Maple Field’s landscaping has been overrun by weeds and saplings. Just a few years ago, many in this village made donations for the installation of the turf field and the landscaping surrounding it. Now when one drives by, weeds as big as bushes grow wild. The main entrance walk is obscured, shallowed up by untrimmed plants. It is disgraceful that our Village Parks and Rec have allowed this happen. It is like spitting in the eye of all who live here and pay for the upkeep. If it is too much work for our village workers, then privatize the maintenance of the grounds. Jacobson’s does a wonderful job at our schools. It is time for the VC to either straighten out the Parks & Rec Dept or get someone else who will do the work.
GALLOWAY, N.J. — After Donna Cushlanis’s son kept bursting into tears midway through his second-grade math problems, which one night took over an hour, she told him not to do all of his homework.
“How many times do you have to add seven plus two?” Ms. Cushlanis, 46, said. “I have no problem with doing homework, but that put us both over the edge. I got to the point that this is enough.” …
Ridgewood High School in New Jersey introduced a homework-free winter break in December. Schools in Bleckley County, Ga., have instituted “no homework nights” throughout the year. The Brooklyn School of Inquiry, a gifted and talented program, has made homework optional…
The History Of Flag DayThe Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag Birthday’. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ‘Flag Birthday’, or ‘Flag Day’.
On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.
Following the suggestion of Colonel J Granville Leach (at the time historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution), the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as ‘Flag Day’, and on that day, school children be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small Flag.
Two weeks later on May 8th, the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution unanimously endorsed the action of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames. As a result of the resolution, Dr. Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.
In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization, known as the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children’s celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children participating.
Adults, too, participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: “I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.”
Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day – the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 – was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year asNational Flag Day.
Desperate to nail Christie the main stream media pulls out the “black helicopter” theory . Perhaps the mainstream media wouldn’t mind telling everyone where they were during the creation of $56 billion Pension deficit or the $66 billion health care problem or perhaps the $500 million more for the failed Abbott schools ? And what about the $6.4 billion gone missing from the school construction authority or the $3 billion gone from Highway Transportation trust fund ? Where was the media during the 9% or was it 13% pay raise for state workers ,but hey the State of New Jersey only has an annual $10 billion dollar deficit . Should I go on it’s gonna be a long night…..
In Ridgewood we spend more for golden toilets at Vets field than the Governor did .Sorry folks but what Ridgewood parent wouldn’t fly to their kids LAX game in a chopper if they could or they probably do . It’s for the children and you know you would . Sorry but this helicopter story is just too much of an insult to everyonesintelligence even in a state that brought you the Jim McGreevy follies , ‘the Jersey Shore ” and the “Jersey House Wives” TV shows.
PJ Blogger
Gov. Christie calls Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle a ‘jerk’ for criticizing his use of State Police copter
Gov. Chris Christie Thursday criticized Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) for criticizing him for using a State Police helicopter to fly from Trenton to Montvale Tuesday to watch his son Andrew play in a high school playoff baseball game. Vainieri Huttle charged the governor wasted taxpayers dollars flying to the game where he then stayed until the 5th inning before flying off to a political meeting in Princeton. (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)
Students at the Cooperative Nursery School of Ridgewood took to their tricycles on May 24th to help St. Jude’s. The children participated in the Trike a Thon to raise money for the research center. They got to help out a great cause, have fun and learn about riding safety. This is just one of the many fun events that children participate in while at the Co-op.
A nonsectarian school, The Co-op also offers morning and afternoon classes for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds, as well as Mommy & Me classes and Kindergarten enrichment. Setting the school apart from other nursery schools, The Co-op is organized and run by the parents. This enables parents to actively participate in their child’s early learning experience. Music, physical education, field trips, indoor and outdoor play time and an in-house library are just a few of the experiences to which the children are exposed as supplements to the daily education plans.
For more information on the school or to set up an appointment to visit, please call (201) 447-6232 or email the school at [email protected].
