Ridgewood NJ , Amanda Literati, a 12th grader at Ridgewood High School, is organizing a Community Services Blood Drive on Wednesday, August 3 from 3 to 8 pm at the Upper Ridgewood Community Church (35 Fairmount Rd., Ridgewood, NJ) Walk-ins are welcome but you can email Amanda at [email protected] to set up a specific appointment time or ask a question. Please share this with all your neighbors . Amanda hopes to get at least 25 donors! All donors get a Dunkin Donuts Gift Card as a Thank You.
SEEKING RIDGEWOOD RESIDENTS AND OTHER PERSONS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON THE FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
July 31,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the Financial Advisory Committee and the Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC).
The Financial Advisory Committee assists in the review and understanding of the financial considerations necessary to the operation of the Village and the Village’s preparation of the Annual and Capital Budgets; provides review, advice and recommendations to the Village Council on Village financial and budgetary matters; and prepares an annual report for the Village Council to assist the Councilmembers in their budget preparation. Members will preferably have strong finance, accounting, government and/or business backgrounds.
The Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC) will work with the Village Council, business owners and residents to evaluate and initiate enhancements to improve the viability of the CBD, including traffic flow and patterns, parking, pedestrian safety and the balance of commercial uses; while maintaining and refining the historic and aesthetic elements to create a more desirable, vibrant and memorable destination for all visitors. The CBDAC is made up of one representative from the Chamber of Commerce; one representative from the Ridgewood Guild; five Ridgewood residents (one of whom shall be a member of the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee); and three business owners, one of whom is a property owner in the CBD.
All interested residents and others wishing to serve on these committees should send the following:
A cover letter indicating on which committee(s)the person wishes to serve
A Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website under forms)
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Board of Education Answers Questions on Full-Day Kindergarten Program. Full-Day Kindergarten will run 8:30am -3pm, the average tax increase is $111 per home and there will be 22 students per class.
FAQ: Shifting to a Full-Day Kindergarten Program in Ridgewood
● Why is the District considering a full-day program after years of a successful half-day program? ○ The definition of success has shifted with the times, and although Ridgewood has a high-quality Kindergarten program, it is rushed and lacks adequate time for structured socialization and free play. Students who encounter more structured play around learning will better internalize that learning because at this age, play is how children learn. Additionally, social skills such as executive functioning and self-regulation of behavior are learned through play, often which is unstructured. A half-day program does not allow time for these essential learning opportunities for our students.
● How will the curriculum of a full-day program differ from that of the half-day program? ○ A full-time program will include more time for learning centers, which are essentially structured play experiences designed to reinforce conceptual learning. Additionally, more time will be dedicated to free-play centers, in which students make up rules to self-created games and make-believe. This free-play socialization will be supervised by, not structured by, adults. Another change to the day is that students will remain in school for lunch and will have snack and extended time for key content such as shared reading and writing.
● What would be the daily schedule and hours of a full-day program? ○ Kindergarten will run on the same schedule as the other grades in the school (8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.). A daily schedule is currently under development with the goal of sharing it with the public at an upcoming Board of Education meeting.
● How many other districts still have half-day Kindergarten programs? ○ Ridgewood is the only half-day program left in Bergen County. There are very few districts left in the state with a half-day program. The most common Kindergarten programs offer five full-days of school.
■ Those districts which were half-day have mostly moved to full-day programs in the last five years.
● In 2014, 73% of programs statewide were full-day. The percentage was even higher in Bergen County, where 65 out of 72 districts (about 90%) offered full day programs. Since 2014, Glen Rock, Fairlawn, Rutherford, Mahwah, Waldwick and Midland Park have moved to full-day.
● Currently, Ramsey offers a kindergarten enrichment extended day program and both Allendale and Wyckoff offer a modified half/full day program with two half-days in combination with three full days, but this model is also not very popular. ● Would parents be required to enroll their children for the entire day if Ridgewood moved to full-day Kindergarten? ○ Yes, if the Ridgewood Public School district shifts to a full-day Kindergarten program, all enrolled students will be registered for 5 full days each week.
● Where will Kindergarten children eat lunch? ○ This will be a building-by-building decision, based on space and what the principal deems best for the program in their building.
● Will Kindergarten students have recess with all other students and how will their recess be supervised? ○ Kindergarten students would have more than one “recess” play time in their schedule. The schedule, location, and supervision of that recess would depend on individual building schedules. However, in all buildings the recess/lunch period of 45 minutes would be extended to one hour for Kindergarten students. Classroom teachers would supervise the additional 15 minutes at the end of recess to settle students down and prepare them for afternoon learning sessions.
● What are the anticipated class sizes for a full-day program? ○ The Ridgewood Board of Education guidelines for Kindergarten are 22 children per classroom.
