Ridgewood NJ, there is nothing more ridiculous than claiming “climate change” as a reason for poor planning . Forced over development, including turf fields in floodplains is a function of greed , and stupidity . Everyone, living or dead, knew the Ridgewood high school field flooded every time it rained . This has been documented since the school was built in 1895.
Ridgewood NJ, Frankly, enough is enough when it comes to flooding along the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook in Ridgewood. Damaging, expensive flooding seems to be occurring every 5 years (or less) instead of every 100 years.
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 .
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 .
Ridgewood NJ, The Graydon Pool facility is closed for the season, due to storm related conditions. Unfortunately, Graydon Pool water quality was compromised as a result of Hurricane Ida. Floodwaters breeching the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, coupled with stormwater runoff from adjacent roadways, resulted in unsafe water quality conditions.
photo by Gerry Clark Glen Rock , Saddle River County Park
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Governor Phil Murphy declared that New Jersey will enter a State of Emergency effective immediately in response to Tropical Storm Ida. Executive Order No. 259 declares a State of Emergency across all 21 counties in New Jersey, allowing resources to be deployed throughout the state during the duration of the storm.
Upper Saddle River NJ, with the Governor’s signing today of legislation sponsored by Senator Kip Bateman and Senator Kristin Corrado, important environmental infrastructure projects across the state will move forward as planned this year.
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?”
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Fire Department responded to investigate a reported chemical spill into the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook between East Ridgewood and Spring Avenues, Ridgewood on Friday morning, 05/24. Firefighters deployed an absorbent pad in an attempt to contain the spill, which was traced to a sump pump located at a single family home on nearby Southern Parkway, Ridgewood. Bergen County Hazmat was summoned to test the offending material, which may have been composed of house paint and wall plaster. It is unknown whether either the homeowner or his/her painting contractor was issued a summons in connection with the incident. Ridgewood Police also responded to the incident and assisted in the investigation.
Bravo to Ellie Gruber for making this public. The HHK brook bordered our former property and while we did not have people dumping directly there, we always had garbage and debris floating down the brook from storm drains. I would collect plastic bottles, styrofoam cups and plastic lids, straws, tennis balls, plastic bags and a variety of other garbage on a daily basis. Just too much litter all over and little or no respect for our few remaining wild spaces. Members of the throw away, convenience society are also very lazy and selfish.
Ridgewood NJ, at Wednesday’s Village council meeting resident Ellie Gruber recited instances of what she referred to as repeated resident dumping at Dunham Trail in Ridgewood.
According to the Ridgewood Wildscape Association Dunham Trail, a 1/4 mile, peaceful walking trail alongside the Ho Ho Kus Brook, stretches between Grove Street and Spring Avenue. The trail features beautiful views of the brook, with its two small dams and sandstone wall, butterflies and many birds, especially kingfishers and woodpeckers, plus several very old sycamore trees. The wooded areas are thick with trees and bushes.
Ms. Gruber went on to describe the poor condition of the trail due to erosion , but focused primarily on what appeared to be neighbors dumping yard waste and landscaping debris on the trail.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Fire Department personnel and Bergen County HazMat team members at the scene of a fuel spill into the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook near Grove Street, Ridgewood on Tuesday afternoon, 04/10. The source of the spill, said to be between 1-2 gallons, was not located. A containment boom was placed across the Brook and absorbent pads were used to recover the errant material.
Ridgewood NJ, An anonymous tipster alleges that the Village’s tree crews are illegally dumping wood chips too close to the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, on a walking path connecting Maple Field to the Graydon Pool parking lot.
Several years ago, NJDEP formally cited PSE&G for doing the same thing, only PS was dumping the chips on their right of way, which adjoins the Brook between Spring Avenue and Grove Street.
We assume the Village will plead ignorance to the law?
Washington DC, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) delivered the following opening statement today about the seven bills the committee is considering related to the National Flood Insurance Program:
There are so many important voices in our debate today on the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program. Certainly the homeowners who have relied on this program — theirs is a very important voice because we go to their homes and we go to their household finances. Theirs is a very important voice. Homebuilders, they have an important voice. Insurance agents and companies, local communities — these are all important voices in this debate.
But as far as I’m concerned, perhaps the single-most important voice is the voice that remains underrepresented in the debate and that is the voice of the American taxpayer. The American taxpayer who has been called upon in the past to bail out a program that is currently drowning in $26 billion of red ink and suffers a $1.4 billion annual actuarial deficit.
Maybe that’s why I heard from Kathy in Garland, Texas in my district who wrote: “It’s just another reason the average person in this country is going under financially. Far too many programs are being funded by the average American but very few receive any benefits from what they are funding.”
In talking about the program, Steven of Larue in my district said: “This is just another instance of the federal government wasting the taxpayer dollars over and over and over again on the same problems. People that choose to live in flood-prone areas after receiving one payment benefit should be removed from the entirety of the program.”
Just two taxpayer comments. So again, we know for a fact the program is in debt. We know for a fact the program is running an actual annual deficit. So it begs the question: Should there be a permanent taxpayer subsidy? I say no. It cannot be, not when I’m sitting here looking at a national debt clock that continues to run out of control before us, which I continue to believe is a far under-appreciated clear and present danger to our republic. Part of those numbers spinning out of control represent the National Flood Insurance Program.
