CBR seeking to preserve Ridgewood’s ‘ineffable’ quality
Friday October 25, 2013, 9:36 AM
The Ridgewood News
CBR seeking to preserve Ridgewood’s ‘ineffable’ quality
Lori Weil
To the editor:
The Citizens for a Better Ridgewood (CBR) are long-term residents who genuinely care about the future of Ridgewood. It is disappointing that our attempt to inform the public about the serious nature of the issues facing Ridgewood has been characterized as “tactics intended to create hysteria.” Wanting to protect the unique reputation and outstanding quality of life in our village does not make us anti-development or anti-developer.
This issue has less to do with housing and more to do with the future of Ridgewood. We are looking at irrevocable changes that will permit a substantial number of high-density housing units, and we worry that if development is not thoughtful and prudent, Ridgewood will suffer the consequences of overcrowded schools, traffic congestion, parking shortages and most importantly, the lack of that ineffable feeling that makes Ridgewood so special.
Developers claim that new housing developments will provide the town with “beneficial solutions to downtown problems.” We truly hope that is the case, but we fail to see how adding more residents will improve traffic issues, pedestrian safety and parking. We are also concerned about overcrowding in our schools and hope that the Planning Board is able to put mechanisms in place to guarantee that new housing goes to empty-nesters or seniors, where there is a need.
Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Sarah Polley tells the moving portrait of her family–her many siblings, actor/writer father, and actress/mother–and a legacy of secrets and lies. As with many families, there are a multitude of stories that have been told through the years. Polley, the youngest child, mines this oral tradition in this groundbreaking film, seamlessly blending past and present, the real and the imagined. Polley’s characteristically unflinching yet compassionate gaze delivers an exceptional level of depth and emotion. As Polley says, “If I have learned anything from making this film, it is that we can’t all be right and we can’t all be wrong. So we must be unintentionally distorting things to varying degrees in order to feed our own version of what we need the past and history to be, and in our way, we must all be telling the truth as well.”
• No speaker
Friday, October 25 at 7:30 pm
THE INVISIBLE WAR
(2012/US; 90 mins., not rated)
Film website: https://invisiblewarmovie.com/index.php
Nominated for a 2013 Academy Award, this groundbreaking documentary investigates the the shameful and underreported epidemic of rape within the US military. With stark clarity and escalating revelations, the film exposes the rape epidemic in the armed forces, investigating the institutions that perpetuate it as well as its profound personal and social consequences. We meet characters who embraced their military service with pride and professionalism, only to have their idealism crushed. Focusing on the emotionally charged stories of survivors, the film reveals the systemic cover-up of the crimes against them and follows their struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. The Invisible War features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officers and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm conditions that exist for rape in the military, its history of cover-up, and what can be done to bring about much needed change.
• Speaker: RET. BRIGADIER GENERAL LOREE SUTTON, MD
Friday, November 1 at 7:30 pm
THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE
(2012/US; 120 mins., not rated)
Film website: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/centralparkfive/
In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers were arrested and charged with brutally attacking and raping a white female jogger in Central Park. News media swarmed the case, calling them a “wolfpack.” The five would spend years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit before the truth about what really happened became clear. With The Central Park Five, this story of injustice finally gets the attention it deserves. Based on Sarah Burns’ riveting book and co-directed by her husband David McMahon and father, the acclaimed doc filmmaker Ken Burns, this incendiary film tells the riveting tale of innocent young men scapegoated for a heinous crime, and serves as a mirror for our times.
• Speaker:
SARAH BURNS
Producer/Director, The Central Park Five
Friday, November 15 at 7:30 PM
BLOOD BROTHER
(2012/US; 92 mins., not rated)
Film website: https://www.bloodbrotherfilm.com/
The unmistakable power of love is celebrated in this story of one man’s decision to move to India and restart his life among the dispossessed. “Rocky Anna,” as the children living at an orphanage for those infected with HIV know him, was dissatisfied with his life in America. Having grown up without a close-knit family of his own, he found his calling living and working with kids in need. Unlike others who simply passed through their lives, Rocky stayed, dedicating himself to their health and well-being. Despite formidable challenges, his playful spirit and determination in the face of despair proves to be an invaluable resource.
