Taxpayer Alert! Ridgewood’s ‘Open Space’ Funding Hike Sparks Outrage Over Potential Use for Artificial Turf Fields
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The debate over green space, taxes, and political transparency in Ridgewood, NJ, has reached a boiling point following a controversial endorsement by the local League of Women Voters (LWV) of Ridgewood.
Fired Activist Gets the Last Laugh: NJ Environmental Congress Honors CEO Who Took on Artificial Turf!
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A story of local activism and environmental irony played out this week as Amy McCambirdge, a Ridgewood resident and CEO of the Unbridled Heroes Project, was honored at the prestigious ANJEC Environmental Congress.
Friends of Zabriskie Schedler House Challenge DEP Decision, Pushing for Smaller, Natural Turf Field
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood, NJ – The long-running, contentious debate over the proposed field construction near the Historic Zabriskie Schedler House in Ridgewood has escalated once again. Late last Friday, a lawyer representing the Friends of the Historic Zabriskie Schedler House filed a crucial Notice of Appeal, challenging the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)’s decision.
The appeal targets the DEP’s recent acceptance of the Village of Ridgewood’s application for the construction of a large athletic field—even though that acceptance was granted “with conditions.”
Ridgewood NJ, the March 5 Village Council meeting was wild. The Schedler property was all over the agenda, including a carefully orchestrated presentation by the people who are being paid a bucket-load of our tax dollars to test the soil which was illegally dumped there thanks to Village “Engineer” Chris Rutishauser. Seems that the entire berm and maybe up to two feet of flat-land soil will have to be removed and go to wherever bad soil goes for processing. A number of residents spoke about the artificial turf being dangerous, and words like “shady” and “corrupt” were lobbed at the council. Concerns about the trees on the berm being saved for replanting and the fact that flat-land trees will die when soil is excavated deep down around their trunks and roots were raised. The council as well as Village Manager Keith Kazmark fired back, basically calling residents liars. The Village Manager Kazmark seems to have serious anger-management issues; he was red hot with indignation. Councilwomen “Squirrel” Winograd went on and on about how certain residents were lying. Council”man” Weitz repeated his oft-used phrase that the turf issue is simply a difference of opinion (not a difference of fact versus lies). This is better than anything on Netflix .
Ridgewood NJ, a couple of weeks ago Councilman Mortimer stated that “Ridgewood is about sports” . Let’s forget about music, the hobbyists, dance, performances, social activities, careers, fine dining, casual dining, meeting a friend at the tea shop, shopping, and on and on and on. Ridgewood is not sports. Ridgewood is many things. Sports is one of them.
Ridgewood NJ, are you concerned about the environmental and health risks of artificial turf? Join the New Jersey Sierra Club on December 4th at 7 PM for a powerful educational webinar. This event will uncover the environmental harms, public health risks, and financial impacts of toxic artificial turf — plus, what you can do to support safer, sustainable alternatives in your community.
Ridgewood NJ, our environmental issues reporter took to the fields on Tuesday afternoon, June 18th to assess the difference in surface temperature between artificial turf and natural grass.
Artificial turf has become a popular choice for homeowners and businesses alike in Layton, UT, offering a variety of benefits that natural grass can’t match. From home putting greens to pet potty areas, artificial turf provides versatile and low-maintenance solutions for numerous applications. This article explores the diverse uses of artificial turf, highlighting its practicality and appeal in different settings.
Ridgewood NJ, artificial turf, made with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), known as “forever chemicals,” poses significant health risks due to its toxicity. PFAS can permeate the body through skin absorption, inhalation, ingestion, or open wounds, as reported by the Guardian.
Ridgewood NJ, New research suggests that athletes who engage in sports on artificial turf may be exposed to higher levels of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” than before participating in the activity, adding to concerns about the safety of this widely used material.
Ridgewood NJ, recent findings suggesting a possible link between a rare form of brain cancer and toxic chemicals in artificial turf have reignited concerns about the safety of synthetic sports fields. The study focused on six professional US baseball players, all of whom succumbed to glioblastoma, having played most of their careers on artificial turf at Veterans Stadium with the Philadelphia Phillies. This revelation prompts a renewed exploration into the health risks posed by synthetic fields to athletes and users.
Ridgewood NJ, according to the National Football League Players Association ,noncontact injuries for NFL players occurred at a higher rate on artificial turf compared to grass during the 2022 regular season, according to data released this week (04/20/23) .
Ridgewood NJ, on Wednesday night, October 6, the Village Council is scheduled to award contracts totaling $135k for repairs to the artificial turf at Maple Park ($113k) and natural grass at Vets Field ($22k). These expenses will NOT be covered by insurance.
Ridgewood NJ, cost estimates to clean-up the flood damaged artificial turf at Maple Field (owned by the Village of Ridgewood) have not yet been submitted to the Village Council for review and approval. It is believed Village Council members will discuss this issue during their scheduled October 6 Public Work Session, and formally approve clean-up expenses at their scheduled October 13 Public Meeting.