● How will the decision be made to move to full-day Kindergarten in Ridgewood? ○ On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, Ridgewood voters will be asked to approve full-day K in the District. This vote will be done in the form of a “second question” on the ballot. All residents who are registered voters may participate. Voter registration forms may be found at on the Bergen Count website at https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/1224.
● What is the purpose of a second question on a ballot? ○ A second question can only be placed on the ballot when a school district is asking for something new, such as full-day Kindergarten or a new program. Since the costs of these additional services and associated personnel can exceed the state-imposed 2% cap on budget increases, the public must vote on them.
● What would be the tax impact on a “yes” vote for the second question on full-day Kindergarten? ○ The average Village assessed home of $693,904 would have taxes increase by approximately $111 if FDK were passed.
● Is there any possibility that the State will require Districts to provide full-day Kindergarten? ○ This is not known at this time.
● Where can I go for more information on Full-Day K in Ridgewood? ○ Full-Day K information may be found on the Curriculum page of the District website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
file photo by Boyd Loving
FLOOD WATCH: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
456 AM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016
...HEAVY RAIN COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING TODAY...
NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-WESTERN PASSAIC-
EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-EASTERN BERGEN-
WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-EASTERN UNION-ORANGE-
PUTNAM-ROCKLAND-NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-
NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-
KINGS (BROOKLYN)-NORTHERN QUEENS-NORTHERN NASSAU-SOUTHERN QUEENS-
SOUTHERN NASSAU-
456 AM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT...
NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK...INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING AREAS...IN SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT...NORTHERN FAIRFIELD
AND SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD. IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY...EASTERN
BERGEN...EASTERN ESSEX...EASTERN PASSAIC...EASTERN UNION...
HUDSON...WESTERN BERGEN...WESTERN ESSEX...WESTERN PASSAIC AND
WESTERN UNION. IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK...BRONX...KINGS
(BROOKLYN)...NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)...NORTHERN NASSAU...NORTHERN
QUEENS...NORTHERN WESTCHESTER...ORANGE...PUTNAM...RICHMOND
(STATEN ISLAND)...ROCKLAND...SOUTHERN NASSAU...SOUTHERN QUEENS
AND SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER.
* THROUGH THIS EVENING
* THE LOCAL AREA WILL LIE JUST NORTH OF A WARM FRONT TODAY IN A
MOISTURE LADEN AIRMASS. SHOWERS DEVELOPING OVER THE AREA THIS
MORNING COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES WITH SOME EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER...INCREASING INSTABILITY IN COMBINATION
WITH COPIOUS MOISTURE AND A BOUNDARY NEARBY THIS AFTERNOON HAS
THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO
DEVELOP AND TRACK OVER THE SAME AREA WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLASH
FLOODING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
1 Alpine W. Glen Phelps
1 Bogert #3 Meadowbrook E. Glen
1 Brookside #2 Spring E.R.A.
1 Elaine Van Emburgh Dead End
1 Foster Watlington Prospect
1 Gardner Mountain Lincoln
1 Grandview #1 Highland McKinley
1 Grandview #2 McKinley West End
1 Heights #5 W. Glen California
1 Highwood N. Broad High-Town Line
1 Hillcrest #5 Morningside N. Monroe
1 Hope #2 Spring E. Ridgewood
1 Kenilworth #1 Grove Laurel
1 Kenilworth #2 Laurel Spring
1 Kenilworth #3 Spring E.R.A.
1 Lawrence Heights Dead End
1 Linwood #1 Oak N. Maple
1 Manor Knollwood Lincoln
1 Morningside #2 N. Monroe Avondale
1 Morningside #3 Avondale Hillcrest
1 Morningside #4 Hillcrest Glenview
1 Old Stone N. Monroe End
1 Park Slope Madison Monte Vista
1 Richards #1 Norman Parsons
1 S. Monroe Godwin W. Ridgewood
1 Smith Townline N. Monroe
1 Sterling E. Glen Kensington
1 Terhune W. Saddle River East End
1 Theyken Van Emburgh Court
1 Van Dyke Midland Park Line Farview
1 Waiku #2 N. Monroe Wastena
1 Wellington N. Monroe Shelbourne
1 Wickham Arrow Westbrook
1 Wood Hollow Eastgate Rd Court
Click HERE to view the corrected 2016 Consumer Confidence Report.
July 28,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, You should have received the 2016 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report that was mailed to you on June 30, 2016 (ClickHERE to view). We hope you have had an opportunity to read the report and learn about the water quality parameters that we monitor and the contaminants we test for.
