Category: Village of Ridgewood

>Village Manager James M. Ten Hoeve revealed during this evening’s Village Council Work Session that The Valley Hospital has agreed in principal to fund construction of a 200-300 space, single story parking deck at the Village operated Park & Ride facility on Route 17. Excess parking capacity at the facility would be utilized by Hospital employees.

Coincident with construction of the parking deck, a Franklin Turnpike accessible entrance and exit would be added to the facility. Also, The Valley was asked by Mr. Ten Hoeve to consider funding construction of a salt shed on the property as well. The Village’s current salt shed, located at the Municipal Garage on Chestnut Street, is in need of major repair.

No price tag for the project was mentioned during this evening’s discussion, nor were any representatives from The Valley present to provide public comment. However Mayor David T. Pfund cautioned members of the audience, and television viewers, not to make any connection between The Valley’s current application before Ridgewood’s Planning Board and their willingness to fund this project.

The Fly has this question for our Mayor: “Do you think we’re all stupid or what Dave?”

>The Village of Ridgewood and Board of Education, having retained the service of Schoor DePalma of Manalapan, NJ, invite public participation as the official presentation of the Master Plan is made on October 15, 2007.

The development of such a plan is to evaluate all parks, fields, and facilities and attain a ten year projection on their needs. Also included, but not limited to, is the evaluation of recreational programs, and staffing levels.

A series of meetings led by Eric Mattes, Project Manager, included select target groups for their input and assistance in gathering necessary information. They included the Board of Education and its professional staff (Athletic Director, principals, Director of Health and Wellness, BOE Facilities Committee), Village Mayor and Council, Village Manager, Village Engineer, Police Chief, Police Youth Officer, and the Department of Parks and Recreation. Groups also targeted included the Village Planning Board, Village Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board, Village Open Space, and representatives of Youth Sport Associations, Sports Council, Fields Committee, Community School, and YM-YWCA. In addition, a special public meeting was held November 29, 2006 for resident input.

As public participation is vital to the project, please make every effort to attend this most important meeting; Monday, October 15th, 2007, 7:30 p.m. in the 4th floor courtroom of Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue.

>

Tripology has an interesting concept on their hands. If you’re looking to travel and you need someone who knows the terrain really well, this site connects you with 3 specialized travel agents https://www.tripology.com .The service is completely free and it matches your trip characteristics to travel pros that can save you time, money, and ensure you really enjoy your vacation. Sometimes a trip is more than just the cheapest flight and you just need to deal with a professional. Even a very experienced traveler knows that some times even the best laid plans go awry and its nice to have some one in your corner. If trying to plan your trip using online travel agencies, leaves you a bit uneasy this site is worth checking out.

>18. New interim principal is hired and she has to clean up the mess. But instead decides a blind eye to the mess is the best approach – on ward TERC ho!

19. New Interim Superintendent realizes (KNOWS) TERC is a scam but is beholden to his board – and its defacto leader, as she leads him around espousing the tale that it is not the materials. Look at Orchard, they score so well.

20. Since it’s not yet at the high school, reform math is dead on arrival there but instead the school fancies itself with Authentic Assessment.

20. Look for reform math to slowly fade out of Travell and Orchard – not at all. Look for it to fade in your childs backpack so as to further obfuscate the issue while in her ivory tower, Botsford can search for glory on the reform math trail – citing Ridgewood NJ as proof in the pudding – reform math works. And if thats not the case, it will be more of it across the board – further damaging kids. Only when the scores TANK will the school ever acknowledge it. Ridgewood has an inner city adminstrative mentality to public education but the affluent budget – a sham on all levels.

21. Don’t look for the BOE to ever admit that it made a mistake. The board could never begin to pay the price for those children it messed up with their ignorance. Watch the political two step come election time.

22. Look for parents to watch as bright kids do not compete with their peers. But forever marked on the internet let it be known – it wasnt the kids – it was the teaching and the materials and the superintendents and principals were to blame – not the children and not the teachers (serfs in this medevial system of public education)

>

Yard Sale SATURDAY 10/6
(Rain date is 10/13)

636 DELAWARE AVE.

Hours: 9-3. No early birds please.

Household items, electronics, sports equipment.

>Several weeks ago, the local Geese Peace chapter requested permission to insert a flyer into water bills destined for Ridgewood Water’s customers with Ridgewood addresses (the water utility also serves subscribers in Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff). At the time, Village Council members determined that no policy existed with respect to such appeals.

In response to the request from Geese Peace, and in anticipation of the likelihood that other community organizations might ask to disseminate information using water bills, Village Council members informally adopted a “Water Bill Insert” policy during their September 26, 2007 Work Session.

Simply stated the new policy is that no inserts will be permitted unless the message is being sent to water utility subscribers from the Council as a whole. The Council will welcome suggestions for appropriate themes from individuals and/or local community groups, but all content will be authored (and signed) by the Council.

The Fly believes this policy suggests the following: “We welcome your great ideas; however, if we like the message will take full credit by signing our names to it.” What a way to encourage individual and community participation. Nice touch ladies and gentlemen of the Council; nice touch.

