Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas urged college graduates who seek to “preserve liberty” to do so by fulfilling the duties of their daily vocations rather than attempting to achieve sweeping political goals.
“At the risk of understating what is necessary to preserve liberty in our form of government, I think more and more that it depends on good citizens, discharging their daily duties in their daily obligations,” Thomas said Saturday during a commencement address at Hillsdale College, a small liberal arts college in Michigan.
Thomas lamented various aspects of contemporary society, especially with regard to colleges and universities. He diagnosed what he regards as a contemporary tendency to take pride in having “grievances rather than personal conduct” and to focus on individual rights as citizens, rather than responsibilities. “Hallmarks of my youth such as patriotism and religion seem more like outliers, if not afterthoughts,” Thomas said.
MLS # 1616293
175 Oak St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col Stacey S. Hermann, Sales Associate Rose Hueneke, Broker Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/24
2
MLS # 1615725
333 Libby Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col James P. Waddell, Sales Associate Coldwell Banker, Ringwood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/24
22
MLS # 1604193
729 Mary Ann Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col Carolyn Strittmatter, Sales Associate Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Hillsdale NJ, The Pascack Valley Regional High School District voted 6-1 to pass a policy they say is designed to protect transgender students’ rights. The district said the policy is needed to comply with anti-discrimination laws.
The policy allows transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity. Hummm what could possible go wrong with that ?
According to NBCNEWYORK The policy follows several other New Jersey school districts that have passed similar measures. But one school board member hinted the debate is far from over, saying he expects lawsuits to be filed against the district.
The meeting was the second time the proposal has been put up for a vote. The school board tabled the issue in February after parents and residents rightly voiced concerns.
MLS # 1535930
456 E Saddle River Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Ranch Thomas Panso, Sales Associate Keller Williams Valley Realty
HILLSDALE, N.J. — In some neighborhoods of this placid New Jersey borough in Bergen County, they are seemingly everywhere — waddling by the dozen in the road, perched on car roofs, pecking at the tires of delivery trucks.
But wild turkeys, which were wiped out in the state by the mid-1800s, put on their most brazen display on Tuesday, when a letter carrier felt trapped in his truck and telephoned his boss for help.
“Hey sarge,” the postmaster said in a 911 call to the Hillsdale Police Department. “You’re not going to believe this, but I got a carrier that’s being attacked by wild turkeys and won’t let him deliver the mail.”
The letter carrier, who was not identified, was inside his truck on Esplanade Drive, surrounded by four or five turkeys, when two officers arrived, according to Capt. Sean Smith of the Police Department. “The first officer attempted to blow the siren and that didn’t work,” he said on Thursday. “Then the other officer got out of his car and ran aggressively toward the turkeys and that did the trick.”
It was just one of the latest skirmishes in suburbia’s wildlife wars. Turkeys have now joined the ranks of raccoons, foxes, coyotes, bears and deer, all of which have both fans and detractors and seem to make headlines with growing frequency.
HILLSDALE — Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays postal couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. Now you can add wild turkeys to the list.
A foul-tempered flock of wild turkeys, also known as a rafter, accosted a postal worker Tuesday on Esplanade Drive.
The uninjured mailman sought refuge in his truck while the postmaster called police around 12:10 p.m., Detective William Diedtrich said.
Confrontations between turkeys and people are rare, but in populated areas, where they are not hunted or trapped, the birds have little fear of people.
“We don’t stand our ground and act like predators,” said Paul Curtis, a wildlife-human conflict expert at Cornell University in New York. “They don’t have any negative consequences so, they won’t fly or run off. They don’t see people as a threat.”
JANUARY 18, 2016 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016, 1:21 AM
BY DEENA YELLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Swim clubs around North Jersey are treading water against a wave of declining membership by reaching out to new members and retooling their programming to appeal to a broader demographic.
Club managers say they’re trying to counter the national trend of waning interest, which they attribute to changing demographics, alternative recreational venues and working parents who lack the time to sit by a pool all summer.
“There’s no question we’re seeing a decline,” said Lauren Syre, manager of the Harrington Park Swim Club, whose membership has dropped over the past decade from 350 families and a long waiting list to 280 families and no waiting list. To attract new members, Harrington Park has added a snack bar and more activities, such as family barbecue night and movie night.
Like other swim clubs, it also has opened membership to a wider audience, including out-of-towners and those who want to come on a part-time basis.
The Stonybrook Swim Club in Hillsdale, Brookside Racquet & Swim Club in Allendale and the Teaneck, River Edge, Alpine, Palisades and Leonia swim clubs and Woodside Swim and Tennis Club in Edison also have implemented promotional ventures such as yoga, adult-only lap lanes, paddle boarding, live band shows, campout parties, ice cream socials and lower membership fees.
