SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Children doodle; it’s a known fact.
Some pieces are individual works of art, while others are simply innocent mishmashes of various shapes and lines.
But Melissa O’Sullivan saw things unmistakably two years ago when she came across drawings of penciled space men and oddly-shaped beings. In her son’s drawings, the Ridgewood mother of three not only saw pure art, but she also saw signs of enriched expression from a child with an impaired ability to communicate.
“We were just amazed,” O’Sullivan told The Ridgewood News last week, as she shared one of several spiral-bound notebooks full of her son Jake Soper’s sketches and doodles.
Jake, 13, is a freshman enrolled in the Ridgewood Intensive Special Education (RISE) program and has high-functioning autism. Though he has difficulty articulating his thoughts, he speaks clearly and honestly.
He also has mastery over pen and paper, and that’s a skill O’Sullivan and her family have recognized.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
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Schedler plan is same as 2008 proposal
To the Editor:
As the community continues to debate the development of the Schedler property, it is important to recall the discussions that led to the village’s acquisition of the property.
In September 2008, former Councilman Pat Mancuso convened an ad hoc “Schedler Committee” of interested citizens, including residents of the adjacent West Saddle River Road neighborhood, which met on a weekly basis to discuss the urgency of preserving the property as open recreational space, potential sources of funding and the conceptual plan for the development of the property.
I was asked to present the Schedler Committee’s recommendations to the Village Council at the Council’s Oct. 22, 2008 meeting. In addition to recommending that the Village purchase the property as promptly as possible, I made the following statement:
“Although the members of the Schedler Committee believe that the primary objective at this time is the preservation of the property as open space, they have also discussed in detail and approved the conceptual plan for the improvement of the property that includes a baseball diamond, an overlay multi-purpose field, an ADA-compliant walking trail, a wooded area and a parking lot, and the potential sources of funding for those improvements. . . . Significantly, the representatives of the West Saddle River Road neighborhood association on the Schedler Committee have assured us that the neighbors support the conceptual plan, including the eventual installation of permanent lighting for the athletic fields, and will not ‘disappear down a manhole cover’ . . . as soon as the property is acquired.”
The conceptual plan discussed and approved by the Schedler Committee was substantially the same plan recently endorsed by the Village Council.
It is also worth noting that the intention at the time was to raze the Schedler house. In fact, as part of its grant application presentation, the village told the advisory committee of the Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund that the village intended to tear the house down, and the committee’s only request was that the house be documented (i.e., photographed) before demolition.
Given this history, complaints of “east side” unfairness seem like a smokescreen to impede progress.
The plan for the development of the Schedler property has remained consistent since 2008. I believe it is in the best interests of the village to realize that plan now.
It is also in the interest of the Schedler neighborhood. In 2008, the neighbors’ primary concern was to save the property from high density residential or commercial development. Instead of that, the neighborhood will have a beautiful park with a playing field surrounded by trees and a walking path.
Ralph Currey
Ridgewood
The writer is the Chair of the Village of Ridgewood’s Open Space Committee.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
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Removing trees from Schedler site would be wrong
To the Editor:
A matching grant application from the Village of Ridgewood for the development of the Schedler property was sent to the Bergen County Division of Open Space on Sept. 1. Once again, two council members were not informed of it (seemingly a pattern on many issues) and no resolution had been presented for council approval prior to the submission of the application.
This became evident at the Sept. 9 council meeting.
In addition, I understood that the $100,000 that was referenced in the grant under funding sources was from the Ridgewood Baseball Association. After reviewing the application online, I see it actually comes from municipal capital funds. Other questionable statements appear in the document as well.
Regardless of one’s opinion on the 90-foot baseball diamond proposed at the Schedler property, the process has been greatly flawed. Not a single comment both written and stated in public expressing concerns about the project have been included or addressed in the municipal plans for development of said property.
Particularly troubling is the pending removal of 4 acres of trees and woods that protect the property from its dangerously close proximity to Route 17. It appears that village employees will do the work. We have a reduced staff (from a high of nine employees down to three). The village is backlogged on shade tree maintenance and/or removal where it is clearly needed for safety reasons. Many of the Schedler trees are mature healthy trees.
There is also concern that when fully vetted, the 90-foot diamond may not be viable at that location. The trees may be removed in vain.
If you take Route 17 North and turn right onto West Saddle River Road and visit the Schedler property, which is immediately on the left, you will understand how devastating the loss of those trees will be to the neighborhood and to us all. The proposed field will be open to all Bergen County teams as the property was purchased with Bergen County grants. The children playing there will be eighth grade and older.
