DECEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
For the first time in years, when the Ridgewood High School swim teams host a meet, they will actually being doing so at home.
The Maroons’ practices and home meets are now being held around the corner from RHS at the Ridgewood YMCA after years of traveling to Passaic County Tech in Wayne.
“They’re very happy about it and I’m sure the parents are too,” said first-year coach Kimberly Schmidt. “The one thing that they do miss are the long bus rides. Not the late-night practices but the long bus rides, because they got to know each other and have fun.”
Schmidt, in her first year as a health teacher at the high school, took the helm after former coach Keith Cook was hired as the school’s athletic director earlier this year.
The coach taught in Newark for eight years and coached swimming at Gill St. Bernard’s, a private school in the city that had just begun its swimming program. Schmidt, originally from Suffern, N.Y., previously had served as an assistant on the Montclair State University coaching staff and swam for the University of Rhode Island.
By Jim Lambert NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 14, 2015 7:15 AM
Mike Glynn, one of the state’s most successful track and field and cross-country coaches, will be inducted into the New York Armory Coaches Hall of Fame later this month, the New York Armory announced.
Glynn, along with the coaches listed below, will be inducted into the Armory Coaches Hall of Fame during the AT&T Hall of Fame Invitational on December 19.
Glynn, who began his coaching career at Paramus Catholic (1966-79), where he built a powerhouse in boys cross country and track and field, retired from coaching at Ridgewood last spring after leading the Maroons program from 1985-2000 and from 2003-2014.
During his time at Ridgewood, Glynn’s teams have won six Bergen Group titles and five NNJIL titles. His Ridgewood squads have won 12 straight Group 4 sectional titles since 2012.
Glynn, a retired guidance counselor, produced five indoor state individual champions and 22 outdoor individual group champions. His track and field teams earned five Bergen County team titles, shared a sixth, and won 33 Bergen Group Championships.
DECEMBER 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Any solutions should benefit entire village
To the Editor:
The “Officials face open space shortage” article on the Schedler property (The Ridgewood News, Dec. 4, page A1), exposes the perennial “zero sum” thinking that plagues village politics. It concludes: “…an unpopular decision in the eyes of one [or the other] group of people will have to be made.” The absence of a community-wide vision for our village perpetuates endless acrimonious interpersonal and intergroup relationships. Rather than focusing on special interest groups’ differences, we need a holistic approach that compares our community to surrounding ones, to North Jersey, and to our nation as a whole.
The obvious characteristics of our town are stark and too often ignored: 1) As this article states, we have the largest school system in Bergen County; 2) Ridgewood is one of the wealthiest communities in New Jersey with the one of the highest tax burdens; 3) We are universally [yes, the Internet] seen as a schooling magnet community so families move here; and 4) We have zero public policies designed to retain empty nesters, zero availability of over-55 housing, and zero assisted living facilities in the Central Business District.
We may want to believe we are “Lake Wobegon … where the men are strong, the women good-looking, and that all our children are above average,” but our denial of aging results in social engineering that ignores life stages and destroys a multigenerational family community.
Saying Ridgewood is exclusively a nuclear family-child raising community, lacks both a historical perspective and a desire to imagine the future. Well into the 1930s, smaller New England towns practiced “home relief” where aging homeowners unable to support themselves in retirement were maintained at the town’s expense, and when they died the sale of their homes reimbursed the town’s costs. Into the 21st century, Ridgewood is a powerful draw for upper middle class families from world cultures in which multigenerational families are the norm. Furthermore, a slower growth economy means all of our children will carry elder care obligations which are outside the range of what Social Security or Medicare can provide.
The Open Space worries reported here pale in the face of wider community concerns. Where 2,000 youths get to play baseball in a community of 25,000 is a valid special interest concern. Saving a complete forest as a barrier between a quiet neighborhood and Route 17 is also a valid special interest concern.
