On Friday, July 25, the borough changed locks on three buildings located at Memorial and Tamblyn fields. The changed locks came as a surprise to some of the volunteers who have had unlimited access to the facilities for years.

The change was prompted when Rutherford’s new recreation director, Denise Brennan, heard community members not on the payroll of the borough had keys to borough-owned property. Brennan, who took the one-year vacant spot of recreation director in June and was recreation director in Mountain Lakes for eight years, said policy dictates only borough employees should have keys to borough facilities.

Changing the locks

"It was really difficult to assess who had keys, how many keys were out there, what keys to what facilities so the mayor made the decision to change everything and start from scratch so last Friday he had the locks changed," Brennan said.

Michael Paskas, who is president of the 100-player Rutherford Babe Ruth Baseball and 350-player Rutherford Junior Football, was shocked when he tried to access rooms where he stores equipment in a trailer at Memorial Field. He said that the borough and his organizations have always had a great relationship and he would allow the recreation department to use his fryers and refrigerators, which he housed in the trailer, for their day camp.

"It just took a turn for the worse on Friday," Paskas said. "I feel they’re ungrateful."

Paskas has since removed two fryers and two refrigerators from the trailer kitchen and moved them to a building that is owned by Rutherford Junior Football on borough property.

"I don’t know how they’d be able to unlock this whenever I need it so I have no choice to move them to my building," Paskas said.

As a result, children in their last week of day camp were not served hot lunches. The recreation department sent out a letter notifying parents of the lunch cancellations.

"Personally and professionally I don’t think the request that we control our own keys was unreasonable," Brennan said. "I was surprised by the depth and the fervor of their upsetment. Was it unfortunate that they needed it before we got a chance to let them know? Yes. That was really unfortunate but I don’t see that as a deal breaker and now things have to be moved out."

Park ranger will hold keys

Brennan and Mayor John Hipp asserted that access is not being denied, but will no longer be unlimited.

"If they need access, they can gain access through the park ranger so there should be no inconvenience," Hipp said.

Brennan said that there is a park ranger on duty almost all the time and substitute park rangers who may get the keys from the police department when access is required.

But already Paskas has complained that he had issues in gaining access three times since the lock change on Friday.

On Wednesday, July 30, Rutherford Babe Ruth went to retrieve bases from the trailer for a practice and made calls to the mayor, recreation department and police. Someone from the DPW arrived with a key 40 minutes later, according to Paskas.

"There are going to be glitches and bumps along the way but I think for the most part it safeguards the municipality and the organizations," Brennan said, adding that perhaps another park ranger would be necessary for Tamblyn Field, where St. Mary’s uses the civic center. According to Brennan a meeting will take place next week with St. Mary’s for arrangements.