>Voters approved an annual budget of $79,414,637 for the 2007-2008 school
year. The budget represented a 3.5 percent increase in the tax levy.
Property taxes for the average Ridgewood home with an assessed value of
$473,770 will increase by $289. The cost to the average homeowner for
approving the Second Question is $67.81 a year. Final vote tally on
Wednesday.
Tag: Ridgewood NJ
>April 17th is the Annual School Election
>Annual School ElectionTuesday, April 17th is the Annual School Election. Polls are open from 7am to 9pm. Please Vote!
So here we go another uninspired BOE election and this Blogger asks.” Are we doing the right thing or just sending our kids home on the short bus?” As usual we got the “costs are up” and the “state mandates are killing us”, coupled with the “whacky school funding” argument. No offence to the powers that be but your basically asking us to approve the same old ,same old .With no guarantee that our kids will even have time in the busy school day to learn anything. So the price is higher and the quality is suspect, what’s a voter to due? The real scary thing is no ones even pretending to pursue restoring the quality and the credibility to our children’s education. Seems most are focused on there plum projects ranging from very over priced laptops to self aggrandizing field renovations .But frankly I really don’t care or see how increasing teachers pay at this point ,giving administrators more toys and more days off or puffing peoples resume with the latest new education scheme is educating our kids one bit. You see the 3R’s are in essence very inexpensive, it’s the commitment to excellence that takes time and money and I guess that’s what’s bothering me .It seems more and more apparent that in the rush to spend lots of money this town has simply lost the commitment to excellence that it once had.
VOTE “NO” ON THE BOE BUDGET ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
>Proposed Bandstand at Van Neste Memorial Park – Good idea or bad?
>Members of the Ridgewood A.M. Rotary Club Bandstand Committee, led by Deputy Mayor Betty G. Wiest, have proposed construction of a bandstand in Van Neste Memorial Park.
The bandstand, intended primarily as a beautification project, would be constructed at absolutely no expense to Village taxpayers.
But, opponents of the project claim: 1) it will become a hangout for teenagers; 2) has no business being located in a park dedicated to war veterans; 3) might interfere with placement of a permanent Village Christmas tree; 4) planned concerts will draw crowds, which will in turn cause parking problems; 5) no nearby public restrooms may create issues for large crowds.
What’s your position? Should Village Council members okay the construction of a bandstand at Van Neste Memorial Park?
>CONGRESSMAN SCOTT GARRETT’S OFFICE COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU:
>Congressman Garrett’s staff will be holding Mobile Constituent Service Hours in a number of Fifth District towns this week. The Congressman’s Constituent Service Officers are trained to act as your liaisons with Federal agencies. But, it’s not always easy to make it out to one of the Congressman’s district offices – in Paramus and Newton – to meet with one of them, especially when you are dealing with government red tape. These Mobile Constituent Service Hours sessions bring the Congressman’s office to you. So, if you are having trouble with a Federal program, such as Medicare, veterans benefits, Social Security, or more, please feel free to come by. And, please bring copies of any relevant paperwork with you to facilitate their work.
Given the serious flooding, please contact my office before you head over to one of my Mobile Constituent Service Hours as many libraries and borough halls are closed.
Wednesday, April 18th
Ridgewood
10:00 am to noon
Borough Hall, 131 N. Maple Avenue
>Why is April 15th …April 17th Tax Day
>
>Ridgewood Avenue Closed Near High School Due To Storm Damage
>A steel container broke loose, entered the Ho Ho Kus Brook, and struck the
Ridgewood Avenue bridge at approximately 11:00 PM. Initial reports are that
the bridge sustained structural damage. The bridge has been closed as a
precautionary measure. Traffic is being diverted to Spring Avenue.
Investigators are still trying to determine where the steel container came
from. Reports are that it may have held athletic equipment on the high
school field, or have been a refuse dumpster located on high school
property.
At this time it is unknown how long the roadway will be closed.
The bridge was deemed safe for passage and opened at 11:35 PM.
