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Reader says Village agenda was dominated by developers to one dominated by anti-development special interests

clock_cbd_theridgewoodblog

the Village agenda is now the CRR, Friends of Schedler and CBR agenda. It’s great you turned out the votes for a grassroots victory, but Ridgewood is much bigger than just your special interests. I fear we’ve gone from a Village agenda dominated by developers to one dominated by anti-development special interests. There has to be some middle ground or property value increases will continue to lag those seen in other surrounding municipalities like Glen Rock and Tenafly. We cannot just be complacent about all of the eyesores across the Village, we need renewal.

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Ridgewood High School Senior prank strikes again!

RHS senior prank

June 3,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, for the second time in as many weeks a Senior prank strikes again,hitting a home 15 Maynard Court , filling the front lawn with Village council elections signs of losing candidates .

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Ridgewood Board of Education to Vote on New Teachers Contract on Monday

Ridgewood EA teachers protest
June 3,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, After a long, drawn-out negotiations process between the village’s Board of Education (BOE) and the Ridgewood Education Association (REA) Ridgewood teachers may finally have a contract.

Ridgewood teachers have been working without a contract since June of 2015.The major hang up of the often heated discussions have been the teachers’ primary demand to reduce their healthcare premium contributions and the BOE’s reluctance to do so.

Joel M. Weisblatt, the state-appointed fact-finder, released his recommendations for an agreement between the sides on the evening of May 31.

The Ridgewood news is reporting that REA President Mike Yannone has told told them that his organization has accepted the recommendations of the fact-finder for a settlement, the BOE has not responded yet.

The Fact finder found :”The amount that teachers contribute to healthcare premiums will remain the same. Weisblatt explained there is an “absence of sufficient evidence” regarding the need to change the current structure, though he did recommend that teachers and secretaries who remain at the “top step” of the contribution level receive some compensation to defray the costs.”

For it’s part the BOE will discuss the report and recommendations at their Monday, June 6 board meeting. The members will then vote on whether to accept the recommendations or not.

“In accordance with New Jersey P.L. 2003, c. 126, the Board has made the May 16th Fact-finding Report and Recommendations public and has posted it to the District’s website.  At the June 6th Board of Education Public Meeting, the Board will discuss the report and the recommendations.  The Board will accept or reject the Fact-finder’s recommendations at that time. Click here to read the Fact Finders Report and Recommendations dated May 16, 2016..”

BOE Meets on June 6 at 7:30 p.m. at BFMS Auditorium
The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, June 6, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

The Regular Public Meeting, originally scheduled to be held in the Board Room at the Education Center, will begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Auditorium at Benjamin Franklin Middle School.  Action will be taken at this meeting.

The public is invited to attend the meeting at BFMS or view it live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the  the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.

Click here to view the agenda and addendum for the May 16, 2016  Regular Public Meeting.

Click here to view the minutes of the May 2, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.

Click here to view the 2016-2017 Budget presented at the May 2, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.

Click here to view the Full Day Kindergarten Recommendation presented to the Board at their March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.

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Ridgewood Community School’s Summer Music Academy Announces Program

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June 2,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Registration is open for the 2016 SUMMER MUSIC ACADEMY, which provides exciting performing opportunities and lesson groups for young musicians. Under the direction of BFMS Orchestras Director Carol Sharar, new offerings include guitar lessons and drum set lessons. Visit the Ridgewood Community School website for more information and a link to online registration:  https://ridgewood.rcs.schoolfusion.us/ or click here.

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How clean are North Jersey’s public pools?

graydon-pool-kiddie-area-june-16-2011-www-preservegraydon-org

BY JOHN PETRICK
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Remember the iconic gross-out scene from the Rodney Dangerfield movie “Caddyshack?” It involved a public swimming pool? Bill Murray, as the pool boy? A shriveled-up, chocolate candy bar floating around?

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/recreation/jump-on-in-the-water-s-fine-or-is-it-1.1608505

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Vehicle Collides with Beverage Truck at North Maple and Linwood Avenues in Ridgewood

Ridgewood car accident

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

June 2,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Fire Department personnel used a set of handheld forcible entry tools to free the adult female driver of a Toyota RAV4 who was pinned in her vehicle after it collided with a beverage delivery truck at the intersection of North Maple Avenue and Linwood Avenue early Wednesday evening, 06/01.

