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Audition for Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company’s production of Ruddigore!

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Tues. 9/8 and Thurs. 9/10, 7:30-9:30 pm
At the Community Church of Glen Rock, 2nd Floor on 354 Rock Road (one block east of Maple Avenue) in Glen Rock, NJ.

Full Show Performance Dates and Locations:
Sun. 11/22, 2:00 pm – Heritage Village in Southbury, CT
Sun. 11/29, 2pm, at Fair Lawn Community Center, Fair Lawn, NJ
Sat. 12/12, 7:30 pm, at Ridgewood United Methodist Church, Ridgewood, NJ
Sun. 12/13, 2:00, at Ridgewood United Methodist Church, Ridgewood, NJ

Concert Schedule:
Sat. 10/24, 2:00 pm – Fort Lee Public Library, Fort Lee, NJ (concert)
Thurs. 11/5, 8:00 pm – 5 Star Premiere Residence, Teaneck, NJ (concert closed to the general public)
Sun., 11/8, 2:00 pm – Springfield Free Public Library, Springfield, NJ (concert)
Sun. 11/15, 2:00pm – Finkelstein Memorial Library, Spring Valley, NY (concert)

Stage Director: Nell White

We suggest you audition even if you have 1-2 conflicts.
Some roles may be double cast due to our long schedule.
Please email [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

Please be prepared to sing either a song from the show or a piece that best shows your vocal quality. 32 bars or a little more is fine. Bring your music if not singing a piece from Ruddigore. An accompanist will be provided. If possible, please bring a head shot and résumé if you have never sung with us in the past. No appointment is necessary. Break a leg!

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Glen Rock to ramp up enforcement of water restrictions

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2015    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015, 2:41 PM
BY RICHARD DE SANTA
STAFF WRITER |
GLEN ROCK GAZETTE

Mayor John van Keuren has directed Glen Rock police to begin issuing warnings and subsequent summonses to property owners who do not observe the current Stage 2 watering restrictions imposed last month by Ridgewood Water.

The village-owned utility supplies Ridgewood, Midland Park and Wyckoff in addition to Glen Rock. .

In effect since Aug. 6, the restriction prohibits the use of above and below-ground water sprinkler systems at all properties on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Property owners with odd-numbered addresses are permitted to use the systems on Tuesdays and Saturdays only, while those with even-numbered addresses can irrigate lawns on Wednesdays and Sundays.

There is no restriction against the use of hand-held hoses at any time.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/glen-rock-to-ramp-up-enforcement-of-water-restrictions-1.1402398

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Readers say too Much Non Compliance with Water Restrictions

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The new arrivals in my neighborhood, pus some here 10-15 years, don’t play by the rules and don’t care, they sprinkler water every day, morning daylight or night time in the cloak of darkness, they are only concerned that they have a nice green lush lawn. They didn’t care about stage 1 restrictions, let alone stage 2, even tho other neighbors mentioned water rules to them, it rolls off their shoulder and it is not important enough and ignored. Yes, they sprinkler water on Monday when no one is to. Shame on them.

…I never got a reverse robo call on water sprinkling rules, used to, but in the know, do follow the rules, use hand held hose and have burned out areas of lawn, it doesn’t grow – no water, no rain, dry hot season, and have the landscaper skip grass cuts at times.

…The town should have sent a postal notice to all customers, as they did in past years, as there are many new residents. Education and respect for our water resources could be in flyer form, to inform people of the artesian well water here, and that its not from a resevoir. They don’t know, don’t care, think its an endless supply. Parents should set an example for their kids, and not break rules – saying its ok to do so. If not, they could take their bad habits and move back to the city.

I agree with the above and also see neighbors breaking the rules. Besides grass is not a native ground cover and shouldn’t be the main cover of yard space anyway: requires too much water, and pesticides, herbicides to maintain. Many articles have appeared on this subject including a great one in the Ridgewood News from former Eco Ed Schwarz.

Send an email with the offenders address to [email protected] is the boss at ridgewood water. When they are doing enforcement they can see it and do something .Police used to enforce but just like all jnight parking they won’t do anything unless a complaint is called in

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Ridgewood’s amnesty program yields about 30 applications

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2015    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015, 9:55 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood’s first amnesty program officially came to a close late last month, as residents took advantage of the chance to have work performed on their home without a permit inspected and approved with no administrative penalties levied by the village.

