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Susan Sherrill, Editor of The Ridgewood News, photographed at a recent social event with Audrey Meyers and Megan Fraser of The Valley Hospital. This photograph appears on page 136 of the most recent “201 Magazine.”
The Fly wonders if Ms. Meyers, The Valley’s President and CEO, and Ms. Fraser, her Director of Marketing and Public Relations, were trying to ensure favorable print media coverage of The Valley’s Renewal Plan.
A picture is indeed worth one thousand words . .
>*****YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION IS NEEDED*****
**PLEASE READ**
The Village Council is considering replacing Career Firefighters who are assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau with Civilian Fire Inspectors.
This idea has been discussed by the Village Council on three occasions:
Village Council first discussed this idea on August 16, 2006 at a Village Council Long Range Planning Meeting. Click on the link to read the minutes of the meeting Meeting Minutes.
Excerpts of the minutes, “Councilman Harlow again spoke about the elimination of the Fire Prevention Bureau. Councilman Mancuso said that the support of the Fire Chief is crucial for this to be accepted because the community will not be happy if they think safety is being compromised.”
The topic was again discussed in the Five Year Financial Forecast Update on July 6, 2007. On page two of this document there is a bullet point which says:
Fire Prevention-analyze civilian provision of services.
More recently at the February 13, 2008 Council meeting, Village Manager James Ten Hoeve stated that since there are four Firefighters retiring this year, and one of them is assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau, it would be a good time to conduct a study of the Fire Department.
Every time this issue has come up, Fire Chief James Bombace has advised Village Manager James Ten Hoeve that he could not support the idea of replacing Career Firefighters who are assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau with Civilian Fire Inspectors. In the Chief’s opinion, any reduction in the current Firefighting staff would comprise the safety of the members of the Fire Department and the citizens of Ridgewood.
Mr. Ten Hoeve has failed to convince the Fire Chief to agree to replace Fire Inspectors (Career Firefighters) with Civilian Fire Inspectors. We question the timing, need, and rationale of conducting an audit. Is this an attempt to circumvent the Chief’s recommendation? Councilman Mancuso said that the community would not be happy if their safety is compromised and that the Chief’s recommendation was “crucial”. We agree with that statement. We are concerned that the safety of our community will be compromised, as well as our own safety, if any cuts are made to the current staffing levels of the Fire Department.
>8 school districts added to beef recall
THE RECORD, Wednesday, February 27, 2008
BY WILLIAM LAMB
Eight North Jersey school districts were added Wednesday to a list of districts that must destroy meat as part of the nation’s largest beef recall.
The state Agriculture Department expanded its list of schools and school districts affected by the recall after officials identified two additional food processors that shipped meat for consumption by Garden State students enrolled in the national school lunch program.
The school districts added to the recall list Wednesday are:
• Bergen County Technical Schools
• Englewood
• Fort Lee
• Leonia
• North Bergen
• Passaic
• Ridgewood
• Wayne
Nationwide, federal officials have recalled more than 143 million pounds of meat that originated at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., of Chino, Calif. The company is accused of slaughtering sick cows.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has ruled it a “class two” recall, meaning the meat poses only a “remote possibility” of sickening those who eat it.
The North Jersey schools and districts identified on Monday as part of the recall were:
• Bergenfield
• Fair Lawn
• Hackensack
• Lodi
• Midland Park
• Palisades Park
• North Haledon
• West Milford
• Paterson Catholic
• Passaic County Vocational-Technical
• St. Gerard School
• St. Mary Elementary
• St. Mary Paterson
• St. Philip the Apostle
• St. Therese School
• Boonton
• Riverdale
>
During this evening’s Village Council Work Session, Village Manager James M. Ten Hoeve revealed that ground breaking for the proposed parking garage on North Walnut Street will not take place until at least the year 2011.
