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Deadline Nearing on Village of Ridgewood Flood Event Survey and Photo Submission

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file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, has your home been impacted by a flood event? The Village of Ridgewood has launched an online portal for residents to submit details and photos of flood events.

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Village of Ridgewood Clears Fallen Trees from Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River

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photos courtesy of Village Manager Keith Kazmark

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, according to  Village Manager Keith Kazmark ,despite frigid temperatures our Parks Division began the process of removing down trees from Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River yesterday.

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Village of Ridgewood Flooding a Little Background

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RHS Field 1903  photo,  other photos courtesy of Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,the Village is abuzz with lots of talk about flooding , so how did it get so bad?  Lets leave the Village Hall “wreck-ovation” for another day.  Here is the short version, in 2009 residents voted for a $48 million dollar Referendum to Turf Ridgewood High School Stadium Field .

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For the Naysayers who Claim that the Schedler Park Doesn’t Flood

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood N J, readers continue to raise flooding concerns over flooding at Schedler Park, while many not all doubters often exhibit the “stuck on stupid” mentality that created this mess to begin with. Saddle River is a block east of the property . Over the years Village residents have voted  for turf in flood zones at every opportunity.

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Spot Light On First Responders: Ridgewood Police, Fire ,EMS, and OEM

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photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

follow Boyd on Instagram as well as Facebook.

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police, Ridgewood Fire Department, Ridgewood Emergency Services, and Ridgewood OEM personnel were all kept very busy handling flooding related requests for service on Monday, 12/18. One (1) such request came from the owner of a black colored SUV whose vehicle began floating out of her driveway, which is immediately adjacent to the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. A small excavator parked in the same area was also affected. Ridgewood firefighters secured both vehicles to nearby tree trunks. As of 1100 hours on Monday, no storm related injuries had been reported.

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The National Weather Service Has Issued a Flood Watch For Sunday Afternoon to Monday Afternoon

RHSFfieldflood theridgewood blog

file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the National Weather Service has issues a FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

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Ridgewood Floodplain Education Seminar

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file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Engineering Division will be hosting a Flood Education Seminar November 17th, in the courtroom (level 4) @ 7:30pm. Learn about mapping, flood preparedness and damage reduction.

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Moderate to Heavy Rainfall Through early to Mid Afternoon with minor flooding of urban areas, small streams, and poor drainage areas

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file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, a Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southern Connecticut, northeast New Jersey and southeast New York.

Continue reading Moderate to Heavy Rainfall Through early to Mid Afternoon with minor flooding of urban areas, small streams, and poor drainage areas

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FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING

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file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the national Weather Service has issued a FLASH FLOOD WATCH. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING.

Continue reading FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING

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Critics Claim Debris build up is Contributing to local Flooding and Property Damage in the Village of Ridgewood

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  a  massive debris jam reported in the Saddle River near Maxwell Place and James Street in Ridgewood . The NJDEP , Bergen County  and the Village have come under increasing criticism over debris build up in local water ways , including the Ho-Ho-Kus brook and  Saddle River.  Critics claim the debris build up is contributing to local flooding and property damage .

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Turf Field in a Floodplain , Not Getting Any Smarter all these Years Later

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photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, in 2019 the Ridgewood blog reported that the Ridgewood Board of Education voted to again install a rubber crumb based field turf at RHS Field Stadium . In the usual method the Board made its decision without open discussions with residents, vendors ,students  and healthcare and environmental professionals. Crumb Rubber fill is basically ground up car tires .

Continue reading Turf Field in a Floodplain , Not Getting Any Smarter all these Years Later

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Flood water can destroy the performance of a turf athletic field in a single event

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, according to Professional Sports Field Services, “Flood water can destroy the performance of a turf athletic field in a single event. Not that will occur everytime, but the potential is always there.

Thorough and proper planning for the site would have prevented a flood event in the first place. If a flood plane is the chosen site to install a turf field, then some form of mitigation or divergence would be appropriate if allowed by regulating agencies. If not, relocating the field, using natural grass, or some other alternative would be wise. Of course if you are reading this article, then it’s too late for the planning part isn’t it?

