Posted on Leave a comment

The Final Ridgewood High School Maroon & White Music Recital for the 2016-17 school year

RHS_BEST_theridgewoodblog

April 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood

Ridgewood NJ, Today, April 27, the Ridgewood High School Department of Fine and Applied Arts will present the final Maroon & White Music Recital for the 2016-17 school year. The last of five such events for this year, the concert will be held in the newly renovated RHS Learning Commons beginning at 3:45PM, followed immediately by a reception in the Carroll Art Gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.

The recital will feature three outstanding musicians, presenting a varied program and will begin with a performance by Stefanie Haas, a freshman trombonist making her Maroon and White debut. Miss Haas, who has performed as a member of the All-Bergen County Band, as well as the Region I Intermediate Band and Junior Jazz Ensemble, will perform the second and third movements of Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s renowned Concerto for Trombone. Kari Wong, a junior harpist who has also been recognized for her outstanding performance on the oboe in the All-Bergen County, Region I, All State and All Eastern Bands, will perform Susann McDonald’s Ballade, Claude Debussy’s First Arabesque, and the Chanson dans la nuit by Carlos Salzedo. Grace Gu, a sophomore pianist and First Prize winner in the 2015 Cremona (Italy) International Music Academy and Competition, will round out the recital by performing the first movement of Mozart’s Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Frederico Mompou’s Paisajes II – El Lago, and the Concert Paraphrase on Verdi’s Rigoletto by Franz Liszt.

Following the concert, audience members are invited to a reception in the Carroll Art Gallery, which is currently showing the Maroon and White Senior Art Exhibit.

The Maroon and White Recital Series began in 1964 as a means of highlighting outstanding Ridgewood High School musicians in a featured solo capacity. Over the past five decades, the series has expanded to include art exhibits as well as a recital featuring only dancers. Musicians and dancers are selected through competitive audition, while artists are chosen after an extensive portfolio revue. Past Maroon & White recitalists include Jonathan Spitz, principal cellist with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Elizabeth Ostling, associate principal flutist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the piano duo of Sarah and Susan Wang, renowned Broadway singer/dancer Ali Stroker, Stephanie Buesser, dancer with Ballet West, New York City choreographer Yael Nachajon, Broadway director Marc Bruni, jazz organist Jared Gold and many others. The list of past artists includes Lauren Roth of Lauren Roth Art, renowned illustrator Kyle McCullough, Giovanni Forlino, whose work can be seen on display at the Getty and Guggenheim museums, plus a host of professional freelance artists who work in a wide variety of visual art related fields.

Posted on 1 Comment

President Trump Proposed a Massive Tax Cut. Here’s What You Need to Know

1040taxirs_010415getty

APRIL 26, 2017

BY GARY COHN

Washington DC, We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do something big. President Trump has made tax reform a priority, and we have a Republican Congress that wants to get it done. This is something that Democrats should support too because it’s good for the American people.

The President is going to seize this opportunity by leading the most significant tax reform legislation since 1986 – and one of the biggest tax cuts in American history.

The President has focused on three things since his campaign: job creation, economic growth, and helping low and middle-income families who have been left behind by this economy. He understands that there are a lot of people in this country that feel like they work hard and still can’t get ahead. They are sick of turning their paychecks over to Washington and having no idea how their tax dollars are spent. They are frustrated by a tax code that is so complicated that they can’t even do their own taxes.

That’s why tax reform is such a big priority for this President.  He cares about making the economy work better for the American people.

We are going to cut taxes for businesses to make them competitive, and we are going to cut taxes for the American people – especially low and middle-income families.

In 1935, we had a one-page tax form consisting of 34 lines and two pages of instructions.  Today, the basic 1040 form has 79 lines and 211 pages of instructions. Instead of a single tax form, the IRS now has 199 tax forms on the individual side of the tax code alone. Taxpayers spend nearly 7 billion hours complying with the tax code each year, and nearly 90% of taxpayers need help filing their taxes.

We are going to cut taxes and simplify the tax code by taking the current 7 tax brackets we have today and reducing them to only three brackets: 10 percent, 25 percent, and 35 percent.

We are going to double the standard deduction so that a married couple won’t pay any taxes on the first $24,000 of income they earn.  So in essence, we are creating a 0 percent tax rate for the first $24,000 that a couple earns.