>Flooding Reported At Village Hall – Many Ridgewood streets are closed
>Reports are being received that first floor of Village Hall is currently
taking on water (10:00PM, Sunday, 4/15/07). The Village Hall/Library
parking lot is totally flooded. Fire and Streets department personnel are
working to sandbag doors to the building and pump out as much water as they
can.
Many Ridgewood streets are closed due to flooding. The Saddle River and Ho Ho Kus Brook continue to rise. As of 9:30 PM, the Ho Ho Kus Brook was 2.15 feet above flood stage; the Saddle River was at 1.02 feet above flood stage in Ridgewood.
>Another Stealth Campaign
>The Fly asks,” the BOE election is on April 17th any one hear from the candidates?
ORDER FINE ART/ STOCK PRINTS ON-LINE
>Reader Calls Fly "out on the Carpet "….
>Hey Fly..it is great to see so many people finally calling you out on the carpet. The SD recommendations will almost certainly involve recommendation for substantial renovations to BOE properties.
It is typical of you to try an find some conspiracy in any village process. The fact is that the SD recommendations are focused on all recreational resources in town. Because Ridgewood does not have adequate facilities for the BOE and all the youth programs in town to each have their own dedicated facilities, they must share facilities. Unfortunately, the RHS stadium is not in the mix of “shared” facilities. It is, by far, the most underutilized facility in town. Therefore, it may be the most costly to maintain on an annual $/usage basis. This places considerable (and unacceptable) burden on other BOE and village-owned fields in town.
If the RHS stadium and Stevens fields can be rennovated with a sythetic surface, it will be the equivalent of adding a totally new field in Ridgewood. That is how the cost/benefit ratio of such a project must be rationalized.
The promised benefits of the renovations at Maple Field have been realized beyond the most optimistic expectations. Even ardent naysayers from a year ago have acknowledged the positive impact of the Maple Field renovation. The issues that the SD recommendations will try to address MUST include BOE properties.
This is not a debate about academic vs. non-adademic plans. The SD recommendations have noting to do with the BOE academic mission. Their mandate was to evaluate and offer a proposal for long-term planning of Ridgewood active and passive RECREATIONAL resources. That’s it!
I know that you don’t think it is important to have all the facts before you rush to judgment. But, perhaps you can try…just this once…to get all the facts first, without distorting the truth.
And the Fly Strikes back…..
I know that you don’t think it is important to have all the facts before you rush to judgment. But, perhaps you can try…just this once…to get all the facts first, without distorting the truth.
FACT: SD’s study was TAXPAYER funded by a “Special Emergency Appropriation” in the amount of $42,194 approved by Village Council members on 7/19/2006.
FACT: SD’s report was received by Village Parks & Recreation Department on 2/23/07.
FACT: It is now 4/15/07. Despite repeated requests, including submission of an offical OPRA form to the Village Clerk’s office as requested by Village Attorney Matthew S. Rogers, recommendations contained in the TAXPAYER FUNDED SD report are NOT being made available for review by either the press or members of the public.
What facts am I missing?
>Local woman works to Support our Troops
>
Well, to celebrate my fourth week out there at the Armory, I finally put my thoughts on paper. However, I had to cut a lot as most papers only print 400 words and this is a thousand. When it is so cold and windy out there, my thoughts go out to our brave men and women who experience this and worse on a daily basis. Just let me know if you find this in one of your local papers. Did anything come out from the reporter that was there that day?
Hope you are feeling well. Oh yeah, they no longer park in the Armory parking lot
Linda
*************************************************
Dear Editor;
On March 3rd, I had the high honor to be invited as a CERT member (Citizens Emergency Response Team) to help load donated food and personal supplies to supplement the daily needs of military families whose spouses have been deployed from our National Reservist Armory in Teaneck. This event, organized by two Hasbrouck Heights residents- Tim Moots and Tom Meli in conjunction with the VFW Post 4591 and many other local volunteer organizations, was able to deliver over 500 bags of food and supplies to the sacrificial families of our brave men and women.
While there, I was told by one of the volunteers that every Wednesday from 4-6pm protesters rally at the Teaneck Armory on Liberty and Teaneck Rd. I was so outraged. I thought “I have to go protect my troops”. That Wednesday, I took my big “Thank You” sign that I usually use for Memorial Day parades and went out there to say “Thank you!” for their service and that I support our troops.
