Ridgewood NJ, Simply stated , every action has a reaction. You act, and there are reactions. Your actions have reactions or consequences because you, as every human being, don’t live in a void.
There seems to be many of residents that are unhappy with many of the current spending proposals by the Village Council .
The sad fact remains that once the building of 4 high density housing proposals, were approved during the “Reign of Terror ” or the Paul Aronsohn regime ,a lot of new spending is now required .
The Village is going to have a much higher density , congestion and kids in schools .
Because of the “high density housing projects in the CBD :
Parking needs to be increased, water infrastructure needs to be improved roads and signals need to be improved ,school construction, public safety and emergency services need to be expanded .
This is required ,its not vanity ,like the “traffic easing” or “suicide bike lanes” . Many, many Village Councils into the future will be dealing with theses same issues.
Ridgewood NJ, St. Patrick’s Day Annual Dinner Dance sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 1736.
Corned beef & cabbage, chicken scarpariello, eggplant rollatini, salads, desserts, plus beer and wine. Entertainment includes Bagpipers, Irish Dancers, and the spirited band, Celtic Cross!
Reservations $60 per person Order tickets for link below OR Mail check to Jeff Voigt, Knights of Columbus Council #1736 99 Glenwood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 Checks payable to: K of C Council #1736
Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 7 PM – 11:59 PM
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Ridgewood, N.J. 1 Passaic St, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
Gianni Russo Wednesday, March 13th @ 6:00pm American Actor best known for his role as Carlo Rizzi in The GODFATHER, Gianni Russo, will sign his new book: Hollywood Godfather
Art Shamsky Saturday, March 23rd @ 1:00pm Member of the 1969 World Championship New York Mets Team, Art Shamsky, will sign his new book: After the Miracle
Coalition to Restore Democracy: Grassroots and community leaders to launch efforts to tackle corruption in New Jersey politics at Chamber Train
Ridgewood NJ, On Thursday, February 28, at 11am in Newark, community leaders and activists, many of which played integral roles in the 2018 midterm victories and defeated state Democrats’ efforts to gerrymander legislative districts, will join together to launch a coalition focused on tackling and transforming New Jersey’s pay-to-play system of governing.
They will convene together at Newark Penn Station in the morning as passengers board the Chamber Train for the Walk to Washington, one of NJ’s premier private political events of the year, attended by elected officials and political insiders.
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey Choral Society Pops Spectacular , what’s It All About ? Iconic Songs By Hitmaker Burt Bacharach And Legendary Music By Leonard Bernstein, Including “Choral Suite From West Side Story”Sat, March 02, 2019Time: 3:00 PM Location: West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 South Monroe St. Ridgewood, NJ 07450
New Jersey Choral Society -POPS SPECTACULAR
“what’s it all about”
Iconic Songs by Hitmaker Burt Bacharach and Legendary Music by Leonard Bernstein, Including “Choral Suite From West Side Story”
Saturday, March 2nd from 3:00pm and 7:30pm West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood.
$25 for Adults $22 for Students/Seniors Add $10 at the door Child and group pricing available
Ridgewood NJ, As you may know, several of the mailboxes in the Central Business District, in and around the area of the Post Office, were forcibly broken into, with the thieves taking all of the mail in the boxes. It is best if you double check with your billing companies to be sure that they have received your payments, as some of the bills and payment checks that you put into these mailboxes may have been stolen.
The Post Office has indicated that the mailboxes which were forcibly broken into will be replaced with higher security mailboxes, sometime in the future.
Ridgewood NJ, Knudsen and Sedon continue to stack up the endorsements. They have been endorsed by Ridgewood citizen groups and Village residents. Knudsen and Sedon will continue to run a positive and respectful campaign based on facts!. Susan and Mike have a proven track record of supporting all Ridgewood residents, shared values, smart development, protecting and enhancing our environment, protecting Village neighborhoods and residents, keeping municipal taxes low, delivering quality services, and more.
Read full endorsements and letters to the editor at https://voteridgewood.com/endorsements.html
-Ridgewood Residents for Reasonable Development -Citizens for A Better Ridgewood
-Concerned Residents of Ridgewood
-Friends of Schedler
-Ridgewood Wildscape Association
-Ridgewood Chinese American Association
New stop signs proposed in Ridgewood
MONDAY DECEMBER 23, 2013, 9:34 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood is proposing the installation of stop signs at five different intersections. One location is deemed hazardous, while others are spots where many motorists have historically performed complete stops.