The amnesty period began on April 20 as a way to follow up with the “hundreds” of requests for permits found when Building Department Director Thomas Yotka took over last year.

There was acknowledgement on the part of village officials that past delays in the Building Department could have been partly responsible for residents potentially having work done in their homes without a permit.

The entire program was voluntary and had to be initiated by the homeowners themselves. The Building Department and village as a whole did not seek out violators.

By offering the amnesty to residents, it would eliminate potential safety hazards in the village and additional headaches for those trying to buy or sell a home, officials said.

The program came to an end on Aug. 21.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/amnesty-program-provides-permits-1.1402297

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Suspicious Package found in the parking lot of the HoHoKus Police Department

ho ho kus bomb squad
photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

Suspicious Package  found in the parking lot of the HoHoKus Police Department

September 2,2015

the staff of the Ridegwood blog

Ho Ho Kus NJ, At approximately 9:45 PM on Wednesday, 09/02, a suspicious package was found in the parking lot of the HoHoKus Police Department, which occupies a portion of the HoHoKus Borough Hall along with HoHoKus FD and EMS. As a precaution, the entire building, including fire all fire apparatus and ambulances, was evacuated; all on-duty FD and EMS volunteers stood by at the scene.

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad unit, including a explosive detection canine, was summoned to the location. All incoming telephone traffic to HoHoKus PD was rerouted to Waldwick PD and portions of Sheridan, Warren, and Sycamore Avenues were closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The package was inspected and examined by Bomb Squad personnel and determined not to be explosive in nature. The scene was cleared by 11:05 PM.

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Clinton emails contained spy satellite data on North Korean nukes

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Revelation among biggest concerns inside intel community

By John Solomon – The Washington Times – Tuesday, September 1, 2015

One of the most serious potential breaches of national security identified so far by the intelligence community inside Hillary Rodham Clinton’s private emails involves the relaying of classified information concerning the movement of North Korean nuclear assets, which was obtained from spy satellites.

Multiple intelligence sources who spoke to The Washington Times, solely on the condition of anonymity, said concerns about the movement of the North Korean information through Mrs. Clinton’s unsecured server are twofold.

First, spy satellite information is frequently classified at the top-secret level and handled within a special compartment called Talent-Keyhole. This means it is one of the most sensitive forms of intelligence gathered by the U.S.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/1/hillary-clinton-emails-contained-spy-satellite-dat/

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Nuclear deal will make war with Iran more likely, former top military officials say in report

Death-to-America

By Kellan Howell – The Washington Times – Wednesday, September 2, 2015

A group of former top military officials and intelligence analysts released a new report Wednesday concluding that the nuclear deal with Iran will threaten American interests and increase the probability of military conflict in the Middle East.

In its report, the Iran Strategy Council wrote that the nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), “will enable Iran to increase support for terrorist and insurgent proxies, aggravate sectarian conflict and trigger both nuclear and conventional proliferation cascades.”

Additionally, the deal will “provide the expansionist regime in Tehran with access to resources, technology and international arms markets required to bolster offensive military capabilities in the vital Persian Gulf region, acquire long-range ballistic missiles and develop other major weapons systems,” the council wrote.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/2/nuclear-deal-will-make-war-with-iran-more-likely-f/

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Auth Wants NJ Congressional Delegation to Vote No on Iran Deal

Robert Auth

Assemblyman Robert Auth (R-39) will introduce an Assembly resolution calling on members of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to oppose the Iran Nuclear Agreement. Congress is scheduled to vote on the agreement later this month. While U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) stoutly opposes the agreement, his colleague, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), has yet to issue a stand. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more

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Iran Vows to Violate UN Restrictions on Ballistic Missiles

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Iran missile stocks increase

BY: Adam Kredo
September 1, 2015 4:00 pm

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed that the Islamic Republic would violate outstanding United Nations restrictions governing the country’s ballistic missile program and that the behavior would not violate the recent nuclear accord, according to a translation of the leader’s remarks performed by the CIA’s Open Source Center.