In reality, all the wooded areas closer to residential properties could be preserved while limited commercial development could take place preserving older growth trees. Taking up opportunities for commercial development that bring down taxes for all residents and help reverse the “aged cleansing” social engineering practice that characterize our town is the right thing to do for the majority of Ridgewood families. This is what leadership in a democracy should be all about.
DECEMBER 9, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015, 10:15 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
(This article is the fourth of an ongoing series examining the Schedler property and the issues surrounding it.)
In the dense, suburban jungle that is Bergen County, some of the most precious resources enjoyed by many residents are the pockets of open space scattered amongst the endless tracts of homes, apartments and office and business buildings.
Like many towns, there is a shortage of open space in Ridgewood. The vast majority of the community is built out and much of the remaining undeveloped open space is only usable as conservation land.
In fact, the majority of the village’s parkland is conservation land, said Parks and Recreation Director Tim Cronin. Ridgewood’s largest park, Grove Park, is more than 30 acres, but is unusable for any kind of recreation.
The end result is a tremendous strain on the village’s outdoor facilities.
“It’s a very unusual town,” said Cronin. “Most people don’t realize this is the biggest school system in Bergen County. When I say that, people look at me and they scratch their head and say: How can that be? We’re 25,000 people, we’re bigger than Hackensack?”
This atypical situation has become part and parcel to the discussion of the construction of a second “60-90” field on the Schedler property on West Saddle River Road. As previously covered in The Ridgewood News, neighbors are concerned their quality of life will plummet, while the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association (RBSA) says the need for a second full-size diamond is too great to ignore.
DECEMBER 7, 2015, 12:01 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015, 12:46 AM
BY GREGORY SCHUTTA
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
EDISON – It was billed as a referendum on the state of public versus non-public schools in New Jersey high school sports.
And in little more than 90 minutes Monday, the membership of the state athletics governing body spoke, changing the athletic landscape as we know it – at least for the time being.
In a landmark vote, the members of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association approved historic proposals separating public and non-public schools in football and splitting non-public wrestlers into their own districts and region.
“I think a lot of people are realizing how huge the disparity has grown,” said Denis Nelson, athletic director at River Dell. “If there were an ability for level competition, we wouldn’t be having these problems.”
In one of the most highly attended NJSIAA membership meetings in recent history, officials from 345 of the association’s 433 member schools cast votes and approved the separation proposals by nearly identical margins.
The football proposal, which passed 215-128 with two abstentions, would remove all non-public schools from their current conference for football only and force them to create a statewide conference of their own, with full schedules.
It’s the third time in the past decade that some type of football separation proposal has reached the membership of the NJSIAA – but the first time one was approved.
By Jim Lambert NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 05, 2015 7:12 PM, updated December 05, 2015 7:53 PM
EAST RUTHERFORD – Ridgewood coach Chuck Johnson said the way the season ended for his team on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium can’t wash away the great and unexpected ride the Maroons took to reach the sectional final.
Two decades in officiating have taught Dean Blandino to expect and accept criticism, a staple baked into the profession. Now the NFL’s vice president of officiating, Blandino understands the implicit pact referees make, that even perfection likely will enrage half the participants. He still has not seen anything like the siege NFL officials find themselves under this season.
“I’m not really too worried about getting fined: I thought those refs” stunk, San Francisco offensive lineman Alex Boone declared after the 49ers lost this Sunday to the Cardinals. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski tweeted his agreement with a reporter who opined officials had targeted Gronkowski for pass interference calls. Screenshots and Vines of missed calls circulate on social media every Monday morning, talking points as much as highlight catches and breakaway runs. Recently, a former NFL head coach called Blandino to tell him, “Hang in there.”
“It’s just indicative of how much interest there is in the NFL, and ultimately that’s a good thing,” Blandino said Wednesday in a phone interview. “I think a lot of it has to do with a couple mistakes in some high-profile games, and we certainly own those and we want to correct those. I think that has led to more intense scrutiny than ever before.”
