Clearly Graydon is front and center with this campaign but it is important to realize that there are many other crucial things happening in the Village. Do we really want this election to hinge on one issue? Listen to all four candidates as they talk in the upcoming weeks about their overall positions.

As a village resident who is not a member of EITHER Graydon group I can speak only from other experiences. My husband and I have had the opportunity of meeting Doug Cronk as we applied for variances recently through the Zoning board. He was nothing but fair/kind to us throughout the entire experience. As Village residents he strived to help us find a solution to our dilemma that helped the village and also maintained our happiness. If that is not advocacy for the residents I dont know what is.

As stated in this article Doug and Brian only responded to the Graydon debate by saying "they would consider revisions if beneficial to the village." How could this be a stance we do not support. None of the candidates have heard all of the testimony (as none of them are currently on the board) and I don't see how they can have a hard stance without that knowledge.

Either way - as an advocate for Doug Cronk his level of integrity has not been compromised throughout this campaign. I do not believe that he leveraged his wife's connections to blast his candidacy. Marriage is a partnership with often shared views - but Melinda's involvement with the RPP is professional!

I have been trying to decide what to write for weeks on this topic and everyday opt out bc I am too busy with my family or just simply too frustrated with the topic. The Graydon topic is ridiciluous bc despite what the Preserve Colliation says the people have spoken. How? Listen...they have spoken with their actions. They have gone elsewhere..to other pools.

The Village Council (existing and future) and the Colliation need to listen and stop talking. It will not take long. Pretty much every family in RWD with young children has spoken....Graydon is dirty, not profitable and has to go. Really how much more do you need to know.

This year my son was in a kindergarten class with 15 boys and no aid. When you think about it, the aid went down the drain at Graydon..literally. With the money lost this 1st year teacher was left with 15 five year old boys to handle all on her own.

Personally I would vote for Doug and Brian on the Graydon issue alone. Hopefully they will address other issues but if they stopped losing money at Graydon that would be enough for me.

I strongly suggest that everyone stop talking..LISTEN what needs to be said about Graydon has already been said. No matter how pretty it is or how long it has been there, no one goes and it is a drain on our community. Truly an opportunity lost.

Good morning all. "Political misdeeds" seems a bit over the top to describe the issue of email lists covered in this article. I have received many emails from Doug Cronk in the past few years, regardless of his current petition to run for village council. Doug was instrumental in rallying people to go to NYC to give blood for a local girl suffering from cancer. If it hadn't been for him sending me the information via email I would have never known about Haley's need. I made that trip to the city because of his good will as a person.

How much money does Graydon cost the town every year? For how many years? In what financial situation is this kind of loss tolerable? Yet, our taxes go up every year, services and jobs get cut, and the pool is empty on the hottest days of summer. There are candidates running for Town Council that want to "preserve" this? What am I missing?

The fact that the Preserve Coalition has tried to spin the council elections into a Graydon Pool issue is absolutely ridiculous. Moreover, the claim that the Ridgewood Pool Project acted inappropriately and that Doug and Brian’s petitions should be scrutinized is laughable. Will Graydon be a topic of discussion, of course it will. Is it and should it be the ONLY topic, of course not. The Preserve Coalition needs to understand this and stop this petty behavior.

I have known the Cronks for a few years now and I have nothing but good things to say about them, more importantly their character. Both Melinda and Doug work full time jobs, while raising two kids AND actively participating in their community. The fact that they put themselves out there to better the community, while balancing their jobs and personal lives, speaks volumes. This is what the election is all about; voting for those that you feel will best represent, and make positive changes to our town. I know without a doubt Doug Cronk and Brian Down are the best people for these seats. This is what the election should be about, not just Graydon.

Graydon is our most important issue. Graydon exemplifies our most important issue: how we treat and deal with the earth and with ourselves,the health of both, is the basis for everything else, every other issue. If we have an over developed (concrete), artificial environment that toxic environment will impact the health of our neighborhood, our natural surroundings and our own personal health and well being. We must develop a Ridgewood community that allows for our need for engagement with nature, that allows a natural surrounding to thrive and we its residents to thrive in turn. A big fresh water pond surrounded by sand with wildlife, really what could be more calming and more fun. Really, to play, to swim to dream to pretend in the water. Pretend we are fish or swimming out to sea, or are shipwrecked. To let our imaginations roam in a big roomy pond. What is it? A slice of heaven in our own backyard!. Let's tell the truth. That is our most important issue. The village is already over developed folks. And it's damaging to our health.