Director Steve Hoover ventured to India to chronicle his best friend ’s newfound life in this film that serves as a testament to one person’s ability to create a meaningful life.
• Speakers, live via Skype:
STEVE HOOVER, Director, Blood Brother
DANNY YOURD, Producer, Blood Brother
Friday, November 22 at 7:30 pm
BIG MEN
(2013/US; 99 mins., not rated)
Film website: https://bigmenthemovie.com/
In Ghana, a small American energy company fights to hold onto its discovery of oil just as a new government comes into power. In Nigeria, where oil has already been discovered, the ramifications of the oil industry have taken their toll on the people, most notably those in the Niger Delta who have seen none of the benefits of this new wealth. As the American company falls under the scrutiny of the new Ghanaian government and the U.S. Justice Department, the contracts for the oil field languish. Jobs are lost, power plays are made and all the while, the Ghanaian people wait to reap the benefits. In the Niger Delta, pipelines are attacked and set on fire as militants continue to demand more of the wealth from their government. With unprecedented access and an unflinching eye, Big Men takes us deep into the African oil industry in Ghana and Nigeria, delivering an exposé on the ambition, greed and corruption that threaten to exacerbate Africa’s resource curse and leave more of its citizens behind..
American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Starts November 5 at the YWCA Pre-test dates are October 26 and November 2 Ridgewood, NJ—October 21, 2013–YWCA Bergen County is offering its next American Red Cross Lifeguard Training course beginning November 5 and running through November 21, 2013. Students must take and pass a swim test, which will be held on October 26 at 9:30 a.m. or November 2 at 9:30 a.m. Participants must be 15 years of age or older and a $10 swim test fee is due at registration.
his course prepares students with the CPR, First Aid and lifeguard techniques necessary for employment as a professional lifeguard. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood, and the course fee is $350. For more information or to register call the YWCA Aquatics Department at 201-444-5600, x327, or visit www.ywcabergencounty.org.
Readers say Parking in the street is a problem for Fall leaf collection
Parking in the street is a problem. Empty streets are needed for garbage, recycling, bulk, and yard waste collection, as well as leaf and snow removal, plus the occasional cleaning of gutters. The problem seems to be multi-car households where there isn’t enough driveway space. I also see walkways blocked because of parked cars in driveways that can’t get all the way in.
the police should be driving the rout that the leaf crews will be picking up the next day. the police know what roads the crew will be in the next few days, it’s all on the map. this year is very bad. no ever parked on the street in front of my home on hillcrest. at 2am to 5am the police have the time. even in the c b d I see cars parked in the road at 4am when I go to work.
There are cars all over the place overnight, I see it when I walk my dog early in the AM. They have definitely been out all night because they have the overnight condensation on the windows. It looks horrible, the streets look cluttered. It is all because some people are too lazy to put two cars in the driveway and have to back one out in the morning to let another out. Give us a break. There used to be enforcement of this law and I wish they would get back to it. As always those of us who follow the law are inconvenienced and those who do not follow the law are not penalized.
In one of your famous #Obamacare speeches you stated, “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.”
Well, as evidenced by the below letter, which my wife and I just received, you lied. We did “like our plan” and were informed in this letter that our plan will no longer exist and we will be forced to purchase a new plan, from a website which doesn’t work, for a higher monthly premium, for services we don’t want.
Now, I know I am not one of your connected cronies and insiders, who were all given waivers from this disastrous piece of legislation. I was just one of the Secret Service agents who put my ass on the line for you every day, but I was still praying that given our middle-class existence, operating a small-business, that your “fundamental transformation” of America would have stayed out of our home. Apparently that is not the case as my public battle against your disastrous presidency has just become personal.
