MAY 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD
Why we have more coyotes, and how we can coexist
The past eight years have seen an increase in the number of coyotes in the metropolitan area, so he’s made an effort to inform residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut about what to expect when they live near coyotes.
He will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Closter Public Library about the history, biology and behavior of coyotes.
Q. Why are we seeing an increase in the number of coyotes and other wildlife in our neighborhoods and parking lots?
Some of it is overdevelopment. A lot of it is that these surviving generations of turkeys, coyotes and bears are adapting to these urban areas. So now we have to adapt to them. We also have to see if people are perpetuating it through feeding them, which is something that needs to be discouraged. I’m not supportive of bird feeders, because it’s getting animals conditioned to people in an unnatural way. Animals are very efficient and can get food on their own.
Q. How can we better respect the wildlife in our midst?
Definitely give the wildlife respect and as wide a berth as possible. In regards to coyotes and even bobcats, people have to be less complacent about their pets. You shouldn’t leave your pets out in your yards. It also means driving a little more slowly on the Palisades Interstate Parkway to make sure you don’t hit anything. You need to take precautions, like not leaving garbage out for raccoons and bears. You should plant things in your back yard that are aesthetic but are not palatable for deer, rabbits and other wildlife.
MAY 17, 2015, 11:14 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2015, 11:20 PM
BY RICHARD NEWMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Gas station owners who have wielded enough clout in Trenton to keep self-serve gasoline out of New Jersey for 66 years recently reversed their position on the issue, and that could mean the days of full-service-only gas stations, one of the singular features of the Garden State, are numbered.
“Our position is different than it was 30 years ago,” Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline C-Store Automotive Association, an independent gas owners group, said last week. The competitive landscape is different now, he explained, because the small owners’ Big Oil rivals don’t own the gas stations anymore.
The seismic shift by the gas station owners is one of several significant developments that may bring self-serve pumps to New Jersey and end a ban that originated in Bergen County. Gas-station owners in New Jersey have come under increased scrutiny from regulators over underpaid workers. And how transactions are made at the pump is likely to be altered as credit or debit cards are embedded with computer chips. While Governor Christie has been silent on the issue of self-serve recently, two area legislators have introduced a bill to end the prohibition.
Shari Puterman, Asbury Park (N.J.) Press11:12 a.m. EDT May 15, 2015
ORANGE, N.J. — A New Jersey teacher has been fired after having her students write “get well” cards to a man convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.
Marilyn Zuniga, a third-grade teacher at Forest Street Elementary School in Orange, was first suspended April 10, after her students wrote to former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal. Orange School Superintendent Ronald Lee confirmed Zuniga was fired.
Abu-Jamal is serving a life sentence for the 1981 murder of Officer Daniel Faulkner. He was recently admitted to a Pennsylvania hospital after suffering complications from diabetes. He has since been released and remains incarcerated at State Correctional Institution – Mahanoy in Frackville, Pa.
MAY 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The last month has been something of a whirlwind for village resident Anthony Daniels.
The spirited 23-year-old, whose ongoing battle against Hodgkin’s lymphoma recently was the focus of a documentary film, has been rubbing elbows with the likes of Robert De Niro and Randy Jackson at galas.
He’s fresh from shooting a public service announcement with “It Girl” model Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, and in recent appearances on SiriusXM Satellite Radio and the Huffington Post, the boxer and onetime Ridgewood High School hockey standout inspired thousands with his story, hoping people would register as bone marrow donors.
And let’s not forget that nationally televised segment Daniels just did with Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper.
“That … that was an unreal experience,” said Daniels, who may or may not be the only person in Ridgewood who text-messages and emails with the “American Sniper” star.
“It took about a week for it to sink in that I was actually on ‘Good Morning America’ with one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.”
Daniels said he walked up to Cooper in the lobby of a New York City hotel several weeks ago, and the thespian pledged his support “the second he heard ‘boxer with cancer.’ ”
“Although this was a family pet, those images of a family dog are not the same image the officer had when he was attacked by an animal that has been described by the owner as a guard dog,” Fox wrote in a public letter disclosing details from the fatal shooting.
“As a result, I have exonerated him from any claim questioning his truthfulness in this incident,” the chief concluded.
Presenting such a detailed, lengthy statement is a rare move for a local police chief.
“Many facts have been misrepresented and it is my intention for this report to provide a level of transparency to the investigation that the dog’s owner deserves,” Fox’s 4½-page public letter begins.
“Additionally, due to the widespread media coverage and social media statements, I believe that it is in the public interest to provide an understanding of how this investigation has been handledby this police agency,” it says. “The integrity of any police department is fundamental to the community it serves.”