Is anyone else concerned about the fact that Marcia and Suzanne seem to be trying to take attention away from the facts about how much money Graydon loses every season? Perhaps rather than questioning the integrity of two men who, by all accounts, are above reproach, they should focus on their biggest problem, which is finding a way to make a failed business model work. Why is it that the school board has to balance their budget but it's okay for Graydon to lose money each year?

Rachel,

I saw the architectural drawing of the proposed design for Graydon that was posted in the library last summer. That drawing was carefully thought out and was concrete. It had several small partitioned swimming areas, no more than four feet deep, which is very dangerous for kids playing wildly in water and likely getting head and spinal injuries.

" A natural feel" is not natural. If I want a natural breakfast, I don't eat rice crispies, I eat brown rice with raisins and walnuts. If I want to swim in a natural environment minus the ocean, I have to drive and pollute the environment to get to a lake. But wow!! if Graydon stays , I have it made. I have been enjoying Graydon since 1978. I think that the whole area has declined, too much development. If Graydon loses money, people have to educate themselves about the value of Graydon- a natural pond, just as they have to educate themselves about the value of brown rice vs. rice krispies. What about the cost of destroying a priceless treasure. The monetary cost is millions upon millions. Even if Graydon did lose money it would average about $25 per family. But let's give Graydon a chance. Stop the negative publicity, learn how to swim , let your imagination roam, if you can uninfluenced by media images, hear your own voice and see your own pictures, learn how to swim if you have to and enjoy a real treasure.

Just to chime in with one fact—no RFP has been issued yet. The Graydon committee will offer recommendations to council soon, though.

Diane, you raise one of the most misunderstood points about the process. In order to complete a feasibility study, the Village needed a draft concept. It was just that - a concept. At the time, the consultant felt cost was driven by the size of the swim area. One of latest, most exciting findings is that some experts disagree with this and feel we could work within the same size and appearance of today.

I understand your point about embracing the environment, but we need to admit that Graydon is not 100% natural. In fact, the Graydon of 1978-1995ish was fully chlorinated until new environmental regulations surfaced. But because it's a man-made pond with a slow churn, the Village now carries a special pesticide label to control algae (an exemption from the DEP rule that says we shouldn't put any residual chemical discharge into the ground aquifer).

Wouldn't it be great if the RFP allowed us to identify a vendor who, for example, could put an organic liner between the water and the ground, so that nothing touched the aquifer? And then we could use friendly disinfecting measures like UV or ozone? There's a pond in Chestnut Ridge that did something like this and it's one of the most idyllic settings - you would love it.

People need to stop spreading fear and panic - the RFP simply looks for more ideas so the Village can keep the intent of the facility while bringing residents back. After many years of membership decline, a long-term plan would be very helpful.

Unfortuately there hasn't been an expert that can provide us with a substitute for Graydon that works within the same size and appearance of what exists today. Every design has been considerably smaller. A smaller, thus crowded concrete pool is neither safe or healthy.

It is very true that people need to stop "spreading fear and panic". This is exactly what if being done, every time a comment is made publically that Graydon is not disinfected. This comment is based on a technicality. Yes, the chlorine was given a new label, but it is still chlorine and will still behave like chlorine. Chlorine will attack the larger molecules of organic material 1st and then attack the smaller molecules of bacteria second. Because only small quanties of the chlorine are allowed to be used in Graydon, chances are much of chlorine's effectiveness was used up destroying the larger molecules of the organic material, leaving very little effectivenss against bacteria. This is no longer the case. As of 2008 a natural chemical is being used, in addition to the chlorine. This natural chemical kills the molecules of the organic material, allowing the chlorine to be more effective in killing bacteria. Spreading inaccurate and outdated information about Graydon that the water is not disinfected, is a way to scare people from using Graydon in the attempt to drive memberships down.