NOVEMBER 30, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2015, 1:43 PM
BY JIM MCCONVILLE
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – On Saturday, just before 4 p.m., the Ridgewood High School football team will run out of the tunnel at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford to play the North 1, Group 5 championship game against Passaic County Tech.
Let that sink in for a minute. For the seventh time in program history, the Maroons (9-2) will play for a state-sectional title. Those are words that many would not have associated with this team a few months ago.
Yet, this merry band of overachievers has put together one of the most improbable and impressive seasons in head coach Chuck Johnson’s 32 seasons at RHS, and they capped it off on Friday, Nov. 20 with a little history.
With its come-from-behind, 24-17 victory in overtime against No. 5 seed Montclair, top-seeded Ridgewood exorcised its biggest playoff demon.
The Mounties had won each of the teams’ previous four playoff meetings, including a 33-0 shellacking in the North 1, Group 5 final two years ago, which ruined the Maroons’ unbeaten season.
“Wow. I’m so happy for this group,” Johnson said. “They’ve been so great to coach, and they’ve worked as hard as any team we’ve had. The commitment they put in the weight room this summer paid off for them.”
NOVEMBER 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2015, 11:45 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
(This article is the second of an ongoing series examining the Schedler property and the issues surrounding it.)
In the springtime, a common sound heard around the village’s parks is the distinct metallic “ping” of an aluminum bat making solid contact with a baseball.
With a robust baseball program, Ridgewood is home to many ball fields at its numerous parks scattered all around town, but the need for one specific size field has become entangled with one of the village’s most sensitive issues.
The Ridgewood News has already explored the concerns held by residents in the neighborhood that plays home to the historic Zabriskie-Schedler house and property, where a full-size 90-foot baseball field has been proposed.
However, it may be the last place remaining to install such a field, driving the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association (RBSA) to donate money to the village as part of a matching grant opportunity from Bergen County that would allow the proposed Phase One portion of the project, which consists of a cleanup in the woodlands on West Saddle River Road, to begin.
While there has always been a need for more fields in Ridgewood, the completion of the state-of-the-art track and field complex at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in 2011 put a tremendous strain on the resources available to the RBSA, said President Jim Albano.
Previously, that field was home to one of the village’s two “60-90” fields – a diamond consisting of 90-foot basepaths and a pitcher’s mound that sits 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate. BF was also home to a smaller, multi-purpose field with a dirt infield.
By Jason Bernstein | For NJ Advance Media
on November 20, 2015 10:00 PM, updated November 20, 2015 10:29 PM
RIDGEWOOD — Ridgewood was seven yards from seeing its season end in bitter disappointment.Instead, the Maroons celebrated with fans storming the field, knowing a trip to MetLife Stadium awaits.
NOVEMBER 20, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015, 8:47 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Even before Olympia Martin had a major meet title to her name, Ridgewood High School girls cross-country head coach Steve Opremcak knew she had made tremendous strides during the 2015 season.
“This year she just looks like a more experienced and powerful runner,” the coach said days after Martin finished second at the Bergen County Group B race in late October.
Nearly three weeks later, those words appear to be an understatement after the RHS junior ran her way into the record books of North Jersey’s most prestigious cross-country program.
Martin became the first Ridgewood girl since 2001 and just the fifth in program history to win a Group 4 title, claiming the crown in 18:43, ahead of Montclair’s Juliet Kohli (18:50), last Saturday at Holmdel Park.
She joined Margaret Scutro (1984), Jenna Rogers (1993), Celeste Sedo (1997) and Clair Nowakowski (2001) as the only Ridgewood runners to win an individual group title.
“She’s just been incredible this year,” Opremcak said in a phone interview Monday. “Every single day she does everything she’s supposed to do, so you know she’s giving herself the best possible chance to run to her ability because she does everything right.”