Iran is “not committed to the restrictions on its missile program,” according to a recent comment made by Rouhani, who said  a violation of  international restrictions would not impact the nuclear accord recently reached with global powers.

“We have formally announced that we are not committed to these provisions [related to missiles] mentioned in [the] U.N. resolution,” Rouhani was quoted as saying in an Aug. 29 Persian language speech broadcast on Iran’s state-controlled television networks.

It is written into the nuclear accord that a violation of U.N. bans on Iran’s missile program will not impact the deal.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-vows-to-violate-un-restrictions-on-ballistic-missiles/

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Driver Transported to Valley Hospital after collision with Utility Pole

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photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

Driver Transported to Valley Hospital after collision with Utility Pole
September 02,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, The adult male driver of a Ford Expedition was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital following an 11:45 AM crash into a utility pole at the intersection of Glen and South Maple Avenues in Glen Rock on Tuesday, 09/01. The victim’s injuries were reported to be non-life threatening in nature. A juvenile female passenger was uninjured in the mishap.

A traffic control sign was downed in the crash; there was minimal damage to the utility pole and no utility service outages resulted from the incident. Glen Rock PD and EMS responded to the crash. The vehicle was removed by a flatbed tow truck. Traffic on Maple Avenue northbound was rerouted at Rodney Street until the scene was cleared.

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Obamanomics: The surging ranks of America’s ultrapoor

An Appalachian County's Community Bonds Help Overcome Challenge Of Poverty

By AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH September 1, 2015, 5:15 AM

By one dismal measure, America is joining the likes of Third World countries.

The number of U.S. residents who are struggling to survive on just $2 a day has more than doubled since 1996, placing 1.5 million households and 3 million children in this desperate economic situation. That’s according to “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America,” a book from publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that will be released on Sept. 1.

The measure of poverty isn’t arbitrary — it’s the threshold the World Bank uses to measure global poverty in the developed world. While it may be the norm to see families in developing countries such as Bangladesh and Ethiopia struggle to survive on such meager income, the growing ranks of America’s ultrapoor may be shocking, given that the U.S. is considered one of the most developed capitalist countries in the world.

“Most of us would say we would have trouble understanding how families in the county as rich as ours could live on so little,” said author Kathryn Edin, who spoke on a conference call to discuss the book, which she wrote with Luke Shaefer. Edin is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University. “These families, contrary to what many would expect, are workers, and their slide into poverty is a failure of the labor market and our safety net, as well as their own personal circumstances.”

To be sure, the labor market has been rocky for many Americans, not just the poorest. But changes in how employers deal with their low-wage workers have hit many of these poor Americans especially hard, such as the rise of on-call scheduling, which leaves some parents scrambling for hours and dealing with unpredictable pay.

Retailers such as Walmart (WMT) and fast-food companies increasingly are using sophisticated scheduling software that allows them to tinker with work schedules at the last minute, depending on their stores’ needs. That reduces costs for the employer, but it can make life difficult for employees, especially those with children and dependents.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-surging-ranks-of-americas-ultrapoor/

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Planned Parenthood fallout puts fetal tissue research in jeopardy

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By Sarah Ferris – 09/02/15 06:00 AM EDT

One month ago, six Planned Parenthood clinics allowed women to donate aborted fetus tissue for medical research. Now, there are just two that do — a sign that the future of the programs could be in serious jeopardy.

Planned Parenthood has fiercely defended its fetal tissue donations in the face of attacks from an anti-abortion rights organization this summer. But the steady stream of undercover videos of the organization’s operations is taking a toll on its affiliates and partners.

The fallout from the videos was detailed for the first time last Friday in an 11-page letter sent to congressional leadership by Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards.

Three affiliates in California have stopped accepting fetal tissue donations because of controversy surrounding the videos, including one provider that received “security threats,” Richards said. Another affiliate has postponed its program while undergoing renovations, she said.

A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood declined to comment on when, if ever, the tissue programs might resume. She also declined to give the names of the providers and the partners that have suspended the programs, citing safety concerns.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/252492-planned-parenthood-fallout-puts-fetal-tissue-research-in-jeopardy

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Report: More than half of immigrants on welfare

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Alan Gomez, USA TODAY12:08 a.m. EDT September 2, 2015

More than half of the nation’s immigrants receive some kind of government welfare, a figure that’s far higher than the native-born population, according to a report to be released Wednesday.