A Bergen County Communications Center dispatcher sent Officer Kyle Ferreira to the correct address at 621 Lawlins Road after the homeowner went to headquarters to report a burglary but the officer heard it wrong, Fox said. When he repeated back the wrong address, the dispatcher didn’t correct him, the chief said.
The dispatcher also incorrectly referred to the burglary as days old but was never told that by anyone, he emphasized.
The officer knocked on the door, didn’t get a response, then entered an unlocked gate to check the property.
“There was no sign to indicate the possible presence of a dog,” Fox wrote.
In back, Ferreira found an open ground-floor window.
With no cars in the driveway, nobody answering and “his observation of what he believed to be the point of entry in a burglary,” the chief wrote, “his concerns about what exactly was taking place caused him to unholster his firearm.
“Attorney General guidelines allow for such action when the circumstances create a reasonable belief that it may be necessary to use the firearm,” Fox said.
He then emphasized: “Even though the dispatcher incorrectly informed the officer that the event was days old, a police officer is going to evaluate a situation based on their personal observations at that precise moment in time.
“Those personal observations and the requirement to protect oneself from potential harm are why a police officer should not be guided solely by the words of a radio transmission,” the chief added. “The dispatcher stated it happened quite awhile in the past, like days. What does that mean? Was the homeowner on vacation for days and just discovered this? Why would a window be left standing open for days? Is a burglar still in the home.
“The officer did not know the full details of this situation. For his personal protection while he was there, alone; he chose to unholster his firearm.”
Ferreira then heard “what he described as aggressive barking of a dog coming from the inside of the home,” Fox wrote. “A full grown German Shepherd jumped of the window and charged at the officer in an aggressive manner.”
Ferreira then “began running towards the gate that he entered in an effort to escape,” the chief added.
“Near the edge of the patio area that he had been standing on, the dog bit him on his right boot[,] latching on to him.”
The AG’s guidelines allow officers to use deadly force to protect themselves when faced with “imminent danger of death or serious body harm.”
Given the Shepherd’s size and aggressiveness, Fox wrote, the officer felt “that if the dog took him down it could have mauled him[,] causing serious bodily injury.”
Ferriera fired four rounds, which were heard in rapid successor by a police lieutenant who went to the scene, the chief said.
“Officer Ferreira stated that he believes that the dog let him go after the first shot but it continued to come at him,” Fox wrote. “He stopped firing after the dog turned and went back towards the house.
“The officer then exited the fenced area through the gate he entered an radioed for assistance.”
Although people claimed on social media the next day that police were lying, Fox said no one came forward, so he sent officers out to try and find witnesses.
Canvassing the neighboring homes, they found a woman who lives across the street who said she watched from a first-floor window that Fox said “provided a limited partial view of the rearyard[,] as much of the rear yard area was blocked by the house itself.”
Fox emphasized that he was not discrediting the woman but simply confirming “what, exactly, she did observe.”
During her interview with detectives, he said, “she stated that she was only about 90% certain that she observed the entire incident. She further stated that she was pre-occupied with a grandchild and may have turned away at some point.
“She also stated that she never saw the officer unholster his firearm, and she did not see the dog biting the officer,” the chief added.
“The detectives concluded that as the officer ran from the rear portion of the home to a point that the witness could see, she likely did observe the officer after the dog let him go and observed one or more gunshots.
“This was an event that unfolded in only seconds.”
Given the nature of the comments made by citizens, Fox sid he enlisted oversight assistance from Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli to “elminate any concerns or allegations of a bias[ed] investigation.”
They advised him to conduct an internal affairs investigaiton, which he said he did.
The investigators confirmed that Fereira went to the wrong house, which “admittedly…makes the shooting of the dog more difficult to accept,” Fox wrote.
The “focused on the issue of whether the officer was being truthful” and “uncovered nothing to suggest otherwise,” the chief said.
The account he immediately gave while clearly distraught about what just happened was consistent with his written report and his responses to investigators, Fox said.
The chief also noted that he “personally reached out to the family” and was prepared to visit them with Mayor Kevin Rooney to “sit down with them face to face, look themin the eye and tell them what we knew at that point had happened.
“They declined that request,” he wrote — adding that he contacted them again in an attempt to have that discussion.
An attorney for the family then contacted the township, after which Fox said he was directed by the township attorney and insurance carrier that “all communications must be limited to attorneys.”
