Month: June 2012

file photo Boyd Loving

Fairway Market’s 2nd Annual Firefighter Food Face-Off Challenge on Sunday,held on June 17
June 21,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, Firefighter Food Face-Off Challenge is made up of local fire fighters team up by department for a food face-off! Each team was supplied by Fairway Market with eleven racks of ribs, ground beef for one dozen hamburgers, ground turkey for up to six more burgers, buns, salt and pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and other staple Fairway spices.

As an added challenge, Fairway gave the teams a “secret” ingredient that they must incorporate into their dishes at the event. Participating teams are expected to bring their own grill and grilling supplies, such as coal, gas, tools, and anything else that Fairway is not providing for their foods that they may want. The competing teams will plate dishes for the 4-5 judges and the judges will decide based on all three dishes. The winning team receives an engraved trophy and a $500 Fairway gift card. All other teams receive a $100 Fairway gift card for their participation.

Firefighters from Park Ridge faced off against those from Ridgewood and West Paterson (Woodland Park) This year saw Park Ridge Fire Department take home the “Best Overall” title. The department had captured its first title in 2010, when Fairway held its inaugural cook-off challenge at its Paramus store.

The winning firehouse, Park Ridge selected a charity The Mary Therese Rose Fund that to recieve a percentage of Fairway’s sales for the day. when Fairway hosts “Shopping Day” to benefit the charity selected by Park Ridge – The Mary Therese Rose Fund, which supports newborns who suffer a stroke shortly after birth.

Ridgewood YMCA Bolger Fitness Center to Offer Special Summer Membership for Students

Join before July 15th and receive a three-month BFC membership for just $185!*

You get it all!

• BFC cardio and strength machines
• Guaranteed lap swimming
• Free weights
• Free group fitness classes including Group Spinning, Yoga, Pilates and Zumba

*Valid Student ID required for membership

For further info or to register, contact Matt Bansch, BFC Director at (201) 444-5600 x306 or e-mail mbansch@ymcaywca.org.

Teachers Union and Democrat Politicians set to block teacher ratings’ release in New York State
By ERIK KRISS Bureau Chief
Last Updated: 12:33 PM, June 20, 2012
Posted: 12:24 AM, June 20, 2012

ALBANY — The public be damned! The state Legislature is likely to pass a last ditch bill that would prevent the release of teacher evaluations, while letting parents see the ratings only of their kids’ instructors.

The measure, introduced by Gov. Cuomo just before midnight Monday, could pass before lawmakers head home for the year tomorrow, sources said yesterday.

Read more: https://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/public_educa_shun_on_teacher_grades_4SuNK6ZEpaWHlspJmdA8DN#ixzz1yPzrsFJS

COOLING CENTER AT RIDGEWOOD LIBRARY

EXCESSIVE HEAT UPDATE: COOLING CENTER OPEN AT RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY

Due to excessive heat today through Friday, the Office of Emergency Management reminds residents that the Ridgewood Public Library is air conditioned and open to the public today and Thursday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, and Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Residents without air conditioning are invited to visit the library located at 125 N. Maple Ave. and avail themselves of the cool air.

During periods of excessive heat, residents are reminded of the following quick tips for staying cool and safe:

Do

• Use air conditioners or spend time in air-conditioned locations such as malls and libraries

• Use portable electric fans to exhaust hot air from rooms or draw in cooler air

• Take a cool bath or shower

• Minimize direct exposure to the sun

• Stay hydrated – regularly drink water or other nonalcoholic fluids

• Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads

• Wear loose fitting, light-colored clothes

• Check on older, sick, or frail people who may need help responding to the heat

• Know the symptoms of excessive heat exposure and the appropriate responses.

Don’t

• Direct the flow of portable electric fans toward yourself when room temperature is hotter than 90°f

• Leave children and pets alone in cars for any amount of time

• Drink alcohol to try to stay cool

• Eat heavy, hot, or hard-to-digest foods

• Wear heavy, dark clothing.

Supreme Court could reveal healthcare ruling Thursday
By Timothy M. Phelps
June 20, 2012, 11:40 a.m.

WASHINGTON — Television cameras will surround the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, as they did Monday, anticipating something that may, again, not happen.

The momentous healthcare decision could be announced Thursday. Or not. All we really know is that it is extremely likely to be handed down by the following Thursday, June 28, when the court is expected to end its current term.

