Students at the Cooperative Nursery School of Ridgewood took to their tricycles on May 24th to help St. Jude’s. The children participated in the Trike a Thon to raise money for the research center. They got to help out a great cause, have fun and learn about riding safety. This is just one of the many fun events that children participate in while at the Co-op.
A nonsectarian school, The Co-op also offers morning and afternoon classes for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds, as well as Mommy & Me classes and Kindergarten enrichment. Setting the school apart from other nursery schools, The Co-op is organized and run by the parents. This enables parents to actively participate in their child’s early learning experience. Music, physical education, field trips, indoor and outdoor play time and an in-house library are just a few of the experiences to which the children are exposed as supplements to the daily education plans.
>New Jersey Choral Society Concert Benefits Center for Food Action
Experience the passion, spirituality, and richly diverse musical legacies of Antonin Dvorák and Leonard Bernstein as the New Jersey Choral Society presents “Legacy” on Friday, June 3 at 8:00 pm in Ridgewood’s West Side Presbyterian Church and on Saturday, June 4 at 8:00 pm in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Montclair. Under the direction of dynamic conductor Eric Dale Knapp, the New Jersey Choral Society concludes its 30th Anniversary Season with a reflective and uplifting program featuring Antonin Dvorák’s lyrical meditation Mass in D Major with its tuneful, folk-like melodies and Leonard Bernstein’s famous Chichester Psalms(Ridgewood performance only), a rhythmic, dramatic, yet fundamentally spiritual choral work of a number of Hebrew psalm texts. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ romantic and transcendentalToward the Unknown Region, based on the poetry of Walt Whitman, will conclude the program. Linda Sweetman-Waters will be featured on the organ. Solists for this event are Katie DeLavega, soprano, Alicia Luick, mezzo-soprano, Daniel Lynch Jr., tenor, Bruce Cain, bass, and Jake Lucas, boy soprano. Come one hour prior to concert times for The Inside Line, a complimentary lecture for all ticket holders. Hosted by the NJCS Board of Trustees (Emily Hewetson, President) and friends, the lecture will feature “A New Jersey Choral Society 30th Anniversary Retrospective: where we have been and the exciting future of NJCS.” In support of the Center for Food Action, the New Jersey Choral Society will be collecting nonperishable food items at each concert. Donated food items can be deposited in one of the receptacles in the lobby.
The Center for Food Action is a non-profit organization that provides emergency food, rental and utility assistance, counseling and advocacy for people in need. Advance tickets are $20.00 for general admission, $17.00 for students, seniors, and patrons with disabilities, and $12 for children 12 and under (Add $5.00 at the door). Season subscriptions and group discounts are available. The West Side Presbyterian Church and the Church of the Immaculate Conception are wheelchair accessible and large print and Braille programs are available with two weeks notice. For reservations or more information, call the New Jersey Choral Society at (201) 379-7719 or visithttps://www.njcs.org. Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, through grant funds administered by the Bergen County Department of Parks, Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs.
The forecast for the summer driving season: Hit the road early. Not to beat the traffic, but to beat the higher gas prices expected in mid-July.
Goldman Sachs’ crystal ball is proclaiming that oil will soon soar to $135 a barrel, and likely have service stations jacking up fuel prices to $5 a gallon in New York just like the summer of 2008 that preceded the recession.
>Taxpayers’ Guide to Education Spending – May 2011 Introduction
The Taxpayers’ Guide to Education Spending (Taxpayers’ Guide) provides officials and the public the opportunity to view and compare all dollars spent on students for which public schools must provide services. Since previously reported per pupil costs did not include all expenditures, the Department has created a new variable that includes the total amount that is actually spent on students from preschool through grade 12.
The “Total Spending” calculation enhances the Budgetary Per Pupil Cost (formerly known as the Total Comparative Cost) by adding previously omitted categories of spending. Specifically, the Department added the following expenditures to arrive at the total spending number: transportation, special revenues, pension and benefits paid by the state, facilities (including debt service), equipment, total food services, judgments against the school district, and tuition/costs for students sent out of district (except payments to Charter schools). Consistent with the decision to include tuition for students sent out of district, the associated students are added to the enrollment denominator.
In addition to the new total spending measure, the Budgetary Per Pupil Cost Indicators are included to allow districts to review and compare various components of a school district’s annual budgeted data with other districts in the state through a series of “indicators” presenting costs on a per pupil basis. The Budgetary Per Pupil Cost is the amount that districts publish in their User-Friendly Budgets prior to the school election. It was formerly called the “Total Comparative Cost.” Unless otherwise noted in the indicator descriptions, districts are ranked from lowest to highest costs.
> Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration Committee recognizes and thanks those who make it all possible
It is with great enthusiasm and gratitude that the Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration Committee recognizes and thanks the following businesses and residents for their role in making it all possible. Without the generous support from participants like these, our celebration would not happen. Because of their generous support Ridgewood has one of the best small town Independence Day observations and a Parade that brings 30,000 people into the business district.
Applebee’s, Baumgarts Café, C.C. Van Emburgh Funeral Home, Columbia Bank, Country Pancake House, Daily Treat Restaurant, Dr. Kevin J. Emery, Fidelity Lodge #113, Free Masons, Home, James LLC, It’s Greek to Me, Susan E. and Edwin P. Kane, North Jersey Community Bank, Omega Settlement, Ridgewood Fire Volunteers, Ridgewood PBA Local 20, Ridgewood Press , Carl Rockermann, DMD, David L. Rutherford, Attorney at Law, Dr. Timothy Santo, Tarvin Realtors, Ulrich, Inc., Valley Hospital and Washington Elm Post 192. The Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration is organized by the Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration Committee, an all-volunteer community group. The Committee is not part of the Village of Ridgewood government and receives no direct funding from the Village. All aspects of the Celebration including fireworks, bands, evening performers, insurance, some police and fire personnel, are funded by voluntary assistance from businesses and individuals as well as the sale of fireworks tickets.
The Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration Committee will sponsor its 101st anniversary parade and fireworks on Monday, July 4, 2011. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Celebrate the Constitution”. It is vital that we have community support. Please consider helping to “Support the Tradition”. Because of generous support from the community, we have one of the best small town Independence Day celebrations. Donations may be made online at www.ridgewoodjuly4th.org or by mailing your check Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration, Inc., P.O. Box 140, Ridgewood, NJ 07451. Additional information and answers to many of your questions can be found on the Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration’s website at www.ridgewoodjuly4th.org. Thank you for “Supporting the Tradition,”
Margie Downs President Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration Committee
N.J. Agriculture Dept. touts state’s national ranking in plant, flower sales
An agricultural survey released Friday helped maintain New Jersey’s nickname as the Garden State, as sales of plants and flowers grew 7 percent last year over 2009’s total. (Hassan, State Street Wire)
New Jersey officials seek approval to change Medicaid structure
State health officials are seeking federal approval to significantly change the way New Jersey handles Medicaid, as Gov. Chris Christie’s administration looks to save $300 million on the health care program for low-income and disabled residents. (Harper, Press of Atlantic City)
New Jersey Senate Republicans have been asked to consider taking a unified position on public education, including removing the state Supreme Court from school-funding decisions and granting the Legislature the power to determine what it means to provide a “thorough and efficient” education in public schools. (Delli Santi, The Associated Press)
Following a year of politics, Supreme Court nominee gets long-awaited confirmation hearing
Anne Patterson’s year in limbo ends Tuesday.
Caught in the middle of a fight not of her own making, Patterson, the newest nominee to the state Supreme Court, is poised to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her long-delayed hearing. (Spoto, The Star-Ledger)
>U.S. Military Personnel, Veterans Give Obama Lower Marks
Younger, active-duty military less likely to have an opinion on Obama either way
by Frank Newport
PRINCETON, NJ — U.S. military veterans and those currently on active military duty are less likely to approve of President Obama’s job performance than are Americans of comparable ages who are not in the military.
On Memorial Day, I am reminded of the words of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who wrote of our nation’s honored dead: “They are dead; but they live in each Patriot’s breast, And their names are engraven on honor’s bright crest.”
On this solemn day, Americans across the country and around the world remember the courage and sacrifice of a few who protect the freedom and liberty of all. As a nation, we gather today to pay tribute to fallen heroes across all branches of the military. We are grateful not just for their service but for their important role in shaping America’s rich history. Without them, we would not enjoy the freedoms we have today.
With a heavy heart, we console military families who have sacrificed more than many of us can comprehend. Although nothing can ever replace loved ones who laid down their lives to protect the United States and its citizens, we find strength in knowing that these soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines perished while fighting for the principals that make America great.
It is incumbent upon a grateful nation to live worthy of their sacrifice by supporting those who protect us in war, providing for them upon their return, caring for those they leave behind and retelling their stories. Let us not forget their sacrifice.
May God bless America and may God bless the men and women of the United States military.
>American Legion Post 53 hosts Memorial Day Ceremony
(Ridgewood- NJ) American Legion Commander Bob Paoli and Post 53 will be hosting the traditional Memorial Day ceremony at Van Neste Square at 11 a.m. today . Speakers include two daughters of a Medal of Honor recipient, Elizabeth Evans and her sister, Janice Brazil, the daughters of Master Sgt. Charles Hosking. Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh will also speak and David Cunningham, a senior at Ridgewood High School (RHS), who will read an essay he wrote titled “What Americanism Means to Me.”
All the names of all 113 Ridgewood residents who were killed during wartime from as far back as the Spanish-American War through Vietnam War will be read by Ridgewood teen-agers who were candidates for military academies, including Cunningham, Aaden Cannon, Victor Ladd, Frank Paleno and Ben Rogers, as well as two Eagle Scout candidates from Ridgewood, Marshall Bronfin and Christian Pajusi.
The “Taps” salute will be played with dual trumpets, Cunningham and Kenneth Marshall, a student at GW Middle School . The ceremony will open with an invocation by the Rev. Robert Minor from Grace Church, and the benediction will be offered by the Rev. Harry Green III, a Ridgewood resident also a veteran who leads a Unitarian congregation in Rockland County, N.Y.
The RHS Band directed by Jeff Haas, will be performing all the music and the National Anthem will be sung by Nick Moreth. Twenty local organizations will be donating wreathes for the Memorial Park at Van Neste Square with Mark Steppe, who served twice in Iraq, and his wife, Amy, a former Marine presenting the wreath for the American Legion Post 53.
The Ridgewood blog is proud to honor the men and women who have given their lives defending our country. In the midst of all the summer festivities ,barbecues, parades and the official start of summer, we want to take a moment to remember what today is truly all about.
Memorial Day, is the most solemn American holiday, and traces its back it’s roots to the Civil War era, when private citizens designated a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. Today, Memorial Day is meant to honor all who gave their lives in military service in all of America’s wars.
While we celebrate the holiday and honor the past, we must also not forget to honor those who are willing to give the ultimate sacrifice every day. The men and women in America’s armed forces are unmatched. Each of them has given of themselves and volunteered to fight the nation’s wars. Many of these soldiers will spend this Memorial Day far away from their friends and families in the mountains of Afghanistan or in the deserts of Iraq and Libya. Their sacrifice and courage should remind us of our commitment to support them not just today but everyday.
The freedoms we all enjoy are paid for by those we honor, both the fallen and those still fighting. Our nation is truly thankful.
> Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication “To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead” (Source: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860’s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.
She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.