Ridgewood Water is a complex water supply system and our Annual Report is similarly complex. This year’s report may be even more challenging to understand because the pages appear in a different order than was intended. Please be assured that all of the information has been included and nothing was omitted.
There are two corrections to the report, however, that you should know about. On the first page of the Report, under “BACKGROUND INFORMATION,” the following sentences appear, “In 2015, Ridgewood Water exceeded the 15 ppb Action Level for Lead of which you were previously notified. We are still working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to correct this Issue.” The year referred to is incorrect. The lead exceedance occurred in 2012. The treatment plan proposed by Ridgewood Water to correct this issue was approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and has been fully implemented.
In the section labelled “Unregulated Contaminants for Which EPA Requires Monitoring” the level detected for Perflourooctanic acid – PFOA and Perflourooctane sulfonic acid – PFOS are reversed. The PFOA Range should be ND-0.04 and the PFOS Range should be ND-0.06.
To help consumers better understand the Annual Drinking Water Quality Report and to provide a special opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification, Ridgewood Water is sponsoring a daytime forum on July 27 at 9:00am in the Courtroom of Village Hall and an evening forum on August 2 at 7:00pm in the Youth Center of Village Hall. Consumers from all of the municipalities served by Ridgewood Water are invited to attend either forum. Space is limited, so please register by contacting Donna Omelianuk, Ridgewood Water, at 201-670-5500 x271 or by email at [email protected]. Recordings of the forums will be made available online for those unable to attend.
Ridgewood NJ, BOE Members Jeannette Wilson and James Morgan will be running uncontested for Ridgewood School Board Seats. Two incumbents are seeking reelection to the Ridgewood Board of Education.
Despite efforts by the REA to run union members and pro union people for Ridgewood BOE seats no one stepped up.
Click here to read an updated statement on REA – BOE contract negotiations, issued by the Ridgewood Board of Education on July 22, 2016.
The two incumbents, Jeannette Wilson and James Morgan were the only two candidates to file petitions to run this year. Monday July 25th at 4 p.m. was the deadline to file petitions for the school board to be on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The November 8th election ballot will include a question for residents about implementing full-day Kindergarten in Ridgewood. To learn more about full-day Kindergarten, please click here for a FAQ sheet.
Ridgewood NJ, Starting Wednesday, July 27, 2016 PSEG will be working on W. Glen Ave. with the large detour in place until Friday, July 29th. Then on either Friday or Monday they will move to E. Glen Ave. working between Maple Ave. and Fairfield Rd. for about 2 weeks. They will start at Fairfield and work backwards.
PSEG will stop short of the firehouse driveway and try to get the work in front of the firehouse/Water/ Recycling yard all done on one day. Please know that during that day there will be very limited and sometimes no access to those driveways.
After they complete the gas work on E. Glen Ave., they will return to the work on W. Glen and that includes starting off with the large detour for about 5-7 work days. And will continue west until they reach Monroe St.
To clarify, while working on E. Glen Ave., W. Glen Ave. will be completely open.
Why are you conveniently ignoring the benefits package? Is it because that’s not in your self-interest to mention that? Add in your lifetime defined benefit pension (which current REA members only contribute 6.5% of their base salary to, rising to only 7.5% by 2018!) which you can start collecting at age 55~60 when you have enough service time. Add in the sick leave you’ve accumulated year after year. Add in your lifetime health plan which covers 96% of all medical costs, both in- and out-of-network, with $10 co-pays, with all of the above being subsidized by Ridgewood taxpayers. How is that not fair? No one in the private sector has benefits like these. That’s was supposed to be the trade-off, but now you want more wages growing faster than the 2% property cap (and inflation), too? Most Ridgewood residents think you’re asking for far too much; we’re being taxed to death to pay for this and your benefits should be diminished. Time to accept you’re in a losing position.
Your pension and health benefits are better than the private sector. That’s always been the trade-off. Teachers make less than comparable professionals in the private sector, but get an incredible retirement deal. Now your union and the NJEA are telling you that you deserve equivalent wages, too? You are getting the wrong advice. Prorate your salary for 187 days a year, add in all of your excessive benefits, and remember there are 1,100 applicants to replace you if you decide there’s a better deal elsewhere. Stop holding us hostage.
Ridgewood NJ, After a federal court judge in Newark denied the dismissal of a freedom of speech violation lawsuit filed by a political operative against the City of Hoboken after he was ejected from the October 21 city council meeting.
Its seems that speech can not restricted during public comment at a council meeting . The previous mayor Paul Aronsohn and his administration tried many times either through rules, ordinances ,intimidation or silly anti free speech committees like the “Civility Committee”.
While readers best describe the new council ,”it’s amazing to watch the new council meetings. Respect for all those who ask questions. Even questions that are asked are answered or will be researched and followed up on. Keep up the good work.”
