Author: James

Posted on by — 7 Comments

Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association who’s on First

maple+field1-300x19911

September 14,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, since so many readers asked about the nature of the RBSA Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association . Its a well funded and heavily participated organization in Ridgewood .The Ridgewood blog searched the RBSA website to see who was doing what .

Financials : https://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2014/226/063/2014-226063696-0b2a3f02-9.pdf

RBSA Monthly Meetings

The RBSA officers and trustees meet at Lester Stable usually on the second Monday of every month at 7:30 PM (8pm during rec season).

Executive Board 2015 – 2016:

Jim AlbanoPresident(201) [email protected]
Scott MullerExecutive VP(201) [email protected]
Ed SeaversTreasurer (201) [email protected]
Frank BennettVP Baseball(201) [email protected]
Tony BarberaVP Softball(201) 445-1880 [email protected]
Tim BoucherSecretary(917) [email protected]

Trustees: 2015-2016

Brendan BuckleyTrustee(551) [email protected]
Steve CorrellTrustee(201) [email protected]
Michael ConnTrustee(201) [email protected]
Don DelzioTrustee(201) [email protected]
Bill DowsonTrustee(201) [email protected]
Marc FavieriTrustee(201) [email protected]
Ryan GreaneyTrustee(201) [email protected]
Glen HamelTrustee(201) [email protected]
Tracy KeeneyTrustee(201) [email protected]
Andy MeyerTrustee(201) [email protected]
Jeff NormanTrustee(201) [email protected]
Tom OlsenTrustee(201) [email protected]
Todd PattonTrustee(201) [email protected]
James PowersTrustee(201) [email protected]
Lisa PowersTrustee(201) [email protected]
Lauren RadossichTrustee(973) [email protected]
Mike VigliottiTrustee(917) [email protected]

Operations: 2015-2016

Equipment (BB)/FieldsBill Dowson(201) [email protected]
Equipment (SB)Tom Olsen(201) [email protected]
Fields Scheduling **Ed Seavers(201) [email protected]
Uniforms (Rec)Ryan Greaney(201) [email protected]
Youth UmpiresAndy Meyer(201) [email protected]
Admin/RegistrationKarin Whalen(201) [email protected]

** Scheduling for fields via email only.

RBSA Statement Of Philosophy

The Ridgewood Baseball & Softball Association’s (RBSA) primary objective is to provide an opportunity for the young men and women of the community to learn to play the games of baseball and softball in an atmosphere that will reinforce the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, teamwork, and to foster their growth into healthy and responsible citizens. We provide Spring and Summer recreational programs as well as advanced, competitive travel programs in the Spring, Summer and Fall.

Volunteers

Each year the RBSA solicits volunteers to assist the officers and trustees with a wide range of activities. We are grateful for the many volunteers who help us by coaching, as well as those who lend their support with fund-raising, parade activities, team administration and the like – thereby enabling the board to concentrate on player and program development. As required by the Little League Child Protection Program, a background check will be conducted on each volunteer in the New Jersey Registered Sex Offender database. RBSA ensures that any and all information obtained during this process will be considered extremely confidential and not shared with anyone outside the RBSA Board.

CITIZEN’S PARK
Lower and Upper
301 Godwin Ave
RIdgewood NJ

GEORGE WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
155 Washington Place
Ridgewood NJ
GLEN SCHOOL (EAST AND WEST)
865 E Glen Ave
Ridgewood NJ
HABERNICKEL PARK
1037 Hillcrest Road
Ridgewood NJ
HAWES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Upper and Lower
531 Stevens Ave
Ridgewood NJ
KENILWORTH (NORTH AND SOUTH)
44 S Pleasant Ave
Ridgewood NJ
MAPLE PARK
240 Northern Pkwy
Ridgewood NJ
ORCHARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
230 Demarest St
Ridgewood NJ
RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
325 West Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood NJ
SOMERVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (NW
45 S Pleasant Ave
Ridgewood NJ
STEVENS FIELD
Please DO NOT park on North Irving – you will be ticketed. Park at or around Ridgewood High School
43 N Irving St
Ridgewood NJ
TRAVELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (NE & SW)
340 Bogert Ave
Ridgewood NJ
VETERANS PARK – N, SE, 90′ AND SW
160 Northern Parkway
Ridgewood NJ
WILLARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – NORTH AND SOUTH
601 Morningside Rd
Ridgewood NJ
Posted on by — 2 Comments

Ridgewood Schools Public presentations on Full Day Kindergarten at 7 p.m.. at BFMS , October 5 and at GWMS , October 27.

home alone

September 14,2016

the staff of the Ridgewoood blog

Ridgewood NJ, FAQ on Full-Day Kindergarten: Vote is November 8. The November 8 election ballot will include a question for residents about implementing full-day Kindergarten FDK) in Ridgewood. Public presentations will be held on FDK at 7 p.m.. at BFMS on Wednesday, October 5 and at GWMS on Thursday, October 27.

