Ridgewood High School Teen LEADs club members visit jail
FRIDAY JANUARY 17, 2014, 10:38 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RHS LEADS group members learn through immersion
As they moved into the women’s section of the Bergen County Jail, the Ridgewood High School (RHS) students crossed their arms and fell silent. The sound of women laughing and talking, looking at the students through glass windows, reverberated through the hall as the teenagers hesitantly walked forward.
For students who had never been inside a jail before, this was a potentially unnerving excursion – but it was far from a “scared straight” trip for at-risk youth.
About 20 students were on the Jan. 7 trip, mostly sophomores and juniors who are members of RHS’ new applicant-based extracurricular group called Teen LEADS. On the field trip, they learned about civic engagement, leadership and the workings of the jail.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/240805881_Ridgewood_High_School_Teen_LEADs_club_members_visit_jail.html#sthash.fey2G4IT.dpuf
While the Ridgewood Village Council struggles to reach agreement among themselves regarding a tree ordinance, other communities seem to be moving forward.
Albin Court resident questions legality of “Cell Site on Wheels” equipment was there for months. No official saw it?
Readers say Village officials were unable to determine what company owns the equipment, but PJ’s guy found out in 5 minutes? Come on now. What’s being covered up?
They had been asked prior to the meeting. Maybe as long as 2 weeks prior to the meeting. And the equipment was there for months. No official saw it? Come on now. Let’s get real.
Village officials said that at that moment when they were asked while in a meeting they didn’t know the answer.
The mayor did know prior to the meeting and obviously it was a low priority and he did not bother pursuing it. Then he got short tempered with her and tried to shut her down. Yep, our mayor,hates the gadflies, cannot stand it when anyone says anything that he does not like.
Village Looking for Train Station Coffee Bar
Bid Notice – Train Station Coffee Bar – Opening 2-20-14
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level Five Conference Room at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451 on Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. prevailing time, and then publicly opened and read aloud for following project:
“Train Station Coffee Bar at the Ridgewood Train Station Building”
The Village is seeking a vendor to provide coffee services with simple food (garb and go style) in a designated space in the Train Station Building between the hours of 5:30 am and 10:30 am weekdays to commuters utilizing the Train Station. The selected vendor shall remunerate the Village for exclusive use of the designated space on a monthly basis.
Specifications and bid forms may be obtained by mail from the office of the Village Manager, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, telephone (201) 670-5500, extension 204. Documents may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Office of the Village Manager, Level 5, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, Monday through Friday. Prospective bidders requesting bid documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration. No Specifications and/or Proposal forms shall be given out after 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2014.
Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all federal, state and local sales and excise taxes. Bids may be submitted in person or by mail. Mailed bids shall be addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any bid to the bid opening location sent to it prior to the Bid opening.
Each bid must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the bidder thereon and endorsed, ” Train Station Coffee Bar at the Ridgewood Train Station Building” and must be accompanied by the following: either a certified check, cashier’s check, or Bid Bond (Schedule B), drawn to the order of the Village of Ridgewood for $500; a Consent of Surety (Schedule A); a Corporation or Partnership Statement (Schedule C); a Non-Collusion Affidavit (Schedule D); and a Statement of Responsibility (Schedule E). Any award or awards may be made at a later or subsequent time or meeting of the Village Council. All required schedules, that is Schedule A, B, C, D, and E, are required to be submitted on the forms enclosed in the bid documents. No other forms will be accepted.
There will be a non-mandatory site walk through scheduled for Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 11:00 am at the Train Station Building.
All bids submitted shall contain a copy of the bidder’s New Jersey Business Registration Certificate.
The successful vendor shall furnish and deliver to the Village of Ridgewood a performance and payment bond in the amount of $3,000.00 and one and one half month’s rent as security for the faithful performance of the Contract. Additionally, the successful bidder shall provide policies or Certificates of Insurance required by the Contract. In default thereof, said checks and/or bid bond and the amount represented thereby shall be forfeited to the Village of Ridgewood as liquidated damages, not as a penalty.
Proposals submitted by Bidders and/or Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies) not chartered in the State of New Jersey, must be accompanied by proper certificate(s) from the Secretary of State, indicating that such Bidders, Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies), and/or Surety Company(ies)’s is (are) authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informalities or to accept a bid which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the date and time set for the opening of bids.
“BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27. A complete statement as to these requirements is included in the specifications.”
