Author: admin

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>For Rent

>for+rent

Lots of prime retail space available, will more banks and restaurants fill in their spots? The fly would suggest some of the merchants attempt to stay open a bit longer, even if you wait till fall and you open one or two nights a week. The Fly’s unofficial survey would suggest that Friday night is best .It is very difficult for someone who works to ever find an open store in Ridgewood ,so local shoppers are forced to go to the malls for everything. Yes the parking can be an issue from time to time but for the fly a bigger issue is the lack of available and accommodating merchants.
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>News Flash: Suspect Wanted for Assault of Ridgewood Police Officer Arrested

>The individual wanted in connection with Saturday night’s aggravated assault
on Police Officer Sean Amoruso was arrested at 10:12 PM this evening on
Steilen Avenue in Ridgewood. The arresting officer was Detective Sergeant
William Amoruso.

The suspect, a male juvenile who resides on Steilen Avenue, was transported
to Ridgewood Police Headquarters for processing. He was accompanied by his
father.

ORDER FINE ART/ STOCK PRINTS ON-LINE

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>Is it time to get tough at East Ridgewood Avenue Starbucks?

>If the Fly’s memory is correct, an assistant manager at the East Ridgewood Avenue Starbucks was arrested earlier this year for allegedly selling drugs in the franchise’s rear parking lot. This is the same location that Ridgewood Police Officer Sean Amoroso was assaulted on Saturday night. Officer Amoroso was trying to detain an individual suspected of being engaged in some sort of narcotics related activity.

These two incidents make the Fly wonder what the story is with this particular Starbucks location? Are these two incidents coincidental/totally unrelated, or is the Ridgewood Avenue Starbucks an established gathering point for drug sellers and buyers? If so, should Ridgewood’s police department enlist help from the Bergen County Narcotics Squad to clean up the mess there?

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>Ridgewood Police Officer Assaulted Near Starbucks

>Ridgewood Police Officer Sean Amaruso was assaulted on Saturday evening as
he attempted to detain a individual involved in suspected narcotics activity
at the rear of Starbucks on East Ridgewood Avenue.
The suspect eluded Amaruso and other uniformed patrol officers by fleeing on
foot. However, his identity was determined and communicated to plain
clothes officers; an imminent arrest is expected.

Although Amaruso did not require medical attention, this incident
nonetheless underscores the relatively dangerous nature of a police
officer’s daily routine, even in a seemingly safe community such as
Ridgewood.

The Fly wonders when Ridgewood PD’s brass is going to finally crack down on
loiterers in the front and rear of Starbucks. Obviously, more than coffee
is being sold in the area.

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Dont Forget Math Chat Tonight!

>Friends and neighbors please join us for a Math Chat on Thursday, August 9th at 7:30 P.M. at The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood. Over the past several months, parents have been expressing their concerns over the math programs in our village schools to educational administrators and the Board of Education. This issue is an old one for Travell School. Parents have been voicing their concerns since the inception of TERC Investigations more than 5 years ago. What is new is an organization of parents called VORMATH who are providing an opportunity for parents of school age children and concerned tax- payers to be involved in an open forum discussion. Did you know…
· The 6 elementary schools in Ridgewood use 3 different math programs.
· Four of the six schools use reform math- also known as fuzzy math, constructivist based math, or standards based math.
· These reform math programs have been abandoned by hundreds of school districts across the nation because they fail to prepare our children for math at the high school and college level
· Over 200 math professors, 4 Nobel Laureates and 2 Fields Medal winners signed a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Education back in 1999 asking the government to remove these reform math programs from their list of exemplary programs
· A Stanford mathematician stated that TERC Investigations is the “2nd most mathematically illiterate program” he has ever seen. TERC Investigations is the program currently used at Travell and Orchard Schools.
· The district just purchased the newest version of the Investigations program for both Travell and Orchard.
· Benjamin Franklin Middle School has averaged a rank of 21 out of over 200 middle schools in mathematics statewide for the past 7 years using traditional math.
· CMP2 (another reform math program for middle schools that is controversial) has been implemented for 6th graders last year and will follow them into 7th grade this September; why change a math program that has proven itself a success for the students?
There is substantial information available for concerned parents to read. How the math issue affects all taxpayers is simple. Sixty-six percent of every tax dollar feeds into Ridgewood’s $82,000,000 school budget. Are we getting a good return of our investment? Ridgewood’s reputation for excellent schools has kept the value of our homes high. There must be fiscal responsibility and sound choices made for educating all the children in our village. We love Ridgewood and want to keep it the wonderful community that it has been for many generations.
There will be a presentation followed by a Q & A period. Hope you can make it and take advantage of the opportunity to share your concerns and thoughts. TOGETHER WE ADD UP!

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>Harlow Casts Solitary “No” Vote for Police Car Purchases

>Citing his concern that the Village’s fleet of 17 police cars may be excessive, Councilman Jacques Harlow cast the lone “no” vote for a resolution authorizing the purchase of 2 new Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors for Ridgewood’s police department.

Despite Harlow’s “no” vote, the resolution passed. Chief William Corcoran and his officers should be receiving the cars by November. They will be used as replacements for 2 aging vehicles in the fleet (Corcoran previously advised Council members that there are no marked vehicles in inventory with less than 40K miles).

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Long time Ridgewood resident translates post with cynical humor for new residents

>

Translation of post… A friend suggested
A friend suggested (you mean the BOE or Editor of the RN suggested) that I get the inside dope(find out who the trouble makers are and get some dirt on them ) on what was happening in Ridgewood by perusing the blogs. I was honestly (you sound like a pompous arse) shocked by the narrowmindedness (if you don’t agree with me you are stupid and shouldn’t be allowed to speak) of some of the posts – particularly with regard to the editorial standards (not a very informed poster, the RN violated its own standards) of our local newspaper.