The court works in secrecy as it prepares its opinions, and outsiders might be surprised to learn that some of its work is done at the last minute. The justices would have voted almost immediately after three days of oral arguments last March on whether President Obama’s healthcare overhaul is constitutional. Although that vote would normally have determined the outcome of the case, there is a lot of back and forth before the majority opinion and the dissents, if any, are finished.

https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-supreme-court-may-release-healthcare-verdict-thursday-20120620,0,4104967.story

Congratulations RHS Class of 2012

the Ridgewood blog wishes you a bright and happy future !

Quote of the Day : true terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country—k vonnegut

West Bergen Tea Party Presents “THEY WORK FOR US”

Meeting 7 pm, Tuesday, June 26 at the Larkin House

Now’s the time to get active, West Bergen Tea Party

Time to Regain control of your Government , “THEY WORK FOR US”

Join us 7 pm, Tuesday, June 26th
at the Larkin House 380 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff
(1/4 mile North of Stop & Shop) More information: 201 891-5918
conservative_caucus@verizon.net https://www.westbergenteaparty.com/

Solar in NJ not so dim after all, as installations boom

Despite all the gloom and doom talk about the solar sector, New Jersey installed more solar systems in the first three months of the year than any other state in the nation.

New Jersey installed a total of 174 megawatts of solar systems in the first quarter of 2012, or nearly one-third of the total arrays put in across the country, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight, a publication put out by the Solar Energy Industries Association, an industry trade group.  (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/0619/2137/

 

 

Iowa’s Grassley responds to Obama’s executive privilege move on ‘Fast and Furious’
Attorney General Eric Holder facing contempt charges
9:30 AM, Jun 20, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Dept says that President Barack Obama has asserted executive privilege to withhold documents a House committee is seeking in an investigation of a flawed gun-smuggling probe.

In a letter to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a Justice Department official said the privilege applies to documents that explain how the department learned that there were problems with the investigation called Operation Fast and Furious.

““The assertion of executive privilege raises monumental questions,” Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said in a statement released Wednesday shortly after the president’s move. “How can the President assert executive privilege if there was no White House involvement? How can the President exert executive privilege over documents he’s supposedly never seen? Is something very big being hidden to go to this extreme? The contempt citation is an important procedural mechanism in our system of checks and balances. The questions from Congress go to determining what happened in a disastrous government program for accountability and so that it’s never repeated again.”

Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee and has previously called a Justice Department investigation into the “Fast and Furious” gunrunning operation “botched.”

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/viewart/20120620/NEWS09/120620005/Obama-asserts-executive-privilege-Fast-Furious

File Photo Ridgewood PD will the beat cop be back?

Ridgewood Police Back on the Beat ?
06/20/12 10:57 AM
the Staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , As part of the new community policing initiative, Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward is bringing back the beat cop to the Ridgewood Central business District. The feeling is that with an increased pedestrians activity in the downtown and a serious issues with pedestrian-involved accidents Chief Ward plans to put one officer on foot patrol during the busy afternoons and nights over the entire summer.

According to the Bureau of Justice in the monograph A Frame Work for Action : Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems . Obviously Chief Ward’s summertime initiative is an attempt  to improve traffic safety conditions in the downtown Ridgewood.

Community policing came in to favor in the early 1980’s .It gave the police and the community greater opportunity to interact as opposed to what had become the tradition that stressed efficiency over effectiveness with rapid response as the primary means of addressing serious crime.

Many old timers remember Ridgewood PD paroling the downtown spinning their night stick .According to Deputy Mayor Tom Riche this is “Something I have been asking  for a long time. We should have a walking cop downtown on the busy nights. ” Richie went on ,”The Central Business District already has a patrol car stationed but the car often gets pulled away for calls. The walking post assures that someone is there regardless of the call volume. ”

The issue of foot patrols in the Central Business District (CBD) has been hotly debated over the years on this blog with most readers seem  in favor .

Village Council members however are rightfully concerned about the cost impact : Deputy Mayor Tom Riche once again explains , “The issue is the Chief has been told to manage his huge overtime budget. On face value it appears he is going to give out comp time in lieu of pay. This plan just defers our liability to be cashed in at a later date at possibly a higher rate of pay. If he requires that the comp time be taken within a specific time frame ie: same year, and those comp days don’t create additional overtime issues then it may be OK. “

Photo by Boyd Loving

Graydon Pool in NOW open for the Summer Season – Come and Enjoy!

The Graydon Pool 2012 Season is now underway. It will be open 10:00 AM to 7:30PM weekdays and weekends. Bring your family and enjoy!