To learn more about full-day Kindergarten, please click here for a FAQ sheet, updated on August 23, 2016. Please click here to go to other Full-Day K documents that are located in the Full-day Kindergarten Exploratory Committee folder on the Curriculum web page.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Should NFL Sweat Lower Ratings For Season Debut And ‘Sunday Night Football’?

Boycott NFL #boycottNFL

Brandon Katz

CONTRIBUTOR

It’s common knowledge within the TV world that NFL football will always dominate whatever time slot it’s in. It’s the main reason why so many fall TV shows dread Sunday nights; they need to produce a product worthy of eating into the NFL’s mammoth audience. However, the smallest of cracks may be becoming visible in the NFL’s armor.

Last week’s Thursday night (Sept. 8) NFL opener and Super Bowl rematch between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers drew in 25.2 million viewers, the fourth consecutive year the NFL has surpassed 25 million viewers on opening day (for comparison, The Walking Dead averages around 14 million live viewers as TV’s most-watched show). However, that total marks an 8% ratings decline compared to 2015 and a 6% drop from 2014. The lower numbers are a bit of a surprise given that Denver’s 21-20 victory over the Panthers was actually more entertaining than their lopsided Super Bowl matchup. However, the retirement of Peyton Manning this offseason may have lost some of the league’s more casual fans.

On Sunday afternoon, CBS scored a 10.2 overnight rating for its NFL offerings, a 13% drop from FOX’s numbers (11.7) last year and a 9% drop from 2014 on CBS (11.2). This also marked the lowest overnight season-opening rating in seven years.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brandonkatz/2016/09/12/tv-ratings-should-nfl-sweat-lower-ratings-for-season-debut-and-sunday-night-football/#5d1562f76ae8

Posted on by — 3 Comments

The New Jersey Transit Police Department Arrest Man in Assault of Train Conductor

Ridgewood Train Station
September 14,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The New Jersey Transit Police Department arrested a man who assaulted a train conductor Sunday on the Bergen line after being asked for a train ticket.

22-year-old Peer Fikhman, who is an Israeli citizen, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a conductor and theft of services for non-payment of fare.

At approximately 2:40 p.m. Sunday, September 11, Fikhman boarded a train at the Radburn Station. He hid in a restroom to avoid a conductor collecting tickets from customers.  Fikhman exited the restroom after 25 minutes and punched the conductor in the face when asked for his ticket.

New Jersey Transit Police were called and met the train at Secaucus Junction, where Fikhman was arrested and charged.  The conductor had a visible mark on his face but refused medical attention.

Fikhman was taken to the Hudson County Jail, where bail was set at $5,000 with a
10 percent option. He was still being held at the jail as of late this afternoon.

Aggravated assault on a train conductor, who is clearly identifiable and engaged in the course of his duties, carries up to five years in prison and fines up to $7,500.  Theft of service carries a jail term of up to one year.

The charges and allegations contained in this release are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Posted on by — 3 Comments

September disaster for Clinton campaign

“basket of deplorables

Hillary Clinton’s health problems — and, in particular, the shocking video of her being helped into a van on Sunday — are the worst developments yet for a campaign that has hit a serious rough patch.

Before the health drama, polls were already tightening, and the Democratic presidential nominee had delivered a semi-apology for asserting that half of Donald Trump’s supporters came from a “basket of deplorables.”

Democrats aren’t in full-on panic mode just yet, but they are worried that a race that had looked comfortable only a few weeks ago is now seriously competitive. And they expect to be on edge for much of the next week, until the first polls appear indicating how Clinton’s battle with pneumonia is affecting the contest.

The incident seems sure to further antagonize the media as well, because Clinton aides had derided reporters who raised her health as an issue, and the campaign was less than transparent about Sunday’s events.

