Patch Readers on New Township Website, Police Funding, School Board Drama

We love the dialogue between readers on Parsippany Patch and their comments on our stories. That's why we're going to feature your voices in a new weekly column called "Comments of the Week.'' So keep talking!

Here's what you had to say this week:

On the Township's

Bruce C.

"The best thing about the new website is that it doesn't have the annoying sound effects of the old one. The new site is probably more comprehensive, at the expense of a terribly cluttered and poorly organized home page. I hate the dueling animations at the top.

With modern content management systems, updates can be done by non-technical people using a web browser, so it seems excessive to be paying $11,000 for six months of such service....For the money involved, the township should have gotten a state-of-the-art site, and this isn't it.

Interestingly, the mayor's name makes nine appearances on the home page.''

Matt Clarkin

"I'm sure they could have paid one of the computer/tech teachers (or even students) in our school system a few hundred bucks for something that has just as much information without the fancy animations and whatnot, while still making it look nice. Sometimes, especially on the web, there is a certain niceness to simplicity (not to mention it's more cost-effective)...''

On County Superintendent and the contract for Superintendent of Schools LeRoy Seitz: 

BOE Member Andrew Choffo:

"Without impinging on matters specific to the litigation, I will confirm that there are dozens emails totaling hundreds of pages from Mrs. Serafino, or her designee, to the BOE dating from August, 2010, to October, 2010, regarding the new Superintendent’s contract. The content of those emails from Mrs. Serafino to the BOE served to establish the parameters of the new contract. At NO time did Mrs. Serafino or the DOE indicate that the new contract had to comply with the PROPOSED regulations. In fact, her last email on this matter from late October, 2010, clearly indicated that the new Superintendent’s contract was approved by her. 
"...after returning from vacation, Mrs. Serafino reversed her prior approval without reason. I can only speculate that she was severely criticized by her superiors in the DOE and submitted to that pressure.''

Responding to Suggestions that  Voting Down the Would Send a Message to the BOE: 

Niki Lipkin

 "I may not agree with many of the things that the BOE has been doing or the way in which they are handling things of late. However, I would not be spiteful against the children of Parsippany and vote against the budget just because I want the world to know what the taxpayers of Parsippany will and will not put up with. IMHO, that seems to cut off your nose to spite your face. I have a right to vote for or against those whom I feel have done a poor job and those I feel will do a better job. That is how I choose to make my voice heard.''

On the  

David Comora

"DARE is certainly a valuable program and makes a lasting impression on school age children. In addition to teaching them about the dangers of drugs, it also provides a first positive impression of the police force for most of Parsippany's children. Perhaps the program could be saved through a combination of fund raisers and volunteer efforts by Residents and Policemen, since both groups have much to gain by continuing the program."