April 6, 2015 Last updated: Monday, April 6, 2015, 9:34 AM
By Mark Krulish
Staff Writer |
The Ridgewood News
Budget season continued in Ridgewood with village officials gathering for the second of three public budget meetings on March 22 to resume discussion of departmental needs for the upcoming fiscal year.
Among the changes made in the weeks between the first and second budget meeting was a reduction in the capital budget of approximately $700,000, which brings the current number to $3,194,000.
These talks will be taken up again at 5 p.m. on April 6 in a third public budget meeting. Discussion will include more concrete numbers for each department as well as the revenue side of the budget, said Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld. The village is targeting April 22 as the date for introducing the budget.
April 3, 2015 Last updated: Friday, April 3, 2015, 12:31 AM
By Matthew Birchenough
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
The Ridgewood News
RIDGEWOOD — Coming off the program’s best record in four years and a top-five finish in The Record rankings, it’s hard to imagine that the Ridgewood High School girls softball team would be overlooked this season.
But that’s exactly where the Maroons stand, due in part to being a member of the powerhouse Freedom Division in the Big North.
“We have a really tough league,” RHS head coach Patti Auger said of the division, which includes No. 2 Northern Highlands, as well as defending State Group 3 champion Indian Hills, which is coming off a 34-0 season. “There are not going to be any easy games, and I like that. I’d much rather have great games where you’re challenged every day and it makes you better ballplayers and a better team.”
The Highlanders and Braves, as well as No. 16 Paramus, all appear poised to challenge for the division crown this season.
Meanwhile, the No. 13 Maroons graduated six seniors from last year’s 20-7 squad, but captains Rachel Pizzuti and Kali Wolfer have been happy with the way the team has come together in the early going.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Motorists continue to see lower prices at the pumps in New Jersey.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the state on Friday was $2.16, down a penny from last week. That’s also much lower than the price from a year ago, when motorists were paying $3.38.
This marks the fourth straight week that pump prices have fallen in New Jersey. (Houston Chronicle)
Pushback by Atlantic City’s police and firefighter unions will likely be the single biggest impediment to the financial rescue of the city. The unions cannot – must not – be allowed to win this fight. And the only questions are: How long will the battle take and how ugly will it get? (Perskie/for PolitickerNJ)
APRIL 4, 2015, 11:38 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2015, 12:02 AM
BY TARA SULLIVAN
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD
Morgan Hoffmann has always been a man with a plan. From the one he hatched as a little boy to become a pro golfer, to the flight plan he registered for sometime today so he’ll be able to fly his private plane from Florida to Georgia, he is a man who decides what to do and does it.
So it is with meticulous planning that Hoffmann has put himself on the cusp of his first Masters tournament, completing yet another step in the golf journey that started on the manicured lawns of his Wyckoff home. A transcendent end to the 2014 season saw him rocket up the year-ending FedExCup standings, and that was followed by a 2015 start that included a recent fourth-place finish in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. And now the 25-year-old Hoffmann stands among the world’s elite.
But if golf offers many barometers of individual success, from simply making the PGA Tour all the way to contending for major titles, there is an even more exclusive bubble inside that world: qualifying for The Masters. Augusta represents something more, something bigger, something so coveted it is on every aspiring golfer’s dream-come-true list.
“It truly is the experience of a lifetime, playing, walking, watching. If you are a golfer, it’s heaven,” said Jim McGovern, the teaching pro at Haworth’s White Beeches Golf & Country Club and the last area golfer to compete at Augusta, finishing tied for fifth in 1994.
APRIL 5, 2015, 10:04 AM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2015, 10:05 AM
BY LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Paramus police got their goat Saturday.
Members of the department apprehended a small white goat shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday after getting a call that the animal was head-butting a door in the Beech Lane area of the borough.
The goat, described as “disorderly” on the Paramus Police Department’s Facebook page, was captured by Officers Christian Tsentas and Steve Nepola.
The animal was brought to Tyco Animal Control. Anyone with information about the goat should call the Paramus Police Department at 201-262-3400.
The police department’s Facebook page included a photo of the horned creature, wrapped in a large of piece yellow plastic, being held by Officer Jonathan Henderson.
The post about the goat launched a long string of cheeky comments, including, “Update, the goat was charged and tried for burglary. The judge was lenient on him because he was just a ‘kid.’”