A new stop sign is planned for westbound Bryden Place at the intersection of Oak Street, an area deemed “dangerous” by village engineers, according to acting Village Manager Heather Mailander. Bryden Place is oftentimes used as a cut-through street for drivers seeking access to East Glen Avenue from North Maple Avenue.
Other intersections slated to receive stop signs are eastbound Burnside Place at Van Buren Street, westbound Avondale Road at Belmont Road, eastbound Glenwood Road at Belmont, and southbound Belmont at Bedford Road. Locations along Belmont, which is adjacent to Willard School, were previously equipped with other traffic safety devices.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/237016731_New_stop_signs_proposed_in_Ridgewood.html#sthash.qYpDo8oL.dpuf
Newtown, Conn. School District Had Recently Installed New Safety Protocols
In Letter To Parents Strict Guidelines Were Outlined For 4 Elementary Schools
December 14, 2012 7:05 PM
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — In the wake of the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Conn., that left more than two dozen people dead, including 20 children, CBS 2 has learned the school district had just installed a new safety policy designed to prevent situations such as what happened on Friday.
Photos: Newtown School Massacre
At approximately 9:41 a.m. a gunman opened fire inside Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Earlier reports indicated one child and the gunman were killed, but later the horror of what actually took place started to come to the surface, that in fact scores of children were among the dead, as was the gunman’s mother, Nancy Lanza, whose body was found in her home in Newtown.
CBS News has confirmed that sources have identified the gunman as 20-year-old Adam Lanza. He was found dead inside the building from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, sources told CBS 2.
The gunman was initially identified as 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, Adam’s older brother. Ryan Lanza, of Hoboken, N.J., was questioned by police on Friday evening, but officials said he was not believed to have had any involvement in the rampage.
WASHINGTON Students in the U.S. perform better than the global average, but still lag behind many of their peers in Asia and Europe, an international study found.
Fourth-graders have improved their scores in reading and math over the past four years, according to a study released Tuesday. But progress seems to fall off by eighth grade, where math and science scores are stagnant.
Meanwhile, kids in countries such as Finland and Singapore are outperforming American fourth-graders in science and reading. By eighth grade, American students have fallen behind their Russian, Japanese and Taiwanese counterparts in math, and trail students from Hong Kong, Slovenia and South Korea in science.
“These 2011 international assessments provide both encouraging news about our students’ progress and some sobering cautionary notes,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who applauded gains among fourth-graders but warned those gains aren’t being sustained in later grades. “That is unacceptable if our schools are to live up to the American promise of giving all children a world-class education.”
The results of the study, conducted every four years in nations around the world, show mixed prospects for delivering on that promise. A nation that once took pride in being at the top of its game can no longer credibly call itself the global leader in student performance. Wringing their hands about what that reality portends for broader U.S. influence, policymakers worry it could have ripple effects on the economy down the line, with Americans increasingly at a competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace.
Elevating the skills needed to compete with emerging countries has been a priority for President Obama, who has pledged to train 100,000 new math and science teachers over the next decade. “Think about the America within our reach: a country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs,” he said this year in his State of the Union address.
RHS LEARNING COMMONS COMMITTEE HOLDS PARENT MEETING ON DECEMBER 11
Ridgewood NJ, The RHS Learning Commons Committee will hold a parent meeting on Tuesday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. to solicit feedback and share ideas about the design of the new facility. All parents and guardians in the school district are invited to attend. For more information, please e-mailLori Weil at weils5@me.com.
Fundraiser: On Friday, January 11, 2013 from 7-11 p.m., the 07450 Schools Committee will host a fundraiser to benefit the Ridgewood High School Learning Commons project, a plan to renovate the current high school library, which is almost 50 years old, and create a modern library for generations of students to come.Click here for the invitation.
General Information: Volunteers are seeking community-wide support for the proposed new Learning Commons at Ridgewood High School. Click here to learn more.
More information can be found on the Ridgewood High School Learning Commons website: www.RHSLearningCommons.com.
Something different, I know this is a bit off the beaten track for this blog but we though readers may enjoy the insights in this article. Chryssoula Katsikoudi is Middle East Analyst, education and human rights activist .