The victim sustained a serious head injury and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. A paramedic unit from The Valley Hospital assisted at the scene. The heavily damaged Toyota was removed by a tow truck

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Village of Ridgewood Asks Parents and Guardians to Take Safe Routes Survey

ridgewood crossing guards

file photo by Boyd Loving

Village Asks Parents and Guardians to Take Safe Routes Survey

June 2,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Public Schools is assisting the Village of Ridgewood in distributing a survey on safe routes to school. The data collected will assist the Village in creating safer walking and biking conditions in the Village.

Parents and guardians are asked to take the time to complete this brief, three-minute survey that was created by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Here is a link to the survey, which is open until Friday, June 24: https://tinyurl.com/RidgewoodSurvey

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Schedler Park Development in Ridgewood put on hold

Save Our Schedler Members & Friends at the Schedler House

June 2,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the major news from last nights council meeting was that Schedler Park has been put on hold until 2017 and only under the direction of the new Village Council with the use of expert studies.

This is a huge victory for the neighborhood who has been fighting to preserve both the natural environment at Schedler but also preserve the historic significance of the sight .

Neighbors felt the sight was unsuitable for a baseball field for many reasons including the noise from Route 17, parking issues and the lack of road infrastructure ,which they felt would overwhelm the neighborhood.

There was also fears that wildlife habitat would be lost when it was discovered eagles used the area as a food source.

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Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward leaves for the Private Sector end of June

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file photo by Boyd Loving
June 2,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , after 35 years Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward is leaving the village for the private sector.

John Ward, who was the chief of police in the Village the past six years, will become director of public safety at Queensborough Community College starting June 27.

The official announcement came at Wednesday night’s Village Council meeting.

According to sources Capt. Jacqueline Luthcke will likely become officer in charge of the department while village officials decide how to proceed.

 The Chief have been very active promoting public education through various events in the Village ,he has taken a decidedly lower profile in recent months.
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Ridgewood’s Ali Stroker Makes History as the First Performer in a Wheelchair in a Broadway Show

Ali+Stroker

MAY 31, 2016 – 9:14 AM

Ali Stroker says that her life took a radical turn the summer she was 7. Her next-door neighbor decided to direct a backyard production of Annie and cast Stroker as Annie. “It was a really special summer. I remember my life beginning,” says Stroker. From the time she was 2, a car accident left her paralyzed from the chest down. “I felt like my identity was around my wheelchair for so long” she says. “Once I started performing I was someone else. I could be an actress and singer and not just a girl in a wheelchair.”

From that Annie production, Stroker was hooked. Playing different roles, becoming a variety of people was healing. Performing bolstered her confidence. “It served different purposes not only in my career, but also helped me become the person that I am today,” she says. She also took voice lessons finding singing to be totally liberating. “Being paralyzed my body doesn’t necessarily always do what I want it to do,” Stroker explains. “But with my voice there are no limitations. It’s not held back by anything.”

When she was 11, she was cast in a professional singing group, the Kids for Kids Project, and toured the country talking about inclusion and raising awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. “I was working with other professional kids, and it made me really realize that I wanted to do this as a career,” says Stroker.

https://parade.com/480945/jerylbrunner/ali-stroker-makes-history-as-the-first-performer-in-a-wheelchair-in-a-broadway-show/

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Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher Jim Palmer will be appearing Wednesday at Bookends in Ridgewood

Nine Innings to Success

June 1,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

June 1st @ 6:30pm  at Bookends in Ridgewood

Jim Palmer, will sign his new book:
Nine Innings to Success

Click on the link below to pre-order:
https://squareup.com/store/bookends

Ridgewood NJ, Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher Jim Palmer will be appearing Wednesday at Bookends in Ridgewood. James Alvin “Jim” Palmer (born October 15, 1945) is a retired American right-handed pitcher who played all of his 19 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles (1965–67, 1969–84) and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990. Palmer was the winning pitcher in 186 games in the 1970s, the most wins in that decade by any MLB pitcher. He also won at least twenty games in each of eight seasons and received three Cy Young Awards and four Gold Gloves during the decade. His 268 career victories are currently an Orioles record. A six-time American League (AL) All-Star, he was also one of the rare pitchers who never allowed a grand slam in any major league contest.

