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Train Station Renovation Trumps Ground Breaking of Planned North Walnut Street Parking Garage

Ridgewood _Train_station_theridgewoodblog

>IMG 1803
During this evening’s Village Council Work Session, Village Manager James M. Ten Hoeve revealed that ground breaking for the proposed parking garage on North Walnut Street will not take place until at least the year 2011.

New Jersey Transit has officially informed Village officials that bids for the ADA compliant renovation of Ridgewood’s train station will be advertised in June of 2008. The New Jersey Transit Board of Directors expects to award bids in September of 2008, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2009. The train station renovation project will take until 2011 to complete.

Since existing parking at and near the train station will be disrupted during New Jersey Transit’s massive construction project, Village Council members have wisely elected to avoid their own project, which will cause the temporary elimination of approximately 100 parking spaces on North Walnut Street.

The Fly believes that between now and 2011, parking requirements within the Central Business District will change significantly. Let’s wait at least until 2010 before committing any more money and resources to a parking plan that may be obsolete before construction even begins.

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>Thanks for listening to a frustrated teacher.

>This is not necessarily a response to anything here, but I just had to get myself heard.

I teach in a public school, in a Bergen County district not to be named. I consider myself extremely fair, and a particularly good blend of engaging and approachable/likeable and traditional with high expectations of the kids with respect to both academics and behavior.

Here’s what’s wrong with public education and it’s NOT teachers. In my opinion, it’s the administrators. Each one that comes down the pike has his/her own idea of what is right. They want to put “their mark” on the district and do things their own way. This means that as the administrators get younger and younger, they come to the schools with ideas that they think are new and progressive and they are just not well-founded at all.

Have you ever heard of a bell curve? Having a background in science, it’s the way that I expect to see my class grades play out. The majority of the grades being in the B/C range, with out-lyers in A+ and D (with the very rare F at times). Statistically, this is how it’s been forever. C means average, right? Not anymore. Now, the powers that be tell me that I have too many students in the C range. I know need to make home contact, despite the fact that I have been in frequent contact with many of these parents in the way of progress reports, emails and the like. And you know what? Most (not all) of these students have C’s because of homework, which they choose not to do or to do when they feel like it. Very few of them have a C due to both test/quiz grades AND homework average, although some do. The vast majority has a great deal of power over their achievement by choosing to do or not to do homework, which in my subject, provides a much needed extension of what is taught and practiced in class. They don’t do the homework, they don’t get the reinforcement, they don’t have strong performances on quizzes and tests. It’s a relationship that I try to stress from Back To School Night until the last week in June.

So now, somehow, I have done something wrong? That’s how I feel. Now, instead of planning great lessons, grading papers, providing feedback on assignments, I have to contact parents whose children don’t seem to care as much as I do about how well they do and how much they learn.

What do some teachers end up doing? Do you think some inflate grades? You bet. This certainly could get administration off their backs and make parents happy. I can’t do this. It goes against everything I believe.

Someone on this blog told me this summer to hold onto my high expectations, and that parents would be “knocking down my door” to get their kids into my class. Maybe so. But that’s if I don’t get fired first for grading kids according to what they’ve achieved and what they’ve earned.

Thanks for listening to a frustrated teacher.

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>Bob Hutton’s letter to the editor 2-22-08

>For those of you returning from vacation, perhaps you missed The Ridgewood News, February 22, 2008. A letter to the editor was submitted by our very own Board of Ed. member Bob Hutton.
FYI…