Telling the truth about how Graydon's water is kept clean and clear will get residents back...not an RFP.

As a result of discussions during the Graydon Pool Committee meetings, residents will be able to defer to the Village Parks and Recreation for accurate information. Such information will be available via the newly created Graydon news letters as well as the Villiage Website. I encourage all residents to read the information that will soon be available so you can get accurate information and not be mislead by negative propaganda and rumor.

I was at the meeting when a local resident presented a concept for keeping the size and shape of Graydon He may be keeping the shape, but not the size . He said he would use the same shape of Graydon, but he would contruct two artificial islands about the size of the current island with the sycamore tree. These islands would be used to house the pool machinery. These islands would take up a great deal of the surface area of Graydon, leaving a much smaller swimming area.

The RFP is only going to give us ideas for construction of a new facility, because only architects/engineers can respond to the RFP. We also know that these ideas are going to cost millions of dollars. You can not construct a new facility for anything less. We don't have to issue an RFP to know this. I am sure there are lots of ideas that our committee hasn't heard of yet. Multi-million dollar ideas. With the Village in a financial crisis, why would we want to bring a multi-million dollar debt to our doorstep?

Regardless of your stance on Graydon, the issue at hand here is one political group accusing the other of serious missteps in the process of gaining signed petitions. The Preserve Graydon Coalition appears to making the Village Council election all about Graydon, whether they intend to or not - that's how they are coming across to many in town. The Cronks are an upstanding family who would not act in the manner in which they have been accused. We all should be paying attention to the very important issues our town is facing and, in my opinion, Graydon is not at the top of that list. Schools that are losing millions of dollars in state aid, a teacher's union/pay issue that is pitting our educators against each other, a downtown that is depressingly empty, public employees undergoing difficult contract negotiations - our beautiful village is at a crossroads right now and I feel that all this divisiveness over the source of an email list is doing nothing but causing more strife. Focus on the issues, tell us what you will do to improve our town and move on. Leave the Cronks alone.

As moderator of the forum, I deleted a comment that—in my view—was a personal shot. I've appreciated the dialogue left here and encourage further debate on the issue. Points on the issue will be accepted but not personal attacks or characterizations.

To clarify a little further. I invite that reader to post his/her opinions again, but without the personal attack.

Jennifer,

I totally agree with you that there are more important issues facing the Village right now than Graydon. It is not my fault that Melinda and the RPP that she heads is pushing for an RFP to be issued at a time when doing so would be totally inappropriate. When Village employees are getting laid off and the Village is operating at a $1million deficit, why would the Council or the RPP even think that issuing an RFP for "ideas" that will cost well into the millions is the responsible thing to do. In my opinion, anyone who thinks issuing an RFP at this time, is not acting in the best interest of the Village and is insensitive to those who have truly devastating financial problems. You are absolutely right, Graydon is not at the top of the critical issues that are facing Ridgewood right now, so why is Melinda and the RPP making it so. She and her group are the ones pushing for an RFP.

(There is no reply box on M. Cronk's comment above, so replying here.) Suzanne Kelly did attend the January 21 Graydon Pool Committee meeting at which Mr. Masterson's report, mentioned above, was given. Coincidentally, that was the meeting from which Melinda departed angrily before it ended, and hasn't been back since; she has been absent from all subsequent meetings to date, on February 4 and 25 and March 4 and 25, as well as from the previous meeting, on January 7. In other words, Melinda missed five of the last six meetings and departed before the conclusion of the one she did attend, whereas Suzanne has attended every meeting since she joined the committee. None of this would matter much except that the finger pointing seems to be going in the wrong direction.
More to the point, how can the RPP continue to deny that an RPP email list exists in light of widespread knowledge and the words in Melinda's own email message (quoted in the article above) to a resident who had expected only pool news, but received statements supporting candidates in an important upcoming municipal election? That discomfited email recipient was only one of many. Having this apparent discrepancy reconciled would be most helpful for residents struggling to understand.

