Letter to the Editor: Borough Calendar Doesn't Show Best of Franklin Lakes

To the Editor:

I am in receipt of the Franklin Lakes calendar.  I question how much town money and/or time went in to this project. I know that in the past, former Mayor DeNicola made a thoughtful decision to stop the calendar because it was time consuming and not self-sustaining.  Have these issues been successfully resolved? 

The calendar does not show Franklin Lakes at its best.  The editing of this unnecessary piece repeated  two pictures. There weren’t enough good photographs to actually choose 12 good ones?  What does that say of Franklin Lakes?  The pictures were solicited in a year-long contest.  Greg Hart was one of the judges.  Two pictures are attributed to Greg Hart, our Borough Administrator, and judge. 

Locations were identified on only two pictures.  I would have appreciated more location information in order to visit the beautiful places displayed.  A purpose of the calendar is to show us off, not to have what might be considered generic photos, however lovely. 

My understanding is that the pictures were submitted.

And yes, after Hurricane Sandy, Georgia Power (one of the pictures)  really got us up and running electrically again, but that only makes me think about our regular supplier, Rockland Electric, and whether they are being held to task about their responsiveness.  I know our Mayor, on December 13,  said he’d fire them if he could.* I am definitely reminded that our regular supplier was not capable of serving us well when I look at Georgia Power saving the day after Sandy.  How does that reflect on the community infrastructure?

The calendar should be about reinforcing the positives of Franklin Lakes.  It did not achieve that goal. 

*Franklin Lakes Mayor Frank Bivona also complained about Orange & Rockland's response, as well as the treatment he got from senior officials there when he sought more information. He said he and his residents were fed up after the storm.

"If I had a choice, and did a poll of Franklin Lakes, we'd fire you," he said. "It's not personal, but there's no doubt. I don't know how many people called me, 'Can we get rid of them?'"  12/13/12

Joan Mokray,
Franklin Lakes 

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