New Jersey Transit has officially informed Village officials that bids for the ADA compliant renovation of Ridgewood’s train station will be advertised in June of 2008. The New Jersey Transit Board of Directors expects to award bids in September of 2008, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2009. The train station renovation project will take until 2011 to complete.
Since existing parking at and near the train station will be disrupted during New Jersey Transit’s massive construction project, Village Council members have wisely elected to avoid their own project, which will cause the temporary elimination of approximately 100 parking spaces on North Walnut Street.
The Fly believes that between now and 2011, parking requirements within the Central Business District will change significantly. Let’s wait at least until 2010 before committing any more money and resources to a parking plan that may be obsolete before construction even begins.
>This is not necessarily a response to anything here, but I just had to get myself heard.
I teach in a public school, in a Bergen County district not to be named. I consider myself extremely fair, and a particularly good blend of engaging and approachable/likeable and traditional with high expectations of the kids with respect to both academics and behavior.
Here’s what’s wrong with public education and it’s NOT teachers. In my opinion, it’s the administrators. Each one that comes down the pike has his/her own idea of what is right. They want to put “their mark” on the district and do things their own way. This means that as the administrators get younger and younger, they come to the schools with ideas that they think are new and progressive and they are just not well-founded at all.
Have you ever heard of a bell curve? Having a background in science, it’s the way that I expect to see my class grades play out. The majority of the grades being in the B/C range, with out-lyers in A+ and D (with the very rare F at times). Statistically, this is how it’s been forever. C means average, right? Not anymore. Now, the powers that be tell me that I have too many students in the C range. I know need to make home contact, despite the fact that I have been in frequent contact with many of these parents in the way of progress reports, emails and the like. And you know what? Most (not all) of these students have C’s because of homework, which they choose not to do or to do when they feel like it. Very few of them have a C due to both test/quiz grades AND homework average, although some do. The vast majority has a great deal of power over their achievement by choosing to do or not to do homework, which in my subject, provides a much needed extension of what is taught and practiced in class. They don’t do the homework, they don’t get the reinforcement, they don’t have strong performances on quizzes and tests. It’s a relationship that I try to stress from Back To School Night until the last week in June.
So now, somehow, I have done something wrong? That’s how I feel. Now, instead of planning great lessons, grading papers, providing feedback on assignments, I have to contact parents whose children don’t seem to care as much as I do about how well they do and how much they learn.
What do some teachers end up doing? Do you think some inflate grades? You bet. This certainly could get administration off their backs and make parents happy. I can’t do this. It goes against everything I believe.
Someone on this blog told me this summer to hold onto my high expectations, and that parents would be “knocking down my door” to get their kids into my class. Maybe so. But that’s if I don’t get fired first for grading kids according to what they’ve achieved and what they’ve earned.
Thanks for listening to a frustrated teacher.
>For those of you returning from vacation, perhaps you missed The Ridgewood News, February 22, 2008. A letter to the editor was submitted by our very own Board of Ed. member Bob Hutton.
FYI…
I sincerely hope all of you had the opportunity to review the School Report Cards issued in The Record last Friday, Feb. 15. After my personal review of all the data presented, I am proud of our public school system here in Ridgewood, I wish to thank all who are involved and contribute daily to the success of our student body.
Allow me to highlight some of the salient points that the School Report Cards showed for Ridgewood.
Ridgewood High School still has the largest student population in Bergen County. The high school’s mean SAT score in math of 605 was third in the county. We trailed only the Bergen Academies and Tenafly.
Our mean SAT score for verbal was second only behind the Bergen Academies. Our mean SAT score for essay was third only behind the Bergen Academies and Northern Valley Demarest.
It would be appropriate to remind everyone that students must apply and be accepted into Bergen Academies; not all comers are welcome.
In Bergen County and all schools in northern New Jersey that The Record reported on, Ridgewood High School was number one in the number of AP classes – 26.
RHS’ percentage of graduates going onto four-year colleges was 92.6 percent. We finished fourth in that category, following Bergen Academies, Tenafly and Northern Highlands. Only two other districts had four-year college rates in excess of 90 percent: Ramsey and Ramapo.
