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>Wumblers Opens in Ridgewood Nove 14th

>RIDGEWOOD, N.J., Nov. 10 NJ-TheWumblerPatch

The First Wumblers Retail Store will open its doors on November 14th

RIDGEWOOD, N.J., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ — Right on the heels of announcing their exclusive publishing deal with Mackinac Island Press, The Wumblers’ children’s brand has yet more exciting new to share. The Giddy Gander Company is launching a unique, new retail store called THE WUMBLER PATCH. The store will officially open its doors in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on November 14, 2008, just in time for the holiday season.

Designed to resemble a watermelon patch as inspired by The Wumblers’ brand concept that all baby Wumblers are born from watermelon, this store will sell all Wumbler merchandise and mark the beginning of the rollout of Wumbler merchandise within larger retail stores across the country.

The innovative concept behind the launching of The Wumbler Patch store is one, which provides the opportunity for The Wumblers to create a physical manifestation of the original goal of this brand (www.wumblers.com) — to help teach children how to make the world a better place to live and grow.

Every in-store, retail program The Wumbler Patch store is implementing has been specifically designed to effectively reinforce this original goal while being fun and engaging for children to participate in and enjoy. Yet, it is these same kids (and parents) who will directly determine the extent of positive social and financial support The Wumbler Patch store provides to its coinciding community as well as our world community.

“Nothing like this has ever been done before,” states creator and CEO of The Wumblers children’s brand, Laura J. Wellington. “But, now more than ever, we need to teach our children a better way. The Wumbler Patch is a means of doing so. It provides a fun place for children (and parents) to go in which to share an experience that positively impacts their community. This store goes beyond just selling merchandise. The store concept is very innovative and remains consistent with the grassroots emergence and initiative that founded the entire Wumbler brand. Positive change means getting at “the roots.” Those “roots” are our children!”

SOURCE The Giddy Gander Company

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>I am a concerned math parent in New Jersey

>Hi, my name is Amy Flax. I am a concerned math parent in New Jersey. Our local curriculums are driven by our state standards. Our current state math standards are currently being reviewed. This is our opportunity to make a difference. I believe that we need world class state math standards which in turn will drive the implementation of world class curriculums. A friend of mine received a copy of the state standards from the NJDOE and it is public. Input is welcome. I would like you to take the opportunity to comment. I would like to tell you that the language still looks very “fuzzy” with words like “Explore” and does not mention the Standard Algorithm.

If you are interested in commenting, please email me at [email protected], and I will send you the draft standards. Please send your comments back to me.

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>Teachers ponder meaning of Obama victory for N.J. schools

>Teachers ponder meaning of Obama victory for N.J. schools

by John Mooney /The Star-Ledger

Thursday November 06, 2008, 7:17 PM

It’s the largest teachers convention in the country, a decidedly blue-tinged gathering in one of the nation’s bluest states.

But for all the exultant support of Barack Obama’s victory at the opening of the New Jersey Education’s convention Thursday, teachers on the floor of the vast Atlantic City center also worried about what happens next.

Vincent Blasse, a Trenton middle school teacher, said Obama will inspire teachers and especially students.

But asked how the new president might fix the No Child Left Behind act, Blasse wasn’t so sure. And when it came to Obama’s support of merit pay for teachers, he was downright troubled.

“It can breed greed and individualism,” Blasse said. “They will no longer see themselves as team players.”

Thus is the fragile line Obama will need to tread with education, carrying strong union support but also a few positions that would clearly roil the status quo.

On one side, Obama has pledged greater federal support for public schools with additional funding and programs like preschool and after-school services.

He has said he would make changes to the federal No Child Left Behind act, a chief villain to many teachers and their unions.

Yet Obama also has bucked the traditional labor line. In addition to championing merit pay for teachers, he espouses extra incentives for those working in high-need schools, and strongly supports innovations like charter schools.

Joyce Powell, president of the NJEA, praised Obama as “pro-public education” but quickly conceded some tensions.

“We may have our differences of opinion on some things,” she said.

Much will rest on whom Obama picks as his education secretary, with a short list of names being bandied about including Colin Powell and New York City Chancellor Joel Klein.

Obama’s general support for merit pay — providing teachers extra money based on their performance — is the one topic already raising eyebrows. He has yet to unveil any concrete proposal, but considers the idea important enough to mention publicly.

He has said it’s a concept best handled at the local bargaining table, and NJEA President Powell said she has already seen it start to creep into negotiations — if not embraced — by a handful of New Jersey districts.

She argues it should come as a give-and-take with teachers.

“If they are going to broach that, why not let us also negotiate class sizes or textbook selection?” she said. “They have to understand that when we put an idea like that on the table, other things come with it.”

A sampling of her members — nearly 35,000 of whom attended the first day of the convention — indicated similar sentiments. The younger teachers were more likely to support merit pay than the veterans, but not exclusively.

Sean Spiller, a 33-year-old science teacher at Wayne Valley High School, said Obama’s election and that of a Democratic majority to Congress is good news for teachers who want a softening in No Child Left Behind and more money behind it.