Slowly, protesters gathered. They stood on the corner, clanging bells and screaming at passing cars, “Support our Troops! Bring them home NOW!” “No more body bags”, holding signs that read “No blood for oil” and “Abort Bush” and proudly counting the dead.
I stood about 25 feet away with my back to them and facing the Armory, holding my “Thank You!” sign over my head for 2 hours.
As I silently stood in the freezing cold, they heckled me, ridiculed me and my family, demanding to know if my daughters have enlisted, etc., and even used profanities at me (You dumb s@#t!) When I responded, “Well, that is a fine way for a ‘gentleman’ to address a lady” His response was “You
f@#*@#g a – – hole!” I was flabbergasted! This is advertised as a “peace” rally?? These were senior citizens looking like aging hippies. These are the people that Congressman Rothman and other elected officials listen to??? Some men held a banner reading “www.veteransforpeace.org”. They were so cruel and hateful. Passengers leaving the buses look down, afraid they will be approached. I spoke with a lady who sounded like she was from Haiti or the Caribbean. She said that a woman from the group had shoved a paper in her face while she was waiting for her bus. The woman demanded to know if she knows what is going on in Iraq. When the lady timidly told her “no”, she said the protester cursed at her.
That day, a small old woman was waving a paper in my face demanding to know if I heard “what the generals were saying”. I tried to ignore her persistence and finally said, “I am sorry. I do not read propaganda”. She angrily stomped away hurling insults.
Here I am, an old woman, standing silently, supporting my troops, holding a “Thank You ” sign for the personnel and families coming in and out of the Armory to see, and these anti-Americans are cursing, threatening and harassing me. How do you think the children and mommies felt as they get out of their cars to go to the commissary, etc., while their brave husbands fight for our freedom, to hear the hatred spewing out of the mouths of these antagonists.
When a Reservist from the Armory came to politely request that they stay on the corner and off state-owned property they demanded to know “have you ever served!?”. When he flashed his card they demanded to know if he went to Iraq. He politely told them he had just returned. They shouted, “Well, go back!” They yell that want our ‘troops home now’ ??????
When 3 police cars came, these ‘peace activists’ verbally attacked them about their freedom of speech and screamed, demanding to know if these officers had served in the military. The police were so reserved, polite and professional, responding to complaints that they were creating a threatening environment. Isn’t this revealing their true intent to demoralize our troops and the American people?
Their actions and those politicians, such as Cong. Rothman, who support them are simply emboldening the terrorists and distributing doubt and hate through the media who blindly support these activists, holding a deaf ear to those who so support a war on terror being fought on distant shores. When I told a vet I would rather have them fight over there than here, he scoffed, saying, “they don’t have two nickels to come over here.” 9/11 anyone? There was so much more that happened. I am still in shock!
My experience going there every Wednesday dramatically exposes their intent. On the organizers’ website, https://www.unitedforpeace.org/ which also organizes those other anti-war rallies in NYC, I found their national sponsors. Here’s a few:
Young Communist League (YCL) – Uptown Chapter, Democratic Socialists of America, Pagans for Peace, Punks For Peace, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) – NY, Cabbies Against Bush, Communist Party USA, Forum of Indian Leftists – NY, House of The Goddess (HotGoddess) Center for Pagan Wombyn, International Socialist Organization (ISO) – NYC, Palestine Activist Forum of NY, KickBush.
These are wolves in sheep’s clothing. I was crying half the time to know that my precious troops have suffered this abuse in silence.
As I was putting my signs away in my car, I felt fearful as of those men came to their car parked behind mine. I was ignoring them but was prepared for confrontation. They did not recognize me. One, who was wearing our precious flag over his nasty self like a cape, was told by his friend, “Nice flag”. The guy said “yeah, it is. I’m trying to find a good one I can burn”.
Now they taunt me by my first name. I can take it. It gives me more purpose and helps take a bite out of the wet and cold. I needed that.
-“Linda”
Ridgewood News Purposeful Misrepresentations ?