“[W]e are saddened that this incident ever took place,” he wrote. “We are mindful that the family has lost a pet dog that they loved. We are upset that an error in hearing an incorrect house number put us on that property[,] which allowed the successive events to unfold.”
Fox said he is “responsible for the actions of my officers each and every day.”
He said he has spoke with former Fairview police chief Frank DelVecchio, the director of the Bergen County Communications Center, and “agreed to a dispatch protocol change that will minimize the possibility of an officer going to an incorrect street address.
“The Wyckoff Police Department is not defined by this incident,” Fox concluded. “The officers of this agency serve this community proudly and with integrity. As with every police officer in this state and nation, police face many challenges on a daily basis.
“We’ll continue to serve with pride and integrity”
Fed up with spending the 9 to 5 in a stuffy office? Anna Hart packs her Mac and follows the trend for extreme remote working – in Bali
By Anna Hart
7:00AM BST 17 May 2015
Typing these words, my forefinger sticks sweatily to the trackpad. When I glance up from the screen, I see steam rising from the neighbouring paddy field. As with all workplaces, there’s a steady hum of white noise: coffee being brewed, group meetings peppered with jargon such as “touch base”, “reach out”, “loop back” and “incentivise”.
But Hubud, AKA “Hub-in-Ubud”, Bali, isn’t a conventional office. It is a bamboo and wood building with an outdoor organic café and a pretty garden dotted with beanbags – and monkeys, as it is just 100m from Ubud’s famous Monkey Forest. For everyone who has ever come back from holiday and wished they could have stayed, I am living the dream – and working in paradise.
• Five reasons why everyone should live abroad at least once
This is one of a rapidly increasing number of co-working spaces, where freelancers, sole traders and small companies rent desks and share printers and coffee machines. But even within that hip, fast-evolving realm, Hubud is an outlier – and its 250-strong community believes that this highly covetable office environment is the workplace of the future. The diversity of this group also signals another change: that more and more jobs are becoming portable, possible to do at a digital distance – not just web designers and freelance writers but fashion designers, photographers, models, marketers and even a remote-working GP.
A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT AND CEO JOE BOARDMAN REGARDING RESTORATION OF SERVICE ON THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR
by Joe Boardman May 17, 2015
At Amtrak, the safety of our passengers and crew remains our number one priority. Since the tragic derailment, Amtrak staff and crew have been working around the clock to repair the infrastructure necessary to restore service for all the passengers who travel along the Northeast Corridor. Our repairs have been made with the utmost care and emphasis on safety, including complete compliance with Federal Railroad Administration directives.
Effective with departures from Philadelphia at 5:53 a.m. (Train 110) and New York City at 5:30 a.m. (Train 111) on Monday, May 18, Amtrak will restore normal service on the Northeast Corridor.
Although service along the Northeast Corridor will begin again tomorrow, the derailment of Northeast Regional Train 188 is a tragedy that we at Amtrak will continue to mourn and are dedicated to learning from.
Ridgewood Police : the passing of retired Police Lieutenant Anthony Finamore
May 15 ,2015
the Ridgewood Police
It is with deep sadness we share the passing of retired Police Lieutenant Anthony Finamore . Tony served our community and the Ridgewood Police Department from 1960-1987. Our thoughts and prays are with his wife Gloria, his children and family. Tony is pictured here in the center during the 1961 department photograph. Service arrangements will be announced soon.
Area graduates of the Police Academy of Bergen County are awarded certificates of completion by Freeholder John K. Pollitt, Police Academy committee chairman, during exercises held APR 25 1961. The graduates that year were Patrolmen Harry Shortway Jr., , Anthony Finamore, and Augustus Hensz, of Ridgewood.
His appointment to rank of sergeant on the Ridgewood police force effective Wednesday, Anthony Finamore has his new badge pinned by his wife, Gloria. At left, is Captain Robert S. Kay who handled the promotion ceremonies. FEB 15 1972
Ridgewood NJ, In honor of Maestro Eric Dale Knapp’s 10th Anniversary, the New Jersey Choral Society will present Verdi’s magnificent sacred choral work “Messa da Requiem” on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 pm in the West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 South Monroe St, Ridgewood. NJCS will be joined by the Connecticut Choral Society. Organist Linda Sweetman-Waters and a 61-member symphonic orchestra will accompany the choruses.
Verdi, known for his dramatic and melodic operas such as “Rigoletto,” “La Traviata” and “Il Trovatore,” composed the “Messa da Requiem” in 1874 in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, an Italian poet and novelist whom he admired. His glorious “Requiem” uses vigorous rhythms, sublime melodies and dramatic contrasts to express the powerful emotions of the text.