But he said the idea of merit pay for teachers was something he couldn’t support.

“You can’t have two teachers working next to each other and comparing their test scores,” he said. “It doesn’t work.”

Angela Yelverton, sporting an Obama button, described the spring in her students’ steps at Camden’s Creative Arts High School on Wednesday; the school’s band is vying to get in on the Inaugural festivities.

But she wondered how much will happen to No Child Left Behind, with all the competing points of view. “Hopefully he’ll at least listen to us in the trenches,” she said.

Yelverton, 36, said while merit pay may benefit her as a teacher, it’s a lot trickier than it sounds.

“I’m one of those who go above and beyond,” she said, “so in one way I’m for it. But what is the measuring tool? Is just staying late or working on Saturdays going to tell you that?”

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>Would you like to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Holy Mass?

>Wednesday, November 5, 2008
by: James Ward and Christine Yzaguirre

https://www.shu.edu/news/article/111753

Would you like to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Holy Mass?

The STEPS program of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology’s Institute for Christian Spirituality is hosting “Our Catholic Treasures: Discovering the Liturgy,” on Saturday, November 15, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Ridgewood, N.J. The conference, held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Mass celebrated at 2 p.m., will feature Reverend Antonio I. Bico, S.T.L., S.T.D., professor of Systematic Theology at Seton Hall University. The registration fee is $20, which includes lunch. To R.S.V.P. or for more information, please call Jo-Anne Lieder at (973) 313- 6331 or e-mail [email protected].

Father Bico earned an S.T.L. from the Pontifical Teresianum University in Rome, and an S.T.D. in Sacramental Theology from the Liturgical Institute at Saint Mary of the Lake University in Mundelein, Illinois. Ordained to the priesthood in 1993, Father Bico worked in drug rehabilitation ministry and prison ministry. He titled his doctoral dissertation “The Sacrament of Penance: Journey Towards Conversion and Recovery from Addictions.”

The Seminary’s Theological Education for Parish Services Program (STEPS) is a graduate level certificate program for adult Catholics who desire a deeper understanding of their faith. STEPS provides expanded lay graduate education through its classes at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Ridgewood. The curriculum involves an integrated program of theological course work, praxis, and spiritual formation that fashion students with a new enthusiasm and understanding of their faith.

For more information please contact:
Jo-Anne Lieder
(973) 313-6331
[email protected]

https://www.shu.edu/news/article/111753

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History Lesson on Pease Library

May 28,2008

the staff of the Ridgewood Blog

Ridgewood NJ, During the last Maple Ave library expansion,the library patrons went to the Pease. When the new library opened, the Portrait of George Pease and some other pictures, memorabilia was moved to the main floor of the renovated libary; the section was renamed “The George L. Pease Memorial Library” Once that was done, the library board, headed by Nancy Greene, and with Janet Fricke on the board, the council went to court and voided the will, because “the functions of the Pease were being served at the new library building” This was done in 1999.the Library Board (not the Village) and Sidney Stoldt, who argued the case for the Library,were in agreement that the building be closed to the public as no longer necessary.The 911 emergency center rent goes directly to the library board, and not one cent to repairs. The village residents have paid twice: once in library budget, and once separately for all repairs, including the roof. All rent from upstairs tenants, e.g. realtor, lawyer, etc. would go directly to the LIbrary Board, not the public. No member of the public was alerted to the court appearance.

All was readied for commercial rent when, in the Fall of 1999, Hurricane Floyd hit, and the police were moved into the building since it was so high and dry. The police worked closely with the Historic Preservation Commission to make certain that no part of the wood structure was ruined; they kept it as pristine as possible.

This entire lawsuit was done under the radar; in fact, when one resident attended a council meeting in 1999, and the title of a resolution was read, the resident questioned what it meant and was told that she couldn’t ask questions “at that time”.

Nobody cared, and to this day, most residents don’t care, so we have what we deserve.

Yes, I wish we could all chip in to save the building; that was the plan agreed upon by the Council when the historic grants were supposed to be applied for. Most of the matching grants would have been paid for by private funds, it was privately promised; and this was told to the Council. The promise was made that the building would be open to the public. For David Bolger to appear 24 hours before a promise to keep the building open and apply for grants is no mystery. The fix was in from the beginning. Now the council could look as if they really were considering public use, but they weren’t. All the Council members voted to accept the Bolger money.

Is it too late? Its up to the readers of this blog. Others have done more than their share; if more people would stand up, things could be reversed. But if only a dozen people are interested, the building will be stolen.

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>Water Utility & Sewer Treatment Plant May Both Go On Chopping Block – 49 VOR Jobs Could Be Lost

>Comments made by incumbent Councilman Jacques Harlow during last week’s League of Women Voters candidates’ forum, and repeated in part during Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, suggest that Village officials may soon try to jettison the Ridgewood Water utility and/or the Ridgewood Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Citing the complexities of managing relatively low volume operations while being faced with increasingly complex, stringent, and expensive to implement regulatory agency demands, Harlow suggested Village Council members may soon be faced with deciding whether to sell off both Village of Ridgewood owned & operated service functions.

