“Orange Trawler” by Arthur Gilmore won the Copper Beech Foundation Award
Ridgewood Art Institute hosts Open Juried Show
January 30, 2015 Last updated: Friday, January 30, 2015, 12:31 AM
By Eileen La Forgia
STAFF WRITER |
The Ridgewood News
The Ridgewood Art Institute is hosting The 35th Annual Regional Open Juried Show 2015. This very competitive show features 117 artworks selected for exhibition, drawing artists from Long Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York and is open to all artists working in a representational or traditional manner.
More than $5,000 in cash and merchandise was awarded with a top prize of $1,000. The show features oils, watercolor and pastel. Subjects include landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, floral and still life as well as portraits. There are also scenes from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Scotland and Africa. Seascapes were in abundance showing Maine, New Jersey and Newfoundland Bay.
Awards jurors were award winning professional artists Jennifer Adams and Michalyn Tarantino, who also twice received the Silver Medal of Honor from NJWCS (North Jersey Water Color Society.)
The prestigious Arthur F. Maynard Award for Best Light and Atmospheric Effect was presented to Antonio Masi for “Red Light/Green Light.”
Among the award winners are: The Betty Kaytes Floral Award given to P. Nebbeling for “Roses Study,” Dr. John Bowe Memorial Award to Marianne V. Kuhn’s “Hidden Falls,” The Lorraine Minetto Memorial Award for Robert Waltsak’s “Boat Basin,” Marsha Holst Memorial Award to Tom Hedderich’s “Below Deck,” American Artists Professional League Award to Robert J. Demarest’s “Two Bridges From the Gorge,” and Hudson Valley Art Association Award to Laura Paray for “Cows in the Sibillini Mtns, Italy.”
The show was dedicated to Lorraine Minetto (1958-2014) a much loved instructor at The Ridgewood Art Institute.
Governor Christie to nominate 9 for Bergen County Superior Court judgeships
JANUARY 12, 2015, 4:43 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015, 10:14 PM
BY JOHN REITMEYER AND PETER SAMPSON
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
Governor Christie has notified legislative leaders that he will nominate nine attorneys to fill vacant Superior Court judgeships in Bergen County, a strong sign of hope that emergency procedures put in place months ago to ease a crippling case backlog could soon be lifted.
The package of judicial candidates, which includes a mayor and a municipal prosecutor, is expected to be announced by the governor today when the Senate holds its first quorum of the year. The governor is also scheduled to deliver the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at 2 p.m.
“This is good news,” said Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck.
“I think they’re all good people,” said Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Demarest.
Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak declined to comment on the pending judicial nominees on Monday.
The unusually high number of judicial vacancies — Bergen County has a total of 36 judgeships — forced Assignment Judge Peter E. Doyne to implement a series of emergency measures in September to keep criminal cases on schedule as he awaited action from lawmakers in Trenton.
State Republicans oppose increase hotel-tax bill Meadowlands
DECEMBER 20, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY DUSTIN RACIOPPI
STATE HO– USE BUREAU |
THE RECORD
Senate Republicans say that when a bill to overhaul the 14-town Meadowlands district comes to a vote Monday, it won’t have their support.
But their opposition to the measure will be merely symbolic unless they can convince a handful of Democrats to align with them in voting it down.
The proposal to restructure the district’s tax-revenue sharing and meld its two authorities had moved quickly since being introduced last week by Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, D-Secaucus. The Assembly passed the bill Thursday night in a late-running session that included lengthy amendment talks and an emergency vote. The Senate halted the pace that night when it would not allow an emergency vote, but instead passed the amendments.
Now the Senate will return Monday for a vote.
Republicans object to the proposal to shift the revenue-sharing burden from some of the district’s well-developed municipalities to its hotels by adding a 3 percent room tax. And although they do not disagree with the idea of consolidating the Meadowlands Commission and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, as of Friday they didn’t know the details of the merger.
When the Senate votes on the bill, Republican leader Tom Kean Jr. said, he doesn’t anticipate any support from the caucus. Because of the last-minute changes made Thursday night requiring an emergency vote, the Senate would not allow a vote on the bill, because, Kean said, it “was literally changing by the minute.”
“They’re still writing it as they’re asking us to vote for it,” said state Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Demarest. “That is not good government.”