The video of Clinton in a state of near-collapse on Sunday was “terrible,” Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf acknowledged.

“The idea of her appearing to be out of physical control reinforces Trump’s argument about her capacity and it reinforces the question of whether she is hiding something,” Sheinkopf added.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/295572-september-disaster-for-clinton-campaign

Posted on by — 1 Comment

NJEA Moves on Screening Process to Pick Its 2017 Gubernatorial Candidate

Steve-Sweeney-Atlantic-City-finances

By Max Pizarro • 09/12/16 5:12pm

The New Jersey Education Association’s (NJEA) PAC Operating Committee this past weekend voted in favor of beginning the process of screening 2017 candidates for governor and the legislature.

It’s probably safe to say that Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) doesn’t need to bother showing up for that process.

He’s identified in a leadership letter to NJEA members as the instigator of “betrayal,” for failing to secure a public payment pension question on the 2016 ballot, and then lashing out at the NJEA in a letter to law enforcement.

https://observer.com/2016/09/njea-moves-on-screening-process-to-pick-its-2017-gubernatorial-candidate/

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Another N.J. insurance company drops out of Obamacare

Obamacare-SC

By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on September 12, 2016 at 8:18 PM, updated September 13, 2016 at 8:38 AM

TRENTON — Faced with “a deteriorating financial condition,” another health insurance carrier is pulling out of New Jersey’s health exchange marketplace created under the Affordable Care Act, forcing 35,000 policy holders to find a new plan in 2017, the state’s top insurance official announced Monday night.

Health Republic Insurance of New Jersey will serve customers through the end of the year, state Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Richard Badolato said.

The state is working out a “rehabilitation” plan that preserves the carrier’s financial assets so medical providers will be reimbursed for the care they provide consumers for the remainder of the year, Badolato said in a statement late Monday.

“We will also be assisting individual consumers as they transition to a new plan during the open enrollment period this fall,” Badolato said. “Similarly, we will work with small employers as they seek replacement plans for their businesses.”

https://www.nj.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2016/09/another_nj_insurance_company_is_dropping_out_of_ob.html?ath=9c46bfc08d76232bb5a5e00eeaf0bfa2#cmpid=nsltr_stryheadline

Posted on by — Leave a comment

ObamaCare exits being felt in Senate battleground states

obamacare_theridgewoodblog

By Sarah Ferris – 09/13/16 06:00 AM EDT

Eight of the states that will determine the Senate majority in November are likely to see significant reductions in the number of insurers participating in ObamaCare marketplaces.

The likely departures of insurers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Arizona and Missouri are pushing the healthcare law toward the center of some of the most competitive Senate races in the country.

GOP strategists say Obama-Care’s troubles this year are morphing into a perfect storm for their candidates, providing a boost in a year when the party is defending 24 Senate seats.

“It feels like there’s a sleeping giant that’s about to awaken on the campaign trail,” veteran Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said. “It really does seem like an easy target, an easy layup for Republicans to score points.”

Health insurers have been fleeing the marketplaces over the last year, citing steep financial losses. The departures, which have included industry leaders like UnitedHealth Group and Aetna Inc., are cutting into the choices people have when selecting ObamaCare plans.

Next year, exactly half of all states are expected to see fewer ObamaCare options in at least one county, according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

An analysis of the Kaiser data by The Hill found that the exits from ObamaCare align with some of the biggest battlegrounds for Senate Republicans this year.

Every county in Ohio, a crucial swing state, is on track to lose at least two insurers compared to last year. All of the counties in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Missouri, Arizona and Illinois are also expected to lose at least one option, according to Kaiser.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/295565-obamacare-exits-being-felt-in-senate-battleground-states

Posted on by — 2 Comments

New After school Club Starts up for Socially Challenged Children in Ridgewood

Autism Spectrum

September 13,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Social Place is an extracurricular club for children who have social challenges
due to high functioning autism, Asperger ‘s Syndrome or other conditions. Parents, volunteer educators and volunteer mentors from RHS administer, plan and run the activities of the club. Monthly activities provide opportunities for children to practice social skills in a fun environment, participating in typical type outings.  In addition, monthly “Meetups” at GWMS will offer a chance to socialize with a pizza party and prepare for the upcoming outing. Please contact Elizabeth Rottinger at [email protected] with any questions.