DECEMBER 28, 2015, 11:12 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2015, 11:16 PM
BY NICHOLAS PUGLIESE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Good fences make good neighbors — unless there is bamboo involved. In that case, neighbors might curse, sue or move altogether, leaving behind hard feelings and a yard overtaken by the rapidly spreading plant.
Bamboo — sometimes used instead of a fence to mark property lines or lend privacy to a home — has quietly emerged as a divisive issue in suburban North Jersey, where homeowners have joined local and state officials in debating how to regulate the plant. In the process, they have had to grapple with questions about enforcement, property rights and even the role of government itself.
The growing consensus: There is no easy fix.
More than a dozen municipalities across the state — including Wayne, Emerson, Hillsdale, Palisades Park and Rockleigh — have some sort of bamboo regulation in place.
Others, like Washington Township, have considered adopting an ordinance to regulate bamboo, only to abandon the effort after concluding that it would be difficult to enforce, or that it was not the place of government to interfere with the rights of property owners or to mediate in disputes among neighbors.
“Bamboo is a problem between two neighbors,” said Mayor Max Arnowitz of Hillsdale, who is critical of the bamboo ordinance the Borough Council adopted earlier this year. “We usually say, ‘If you have a problem with your neighbor, you have to go to court.’ ”
Bamboo of the genus Phyllostachys — there are upward of 75 different kinds — is commonly called “running bamboo” because, if left unchecked, it can leap from yard to yard through a system of underground stems. Those stems are known to spread several feet in a matter of days, in defiance of property lines, and support canes — or culms, as they are properly known — that can grow as tall as 50 feet.
Thanksgiving Accident on GSP backs up traffic for Miles
November 26,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington Twp NJ, The driver, and possibly other occupant(s), of a red compact passenger vehicle could not be located following a crash on the Garden State Parkway (GSP) in Washington Township that was reported via a 911 telephone call at 10:19 AM on Thanksgiving Day. The vehicle left the roadway of the northbound GSP just south of Hillsdale Avenue and crashed into a wooded area within the highway’s center median. Washington Township, Hillsdale, HoHoKus, and Ridgewood PD units canvassed the nearby residential areas but were unable to find any victims as of 12 noon.
A canine unit, believed to be from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, was also deployed to assist in the search. The car is registered to an adult female from Danbury, Connecticut. The heavily damaged vehicle was removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. Northbound and southbound traffic was slowed on the GSP due to heavy rubbernecking near the scene. A trooper from the NJ State Police Parkway Patrol Bloomfield Barracks is conducting the investigation.
$549,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1530120
510 Amsterdam Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, S/L
Josephine A. Martin, Broker Associate
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty, Wyckoff
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
12
$599,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1535930
456 E Saddle River Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Ranch
Thomas Panso, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Valley Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
25
$599,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1545890
986 Hillcrest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Jennifer M. Parsekian, Broker
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
25
$618,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1545206
419 N Monroe St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Regina E. Snyder, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Hillsdale
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
17
$649,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1537519
512 E Saddle River Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, S/L
William F. Gilsenan Jr, Broker
Gilsenan & Co.
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
23
$679,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1545461
359 Bogert Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col
Olivia O. Yang, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.D1QAWIjf.KI2gPVnv.dpuf
$699,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1545430
312 Thompson Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Anthony Comunale, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Alpine/Closter
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
17
$739,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1540647
292 Spring Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Twnhs
Michelle Stojanovic, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 11/22
25
$849,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1541234
71 Sherwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, Col
Mary Onie Holland, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 11/22
25
$888,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1522388
729 Mary Ann Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Carolyn Strittmatter, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
25
$919,500 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1545580
168 Kemah Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Phyllis Lasser, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes
Open House: 2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
25
$1,395,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1536607
5 Paul Ct, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 11/22
25
$1,525,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1543846
123 Woodland Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Jennifer M. Parsekian, Broker
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/22
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.D1QAWIjf.KI2gPVnv.dpuf
$550,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1534639
116 Lake Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col
Elizabeth Novak, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
19
$599,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1530460
328 Marshall St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Anne Marangi, Sales Associate
Terrie O’Connor Realtors-UpSdRv
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
24
$618,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1545206
419 N Monroe St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Regina E. Snyder, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Hillsdale
Open House: 12:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. Sun. 11/15
17
$625,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1544682
21 Daniel Ct, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Twnhs
Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
25
$635,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1526055
986 Hillcrest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Jennifer M. Parsekian, Broker
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
25
$649,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1535930
456 E Saddle River Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Ranch
Thomas Panso, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Valley Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.D1QAWIjf.nvONv12Y.dpuf
$649,500 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1538028
286 S Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Joan Marie Monton, Broker Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
25
$659,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1538540
484 Dorchester Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col
Laura Gill, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
21
$769,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1542277
619 Frederick St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Angele Ekert, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
18
$849,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1541234
71 Sherwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, Col
Mary Onie Holland, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 11/15
25
$888,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1522388
729 Mary Ann Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Carolyn Strittmatter, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
25
$899,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1544931
167 N Van Dien Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Carmela Holt, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
21
$1,075,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1524828
265 Phelps Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Jennifer M. Parsekian, Broker
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
25
$1,149,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1533724
421 Eastgate Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
William Yirce, Sales Associate
Realty Associates, Inc.