Since 1972, the 14-municipality Meadowlands district within Bergen and Hudson counties has operated under a complex formula in which tax revenues generated by development in individual communities is shared.
Each year, communities that have been allowed to more-liberally develop land send tax dollars from those ratables to the communities that are restricted to preserve open space.
In the past several years, though, the formula has become a sore point for local officials, who view it as inequitable and antiquated.
The legislation, sponsored by Prieto, would consolidate the two Meadowlands agencies and add the hotel tax, a move estimated to draw $7 million to $10 million a year. Last year about $7 million was distributed in the district.
Shifting the burden from the municipalities to the hotels would free up tax revenues for local budgets, which have become strained under increased costs and the need to stay within the mandated 2 percent cap on increases in most tax-supported spending. Prieto also said that any money left over would be used for infrastructure improvements, flood control and promoting tourism.
But Cardinale worries about the plan’s long-term sustainability.
“If that 3 percent hotel tax doesn’t produce enough, then what happens? Cardinale said. “If the cash flow doesn’t happen, then the taxpayers in the whole state” will have to make up the difference to fund the district’s costs to operate. For the past two years, Prieto has said, the state budget has either partially or fully funded the district because municipalities could not meet their tax-sharing obligations.
OCTOBER 23, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014, 3:12 PM BY LAURA HERZOG STAFF WRITER | THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Green open spaces, cows in the pasture, tiny wood fences, barns, mills, dirt roads, oat fields…
This scene might not necessarily scream “Ridgewood.”
Yet, it was Ridgewood in the mid-1800s.
Antique photographs, newspaper excerpts, agricultural output, internal squabbles – and even drunken tavern debauchery – were all featured in “The Birth of Ridgewood, 1865-1876: From Post Office to Township,” a presentation that has now been given twice at the Ridgewood Public Library by local historians (and married couple) Joe Suplicki and Peggy Norris.
Suplicki grew up in Ridgewood, and Norris is a 21-year reference librarian at Ridgewood Library.
The presentation – given for the second time during an afternoon last month to about 30 people – was a product of about 17 years of work, according to Norris. The first presentation in February attracted 150 attendees.
To put the presentation together, Elmwood Park residents Norris and Suplicki dated old photographs (that may have been taken by farmer Alfred Demarest Terhune) back to the 1865-1876 time period by finding the landmarks present, and not present, in each photo.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2014, 12:31 AM BY GREG TARTAGLIA SPORTS EDITOR THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Since being shut out by Northern Highlands on Sept. 17, the Ridgewood High School girls soccer team has paid the favor forward twice.
Senior goalkeeper Colleen Berry stopped both shots she faced in the Maroons’ 5-0 smothering of Hackensack last Friday. She needed to make only three saves to help RHS lock down Tenafly, 1-0 on Tuesday.
The back-to-back wins raised Ridgewood’s record to 5-2 entering Saturday’s noon match at Demarest.
Sophomore forward Val Diaz helped fuel the offensive outburst versus Hackensack with a pair of goals. Senior Aidan Trevisan and sophomores Riley Ricciardi and Emma LaFrance tallied a goal apiece, and seniors Maddie Philips and Dayna Bussanich each notched an assist.
Ricciardi scored the lone goal at Tenafly in the first half, as the Maroons launched 22 shots on net in the win.
JUNE 22, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2014, 1:21 AM THE RECORD
CONSIDERING how congested Bergen County is, the idea of preserving whatever open space remains always sounds good in theory. Sometimes, though, the details can prove difficult.
It’s nice to see that the Demarest Farms in Saddle River and Hillsdale will be preserved. Seeing other farm properties in the area close and redeveloped as retail or housing shows that this outcome can’t happen in every instance.
The Bergen County Freeholders voted unanimously last week to spend about $2.6 million in open-space money for the development rights to a 17-acre section of the Saddle River property. The money came from the county’s share of a state farmland preservation program, with an additional $1.15 million from the Garden State Trust Fund.
The owner, Peter Demarest, said he and his family, who have owned the farm property since 1886, probably could have made up to $1.5 million more if they sold it to a developer.
But they instead chose to sell the county the development rights, which allows two of the farm’s longtime employees to take over the operations going forward. The Demarest family sold development rights to a 10-acre portion in 2004 and will move on from the area after selling the rights to the remaining section.