Palmer appeared in the postseason eight times and was a vital member of three World Series Champions, six AL pennant winners and seven Eastern Division titleholders. He is the only pitcher in the history of the Fall Classic with a win in each of three decades. He was also the youngest to pitch a shutout in a World Series at age 20 in 1966. He was one of the starters on the last rotation to feature four 20-game winners in a single season in 1971.

Since his retirement as an active player in 1984, Palmer has worked as a color commentator on telecasts of MLB games for ABC and ESPN and for the Orioles on Home Team Sports (HTS), Comcast SportsNet (CSN) Mid-Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.

Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.

While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed.  We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.

Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ   07450   201-445-0726

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Kasschau Memorial Shell Summer Music Kick off Featuring the Ridgewood High School Band June 2nd

Kasschau_Band_Shell_theridgewoodblog

RHS Bands Kick Off Kasschau Season on June 2

June 1,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, On Thursday, June 2, the RHS Symphonic Band, Concert Band and Wind Ensemble will officially open the Kasschau Memorial Shell’s 2016 Summer Season with “Tunes in June,” a concert of light and popular music.  The concert will begin at 8 p.m. and will also feature a ceremony to honor graduating seniors from the band program. Click here for full details.

Enjoy music under the stars on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer.  No fee. June 2nd 8pm all other programs start at 8:30 pm.

Find details in the following link:
Kasschau Memorial Shell – 2016 Summer Schedule

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Congratulations to the Ridgewood Crew Boys and Girls JV Doubles,bring home Bronze Medals

Ridgewood Crew JV Doubles
June 1,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, 10 crews earned the opportunity to row in the Scholastic Rowing Association of America (SRAA) National Championship in Dillon, Ohio over Memorial Day Weekend.

2 Crews, the Boys and Girls JV Doubles, brought home Bronze Medals.

Bronze Medalists:
Girls JV Double Georgia Hefferon and Chloe Young
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Bronze Medalists:
Boys JV Double Ed Hida and Charlie Koontz

The Learn to Row Program begins June 4 and the summer rowing program begins June 6. For more information please contact: https://www.ridgewoodcrew.com

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Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce Women’s Brown Bag Lunch Bunch

brown-bag

Tue, June 07, 2016
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, 27 Chestnut St., Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Ridgewood NJ, Meetings of the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce’s Brown Bag Lunch Bunch — a woman’s networking event — are held on Tuesdays. This networking is designed to place real value on the advice and wisdom of today’s business women organizers note.

The meetings have alternating times of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., in the Chamber Office, at 27 Chestnut St.
For more information, call the Chamber office at 201-445-2600. For more info about the Chamber generally, visit its website or Facebook page.
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Wait a Minute Ed did you just say Ridgewood Does Not Need a Parking Garage ?

Ridegwood parking Town  garage 12:10 5 24 2016

Ed says , “High rents are an issue from the past. Commercial rents have declined precipitioulsy since the last recession. Rents and house prices are not determined solely by landlords or home sellers they are determined by prevailing market conditions at the time a transaction is contemplated. The entire process is driven solely by supply and demand. If demand for a particular real estate product is high then the cost of that product will be priced to reflect the current market demand. Conversely when demand is weak prices will fall …..and .sometimes they will fall rather quickly …..and dramatically. Generally speaking at any given time rents are a fairly accurate reflection of either current or anticipated conditions in the specific market to which the property relates. The problem is if a business cannot attract enough customers ANY RENT THEY PAY IS TOO HIGH TO SUSTAIN THEIR BUSINESS. The problem in Ridgewood is a dearth of customers. On the retail side people increasingly prefer to buy goods online at incredibly good prices and they enjoy the added benefir of having the goods delivered right to their door.. A conventional retailer can’t beat that type of competitor.”