About 51% of immigrant-led households receive at least one kind of welfare benefit, including Medicaid, food stamps, school lunches and housing assistance, compared to 30% for native-led households, according to the report from the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for lower levels of immigration.

Those numbers increase for households with children, with 76% of immigrant-led households receiving welfare, compared to 52% for the native-born.

The findings are sure to fuel debate on the presidential campaign trail as Republican candidates focus on changing the nation’s immigration laws, from calls for mass deportations to ending birthright citizenship.

Steven Camarota, director of research at center and author of the report, said that’s a much-needed conversation to make the country’s immigration system more “selective.”

“This should not be understood as some kind of defect or moral failing on the part of immigrants,” Camarota said about the findings. “Rather, what it represents is a system that allows a lot of less-educated immigrants to settle in the country, who then earn modest wages and are eligible for a very generous welfare system.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/09/01/immigrant-welfare-use-report/71517072/

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Juvenile Ridgewood Resident reports “Home Alone” home invasion

home alone
September 01,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police report that on the morning of Thursday August 27, 2015 a juvenile male Olivia Street resident called 911 to report that an unidentified adult male had entered his/her residence and was yelling loudly. The caller was home alone with his/her younger sibling when they heard the disturbance on the first floor of the home and dialed 911. Responding officers who found the front door of the home open immediately removed the juveniles from the inside before searching for the man. As the residence was being searched an officer at the scene observed that the door of a motor home parked in the resident’s yard was also open.

Craig E. Andrews (48) of Ridgewood subsequently approached officers outside the home shouting incoherently, Andrews who was not wearing clothing appeared agitated and continued to come closer aggressively approaching the officers and the juveniles. He was arrested at the scene and charged with burglary, 2C:18-2a(1), criminal trespass, 2C:18-3, obstructing administration of law, 2C:29-1a, lewdness, 2C:14-4b(1), possession/being under the influence of marijuana, 2C:35-10a(4) and possession of narcotics paraphernalia, 2C:36-2. Bail was set at $40,000., it was posted by a family member and Andrews was released pending Ridgewood Municipal Court appearance.
All defendants are considered to be innocent until found guilty by a court of law.
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MAYOR’S OFFICE HOURS FOR RESIDENTS -Saturday, September 5th

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Ridgewood Nj, Mayor Paul Aronsohn holds office hours for Ridgewood residents on Saturday’s every month. Mayor Aronsohn will meet with residents on Saturday, September 5th from 9AM to Noon in the Council Chambers (Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room) on the fourth floor of Ridgewood Village Hall.

For an appointment to meet with the Mayor, please call the Village Clerk’s Office at 201-670-5500 ext. 206. You may come to the Mayor’s office hours without an appointment, but those with appointments will be given priority.

Village Council and Board Meetings for September 

09/08/157:30PM Board of Adjustment Public Meeting
09/09/157:30PM Village Council Public Work SessionN
09/15/157:30PM Planning Board Public Meeting
09/16/158:00PM Village Council Public Meeting
09/22/157:30PM Board of Adjustment Public Work Session
09/29/157:30PM Board of Adjustment Public Meeting
09/30/157:30PM Village Council Public Work Session

Seeking Ridgewood Residents to Volunteer for Planning Board and Shade Tree CommissionThe Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the Planning Board or the Shade Tree Commission.

The Planning Board reviews site plans and subdivision applications; prepares, adopts, and amends the Master Plan; makes recommendations to the Village Council regarding amendments to developmental regulations and the official map.

The Shade Tree Commission works closely with the Parks and Recreation Department, the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Green Team to promote awareness and education of the residents as well as advise and provide recommendations to the Village Council in promoting and sustaining a safe and productive shade tree resource. Members will preferably have forestry or tree backgrounds or hold the designation of a certified Arborist.

All interested residents should fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website), and send it along with a cover letter indicating on which board(s) the resident wishes to serve, and a biography or resume to:

Heather Mailander, Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07451

Deadline for submissions is September 10, 2015.