>Although the much talked about six-foot deep mass of woodchips has long since been removed from the Crest Road Overlook, just last night did Village Council members officially award the $12K clean up project contract to Ross and Associates, Inc., 54 Main Street, Hackensack.

Ross, a commercial landscaper who plowed snow under contract for the Village this past winter, completed the hazardous assignment in late June, after it was determined that the Village’s own crews did not have the necessary safety training, or hydraulic power equipment at hand.

Still unanswered it the question of who ordered such a massive load of woodchips dumped at the overlook in November. All fingers seem to be pointing at a member of the Village Council, but no one on the Council has yet stepped forward and confessed to any first hand involvement in the process.

>In a report recently delivered to Ridgewood’s Mayor and Council, Village CFO Dorothy J. Stikna publicly recently revealed that salaries for the Village’s police and fire employees are expected to rise at the rate of 4% over the next 5 years, while salaries for other Village workers are expected to increase at the rate of only 3% during the same period.

During her prepared remarks, Stikna offered no solutions for keeping the salaries of Ridgewood‘s public safety employees in line with those of other VOR workers. However, it is rumored that some members of the Village Council have privately questioned the need to retain a fire department staffed almost entirely by career personnel; especially since no other community in Northwest Bergen County has such an organization. The Village fire department’s annual budget is reportedly in excess of $3 million.

Rumors are also circulating that the Northwest Center Bergen Dispatch Center, operated jointly by Glen Rock and Ridgewood, may soon be offered for sale to the County of Bergen. With an arm of the County government then entrenched in Ridgewood, a closer look might be taken at merging Ridgewood’s police force into the Bergen County Police Department. Significant savings in administrative expenses would be realized from such a merger.

Ms. Stikna’s estimated 2006 salary was $127, 778 (as reported by www.datauniverse.com).

>Perhaps the most frequently asked question in the Library/Village Hall parking lot, and even in the Village Hall lobby, is “where’s the police department?”

In attempt to help residents and visitors find their way around our municipal complex, Village Council members this year approved the creation and installation of new parking lot and building signage.

However, it’s been several months now since plans were approved and the Fly hasn’t noticed any new signs yet. So, “where’s the police department?” still holds the top spot as the most frequently asked question on Maple Avenue.

P.S.: In case you didn’t know, the police department is located on the second level of Village Hall (use rear entrance – facing southeast, near the yellow mail box).

ORDER FINE ART/ STOCK PRINTS ON-LINE

>

>The Fly has received numerous reports of a fatal motor vehicle accident that took place in front of The Valley Hospital on Friday morning. Reportedly, two Valley employees were involved; one was killed.

Members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Team and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Identification were observed at the scene taking measurements and photographs.

There has been no newspaper account of the incident thus far. Does anyone have further details? Is The Valley attempting to keep this incident under wraps so residents don’t bring it up at future hearings related to the hospital’s building expansion plans?

>Which math do you want your child to do? Which math do you want to pay for with your soon to be increasing local taxes?

Reform math

This is a fifth-grade math question from “Investigations,” which deals with number sense and getting students to look at different strategies to solve a problem. The teacher would guide students to think of “sensible” ways to approach this multiplication problem:

Choose any two of these as a first step to complete 14 x 9 =

A. Start by solving 10 x 9 =

B. Start by solving 7 x 9 =

C. Start by solving 14 x 10 =

Students are asked to break the question into numbers that are easier to multiply. For instance, they could solve 10 x 9 = 90, and 4 x 9 = 36. Then they would add both sums together: 90 + 36 = 126. (Alternatively, they could start with 7 x 9 and then multiply the answer by 2, or start with 14 x 10 and then subtract 14.)

Not Reform math

This is a fifth-grade math problem from a Singapore Math textbook:
Solve: 492 x 98 =

The Singapore curriculum introduces multiplication problems in the second grade. The materials teach different strategies for doing these problems, such as memorizing multiplication tables and breaking problems down into smaller numbers. By fifth grade, the materials would assume students have mastered these skills, and would be able to multiply complex numbers.
Examples courtesy of the July 12th, 2007 Seattle Times article: New Math Stirs Passions Among Bellevue Parents, Teachers at https://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003785645_mathwars12e.html

>
Dylan Hansen, the Village’s IT Network Administrator, publicly revealed during last evening’s Village Council Work Session that he is currently building out a technology platform that will support Village-wide WIFI and the use of CCTV cameras in the Central Business District. Hansen also reviewed several of his completed projects, including implementation of increased network security, improved spam filtering, and installation of on-site data servers.

Councilwoman Kim Ringler-Shagin praised Hansen for his efforts, but harshly chastised him for mentioning the possible use of CCTV cameras since she and other Council members have not yet discussed the merits of such an undertaking. Deputy Mayor Betty G. Wiest also thanked Hansen for his efforts in bringing the Village into the 21st Century from a technological standpoint.

Hansen has been employed by the Village since November of 2005. This was his first formal presentation in front of Council members.