OCTOBER 19, 2015, 6:19 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015, 6:25 PM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Two cousins, one dressed in a black suit and tie, the other in an orange jail uniform and shackles, stood before a judge Monday and formally denied weapons charges relating to two incidents in which more than 40 bullets were fired into the Old Paramus Reformed Church in Ridgewood, damaging the historic structure.
The church was unoccupied on Nov. 16 and Dec. 26, 2014 when, authorities allege, rounds from a high-powered rifle were fired, breaking a stained glass window dating to 1875 and sending one bullet through the front of the building and out a rear wall.
A Bergen County grand jury returned an eight-count indictment against Joseph Galli, 22, of Somerville and his cousin, Alexander Norrell, 23, of Ridgewood, on Sept. 2. Both are charged with possession of a CMMG Inc. MK-47 assault rifle with the purpose to use it unlawfully against the property of another between the two dates in question.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Interfaith Ministerial Association and Ridgewood Police are hosting Police Chaplain Training. Seen in the photographs are members of Clergy and law enforcement from the region participating in Basic Police Chaplain Training given by the Police Chaplain Program of New Jersey.
OCTOBER 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015, 10:45 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The latest drawings for the proposed Schedler Park, which includes a large multi-purpose field, were unveiled last week during a presentation made by village officials.
The Schedler property and the historic Zabriskie-Schedler house have come back to the forefront in recent weeks with a resolution passed by the council to endorse recommendations made for the site in the 2012 Open Space report and the submission of an application for a matching grant that would fund preliminary cleanup work in the area.
Some of the features of the potential park include an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible walking path, restrooms and playground, a woodland and nature area, and the most-discussed feature, a 90-foot baseball field with multi-purpose field overlay for soccer, lacrosse and football. A parking lot at the southern end of the triangular shaped parcel contains 74 spaces and a drop-off lane.
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld emphasized this was “the beginning stages of a public discussion on the actual design of the park.”
Try Something New This Year With Ben & Jerry’s Catering Parties
Hot Chocolate Shake Bar – Employees can warm up with these delicious hot chocolate fudge milk shakes while the fake fire video crackles in the background. Create some fun and healthy competition with board games and an ugly sweater contest and you’ve got yourself a party!
Ice Cream Eating Contest – Create stronger teams this holiday season with our famous Vermonster ice cream eating contests. Get teams of 2 – 4 to register to compete who can eat their mini Vermonster first. Create cheering sections and fan favorites. Get an MC and DJ to host and make sure you have enough ice cream for the fans, they are going to want their own!
Ice Cream Gram Event – Celebrate your employees and let them know how much you care with an Ice Cream Gram event. Employees get their favorite flavor and a customized note from their manager. Ben & Jerry’s will make it easy with a friendly user interface for all managers to submit their employees name, favorite flavor and personalized note. You pick the day to celebrate and we will deliver the WOW and make your employees feel warm and fuzzy.
These fun ideas and more are waiting for you at Ben & Jerry’s Catering. Let us customize your holiday party this year. If you book before October 31, we will waive the set up fee. Use Code: UniqueIdeas.
Important Village of Ridgewood Forums – October 21 – November 2 – Hudson Street Parking Deck
Two important forums scheduled in Village Hall – 4th Floor Court Room – to discuss the proposed Hudson Street Parking Deck: Wednesday, October 21 and Monday, November 2 from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. Village professionals as well as the design team from Desmond Associates will be on hand to discuss all aspects of the proposed parking deck, including the design and financials. All are welcome to attend. All questions are welcome!
Reader says Rule 12=why anonymous commenting ticks the three amigos off to no end. They just can’t get at anonymous commentators in a personal way and it drives them bonkers.
Saul Alinsky’s 12 Rules for Radicals
Here is the complete list from Alinsky.
* RULE 1: “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.” Power is derived from 2 main sources – money and people. “Have-Nots” must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of which there is a plentiful supply. Government and corporations always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost exclusively with economic arguments.)
* RULE 2: “Never go outside the expertise of your people.” It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone. (Organizations under attack wonder why radicals don’t address the “real” issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.)
* RULE 3: “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.” Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)
* RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.” If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity’s very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)
* RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)
* RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid “un-fun” activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)
* RULE 7: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” Don’t become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)
* RULE 8: “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.” Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)
* RULE 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.” Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists’ minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)
* RULE 10: “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. (Unions used this tactic. Peaceful [albeit loud] demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)
* RULE 11: “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.” Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)
* RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)
OCTOBER 16, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY BETSY MURPHY
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
When you are a research physician and a registered pharmacist who works as a medical director, you must certainly dream of what your progeny will become: surgeon, physicist, medical mogul?