Hindsight shows (again the Ridgewood News Violated its sacred policy of not quoting anonymous sources, not posting on blogs or flogs and front running for particular organizations) that the reporter was doing his job (yes its time to toss him under the bus)– reporting – not passing judgment (we speak for everyone and your not allowed to speak for your self )on what was being exchanged, just reporting what was taking place. Isn’t that what he was supposed to do? Remain objective?(objective to this poster means you agree with them) And didn’t the editor simply back up the editorial integrity (no the editor did a hack job and violated all the journalist policies it purports to up hold)of the newspaper by not yielding to public criticism (covering up for cowards on the other flog)and printing the news as news? (only I can say what’s news )Spare me the conspiracy theories, would ya!( but they are ok for the editor to use, can you say “tactics”)

Now as for the math controversy (yes TERC is banned in California and condemned by the US department of education). Sure, I knew people were up in arms (yes some parents in town care about their kids), and yes, I’ll admit that some of the protocols for teaching left me baffled (they were such bull even I the elitist could not get it straight how could an idiot like you understand it), but I saw my kids NJASK and Terra Nova test scores and, well…can kids get higher than 99th percentile? Something must be going right in the school system.(can you say tutors and of coarse if you lower standards enough everyone becomes a genius)

No question that all the bloggers love Ridgewood ( I hate it) and that discourse is healthy. But, informed (this means you are stupid again and how dare you taxpayers challenge the great and powerful, “know it alls” at the BOE) and objective (this means agreeing with me is the only option, so do what your told otherwise you’ll be sorry) discourse is healthier still.

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>Debate Ensues Over Proposed Commemorative Plaque & Ceremony for Varian Fry

>Catherine Taub met with heavy resistance from Village Council members recently during her formal presentation regarding plans to erect a commemorative near the Ridgewood Public Library in honor of Varian Fry.

Fry, a Harvard-educated classicist and editor who was raised in Ridgewood, helped save thousands of endangered refugees who were caught in the Vichy French zone escape from Nazi terror during World War II.

Ms. Taub, of Wastena Terrace, was visibly stunned by the Village Council’s refusal to permit installation of a plaque near the Ridgewood Public Library, and their hesitation to officially sanction any further ceremonies honoring Mr. Fry (South Monroe Street was officially dedicated in Fry’s name on June 26, 2005).

Deputy Mayor Betty G. Wiest suggested that a more appropriate location for the erection of a commemorative plaque would be at Van Neste Memorial Park, and asked Ms. Taub to reconsider her original request and return to meet Council members at a later date.
By the way, Ms. Taub was planning to personally fund all costs associated with this project. Translation; no tax dollars would have been spent.

The Fly wonders why Ms. Taub got the proverbial bums rush, but when folks stepped forward to fund improvements at Maple Park, Council members welcomed them with open arms.

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>Philanthropist David F. Bolger Will Fund New “Finding” Signage at Village Hall

>Village Manager James M. Ten Hoeve recently announced that David F. Bolger, a local real estate investor and philanthropist with offices on Chestnut Street, will completely fund the planned “finding” signage project at Village Hall.

As a result of the funding level offered by Mr. Bolger, Ten Hoeve reported that better quality signs would be erected than initially approved by Village Council members. The new signs, intended to help residents and visitors find their way about the municipal complex, should be installed within the next 30-60 days.

During his status report to Council members about the sign project, Mr. Ten Hoeve revealed that the latest recent winner of the most frequently asked question at Village Hall was: “Where’s the municipal court?” Does this mean that there’s a ticket blitz of sorts taking place?

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>Reader Questions Ridgewood News Objectivity

>reading+the+paper

If the Ridgewood News is being objective and providing serious reporting on issues in the town, does this mean in its next edition the Editor has received from the school administration the detailed purchase information regarding TERC 2 for Travell and Orchard? If the Ridgewood News is really doing its job, it would follow up on that hard hitting question posed to the district officials by its reporter, Keith Hamas. The school officials failed to answer that pertinent question in time for the story, Math Wars: Summer of Discontent.

But surely, by now, the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum has found that purchase order and given a copy to the Ridgewood News. The News would then report all the relevant information such as date of purchase, itemized list of materials purchased, unit cost, total cost, and any associated discounts, date of delivery, and so forth for TERC 2nd edition for Travell and Orchard. The News could even show this information in comparison to the material cost for Scott Foresman Addison Wesley at Willard. I wonder which one cost more?

One would thing curriculum purchase information would be at the finger tips of the head of curriculum. While they are getting that cost information, they may was well look for the same information for the Connected Math Program 2 for both middle schools. And also show the Village residents the cost being spent to train the teachers and if that training is actually aiding the teachers in reaching Highly Qualified Status. So many questions, so much more the Ridgewood News could be reporting.

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>Village Council Establishes $600K as Minimum Bid for New Liquor License

>Village Council members are expected to unanimously approve a resolution
authorizing the auction of a new “consumption” liquor license during their
scheduled August 8 Public Meeting.

Minimum bid for the license will be $600K. Among the conditions expected to
be mandated by the Council are:

1) A minimum 65%/35% restaurant to bar ratio
2) License must be used in an area currently zoned for restaurants
3) A 10% cash deposit required along with any bid
4) Proposed licensee must past standard police background checks

The most recent Village Council sanctioned auction of a new liquor license
(within the past few years) attracted no bidders; that’s correct, not a
single bidder.