Category: Village of Ridgewood

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Course changes proposed at Ridgewood High School.
Friday, November 20, 2009
BY DOLORES ALFIERI
The Ridgewood News
STAFF WRITER

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/70595732.html

Curriculum changes and additions for the 2010-2011 school year at Ridgewood High School (RHS) might occur in Web design, computer science, English and humanities, mathematics, music and physics.

The possible course changes were announced by RHS Principal Jack Lorenz and Assistant Principal for Guidance Jeff Nyhuis at the Nov. 16 Board of Education (BOE) meeting.

In the Web design and programming course, students would gain the skills to design a Web site.

“It’s another course to keep up with the changing technology,” Nyhuis said.

The math and computer sciences curriculum would add Advanced Topics in Computer Science. Nyhuis explained that the class would focus on database design and developmental programming. Advanced Mathematics Applications would serve as a fourth-year course for seniors.

“We’ve kind of run out of courses for some of our kids after they’ve completed their graduation requirements,” said Lorenz, adding that the advance math course would be an additional class for those students to take in such cases.

Journalism 1 and 2 would be eliminated from the English curriculum, and a new journalism class would be added to career and technical courses. The class would be led by an English teacher and an art teacher, with the focus not only on journalism writing, but also on the art, design and layout of newspapers or Web-based news portals.

“It’s an interesting course when you look at newspapers today,” said BOE trustee Sheila Brogan. “They actually are struggling, and you’re beginning to see many more online newspapers.”

Music Mentors, an independent study course, would be added to the music curriculum for sophomore, juniors and seniors. This course would pair student mentors in one-day-a-week meetings with other students to enrich their musical studies.

“It gives the students some motivation,” Nyhuis said of the mentor course. “I think it’ll be a great addition to our curriculum to have these students help out.”

A senior-level integrated course called Physics and Art will combines a scientific and artistic approach to physics, including the impact of optics on painting, mechanics, motion of light and “the physics of architecture,” Lorenz explained.

“We have a number of students who really want to continue with physics, but don’t want to take the only option they have senior year, which is AP [advanced placement] physics, really one of the most difficult courses in physics,” he said. “This is a very forward-thinking program.”

BOE President Joseph Vallerini said the community has time until the next board meeting on Dec. 7 to offer input on these courses before any final decision is made.

E-mail: Alfieri@northjersey.com

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/70595732.html

>One of the aspects of a government-run health care system that is most terrifying to many Americans is the concept of rationed care. Rationing can take the form of long waits, delayed or denied appointments, delayed diagnoses, and delayed or denied treatments. Countless studies have shown Americans have a better chance of surviving cancer and other deadly diseases compared to citizens of other countries due to early detection. This survival rate for Americans could drastically decrease under a government-run system, as seen when American survival rates are compared with those of other countries. For leukemia, the American survival rate is almost 50 percent; the European rate is just 35 percent. Esophageal carcinoma: 12 percent in the United States, 6 percent in Europe. The survival rate for prostate cancer is 81.2 percent here, 61.7 percent in France and is just 44.3 percent in England—patients in England are only half as likely to survive prostate cancer than patients receiving treatment in the United States. This is staggering.

Other examples of the effects of rationing can be seen in instances where care is denied based on extraneous characteristics of the patient, such as age or lifestyle choice. There are many reported instances where older patients are denied treatments such as heart transplants because they have a statistically limited number of years of natural life left. According to the UK Telegraph, “Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone.” Under a government-run plan, there is the danger that a government bureaucrat can make the decision that you are not worthy of receiving treatment because you have limited societal worth.

I do not support the rationing of care, and I do no support the creation of a plan that will allow politicians and special interests to stand between patients and the care they need. Our current health care system is unsustainable, and the prohibitive costs leave far too many without adequate health insurance. Reform to this system is necessary if we want to remain competitive in the global market place. I’d like to introduce to you my prescription for health care reform that I will be telling you about over the next couple of weeks:

Portability: Allowing individuals to keep their health care coverage while between jobs would provide a safety net for those who become uninsured because of unemployment or disability.

Affordability: Health care costs have become unmanageable, both for families and for governments, and has left many uninsured or under-insured. Removing burdensome state coverage mandates and opening up the health care marketplace to competition across state lines could dramatically reduce health care costs in New Jersey and across the country.