Schedler advocates wanted a smaller field incorporated into the park development plan along with the preservation of the Zabriskie house.
The removal of the trees is bad for the neighborhood, for Ridgewood and for our environment. I am appalled that the process has been so arbitrary and selective and, in my opinion, morally wrong.
According to the Ridgewood News , last week, the Village Council discussed a possible change to an ordinance that would allow for the hiring of employees at a pay rate higher than the lowest salary possible on a case-by-case basis. ( https://www.northjersey.com/news/proposal-would-allow-higher-pay-rate-1.1412612 )Various excuses were made ,coupled with phony claims of looking to hire the “best”
But the real reasons seem clear to most residents they are looking to hire more of their friends at a higher rate. Its seems there was already an attempt to bring cops in from the County but the problem was they had less then a year on and the County would not release them. So this is good management? You try to save money so you bring people in at a higher step on the pay scale? Wow I must have missed this. I just want to ask you do you want an ex Paterson , Newark or Trenton cops patrolling the streets of Ridgewood?
Already we have seen the new HR supervisor is anything but personable. She has a very disturbing personality and won’t acknowledge people she has a problem with including a council member. In her first appearance before the council, she couldn’t even hide her anger about being questioned.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
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Old plans could present solution for Schedler
To the Editor:
There can be a sensible alternative to construction of a 90-foot baseball/multiuse field in a heavily wooded area on the Schedler property, and with little cost to the sports groups or the village. There is an existing 80-foot field at Pleasant Park that can be expanded to 90 feet. An existing plan, before the purchase of Schedler, might well be a solution.
In fact, both Veteran’s Field and the Pleasant Field were slated to become 90-foot fields as replacements when the field at Benjamin Franklin Middle School was turned into a track. A 2007-08 report on our Parks and Facilities by Schoor-DePalma-CMX (“Comprehensive Parks, Facilities and Recreation Plan”), paid for by the village, was presented to the council in 2008 recommending that the 80-foot existing baseball field at Pleasant Park be expanded, as well as Veteran’s Field, which now has a 90-foot field.
Of course, this report was written before the Schedler property was purchased.
After Schedler was purchased, the Pleasant Park extension was discarded. Reasons for the change by the village were soil conditions, objections by neighbors, permits from the DEP, etc. But no studies were ever done, and to my knowledge, no correspondence with the state.
The Pleasant Park neighbors are right to be concerned that a 90-foot field brings lights, noise, and traffic that could disrupt the Lawns neighborhood. But why are their concerns more important to the town than the residents on the east side.
Why not revive the idea of adding just a few feet to the existing 80-foot field at Pleasant with the following restrictions: no lights, no turf, and strict penalties for loud and disturbing behavior. As long as the players and fans play by the rules, the neighbors should be glad to help out. We would balance the loss of less than an acre of trees versus over 5 acres of trees at Schedler.
Sure, it would be nice to go across town to an area of east side residents near the Schedler property, put up a field, put in over 70 parking spaces and create problems on a narrow roadway, not to mention cutting down acres of trees that buffer the view and sounds of Route 17.
A traffic study in the middle of August on a residential street is not the right time to see what traffic is really like when school is out, when rush hour occurs, etc.
If this village is concerned about money, how would they justify an outlay of at least $1 million to level 5 acres at least, in an area that is uneven at best, put in a field, create a large berm around most of the property as buffer so trucks or cars don’t crash into the field?
The solution, a much less expensive solution, one that was proposed in the report, paid for by the village, is to extend the field at Pleasant.
September 18,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog .
Ridgewood NJ , we had heard rumors since early September that Chris Harris of North Jersey Media reportedly he gave NJMG 2 weeks notice. Its said according to sources he was going to write for People Magazine . Its turned out to be true and his last day was yesterday .
Readers were already asking, ” Mayors Mouth Piece Leaves North Jersey Media Where is the Mayors Press Secretary Chris Harris to put the spin on this story?” and some questioned , “WOW what is our Mayor going to do? He lost the editor of the Patch a few years back and now this. Who will spin his stories now?”
Chris was frequently criticized on this blog for being a little to enamored with our Mayor Paul Aronsohn , some readers referring to him as the Mayors PR department at North Jersey Media .
On his twitter page he says he is the “Unflinching true crime reporter for People Magazine” . We wish him the best of luck and we are sure the Mayor will develop a new mouth piece at North Jersey Media shortly .
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 11:34 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 11:36 PM
BY LINH TAT
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
For months after a five-alarm fire ripped through a massive apartment complex in Edgewater and left a pile of debris in its wake, residents, firefighters and lawmakers called for changes to state regulations that dictate building standards and requirements, in hopes of improving fire safety.