I don’t know if America will ever become a bankrupt society, but I know the face of bankruptcy is an ugly one. In Detroit, when it became bankrupt, thousands of street lights couldn’t afford to be replaced and ambulances did not run. Municipal retiree health care benefits were cut immediately. In Puerto Rico, hospitals had to lay off workers, ration medication, reduce services. In Greece, from 2008 to 2013 they became 40 percent poorer. Homelessness increased 25 percent in four years.
I don’t think America would ever become Puerto Rico, Detroit or Greece, but I don’t know, and it’s not something in good conscience I can ignore.
So I believe we need a National Flood Insurance Program that will make the program fiscally sustainable. I do believe that people should gradually – gradually – be expected to pay actuarial rates. They need predictability. We need to protect them from sticker shock, but the program must be made sustainable.
I believe market competition is important and we have heard evidence that in many places where there has been even limited market competition we have actually seen premiums decreased. And the industry is poised to come in. It’s a very different world today than it was half a century ago when this program was launched. Better risk assessment tools, better financing mechanisms to spread the risk globally. And so this is a bill that, perhaps, it would take as long as 15 years to fully phase in some actuarial rates. We’re talking today about bills that, if enacted, would increase premiums about $2 a month to put this on the road toward actuarial soundness where all will be protected, no one will be denied a policy, all will benefit from competition and the NFIP will be sustainable and the national debt clock will spin a little less rapidly.
With other important reforms of mapping, mitigation, claims processing protections and reforms, I commend all of the authors of the legislation that we will be marking up today and I look forward to the markup.
Ridgewood Nj, Trout Season Opens Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 8:00 a.m . Anyone age 16 and older must have a valid license (see Exceptions) to fish the fresh waters of New Jersey with handline, rod and line, or longbow and arrow. This includes privately owned lakes and other waters. New Jersey does not require a general saltwater fishing license but there are a limited number of saltwater licenses and permits required. Additionally, most saltwater anglers need to register with the free New Jersey Saltwater Recreational Registry Program. https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/fishneed.htm
TROUT STOCKING HOTLINE: 609-633-6765
NOTE: Due to a delay in the printing of the Trout Regulation Signs a number of waters have yet to be posted. All waters have been and will be stocked as scheduled.
BROOK, BROWN & RAINBOW TROUT (and their hybrids and strains) April 8 at 8 a.m.–May 31 9 inches 6 per day
LAKE TROUT REGULATIONS Jan. 1–Dec. 31 15 inches 2 per day
Bergen County:
Dahnert’s Lake—Garfield (4) Hackensack River—Lake Tappan to Harriot Ave., Harrington Park (4) Hohokus Brook—Forest Rd. to Saddle River (4) Indian Lake—Little Ferry (4) Mill Pond—Park Ridge (3) Pascack Creek—Orchard St., Hillsdale, to Lake St., Westwood (4) Potash Lake—Oakland (3) Saddle River—Lake St. to Dunkerhook Rd., Fair Lawn (5) Tenakill Brook—Closter, entire length (3) Whites Pond—Waldwick (4)
New Jersey offers some of the best trout fishing opportunities you will find in the northeast – and fishing has never been better! And its not just a spring thing anymore. Stocking programs in spring, fall and winter provide for excellent year-round trout fishing opportunities in the Garden State.
A progressive trout stocking program results in nearly 600,000 trout, raised at the Pequest Trout Hatchery, being stocked statewide each spring, followed by additional fall and winter trout distributions. The average size of trout stocked in the spring is 10.5 inches in length and ½ pound in weight, but be wary and watch your line as thousands of 2 pound to 5 pound fish are also mixed in and stocked with the regular production fish. Talk about excitement!
Come October and November, New Jersey anglers can gear up to hook into some 26,000 super-sized trout, which measure 14 inches to 24 inches, and can be caught throughout autumn and winter. New Jersey also boasts two fabulous Trophy Trout Lakes. Round Valley and Merrill Creek Reservoirs both support monster rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout. Round Valley supports perhaps one of the most southern naturally reproducing populations of lake trout and boasts the current state record of more than thirty-two pounds!
Another super bonus for New Jersey trout anglers is a lesser-known fishery for the elusive sea run brown trout. These fish, also raised at Pequest, were stocked in the lower freshwater tidal section of the Manasquan River within the Manasquan River Wildlife Management Area until 2013. From there, they migrate out to the ocean and return larger, and more silver in color. Scattered reports indicate fish over 20 inches in length have been caught.
Angler fishing access abounds in New Jersey, and this is where this small state has it big on many of its larger counterparts. The state Green Acres Program has been acquiring land by leaps and bounds and the Division of Fish and Wildlife has been the advocate for, and recipient of, thousands of acres of land specifically designated as fishing access. So if you want to fish for trout and are not sure where to wet a line, there is a good chance a spot is being held open for you by the state.
So what are you waiting for? With more trout being stocked and more places to fish, trout fishing has never been better. Just remember a fishing license and trout stamp is required to fish for trout for anglers age 16 through 69. And to make it easy, licenses and stamps can be purchased and printed online or obtained through one of the many license agents throughout the state. In just minutes, you can be on your way to spectacular trout fishing in the Garden State.
