Geese Police again hired to patrol school grounds

The school district was cited last year by the Health Department for an excessive amount of geese droppings.

By: David Pescatore
   HIGHTSTOWN — The school board on Monday approved using the Geese Police to control the population of geese at Drew, McKnight and Hightstown High School.
   The company uses border collies to frighten the geese. They also freeze, shake, puncture, or oil any eggs and replace them into the nests where they were found, a process known as addling. The total cost is approximately $11,000 plus addling charges of $100 per nest. The board said it would spend no more than $15,000 for the service, which likely would last 14 weeks.
   The board rejected a proposal of board member Stuart Dolgon to "give them diplomas so they can go to college."
   Board President Bruce Ettman said he was amazed by "how much effort we put into outsmarting geese."
   The school district and Twin Rivers each used the Geese Police last year to scare Canada geese. The move was necessary after the East Windsor Health Department cited both bodies in March for having an excessive amount of geese droppings on their properties. The district spent $9,350 last year for the Geese Police. The district last year said it likely will have to contract for these services every year, as long as the geese return.
   In other business, new Interim Chief School Administrator James Sheerin, attending his first East Windsor Board of Education meeting, playfully described a person in his position as "a person without a past and a person without a future."
   He announced his intent to visit with school faculty and students to discuss their concerns. He said he will meet with fourth-, eighth-, and 12th-graders and ask them to grade their school system.
   The board appointed Phil Del Turco as district treasurer. The position carries a salary of $8,200. Mr. Del Turco will be paid a prorated amount effective Feb. 15.
   Mr. Del Turco was Hightstown’s borough administrator and chief financial officer from November 2001 until October of last year. Seven years prior to that he served a stint as the borough’s CFO.