Please identify yourself, especially if you are going to report on events for which you were not present. I have absolutely nothing to hide. I did leave that meeting frustrated. Why? Because it was past 10pm and I had a babysitter at home. At a critical moment when someone was actually presenting a potential design that could leave Graydon intact but allow more consistent water quality, the Preserve Graydon representative continued to say NO. The point of the committee was to find a middle ground, and it seems the group has not been willing to do that. With two young children at home and a full-time job, I told Councilmen Pfund and Mancuso that I could no longer spend 2+ hours every two weeks attending, and therefore another person would be the delegate.

To clarify, no one has denied that an RPP list exists. It doesn't mean it was used for the purpose you suggest. Anyone who is "discomforted" is welcome to meet with me at any time to discuss. Because of our involvement in the community, we also have access to the Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Newcomers, Friends of the Library, Willard Elementary School, and RHS directories. Are you suggesting all of those people received the message as well?

It would be nice to have a discussion about this issue calmly and without your personal attacks, but that never seems to be the case. All I can say is that anyone who tries to cast shadows without talking to all the candidates is missing the opportunity to be an informed voter.

There is no bond discussion about Graydon? Really? Once a proposal is selected, it will cost over 1 million dollars for archetectual drawings. The the majority of the money to pay for these drawing will come from a bond. So a bond will be issued just for the drawings before a single badge will have been sold. To prove this statement, anyone is free to go to the Ridgewood Public Library where you can review the proposed capital buget for 2009, The Village has listed as an item under debt service $1,211,250 for architectural drawings for Graydon Pool. The new facility at Graydon would already not be self-funded even before it was built.

The current financial model for the new facility is based on a 10 million dollar pool with 6,000 members, buying a badge for $150 . S0, 6,000 x $150= $900,000. The bond payments would be $633,000 for the next 25 years. That leaves $267,000 for operational/maintenance costs. Stony Brook's maintenance costs (a concrete pool in Hillsdale similar to what is being considered for Graydon) for the '09 season was $717,100. That leaves $450,000 dollars for maintenance/operational costs that is not covered by badge sales. Guess who is going to cover this cost....the taxpayer.

I have no doubt that the Cronks are an upstanding family. But they don't speak for me. I never gave them my email, yet I received Mr. Cronks candidacy announcement: how? While the RPP is a 501(c)3 non profit, which By Law may not engage in any political activity, the Preserve Graydon Coalition is not: they can lobby legally.
When I first read the RPP survey, I was told it was not about a cement pool, yet every question was worded so as to lead me to that conclusion. In fact, a cement pool in the middle of a flood plain, filled with chlorine (a chemical disinfectant, regardless of any lables applied to it), and sitting atop underground springs seems to me like a huge boondoggle. I've read the reports online and at the library (which also doesn't make a profit) and concluded that Graydon is, in fact, quite clean. It just tends to be a bit cloudy when the sand gets kicked up by swimmers. A larger grade of sand will be used to reduce the turbidity issue. The water is tested regularly and is C-L-E-A-N. If it weren't, the pool would be shut down by the State.
A $10+ million pool would require more debt. Moody's has already said that any more debt would result in a lower bond rating. I'm sure we all know what that leads to after the last banking debacle decimated so many families here. The proposed RFP would require a cement answer simply by its wording: where is the fiscal responsiblity, the common sense?
We can't undo this one: think carefully before you vote.

The thing that I find most frustrating about this whole debate is why we are even having one in the first place. When the surveys were done in 2007 Melinda reported the findings to the Council at a Work Session of the Village Council on Oct 24,2007. She reported that "people want to keep the shape ande size and the natural appearnce. She said the "sand was very popular" "The sand bottom was noted as preferable" These comments were not taken out of context. They were taken directly from the minutes, which is verified on audio and video tape, available at the Ridgewood Public Library for anyone to review. When I heard the presentation that was going to greatly reduce the size of Graydon's swimming area, I did say NO, because I know the size and shape is important to residents. Melinda responded by saying that residents are willing to sacrifice the overall size. How does she know this? Has another survey been taken to ask residents if they are okay with a pool 1/3 the size of Graydon? Can Melinda unilatterly make that decision.