The larger standard deduction also leads to simplification because far fewer taxpayers will need to itemize, which means their tax form can go back to that one simple page.

Families in this country will also benefit from tax relief to help them with child and dependent care expenses.

We are going to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The AMT creates significant complications and burdens by requiring taxpayers to do their taxes twice to see which is higher. That makes no sense; we should have one simple tax code.

Job creation and economic growth is the top priority for this Administration, and nothing drives economic growth like capital investment. Therefore, we are going to return the top tax rate on capital gains and dividends to 20 percent by repealing the harmful 3.8 percent Obamacare tax. That tax has been a direct hit on investment income and small business owners.

We are going to repeal the death tax. The threat of being hit by the death tax leads small business owners and farmers in this country to waste countless hours and resources on complicated estate planning to make sure their children aren’t hit with a huge tax when they die. No one wants their children to have to sell the family business to pay an unfair tax.

We are going to eliminate most of the tax breaks that mainly benefit high-income individuals.  Home ownership, charitable giving, and retirement savings will be protected – but other tax benefits will be eliminated.

This is not going to be easy. Doing big things never is. But one thing is for certain: I would not bet against this President.  He will get this done for the American people.

Gary Cohn is the chief economic advisor to President Donald J. Trump and Director of the National Economic Council.

Posted on 4 Comments

Ridgewood Library Presents Sustainable Street Tree Management Come See the Forest for the Trees

Ridgewood_street_view_theridgewoodblog

URBAN FORESTRY EXPERT PRESENTS – SUSTAINABLE STREET TREE MGMT – MAY 9

April 27,2017

te staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, a New Jersey Urban Forestry Expert will Present ‘Sustainable Street Tree Management’ at Ridgewood Library.

Taking comfort under the shade of an oak tree is one of summer’s greatest pleasures. But, have you wondered how these mighty trees are maintained, or how the village ensures a healthy and diversified tree canopy will comfort residents for years to come?

The Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission will welcome New Jersey Certified Tree Expert Nick Polanin to address these very questions on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Ridgewood Public Library.

Sustainable Tree Management

Mr. Polanin will discuss sustainable street tree management, the problems facing our urban trees, the challenges and even liabilities involved with the selection of our street trees, as well as issues with care and maintenance, including pest management intervention.

Robust and Healthy Tree Ecosystem

“We are so excited to have Nick Polanin speak at the Ridgewood Library,” said Monica Buesser, Chairperson of the Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission. “Village residents will have the unique opportunity to learn the complexities and importance of maintaining a robust and healthy tree ecosystem in our community.”

This lecture is free and open to the public. Continuing education credit is also available for attendees.

The Ridgewood Public Library is located at 125 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey.

For more information, contact Monica Buesser, mkbuesser@gmail.com.

Having over 30 years of experience in the municipal, residential, and academic sectors of arboriculture and urban forestry, Nick has taught countless professionals and volunteers on many aspects within urban forestry. He has been nationally recognized for his leadership and educational initiatives in training arborists and other tree care professionals on the selection and care of trees and pest intervention, as well as sustainable street tree management. He currently serves as statewide coordinator for the Rutgers NJAES Master Gardener Program. Nick holds an M.S. in Horticulture/Urban Forestry (1989), and a B.S. in Natural Resource Management/Forestry (1982), both from Rutgers University.

Protect, Preserve and Enhance Shade Trees 

The Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission’s (STC) purpose is to protect, preserve and enhance the shade trees in the village. Shade Trees are defined as trees planted next to streets on the Village’s property. The STC’s goals are to foster public-private partnerships to 1) educate the community about the contribution shade trees make to the Village environment and, 2) increase the number of shade trees in the village by actively promoting community tree planting programs.