Likely bidder for the water utility operations would be United Water of Harrington Park (an interconnection between Ridgewood Water and United Water already exists). Either the Northwest Bergen Utilities Authority in Waldwick, or Bergen County Utilities Authority in Little Ferry would be candidates for assuming control over the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Since Ridgewood Water and sewer also services subscribers in Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff, it is possible that the governing bodies of those municipalities would each need to approve any change of ownership.

Cash obtained from the sale of one or both operations could be used to pay off municipal debt and fund new capital projects/property purchases. The Ridgewood school district would NOT be entitled to any portions of the proceeds.

Ridgewood Water currently employs 36 full-time workers. The Waste Water Treatment Plant has 13 full-time employees. It is expected that some job losses would be associated with the disposal of either operation.

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Reader defends Ridgewood News

>byclcye
A friend suggested that I get the inside dope on what was happening in Ridgewood by perusing the blogs. I was honestly shocked by the narrowmindedness of some of the posts – particularly with regard to the editorial standards of our local newspaper.

Hindsight shows that the reporter was doing his job – reporting – not passing judgment on what was being exchanged, just reporting what was taking place. Isn’t that what he was supposed to do? Remain objective? And didn’t the editor simply back up the editorial integrity of the newspaper by not yielding to public criticism and printing the news as news? Spare me the conspiracy theories, would ya!

Now as for the math controversy. Sure, I knew people were up in arms, and yes, I’ll admit that some of the protocols for teaching left me baffled, but I saw my kids NJASK and Terra Nova test scores and, well…can kids get higher than 99th percentile? Something must be going right in the school system.

No question that all the bloggers love Ridgewood and that discourse is healthy. But, informed and objective discourse is healthier still.

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>Village Seeks to Limit Its Liability for Homeowners’ Damages Related to Sewer Main Backups

Got Sewer Main Backups? Citing its desire to stop paying out huge claims related to Village maintained sewer trunk failures that in the past caused extensive damage to private residences, on December 13, Village Council members voted unanimously to introduce Ordinance #3036, which would establish a new section under Village Code Article XI entitled: “Damage Claims for Backup of Sewage on Certain Properties.”

If approved, following its scheduled Public Hearing on January, 17, Ordinance #3036 would:

1) Exclude from recognition any claim made by a homeowner who did not have an “accepted” backflow prevention device installed on his/her private sewer line (running from house to connection with Village maintained sewer trunk).

2) Limit claims to individual owners of single family, two family or three family homes who make such premises their primary residence, and who own such premises in their own individual name or names, and from whose insurance coverage the claim is either fully or partially excluded.

3) Any claim partially covered by private insurance would be excluded from coverage to the extent of such private insurance coverage.

4) The Village will compensate a qualifying claim only as follows: cost of removal of sanitary sewerage and of cleaning and sanitizing premises, fixtures and salvageable personal items – 100% to a limit of $1,500.00; the cost of repair to or replacement of damaged structure, fixtures or personal items – 100% to a limit of $2,500.00. Total = $3,500.

5) Any covered persons must notify the Water Pollution Control Facility immediately upon discovery of any backups into the residential structure.

6) Claims must be filed within 5 days of the discovery of damages.

It is rumored that the Village recently paid out several claims in excess of $25,000. It is also rumored that the Village’s sewer system infrastructure, excepting the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Glen Rock, is rapidly decaying; major portions of the subterranean system were constructed in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

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The Ridgewood Blog Celebrates Columbus day

>Columbus Day is a holiday celebrated in many countries in the Americas, commemorating the date of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World in 1492. Similar holidays, celebrated as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many countries in Latin America, Discovery Day in the Bahamas, Hispanic Day in Spain, and the newly-renamed (as of 2002) Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela, commemorate the same event.
Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Columbus Day was first celebrated by Italians in San Francisco in 1869, following on the heels of 1866 Italian celebrations in New York City. The first state celebration was in Colorado in 1905, and in 1937, at the behest of the Knights of Columbus (a Catholic fraternal service organization named for the voyager), President Franklin Delano Roosevelt set aside Columbus Day as a holiday in the United States. Since 1971, the holiday has been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada.
Italian-Americans feel pride in the day due to the fact that Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor, sailed to the Americas. Many royal courts were interested in financing the voyage, but Spain financed the ships for Columbus’ brainchild. Some Hispanics are embittered by this victory for Columbus. In the United States, Banks and government offices are closed on Columbus Day.GigaGolf Special Couponsshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=14707

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>need a quickie?

>QUICKIE%20008
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If you have any late night snack food desires ,Ridgewood has a new merchant called “the quickie mart “ open late it’s a drive thru place to pick up those last minute things like snack items ,dairy products, baby products or some groceries. Located at 121 Franklin Ave, you can call in in advance for your last minute late night or early morning needs.(201)689-0099 or fax (201)689-0066 or check them out on the web at https://www.thequickiemartstore.com/