Sustainability: We should not add to the government health care programs until we are able to fix the existing government programs – Medicare and Medicaid. Unless we are able to fix these entitlement programs, as well as Social Security, the cost of the entire federal government will double within three decades due to entitlement growth alone. Tax hikes to fix this problem is not the solution, nor is adding a new government-run health care bureaucracy.

Effectiveness: The current health care system reimburses the number of procedures rather than the quality and efficacy of the care. While doctors are compensated for extra tests and hospitals visits, they are not paid for offering telephone consultations or implementing health care IT. By encouraging quality over quantity of care, we can down on over testing and strengthen the doctor-patient relationship. Moreover, protecting doctors from frivolous tort lawsuits will significantly reduce the cost of primary care and remove a significant burden from doctors’ shoulders.

Innovation: The United States has been home to more life-saving drugs, ground-breaking research, and innovative medical procedures than anywhere else in the world. Any health care reform must continue to encourage medical and pharmaceutical research and not enforce price controls, which would destroy the American pharmaceutical market.

The American people deserve the freedom to choose the health care that is best for their families. I believe we need meaningful health care reform that would increase accessibility, decrease costs, and improve on what is already the best health care system in the world.

Sincerely,

Scott Garrett

Member of Congress

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Speak Your Mind ……………………..

>Here’s my take on Graydon.

Numbers have been declining steadily over the years, and the prevailing reasons given for people dropping out are the appearance of unsanitary conditions. The natural sand-bottomed pool gives it the look of a grungy lake, rather than the crystal blue waters that we prefer the look of. The presence of wildfowl probably doesn’t help. either.

While these might be valid reasons, I don’t believe that we would see a significant increase in numbers if we went ahead, spent millions, and ended up with a crystal-clean looking waterpark.

Why ?

Times have changed. Today’s parents aren’t into sitting out at Graydon for hours while their kids play in the water. There will still be the concerns over the perceptions of germ-filled water. Today’s families are more into backyard pools, where the parents can still go about their home-based lifestyles while their kids play.

As for Graydon, I say convert it into non-water recreation, such as mini-golf, volleyball courts, and a kiddie playpark.

>On Wednesday, July 8, Village Council members unanimously approved purchase of the Schedler tract for $2.7 million.

Current assessed value for the property is $2,597,500.

The $102,500 “over assessed value” payment equates to a 4% premium.

Negotiator for the Village Council was Village Attorney Matthew S. Rogers. The Schedler family’s negotiator was former Village Council Member David Repetto, of the law firm Harwood Lloyd in Hackensack.

The parcel, located at the intersection of West Saddle River Road and Route 17, will be added to the Village’s open space inventory. At some point in the future, it will likely be converted to athletic playing fields.

Does anyone else other than The Fly feel that paying more than assessed value in a sluggish real estate market was jut plain stupid?

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GRAYDON: IMPROVE IT, DON’T LOSE IT

In response to the RPP efforts to rip out Graydon as it currently exists and covert it to a complex of concrete swimming pools, an organization has been formed
called the Preserve Graydon Coalition. It is our goal to keep Graydon’s sandy bottom surrounded by its sandy shores, while pursuing cost effective strategies to keep the water clear. If you are interested in being informed on how to stop Graydon from becoming a concrete facility, please send your name and contact email address to preservegraydon@verizon.net

It is time to give a voice to those who want to preserve a Ridgewood icon.

Thank you,

The Preserve Graydon Coalition

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Antonino Esposito, World-Class Pizzaiuolo, to Share Pizza Techniques at A Mano, Ridgewood

By Post Friday, July 10 2009, 06:03 PM EDT

Antonino Esposito Intimate Meet and Eat Monday, July 20th, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Hosted by Ridgewood’s Authentic Neapolitan Trattoria

A Mano will be hosting world-class Sorrento-based pizza master Antonino Esposito for a close up look at pizza craftsmanship on Monday, July 20th, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. by reservation only. Widely heralded as a master of authentic Neapolitan pizza, Mr. Esposito will demonstrate his skills and share insights during this brief appearance at the Ridgewood trattoria.