Many provided input to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, which happened to be in the midst of updating the state Uniform Construction Code, a process that takes place every three years.
On Monday, the newly revised code will take effect. But absent are the changes that so many had been pushing for after the Avalon at Edgewater fire.
Ridgewood NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05), Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, issued the following statement as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) begins their September meeting:
“As the ridiculous amount of attention on this week’s FOMC meeting proves, the performance of our economy and the financial markets is increasingly dependent on a group of unelected bureaucrats at the Federal Reserve. Chair Yellen and her predecessors claim that the Fed’s monetary policy decisions are based upon objective criteria, yet traders, lenders, economists, and other market participants anxiously wait to probe and dissect every word in the FOMC statement.
“There is a problem when more Americans are looking to a secret Fed meeting for economic indicators than the actual financial markets. We need to scale back the undue influence that the Federal Reserve and other central bankers have on our economy by following what has worked in the past: a rules-based monetary policy that fosters greater certainty and leads to longer periods of sustained economic growth.”
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks dropped in early afternoon trading Friday a day after the Federal Reserve held off raising interest rates. Investors interpreted the Fed’s decision as a signal that the global economy is weak. Bonds rose and the price of oil fell, pushing down energy stocks. Financial stocks, which would benefit from higher rates, also dropped.
KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 254 points, or 1.5 percent, to 16,419 as of 2:17 p.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 25 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,964 and the Nasdaq composite declined 55 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,838.
THE FED: The Federal Reserve decided Thursday to keep interest rates at record lows, citing low inflation, weakness in the global economy and unsettled financial markets. Investors appear to have interpreted the decision to mean that the Fed thinks the slowdown in China and other emerging markets is signaling a much weaker global economy. Some economists and investors had predicted that Fed policymakers would lift rates by a quarter of a percentage point. The Fed meets again next month and in December.
THE QUOTE: “If growth in the strongest economy – the United States – isn’t strong enough to raise rates even a quarter of point, what does that say about the prospects for global growth?” said Bill Strazzullo, chief strategist at market research firm Bell Curve Trading.
Quick thinking on the part of an observant bank teller and an immediate response by Ridgewood PD Patrol Officer Paul Dinice saved a local resident from becoming a victim of the increasingly pervasive “IRS Scam.” photo by Boyd Loving
N.J. pair accused of bilking more than $150K from at least 70 people in 32 state-IRS scheme
SEPTEMBER 15, 2015, 7:59 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015, 12:12 PM
BY JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
LEONIA – A man and a woman living in Middlesex County were arrested and charged with bilking at least 70 people in 32 states out of more than $150,000 by persuading them that they owed back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and would be arrested if they did not pay up immediately, authorities said Tuesday.
Leonia Police Chief Thomas P. Rowe said a man identified as Akash Satish Patel, 32, and a woman identified as Nikita Natvarlal Patel, 25, were arrested in Union as they arrived at a CVS store to claim the proceeds of a MoneyGram sent to them by one of their victims.
Rowe said the pair were not related, although they have the same last name and they both reside at the same address in Iselin, in Middlesex County.
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, the former Union City mayor, was indicted on charges that include conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud. Here’s a list of some Hudson County politicians and power brokers who were charged and convicted on corruption counts
More details: https://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2015/04/hudson_county_politics_convicted_of_corruption_cha.html
Thomas Whelan, former Jersey City mayor, John V. Kenny, former Jersey City mayor and county power broker; and Thomas Flaherty, former Jersey City City Council president:
William V. Musto, former Union City mayor: Musto was sentenced to prison in 1982 for helping mobsters and contractors pocket public money
Robert Janiszewski, former Hudson County executive: “Bobby J” pleaded guilty in 2002 to taking more than $100,000 in bribes.
David Friedland, former assemblyman and state senator: Friedland was convicted on racketeering charges in 1980,
Paul Byrne, admitted bagman for Janiszewski: took bribes for his best friend, Janiszewski.
Joe Barry, real estate mogul: Barry paid illegal kickbacks to Janiszewski.
Anthony Russo, former Hoboken mayor. Russo admitted to taking thousands of dollars in bribes from city contractors .
Peter Cammarano, former mayor of Hoboken. He pleaded guilty in federal court to taking $25,000 in bribes
Dennis Elwell, former mayor of Secaucus. Elwell collected $10,000 in bribes as part of Bid Rig III sting.