‘Duck Dynasty’ Star: ‘It Ain’t Gun Control We Need, It’s Sin Control’
October 21, 2013 11:48 AM
WEST MONROE, La. (CBS Houston) — One “Duck Dynasty” star made his stance on gun control known in an interview with Men’s Journal.
“It ain’t gun control we need, it’s sin control,” Si Robertson said.
In a wide-ranging interview with Men’s Journal, the man known as Uncle Si described how he used to be a “sinner” during his younger days when he was drafted into the Army and heading off to Vietnam.
“I kept a fifth of whiskey in my pocket everywhere I went,” he said. “I tried dope one time, okay, like marijuana, but why would you smoke something that makes you feel 100 years old? So, drugs wasn’t it for me. In my mind, it was alcohol and whoring around.”
Robertson said he was worried about the pedestal the family has been put on since the reality show took off.
“Toilet Tax” rejected in Ridgewood
Monday October 21, 2013, 12:17 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The Ridgewood Council rejected an ordinance that would have increased sewage fees for significant dischargers, welcome news to many restaurant owners in the Central Business District (CBD) who previously resisted the proposal.
“The sewer fees will not increase this year, but there will be further discussion of what will be done going forward,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn announced prior to the council’s unanimous vote to defeat the ordinance calling for the fee hike.
Considered by the village’s governing body in the latter portion of the summer, the proposed ordinance and its public hearing were continued from month to month until Ridgewood officials could discuss the increases with Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce leaders. Some downtown business owners, meanwhile, spoke publicly during council meetings and suggested the fees unfairly targeted CBD establishments.
“You have a handful of significant dischargers, people who utilize the system, and then you have thousands of other customers who utilize it far more,” said Paul Vagianos, whose East Ridgewood Avenue restaurant is billed an excessive discharge fee. “Those other customers aren’t charged. Only a handful of businesses and non-profits [are charged], most of them are small businesses and mom-and-pop operations.”
Stage Fright: An Original Halloween Musical
Sat, October 26, 2013
Time: 1:30 PM
Porch Light Productions, 555 Broad Street, Glen Rock
Stage Fright, nominated in 2010 for Best Original Musical by the New Jersey Association of Community Theatres, is a charming comedy about a naive group of trick-or-treaters that come upon the house of a witch and her gang of monsters on Halloween night. After being kidnapped by the wicked Old Lady Fargus and her evil cronies – the Vampire, Medusa, Mummy, Headless Horseman, Werewolf, Igor, Frankenstein and some landscaping zombies – the teens attempt to win over the monsters in the hopes of saving themselves and their friends from a twisted fate!
Wide variety of refreshments, crafts and lots of bargins!
141st Harvest Fair at OPRC Ridgewood Ridgewood’s historic Old Paramus Reformed Church will hold its 141st Harvest Fair on Saturday, November 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the barrier-free Education Building at 660 East Glen Avenue at Route 17 South. Doors are open to all for great bargains, and admission is free. The Fair features a garage-sale; a raffle of a large number of gift-baskets offering certificates from local shops and restaurants; a Christmas corner; jewelry; linens; books and records; toys; attic treasures including antiques, china, collectibles; and more. A Bake Shoppe and Pantry will sell homemade baked goods and soups, and a Produce Stand will feature cheeses and fresh-from-the-orchard apples and other produce. Country Kitchen refreshments and lunch will be available. For more information, call the church office at 201-444-593 or access www.oldparamus.org, or like us on facebook: www.facebook.com/oldparamusreformedchurch.