>Submitted to The Ridgewood News
To the editor:
While it is fair to say that most editors save their opinion for the
editorial pages, clearly some do not. Your article on a recently
filed civil rights lawsuit to stem the purposeful discrimination that
was proliferated against our then 12-year old daughter lacked
credibility. It provided far too many errors, of omission and
commission, which, despite efforts to suppress them, nonetheless rose
to the surface as misrepresented facts collided uncomfortably with
uninformed opinion.
This begs the question: how many times is the editor of the Ridgewood
News allowed to bend the truth without having her credibility broken?
One, five, nine? In the above mentioned article, no less than seven
errors emanated from the first few paragraphs of a hate-filled rant
against our efforts to protect rights to which all are entitled.
Some of these falsehoods even prompted one letter writer to shrill
shamelessly that we should “move” out of town, a town to which I first
moved in 1969. Since when is defending a civil right the source of
such pointed venom? Or are the “rules” just different in Ridgewood?
What concerns me, however, is that the nature and subjectivity of
these errors appear designed to be purposefully mean-spirited. One is
left to wonder at the editor’s true purpose in making them. Take for
instance the following (for clarification, I use italics for what was
stated in the original article):
“…Caitlin Alvaro had asked to play on her brother’s fifth and sixth
grade recreation-league team..”
Our daughter never asked to be on her brother’s team. She asked to be
included in the draft of boys for her grade’s recreation basketball
league, to be drafted for any team like any other player. Though she
completed the evaluation, she was later denied participation and was
removed from the draft by the Biddy organization. After the New
Jersey Division of Civil Rights became involved, Biddy eventually
assigned her to the team on which our son also played, though they
continued to deny her permission to play.
“Despite what her father said was a skillful performance in her
evaluation…”
Caitlin’s father never said such a thing. It was merely noted in the
complaint that she had successfully sunk all five of the required
baskets during that particular evaluation. It is solely the editor’s
opinion that this constituted a “skillful performance.”
“…two sides reached a settlement requiring Ridgewood Biddy
Basketball…”
There was not a settlement, monetary or otherwise, but an agreement by
Biddy to obey the law. This took place between the NJDCR and the
Ridgewood Biddy Inc. The Alvaro’s were neither present nor asked to
participate in this conference. The Ridgewood School district, a
party to the complaint, did not attend, thereby maintaining an active complaint
against them with the NJDCR. Biddy honored this agreement and so is not
a party named in this lawsuit. They allowed Caitlin to play in the
boy’s league the next two years. Her team reached the championship
game the first year, and she was honored by her teammates with the
selection to play on the all-star team this year. Teammates and other
players were always exemplary in their manner towards her.
“…Alvaro is seeking unspecified monetary compensation…pain and
suffering, while watching those games from the bench.”
Having a player sit on the bench is not against the law, nor is it a
reason for seeking compensation. That the editor would make such a
statement is totally ludicrous and misleading.
“…a history of adversarial relations with the school district.”
This characterization by the editor is selectively pejorative. It is
possible to disagree and not be adversarial; only the ignorant to presume
otherwise. District and Village officials have always and continue to
extend the utmost courtesy to our family. We return this treatment
likewise.
“…taking legal action against the board for sponsoring what they
felt was an invasive survey.”
Though later “clarified” by the editor, the purpose of this knowingly
false statement was reprehensible. Seven parents filed complaints
against the school board for the survey and three filed a federal lawsuit. Were
they also “adversarial?” My contribution was to work tirelessly toward
getting a law passed in New Jersey to prevent such an encroachment on
parental rights. The far superior and more appropriate “norms” survey
recently given in the High School was a welcome result of such
efforts.
“…include resistance to renovations at Orchard Elementary School.”
Also knowingly untrue. Our disagreement was not with renovations,
which we welcomed, but with the building of a new addition on top of
the basketball courts which parents had recently provided for our
children with money from their own pockets. What the editor did not
reveal to her readers was that I sat in her office and she looked over
our 200 signatures from parents who signed a petition asking to change
the addition’s location. She knew this was a majority position– two hundred
signatures from a population of fewer than 350 students. Her efforts to
mislead and characterize this as “adversarial” by means of singular
intent are shockingly dishonest.