I sincerely hope all of you had the opportunity to review the School Report Cards issued in The Record last Friday, Feb. 15. After my personal review of all the data presented, I am proud of our public school system here in Ridgewood, I wish to thank all who are involved and contribute daily to the success of our student body.
Allow me to highlight some of the salient points that the School Report Cards showed for Ridgewood.
Ridgewood High School still has the largest student population in Bergen County. The high school’s mean SAT score in math of 605 was third in the county. We trailed only the Bergen Academies and Tenafly.
Our mean SAT score for verbal was second only behind the Bergen Academies. Our mean SAT score for essay was third only behind the Bergen Academies and Northern Valley Demarest.
It would be appropriate to remind everyone that students must apply and be accepted into Bergen Academies; not all comers are welcome.
In Bergen County and all schools in northern New Jersey that The Record reported on, Ridgewood High School was number one in the number of AP classes – 26.
RHS’ percentage of graduates going onto four-year colleges was 92.6 percent. We finished fourth in that category, following Bergen Academies, Tenafly and Northern Highlands. Only two other districts had four-year college rates in excess of 90 percent: Ramsey and Ramapo.
Results are one measurement. I have concluded that these results are very good. Again, this is a testament to the entire Ridgewood community and their support of public education.
At what price were these results achieved? From the same data source, Ridgewood is shown with a cost per pupil of $13,571. Bergen Academies show a cost per pupil in excess of $24,000. Tenafly has a cost per pupil of $14,857. Demarest has a per-pupil cost of $15,312. Northern Highlands has a cost per pupil of $16,039. In short, Ridgewood is optimizing every dollar.
I know some in our community will not like these results. They will spin these data facts somehow to a negative focus. From some sources, you would be lead to believe that our district does not have the ability to do anything right. That is the farthest from the truth. Some of those same folks cannot handle the truth. If any of you are movie buffs, you can probably guess where I am headed. Maybe “I’d prefer you just say thank you and went on your way.”
Year after year, due to hard work of many, our Ridgewood Public Schools produce excellent results. This year’s report card is no different.

Robert A. Hutton
Member
Ridgewood Board of Education

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>Anticipated Opening – ASSISTANT BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR- Temporary Per Diem Position

>The Fly read this from the RPS district’s web site. Seems Mr. DeSimone needs some additional help. Anyone interested in applying? Wonder how much WE are paying per diem?

Anticipated Opening – ASSISTANT BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR- Temporary Per Diem Position
Ridgewood Public Schools is seeking an experienced business administrator to assist with operations through the end of the 2007-08 school year. The successful candidate will have experience with reviewing capital items as related to a district’s budget as well as assist the Board with their analysis for a potential referendum. Certification as a School Business Administrator is required.

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>…A WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE AREA TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT…

>URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
1037 AM EST FRI FEB 22 2008

NYZ062-PAZ043-044-047-048-072-222345-
/O.CON.KBGM.WS.W.0003.000000T0000Z-080223T0600Z/
SULLIVAN-WYOMING-LACKAWANNA-LUZERNE-PIKE-SOUTHERN WAYNE-
1037 AM EST FRI FEB 22 2008

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST
SATURDAY…

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST SATURDAY.

SNOW WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING… AND BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES
DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SLEET WILL LIKELY MIX WITH
SNOW DURING THE AFTERNOON…ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE WARNING AREA. THE SNOW AND SLEET WILL TAPER OFF TO SNOW
SHOWERS THIS EVENING. TOTAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 8
INCHES IS EXPECTED.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND SLEET
ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS
OR IMPOSSIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL-HAZARDS OR YOUR FAVORITE
LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE…OR VISIT OUR INTERNET WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/BINGHAMTON.

PLEASE REPORT SNOW OR ICE AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT 1-877-633-6772…OR BY EMAIL AT
BGM.STORMREPORT@NOAA.GOV.

$

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>President’s Day

>flagpole

History of the Holiday

The original version of the holiday was in commemoration of George Washington’s birthday in 1796 (the last full year of his presidency). Washington, according to the calendar that has been used since at least the mid-18th century, was born on February 22, 1732. According to the old style calendar in use back then, however, he was born on February 11. At least in 1796, many Americans celebrated his birthday on the 22nd while others marked the occasion on the 11th instead.

By the early 19th century, Washington’s Birthday had taken firm root in the American experience as a bona fide national holiday. Its traditions included Birthnight Balls in various regions, speeches and receptions given by prominent public figures, and a lot of revelry in taverns throughout the land. Then along came Abraham Lincoln, another revered president and fellow February baby (born on the 12th of the month). The first formal observance of his birthday took place in 1865, the year after his assassination, when both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address. While Lincoln’s Birthday did not become a federal holiday like George Washington’s, it did become a legal holiday in several states.