The Two Faces of Qatar
December 6,2012
Chryssoula Katsikoudi
Geostrategic Forecasting Corporation
Smaller than the state of Connecticut, with a native population of less than 300,000 and occupying a small peninsula on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, this small Persian Gulf State called Qatar has been a significant international player in the recent years. Currently ranking amongst the highest in oil and gas reserves, as well as the country’s GDP ($150,6bill) and GDP/Capita ($179,000), this small Arab emirate has experienced one of the worst economic times as well as becoming the world’s richest country. As far as their involvement with other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Qatar has played a leading role in shaping the events in the Libya and Syrian, as well as Emir Sheikh’s visit to the Gaza Strip last month; one of the most fascinating and intriguing visits the Hamas territory has ever experienced. This art of “shuttle diplomacy”1 as Michael Stephens calls it in one of his articles, essentially legitimized Hamas, who has been in control of the Gaza Strip since 2007. Qatar’s favoritism on pursuing the Palestinian cause by supporting Hamas and the values of the Muslim Brotherhood means that they are also engaged in promoting Islamist movements. It is not out of charity the emir of Qatar pledged $400 million to invest in schools, housing, and construction because he suddenly felt like a philanthropist. It is because Qatar is seeking to achieve an Arab unity by playing the “rich man of the Middle East” only to gain the dominance in Arab politics, which could eventually be beneficiary to U.S.Foreign Policy concerning the Middle East; especially now that President Barack Obama has been re-elected for a second term in the White House. From Ottoman rule to its independence from Great Britain; from a devastation following World War II to become one of the richest and most influential countries in the world, one would think that this tiny country in the Middle East must also be one of the most developed ones then it comes to the uniqueness of the Qataris.
However, the only unique thing about the Qataris that they are the minority in their own homeland. With a population of approximately 885,000 and only 25% being from Qatar, there is no denying that ethics, religion, and patriotism are highly and strictly valued in the Qatari society. As an absolute Monarchy, the government is responsible with providing employment and housing for every family, and sole focus on the importance of religion, morals, and values. One would assume that life in Qatar would be much easier than in any other country in the Middle East – well, maybe for men. As a rich and growing country, Qatar is also very backwards concerning gender equality and has been criticized by many women’s rights activists. Despite its influential role in diplomacy between the West and Iran, Qatar is culturally very conservative, second in following Saudi Arabia’s cultural oppression against women. Women have to be covered from head to toe, and the image of the “hidden face of eve,” as Nawal el Saadawi labels in her book, has become a sinking sadness with a complete lack of identity as to what it is to be called a woman. Although Qatar favors and endorses the education of women, they are still separated from men, and are not allowed – or rather not advised – to speak or interact with men in any sort of way while on university grounds. Sound familiar? In Saudi Arabia, a rival neighbor to Qatar, women are not allowed to walk down the streets without being accompanied by a man; they are not allowed to drive cars, or chew gum, or even watch television if a man is not present. This extremeness hardly applies to Qatari culture that much, but the patriarchal system of dominance is still very much embedded into society; an example, for the most part, marriages are still arranged, and women are “passed over” to a stranger they will see for the first time after the wedding ceremony; a similar Chinese culture. Interestingly enough, although the abaya is not as penalized for not wearing it in public, many women do so anyway. This is an indication that although religious culture is taken very seriously in Qatar, modernity and liberalization still linger in the air like microscopic dust particles; you can’t see them but they definitely affect you in some way.
Ever since the rise to power of the current emir of Qatar, women have hoped for a revolutionary change, comparing their role in society with Qatar’s position in the Middle East. There have been municipal elections for women and men, however, it is an approach taken like the slogan used in Bahrain, where “women run, women vote, and women lose.” Yes, women are allowed to vote since 1999, however, political parties are banned in Qatar, therefore it gives limited political and electoral activity. The emir’s wife, Sheika Mozah, has served as an influential role for women’s independence in Qatar; but to what extent this independence is understood is another issue. The only formal independence Sheika Mozah has successfully achieved is enforcing education for women, which in most parts of the Middle East are not even allowed discussing. It is true, Qatari women are allowed to vote, drive a car, and pursue career opportunities, but the restrictions they face in their culture are stronger than anything else, and all those rights they posses which seem to the Western world as a progress in modernization, fade away because women still believe that gender equality does not categorize them. It is a very common psychological approach Muslim women who live under strict patriarchal laws tend to take. Instead, they express their individualism by the way they present themselves in public. For example, even though they are covered completely, with only their eyes and hands showing, they replace the cultural, black abaya with more colorful ones using excessive accessories. And since the only parts which are not covered are the eyes, hands, and feet, shoes – believe it or not – have become an important part of their “dress code.”
