The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
photo courtesy of Ward’s Pumpkin Patch
October 5,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ward’s Pumpkin Patch is Officially open for the season! Come visit Ward’s Pumpkin Patch for pumpkins, cornstalks and hay bales! Since 1940, the Ward family has operated Ward’s Pumpkin Patch in Ridgewood, New Jersey. We offer the best quality and selection of pumpkins, gourds, and squash in Northern New Jersey.
Ward’s Pumpkin Patch
552 State RT 17
Ridgewood, New Jersey
photo courtesy of the Ridgewood Halloween Maze Facebook page
October 4,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Halloween Maze is once again open . The Maze will be open from October 3rd to Halloween and will be closed if it rains . Perfect for all ages .It’s become a tradition , operated by Nancy and Greg Stewart out of their back yard, has been running in Ridgewood for over 20 years and counting. It been recognized all over New Jersey as one of the best Halloween attractions around.The Haunted Backyard Maze is located at 124 Sheridan Terrace, Ridgewood.
The latest information can be found on Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/RidgewoodHalloweenMaze/
photos are courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook page
October 30,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood PD Patrol Officers Anthony Mormino and John Ward, Jr. ensured the safety of participants and distributed goody bags with glow sticks at the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Haunted Harvest,” held in Van Neste Memorial Park, on Saturday, 10/29.
The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce’ s Haunted Harvest, Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, was Saturday, October 29 from 1 – 4pm.
Guests could walk through the haunted grave yard, hide in the hay maze, jump through the pumpkin patch. There was also a Halloween parade and contest , for adults, children and pets.
The event was free and fun for everyone!
October 30,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Emergency Services Volunteers will be out in the Village starting at 530 PM on Halloween distributing 600 Glow Sticks to Village Ghosts and Goblins.
“ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY – MISCHIEF NIGHT AND HALLOWEEN – PARENT ADVISORY”
October 27,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police Department will be continuing our Zero Tolerance Policy this year during “Mischief Night” and Halloween (October 30th and 31st respectively). This policy is vital for the safety of our children and the protection of property. We are urging parents to take an active role in order for assist us in this endeavor.
Historically, our community had experienced significant property damage as well as mischievous and criminal behavior by unsupervised juveniles and young adults on these nights. We have also had problems with juveniles congregating in large groups in various areas of the Village. Parents and guardians should be aware of the activity that occurs when their children are unsupervised. Most property damage and criminal activity occurs when seemingly harmless behavior and pranks escalate out of control. Parents are asked to establish dialogue with their children about unacceptable behavior or, more importantly, not allow their children out without adult supervision. Parents must be cognizant of their children’s actions and behavior. Children leaving the home dressed in dark clothing and/or in possession of items such as eggs, shaving cream and other malicious items are traditionally a formula for trouble.
This year, we are recommending that all parents limit their children’s “mischief” to their own property. In the past, homes and moving vehicles have been the target of eggs, rocks and, in some instances, paintball guns. Toilet paper strewn across utility lines has created visibility hazards, which can easily lead to serious danger for the motoring public and our children.
The standards that we will be enforcing this year include:
A Zero Tolerance policy towards acts of Criminal Mischief, Trespassing and aggressive behavior. Anyone found defacing or damaging property will be transported to police headquarters and will face criminal charges.
Any children found with items that we believe pose a significant threat to persons or property will be transported to police headquarters and may face criminal charges. These items include eggs, spray paint, paintball guns, etc.
Anyone who operates a motor vehicle in violation of the law will be issued the appropriate motor vehicle summonses.
We will be confiscating all potentially destructive items, including toilet paper and shaving cream, from children who are wandering unsupervised on our streets. Names of all unsupervised juveniles will be recorded.
We will be supplementing the normal patrol force throughout both Mischief Night and Halloween with additional officers to prevent criminal mischief, criminal activity, and aggressive driving and to ensure the safety of our children. It is important for parents and the community to work in cooperation with the Ridgewood Police Department to deter criminal activity and make both Mischief Night and Halloween safe and enjoyable for all.