A top 5 finalist in 2007’s International Pizza Challenge and grand champion of Sorrento’s Taste and Cooking International Championship, Mr. Esposito will share distinctive subtleties of dough making, dough stretching, and baking temperatures, as well as other unique elements that make his creations so widely celebrated. The demonstration will highlight the contrasts between Neapolitan and Italian American pizza, showcase A Mano’s distinctive imported ingredients, and provide attendees with samples of Mr. Esposito’s pizza and selected menu items from A Mano’s menu.

Who: Antonino Esposito, renowned pizzaiuolo and Italian Food Channel star

What: An intimate educational, complimentary cooking demonstration by esteemed pizzaiuolo and Italian Food Channel pizza maestro, Antonino Esposito, held at A Mano, Neapolitan trattoria, 24 Franklin Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ

When: Monday, July 20th, 2009
6:00-7:30 p.m.

Where: A Mano, www.amanopizza.com
24 Franklin Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Phone: (201) 493-2000

Reservations Required: Space is limited to the first thirty people. RSVP to Heidi Raker, heidi@rakergoldstein.com of Raker Goldstein & Co., (201)784-1818.

tell them you read it on the Ridgewood blog

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As a caring person, I am sick of being assailed almost every week in the Ridgewood News with full page images of the rich and powerful in this town congratulating themselves for giving money to Valley Hospital at yet another social function.

The country is in the worst recession in 70 years. People are losing their jobs, houses are being foreclosed, families are breaking up under the economic stress and Ridgewood is looking at a net tax deficit that will amount to millions of dollars.

In contrast, Valley Hospital is at the most profitable it has been in its history and pays not taxes or PILOT to Ridgewood. Despite the hard times for the rest of us, the parties continue and rich donors continue to give the hospital money – and rub our noses in their conspicuous consumption in the color pages of the local paper.

>by Susan K. Livio/The Star-Ledger
Tuesday July 07, 2009, 8:04 PM

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/bloods_street_gang_targets_nj.html

TRENTON — Using laptop computers and digital cameras, the Bloods street gang took its violent operation high-tech, faking nearly 200 payroll checks and attempting to cheat banks out of $654,000 over a two-year period, said Attorney General Anne Milgram, who today announced the involvement of 33 people in the conspiracy.

Milgram said her agents uncovered a scheme that struck eight banks in 13 counties across the state between June 2005 and March 2007, netting $341,000 in proceeds. The arrests were made after a three-year investigation dubbed “Operation Bloodbank.”

Some banks caught on to the deception and did not pay the remaining $313,000 the defendants sought, she said. According to investigators, the managers of the operation recruited people who worked at legitimate companies to turn over a copy of their payroll checks. The managers used them to forge copies and issue bad checks. If caught, the employees were told to claim they had been victims of identity theft, Milgram said.

“This investigation reveals the Bloods on new turf, defrauding banks of hundreds of thousands of dollars using counterfeit checks,” Milgram said. “We’ve taken the battle to a new front. If gangs are going into white collar crime, we will go there too and shut it down.”

The operation recruited accomplices such as college students and others whom they knew to have money troubles to cash the phony checks at banks from which the check appeared to have been drawn, investigators said. The cash would be split between the person cashing the check and the recruiter.

The affected institutions are branches of Bank of America, PNC Bank, Valley National Bank, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Commerce Bank, Wachovia Bank, Bank of New York and Sovereign Bank, according to the attorney general’s press release.

A spokesman for PNC Bank declined to comment last night, citing company policy that prohibits discussion of an ongoing criminal case.

Eight gang members led the scheme, recruiting people to cash fraudulent payroll checks valued between $400 and $9,000 from approximately 40 to 50 employers, Milgram said. Those employers include Cranford Township; the N.J. Democratic State Committee; the New Jersey Turnpike Authority; the Blood Center of New Jersey, East Orange; Valley Hospital Health System, Ridgewood; and the Ken Smith Lincoln Mercury dealership, Ridgewood, according to an indictment.

Under indictments handed up June 30 and unsealed today, six members of the Nine Trey Gangsters associated with the Bloods gang were named as the scheme managers and face charges of racketeering and theft by deception. They are Ernst Francois, 36, and Albens Victor, 27, both of Irvington; Kenneth Tione Roberts, 34, Woody Armand, 33, both of East Orange; Roosevelt Thelusma, 24, and Jeffery Dieurilus, 25, both of Newark.