Many Qatari women claim that they have a choice and can do as they please, but the extent of how accurate that statement is varies. How can a country so devoted to their religion, so conservative, be so liberal at the same time and allow women to do what they want as if they were “equal to men?” Or is that just a statement for the West to believe? Then again, as a conservative Islamic nation, Qatar did send Noor Hussain Al-Malki, the first Qatari woman ever, to compete in the London’s Summer Olympics. However, culturally conservative Qatar was visible as Al-Malki was wearing a head scarf, long sleeves, and leggings. Afghanistan was also amongst those who send women to compete at the Olympics for the first time. Is this really a step in the right directions or was this mainly an “act” for the sake of the Olympic Games, and to send a message to the West?
Despite all the major reforms Qatar has enacted since 1995 and the several steps taken to promote more equality amongst women, the fight against cultural discrimination can only be won if equality is achieved in both law and practice. Providing women with education can be used as a great tool to educate them about their rights, especially when they are outnumbered by men two to one. This influences women’s participation economically and as well as in all aspects of Qatari society. In 2006, Qatar enacted the country’s first family law, which meant that instead of judges deciding the fate of women regarding marriage, divorce, and inheritance based on their interpretations of the sharia law, this new law gave women an improvement compared to the older system. However the new system may benefit them, women still remain underrepresented in the workforce as well as in the government. Qatar’s constitution, Article 35, does say “All people are equal before the law,” and that “there shall be no discrimination on account of sex, origin, language or religion,”2 providing all citizens with equal rights, and although women can complain to the police if they have been victims of gender based discrimination, most of the time their complaints are being over-looked because the courts still operate on the principles of the sharia law. It is not surprising that the emir of Qatar favors the principles and values of the Muslim Brotherhood, hence Qatar’s investment in tourism and industry projects along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.
Ultimately, Qatar remains a patriarchal society and although the government has recognized that violence and discrimination against women is an issue, their laws have not specifically outlawed it. As previously mention, Qataris are in their own unique way the minority in their own country, and while foreign women are allowed to obtain a driver’s license, Qatari women still need to ask permission of their husbands to do so. When it comes to domestic violence, in 2007 there were a reported 107 cases of women being victims of domestic abuse.3 Furthermore, Qatari women also tend to be much more educated then men, with 66.6%of female citizens holding degrees.4 Despite this, they remain underrepresented in the workforce. Could it be that women have become a threat in the eyes of the patriarchate system? When it comes to women and their reproductive rights, abortion in Qatar is permitted in the first trimester if a licensed physician can determine that the mother’s life is in danger or if there is a serious abnormality with the fetus. Ironically, it is impossible to determine the abnormality of the fetus in the first trimester, and whether the child will be born with a mentally disabled; so technically, that assumption can be easily refuted.
To conclude, there is no doubt that Qatar remains one of the richest countries in the Middle East, and while the government has taken steps toward improving the lives of women, many of those reforms still remain uncertain. Providing women with a government based education is far better than not educating women at all.
1 https://www.opendemocracy.net/michael-stephens/shuttle-diplomacy-qatar-playing-politics-in-palestine
2 Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, ed. Sanja Kelly and Julia Breslin, (New York:
Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2010), pp. 399.
3 Ibid. pp. 408
4 pp. 411
Ultimately, it is through the knowledge they acquire that they will be able to expand culturally, challenging the social norms which keep the trapped; one step away from emancipation. Unless these reforms are firmly institutionalized, they will be of limited consequences.
Gifts for Gi’s is a group of everyday people; students, clubs, corporate donors .No one takes a salary from Gifts for GIs and 100% of donations are used to make up & ship the “care packages”.
Gifts for GIs is an organization dedicated to generating community interest, support and participation in events that demonstrate support for our deployed service men, women & their families in an effort to let our troops know that they are not forgotten and that their sacrifice is appreciated.
In 2006 an ordinary exchange between a bartender & a customer marked the starting point for what has become an active not for profit charity. Dan Greco, of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, was tending bar when a patron spoke to him about his feelings of sadness and concern for his child. The man’s young son, a marine, had recently been deployed to Iraq and with the holidays approaching the man’s feelings just grew worse. Dan was so moved by their discussion that he felt he had to do something. It was this conversation that gave him the inspiration for “Gift’s for GIs”.
He called on family & friends asking for items that could be shipped to this man’s son. When all was said & done, seventeen cartons were shipped in time to arrive for the holidays. What resulted, although no one realized it at the time, was the very first “Gifts for GIs” event.