In 1968, legislation (HR 15951) was enacted that affected several federal holidays. One of these was Washington’s Birthday, the observation of which was shifted to the third Monday in February each year whether or not it fell on the 22nd. This act, which took effect in 1971, was designed to simplify the yearly calendar of holidays and give federal employees some standard three-day weekends in the process.

Apparently, while the holiday in February is still officially known as Washington’s Birthday (at least according to the Office of Personnel Management), it has become popularly (and, perhaps in some cases at the state level, legally) known as “President’s Day.” This has made the third Monday in February a day for honoring both Washington and Lincoln, as well as all the other men who have served as president.

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>Neighbors Question Boarding House in Ridgewood

>I work hard to do my bit to keep the standards up in Ridgewood, jumping through expensive hoops to do improvements. Over a year ago, I complained to the Village about a house on my street that was clearly being used to house transient day laborers. The house has an almost constant room-for-rent sign on the door, with an occasional extra for rent sign in the train station tunnel. The owner doesn’t live there. No, the owner lives in Ho-Ho-Kus, and she is also a Ridgewood-based real estate agent. The tenant sub-lets rooms out to short-term day laborers. I have no doubt that these men are undocumented immigrants. This boarding house is not designated as such by the Village. The place is shabby-looking, with un-cut grass, and I wonder if this situation would have gone on for as long as it has if it was located in the Heights? I have nothing against rental properties. I’ve lived in a few in my time. My issue is with slum lords who should know better.

the+house+on+the+hill

and it goes….The land lord just brushes you off with comments like “they are nice young men”. Some neighbors have had confrontations with her when she occasionally stops by. Zoning laws are being broken. We complained again to the Village this week and we are again waiting with baited breath, even though the Building Dept representative acknowledged that the rental situation was against zoning laws! In the better weather, the tenants sit on the porch drinking beer, hissing at females who walk by.

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>Superintendent bashes spouse of candidate–Part Two

>Just when you thought it couldn’t be any worse…I shouldn’t have extended grace to Tim Brennan on the issue of what Beth Fisher-Yoshida said. It’s just that I couldn’t imagine Brennan outright lying like that.

But here’s the proof that Beth Fisher-Yoshida, the consultant hired to make recommendations about math, really did suggest that the district partner up with a university.

Holy model to our kids, Batman! Fast forward the video to near the end:

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>Ridgewood Police Department Supervisor gets deal in groping case

>THE RECORD, Friday, February 15, 2008
BY KIBRET MARKOS

A Ridgewood police lieutenant was admitted into a one-year probation program Thursday, the result of allegations that he groped a woman at a party last year.

Richard Whitehead, will have no criminal record if he completes the Pretrial Intervention program without any violation of the terms, which include resignation from the Police Department and not having contact with the woman.

Whitehead can request termination of the program after six months. His lawyer, Merick Limsky, said at a hearing Thursday in state Superior Court that he will make such a request, arguing that Whitehead has a long record of public service.

“I think his unblemished career of 25 years speaks for itself,” Limsky said.

Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor David Calviello said: “This disposition was done with the consent of the victim and was also done at her request.”

Whitehead was accused of touching a police dispatcher at a colleague’s retirement party in June 2007 at the Elks in Ridgewood. The woman, whose name is being withheld by The Record, told detectives that Whitehead slid his hand under her skirt and groped her as she walked past him.

After speaking to detectives, the woman agreed to call Whitehead and try to get him to talk about the incident while investigators listened in.

Whitehead said he was drinking at the party and did not recall touching the woman. He also apologized repeatedly and said he felt bad for “what happened.”

Whitehead had been with the Ridgewood Police Department since 1981 and was a lieutenant for seven years. He has been on vacation since Jan. 23, with a retirement date of March 1. His base salary is $123,000, records show.

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>Installation of spy cameras approved by 3-2 vote – Ringler-Shagin says: "pocketbooks are now formulating policy."

>By a 3-2 vote, Village Council members last night approved a resolution authorizing acceptance of The Bolger Foundation’s $500K grant to purchase a closed circuit television security system for the Central Business District.

The final plan calls for 16 cameras to be mounted at 8 separate downtown locations. Images captured by the cameras will not be viewed in real time. Instead, they will be stored electronically, to be viewed by an authorized police department supervisor only for investigative purposes.