Results are one measurement. I have concluded that these results are very good. Again, this is a testament to the entire Ridgewood community and their support of public education.
At what price were these results achieved? From the same data source, Ridgewood is shown with a cost per pupil of $13,571. Bergen Academies show a cost per pupil in excess of $24,000. Tenafly has a cost per pupil of $14,857. Demarest has a per-pupil cost of $15,312. Northern Highlands has a cost per pupil of $16,039. In short, Ridgewood is optimizing every dollar.
I know some in our community will not like these results. They will spin these data facts somehow to a negative focus. From some sources, you would be lead to believe that our district does not have the ability to do anything right. That is the farthest from the truth. Some of those same folks cannot handle the truth. If any of you are movie buffs, you can probably guess where I am headed. Maybe “I’d prefer you just say thank you and went on your way.”
Year after year, due to hard work of many, our Ridgewood Public Schools produce excellent results. This year’s report card is no different.
Robert A. Hutton
Member
Ridgewood Board of Education
>The Fly read this from the RPS district’s web site. Seems Mr. DeSimone needs some additional help. Anyone interested in applying? Wonder how much WE are paying per diem?
Anticipated Opening – ASSISTANT BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR- Temporary Per Diem Position
Ridgewood Public Schools is seeking an experienced business administrator to assist with operations through the end of the 2007-08 school year. The successful candidate will have experience with reviewing capital items as related to a district’s budget as well as assist the Board with their analysis for a potential referendum. Certification as a School Business Administrator is required.
>URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
1037 AM EST FRI FEB 22 2008
NYZ062-PAZ043-044-047-048-072-222345-
/O.CON.KBGM.WS.W.0003.000000T0000Z-080223T0600Z/
SULLIVAN-WYOMING-LACKAWANNA-LUZERNE-PIKE-SOUTHERN WAYNE-
1037 AM EST FRI FEB 22 2008
…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST
SATURDAY…
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST SATURDAY.
SNOW WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING… AND BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES
DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SLEET WILL LIKELY MIX WITH
SNOW DURING THE AFTERNOON…ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE WARNING AREA. THE SNOW AND SLEET WILL TAPER OFF TO SNOW
SHOWERS THIS EVENING. TOTAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 8
INCHES IS EXPECTED.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND SLEET
ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS
OR IMPOSSIBLE.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL-HAZARDS OR YOUR FAVORITE
LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE…OR VISIT OUR INTERNET WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/BINGHAMTON.
PLEASE REPORT SNOW OR ICE AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT 1-877-633-6772…OR BY EMAIL AT
[email protected].
$
>
History of the Holiday
The original version of the holiday was in commemoration of George Washington’s birthday in 1796 (the last full year of his presidency). Washington, according to the calendar that has been used since at least the mid-18th century, was born on February 22, 1732. According to the old style calendar in use back then, however, he was born on February 11. At least in 1796, many Americans celebrated his birthday on the 22nd while others marked the occasion on the 11th instead.
By the early 19th century, Washington’s Birthday had taken firm root in the American experience as a bona fide national holiday. Its traditions included Birthnight Balls in various regions, speeches and receptions given by prominent public figures, and a lot of revelry in taverns throughout the land. Then along came Abraham Lincoln, another revered president and fellow February baby (born on the 12th of the month). The first formal observance of his birthday took place in 1865, the year after his assassination, when both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address. While Lincoln’s Birthday did not become a federal holiday like George Washington’s, it did become a legal holiday in several states.
In 1968, legislation (HR 15951) was enacted that affected several federal holidays. One of these was Washington’s Birthday, the observation of which was shifted to the third Monday in February each year whether or not it fell on the 22nd. This act, which took effect in 1971, was designed to simplify the yearly calendar of holidays and give federal employees some standard three-day weekends in the process.