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Village of Ridgewood Parks

citizens park theridgewoodblog.net

VILLAGE PARKLANDS
Citizen’s Park
Located at the corner of Godwin Avenue and North Monroe Street. Citizen’s Park includes a softball field, multipurpose field, a small sided softball field, an open play area, benches and gardens.

Dunham Trail
Located between Grove Street and Spring Avenue along the Ho Ho Kus brook and the public service right-of-way. Dunham Trail is one of the Village wildscape areas.

On Dunham trail look for:
Sycamores and a wild cherry tree with shiny gray bark.
Triassic Sandstone, like that used to build Manhattan’s brownstones.
A linden tree wrapped in Poison Ivy rope.
Springtime Dogtooth Violets, False Solomon’s Seal, Spring Beauties, Yellow Primroses, Pink Japanese Knotweed, and the biggest patch of Canadian Mayflowers in Ridgewood.
Graydon Park
Located on the corner of North Maple Avenue and Linwood Avenue. Graydon Park offers a hockey court, skateboard park, basketball courts, swimming, ice-skating, picnic area, shuffleboard, children’s playground, shelter, and restrooms. Click on the following link to find all that Graydon Pool has to offer – Graydon Pool website.

Grove Park
Located on the south side of Grove Street, just west of the Saddle River. This is one of Ridgewood’s wildscape areas, which include nature trails for walking.

In the 32 acres of beech forest and field that make up Grove Park, you will find:
Spring flowers that bloom between April and May before they disappear when the shade thickens.
The tulip poplars are the tallest and straightest trees in the wooded area.
You can look for the honeycombs located on top of the bee tree.
Turkey Tails and fungi can be found on fallen logs.
Kings Pond Park
Located off Lakeview Drive by the Midland Park border. Kings Pond Park offers a natural wildlife area, ice-skating, when permitted, and nature trails for walking. Kings Pond and Gypsy Pond offer a great variety of birds and mammal life.

In the parks you can also find:
Large glacial rocks at Park entrance are Canadian Shield Boulders.
Along the railroad track, wild azalea (pinxter) bloom.
Bracket fern and fiddleheads abound in the woods.
Ducks, Canada Geese and over 40 species of birds live here.
Wild garlic and mustard are abundant.
The general depth of the ponds is about 3 feet.
Leuning Park
Located on the corner of Northern Parkway and Meadowbrook Avenue. Leuning Parks offers an open play area.

Irene Habernickel Family Park
Located at 1037 Hillcrest Road in the northern most corner of the Village, this ten-acre park property has an abundance of mature trees. These trees help to define various areas of the property.

This special park property offers an opportunity for both passive and active recreation through the balance of wide open space, ball fields, natural areas, and a one-acre pond.
In the development stage; plans are to revive the dam and bridge area, install a children’s playground, multi-purpose fields, several walking trails and an arboretum complete with gardens.

This new park is soon to include nature programs as well as other passive opportunities as wildlife prevail such as mammals, reptiles and assorted birds.

Maple Park
Located on the corner of Meadowbrook Avenue and Northern Parkway. Maple Park offers one of Ridgewood wildscape areas as well as a community garden (Link to community garden page), part of the fitness trail (link to the parcourse fitness circuit page), benches, flowers, and nature trails. A regulation turf field hosts soccer, lacross and softball year round.
On the west and east banks of the Ho-Ho-Kus brook between Graydon Pool and Meadowbrook Avenue.

In Maple Park, look for:
A 70-year-old wisteria tree.
One of the largest stands of red cedar in this part of New Jersey.
A Porcupine (Sweet Gum) Tree.
A half dozen of different varieties of fern.
Fig-leaf magnolias with thin graceful leaves.
An herb garden.
On the east side of the brook, delicate grasses, berry bushes, and wild flowers that attract butterflies and birds of many descriptions.
North Road Park
Located on North Road, off of Glen Avenue east of Route 17. This is a natural wildlife area.

Pleasant Park
Located at the end of Stevens Avenue, behind Hawes School. Pleasant Park also offers one of the Village’s wildscape areas.

