the staff of the Ridgewood
Ridgewood NJ, in September of 2007 the Ridgewood Blog broke the story that , “a letter from the BOE President and Interim Superintendent that discusses what they found in the Orchard School soil. It’s not good. They have scheduled a mtg tomorrow night at BF middle school for the public. Also, this morning they fenced off the entire Orchard School field. No one is allowed on it. They may be finally owning up to what I always thought was a tainted situation that no one wanted to deal with.”
At the time is was viewed by the BOE and Ridgewood school supporters as a non issue , parents where told , “My goodness…you Ridgewood bloggers just LOVE to get all worked up. Did you read the letter? If your kid is eating dirt for an “extended period of time” then you have bigger problems than the soil.”
At the time Orchard has already been listed as near a Superfund site.
RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE
RIDGEWOOD ASH FILL
ORCHARD PLACE
NJD986639904
Readers commented that ,”I remember that the parents who brought the soil issue to the forefront two years ago did their homework and informed the community that there were unanswered questions regarding the soil. The boe and the hsa made light of the whole thing and went ahead and did what they wanted anyway. That parent, Frances Edwards, is no stranger to controversy, having unearthed a lot of underhandedness in the district. She was dismissed by the establishment and attacked in the ridgewood news by susan sherrill for trying to get the problem attended to. So they spent all that money on orchard field and today, it’s closed down. Whose money are they going to spend next to make it usable again? Now they will have to remove the bad soil…all of it. that’s very expensive.
How wasteful and stupid of our BOE. They should all go.”
Read the post from September 2007 :
https://theridgewoodblog.net/news-flash-polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons-detected-at-orchard-school/
At the time it appeared there was there was nothing in it for the Ridgewood BOE , no grants, no tax increases , just tell the kids “don’t eat dirt.”
not surprising that the BOE swept this issue under the carpet in 2007. It’s sad that instead of making sure today that every school and school property are safe, they would rather spend the money on an auditorium, parking garage and many other capital projects. Seems like their priorities are not in the best interest of our children…
Exactly what do you mean of ash in the soil. Where did it come from who put it there. Who controlled outland before it was the school.
Someone should look way far in to this.
It’s been contaminated since the school was built.
Don’t tell me there hasn’t been an impact on the people who say in that building forhours a day from kindergarten to 5th grade.
All you have to do is look. The stuff in that soul causes let’s omg delays and other health concerns.
Look back. Look way back at the now adults who attended that school.
Oh yes . Some on should know.
It might’ve been a Landfill at one time. Someone in the village should now.
think of all the soccer games that have been played by our kids on the Orchard Field in question since 2007.
shameful!