Apparently, while the holiday in February is still officially known as Washington’s Birthday (at least according to the Office of Personnel Management), it has become popularly (and, perhaps in some cases at the state level, legally) known as “President’s Day.” This has made the third Monday in February a day for honoring both Washington and Lincoln, as well as all the other men who have served as president.
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>From the Ridgewood News
Friday, February 8, 2008
Reader Viewpoint
“Math program is ‘inherently flawed'”
BY LAWRENCE MASKIN
There seems to be a callous disregard for parental input regarding our district’s current math programs. Balanced approach is what we’re hearing time and time again. Our Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Ms. Regina Botsford, stated last April that the math program at Travell was balanced. Then, this summer, Ms. Botsford stated that they had reset the balance. Currently, Ms. Botsford states that we have to find the balance. Why would the administration and BOE whole-sale adopt a program that needed a balance adjustment not just once, but three times! Yet, they still search for that balance.
To me, the program was inherently flawed from the start as evidenced by this need for constant reshuffling. They are taking an experimental program with no track record that is highly criticized and sprinkling in the tried and true traditional math with a proven past high record of success. As a former biologist, I can tell you this is analogous to a dilution. In this case a huge dilution of the very math that put Ridgewood on the map as an educational powerhouse of the past.
They keep repeating, “we need math for the 21st century.” What the heck does that mean? Have standard equations honed through the centuries changed somehow with the times? Doesn’t 2 plus 2 still equal 4? Supporters of diluted math say that parents simply don’t understand it because it looks different from what they had learned in the past.
They tell us to “have blind faith in the program.” Surely they must be joking. The program expects children to solve problems in multiple ways with little emphasis on obtaining the correct answer. Therefore, it is the journey, not the destination. Let me repeat that — GETTING THE CORRECT ANSWER IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF MATH. Oh really? Since when? In this diluted math program’s methodology, the most important thing is explaining your thought process. Tell that to your pharmacist when he’s measuring your medication. Perhaps your accountant can “guesstimate” your taxes. Let’s hope he errs on your side.
They keep saying this math has “real world” problems. There have always been “real world” problems to solve in math. In fact, from the very beginning of elementary school education we have all had problems such as theses: There are 3 oranges in one basket and 2 oranges in another basket. What are the total number of oranges in both baskets?
They keep saying, “Deep understanding” of math. I see a convoluted methodology severely lacking content. They call practice, “Drill and Kill.” Are you kidding me? How does one become proficient at any endeavor without practice?
This math uses what’s called a “spiral approach.” This means you briefly visit a topic, move on to other topics, move on to get more topics and ultimately return to the first topic. The preliminary findings of President Bush’s current panel on math education recommend moving away from this approach. Yet this is the methodology our Board of Education is continuing to embrace.
According to the state test, NJASK, our students are doing very well. Sounds great, right? Well the fact is our state standards received poor marks from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In addition an independent non-profit educational institute gave our state standards a “D” grade. Additionally our children are only required to pass 50% of the questions on the state test in order to be rated proficient. I thought 50% was failing. So, rather than soar well beyond those paltry standards, we just simply meet them.
Did you know there are 3 different math programs in our 6 elementary schools?
Did you know there are no math textbooks in the diluted math programs?
Did you know our kids are expected to discover answers on their own in groups, rather than teacher directed instruction? When students ask a question regarding a math problem, the teacher’s first response should be, well, what do you think”?
Did you know for the past 7 years Benjamin Franklin Middle School ranked in the top 1-2% in math (out of more than 1300 middle schools in New Jersey) utilizing traditional math. So what did the Board recently decide to do– replace it with this diluted math.
Did you know this math program is considerably more expensive to us taxpayers than traditional math?
Did you know this math has been highly criticized by the top 200 mathematicians in the United States?
Did you know this controversy continues in states around the country?
Did you know our Board used our tax dollars – more than $90000.00 to hire an expert to help us figure out this problem? Her conclusions were essentially that we need to partner with a local university to help us through this matter.