>I’m glad to see that nobody was fooled by that article: Readers remain very skeptical of the Bergen Records Sunday piece ,”In North Jersey, teacher tenure is no sure thing”
All I can say is “That’s nice, but irrelevant”. The discussion is not about the three years spent busting your butt to get tenure, it’s about the next 40+ spent being essentially unfireable. At the High School level, no less.The article quoted is probably a plant by, the NJEA to build sympathy.
Readers were also highly skeptical of the use of the term ‘highly qualified”. It is a misnomer that many of our teachers are categorized as ‘highly qualified’, unless by qualified, you mean “compensated”.About half my children’s teachers each year are no longer effective and some are just biding time.Thank you, ‘no sure thing’ tenure.
The problem with tenure is not who gets it, but the fact that once a teacher gets it they are guaranteed a job for life. People change,needs change, and there is no way to guarantee that your best performers on day one, will be your best performers in 5, 10, 20or 30 years. Tenure needs to go. Teachers should be evaluated based on performance every year, just like other professions, which is the only way to keep standards up and costs down.
When it comes to tenure most readers thought critical results based annual evaluations are needed for teachers – no tenure, no guaranteed job for life. Teachers who work in more challenging districts should have evaluations different from those who teach in districts like Ridgewood where there is parental support for the schools and parental involvement in education…not all kids are so lucky.
> Ridgewood’s unlimited parking pass included in revisions to rate structure
Friday, May 20, 2011 BY MICHAEL SEDON THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS STAFF WRITER
Commuters and downtown workers can stop saving bags full of change by getting a new unlimited parking pass, village officials said this week.
“The idea for unlimited parking was adopted to better meet the needs of customers, downtown workers and commuters,” said Councilman Paul Aronsohn, the liaison to the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce. “Currently, many are forced to move their cars or illegally feed the meters. This new approach recognizes and accommodates those that need more than two hours of parking.”
The “Unlimited Prepaid Parking Permit” (UP3) was part of revisions in the village’s parking rate structure approved by the Village Council last week.
The UP3 will cost $650 on an annual basis; the cost will be prorated if it is purchased later in the year. A parking pass purchased in June, for example, will cost $400 for the year.
The permit is a hangtag that will be displayed from a vehicle’s rearview mirror. The UP3 can be used on different days in different approved cars, allowing households with multiple vehicles to alternate.
>Junior New Players Summer Program registration deadline Friday May 27th
There are still some spaces available for the Summer Junior New Players program. The Junior Company is an intensive theatre program for Ridgewood students who have completed Grades 5-8. The three-week summer session will take place from July 5 – August 2. More detailed information and registration forms are available at www.rhsnewplayers.com. The deadline to register is Friday, May 27.
> In North Jersey, teacher tenure is no sure thing
Sunday, May 22, 2011 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY MAY 22, 2011, 9:41 AM BY LESLIE BRODY THE RECORD STAFF WRITER
Five out of 20 teachers in the Leonia school system found out this spring they won’t get tenure after three years on the job because they weren’t making the grade.
At schools throughout North Jersey, officials say tenure is not a sure thing. In Wayne, four teachers out of 41 eligible didn’t cut it.
And in Fort Lee, two teachers out of 15 hopefuls got the bad news.
In all, districts throughout North Jersey are denying the prize of tenure to some educators who, school officials say, aren’t performing up to standards, based on interviews with the leaders of more than a dozen North Jersey districts.
What percent of eligible New Jersey teachers are denied tenure for cause each year has long been a murky subject, and the New Jersey Education Department keeps no tally statewide. Teachers get tenure on the first day of their fourth year in a district, but reaching that point is by no means automatic, local leaders say, because they don’t want to get stuck with long-term teachers who can’t succeed.
Sat, May 21, 2011 – Wed, August 31, 2011 Time: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Location: Smith Brothers Steak & Chophouse, 51 North Broad Street
Smith Brothers is now serving fresh lobster for the amazing price of only $15.95, every night of the week!!! That’s right–only $15.95, and wait till you hear what that includes: each 1 1/2 pound lobster is steamed and served with fresh homemade coleslaw, fresh corn on the cob, and a fresh garden salad, ALL for only $15.95. Come in early and get yours as they are limited and when we run out that’s it for the evening. Looking forward to seeing you there!