APRIL 6, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015, 1:20 AM
BY DEENA YELLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Tenafly’s attempts to organize local business owners into a cohesive group that will help improve their section of the borough and generate new business has run into challenges that threaten to destroy the effort.
It is a familiar scenario that has played out on main streets across the state amid conflicting priorities and unfulfilled expectations. A business improvement district, commonly referred to as a BID, collects funds from businesses within a designated area to improve and promote the district. But business owners say BIDs do not always accomplish what they promise, and several municipalities have disbanded them.
Rutherford property owners signed a petition last year asking the borough to dissolve its BID; the council has not yet done so. The improvement districts in Palmyra, Atlantic City, Highlands and Roselle Park have been dissolved in the past few years.
“We did away with it last year because the merchants said they weren’t getting the bang for the buck,” Roselle Park Mayor Carl Hokanson said of his borough’s 8-year-old BID. “We’re happy it’s gone.”
The Fashion Show is April 19. The Committee is now securing donations for the auction. Click here for more information and the donation form. Items may be dropped off at Gail Mandell’s office, Life Opportunities Unlimited, 75 North Maple Ave. Suite 104 Monday – Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fashion Show chairpersons are ShariHellman (201-310-6286 [email protected] and Gail Mandeli (201- 248-2575 or [email protected]).
PG-15 upcoming monthly meetings: April 9 and May 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the RHS Library.
Dues are due. Make $165 check payable to “RHS Class of 2015” and mail to Sharon Walker, 94 Sherwood Road, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.
Class of 2015 Project Graduation Representatives
Chairpersons Tara Callaghan 201-803-7778 and Rosie McCooe 201-602-8097
Chairpersons email: [email protected]
Treasurer Sharon Walker [email protected]
Communications Jeff Coster [email protected]
There he is Chris Harris the Mayor Press Secretary / Record Reporter writing another article for the Mayor. I was wondering what was taking him so long.
Looks like Mr. Harris didn’t even have the courtesy, nor did he take the time, to contact Councilwoman Knudsen for her side of the story. The Record’s local news coverage is getting to be as big of a joke as the Village Council is.
The article by Harris is a disgrace since the councilwoman made it clear it’s all about civilian titles. Looks like Paulie’s lackey is willing to do anything for Aronsohn and we should all be sickened by it. It Harris wants to be a real reporter he should have the decency to be honest in his reporting. The change has nothing to do with the police or fire department. I don’t know much about all of this but is seems everyone on council agreed the change was to civilian titles and Mailander agreed. No one disputed Knudsnes statement it was about civilian jobs. The inferences Aronsohn makes are despicable Harris wants to be part of this lie he should be ashamed of himself and he should be fired.
We’ve seen lots of nepotism in the village and now we are seeing Schonenfeld’s cronyism. Schonenfeld should be fired because she said doesn’t understand the basics of the job she was hired to do.
So, based on the diligent detective work by Councilwoman Knudsen, we learn that the current hiring scheme provides that Ridgewood-based applicants are to be preferred when all of the top candidates are equally qualified. This sounds reasonable. Accordingly, the burden of persuasion on whether or not to change the law should be on those who are in favor of a change.
Up until now the proponents of change have been saying that according to the current hiring scheme, the Village has not been permitted to hire better qualified candidates who live outside of Ridgewood if at least one local applicant is deemed at least minimally qualified. Now we learn that was not true. In fact, it does not take an enormous leap of faith to conclude that we were being LIED TO.
It turns out the Village has only lacked the ability to hire candidates of the SAME qualifications who live outside of Ridgewood. In other words, they have lacked the ability to discriminate against (politically undesireable?) Ridgewood residents who have the same qualifications as the best (properly politically aligned?) candidates who live outside of Ridgewood.
Why should we change the law to facilitate such a hiring practice?
One wonders if the proposed change to the law is contemplated as part of a larger plan to politicize our system of local government, which by virtue of the Faulkner Act is supposed to be completely non-partisan.
Ah yes…politics. This has been the common denominator from day one when it comes to the behavior of the Three Amigos. Why should we expect these old dogs to learn new tricks when they continue to get such great mileage out of the old ones?