Six so-called recruiters in the scheme also were indicted on charges of racketeering and theft by deception in connection with cashing counterfeit checks and allowing their bank accounts and ATM cards to be used.

The latest indictment, issued today, named 19 other accomplices who allegedly also allowed their ATM cards to be used or cashed the phony checks.

Additionally, two men authorities identified as members of the Nine Trey Gangsters set of the Bloods pleaded guilty to second-degree racketeering charges last year, while investigators continued to build a case against the 31 others. Milgram said some of the gang members have been arrested and are in jail, and others are fugitives.

The State Police Street Gang North Unit, which monitors New Jersey’s northern counties, led the investigation along with the Division of Criminal Justice’s Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The case grew out of an indictment on murder, racketeering, money laundering and drug trafficking charges against 46 members of the Nine Trey Gangsters in 2007, authorities said.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/bloods_street_gang_targets_nj.html

>PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
455 PM EDT WED JUL 1 2009

…UNUSUALLY WET AND COOL JUNE FOR CENTRAL PARK…

FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE…HERE ARE THE TOP TEN COOLEST AND WETTEST
JUNES ON RECORD SINCE 1869 FOR CENTRAL PARK NY:

COOLEST WETTEST
AVG. TEMP. YEAR INCHES PRECIP. YEAR
64.2 1903 10.27 2003
65.2 1881 10.06 2009
65.7 1916 9.78 1903
66.8 1926/1902 9.30 1972
67.2 1958 8.79 1989
67.3 1927 8.55 2006
67.4 1928 7.76 1887
67.5 2009/1897 7.58 1975
67.7 1878 7.13 1938
67.8 1924 7.05 1871

DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY COOL AND WET CONDITIONS IN JUNE…HERE ARE SOME
INTERESTING FACTS TO NOTE:

THIS JUNE IS TIED FOR THE 8TH COOLEST ON RECORD. THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE WAS 67.5…3.7 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL…WHICH ALSO
OCCURRED IN 1897.

THIS WAS THE COOLEST JUNE SINCE 1958…WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
WAS 67.2 DEGREES.

BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES OCCURRED ON 23 OUT OF 30 DAYS THIS
JUNE…OR 75 PERCENT OF THE MONTH.

CENTRAL PARK HAS NOT HIT 90 DEGREES IN THE MONTH OF JUNE THIS YEAR.
THE LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS BACK IN 1996.

CENTRAL PARK HAS NOT HIT 85 DEGREES IN THE MONTH OF JUNE THIS YEAR.
THE LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS BACK IN 1916. THIS HAS ONLY OCCURRED
2 OTHER TIMES…1903 AND 1886.

THE LAST TIME THAT CENTRAL PARK HIT 90 OR GREATER THIS YEAR WAS IN
APRIL. THE LAST TIME THAT CENTRAL PARK HIT 90 IN APRIL…BUT NOT IN
JUNE WAS BACK IN 1990.

THE LAST TIME THAT CENTRAL PARK HIT 85 OR GREATER THIS YEAR WAS IN
MAY. THE LAST TIME THAT CENTRAL PARK HIT 85 IN MAY…BUT NOT IN JUNE
WAS BACK IN 1903. THE LAST TIME THAT CENTRAL PARK HIT 85 IN
APRIL…BUT NOT IN JUNE WAS ALSO BACK IN 1903.

THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE REACHED IN CENTRAL PARK IN THE MONTH OF JUNE
WAS 50 DEGREES. THE LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS BACK IN 2003.

THE LOW TEMPERATURE DIPPED BELOW 60 DEGREES 11 TIMES IN THE MONTH OF
JUNE. THE LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS IN 2003 WHEN IT OCCURRED 17
TIMES.

IT WAS THE SECOND WETTEST JUNE ON RECORD WITH 10.06 INCHES OF RAIN.
THE WETTEST JUNE ON RECORD IS 2003 WITH 10.27 INCHES.

THERE WERE 19 DAYS THIS JUNE WHERE THERE WAS AT LEAST 0.01 INCHES OF
RAINFALL. THIS HAS NEVER OCCURRED IN CENTRAL PARK.