The new portion of Demarest Farms is Bergen County’s eighth successful farm preservation project, with a total amount of about 331 acres in permanently preserved farmland.
Rep Scott Garrett makes the rounds visiting New Jerseys small businesses
May 2,2914
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Rep Scott Garrett has been making the round in District 5 talking to small business .For Scott Garrett meeting with constituents and listening to your concerns is the most important part of his job in Congress.
From the Cake Boss’ location in Ridgewood to a pet boutique in Sussex County,Accoring to Scott ” it’s obvious that our state is not lacking ingenuity and know-how. As I said at every small business I visited, I will continue to fight for lower taxes and less burdensome government red-tape to make it easier to succeed in New Jersey. ”
In addition to visiting with business owners, Scott answered questions from middle school students in Demarest, joined the Knights of Columbus in honoring local volunteers and chatted with retirees in Newton about issues facing our country.
“It seems to me that hardworking New Jerseyans all want the same thing: to make an honest living to support their families” Scott said and “That is why I support policies that create opportunity and freedom for everyone, while preserving the founding principles that make the United States the greatest country in the world.”
Reader says the Ridgewood municipal is budget is well managed and the BOE budget is where the runaway spending is
Do you want to base your conclusions on the faulty FAC report and ignore the fact that the Village provides more services at a lower municipal mil rate than all of the other towns I referred to in my post as #20 that is fine. None of the towns listed there provide garbage pickup, fully staffed fire services, recreation services for kids and seniors or a sewage treatment facility for their residents, that is a fact, and. How that is a union talking point is beyond me.
You claimed that I am only providing half of the story and I am leaving out the property taxpayer’s perspective,” I am a taxpayer, and have been a taxpayer in Ridgewood for many years. If anything is only providing half the story it’s your FAC report. It only tells half the story since it does not even consider the cost to the residents for the Board of Education (BOE). If your report included the BOE then I would have to agree that the largest portion of the Village Tax bill (BOE) has been increased at an alarming rate and is not sustainable.
How do I arrive at that conclusion? Here is the 2011 Bergen County property tax data showing the town – County – total tax levy – % County Taxes – % School Taxes % – Municipal taxes. This is the latest year available on the NJ.com by the numbers web site. There are 70 Municipalities in Bergen County. Below are 18 municipalities that have an equal or greater percentage of their municipal taxes dedicated to the school budget like Ridgewood. The other 51 municipalities have a lower percentage than Ridgewood dedicated to their school budget and a higher percentage number dedicated to their municipal services. Ridgewood’s municipal tax levy is lower than the other 51 Municipalities in Bergen county and is even below the state calculated average of 29%. You can draw your own conclusions from this data however this data clearly shows that the Village municipal budget is very well managed as contrasted with other Bergen County Communities and the overall state average. It also indicates that BOE budget is out of control and unsustainable.
Town – County – tax levy – % County – % BOE – % Municipal
Ridgewood Village Bergen $130,248,198.77 10% 65% 25%
Woodcliff Lake Borough Bergen $38,129,520.22 12% 66% 22%
Statewide total $25,643,843,500.01 18% 52% 29% of 567 municipalities
https://www.nj.com/news/bythenumbers/
This information confirms that the Ridgewood municipal is budget is well managed and the BOE budget is where the runaway spending is since the Ridgewood BOE takes a higher percentage of the total tax bill than 51 other Bergen county municipalities. The FAC report ignores this fact, and therefor is even more faulty than I originally thought.
Furniture, small appliances, bikes, cloths and other household items.
Saturday – August 17th Sunday – August 18th
Time 9am – 4pm
242 Demarest Street, Ridgewood, NJ
Two Sisters Content of House Sale (611 Albert Place,Ridgewood NJ)
A nice house, full of furnishings,and great accessories,porch bench,cedar chest,Vintage homemade gun racks and small trunks & crafts,clothes ,jewelry, furs, electric lawnmower,tools and lots of smalls.Sale starts 10AM to4PM .Fri/Sat. August 16 /17.To get there Grove St.to South Pleasant Ave, to Alpert Place.or call 201 747 4403
Garage Sale August 17th (708 Heights Road Ridgewood NJ)
From 9 am to 4 pm.