Pleasant Park offers a natural wildlife area, which includes:
Fallen “nurse” logs, nourishing many insects, lichens, ferns and fungi.
Green beggar ticks, jewelweed, ragweed, and purple loosestrife, all in the late summer.
Quaking aspen trees, with flat leaf stems (petioles) that quiver in the breeze.
New York ferns and lady ferns.
Grape vines.
Sassafras or “mitten” trees, whose name comes from the shape of the leaf.
A tree trunk shaped like a giraffe.
A wide variety of birds reside in this wooded community, which makes for excellent bird watching.
Schedler Property
This recent open space purchase is located between Route 17 and West Saddle River Road with development plans yet to be determined.

Twinney Pond Park
Located at the north end of Red Birch Court. Twinney pond offers a wildlife area, nature trails and ice-skating.

At Twinney Pond Park, this three foot deep kettle pond created by glaciers, you can see the following:
Sunfish as they sweep clean spots on the pond floor to make nests.
Shaggy Birches, Pin Oaks, and Locust Trees.
Veronica, they look like tiny orchids on the ground.
Button Bushes that will produce white pompoms this summer.
Dragonflies, with clear wings outspread, and Damsel Flies, with wings swept back and colored.
The life cycle of a tadpole.
Ice skating when the weather and ice permits.
Memorial Park at Van Neste Square
Located at East Ridgewood Avenue between Walnut Street and Oak Street. Van Neste offers a relaxing location in the center of town. Located in the park are the War Memorial Monument, benches, and gardens.

Veteran’s Field
Located at the corner of Linwood Avenue and Northern and Parkway. Veteran’s field is home to softball fields, hardball fields, multipurpose fields, running track, fitness circuit, amphitheater, open play area, and restrooms. The walking track is 0.452 miles around.

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Village of Ridgewood Moves Forward on Maple Field Replacement

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September 8th 2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ. the Maple Park turf field is in need of a major update , the Village will apply to Bergen County Open Space funding for the 50/50 matching grant to replace the turf at Maple Field. The Village plans to use Bergen County Open space funds, Village open space funds and money from the capital budget . The decision has been made to replace the 12 year old field due to is heavy use and deteriorated condition.

Resident Boyd Loving asked if the Village expected to receive any money from the class action suite filed against the manufacturing over the fields not living up to their expected life span? Village Attorney Matt Rogers explained that there were on going talks with Field Turf to defray costs of a replacement field and will be made public when negotiations are concluded .

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Village Council Summer Highlights from August 9th Meeting

Village Council

Village Council Summer Highlights

1. VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD MASTER PLAN – Planning Board Master Plan update: funding for the Village Master Plan is in place and the Planning Board advanced the undertaking at the annual reorganization meeting on July 18. A Master Plan Committee was appointed to assist the Planning Board, the Ridgewood Village Council and the public with the Master Plan process including, but not limited to: project education, scheduling, milestones, budgeting, public engagement and participation, and to ensure an open and transparent process. Committee members include Mayor Susan Knudsen, PB Vice-chairman Joel Torielli, Planning Board members Debbie Patire and Melanie McWilliams. **Chairman Richard Joel will be substituting on an interim basis as needed. The Master Plan Committee is a preliminary step prior to formally advancing the Master Plan process. 


2. As one of the most used sports fields the turf at Maple Park is now in need of replacement. Installed more than decade ago, the replacement will allow the field to continue to facilitate a variety of sports programs throughout the year. The Maple Park Turf Replacement is subject to a public hearing scheduled for August 9, 2017.


3. Purchasing the Elks Club Property allows for future planning ensuring a more efficient utility benefiting Ridgewood Water customers. The Water Capital Ordinance for $1,600,000 includes the purchase price of $1.1 mil for the property and $500,000 to renovate the building from the Water Utility Capital Fund. 


4. Summer “School” ordinances: Amending Chapter 265 will prohibit stopping on portions of West Ridgewood Avenue allowing a safer approach to vehicular traffic around the Ridge School. Additionally, Enacting Title 39 on All Public School Properties authorizes the Ridgewood Police Department to enforce traffic and parking regulations on Board of Education property. Ordinance 3612 protects Ridgewood taxpayers from the unlawful enrollment of students in Ridgewood Public Schools through the Village Municipal Court.


5. Direct Village Planner to conduct a study for Redevelopment of the Hudson Street Municipal Parking Lot, allowing the Village more options moving forward with garage construction plans that could potentially save significant taxpayer dollars and build time.