When Wes Hauptman told his parents, Dr. Jonathan Hauptman and Cindy Starr, he wanted to be a comedian, they didn’t laugh; they told him, “That sounds good. Let’s find some classes you can take.”
“If they didn’t believe I can do it they would not have supported my choice,” the 21-year-old Emerson College senior says. They’re very supportive.”
So is his sister, Emily, who is also an Emerson student and also a comedian. “She got me into this,” says Wes. “She said ‘just try it. Just do it.'”
“I was always funny,” he says matter-of-factly in answer to a question. Growing up in Ridgewood, he had a brief history with Ridgewood High School New Players. “I had a very, very tiny role,” he recalls, “one line in a 2-hour show. Once I was an ugly, awkward nerd. But basically, it made me hungrier to perform.”
In his sophomore year at Emerson in Boston he was a TV producer major. “I started stand-up,” says the young man who writes his own material.
The summer before his junior year, Wes started looking for an internship, sending emails “all over the place.” He heard from the director of new talent at the Gotham Club in New York City who gave him an offer for that summer, Appearing there twice, he says, “I did a 6-minute set. I have some stage fright; but after I get started and people are laughing I feel comfortable.” He wrote to audition for AXS TV Live at Gotham – and was the youngest among 12 to be invited to audition. “I didn’t get it, but I think I will be invited again,” he says.
Ridgewood NJ, Current statistics show that one in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism, making the condition more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes, and pediatric aids combined. In total, an estimated 1.5 million individuals in the United States are affected by autism. Perhaps most alarming, government statistics suggest that the prevalence rate of autism is increasing 10-17 percent annually – without a known explanation.
To help change some of the commonly held assumptions and misconceptions of autism, the mother-daughter team of Camille Cohn (author) and Riley Cohn (illustrator) created the forthcoming children’s book, Cooper and the Big Apple (Greenleaf Book Group Press). In this stunningly illustrated picture book, the Cohns tell the story of Cooper, a cat who reluctantly embarks on a trip to New York City with his best friend, Jennifer. Throughout his journey, the autistic Cooper is confused by the figures of speech and nicknames used to describe landmarks in the city. Through Cooper’s travels, readers get a rare peak at the world through the eyes of an autistic, literal thinker. Readers then experience the transformation of Cooper’s confusion into amazement when he realizes that experiencing new adventures can be interesting, fun, and educational.
This engaging, heartfelt, and informative book also:
Explains to other children the unique interpretation of the world through the eyes of someone with autism
Teaches autistic children how to move beyond what is already familiar, and take part in new experiences
Helps teach young autistic children to transition away from constant literal thinking, and embrace colloquial speech and common phrases
And so much more!
“I wrote Cooper and the Big Apple in hopes that educators could use it in the classroom to teach young children about figures of speech. It could also be used as a tool to teach other children about what it is like to be on the autism spectrum,” says Camille. “But I think the most important thing I want people to know is that people with autism might be different, but they are not less. Most people on the autism spectrum are extremely intelligent; but they are wired differently. They have a hard time expressing themselves. My hope is that as awareness increases, the general public will be able to give autistic people opportunities that celebrate their unique talents.”
Ridgewood NJ, This fall, classic pumpkin and apple flavors are being accompanied by the season’s newest trend, maple. Maple is no longer just a condiment for pancakes, it is now showing up in sauces and vegetables.
Kings Food Markets, a gourmet food market located Ridgewood, identified this trend and curated an array of recipes and cooking studio classes that incorporate all of the top fall flavors to put on your table, in addition to its store aisles.
Whether you’re looking for a unique take on traditional pumpkin and apple main courses, or, in search of an unconventional maple glaze (like Kings Own Organic Maple Syrup) to add to your meal, Kings’ chefs have hand-selected the below recipes and classes to try this season:
Kings’ Chef-Inspired Recipes:
Highlighting the season’s newest flavor profile, maple.
RCB director Chris Wilhjelm (R) with Jean-Luc Wastable (L), the director of L’Harmonie La Croix Valmer in Cannes in 2012. They will be reunited later today as the RCB and L’Harmonie share a concert at West Side Presbyterian Church on October 18th!.
OCTOBER 16, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015, 12:30 AM
BY BETSY MURPHY
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Brush up on your bonjour and bonsoir so you can greet any of the French band members and/or their families who might be sauntering the village streets this weekend.
Thirty members of L’Harmonie La Croix Valmer are leaving their village in southeastern France to spend time in ours. They are here to perform with the Ridgewood Concert Band (RCB) on Sunday evening at West Side Presbyterian Church. It’s old stuff – they’ve done it before; but no less exciting for the players involved.