Items to be sold include:
Furniture
Outdoor furniture
Clothing (children’s and adult)
Toys
Books
Office Supplies
Garage/Estate sale – New and Old (Ridgewood)
Sister-in-Law moved to Florida and left her stuff for me to sell… new stuff as well Antiques, Furniture, albums,old tools, vintage signs, comforters, Art work, wicker furniture, old armoires, stained glass lamp, clothes, cds, household furniture and much more…
Friday and Saturday August 16th and 17th from 9 to 4
Declaration: Fourth will be fun in Ridgewood
Wednesday July 3, 2013, 9:39 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Some people have a casual interest in family history.
But family history is a bit more serious for the grand marshals of this year’s Fourth of July parade in Ridgewood.
Ridgewood’s Bartlett family and Demarest’s Thornton “Thorny” Lockwood are all related to the founding fathers – the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
According to Margie Downs, a 25-year organizer for the Fourth of July Celebration Committee, the Bartletts, whose daughter is Ridgewood Police Capt. Jacqueline Luthcke, are related to Declaration signers Josiah Bartlett and Benjamin Harrison. Lockwood, who has lectured before the committee in the past, is also a descendant of Bartlett, and a first cousin, eight times removed, of Benjamin Franklin.
These individuals’ prominent participation is part of the village’s 2013 Fourth of July theme celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“That’s how the whole day started … the signing of the Declaration of Independence,” Downs said, noting that she believed this was the first time in the celebration’s history that the Declaration was being highlighted.
Rep. Scott Garrett’s 2013 Service Academy Nominees
May 29, 2013
Ridgewod NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) is proud to announce the nomination of 35 Fifth District high school students to United States Service Academies, including the Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. This year’s nominees were honored by Congressman Garrett at a ceremony at Ramapo College in Mahwah last month.
“Congratulations to this year’s nominees. I want to commend each one of these fine, upstanding individuals for their hard work, perseverance, and dedication. If accepted, I expect our prestigious service academies will develop these young men and women into some of our country’s greatest leaders. No matter what the future holds for these men and women, I am very proud of their selfless dedication to serving our nation. I wish each of the applicants all the best.”
Applications to the Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy require a nomination by a Congressman or a Senator. The Congressional nomination, however; does not guarantee acceptance. To assist with the nomination process, Congressman Garrett established an esteemed committee of military and civic leaders that interviewed potential nominees, reviewed their applications, and made recommendations. Click here for more information about Congressman Garrett’s nomination process.
Below is a complete list of the nominees by academy:
United States Military Academy at West Point
Austin Bajc—Hackettstown, Seton Hall Preparatory School
Rachel Colvin—Vernon, Vernon Township High School
Kenneth Ehrenberg—Paramus, Paramus High School
Sung Ju Ha—Demarest, Northern Valley Regional High School
James Kim—Norwood, Northern Valley Regional High School
Ryan Kowal—Waldwick, Waldwick High School
Christian Sloan—Allamuchy, Pope John XXIII Regional High School
Kiersten Spencer—Mahwah, Mahwah High School
Alexander Webb—Blairstown, North Warren Regional High School
Andrew Yim—River Edge, River Dell Regional High School
United States Naval Academy at Annapolis
William Bourque—Ho-Ho-Kus, Northern Highlands Regional High School
Caroline Braunstein—Montvale, Pascack Hills High School
Michael Bussow—Layton, Kittatinny Regional HS
Juni Kim—Glen Rock, Bergen County Academies (A.A.S.T.)