Posted on Leave a comment

Ridgewood Superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein Comments on ,“13 Reasons Why”

13 Reasons Why

April 25, 2017 Dear Ridgewood Parent or Guardian:

As a father of five children, I admit to you that I have not always been able to monitor what my children watch on television. Even using the antiquated term television doesn’t aptly cover the shows and videos that our children “stream watch,” making it nearly impossible to monitor what they view.
For this and other reasons, we have included digital citizenship as part of our program of studies district wide, so that our children learn the importance of self-responsibility and good decision-making on issues of technology, the Internet and what they view in the media.
Over the past several days, I have received notifications from the New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council and the National Association of School Psychologists concerning the March 31st Netflix release of the television drama series, “13 Reasons Why,” about a student who commits suicide. This series has become very popular with our teen youth.
Below is an excerpt from the notification from the New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council: Perhaps you have heard that on March 31st Netflix released a new series called “13 Reasons Why.” If you are not aware of this, you should know that the youth you may come into contact with have most probably heard of it and may have already watched it. This series has become an instant attraction to young people. Across the country, youth are binge watching this series and are reacting to it with friends and on social media.
“13 Reasons Why” is a series about a young high school girl, Hannah, who takes her own life and sends out 13 cassette tapes to those whom she blames for her death. The series was adapted from a book of the same name. While the show is fictional, the series is extremely graphic and raises significant concerns about the emotional safety of those watching it – especially for those youth who may have had some experience with mental health issues, suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
We, at New Jersey’s Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council, want you to be aware of this series and how to provide some safety for youth around the show’s content and any feelings the show may be bringing up for them. In order to address these issues with teenagers we need to remember to ask about what they are feeling and seeing and we need to listen. While there are some very disturbing and graphic scenes and ideas, there are some strengths in the series that provide excellent opportunities to have a conversation about suicide prevention and how to protect yourself and your friends. We encourage parents to watch the series with their children and have these conversations openly rather than simply criticizing a series that most teens are already watching.
We have provided a handout from the National Association of School Psychologists which provides some excellent guidelines for discussion and response whether you are an educator, mental health professional, parent or youth. We encourage you to share these talking points, as well as the resources listed below, with anyone who has contact with youth including teachers, counselors, parents, etc. We understand that this material can be difficult and if you do not feel comfortable or if you are interested in further education on how to become a partner in youth suicide prevention, how to get additional suicide prevention education or training, or if you are in need of mental health support for yourself or others, we encourage you to reach out to the following resources.
The document from the National Association of School Psychologists referred to above has been shared with district administrators and counselors and is also attached here as important reading for parents and guardians. Also included below are some resources for further information on the responsible use of technology, mental health, and training and education.
It is also important to note that the Ridgewood Board of Education and Village of Ridgewood are active members of the Ridgewood Stigma Free initiative, comprised of community stakeholders who are dedicated to raising awareness of the disease of mental illness and creating a culture where residents who suffer from mental illness feel supported by our community to seek treatment without fear of stigma.
As May is “Mental Health Awareness” month, my colleagues all over Bergen County and across the state and country will be sharing information about mental health. Please look for my posts on my Twitter account @RWDSupt or on Facebook @RidgewoodPublicSchools.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter on a very serious and important issue.
Sincerely yours, Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Responsible Use of Technology Resources: Common Sense Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org
If you have not visited this website, I suggest you do so. It is dedicated to help all parents navigate the world of technology and keep us current on how our children use technology. Mental Health Resources: National Association of Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK NJ Hopeline: 1-855-NJ-HOPELINE (654-6735) 2nd Floor Youth Helpline: 888-222-2228 (call or text) West Bergen Mental Health: 201-485-7172 Training and Education Resources: Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth: 732-235-2810 (https://ubhc.rutgers.edu/tlc/)
Posted on Leave a comment

ID Theft in Ridgewood is becoming a Regular Occurrence

phone-scam

April 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police once again report an ID theft occurrence in Ridgewood . On April 20th, a Grove Street resident reported a fraudulent electronic check in the amount of $925.00 was cashed at a location in Nevada against his bank account. The matter is currently being investigated by the Detective Bureau.

A company called camparitech shared this ID theft resources,  identity theft quiz – https://comparitech.net/id-theft-quiz.

They wanted to create something interactive that puts people’s “identity theft intelligence” to the test with a view to hopefully raising awareness for identity theft and helping more people protect themselves.

Posted on 5 Comments

Ridgewood Resident Hit with a “Check Overpayment Scam”

"Check Overpayment Scam"

file photo
April 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, On April 21st, according to the Ridgewood Police a Van Buren Street resident reported being a victim of a fraud. The victim posted an item of Craigslist. She shortly after received a response from an out of state person claiming to have interest in the item. The victim received a fraudulent check from the actor and it was deposited into her bank.Often known as the “Check Overpayment Scam” The victim was sent a larger check than the total payment and asked to send the money back .The victim was then scammed into sending the actor a partial refund back in the form of an online money transfer. The victim later found that the check that was sent to her didn’t clear. The matter is being investigated by the Detective Bureau.