RCB started out as a village band in 1983. One of its founders, Chris Wilhjelm, had wanted to assemble a concert band of adults to play challenging literature. “A group of adults playing for the joy of mastering the music,” was his dream.
“Our goal was unique,” states Wilhjelm. “We tried to be a community band with a mission a little different from other community bands in our area. We programmed serious literature right from the very beginning.”
Their repertoire and their reputation grew. “We have a reputation for playing high-end literature,” he can say today. “Our programming is as ambitious and aggressive as the finest professional conservatory ensembles in the country.”
The concert, Sunday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at West Side Presbyterian Church, will be performed by the RCB, with Dr. Chris Wilhjelm and L’Harmonie, with Jean-Luc Wastable and will feature the music of Saint-Saëns, Sousa, and Giroux. L’Harmonie will be performing a wide range of pieces from the French Can Can (Offenbach) to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with a trumpet soloist. A highlight of the program will be the RCB’s performance of Camille Saint-Saens’ “Hail! California,” which was written for the Panama-Pacific Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915. Arranger Peter Stanley Martin will speak about bringing this classic back to life at a Pre-Concert Talk at 6 p.m. (This event is free with concert ticket).
Wow – great post. The “civility” assault, as the poster mentions, either shuts the potential dissenter up completely, or spins him/her up into a fury at the sheer chutzpah it takes to engage in such hypocrisy. Both reactions suit the purposes of the “civility” advocator, the first because it squelches dissent, the second because it allows the person who reacts with frustration to be singled out and portrayed as an angry rabble-rouser unfit to be listened to in the first instance. Meanwhile those of us who try the cool and calm approach tend to fade into the woodwork. Come to think if it, this is also favorable from the standpoint of the “civility” advocator. Killing three dissenting birds with one rhetorical stone–pretty impressive. Who the hell comes up with this stuff (cough, cough…Alinsky…)?
What about Albert stating that he was the only one with a full time job? The old “I’m more important than you are” bullying tactic. And then there is Gwenn reprimanding the audience for laughing or clapping – sorry folks, no emotions can be displayed, not humor, not happiness. Never In these meetings have I hear a booing from the crowd – it has always been positive assent in the form of applause or humorous laughter. Pretty civil as far as I can see it, and yet Miss Prim and Proper reprimands the group.
How about the Mike Sedon email affair? The three of them did NOTHING AT ALL until they were pushed and pressured to do so by a member of the public. Then, under great duress, Aronsohn sent the weakest most anemic email to the editor of the Staten Island Advance asking about the email that had been sent over a year prior. Of course the SI Advance editor said sorry, he no longer has the email. The three of them should have stood up from the very beginning in complete and total outrage against this blatant attempt to interfere with our election system. But, there was nothing from them. It was as if they could not care at all. We know, yes we KNOW that the email was sent by someone who really really REALLY did not want Mike Sedon to run for office. This was the most outrageous bullying episode yet to date, worse than any name calling. Even if on the remote chance that Aronsohn-Pucciarelli-or-Hauck did not send the letter, they should have been strong and determined to get to the bottom of that mess. But, bullies do not give a good god-damn who they hurt along the way, as long as they get their way. How in the world do they sleep at night?
I could not agree with this post more. They are attempting to tackle major issues that will FOREVER change our town. Regardless of where you stand on each issue (Schedler, parking garage, multi-family housing, sr. assisted living facility) they each deserve a full and detailed public hearing similar to what happened with Valley. Each one should have all the experts testify and be open to council and public questions during normal meeting hours. By trying to fit everything into one meeting that lasts into the early morning hours they are daring citizens into an episode of Survivor just to stay informed. This is a shameful practice that needs to be stopped.
Some will argue that we need to move forward and not have prolonged hearings. I think a fully informed public and full vetting of the issues so we can make the CORRECT decisions are more important than making A decision quickly.
OCTOBER 16, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY EILEEN LA FORGIA
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Painting Affiliates of the Art Center of Northern NJ is exhibiting at the West Side Presbyterian Church Gallery in Ridgewood this month. The show is a good sampling of the variety of professional painting that can be created by a group of dedicated artists, according to Herrat Sommerhoff, one of the member artists.
The group is composed of 31 professional painters committed to contemporary artistic expression in a broad range of styles and techniques. They exhibit individually and as a group in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. This exhibit features 10 of the artists. Realistic as well as abstract painting, mixed media, collages, landscapes, still life, floral, prints and even examples of digital photography are on display.