>Remembering Richard Holbrooke SATURDAY, 21 MAY 2011 07:31
BY PAUL ARONSOHN COMMENTARY
Every once and a while, amidst all of the stories about Osama bin Laden and the U.S. war on terrorism, I am reminded of one very sad fact: Richard Holbrooke, the President’s Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, is no longer with us.
Granted, it has been almost six months since his untimely passing, but it still doesn’t seem real … and it certainly doesn’t seem right. And while death is always hard to understand and accept, his seems particularly disconcerting.
After all, Holbrooke was larger-than-life and an indefatigable force of nature. As one of our nation’s most influential and experienced foreign policy practitioners, he had played key roles in some of the most important issues of our day. And as one of the most visionary and effective people in government, he was often able to make the impossible … possible.
>Readers continue to press for Consolidation at the Bergen County Sheriff’s department
Bergen County NJ- Why not consolidate the county police and county sheriff’s departments. 90% of the residents in Bergen County couldn’t tell you why we have two separate departments and how thateir duties are different. Their both law enforcement agencies. Combine them into one unit and eliminate a bunch of overhead?
However judging by the comments made by the county freeholders it is not going to happen. The County Sheriff is an elected constitutional officer over whom the freeholders have little control. No way they will give the sheriff additional power and personnel.
The recent study mirror one done over 20 years agio that said get rid of the county police.,but we are talking politics not finances and it seems all the prosecutor did was waste money on the same study that was done 20 years ago that was rejected at that time.
The reality is that the Bergen County Police are an offshoot of the Sheriffs department and basically created by “mission creep ” at the Sheriffs department ,. Particularly in a county like Bergen with all the police resources available at the local level and the State Police taking on an ever larger role ,to maintain country Police in Bergen is wasteful and a poor use of scarce resources .
The end is near according to the so-called “Rapture” doomsday cult which has pasted the city’s subways and bus stops with ads predicting Armageddon this Saturday. The cult predicts the world will end sometime between 5 and 6 p.m. tomorrow in a massive outbreak of earthquakes and tidal waves.
Saturday’s “Rapture” as it is called will cause the souls of the saved to be sucked into heaven, while the rest of humanity plunges into the abyss to be left behind on earth to face the final Judgment Day.
Many New Yorkers feared their weekend plans might be severely impacted by the end of the world scenario.Robert Fitzpatrick, the Staten Island man who has spent $140,000 to buy the ads warning of the Apocalypse, the “Rapture” is no joke.Fitzpatrick, 60, warns doubters shouldn’t be so glib.”We’ve got the proof. There are irrefutable truths, too many to deny,” .
No its not global warming or mans’ inhumanity to man ,the end-of-the-world prediction is being made television evangelist Harold Camping, 89, an Oakland, Calif., man who founded Family Radio World Wide.
>Paul Aronsohn should be addressing the anti-business climate inside the Village Hall.
You know, I read this letter by Aronson and it just didn’t resonate with me. Has he seen the business failures over the past 3 years? Has he noticed the remainder of the businesses struggling to stay afloat? Has he read the coupons – even by white linen restaurants – offering meal specials?
What struck me was there must be ordinances that prohibits selling in front of vacant stores and not your usual merchandise. The economic woes have turned store owners against each other to call the Village Hall if there is a minor ordinance infraction. I thought it was just the restaurant owners who called the health department on each other.
If Aronson really wants to be infuriated, he should direct it towards the anti-business climate inside the Hall. The local government should be working hand-in-hand with merchants and citizens. Ridgewood in its recent heyday was a destination – I know because 30 years ago, I didn’t live here, but I came to shop. It’s only in the last 10 years that the tide has turned against business of any kind and the VC trying to control every aspect.
It’s heartbreaking to see this unfold. Paul’s words are hollow, unless he is lecturing the government for their failures and not the readers of The Record.