Posted on 15 Comments

Reader asks Do you really think the Schedler house is worth saving?

Zabriskie Schedler house themridgewoodblog.net 322

Do you really think it is worth saving?  Very little of it is original.  Each add-on is either up a step or down a step.  I know Isabella has told me that an historic house does not have to be handicapped accessible.  If that is true, maybe it is savable but at what cost?  And for what use? To restore it for the idea of restoring it is really of no use to anyone.  And no one has ever seen that famous “Shedler bald eagle.”   The property does have an occasional turkey buzzard, does it qualify for special treatment?  If the town does put a smaller ball field and a park, it will have to put up barriers on the highway.  That would be the only way they could safely use the field or park

Posted on 8 Comments

The Former Administrations Financial Advisory Committee Continues to Undermine Mayor and push Garage for Developers

3 amigos

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood NJ, as this was done before During Mayor Killion’s tenure members of Paul Aronsohns Financial Advisory Committee or FAC continue to attempt to undermine the Ridgewood Police and Mayor Susan Knudsen.

“Unions don’t allow it because it’s good for taxpayers. The Mayor won’t propose it because she just inducted her sons into the Ridgewood Police Dept and she won’t favor taxpayers over the police. And the union lackeys will talk till they’re blue in the face about why is will jeopardize our safety. How well turn in to Paterson. It’s a total scam against taxpayers to rip us off through excessive OT and too many full time cops on the force with all of their extra benefits that follow.”

Stories like these continue to circulate the Village generating much talk on the parking committee? Why is the Ridgewood parking committee is not spending more time focusing on parking ? It seems the focus has also been on building a garage to bail out some developers .

I am sorry but might reconsider slamming our Mayor. If both her sons qualified to become police that means that both passed the Civil Service exam, ranked highly on the exam, the physical, and the personal interview. I am sure she will continue to support the rights of the citizens of Ridgewood over the incorrectly perceived favoritism for the police.

The same people are also implying ,”Well if you’re “sure” Anon, at least we have that going for us. No conflict of interest here? Perhaps you weren’t aware of changes in the college level education requirement? And when your pool of applicants must meet a Ridgewood residency requirement, are we really getting the best pool of applicants? Funny how most officers move out of the Village once they’re on the force?”

Posted on Leave a comment

Ridgewood Police Warn Residents of Latest “Craigslist ” Scam

craigslist

April 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police reminds you to always be safe when dealing with on-line based transactions. If you do decide to post or purchase items from Craigslist type sites, please be sure to read up on some safety precautions you can take so you don’t become a victim. Here is a link to craigslist’s “Avoiding Scam’s” page which will give you some tips on how to better protect yourself. https://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
Currently there is a scam e-mail that is being sent around claiming that it is from the FBI and that you are owed money. Please do not give any personal information or make any payments to anyone claiming to be from a government agency as they will not request that type of information via email.

Posted on Leave a comment

NJT: Expect 15-30 Minutes Delays for the Foreseeable Future

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog

file photo

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, ,Due to ongoing Amtrak track maintenance work and track inspections leading to speed restrictions, effective immediately and continuing until further notice, NJT customers traveling to and from New York Penn Station will experience estimated delays of 15 minutes on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends.

Posted on 7 Comments

Village Of Ridgewood Work Session Tonight , Parking, Pool ,Trees and Shrubs

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog

VILLAGE – COUNCIL WORK SESSION

THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA

APRIL 26, 2017

REVISED

1.         7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor

2.         Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act

Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin   board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission       to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and           time of this meeting.”