Other highlights of the program include the world premiere of David Gotay’s “Earthen Vessels,” which is dedicated to Eric Dale Knapp, New Jersey Choral Society and Connecticut Choral Society, Gustav Mahler’s stunning “Choral Finale” from the “Resurrection Symphony No. 2,” and Richard Strauss’ “Beim Schlafengehen.”
Guest soloists for Verdi’s “Messa da Requiem” are soprano Megan Knapp, mezzo-soprano Teresa Buchholz, tenor Kirk Dougherty and bass Jared Schwartz.
Advance tickets are $35.00 for adults; $30.00 for students, seniors, and patrons with disabilities. (Add $5.00 at the door). Discounted group pricing is also available. Come one hour prior to performance time for The Inside Line, a complimentary lecture for all ticket holders that provides an intimate and entertaining preview of the music. For reservations or more information, visit www.NJCS.org or call the New Jersey Choral Society at (201) 379-7719.
Established in 1980, the New Jersey Choral Society is one of the state’s most prestigious choral groups, well-known for presenting outstanding and unique programs. Under the direction of Eric Dale Knapp, NJCS performs three major concerts annually in Bergen and Essex counties. They have performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House and have toured internationally in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, China, Australia, England, and last summer in France.
West Side Presbyterian Church is wheelchair accessible. Funding has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Ridgewood NJ, “O Fortuna!” The Pro Arte Chorale’s 2014-2015 season culminates onFriday , May 29, with a performance of one of the best known and mostloved choral/orchestral works of the 20th century, Carmina Burana.
Join us on this fantastic musical journey celebrating the return of spring, the fickleness of fortune and wealth, and the pleasures of drinking and
The concert will be held at West Side Presbyterian Church located at 6 S. Monroe St., Ridgewood, NJ beginning at 8pm. The Pro Arte Chorale will be joined by Guest Conductor Maestro David Wroe and the NJ Festival Orchestra, as well as the Newark Arts High School Choir, in the performance of this perennial favorite amongst concert-goers!
On Thursday, New Jersey Congressman Scott Garrett visited with the travelers who will be taking part in the Jewish Home Family’s Centennial Mission to Israel in October. There are 10 older adults participating on this 10-day mission and each has a “buddy,” who will be his or her roommate and traveling companion. The team has begun monthly meetings focused on preparing for their journey and learning more about Israel and what they are going to see and experience.
“I’ve been able to go to Israel three times in my life,” he told the group. “I’ve gone over as a member of Congress, with AIPAC and others. My trips over there have always been an eye-opening experience for me.”
Staff and residents were chosen to attend the mission after dozens of applications were reviewed. The application included an essay about why they wished to join the momentous mission.
After speaking a bit about his personal experiences in Israel, the Congressman took questions from members—many of whom have never been to Israel before. One asked whether he felt it was a safe time to visit.
“Even in the most troubling times over there we felt completely safe—even safer than we sometimes feel here at home,” the Congressman said.
The Centennial Mission is one of a series of special programs that celebrate and recognize the Jewish Home’s 100 years of service to this community. Jewish Home Family President and CEO, Carol Silver Elliott, says that this is the ideal year to take a mission to Israel. “Taking older adults to Israel is no small thing. It demonstrates our commitment to our elders and to believing that they can still learn, grow and achieve. We say that age is just a number and undertaking a mission like this proves it, demonstrating that you are never too old to have a dream and to have that dream become reality.”
Ridgewood NJ, “Can”struction at Old Paramus Church Needs Canned Food Donations On May 17th in the fellowship hall of Old Paramus Church, there will be a “Can”struction contest with the Sunday School participants acting as construction teams. To make their “can”struction possible they need cans of food in all sizes and shapes . Beginning now, you may drop off at the Education Building, any cans of food to be donated to the local food pantries. There is a box there, just inside the main door for your donation.
Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, or Sunday mornings. The more cans they have, the bigger and better the construction projects will be. To be a part of the team, just come to Sunday School if you are between the ages of 5 and 13, at 10:00 a.m any Sunday. To watch the contest, come to the Fellowship Hall, following the worship service, at 11:15 on May 17. The entire community is invited. Following the judging of the “can”struction projects, all the cans of food will be donated to the Center for Food Action in Mahwah to feed the hungry. The church is located at 660 E. Glen Ave., Ridgewood. There is ample free parking. If you have additional questions, visit the church website, www.oldparamus.org or call the church office 201 444-5933
May 16, 5:59 PM EDT
BY JIMMY GOLEN
AP SPORTS WRITER
Tom Brady signaled in his appeal of his “Deflategate” suspension that he will put NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s credibility on trial, further inflating the stakes in what started as a silly little scandal about the air pressure in footballs.