A reader suggests that some Section’s of the Village Code may violate an individual’s right to Freedom of Speech , we are not so sure :
“Except upon consent of the Council, by the majority vote of those present, each person addressing the Council pursuant to this section shall be required to limit his remarks to five minutes and shall at no time engage in any personally offensive or abusive remarks. On a hearing on ordinances on second reading, a person who has previously addressed the Council on the issue may be permitted a period of no more than an additional five minutes, after all others desirous of speaking on the issue have had an opportunity to do so, provided the comments of the speaker are not repetitive. The Chair shall call any speaker to order who violates any provision of this section.”
As does this one:
“Any person who shall disturb the peace of the Council, make impertinent or slanderous remarks or conduct himself in a boisterous manner while addressing the Council shall be forthwith barred by the presiding officer from further audience before the Council, except that if the speaker shall submit to proper order under these rules, permission for him to continue may be granted by a majority vote of the Council.”
Ridgewood NJ, The music shell on Veteran’s Field was erected and donated as a gift to the Village in member of Frank Kasschau, a widely recognized choral conductor, organist and teacher. The shell is dedicated to and accepted for use by the citizens of the Village of Ridgewood as a place where summer programs of fine music and related artistic and cultural endeavors may be presented to the community in a setting of natural beauty.
Bring your chair and blanket starts at 8:30pm.
Only three performances left ; July 28th TREBLE – Popular Rock , August 2nd Bishop of Jazz and His Abbotts (Rio Clemente) and August 4th Mack Brandon & The Connection – Popular Gospel .
Ridgewood NJ, Like a lot of residents ,Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon spent a day at Graydon trying to beat the heat .
2016 SEASON GRAYDON POOL SEASON
Regular Season
Saturday, June 4 through August 14, 2016
Daily, 10 am to 7:30 pm
**Holiday** – July 4th, close 4 pm
Late Season
Monday, August 15 through Labor Day, September 5, 2016
Weekdays – 12 noon to 7:30 pm
Weekends/Holiday – 10 am to 7:30 pm
CONTACTS
Pool Manager’s Office – 201-670-5500, ext 7002 (in season)
Badge Office – 201-670-5500, ext 7003 (in season only)
Recreation Office at The Stable- 201-670-5560 [email protected]
RESIDENT MEMBERSHIPS – Village priced memberships are available to Ridgewood residents, non-residents who pay local property taxes to the Village of Ridgewood, and employees of the Village of Ridgewood and Board of Education. Proof is required.
ADULT – $120.00
CHILD – (ages 2-15, under 2 free) $110.00
SENIOR – $30.00 (62 and older)
PERMANENT DISABLED – $30.00
DAILY PASS – $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
NON-RESIDENT MEMBERSHIPS – The Village Council and the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to invite all families in the surrounding area to join the Graydon Pool facility for the 2016 summer season.
ADULT (ages 16 and up) – $200.00
CHILD (ages 2-15) – $175.00
GUEST PASSES (must be accompanied by 2016 season member)- $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
Picketing our BOE with red shirts and signs is a union thug tactic . There is no room for your NJEA style tactics in our Village. Tell the full-time NJEA lawyers, activists and lobbyists advising the REA that we have no room for their thug-like tactics in our beautiful Village. Take it back to Hudson County.
I think the term “thugs” was used referring to union tactics but our teachers are not behaving professionally. If you look at the faces in the middle picture above none of them look very happy. I’d say malcontent is an accurate description. If I made a face like that at my job, I’d be placed on a PIP for having a bad attitude! I believe the majority of Ridgewood residents support the BOE holding the line given that we already pay our teachers very generously. We live in a beautiful town and we value education but a lot of us are struggling to make ends meet and our property taxes are getting out of hand. We don’t speak openly because we do not want our children punished in the classroom for our opinions.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police Department would like to remind citizens of the increased amount of scams. Always investigate communications made through postal mail, telephone, and/or the internet to prevent fraud and deceptive activity. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Ridgewood Police Department to ensure you’re not becoming a victim of these scams.
A Unadilla Road resident responded to headquarters on 7/20/16 to report identity theft in the past. The victim reported an unknown person utilized his personal identity to open a Comcast account in the state of Maryland between 10/07/15 and 12/31/15. The victim reported Comcast is in the process of clearing the victim’s name from balance of $2777.44.
A Hamilton Road resident responded to police headquarters on 7/23/16 to report a fraud in the past. The victim reported an unknown person utilized his personal identification to open Verizon Wireless account without authorization. The victim reported he began receiving letters from a collection agency in reference to the fraudulent account. Verizon was notified and advised the victim the situation is being taken care of.