Take a look at the RBSA website. There are only eight (8) Rec (Bonvarlet Senior and Junior) teams in town. Most of the Senior games this year were forfeited due to not having enough players.
As the demographic changes, the trending for the last 8+ years shows that baseball and softball particpation is way down. This past year there were only 5 travel teams that needed 60×90 fields. They usually play 2x week with one maybe two home games per week.
Those three fields are more than adequate for covering home field assignments.
So we’re left with conclusion. The Rec Comm wants to upgrade their facilities and showcase soccer and lacrosse.
The idea that they lost a field when BF was converted to a track facility is rubbish. They were desperate to get turf at the HS and play on Ridgewood Avenue and in front of the HS building. You can’t have your cake and eat it too…
NOVEMBER 13, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Each of the past three weeks, the Ridgewood High School girls cross-country team has defended its title successfully at three major meets.
This Saturday, the stakes will be higher when the Maroons seek to capture a championship they haven’t won since 1999, the State Group 4 crown, and in a wide-open field, head coach Steve Opremcak thinks his team has a shot.
But Ridgewood isn’t alone.
“The difference this year is I see any of six teams possibly winning this race, and that’s pretty crazy,” said Opremcak, who mentioned North 2 winner North Hunterdon, Ridge, Central champion Hillsborough, South victor Kingsway and Shawnee as legitimate competitors for the crown.
Ridgewood earned its way to the race at Holmdel Park by winning the North 1, Group 4 championship for the second straight year, topping Montclair and Randolph in a three-team race, 57-64-67, last Saturday at Garret Mountain Reservation in Woodland Park.
The win also extended a successful four-week string in which the Maroons have won the Big North Freedom Division meet, Bergen County B race and the Bergen Meet of Champions.
For those suggesting the town should sell it (Schedler Park), as a neighbor, I wouldn’t be horrified. The neighborhood would have many more legal protections from a private developer that the Village doesn’t need to comply with. Chiefly, ingress/egress from Rt. 17 and noise reduction.
It was bought with open space money from the County, not just the Village, and is supposed to guarantee a balance of active and passive space. Secondary to the pay-to-play development, it looks like only a baseball field will be built, and 74 parking spots. All this for the 2nd 90′ field the mayor says he ‘promised’ RBSA to make up for the field lost at BF. That field was already promised to RBSA at lower Hawes, courtesy of the CMX report which the Village paid 80K dollars for. The mayor knows this because he questioned the involved parties directly when that plan was adopted. The facts are in the minutes and speak for themselves.
Why doesn’t RBSA want that field? Why haven’t they done anything to advance that plan since 2008? Why haven’t they made the already approved improvements to Somerville’s field also approved in 2008? Why wouldn’t the Village encourage them to develop park space adjacent to an elementary school where more of the Village could benefit from it? Why would RBSA want to take on fundraising to develop an entire park instead of a cheaper renovation to an existing and approved space? Upon OPRA request, there is no documentation of any reason why the fields can’t be exactly where they were already ‘promised.’
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY GREG TARTAGLIA
SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
WAYNE — Zack Feagles and Wylie Sherman have learned that things can get better over time.
And they can get a lot better with a win in overtime.
Feagles and Sherman made the biggest offensive and defensive plays, respectively, in the extra session of Ridgewood High School’s 20-14 football victory at Passaic County Tech last Friday.
By winning that clash of the top two teams in the North 1, Group 5 sectional power points, RHS vaulted over the Bulldogs to claim the No. 1 seed in the playoff bracket. Both teams have reached the eight-game qualifying cutoff at 6-2 and have 130 and 121 power points, respectively.
With home-field advantage locked up for the first two rounds of the state tournament, Ridgewood enters tonight’s game at Passaic (1-6) looking to stay healthy and, of course, keep the good vibes going.
“This is just a dream come true for this group of kids,” Maroon head coach Chuck Johnson said. “These seniors, when they were in eighth grade, they won one game… and now, they’re the No. 1 seed.”