Council members voted as follows:

Harlow – No
Mancuso – Yes
Pfund – Yes
Ringler-Shagin – No
Wiest – Yes

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>Reader says,"This blog is great because ….

>This blog is great because it demonstrates that given an issue a provided a forum the citizens of Ridgewood can be expected to present arguments, consider each other’s point of view, and educate each other about the topic of discussion (which seems to be math a lot of the time on this blog). What is really sad is that our Board did not consider other points of view, did not have a discussion, and did not do any research on the math issues in our town before the changes were made- what is troubling is the consistent lack of oversight by that body which is supposed to be performing the function of this blog (idea collection, research, debate, critical analysis, benchmarking). Whether or not everyone on this blog agrees which math program is best at least you are having a debate about the issue, whch is better than our Board of Ed which doesn’t bother itself with meaningful debate.

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>Parking Garage Closer to Reality ; Ridgewood Project Also Would Add Retail

>Parking Garage Closer to Reality ; Ridgewood Project Also Would Add Retail

Source: Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.
Publication date: January 18, 2008

By EVONNE COUTROS, STAFF WRITER
RIDGEWOOD The village is one step closer to building a multi- level parking garage on North Walnut Street that would ease parking problems in the business district and add 10,000 square feet of stores in an area devoid of retail businesses.

The Village Council gave the nod this week to the North Walnut Street redevelopment plan, which could bring the 378-space garage to town by July 2009.

“We began a project to create a redevelopment district about a year ago, which encompasses almost the whole block,” said Village Manager James Ten Hoeve.

The redevelopment zone is mostly owned by the village and is bordered by East Ridgewood Avenue, Oak Street, North Walnut Street and Franklin Avenue, Ten Hoeve said.

The plan does not include the redevelopment of properties on the East Ridgewood side of the block, he said.

A developer of the property could be hired by May with construction beginning in July, according to a timeline for the development

“The ultimate plan is a ground level plus three stories of parking with open parking at the roof level,” Ten Hoeve said. “The conceptual drawings of the retail in 2005 called for 10,000 square feet of retail on the first level. It could be more. The plan also allows housing up to 12 affordable housing units.”

The dimensions of the garage call for the acquisition of portions of property between Oak Street and North Walnut for a rear access road to the new stores.

The plan also includes the acquisition of a service garage on Franklin Avenue owned by Ridgewood 120 LLC and currently for rent.

“We have an appraisal for $1.245 million,” Ten Hoeve said of the sum McGuire Associates of Jersey City the village’s appraiser company has offered the owners of the service garage property.

“We meet with the property owners and their attorney next week, and we hope we can come to an agreement,” Ten Hoeve said.

In the past, the property owners have asked for $2.1 million, Ten Hoeve said.

“If we come to terms then it’s a purchase,” Ten Hoeve said. “If not, then we will undertake the process of eminent domain.”

The next step is to hire a redeveloper, Ten Hoeve said.

A 2002 study had put the cost of construction at $5.6 million. The cost in the study included all property acquisition and 340 garage parking spaces, almost 40 spaces shy of what is called for in the current plan.

“Construction costs are up since 2002,” Ten Hoeve said. “The cost of steel has quadrupled probably. It will be a more expensive job, but we will see what we can do with the redeveloper.”

The intent by the council was to keep the structure from looking like a garage, Ten Hoeve said.

“Their goal was to have people drive down the street and never see a garage,” Ten Hoeve said. “The facade will be a little more expensive than most garages, and we hope it looks like brownstones.”

***

(c) 2008 Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

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>NJ Transit worker killed after being hit by train

>1:50 PM EST, February 10, 2008

RIDGEWOOD, N.J.

An NJ Transit worker is dead after being hit by one of the agency’s trains.

NJ Transit says Simplicio Nino was struck by a train on tracks in Ridgewood at about 8:15 a.m. Sunday.

NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel says the 58-year-old Clifton man was a welder who worked on tracks, and had 36 years of railroad work experience.

The roughly 20 passengers on the Main Line train were transferred to another train, which completed the route from Hoboken to Suffern, N.Y.

Stessel said the exact details of the workers’ death weren’t immediately clear.

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.