance to those with special needs. Special needs individuals include those who are con- fined to a wheel chair, who use oxygen on a regular and continuing basis, are in need of dialysis treatments, have mental or physical handicaps, have hearing or sight impair- ments, are elderly or live alone, or are senior citizens in need of help in an emergency. Those residents with the special needs described or their care givers, should call the Mahwah Office of Emer- gency Management at (201) 831-2075 or e-mail a request to IV • Page 27 rroe@mahwahtwp.org to obtain a special needs registra- tion form. The forms can also be obtained at the township recep- tionist desk in the lobby of the township’s municipal build- ing at 475 Corporate Drive, the Senior Citizen Center, which is also located at the township’s municipal building, and the library, located on Ridge Road. Reminder: Our next deadline will be Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 at noon. Borst (continued from page 6) Landscape & Design has been involved in organic lawn care for more than a decade and is a member of the Pes- ticide Environmental Stewardship Program, a voluntary group run by the EPA. In 2007, Borst introduced Borst Organic®, the company’s private label for organic prod- ucts that treat lawn, trees and shrubs ‘’with the science of nature…naturally.” “The problem is that the chemical used to enhance a lawn’s color, nitrogen, actually stresses the grass. It’s almost like putting your lawn on steroids. In an organic lawn care program, we focus on improving the soil. Healthy soil pro- duces healthy, vibrant grass plants,” said Cioffi. Using a holistic approach, known in the field as integrated pest management, Borst has made a name for itself as the pre- mier landscaping firm in northern New Jersey focused on “green” practices. Through site assessment, periodic moni- toring, and preventative applications, Borst is able to lower incidents of pest and pathogen problems and significantly reduce its use of pesticide products. Cioffi also reviewed the importance of using porous hardscape surfaces that allow rainwater to filter down through the soil – a natural means of purification – rather than becoming runoff that brings harmful chemicals into the water system. “Just like everything else in life, environmentally-safe landscaping is all about stress management,” said Cioffi. “Healthy soil is the key, and the organic approach relieves the stress on the soil and allows it to return to its natural state.” At the end of the presentation, Cioffi received a certifi- cate of appreciation from Rotary Club President/Paramus Borough Administrator Anthony Iacono. Borst Landscape & Design is located at 260 West Cres- cent Avenue, Suite 1, in Allendale. Phone (201) 785-9400 for details.