Safe Trick-or-Treating:
Tips from the NJ Poison Center
Diane P. Calello, MD, Executive and Medical Director
Bruce Ruck, Pharm.D., Director, Drug Information and Professional Education
New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES)
(Newark, NJ) – October 24, 2016 – A 3 year old boy is out trick-or-treating with his parents and big sister when he bites into a glow stick, spilling the liquid inside onto his mouth, face, and hands. His mother calls the NJ Poison Center for help. “Halloween is one of the busiest times of the year for the doctors, nurses, and pharmacists answering calls for help on our 24 hour Poison Help line,” said Diane Calello, MD, executive and medical director of the state’s poison center. “We get calls about many things – from glow sticks to bug bites to belly aches.”
A common exposure during Halloween is the accidental ingestion of glow stick liquid. The liquid inside these glowing items is usually a clear, oily, colorless liquid. It is not toxic but can cause irritation to any part of the body that it comes into contact with, including the eyes, skin and mouth. “Parents often call 9-1-1 or spend hours in the emergency room when they could have simply called our poison experts for immediate medical advice, and stayed home” said Dr. Calello. Although such a situation rarely produces further problems, getting the liquid in the eye can be irritating and painful. This could possibly result in damage to the cornea if not washed out properly.
Another situation which causes a lot of calls are stomach aches/pains. “Parents may be concerned that symptoms are due to altered/tainted candy, when in fact it is usually just eating too much regular candy,” said Bruce Ruck, PharmD, DABT, Managing Director of the NJ Poison Center. “Keeping a watchful eye for signs of tampering or contamination is always important at Halloween.” Signs of tampering may include opened wrappers, wrapping which doesn’t match the candy inside, misspelling on the labels, or a strange appearance or odor of the candy itself.
The NJ Poison Center offers these additional safety tips for a safe and healthy Halloween.
Children should be accompanied by an adult when “trick or treating.”
Go only to homes of people you know.
Avoid homemade treats – there is always a risk of food poisoning.
Teach your child that medicine is not candy. Lock up all medications.
Use non-toxic makeup to paint faces and body parts. Test on a small area of skin to be sure it will not cause an allergic reaction.
Handle dry ice with care because it can cause significant damage (burns) if ingested or touches the skin. Store it safely in an insulated container. Always use protective clothing such as appropriate gloves when handling dry ice.
Any item containing alcohol should be kept out of reach of children and pets. This includes opened bottles, unfinished beverage cups, etc.
Make sure any items that can cause choking, such as hard candy, are given only to children school-aged or older. Throw out candy wrappers before your young children or pets swallow them and choke.
Children should not give treats to pets; chocolates and raisins can be poisonous to animals.
Mishaps can occur at any time. Do not take chances by waiting until symptoms happen. While family members and internet searches may offer some answers, these are not the best ways to get immediate help. If someone is unconscious, not breathing, seizing/convulsing, bleeding profusely, difficult to arouse/wake up, etc. call 911 immediately, otherwise call the NJ Poison Center at 1-(800)-222-1222.
Calling the poison center is always the fastest way to get the medical help or information you need to prevent further injury. Time is important in such situations so program the Poison Help line (1-800-222-1222) as a contact in your mobile phone and post it somewhere in your home, like on your refrigerator or near your home phone.
Help is available to NJ residents anytime day or night, even on weekends and holidays. Remember, services are fast, free, confidential, and multilingual. Call 800-222-1222, chat www.njpies.org, or text 8002221222@njpies.org; the hearing impaired may also use their TTY and call 973-926-8008.
photo courtesy of Gail McLaughlin McCarthy
Halloween tales in The Little Theatre, followed by trunk or treating in the RHS parking lot. $7 in advance / $10 at the door. Click here for more information and the registration form.