Gifts for GIs is an organization dedicated to generating community interest, support and participation in events that demonstrate support for our deployed service men, women & their families. This is done in an effort to let our troops know that they are not forgotten and that their sacrifice is appreciated
As time went on, and more holiday events followed, the core volunteer group believed that American troops needed to know that they were thought of more then once a year. “Our troops receive a lot of attention and packages during the holiday season; however we often forget to say thank you during the rest of the year. Hopefully these events, though they may be small, will show our troops we appreciate them all year long.”, Dan is quoted as saying. In 2011, the board for “Gifts for GIs” voted unanimously to expand their effort to assure our troops that they are not forgotten and that their service and sacrifice is acknowledged and appreciated. To that end, the organization now holds additional drives to coincide with every patriotic holiday providing year round support for our military.
These events are supported by volunteers; everyday men, women and children, organizations and clubs (corporate & civic) who realize that the freedom we enjoy as Americans does not come with out a price. For example, local schools and Girl Scout troops have participated using these events to satisfy their community service requirements.
Since that long ago exchange, “Gifts for GIs” has grown into a fully recognized 501c, non profit organization. Each event exceeded the previous one both in the number of soldiers who received gifts as well as the numbers of boxes shipped. More then one hundred and thirty boxes were shipped to twenty one service men & woman during the 2010 holidays. Memorial Day 2011 marks the first in what will be a series of shipments throughout the year. Any donors who wish to see first hand the benefit of their efforts may visit the organization’s face book page. All letters, emails and pictures received from the troops are posted & available for all to see and in an effort to generate additional support.
On Friday, January 11, 2013 from 7:00 to 11:00 pm, the 07450 Schools Committee will host a fundraiser to benefit the Ridgewood High School Learning Commons project at The Woodcliff Lake Hilton in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. Due to hurricane Sandy and the families still suffering, the event that was originally scheduled to take place at the end of November was postponed.
The event is open to all Ridgewood families and alumni and will include cocktails, dinner and dancing, with giving opportunities at all levels.
Guests will enjoy live music by Matthew Friedman and Uptown Sounds. Matthew Friedman starred as “The Piano Man” in Billy Joel’s award-winning musical, Movin’ Out. Friedman brings his unique talent and two decades of performing experience to this versatile band, which features members of Billy Joel’s own band and a former singer from Meatloaf. The group can cover a wide range of musical styles – from Journey to Jay Z, Lady Gaga to The Cure – and of course, Billy Joel.
Admission for the event is $110 per person and $200 per couple, and includes an open bar. All donations made at the event are tax deductible.
Bringing it Home
November 30,2012
Dr. Daniel Fishbein
When we close our eyes and recall Thanksgiving, each of us can imagine our own scenes with family and friends, the smell and even taste of our favorite dishes, and the expressions of gratitude that were exchanged at the dinner table. This year I am especially thankful because while many in our community suffered property and material damages during Hurricane Sandy, we did not endure the loss of any community member or experience the elimination of an entire village infrastructure, as some municipalities sadly did. Even Ridgewood’s lost pets were found safe and sound.
We were lucky. Fortunately Sandy is behind us and life in Ridgewood has for the most part returned to normal. And while we still see tarps on roofs, enormous tree stumps and broken sidewalks around the Village, the ongoing regional media coverage continues to remind us that
normalcy has not returned to many areas and/or families, nor will it for years to come.
That means our work as citizen neighbors is not done. Along with its wallop, Sandy delivered to us a small taste of what it is like to live without the very basics for even a short period of time. Schools were closed but the lessons continued firsthand, especially the one about how a small amount of generosity goes a very long way to people in need. How our temporary hardship is something that many people around the world live with every day, even when the winds are still and the sun is shining.
Each year, around this time, our students and staff go into overdrive to organize activities that raise awareness about people in need. They solicit monetary donations, collect food and assemble clothing drives and the like for those less fortunate than we. The causes extend all over the globe and each and every one of them is worthy of our support. And yet this year, because Sandy chose to hit so close to home, we have the unique opportunity to truly think globally and act locally, as the saying goes, to bolster the service organizations in our own backyard. There is a particularly increased need for our investment in our community.
So please, help to replenish the shelves at our food pantries and to fill storage lockers at our blood banks. Go through your closets and drawers and give to the clothing and coat drives of your choice. And finally, for those who can, please give to the hurricane relief effort of your choice. Your acts of kindness will be appreciated by those in need and will also make you feel good about yourself.
I hope the beginning of the holiday season was happy and restful and that the rest of this season brings you peace! Be well and thank you for giving!
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