The expected federal court case – and, to borrow a phrase, it’s more probable than not that’s just where it’s headed – could define or limit the powers of the commissioner long after the Super Bowl MVP returns to the field.
“I think this is much bigger than a four-game suspension for Tom Brady,” said Gabe Feldman, a Tulane Law School professor and the director of the Sports Law Program there. “This is part of that continuing battle for the role of the commissioner in disciplinary matters.
“This is a decades-old principal, that the office of the commissioner was created in part to protect the game and to determine what’s in the best interest of the league. This is why (the league) bargained for this back in 2011 – that the commissioner is in the best position to determine that.”
A four-time Super Bowl champion and the face of the most successful NFL franchise of this century, Brady was suspended four games after a league investigation found he was “at least generally aware” of a scheme to illegally deflate footballs used in the AFC title game. NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent also fined the New England Patriots $1 million and took away two draft picks.
Brady has denied any impropriety, and the NFL Players Association appealed the suspension this week in a three-page letter that demanded Goodell recuse himself as the hearing officer. Loading the letter with references to NFL decisions that were overturned or otherwise botched, union lawyers laid the groundwork for a court case that would take the decision out of his hands.
Village priced memberships are available to Ridgewood residents, non-residents who pay local property taxes to the Village of Ridgewood, and employees of the Village of Ridgewood and Board of Education. Proof is required.
ADULT – $120.00.
CHILD – (ages 2-15, under 2 free) $110.00.
SENIOR – $30.00 (62 and older).
PERMANENT DISABLED – $30.00
DAILY GUEST PASS – $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
NON-RESIDENT MEMBERSHIPS The Village Council and the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to invite all families in the surrounding area to join the Graydon Pool facility for the 2015 summer season.
ADULT – $200.00
CHILD (Ages 2-15) – $175.00
GUEST PASSES – $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
POOL AMENITIES AND ACTIVITIES
Pool features include a shaded playground, water play fountains, shade kites, Adirondack chairs, a picnic area with charcoal grills, a sheltered pavilion, and the Water’s Edge Cafe. Additional amenities include volleyball, basketball, ping-pong, shuffleboard, four-squares, hop-scotch, backgammon, a lending library and for the little ones, “Storytime Under a Tree”.
Swim instruction is offered for children and adults along with an adaptive swim class. Patron youth (ages 8-14) may also join the competitive Graydon Swim Team sponsored by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
AQUATICS – INSTRUCTIONAL, COMPETITIVE AND RECREATIONAL
Instructional swim courses will be offered to seasonal members of all ages – from parent and toddler to youth levels, to adult instruction. An Adaptive Aquatics for Special Needs Children, Introduction to Diving and Intermediate Diving will also be offered. Adults can enjoy Swim Fitness, Water Aerobics, SUP Yoga and Beach Yoga.
Graydon Swim Team will continue the tradition of success for youth ages 8 and up (must pass deep water test to participate). Please check back for the Swim Team Parent Manual.
2015 SEASON
Saturday, June 6 to Sunday, August 16
Daily, 10 am to 7:30 pm
July 4th – Holiday hours, 10 am to 4 pm Late Season – Monday, August 17 to Sunday, August 30th
Weekends, 10 am to 7:30 pm
Weekdays, 12 noon to 7:30 pm
POOL CLOSED – Monday, August 31 through Friday, September 4 Labor Day Weekend – Saturday, Sept 5 through Monday, Sept 7
Daily, 10 am to 7:30 pm
CONTACTS
Pool Manager’s Office – 201-670-3376 (in season)
Badge Office – 201-670-5566 (in season only)
Recreation Office at The Stable- 201-670-5560
“Exonerated by a township internal affairs investigation”…. Nobody believes this crap anymore, and yet they just keep expecting tax paying citizens to accept their schtick.
Unanswered questions: why when going to take a report of a “Burglary IN THE PAST” does supercop show up with weapon drawn? (If it was burglary in progress the protocol is to wait for a backup officer)
If the dog owner’s allegation that spent shell casings were found at a location other than reported by the officer, why was this not investigated/clarified?
A simple investigation would determine who is telling the truth here.
I guess wyckoff can save money on billy clubs, pepper spray and flashlights since the non-lethal methods are no longer accepted practice here. Shoot first and no questions will be asked.
Perhaps its time to reevaluate the rules for the use of deadly force ?
