WEST MILFORD West Milford School Board member Greg Bailey wants the town council and board of education to join the PAL and lay a new recreation field on McCormick Field, the high school football field. It would be made of a synthetic surface called FieldTurf and would allow practice and games to take place in even the worst weather conditions. Bailey appeared before the council to ask them to give its endorsement to the project and to bond the project to a value of $600,000 to meet the total cost of the new field of approximately $685,000. The proposal would then be that the Board of Education re-pays half the bond figure, $300,000, to the township over a 10 year period. The field would be available for use to local schools and sports groups. Bailey said the facilities already available there such as lighting, parking, rest rooms and the running track make it ideal. Initiating the plan is the PAL who are willing to invest $85,000 in the field in order to create a new surface for soccer. Bailey claims the board of education can meet its end of the financial costs by savings it would make from the reduced maintenance costs associated with the new field. Bailey said, The board is going to realize that much that they have to put forward for paying each year [to the township] in savings in manpower, material, no cutting, no watering, no striping etc. So thats how we can justify it at the board of education level. Bailey also said the type of field being considered has recently been installed by professional football teams such as the New England Patriots and New York Giants. No decision was made following the presentation. The council will consider the offer in the next few weeks and decide whether to invest in the field and agree to the bonding proposal. In other news ... The plan to provide bear proof garbage cans with the aid of a state grant has been set back again. The project is to be sent out for bidding again following discussions which agreed that any bid to provide the cans should include a requirement to drill holes in the can for the handles. This will be the third time the garbage cans have been put out to bid following the first bid where no acceptable bids were received and now a second round of bidding where cans were to be delivered with the drilling and attaching of handles still to be done. One of those bidders who had their bid rejected, Dog Inc., appeared before the council to appeal for a new bidding process claiming their bid had been unfairly rejected. Councilman Bill Gervens bid his final farewell to the council following his retirement from public service. Gervens had served for three years as council president and had proved to be a popular and dogged voice on the dais. Gervens said, There were times over the past three years when it was the best job in the world, then there were times when it got late at night when it wasnt. Gervens will be remembered as a voice for shorter meetings; often eyeing the clock when it reached past 10 oclock and council members prolonged discussion. Another retirement for the township this week is that of Edwin Rodda, the towns registrar of vital statistics. Rodda began working for the town on Sept. 19, 1947 and has achieved the distinction of almost 60 years of service. Both council members and administration staff alike have been exalting Roddas influence, knowledge and manners. A send-off has been arranged for Rodda at the town hall meeting room on Friday Dec. 29 starting at 11 a.m. running until 3:30 p.m.