Did you know our teachers have to be totally “retrained” to teach math and that the training needs to be ongoing and long term? The list goes on and on…
Ultimately this long term erosion of our kids’ math education will affect their ability to compete in the global job market. You simply have to look at those nearby out of town districts that are continuing to educate their students with solid, time proven programs. There are also available programs that emulate the best international math curricula in the world. They are readily available and offer solid content and provide world class results. Why these are not even considered is baffling and frustrating. Because our school district’s reputation and our academic successes from years past are continuing to fall by the wayside our property values too will drop as a result. Ridgewood cannot afford to ride on its reputation. As the phrase goes, you can pay me now or pay me later. It appears here in Ridgewood we are doing both.
>I work hard to do my bit to keep the standards up in Ridgewood, jumping through expensive hoops to do improvements. Over a year ago, I complained to the Village about a house on my street that was clearly being used to house transient day laborers. The house has an almost constant room-for-rent sign on the door, with an occasional extra for rent sign in the train station tunnel. The owner doesn’t live there. No, the owner lives in Ho-Ho-Kus, and she is also a Ridgewood-based real estate agent. The tenant sub-lets rooms out to short-term day laborers. I have no doubt that these men are undocumented immigrants. This boarding house is not designated as such by the Village. The place is shabby-looking, with un-cut grass, and I wonder if this situation would have gone on for as long as it has if it was located in the Heights? I have nothing against rental properties. I’ve lived in a few in my time. My issue is with slum lords who should know better.
and it goes….The land lord just brushes you off with comments like “they are nice young men”. Some neighbors have had confrontations with her when she occasionally stops by. Zoning laws are being broken. We complained again to the Village this week and we are again waiting with baited breath, even though the Building Dept representative acknowledged that the rental situation was against zoning laws! In the better weather, the tenants sit on the porch drinking beer, hissing at females who walk by.
>Just when you thought it couldn’t be any worse…I shouldn’t have extended grace to Tim Brennan on the issue of what Beth Fisher-Yoshida said. It’s just that I couldn’t imagine Brennan outright lying like that.
But here’s the proof that Beth Fisher-Yoshida, the consultant hired to make recommendations about math, really did suggest that the district partner up with a university.
Holy model to our kids, Batman! Fast forward the video to near the end:
>We received our “junk mail” letter from Valley Hospital asking us to sign and mail the Renewal card endorsing them in their endeavor. We placed both cards unsigned in their prepaid envelope to send a message loud and clear that we are not interested.
>THE RECORD, Friday, February 15, 2008
BY KIBRET MARKOS
A Ridgewood police lieutenant was admitted into a one-year probation program Thursday, the result of allegations that he groped a woman at a party last year.
Richard Whitehead, will have no criminal record if he completes the Pretrial Intervention program without any violation of the terms, which include resignation from the Police Department and not having contact with the woman.
Whitehead can request termination of the program after six months. His lawyer, Merick Limsky, said at a hearing Thursday in state Superior Court that he will make such a request, arguing that Whitehead has a long record of public service.
“I think his unblemished career of 25 years speaks for itself,” Limsky said.
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor David Calviello said: “This disposition was done with the consent of the victim and was also done at her request.”
Whitehead was accused of touching a police dispatcher at a colleague’s retirement party in June 2007 at the Elks in Ridgewood. The woman, whose name is being withheld by The Record, told detectives that Whitehead slid his hand under her skirt and groped her as she walked past him.
After speaking to detectives, the woman agreed to call Whitehead and try to get him to talk about the incident while investigators listened in.
Whitehead said he was drinking at the party and did not recall touching the woman. He also apologized repeatedly and said he felt bad for “what happened.”
Whitehead had been with the Ridgewood Police Department since 1981 and was a lieutenant for seven years. He has been on vacation since Jan. 23, with a retirement date of March 1. His base salary is $123,000, records show.
