To the Editor: My name is James Rauth, a parent of two children who attend school in the West Milford School District. I am a resident of West Milford for the past 10 years, and I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the West Milford Board of Education. My motivation for running for the board at this time is my awareness for the need of increased safety in our schools, increased Drug/Alcohol awareness, prevention and counseling services for students as well as educational programs for parents. In addition, there is a need for increased “gang” awareness in the West Milford School District, as the gang population in the state of New Jersey is ever increasing. My career service as a State Law Enforcement Officer makes me uniquely qualified toward achieving a goal of making our school district one of the safest in the state, as well as the nation. In my professional capacity as a sergeant for the NJ Division of Parole’s Electronic Monitoring Program, I am responsible for the supervision of the state’s worst and most dangerous sex offenders, as well as other offenders. With this in mind I believe there is a need in our school district to educate the faculty, staff, parents and students about the dangers of living with sexual predators within our community. In addition to working on increased safety in our schools, I will work closely with both the board of education and town council to implement and increase the use of shared services such as: snow plowing, building maintenance, bidding and purchasing, fuel and energy costs. I also propose a joint task force with the town council and other community groups, to better utilize the shared use of township and district facilities. I will work closely with an Ad Hoc Parent Committee to study and develop a continued curriculum development program. I also serve on the Executive Board of the New Jersey Law Enforcement Supervisors Association. The NJLESA is the majority representative of the individuals serving at the rank of Sergeant or it’s equivalent in 13 State Law Enforcement Agencies. In this role I have gained a vast amount experience in labor relations and contract negotiations. In closing, I ask that the parents and voters of West Milford please consider my candidacy on behalf of our children and their future in West Milford. Anyone who wishes to discuss these or any issue please feel free to contact me at jf_rauth@go.com. The election is April 18, with polls open from 2 - 9 p.m. James F. Rauth West Milford