Edward Cheatam, former Jersey City Housing Authority director: Cheatam pleaded guilty to extortion conspiracy
Leona Beldini, former Jersey City Deputy Mayor: She was convicted of collecting $20,000 in illegal campaign contributions
Mariano Vega, former Jersey City Council President: Vega took $30,000 in illegal contributions
Joseph Cardwell, Hudson County political operative and former Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority commissioner: Cardwell collected $30,000 bribe
Philip Kenny, former Jersey City councilman. Kenny pleaded guilty of taking $5,000 bribe.
Nidia Davila-Colon, former Hudson County freeholder. Davila-Colon was convicted of passing bribes in 1999 to Janiszewski,
Bill Braker, former Hudson County freeholder. Pleaded guilty to attempted extortion.
Peter Perez, former North Bergen commission: Perez pleaded guilty in 2002 to accepting $26,000 in home improvements
Angelo J. Sarubbi, former North Bergen mayor: Sarubbi pleaded guilty in 1976 to extorting a kickback
Michael DiGiovanni, former North Bergen commissioner: pleaded guilty to bribery.
Ridgewood Patrol Officer Assists Stuck RV on West Glen Ave
September 17,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood PD Patrol Officer Kevin McKeon assisted a motorist whose rented RV became stuck in the gravel driveway of 210 West Glen Avenue, Ridgewood on Thursday afternoon, 09/17. The vehicle partially blocked the busy east/west roadway, which required McKeon to manually alternate the flow of motor vehicle traffic until a flatbed tow truck was able to free the RV from a stuck position. No injuries were reported, nor were there any summonses issued.
County exec, mayor defend McGreevey, call for changes in system lol
Jim McGreevey conman of the century
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise and Mayor Steve Fulop today defended former Gov. Jim McGreevey, one day after The Jersey Journal reported on McGreevey’s four-month stint as a county attorney that led to lifetime health benefits paid for by county taxpayers. Terrence T. McDonald, The Jersey Journal, Read more
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood American Legion Post 53 was recently honored for its community service, receiving the Post Excellence Award.
The award, which is given to an American Legion post that has shown exceptional service to the community and those in need, was presented this summer at the 97th annual state convention at the Wildwood Convention Center, according to Bob Paoli, commander of the Ridgewood post.
To be considered for the award, a post must have achievements in the fields of membership, youth activities, community service and service to troops/veterans.
However, excellence in other categories is also a must, as evidenced by the fact that the Ridgewood post’s focus on “Americanism,” as Paoli puts it, was the thing that put the group over the edge.
“They praised us for American Legion principle No. 1, Americanism, for our annual Gold Star Mother’s Day event,” he said, referring to an event, hosted by the American Legion, at which mothers of fallen soldiers are honored. This year’s event is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 at Van Neste Square (see sibebar).
While being recognized with the award is great for the individual post, it is also useful for the organization as a whole.
“The purposes of this award are membership growth, exposure of American Legion values to the youth of the community and increased visibility of the American Legion Family through service projects,” the American Legion’s website said. “A post achieving this qualification will have had numerous post members involved in planning and achieving these goals.”
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY BETSY MURPHY
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
What’s your musical choice? Opera or jazz? You got it!
This Saturday night, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. Society Cafe Concert Series will begin its fifth season with DYAD, the jazz duo Lou Camaino, alto sax, and pianist Eric Olsen. They will be serving up some jazzy opera.
Adding to the excitement will be The Ridgewood Conservatory Honors Saxophone Quartet, who will be opening for them, two of whom, Kieran Corcoran and Chris Morse, are Ridgewood students. Kieran, who plays tenor sax is an 8th grader and Chris, baritone sax, is a freshman at Ridgewood High School. Chris and Kieran have been studying with Lou Camaino for three years and have both been awarded more than one musical award.
All four boys (the other two, are Haram Park, alto, and Ethan Shan, alto) have been Camaino’s students for years and all four placed first in the county on their instruments.
“Every 10 years, something like this happens,” says Camaino. “They’re wonderful. Really good kids. Super quiet; so polite.” Having said that, he laughs when he says, “we’re playing ‘Ain’t Misbehavin.'”
https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/music/jazzy-opera-suits-musicians-just-fine-1.1412603 The first Society Cafe concert of the 2015 – 16 season will feature DYAD: Lou Caimano, alto saxophone and Eric Olsen, piano. Jazz, and opera reimagined as jazz. Saturday, September 19, 2015 at the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, 113 Cottage Place. Doors open at 7:00 pm, Music at 8:00 pm. Wine, coffee and dessert are available before the show and during intermission. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door www.societycafeconcertseries.com. Call Kristen at 201-857-4434 for more information.