Click here for details, a schedule and the participation form.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

One hundred thirty six students at Ridgewood High School have been named AP Scholars

Tradition_of_excellence_theridgewoodblog
September 13,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ ,One hundred thirty six students at Ridgewood High School have been named AP Scholars by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college level Advanced Placement Examinations.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on the students’ performance on AP exams. At RHS:

  • Six students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4.0 or higher on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.
  • Twenty-nine students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
  • Fifty-one students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher.
About 18 percent of the more than 1.9 million high school students worldwide who took AP Examinations in May 2016 performed at a sufficiently high level to merit such recognition.

Twenty-one award recipients are juniors. These students have at least one more year in which to do college-level work, and possibly earn another Advanced Placement Award.

9316268772be0ab04b806c05f92a617e303 8

Posted on by — 11 Comments

Readers say Time for Answers on the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association $100K check

maple+field1-300x19911

People are more offended by Roberta’s actions than the fact that the RBSA has 100K (at least) in their war chest.

Are they gouging parents for sign-up fees…?

Are they cheating Bollinger on insurance premiums…?

Are they shaking down the sponsors…?

We better get some answers or the next check will be for $150K….and that will be hard to resist

Posted on by — 13 Comments

BREAKING: Ridgewood BOE-REA Sign Memorandum of Agreement on Teachers Contract

BOE_theridgewoodblog
September 13, 2016
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE
Ridgewood NJ, The Board of Education and the REA negotiating teams signed a Memorandum of Agreement at 12:15 AM on September 13, 2016 concluding negotiations on a 3-year contract for the period July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018.  Terms of the agreement will be released after the REA members have ratified the contract.
Posted on by — 18 Comments

Reader says : Everyone tries to criticize anonymity on The Blog, but the fact is you get utter honesty here and that is what we really need

Clock_Ridgewood_theridgewopodblog

On The Blog people are the most honest of all because they are not afraid of repercussions from their employer (if they work at village hall) or the board of ed (if they work for the school system) or their neighbors or school acquaintances. Let’s say you hate the teachers but your neighbor is a teacher. Well, you are not likely to post honestly your feelings on the contract negotiations if you have to identify yourself. In fact, you are likely to post whatever you think your neighbor wants to hear, because you want to remain friendly with the neighbors. Let’s say you are a fireman in town or your spouse is a cop. Well, you are not going to write anything negative about the village manager if you have to be identified in the posting, because this could impact your employment or that of your spouse. Supposing you are totally opposed to the parking garage but you live next door to a person with pro-garage signs all over his front lawn. Are you going to keep the peace in your little world or go to war with him by posting under your own name how much you oppose the garage? The online discussion forums in which everyone has to be identified tend to contain a lot of politically correct BS and not a great deal of gut-wrenching honesty.

Now there are some exceptions, some people who are more than willing to state their case and not worry about repercussions. To these people I say thank you, but I also suspect that they are not in any of the situations described in the previous paragraph.

The Blog = honesty = transparency = THE BLOG RULES

Everyone tries to criticize anonymity on The Blog, but the fact is you get utter honesty here and that is what we really need.

Thank you James Foytlin for serving our community so well.

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Village Council Liaisons for Ridgewood Boards and Committees

New Ridgewood Village Council

file photo by Boyd Loving

LIST OF COUNCIL LIAISONS TO BOARDS/COMMITTEES FOR VILLAGE

Click here for the List of Council Liasions to the Board/Committees for the Village.

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Former DNC chairman calls for Clinton contingency plan

Hillary Clinton Begins Labor Day Rally With Coughing Fit!

It’s extremely unlikely Democrats will have to change the ticket. But even some Clinton allies say there should be a clearer process.

By KYLE CHENEY

Updated 09/12/16 06:01 PM EDT

A former Democratic National Committee chairman says President Barack Obama and the party’s congressional leaders should immediately come up with a process to identify a potential successor candidate for Hillary Clinton for the off-chance a health emergency forces her out of the race.

“Now is the time for all good political leaders to come to the aid of their party,” said Don Fowler, who helmed the DNC from 1995 to 1997, during Bill Clinton’s presidency, and has backed Hillary Clinton since her 2008 presidential bid. “I think the plan should be developed by 6 o’clock this afternoon.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/hillary-clinton-health-replace-contingency-228037#ixzz4K5b9aLXg