Superintendent's Resignation, Hospital Renovations, New Councilman Top This Week's News

Zoeller Resigns As Westwood Regional Superintendent

Dr. Geoffrey Zoeller, the superintendent ofWestwood Regional Schools, resigned from his position effective April 25 via a letter to the school board. The board unanimously voted to accept his resignation at their meeting Thursday.

The board also voted to grant Zoeller a paid leave of absence from January 25 to April 24.

Board Member and former President Carol Mountain, who introduced the motion, said the board and Zoeller had come to a "mutual agreement" that he would resign his position.

Westwood Hospital Renovations 90 Percent Complete

Officials at HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley expect to take their first patient June 1, according to CEO Chad Melton.

Melton told Patch Tuesday that renovations to the former Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood are about 90 percent complete and they hope to have a certificate of occupancy for the whole building within the next month and have a license by April.

Pizzella Appointed to Hillsdale Council

The Hillsdale Council voted to appoint Frank Pizzella to an unexpired term for the rest of the year during a special meeting Thursday night.

Officials were given three candidates by the Bergen County Republican Organization to replace former Council President Michael Giancarlo, who resigned at the end of last year. They interviewed all three candidates in closed session during the meeting Thursday before making their decision.

"I was duly impressed with the interview and I think you're doing this for all the right reasons," Councilman Larry Meyerson said.

Westwood School Board Wants State Input on Possible Conflict

The Westwood Regional Board of Education is scheduled to vote on a resolution Thursday to have state officials review a possible conflict of interest with new board Member Rusty Miller.

Miller works for the Westwood Truck Center, which has contracted with the district for vehicle maintenance since 1997, he said. The company is owned by Miller's family and has contracts with several area school districts.

Miller was elected in November and joined the board this month.

The resolution would send the matter to the state Commissioner of Education for review.

Board President Roberta Hanlon said she did not expect state officials to find a conflict, but they wanted to get clarification.

New Security Guards Start at Pascack Valley Schools

New security guards had their first day of work at Pascack Valley High School and Pascack Hills High School Monday, according to Superintendent P. Erik Gundersen.

The unarmed guards were recently hired via a contract with U.S. Securities Associates to supervise the front entrance of each school. Other doors to the schools are locked and under surveillance with cameras.

The contract was approved at the Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education's previous meeting.

The fact that the hires were made shortly after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. was just a coincidence, Gundersen previously told Patch. The money for the guards had been inlcuded in the district's budget last year.

Hillsdale School Board Searching For New Member

The Hillsdale Board of Education is looking for a new member to replace Debbie Loganchuk, who announced this week she will be resigning her seat in March.

According to a notice posted on the district's website, candidates "must be registered voters who have lived in the district for at least a year, they must be able to read and write, cannot hold a contract with or claim against the school district, and have not been convicted of any crimes referenced in NJ Title 18A:12-1."