October 19,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Sponsored by The Schoolhouse Museum, on October 28, Town Historian Joe Suplicki will lead a lantern-lit stroll through Valleau Cemetery where 19th and 20th-century soldiers and civilians come to life and tell their tales.
Back at the museum, the party continues with music, Halloween stories, and cider and donuts from Demarest Farm. Best suited to families with children ages 7-13. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Bring a flashlight…who knows what could be lurking in the shadows!
With reservations: $10/adult, $5/child or $20/family. At the door: $15 per adult, $5 per child or $25 per family. Space is limited so reserve early.
October 28 at 6:00, 6:30, and 7:00 pm rain or shine.
For more information:
Open to the public, the Schoolhouse Museum is located at 650 E. Glen Ave., Ridgewood, NJ. Museum’s hours are Thursdays and Saturdays; 1 to 3 p.m. and Sundays; 2 to 4 p.m.
To contact the Museum: 201-447 3242 or ridgewoodhistoricalsociety@verizon.net
HAUNTED HARVEST – RIDGEWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – OCTOBER 29
October 9,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Join the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce’ s Haunted Harvest, Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, Saturday, October 29 from 1 – 4pm, weather permitting. No raindate.
Walk through the Haunted Grave Yard, Hide in the Hay Maze, Jump through the Pumpkin Patch. Join in the Halloween Parade and Contest – wear your greatest costume for adults, children and pets.
In the park everyone will be given a map to the stores that will be providing fun activities and sweet treats.
Free and fun for everyone!
the staff of the Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood Nj, the Ridgewood Police would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and efforts towards another safe Halloween. Our officers distributed over 3200 glow sticks and tubes. We were pleased to observe that the vast majority of trick or treaters were properly illuminated and practicing properly pedestrian safety.
Halloween Reading : Reviving Witchcraft
By Kate Carlson | Published 10/29/15 7:32am
When people hear “Witch” most will associate it with an evil woman with a big nose, pointed black hat and a broomstick.
Most are unaware there is a community within Central Michigan University that identifies as Witches year-round.
The end of October is a sacred time for many religions, specifically those who practice Witchcraft and other contemporary Pagans. Their holy day, Samhain, the traditional Celtic holiday focused on the end of the harvest and preparations for winter, falls on Halloween.
Practicing Witchcraft as either a Witch or Wiccan usually falls under the umbrella of Paganism, explained religion professor Dr. Laurel Zwissler. Paganism is usually classified as the practice of reviving ancient religions in conjunction with a spiritual appreciation for the earth.
“There are so many misunderstandings about what Witchcraft as a religion is, it makes sense to me that a lot of people would choose to be a little more private about their beliefs,” Zwissler said. “I do know there is a Pagan presence on campus.”
The population of people who practice Witchcraft is difficult to track, mostly because of the stigma attached to the minority religion, and lack of brick and mortar places of worship, Zwissler said. In popular culture Witches are typically portrayed as cartoon characters and are demonized. The fictitious myth of a Witch that exists in the media does not reflect people who actually practice the religion, but is still associated with them. That does not stop some, however, from practicing their religion despite negative backlash and lack of religious diversity on campus.
Roze Bentley has identified as a Witch for 20 years. The Mount Pleasant student is studying religion and said she instantly found a community within a registered student organization formed for religious diversity, Open Grove Society, upon arriving at CMU.
“A lot of people have a very negative, visceral reaction to the word ‘Witch,’” Bentley said. “There’s a stereotype of a harmful person, and really the religion is completely the opposite of that.”