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
25
$1,850,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1530103
298 Greenway Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 5 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Ellen Quinn, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 11/15
25
$1,998,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1531819
312 Mckinley Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 5 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Helen Martino, Sales Associate
Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Saddle River
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 11/15
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.D1QAWIjf.nvONv12Y.dpuf
Explore the best suburbs to raise a family. Niche ranks US suburbs based on age demographics, school ratings, crime rates, and access to affordable housing, child care, libraries, and grocery stores. A high ranking indicates that a suburb attracts young families with good schools and a safe community.
AUGUST 5, 2015, 11:25 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015, 11:34 PM
BY KARA YORIO AND STEFANIE DAZIO
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
Classified ad websites, such as Craigslist, can be an easy and convenient way to buy and sell goods. Once a purchase is agreed upon, however, the parties typically have to meet to finish the transaction. That is where the deals can get tricky or even dangerous.
When Park Ridge resident Jodie Delehanty put an ad on Craigslist recently to sell her car, she received a response right away.
“The guy was very interested,” Delehanty said. “I thought it was weird that it was so quick, but it ended up being legit.”
Just in case, though, Delehanty and her husband completed the transaction in an online shopping “safe zone” in the parking lot of the Hillsdale Police Department.
The Hillsdale SafeTrade Station — in the department’s lobby and back parking lot — is one of many safe zones being created by police departments and communities around the country so people can complete transactions with strangers after buying or selling something online. People do not need to be a resident of the town.
JUNE 19, 2015, 5:26 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015, 5:26 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A state Superior Court judge has ruled that a dozen Bergen County school districts were within their rights to redact details of their school security drills before turning drill records over to a TV station probing alleged irregularities.
Superior Court Judge Robert P. Contillo wrote in the decision that the safety and security concerns voiced by the districts outweighed plaintiff WNBC-TV’s interest in receiving un-redacted records. The redactions, he wrote, which varied district-to-district but generally blacked out the date, time, and length of the drills, were “necessary to protect defendants’ interest in maintaining the safety and integrity of the school community.”
“Any other result would risk this information falling into the wrong hands and being of use in an effort to cause harm,” he wrote.
Donald Doherty, attorney for plaintiff WNBC-TV, was disappointed by the June 4 ruling, which he said didn’t make sense given that other districts freely gave the network the information.
“If it was such a security risk, you’d have thought everybody would have thought [so],” he said. “But I’m not the judge.”
Doherty said he doesn’t plan to appeal the decision, but that that “doesn’t mean we think the judge is right.”
Named in the station’s Feb. 20 suit were the boards of education in Allendale, Bergenfield, Englewood Cliffs, Hillsdale, Oakland, Old Tappan, Ramapo-Indian Hills, Ramsey, River Vale, and Tenafly, as well as the Bergen County Technical and Special Services districts. Also named were those districts’ business administrators, who serve as public records custodians.
JUNE 17, 2015, 10:02 AM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015, 12:20 AM
BY MARY JO LAYTON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Drug overdoses from illicit and prescription drugs claimed twice as many lives statewide in 2014 as auto crashes, becoming the leading cause of accidental death in New Jersey, according to a national report and state data released Wednesday.
In Bergen County, heroin overdoses rose sharply, one of the most dramatic increases in New Jersey last year, according to data provided by the state Medical Examiner’s Office.
But there are signs that in North Jersey that trend may be reversing, as more first responders are using the rescue drug Narcan to save people in the throes of an overdose. So far this year, the drug has been used 60 times, resulting in far fewer deaths, said Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli. Since Narcan was approved for use in 2014, more than 45 towns across North Jersey have deployed it to stop overdoses. The drug, which can reverse an overdose in as little as two minutes, is injected or inhaled.
Last month, Cliffside Park police responded to a call at a Day Avenue home and found a 34-year-old Fairview man lying on his back, a potential overdose victim. They administered two doses of the rescue drug in the form of a nasal spray and took the patient to Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen. Other saves occurred in Hillsdale, Lodi, Oakland and Ramsey in recent weeks.
The results have been a reduction in deaths so far this year, with 11 people dying of heroin overdoses, compared with 42 who died all of last year in Bergen County, according to Molinelli, who has organized task forces to rein in the heroin trade in North Jersey.
“All the community outreach being done by addictive service groups, parent and school organizations and law enforcement has been substantial,” Molinelli said.