3.         Roll Call – Village Clerk

4.         Flag Salute/Moment of Silence

5.         Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)

6.         Discussion:

a. Ridgewood Water

Award Contract – Professional Engineering Services – Suez Corrosion Control

Water Conservation

b. Parking

1.   Parking Kiosk – RFP

2.   Train Station – New Parking

c. Budget

Fourth Quarter Financial Report

d. Policy

1. Graydon Pool – Designation of Historic Places

2.   Amend Chapter 260 – Trees and Shrubs

e. Operations

1.   Yardwaste Regulations – Factoids

7.         Manager’s Report

8.         Council Reports

9.         Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)

10.       Resolution to go into Closed Session

11.       Closed Session

a.   Legal – RCRD Litigation; COAH; Valley Hospital

12.       Adjournment a

Posted on 13 Comments

Time to Add the Ridgewood Train Station Parking Spaces

Ridgewood Trainstation_theridgewoodblog

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, as previously reported on this blog , Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser was asked to ascertain the feasibility of adding approximately 40 additional parking spaces at the Ridgewood train station.  Mayor Susan Knudsen suggested that additional parking spaces might be added by removing some of the large, grass & tree covered center island in the current parking lot.

While the Village Engineer has attempted to upgrade the project to include moving the bus station, the simple solution and cost effective solution would just be to stick with adding the new spaces to the train station .It would ad the most spaces quickly and effectively.

It amounts to a small sacrifice  of removing a few feet of grass with a net gain of anywhere from 28-40 spaces .

No it will not solve the whole problem but it will help out commuters , and generate more revenue for the Village with passes .

It will also shift commuters from taking up valuable spaces in front of merchants free ups spaces for shoppers.

 

 

Posted on 4 Comments

U.S. News and World Report Rankings Ridgewood High School 26th in the State

RHS

file photo by Boyd Loving

April 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  U.S. News and World Report released its annual ranking of America’s best high schools on Tuesday, and 25 New Jersey high schools made the top 500, including three schools in the top 100.

Schools with selective enrollment, including specialized high schools run by county vocational districts, typically rank ahead of many of the state’s traditional high schools.  Ridgewood High School came in an impressive 26th in the state and 583rd in the country.

U.S. News and World Report used state supplied numbers ;Total Students 1,714 , College Readiness (district average)53.6%,Proficient in English (district average)71%,Proficient in Mathematics (district average)56%.

The U.S. News and World Report summarized , “Ridgewood High School is ranked 26th within New Jersey. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® course work and exams. The AP® participation rate at Ridgewood High School is 60 percent. The student body makeup is 49 percent male and 51 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 30 percent”

U.S. News’ ranking attempts to identify the best high schools in the country, using a school’s graduation rate, performance on state math and English tests and scores and level of participation on Advanced Placement exams are the primary factors in the U.S. News ranking. Schools with the highest ranking demonstrated strong performance among all students, including minority and low-income students.

The list is based it’s analysis on more than 28,000 public schools, according to U.S. News. The 25 New Jersey schools ranked in the top 500 each earned a gold medal from U.S. News, meaning their students have the highest level of college readiness.

Posted on 5 Comments

Reader says You wanted to make the village into your vision of a “Montclair light “. You lost

Ridgewood 3 amigos

The carpetbaggers came to town, they hedged their bets, bought some real estate,.they had confidence their puppet council would accommodate their demands so they can build build build , pocket the profits, and leave while sticking the taxpayers with the tab for a garage to enhance their bets, You made a bet. You wanted to make the village into your vision of a “Montclair light “. You lost. Now do us all a favor and go home, back to your real home which isn’t 07450

Posted on Leave a comment

Reader lists Primary Crossing Guard Responsibilities

Ridgewood crossing guards 2

file photo by Boyd Loving

PRIMARY CROSSING GUARD RESPONSIBILITIES  :
The prime duty of school crossing guards is to assist children in
crossing the street at assigned times and locations. The first concern of
crossing guards is the safety of the students.
• Crossing Guards should provide safe crossings of the roadways.
• Crossing guards should model appropriate street skills and
behavior for child pedestrians.
The duties of crossing guards in New Jersey are limited by the
following:
• Crossing guards shall not have the right to bear firearms or the
power of arrest unless the crossing guard is also a member of
the police department or force (N.J.S.A. 40A:9-154.1).
• Crossing guards shall not direct traffic, but rather, they shall
choose opportune times to create sufficient gaps in the traffic
flow. At these times, they shall stand in the roadway to indicate
that pedestrians are about to use or are using the crosswalk,
and that all vehicular traffic must stop (FHWA MUTCD 7D.05).