Driver Loses Control and Knocks out Signal at intersection of Franklin Avenue and Oak Street in Downtown Ridgewood
October 16,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The driver of a Subaru Forester was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital with non-life threatening injuries following early evening crash in Ridgewood on Friday, 10/16 in which the Subaru mounted a sidewalk and felled a traffic signal at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Oak Street.
Ridgewood FD personnel attended to a minor crash resultant fluid spill and an electrician from the Ridgewood Traffic & Signal Bureau disconnected power and disassembled the downed light assembly. A flatbed tow truck removed the vehicle. No other injuries were reported in the crash. Ridgewood PD, EMS, and Emergency Services also responded to the scene.
Ridgewood NJ, Rhe Ridgewood Police report that on Friday, October 9, 2015, a youth dance party sponsored by the Ridgewood Guild was held at Van Neste Park. During the course of the evening eleven (11) juveniles displayed signs of being under the influence of alcohol necessitating their being taken into custody for their safety before being released to parental/adult custody.
Additionally two (2) juveniles were transported to the Valley Hospital Emergency Room by the Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps for treatment of medical emergencies related to the consumption of alcohol. Juvenile complaints for underage consumption of alcohol are pending.
Ridgewood NJ, Aronsohn, Hauck, and Pucciarelli use the word “civility” so often that you might just think that they are disciples of the church of kindness. And yet, what are we seeing under this reign? We are seeing so much hostility in the meetings that it is an embarrassment to behold.
The three of them have attacked Councilwoman Knudsen ruthlessly, as well as Councilman Sedon, former manager Ken Gabbert, Village Clerk Heather Mailander, former Councilman Tom Riche, former Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh, and Chief of Police John Ward. They also have gone after certain members of the public, as when Aronsohn and Manager Sonenfeld double-teamed Mrs. Reynolds and badgered her about something she said. She had been neither incorrect nor impolite, yet they decided they could bully her because they did not like her message. They permitted the former labor attorney to go on a 50-minute rant, a verbal assault, against Councilwoman Knudsen. They publicly annihilated Tom Riche, against the advice of Matt Rogers, because they wanted to be bullies. When people go to the microphone to speak, Aronsohn will let someone with whom he agrees talk way past the 5-minute mark, while he shuts down anyone he does not like as soon as the buzzer sounds. This is despicable. Mayor Aronsohn, members of the public elected you (or at least some of them did) and they have a right to speak. And Aronsohn often strolls out of the meeting to schmooze with one person or another in the hallway, thereby thumbing his nose at whoever is speaking or whatever is being discussed in his absence. One of them was heard screaming at Councilwoman Knudsen to the point that the witness advised Susan to file an official report. The three of them have admitted that they text or email during the meetings, thereby disregarding that they are conducting an OPEN PUBLIC meeting. The list just goes on and on.
And why the heck has Aronsohn allowed three consecutive meetings to extend into the wee hours of the morning? Why doesn’t he manage things better, schedule more hearings, and make them have defined end-times, so that people can get home at a reasonable hour? This is another form of bullying, when you think about it. The idea seems to be that if they go late enough, people will get tired and head home before speaking. Seemingly many people are mad enough that they stay as late as 2:45 AM.
Anyone who watches these meetings can see that the hostility level is unprecedented. This past week one resident called another an “s.o.b,” and what did Aronsohn do? Nothing. One resident called three others liars, and what did Aronsohn do? Nothing. People are at the point of tears, they are angry, frustrated, they are pleading, they are screaming. People are getting babysitters and missing evenings with their families and going to bed a few hours before they have to start work again, and when they are at the meetings the anger level is off the charts. Residents are coming together to sue the Village. Residents are spending unprecedented amounts of money to take out newspaper ads that encourage residents to fight city hall. The entire atmosphere is toxic and completely unproductive. The topics are many – Schedler, Parking Garage, High-Density Housing, the ramp to nowhere, the bike lane under the train trestle, and on and on. Their ill-advised projects have pretty much antagonized the entire populace of Ridgewood. They have made sure that no resident would feel at peace. What a complete train-wreck this entire administration has proven to be.
And what do they do? Preach civility! Egad, how disingenuous.
Paul and Albert and Gwenn like to think that there are a few “bad apples” in town who are their only critics. They blast this Blog for the anonymity of its posters. Um, excuse me….have you seen the hundreds of residents who come to the meetings and complain about your plans and your policies? Not only are their numbers huge, but they are not anonymous. Have you read the published letters in the newspaper to which authors’ names are attached?
You three have carved your legacies in this town, and the image is miserable to behold. Yes, you will be remembered long after you have gone. Everyone remembers the people who ran over them, bullied them, and wreaked havoc. We won’t forget you, but oh, we will be so glad to see you go next July.
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