APRIL 4, 2015, 8:47 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015, 9:00 PM
BY RICHARD COWEN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The state Department of Transportation says a pedestrian walkway over Route 17 is safe enough to allow cars to pass under it, following an emergency inspection on Saturday afternoon prompted by chunks of concrete falling onto the road.
DOT spokesman Steve Schapiro said there was “no immediate danger of collapse” at the walkway, which crosses Route 17 just south of Racetrack Road and connects to the Park and Ride on the southbound side of the highway. Schapiro said a DOT crew arrived and picked up the debris, and conducted a brief inspection to make sure it was safe. A more thorough inspection will be done on Monday, he said.
“They took a look and determined there was no immediate danger,” he said. “We’ll be sending a crew out on Monday to take a look at what needs to be done.”
Chunks of concrete fell onto the northbound side of Route 17 around 12:30 p.m., and drivers reported damage to two cars, police said. Ridgewood police and firefighters rushed to the scene and, using pike poles, pulled down a layer of loose concrete from the central pillar that supports the walkway. Two of the northbound lanes were closed to traffic for about 40 minutes, police said.
Ridgewood Fire Capt. Scott Schmidt said the concrete that peeled off was the outer layer of one of the pillars that support the walkway. Schmidt referred to it as a “skin coat” that likely was weakened by the combination of moisture and road salt. “Road salt and concrete don’t really go well together,” he said.
Unable to dispose of the debris, firefighters piled chunks of concrete onto the left shoulder of the road and summoned the DOT. “We responded, and it made it as safe as possible before re-opening the road,” Schmidt said.
The resurgence of Islamic terrorism and President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran is shaking up the race for the White House, pushing national security to the forefront of the GOP primary debate.
The primacy of foreign policy could be a problem for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the libertarian Tea-Party favorite, who is set to launch his presidential campaign next week in Louisville. He proposed steep defense cuts when he first came to the Senate and has expressed wariness about foreign military interventions.
On the other hand, the new dynamic could help Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who have touted their experience on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, respectively, as they make the case for their candidacies.
Sun, April 19, 2015
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, E. ridgewood ave between Walnut St and Oak St
Ridgewood Grows Green and Yellow…
The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands &
The Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee
Invite you and your family to join our:
Daffodil Festival & Earth Day Celebration
Sunday, April 19, 2015, 11am-3pm
Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, Ridgewood
Fine Arts Show and Sale
Crafts for Children, “Spotty Dotty Daffodil Story Walk”
Daffy Dog Parade for your Favorite Pooch at 12:30pm
Environmental Programs, Refreshments
Sponsors:
The Valley Hospital
Jacobsen Landscape Design & Construction
Please also mark your calendars for our annual:
CRPL Plant Sale
Saturday, May 9, 2015, 8:30am-3pm
Graydon Pool Parking Lot, Ridgewood
Annuals and Perennials~~Perfect Gifts for Mother’s Day!
To order: www.cfrpl.org. P.O. Box 123, Ridgewood, NJ 07451
The birds are singing, the sun is shining and FINALLY the snow has melted! It is time to trade in those snow boots for sneakers and dust off the bicycles. There is no better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than to grab some friends and family members and sign up for our Annual Hike or Bike through Ridgewood!
Click Here to Register Online!
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Van Neste Square
Ridgewood, NJ
11:30 Registration Opens
1:00 Bike Ride Starts
1:30 Walk Starts
Select Your Course: 3 Mile Hike or 15 Mile Bike Route
Both routes start at Van Neste Square in the middle of downtown Ridgewood. Participants of all ages can grab their sneakers, bicycles, scooters, wagons, or strollers and hit the pavement!
Come for the Walk or Ride, Stay for the Fun
At the end of the route, join us for an afternoon of music, food and games. Prizes will be awarded to our top fundraisers.
Your Participation Can Make a Difference in the Lives of Local Homeless Families
Help us achieve our goal of raising $50,000. All proceeds will be used to support the Family Promise Network and New Leaf Transitional Housing programs.
AWARDS AND PRIZES
All participants receive a Family Promise t-shirt while supplies last
Participants who raise $250 or more are eligible for a prize drawing
Participants who raise $500 or more are eligible to win a bike valued at $500 donated by CycleSport of Park Ridge
Winner’s Cups will be presented to those who raise the most money in each category: Individual, Team and School