So, how many times may an editor bend the truth before her
credibility is broken? Only her publisher knows.
Frances Edwards
Ridgewood
Happy Easter
>
The Christian festival of Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The spring festival has its roots in the Jewish Passover, which commemorates Israel’s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, and in the Christian reinterpretation of its meaning after the crucifixion of Jesus during the Passover of AD c.30 and the proclamation of his resurrection three days later.
Early Christians observed Easter on the same day as Passover (14-15 Nisan, a date governed by a lunar calendar). In the 2d century, the Christian celebration was transferred to the Sunday following the 14-15 Nisan, if that day fell on a weekday. Originally, the Christian Easter was a unitive celebration, but in the 4th century Good Friday became a separate commemoration of the death of Christ, and Easter was thereafter devoted exclusively to the resurrection.
According to the Venerable Bede, the name Easter is derived from the pagan spring festival of the Anglo- Saxon goddess Eostre, and many folk customs associated with Easter (for example, Easter eggs) are of pagan origin.
Easter Day is currently determined as the first Sunday after the full moon on or after March 21. The Eastern Orthodox churches, however, follow the Julian rather than the Gregorian calendar, so their celebration usually falls several weeks later than the Western Easter. Easter is preceded by the period of preparation called Lent. Reginald H. Fuller Bibliography: Torvend, Samuel, ed., Passage to the Paschal Feast (1993); Williams, Rowan, Resurrection: Interpreting the Easter Gospel (1994).
>what do you think?
>The Ridgewood Blog invites all readers to comment on the pro’s and con’s of BOE budget :
“Well, which is it that you object to, the accounting standards or the teachers’ union? Look, I agree that the union is out of control, I don’t know how to fix that, I’ll be the first to admit. But the fact is, voting down the budget or cutting OTHER things from the budget A) doesn’t solve the problem of the teachers taking too large a chunk, and B) harms my kids as services or opportunities are taken away. I feel like the only way to ensure my kids keep getting the truly quality education that they get in Ridgewood (and if you don’t believe me, just go live somewhere else like California and see what your money does or doesn’t get you), the only thing I can do is hold on to what they’ve got… I’m just being honest here. You can see the budget yourself…exactly which line item would you suggest they reduce, if they can’t reduce the teachers’ salaries and benefits? Make a suggestion…let’s hear it. I’m not hiding behind the kids, I’m trying to save their education as best I can. What are you doing to HELP? “
“And one more thing…you keep complaining about taxes going up like it’s something unique to Ridgewood. From 2000-2006, Ridgewood’s level of tax increase ranked 448th lowest out of 568 communities in New Jersey. That doesn’t exactly place us in the forefront of rampant tax increases. I’m not using the “everybody’s doing it” excuse, just giving you a little perspective…the cost of education and its illogical tie to property taxes is a statewide problem. Be honest, you don’t really care about the education budget or how much is spent on our kids. You only care because of what it does to your own property taxes. If the costs were buried in some statewide budget like in many other states, you’d be content to let the school board use its judgment to do what they felt was right. That bothers me. Fix the real problem, the whacky funding formula for NJ schools. “
“wait a minute… you can’t compare percent increase to the dollar increase. An increase of $10 million in five years is not the same as a 15% increase in other districts.
As per the quality of education… I doubt the it has increased by $20M to the quality of education I received 10 years ago in the RPS.
Salaries going up is one thing… and my friends are teachers and I support quality education… but.. . The increase is not just for salaries and what are the kids gaining from this?
Building maintenance should be part of the regular budget. New books should be part of the regular budget, and IT improvements should be included in the regular budget, not a supplement to the annual tax increase…
What new programs were created as a result of the tax increase?
Why do I have to volunteer for the BOE when I can voice my opinion as a resident and make a bigger impact?
Why compare Ridgewood to California when we can compare it to 5 years ago? Is the budget increase merely sustaining performance levels or are we seeing a difference. I would rather pay more to see a significant difference if it could be justified as opposed to merely the status quo of raising taxes. Why do Ridgewood residents pay Ridgewood taxes and still send their kids to private schools?