“Reptiles Everywhere” The Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to provide an exciting show for Village youth in grades K -5 on Wednesday, November 6th, 1 p.m. at the Anne Zusy Youth Center, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue. From giant lizards to HUGE snakes and everything in between, learn what makes these creatures tick. The presentation will be made by Joseph D’Angeli, Curator of the Wildlife Conservation and Education Center, Little Ferry, NJ. Admission is $5.00 (free to “Green Kids” participants). It is suggested tickets be purchased in advance either online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass or in person at the Recreation Office at the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, weekdays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For additional information kindly contact the Recreation office at 201-670-5560.
42 and 14: A Tribute to Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby and Baseball …Poetry and Music Festival, October 26th at 1 pm in Ridgewood
-Jackie Robinson’s widow greets Ridgewood tribute
RIDGEWOOD, NJ, October 26 – Jackie Robinson’s widow has sent a thank-you message to a planned tribute to the baseball great set for 1 p.m. Saturday, October 26, at Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church, 271 Lincoln Avenue at West End Avenue. The festival will feature baseball poets Susanna Rich and Edwin Romond, baseball songs from the Victoria Warne Band, and free hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jacks.
The heroism of Robinson in confronting virulent racism as he broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 was depicted this year in the movie “42” (his uniform number, which baseball permanently retired this fall in his memory). A free screening of the movie “42” will take place on Sunday, October 20th @ 7 pm.
Ridgewood will also honor a second Baseball Hall of Fame member, Paterson’s own Larry Doby, the American League’s first African-American player with the Cleveland Indians months after Robinson broke in with the National League’s Brooklyn Dodgers.
In her message to Ridgewood, Rachel Robinson, 91, said “Thank you for paying tribute to my husband Jack in this very special way. Jack left us 41 years ago but we are delighted that our story lives on and continues to resonate in communities around the world,” adding, “I am delighted that you have chosen to honor him and to share with others his enduring legacy.”
Since a church is sponsoring the Robinson tribute, she stated, “Jack was a man of faith and it was his unwavering belief in God that sustained us during the most challenging times.”
Poets are invited to read works on the theme during an open mic session, and drop-in musicians are welcome to perform. Details on the scheduled performers:
Dr. Susanna Rich (Blairstown, NJ) was an Emmy Award nominee for her baseball poetry for the documentary “Cobb Field,” and also provided poetry for “A Perfect Place,” a film about the Cincinnati Reds. Her work appears frequently in “Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine.” Her poetry collections include “The Drive Home” and “Television Daddy.” She also tours with one-woman interactive poetry performances. Rich is an English professor at Kean University in Union, where she received its Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Edwin Romond (Wind Gap, PA), a longtime public school teacher, now leads poetry events for the Geraldine Dodge Foundation. His book “Blue Mountain Time: Poems About Baseball” was selected for the literary archives at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and his baseball memoir “The Ticket” appears in Tim Russert’s best-seller “Wisdom Of Our Fathers.” His poem “Champion,” about the friendship of Olympic track stars Jesse Owens and Luz Long of Germany, won the 2013 New Jersey Poetry Prize. Romond has received poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Arts Councils.
Victoria Warne (Clifton, NJ) is the lead singer and guitarist with her band, which includes Steve Giordano on bass and George Schaefer on drums, with special guests Joe Jacovino and Cathy Vita. The band will perform “Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball,” recorded by Count Basie in 1949, “The Willie Mays Song,” “Joltin’ Joe Dimaggio,” and other baseball hit tunes. Warne has toured internationally and recorded two CDs as leader with originals that blend blues, rock, and jazz elements. Her many past collaborators ranged from Spyro Gyra’s Julio Fernandez to jazz great Billy Eckstine.
Jackie Robinson, who died in 1972, helped the Dodgers win the league championship in his first season of 1947, leading the league in stolen bases, and was named Rookie of the Year. During his 10 seasons the Dodgers won the pennant six times. He was one of baseball’s most dangerous base-runners who stole home plate 19 times, a league record. In 1949 he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player, leading in both hitting (.342) and stolen bases (37) while knocking in 124 runs. He was a six-time League All-Star with a career batting average of .311. As his Baseball Hall of Fame citation says, Robinson was “a symbol of hope to millions of Americans.”