Questioning outside vendor ban
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Questioning outside vendor ban
David M. McCarthy
To the editor:
Until recently, Ridgewood has allowed outside vendors to drop off lunches at its schools for Ridgewood students. Most of the deliveries have come from three vendors in and around town. They are serving not only working parents with limited time in the morning, but also students who don’t like the food served by the incumbent food service provider, Village Fresh, as well as others who have dietary restrictions that the in-house vendor cannot meet.
As of Jan. 13, the Ridgewood Board of Education has banned outside vendors from dropping off lunches at the various schools in town. Many reasons have been given for the recent change in policy. From the superintendent’s email announcement on the matter and from what was said at Monday night’s board meeting, here are the reasons I have heard: student safety/limiting access to the building; illegal parking by food delivery people; governmental guidelines concerning the nutritional content of lunch; too much disruption for school staff; outside deliveries may violate an exclusive provision in the Village Fresh’s contract; and due to a minimum profit provision in the Village Fresh contract, the popularity of the outside vendors may end up forcing Ridgewood to pay Village Fresh a make-whole fee if not enough kids buy their lunch at school.
Podesta, Left-Wing Mastermind, to Lead NSA Review
by Joel B. Pollak 17 Jan 2014, 10:40 AM PDT
President Barack Obama announced Friday that John Podesta, his new “counselor” and the political operative responsible for creating the institutional left in Washington, will be the appointed “to lead a comprehensive review of big data and privacy” in the aftermath of revelations about the National Security Agency’s electronic spying programs. When he joined the White House last month, Podesta’s focus was said to be “climate change.”
The president’s speech contained little news. It was a classic Obama set-piece, designed to demonstrate that he understands both sides of a complex argument, while delegating responsibility to third parties and taking steps that reinforce the interests and goals of the hard left. In this instance, Obama left final decisions about where to store NSA data to Congress, while making sure that Podesta is in charge of the consultative process as a whole.
To be fair, there are few clear answers, even in the wake of stunning revelations about the NSA, as to where the line between security and privacy ought to be drawn. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has led the opposition to the NSA’s surveillance programs, quipped: “I think what I heard was if you like your privacy you can keep it.” Yet aside from a general sense of mistrust in the president, there is little agreement in his party about a solution.
Democrats are no more united. Their primary concern, like Obama’s, is to make the issue go away. Obama has an additional goal: to restore an image of competence. He knows that his speech will not assuage the concerns of privacy advocates, and could lead to confrontation with intelligence agencies. “But I want the American people to know that the work has begun,” he said. Under Podesta, of course–a detail Obama left for the end.
NSA Official: ‘We Are Now a Police State’
December 19, 2013 – 10:54 AM
By Matt Vespa
Last year, high-ranking NSA official Bill Binney said, “We are, like, that far from a turnkey totalitarian state.” Now, Binney says that the U.S. has already become a full-blown police state.
Binney told Washington’s Blog on Wednesday that:
“The main use of the collection from these [NSA spying] programs [is] for law enforcement. [See the 2 slides below].”
“These slides give the policy of the DOJ/FBI/DEA etc. on how to use the NSA data. In fact, they instruct that none of the NSA data is referred to in courts – cause it has been acquired without a warrant.”
“So, they have to do a ‘Parallel Construction’ and not tell the courts or prosecution or defense the original data used to arrest people. This I call: a ‘planned programed perjury policy’ directed by US law enforcement.”
“And, as the last line on one slide says, this also applies to ‘Foreign Counterparts.’”
“This is a total corruption of the justice system not only in our country but around the world. The source of the info is at the bottom of each slide. This is a totalitarian process – means we are now in a police state.”
– See more at: https://www.cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/matt-vespa/nsa-official-we-are-now-police-state#sthash.LOUz0Dxo.NyI3jnfi.dpuf
Valerie McCants of Van Dyk Health Care, Inc. receives ‘Caregiver of the Year’ award from Paul Langevin, president of the Health Care Association of New Jersey (HCANJ). (PRNewsFoto/Van Dyk Health Care, Inc.)
Van Dyk Ridgewood Caregiver Honored With ‘Caregiver of the Year’ by Health Care Association of New Jersey
By Van Dyk Health Care, Inc.
Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014 – 11:08 am
RIDGEWOOD, N.J., Jan. 16, 2014 –/PRNewswire/ — Van Dyk Health Care, Inc. (www.vandykhealthcare.com) is pleased to announce that Valerie McCants, certified nurse aide (CNA) at Van Dyk Ridgewood, has been honored by The Health Care Association of New Jersey(HCANJ) with its esteemed ‘Caregiver of the Year’ award. McCants has been employed by Van Dyk Ridgewood since 1989.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Valerie,” said Mary Jo Kurtz, COO and Administrator of Van Dyk Ridgewood. “Her positive attitude and dedication to caring permeates throughout Van Dyk Health Care, the long-term profession as a whole and to the community at large. We are fortunate to have her on our team; but more importantly, our patients and residents are fortunate to have her as their caregiver.”