On July 1, 2009 Melinda stated that the reason people are leaving Graydon is because of the "quality and clarity of the water". Parks and Rec has worked very hard over the past 3 years to improve the water quality at Graydon and they are succeeding. Each year they have been fine tuning the chemical treatments and each year it gets better. Why are we arguing. Residents wanted cleaner, clearer water and that is what they are getting.

Very interesting read..just to further my comments. I find it interesting how political this has gotten. Melinda Cronk was a member of the committee, RPP, appointed by the Village Council, not just an individual who got involved on her own. Whenever I read comments about her (or husband) I am shocked. Whether you agree with them or not, they are citizens who got involved and now some are making it personal against them. Melinda is not a one woman Graydon hater, she is a member of a sub committe formed by our council. I think it is important for people to remember that this commitee followed strict guidelines and although Melinda delivered the information it was the committee's findings.

Siobhan,

Melinda's group the Ridgewood Pool Project is not a village appointed committee. The survey's done by the RPP were completely independent of the Village. As a matter of fact, when we asked the Village for the raw data from which the conclusions of the survey were drawn, we were told by the Village in a letter dated 11/16/09 that " the Ridgewood Pool Project is a separate 501c3 corporation, not created or adopted by the Village" It further states that "the Village of Ridgewood has very limited information concerning focus group data and descriptions of the methodology used in gathering same do to the fact that the Ridgewood Pool Project is a separate 501c3 entity which in not a part of the Village of Ridgewood."

Melinda delivered the findings of the survey's created by the Ridgwood Pool Project, not the Village of Ridgewood. Furthermore, the raw data was never validated by any Village employee.

Melinda,

I attended your survey meeting last spring and was shown the architectural drawing that you said was the result of much study and research. Here is your design. It was posted in the Ridgewood Library lobby: http://www.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/parksandrec/RPPWebpresJan08.pdf
It was designed by a Ridgewood resident, a woman, I don't remember her name, an architect in Ridgewood. You said her design met the needs of what most residents want.
Melinda, At the survey meeting I said that I hated the design , that it took all the fun out of Graydon, that it virtually eliminated swimming.
I personally love the big, roomy, deep swimming area. I don't want to be confined to laps. I love and need unstructured fun. That is what Graydon provides. I am not a remarkable person.Other people too love unstructured big roomy areas to swim in. The water is clean, otherwise the pool would be closed.
I also swim in the James River in Virginia. The river has a different standard of cleanliness from a chlorinated pool, or a pond such as Graydon or the ocean, which is sometimes closed due to medical waste etc. But all of these places, including Graydon are suitable for swimming and the water is tested in all places.
The point I want to make is that as far as I and many residents are concerned Graydon is great and meets our needs. A request for a proposal, if implemented would seriously diminish not improve an already wonderful recreational facility, Graydon Pool.

Melinda Cronk's statement in the Patch article above that the reason my mother, Honore Fontes, received political announcements about her husband's campaign is that she must have been on the Travell Home and School Association list (she isn't; that's my wife) is interesting because it suggests, as countless residents have known for years, that the RPP poached the HSA email lists too.

This message was dictated by my mother, who does currently have access to a computer:

"I was surprised to receive an unwanted political announcement and wrote back asking how my name had gotten on that email list. As the Patch article states, Melinda Cronk replied in a signed email message that my name must have been on the RPP's email list--which it was, because I am interested in hearing news about Graydon."

" I beleive that people are not entitled legally, and I know they are not entitled ethically, to merge confidential email lists. The use of my name for this political campaign by a supposed public charity constitutes an abuse of trust and privacy and may, I beleive, violate federal tax law. A large number of residents have been disturbed by these actions. Melinda's suggestion that the only way for me to stop receiving whatever she decides to send along is to remove my name from the RPP list is not an option for me because I wish to continue to receive information about Graydon. That does not entitle her to use my email address, or other people's, for any other purpose."

Here's what I know...
I asked for more information about a town pool a LONG time ago after I received an email from the RPP.
Recently, I received a politically-based email asking for a vote... actually, 2 votes.
I am NOT a personal friend of the Cronks. I do not know them.
This was a blatant misuse of my personal contact information.
Illegal? Probably...
Obnoxious? Definitely...