Larry Doby, who died in 2003, helped the Indians win the league pennant and World Series in his first full season of 1948, he was the first African-American to hit a World Series home run. He was the league’s first black All-Star in 1949 and an All-Star every year afterward through 1955. In 1952 he became the first black player to lead the league in home runs (32), and in slugging percentage (.541), and also led in runs scored (104). He batted in 100 or more runs in five seasons. In 1954, when the Indians again won the pennant, he finished second for Most Valuable Player behind Yogi Berra, later a fellow Montclair resident. In 1978 Doby became the second African-American manager in the majors, with the Chicago White Sox.
For further information: Pastor Mary Stegink, pastormary@rcrcnj,org, 201.445.1832
Acting village manager should be informed
Boyd A. Loving
To the editor:
Regarding Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward’s comment that his department does not notify “the village” about confidential police investigations (“Contractor denies claims,” The Ridgewood News, Oct. 11, page A2), I fail to understand why Chief Ward would not arrange for a confidential one-on-one meeting with acting Village Manager Heather Mailander to inform her of any investigations related to allegations of official misconduct or the misappropriation/theft of taxpayer funds (unless, of course, she was the accused.)
Bicycle, Bags, Books, Toys, Clothes, Shoes, Jewerly, Halloween Costumes, Pots snd Pans, Lamps, Water Purifers, Child Seats(for Car and Bike) and Much More!!!
Don’t miss this huge garage sale!
HUGE YARD SALE SAT. 10/19 (183 N. Pleasant Ave. Ridgewood, NJ)
183 n. pleasant ave.
Big, multi-family sale on furniture, household goods, toys, clothing, bikes, books — and more!
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Corner of Pleasant and Linwood avenues
GARAGE SALE Fri. 18th & Sat 19th (9-3) (406 Berkshire Rd. Ridgewood, NJ)
406 Berkshire Rd.
Garage Sale today and Sat.19th (9 am – 3pm) Household items, toys, baby items, childs clothing, and more.
Garage Sale (564 Ridgewood Ave)
Garage Sale on Saturday, October 19th, 9:00-3:00. No early birds, please. Stop by and see what we have to offer. Rugs, Cabinets, Air Conditioners, Dresser, Ikea desk, tables and chairs, and lots more.
Garage Sale Fri 10/18 & Sat 10/19 (Ridgewood)
Red Birch Ct at East Glen Ave
Don’t miss it!
Tools, electronics, toys, household goods. Something for everyone!
Everything priced to sell!
438 Red Birch Ct
Ridgewood
(off East Glen Ave, one block from Valley Hospital)
Friday and Saturday from 9:00 to 3:00
No Earlies Please!
Multi-Family Yard Sale in Ridgewood! (Hampton between Linwood and Fairway)
Hampton at Linwood
Multi-Family Yard Sale in Ridgewood. Tons of toys, kids clothing, furniture, electronics, small kitchen appliances, holiday decorations; many items in the box and never used! Saturday, October 19th from 8:30am-2:00pm; rain or shine – One Day Only.
Garage Sale – ONE DAY ONLY – SUN 10/20 (534 Lotus Rd. Ridgewood)
534 lotus road
Ikea couch, Ikea dresser, treadmill, glass bricks, toys, PIANO $20!!, boom box, nicknacks, books and more!
Multi-Family Garage Sale, Sat 10/19 (421 Fairway Rd, Ridgewood NJ)
421 Fairway Rd
Baby items, toys, games, household items, glassware, old tools, records, cds, and much more!
Multi-Family Garage Sale (Ridgewood)
Spring at Hope/Irving
Big multi-family garage sale at 363 Spring Ave. in Ridgewood!
Furniture, glassware, purses, clothes, household goods and toys for sale from 10am to 3pm on Friday 10/18 and Saturday 10/19