Each year, HCANJ (of which Van Dyk’s is also a member), accepts nominations from member organizations across the state. Yet, only one person from the hundreds of nominations received is awarded ‘Caregiver of The Year.’ The successful candidate must exhibit outstanding contributions in support of the long-term care profession, as well as demonstrate enhancement of the health and/or quality of life for patients and residents. Specifically, McCants had to meet the following criteria:
Be a resident advocate and exceed the call of duty in advocating for residents.
Demonstrate Innovative and creative contributions to improve the health and or quality of life of residents.
Demonstrates effective communication with residents, families and other staff.
To commemorate McCants’ achievements, HCANJ presented her with a distinguished plaque at its annual awards ceremony, held October 29, 2013 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.
“The role of a certified nurse aide is one of the toughest in the industry; yet somehow, Valerie makes it seem easy,” said Robert Van Dyk, president and CEO of Van Dyk Health Care, Inc. “Her attitude and the way she continually goes ‘above and beyond’ for patients, residents and their families is not just a job, but a vocation. This award is well-earned and well-deserved of a wonderful caregiver who is dedicated to her profession, as well as the people in her care.”
For more information, please contact Van Dyk Health Care at 201.445.8200.
The “We Care” Mission of Van Dyk Health Care
Van Dyk Health Care, Inc. is a family of three facilities located in northern New Jersey: Van Dyk Ridgewood, Van Dyk Montclair and Van Dyk Park Place. Founded in 1953, the organization has built an unsurpassed reputation for excellence in care, that began with Marvin Van Dyk, and continues today with his son, Robert Van Dyk and his dedicated staff – all who share a mission of delivering quality care services to others in need, whether it be short-stay services or longer-term assisted or chronic care. Today, Van Dyk Health Care has grown to offer the full continuum of care services, including post-acute, assisted living, skilled nursing and long-term chronic care. The organization is committed to working closely with its hospital and medical partners to ensure its short-stay patients return home quickly and safely. Learn more at vandykhealthcare.com or 201.445.8200.
Research Claims Your Cat Thinks You’re Just Another (Big!) Cat
January 15, 2014 12:07 PM
By Chelsea Karnash
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – As an overly-exuberant animal lover, I’m somewhat ashamed to confess that I am not a cat person.
Sure, cats are as cute as the next fuzzy mammal and kittens are all-out adorable, but felines enjoy hunting and killing things, and they don’t seem to care much for humans either. Unlike the “I’ll-love-you-and-be-your-best-friend-forever-no-matter-what!” enthusiasm you get from a dog, cats always seem to be giving me the side eye, and in turn, I usually feel the need to give it right back.
So the revelations from a new book on cats don’t really surprise me, although they are interesting. According to Dr. John Bradshaw, who’s studied felines for over 30 years and wrote the tome Cat Sense, cats were never bred for companionship. In fact, they tend to think of humans as big, lazy, overgrown fellow cats, which might explain some of that cool, disinterested behavior towards us.
Indoor Track: Ridgewood boys cruise to division title
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014
BY GREG TARTAGLIA
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Maroons unearthed the one jewel that was missing from their Triple Crown last season.
Ridgewood High School won the 2013 North 1, Group 4 and Bergen County Relays titles for boys indoor track but wound up second in the Big North Freedom Division.
Monday at The Armory Track Center in Manhattan, Ridgewood reclaimed the top spot in the division with a convincing 178-82 1/2-70 victory over Indian Hills and Hackensack at the Big North championship meet. The Maroon girls team scored 72 1/2 points to place fourth.
“Considering Hackensack won [the Freedom title] last year, the boys were anxious to get back out there and go after it,” RHS head coach Josh Saladino said.
Security for Super Bowl in place
Updated: January 15, 2014, 7:52 PM ET
By Jane McManus | ESPNNewYork.com
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Law enforcement officials will use radiological detection devices, metal detectors and police dogs for a full-fledged anti-terrorism effort at Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2.
“Nobody at this table needs to be reminded, in the shadow of the World Trade Center, how important this event is to make people safe in our region,” New Jersey Transit police chief Christopher Trucillo said.
Eight officials from various New York, New Jersey and national agencies were part of a news conference on security issues on Wednesday at MetLife Stadium. Their comments are the culmination of two years of planning for the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather climate.