AT LEAST A TRACE OF RAINFALL WAS REPORTED ON 23 OUT OF 30 DAYS THIS
JUNE.

https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&product=PNS&issuedby=OKX

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In 2005, The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood (also referred to as, “The Women Gardeners” or “the Club”) celebrated its 80th year of operation. The organization owes its name to the fact that a “Garden Club of Ridgewood” was organized in 1914, but its membership was restricted to men. Resentment at this exclusion motivated a group of dedicated women to form “The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood” under the leadership of Mrs. C.W. Stockton in 1925. The club had twenty members and was a charter member of The Garden Club of New Jersey when it was organized. No record of the men’s club remains.

During the Depression years of 1932-33, The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood was unable to pay dues to the state organization and instead became part of the Garden Department of the Women’s Club of Ridgewood. That relationship continued until 1945, when membership in The Garden Club of New Jersey was reinstated.

Some of the longest continuing members of The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood remember serving as joint Hospitality Chairmen. Since the club met in member’s homes, part of the position included hauling borrowed chairs from Van Emburgh’s Funeral Home to the home of the meeting hostess and back.

The Club has a long tradition of community service. For many years members would travel to the Veteran’s Hospital in East Orange, where they would decorate the day rooms and chapel and make tray arrangements.

That tradition continues on the local level today. The Women Gardeners designed and maintain the plantings at the Ridgewood Public Library and provides weekly flower arrangements for the library lobby. The Club designed the garden for the Share house for elderly residents on Prospect Street and supported the garden at the Children’s Services and Family Counseling building.

The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood also provides tray favors for Meals on Wheels during the holiday season and makes centerpieces for the fundraising activities of various local charities. The Club has participated in the showhouse at Skylands Manor, considered an exhibition opportunity for area garden clubs.

The Club is proud of its most recent addition, a Junior Program, “Green Kids” which was started September 2007. Designed for children Grades 3 through 6, this program meets monthly to explore and discover nature, science, gardening, art, birding, weather, recycling, environment and our senses.

As part of its public education efforts, The Women Gardeners present semi-annual Garden Education Day featuring major speakers, workshops and/or boutiques.

The activities of the club are supported by a semi-annual garden tour called “SECRET GARDENS OF RIDGEWOOD.” Begun as part of Ridgewood’s bicentennial celebration in 1994, Secret Gardens of Ridgewood has become one of New Jersey’s premier garden tours, with visitors coming from all over the metropolitan region. More than 800 visitors toured the gardens in 2008.

https://njclubs.esiteasp.com/womengardenersofridgewood/home.nxg

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A large group of pool people have organized s boycot graydon. I have friends who joined the paramus pool because that is where all their other friends went for the summer. The Pool folks are not building a community, they are selfish people who are trying to destroy what is left so they can get what they want.

I agree that it is easy to plan to spend other people’s money. Pool your money and build a cement pond at the Cronk’s.

Oh sure – lets see the 8,000 members park on the first nice day.

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Melinda Cronk said…
Just a clarification, because there is definitely misinformation circulating. In 2007 and again this year, ALL Ridgewood residents were invited via blast e-mails, Community Pass e-mails and the Ridgewood News to attend discussions about Graydon. A survey instrument was used for quantitative data and focus groups of approximately 12 residents per group were used for qualitative data. We also conducted the same survey onsite with patrons of Graydon. The results can be read in the final report.

The ONLINE survey that people are confusing with us was done by the Village Council and it was not meant to solicit opinions (since that had already been done by our committee), rather it was a petition of interest to determine now that a concept was in place, would people still be interested in joining.

I would really encourage everyone to read the final report. Though we formed a seperate organization (Ridgewood Pool Project) for fundraising purposes, we are a committee under Village Parks & Recreation and have not proposed anything that they do not fully support (you can also read a letter from Nancy Bigos on our Web site).

As a lifelong resident of the area I empathize with wanting to keep Graydon the way it is, but standing where I have amid this project for nearly three years, I now realize that the only way to preserve Graydon is to adapt it for the changing needs of the community. The icon of Graydon is not just about the appearance, its about having the community together. We’re trying to find a solution that will preserve the unique, natural appearance while bringing the residents back.

All opinions/input have always been and continue to be welcome. Feel free to contact me anytime at cronkfamily@optonline.net.