The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
photos courtesy of Ridgewood Parks & Recreation
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, according to the Village Manager Keith Kazmark , over the weekend, our Parks Division and employees from Engineering, along with volunteers from Grace Church rebuilt the rain gardens in Graydon and Habernickel Parks.
Continue reading Ridgewood Parks & Rec with Volunteers from Grace Church Clean up Village parks
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Cape May NJ, New Jersey’s shore and lake communities are summer-season ready for visitors, Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette said today during the State of the Shore event in Asbury Park that followed his annual observation flight ahead of Memorial Day weekend. The Commissioner also encouraged visitors and residents to be mindful of the health effects of extreme heat this summer, a growing concern as climate change impacts worsen.
Continue reading NJDEP: New Jersey’s Shore and lake Communities are Summer-season Ready
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Ridgewood NJ, It has become quite apparent to the current Ridgewood Village Council majority that getting their much-desired sports complex (complete with artificial turf, lights, concession stand, etc.) up and running on the former Schedler property isn’t going to be easy and may take several years.
If you want to invest in real estate, comprehensive study and evaluation are essential for locating a potentially profitable property. And most importantly, location plays a huge role before investing. Continue reading How to Evaluate a Neighborhood When Choosing a Rental Property Investment
file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Each year, the average American household spends $2,690 on real-estate property taxes plus another $444 for residents of the 26 states with vehicle property taxes. With such high costs, it’s no surprise that more than $14 billion in property taxes go unpaid each year, according to the National Tax Lien Association.
Continue reading New Jersey Is 2023’s State with the Highest Real-Estate Property Taxes
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, our backyards have taken on a greater importance in our lives since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yards, parks and other green spaces are the safe places for socializing, playtime and recreation. Just about anything you can do indoors – working, cooking, reading, exercising – can be done outside. And that’s why so many people are “backyarding” today and enhancing and expanding their personal bit of green.
Continue reading 4 Tips to Ensure You’re Putting the Right Plant in the Right Place
(photo NJ Gov. Phil Murphy)
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, lots of talk by the media of racial disparity when dealing with COVID, but here are some findings that should seriously disturb every African American family . While it is true and troubling that minorities have been more adversely affected (in terms of death rates and infection rates) by COVID than whites, the story that hasn’t been told is that Democratic governors have done a much worse job keeping blacks safe and healthy than red state governors.
Continue reading African Americans Far Safer from COVID in Red States
“No resident uses all of the features of this town. Some residents don’t even use the school system. Some use the parks, some don’t. Some play tennis, some don’t. Some use the communal garden, some don’t. Some go to concerts at the band shell, some don’t. For those who enjoy using Graydon, it’s a wonderful thing that the VC went ahead and opened it up this year. It’s kind of shocking to me that there was even a dispute about it. Nancy Bigos and Heather Mayländer pushed back so hard against this that it was shocking. Spoke to me of complete abject laziness on their part.”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan said at Mondays presser , “With regards to the parks, Governor, although I think the weather Saturday helped tamp some things down, I’m sorry to report that the parks being open, our State Park Police reported an inordinate amount of urine and feces being left behind in the parks in water bottles. There is a zero tolerance policy for that. The whole idea behind the parks is to give our citizens the ability to go out there and enjoy fresh air and have time outside. That report from the Park Police was certainly disheartening, to say the least, and I just — our Park Police, our counties, our State Police, we will be on watching for that. We understand that the restrooms and public restrooms are closed, but people should plan accordingly and should not be urinating in bottles and leaving them behind, because I think that may lead us to take a different approach moving forward, if I could speak for the Governor in that regard. I really asked that that type of behavior not go on.”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
May 1, 2020
Dear Ridgewood School Community,
On April 29, 2020, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 133, which allows state parks and golf courses to reopen effective at sunrise on Saturday, May 2. Additionally, county governments will have the authority to determine whether county parks will be open or remain closed. Social distancing measures continue to be in effect for these outdoor spaces, and individuals are encouraged to wear a mask. The Executive Order and information about social distancing policies and specific areas/facilities that remain closed at state parks and forests can be found at https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/approved/20200429c.shtml.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order on Wednesday reversing his previous orders that closed state and county parks and golf courses, which can reopen at sunrise on Saturday. But the governor said that social distancing requirements would continue to be in effect.
Continue reading Murphy Caves Signs Executive Order to Reopen Parks and Golf Courses
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The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance on Wednesday released a statement calling a proposal penalizing park goers with a $10,000 fine “preposterous” and instead released a counterproposal to re-open the state’s parks with responsible social distancing measures and public education factors in place.
JULY 17, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Similar stories for two King’s Ponds
To the Editor:
What do the King’s Pond in Ridgewood and the King’s Pond in Franklin Lakes have in common? Both have been allowed to fall into disrepair due to years of inaction by both municipalities. The administrations in both towns have used the “kick the can down the road” approach to the maintenance of these ponds by refusing to plan and budget for the necessary repairs and restorations during their tenure. The result at this point is that both ponds are approaching swamp status.
The Franklin Lakes pond, which has never been dredged, has fallen into serious disrepair with low water levels, decaying vegetation and noticeable smell. Its pond is inaccessible due to overgrowth of foliage on its shoreline.
Similarly, the pond in Ridgewood has fallen in disrepair. It was last dredged in October 1999. Today, the water level in the center of the pond is five inches deep with vegetation protruding its surface. Access to the entire length of the pond existed in 2007. Today, the entire shoreline is overgrown thus denying access for fishing and viewing.
At least Franklin Lakes has finally taken action to resolve years of neglect for its King’s Pond by budgeting to dredge and restore the pond to its intended use.
To date, Ridgewood has done nothing to restore its King’s Pond to be worthy of its Wildscape status. After years of bringing this blight to the attention of past as well as the current administration, no plan or budget has been introduced to resolve this deterioration. Ridgewood’s lack of concern for these natural resources is irresponsible.
Both communities should be ashamed for allowing their inaction to promote this preventable deterioration.
George W. Shabet
Ridgewood