The Super Bowl has been a Level 1 national security event since 2002, after the 9/11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. This is the first year the Super Bowl has been held in the New York and New Jersey region. The FBI agent in charge of Super Bowl security, Aaron Ford, detailed the kinds of threats the group was preparing to address.
“We are fully integrated and unified with the New Jersey State Police and our law enforcement partners,” Ford said. “Our tactical teams have been training throughout the year for different scenarios to include active shooter, bomb threats and casualties related to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear threats. We have a number of agents and professional staff prepared to respond.”
Although these efforts have been part of the planning and will continue on game day, NFL chief security officer Jeffrey Miller said it was being done so the fans could worry about the game, not safety.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Law enforcement officials will use radiological detection devices, metal detectors and police dogs for a full-fledged anti-terrorism effort at Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2.
“Nobody at this table needs to be reminded, in the shadow of the World Trade Center, how important this event is to make people safe in our region,” New Jersey Transit police chief Christopher Trucillo said.
Jersey City BOE limits public comments at meetings – Will Ridgewood follow suit?
By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
The Jersey City school board approved a measure this week that significantly curtails when residents can speak at board meetings and stops recording those comments on video, actions critics say are an effort to silence them.
The changes force all speakers to notify school officials at least one day in advance if they want to make general comments or speak on a specific agenda item. Previously, notice was only required for general comments.
The measure also prohibits any speaker from speaking more than once, as opposed to once for an agenda item and once for a general comment. Instead of two sessions of public comment that act as bookends to the monthly meetings, there will be one instead.
End to school lunch deliveries leaves bad taste in Ridgewood
THURSDAY JANUARY 16, 2014, 3:23 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A non-compete clause in the Ridgewood school district’s contract with its food-service provider took the spotlight at Monday’s Board of Education (BOE) meeting, where several parents and business owners voiced disapproval with the superintendent’s recent decision to discontinue outside vendor lunch deliveries.
Superintendent Daniel Fishbein’s letter to parents about last week’s decision listed concerns about delivery people who are strangers, illegal parking and administrative time spent sorting out the lunches, but the non-compete clause was not mentioned in the letter. Several residents and local business owners brought up the non-compete clause on Monday.
Fishbein said after the meeting that though Pomptonian Food Services had not yet contacted him about the contractual issue, he was personally concerned about the breach of contract.
Study: Space not big enough for Ridgewood, Glen Rock to share garage
THURSDAY JANUARY 16, 2014, 3:11 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS AND RICHARD DE SANTA
STAFF WRITERS
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The land adjacent to Ridgewood’s water treatment facility is large enough to house a new village maintenance garage, but a recently conducted feasibility study revealed the tract cannot jointly accommodate Glen Rock’s Department of Public Works.
Since late last year, the two neighboring municipalities had been examining the Ridgewood-owned property in Glen Rock as a possible relocation site for their respective DPW operations. Both agreed to split the costs of two studies, which were performed by Ramsey-based Conklin Associates.
An ad-hoc committee comprised of officials from each town reviewed the results of the feasibility study last week, according to Ridgewood Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli, who said the report had a “very complex analysis because of the wetlands and other riparian issues surrounding the property.”
Albin Court resident questions legality of “Cell Site on Wheels” at Exxon on the Run
January 16,2014
Boyd A. Loving
5:43 PM
Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday night’s Village Council meeting, a resident of Albin Court questioned the legality of a “cell site on wheels,” reportedly installed without permits at the Route 17 southbound Exxon on the Run. The resident claims that the installation has been there since at least November; another member of the audience claims to have seen it there since sometime last summer.
Council members disavowed any knowledge of circumstances surrounding the cell site installation claiming they had no idea who owned the equipment, nor if any permits were granted in connection with its operation.
Acting Village Manager Heather Mailander was directed to investigate the matter and respond directly to the resident with answers.
Publicly available documents indicate that within the last few years, at least two (2) cell phone companies have sought to construct a new tower(s) near the intersection of Franklin Turnpike and Route 17. 125 foot monopole style towers were proposed for the NJDOT Park & Ride/salt shed property, the Ridgewood Water Department property near Twinney Pond, the Valleau Cemetery, and 611 Franklin Turnpike (existing cell tower would be torn down and replaced with a new one).
An individual who represented himself as the owner/operator of Exxon on the Run advised a staff member of the Ridgewood Blog that the equipment on his property is owned by AT&T Wireless, and that AT&T is using the “cell site on wheels” because of antenna wind loading issues with their existing tower at 611 Franklin Turnpike. The individual also claimed that AT&T had tried to negotiate for space at the NJDOT Park & Ride, but was unable to do so.