Honestly the biggest change in RPS education that I have noticed is a lack of interest of parents to hold their kids accountable. I am not saying that you are one of them, but kids these days are spoiled rotten and parents blame the schools before disciplining their kids. When was the last time you heard of parents checking their kids homework, or their class notes, etc. Maybe you are a good parent, but I grew up with kids in this town that were not as motivated as I was because their parents were always on vacation.
MAYBE WE SHOULD BE HOLDING THE PARENTS MORE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR SCHOOLS AND NOT JUST THROW MONEY AT THE PROBLEM. “
“Let’s not confuse the issues. Parenting skills may be a problem, but the discussion here is on the school budget. Here’s what’s worrying me. In his book, “The World is Flat,” Tom Friedman makes the argument that the US is woefully behind in training the next generation of science and technology experts, inventors and scientists. That means everything from doctors, engineers, astronauts, mathemeticians, comptuer scientists, accountants, etc. Who IS training for these positions? Pretty much every country that can, but especially, China, Korea and India. So what does Ridgewood propose to help turn this trend around? Believe it or not “a rich, humanities-based education.” Is this the right way to go? Did anybody on the BoE ask this question? No. The televised budget discussion was a touchy-feely session where all in attendance looked relieved that they couldn’t come up with a penetrating important question–or, didn’t have to answer one.Who is going to inherit the high-tech legacies and companies built by Jobs, Wozniak, Watson and Grove? Apparently, not us Ridgewoodians.We’re digging our own graves. One budget cycle at a time.”
>Man about Town
>Features reviews of restaurants and local businesses
Puzo’s at 16 West Ridgewood Ave (201)445-3332 features a large selection of gourmet pizza’s and customized specialized pizza’s. More than just a pizza parlor Puzzo’s offers a full range of Italian favorites as well as hot and cold sandwiches. The atmosphere is friendly fun and casual making Puzo’s a great place to grab quite bit for lunch.
Email the blog if you have any of your own ideas [email protected]
>Assembly Challenger Calls on Rumana to Protect Marriage
>Caliguire for State Senate
Schweighardt and Ginty for State Assembly
Press Release
Assembly Challenger Calls on Rumana to Protect Marriage
Ginty Demands that Rumana Refuse to Conduct Bogus and Misguided
“Civil Union” Ceremonies
(Ridgewood, March 26, 2007) – John P. Ginty, a conservative candidate for the Republican nomination for the State Assembly in District 40, today called on Wayne Mayor Scott Rumana to stand tall in the face of judicial and legislative assaults on the institution of marriage in New Jersey.
Ginty noted that Rumana indicated in last Friday’s edition of The Record newspaper that he will officiate as mayor at gay “civil union” ceremonies, for a fee of $100 per event.
In the article (“Civil Unions, Marriages are Free”, page L-3, The Record, March 23, 2007), Rumana criticized several Wayne councilmen, including Ginty’s running mate in the state assembly primary campaign, Wayne Councilman Joseph G. Schweighardt, for voting against the fast tracking of the imposition of fees for both civil marriages and “civil unions”. Rumana said, “The state law is the state law. This is not our battle.”
Ginty disagreed and said, “Scott Rumana is wrong. This is our battle, and if Rumana wants to be a Republican Assemblyman from District 40 he had better figure out what his real position is on the protection of marriage in New Jersey. Any mayor who agrees to officiate at these bogus ‘civil union’ ceremonies is complicit in the campaign to wreck marriage and the family in this state.”
“It looks like Rumana is primarily concerned with how much money the town can collect when he conducts these nonsensical ‘civil union’ ceremonies”, Ginty continued. “Rumana and his running mates, Kevin O’Toole and David Russo, will be held to account by the Republican voters in this district based upon their campaign’s commitment to protect traditional marriage and the family in the state legislature.”
The following municipalities are included in state legislative district #40: Cedar Grove Township, Franklin Lake Borough, Little Falls Township, Mahwah Township, Midland Park Borough, Oakland Borough, the Village of Ridgewood, Ringwood Borough, Verona Township, Wanaque Borough, Wayne Township, Wyckoff Township.
###
Paid for by The Election Fund of Caliguire, Schweighardt, and Ginty