Jonathan Lin—Tenafly, Tenafly High School
Aaron McAvey—Ridgewood, Don Bosco Preparatory School
Michael Sagan—Columbia, North Warren Regional High School
Christopher Sarao—Sandyston, Pope John XXIII High School
Brandon Schultz—Andover, Pope John High XXIII School
Shaine Timmins—West Milford, West Milford High School
United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs
Kevin Chung—Ridgewood, Ridgewood High School
Matthew Devlin—Ringwood, Morris Catholic High School
Nathaniel Shannon—Midland Park, Midland Park High School
Scott Vande Vrede—Belvidere, Netherlands Reformed Christian High School
Kenneth Ehrenberg—Paramus, Paramus High School
Gregory Geueke—Columbia, North Warren High School
John Hwang—Cresskill, Cresskill High School
Ryan Lee—Demarest, Northern Valley Regional High School
Karl Meier—Washington, Warren Hills Regional High School
Kiersten Spencer—Mahwah, Mahwah High School
United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point
Aaron Brown—Phillipsburg, Phillipsburg High School
Michael Bussow—Layton, Kittatinny Regional High School
Mathew Devlin—Ringwood, Morris Catholic High School
Dong Han Kim—Old Tappan, Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology
Nicholas Gioino—Columbia, North Warren High School
Jack Lippin—Westwood, Bergen Catholic High School
Tara Mastriano—Saddle River, Northern Highlands Regional High School
Brandon Schultz—Andover, Pope John High School XXIII
Brian Vogel—Upper Saddle River, Northern Highlands Regional High School
More North Jersey towns follow Ridgewood ‘s lead and invest in lightning detection systems
Sunday April 21, 2013, 11:46 PM
BY DEENA YELLIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Lightning strikes are “a very real danger that people need to be aware of,” says Westwood Mayor John Birkner.
Birkner has been researching lightning detection systems for his town, which is looking to join the growing number of New Jersey communities that already have such systems in place, sounding alarms when dangerous storms are near.
Last year 28 people nationwide were killed by lightning, including three in New Jersey, the second highest number for any state, data show. One lightning victim was a Haworth man struck and killed as he watched his grandson play soccer in Demarest. The other two died on the beach in separate incidents at the Jersey Shore.
In 2006, the previous year New Jersey had three lightning deaths, two were teenagers killed on a soccer field in Montvale.
Detection systems monitor lightning strikes and warn the public when potentially dangerous storms fall within a certain radius of the area. The system typically sets off alarms that have been installed at fields and playgrounds, warning the public to leave those open areas. The system also gives an all-clear signal when the danger has passed.
Cresskill recently installed a lightning detection system, Tenafly is seeking bids for a system for its municipal and school fields, and Westwood is considering a joint purchase of a system with Emerson and Washington Township.
A consortium of eight schools and seven towns in the Northern Valley is solidifying plans for a cooperative purchase of a $200,000 lightning detection system.
Communities including Wayne, Rutherford, Ridgefield, Dumont, Ridgewood and Ho-Ho-Kus already have systems in place.
On Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office will partner with local law enforcement to host a countywide Gun Buyback at various places of worship across the county.
The 2013 Gun Buyback is being held in conjunction with local law enforcement in light of the recent acts of gun violence that have taken place across our nation. Funded by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with money seized from criminal activities, the initiative will take place at the following places of worship conveniently located all across the county:
April 13 – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Garfield
Our Lady of Mount Virgin
St. Joseph’s Center
188 MacArthur Avenue
Hackensack
Mount Olive Baptist Church
260 Central Ave
Hackensack
Rhema Worship Center Church
156 Passaic Street
Maywood
First Presbyterian Church
401 Maywood Avenue
Park Ridge
Our Lady of Mercy Church
46 Pascack Road
April 14 – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Englewood
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church
90 West Demarest Avenue
Hackensack
Trinity Baptist Church
218 Passaic Street
Hackensack
New Hope Baptist Church
214 Berdan Place
New Milford
Saint Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
225 Center Street
Teaneck
First Baptist Church
1592 Teaneck Road
Individuals can turn in firearms to receive up to $300 for each firearm surrendered. Compensation varies by firearm type: $20 for non-operational weapons, $80 for rifles and shotguns, $100 for handguns, and $300 for automatic assault weapons and machine guns.
On April 13 and 14, BCSO firearms experts and officers will examine and secure all firearms upon arrival at each surrender site. An officer will assist each individual in completing a voluntary surrender form that includes a general description of each firearm, time and date of surrender, and amount of compensation provided. Complimentary trigger locks and gun safety information will also be provided at each location.
All firearms should be carried unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gun box, securely tied package, or locked in the trunk of the automobile in which they are being transported. Ammunition should be transported in a separate container. Officers will be on hand to assist individuals with carrying weapons safely into each Buyback location.
For more information about the Bergen County Gun Buyback, please contact BCSO’s Community Outreach Unit at 201-336-3540.
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