Witchcraft practices have deep roots in feminism, and have self-care as a central message to the faith.
https://www.cm-life.com/article/2015/10/witchcraft-on-campus
photo courtesy of the Ridgewood police department
Ridgewood Police Encourage Safety first for Halloween
October 29,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, To help ensure a safe Halloween weekend we will have additional marked and unmarked police units deployed throughout the weekend. Once again Ridgewood Police Officers will be handing out Glow Sticks to Trick or Treaters tomorrow while on patrol. The Glow sticks help increase visibility of pedestrians. You can also stop by the Police Desk and pick up glow sticks. We would also like to thank Ridgewood PBA Local 20 for their donation of glow sticks to supplement our Halloween Safety Program
Here are some tips for helping keep young ones safe on Halloween:
Motorists
• Slowdown in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals. Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart into the street.
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. In dark costumes, they’ll be harder to see at night.
• Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
• Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
• Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
• Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and front porches.
Parents
• Ensure an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise children under age 12.
• Plan and discuss the route your
trick-or-treaters will follow.
• Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
• Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger’s home or garage.
• Establish a time for children to return home.
• Tell children not to eat any treats until they get home.
• Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
• Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and visible with retro-reflective material.
Trick-or-Treaters
• Be bright at night – wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and treat buckets to improve visibility to motorists and others.
• Wear disguises that don’t obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.
• Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.
• Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it face down in the treat bucket to free up one hand. Never shine it into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
• Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.
• If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
• Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
• Cross streets only at the corner, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
• Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.
• Tell your parents where you are going.
Tips courtesy of AAA
Contact your local AAA club for more tips and information about Halloween safety.
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OCTOBER 29, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2015, 11:49 AM
BY BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
With Halloween taking place tomorrow, a number of village organizations have put together events for the spooky holiday.
OCTOBER 25, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2015, 1:20 AM
BY NANCY KEARNEY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A busy open house can be a real estate agent’s dream. But for some people who turned out for two open houses at a majestic Victorian home in Midland Park, it wasn’t the prospect of buying the home that piqued their curiosity.
Instead, they were there as ghost hunters.
As Halloween approaches, real estate agents say rumors of ghosts can attract the curious but also scare off prospective buyers and silence owners, who are trying to sell their home or tamp down rumors about their house. But in other cases, an opportunity to rub elbows with a ghost can be a draw (think “The Amityville Horror”).
Over the years, Internet lore had grown about the Midland Park home, with rumors of apparitions, including those of a former owner and a cat. Stories about the home, known as the Crayhay Mansion, abound with tales of the uninvited. It’s unclear how or when the accounts began. What is clear is that neither previous nor current owners want to talk about them, as was the case for several of North Jersey’s alleged “haunted” properties.
The Crayhay Mansion, which sold in August, had been on the market since April 2014. The home, built in 1864, had an urban myth, which the sellers knew about when they moved in, said Patti Crawford of Keller Williams Village Square Realty in Ridgewood, a co-listing agent on the house. Curiosity seekers drawn to the open houses would head for the third floor of the house, where the cat is rumored to appear, but would leave “a little disappointed,” Crawford said.
The sellers had bought the home in 2006 for $955,000 and said they never experienced anything unusual in the house, said Nena Colligan, the home’s other co-listing agent. The house’s price was reduced several times before it was sold in August at $710,000.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/hunting-for-a-haunted-house-1.1440804
Thinking about Halloween …. Join us for a cemetery walk …. See information below …
The Ridgewood Historical Society’s Halloween family event …
Nothing says Halloween
like a night time walk
in a Cemetery.
Join us for a lantern-lit stroll through Valleau Cemetery
where soldiers and civilians come to life and tell their tales.
Back at the museum the party continues with music,
Halloween stories, locally produced cider and donuts.
October 23rd
6:00- 7:30pm Rain or shine
Call (201) 447-3242 or email info@ridgewoodhistoricalsociety.org to reserve your spot
Meet at Ridgewood Historical Society
Schoolhouse Museum
650 E Glen Ave, Ridgewood
This fun-filled evening is best suited for families with children ages 7-13.
With reservations:
$10 per adult/$5 per child or $20 per family.
At the door: $15 per adult/$5 per child or $25 per family.
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
