the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, out recent post of confusing signs of dogs are or are not allowed in the park gave rise to several readers sending photos of some strange signs around town .
A Sign of the Times ?
Tag: Ridgewood Parks
One sign says yes, the other sign says no?
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Regardless of how hard you tried, you couldn’t make something like this up. One sign says dogs ok and the other says no.
Reader says We Need Cameras
Yes, placing at least a temporary camera in places where problems have been identified would make a lot of sense and cost very little. We are so lucky to have curbside trash pickup FREE roughly twice a month. There is no excuse for this laziness and yes, commission of a crime. The trouble is that once trash begins to accumulate, it’s seen as a free zone. Not true. We should all care about our parks.
Reader Commends Ellie Gruber for Pointing Out the Dunham Trail Dumping Issue
Bravo to Ellie Gruber for making this public. The HHK brook bordered our former property and while we did not have people dumping directly there, we always had garbage and debris floating down the brook from storm drains. I would collect plastic bottles, styrofoam cups and plastic lids, straws, tennis balls, plastic bags and a variety of other garbage on a daily basis. Just too much litter all over and little or no respect for our few remaining wild spaces. Members of the throw away, convenience society are also very lazy and selfish.
Neighbors Accused on Dumping at Dunham Trail in Ridgewood
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, at Wednesday’s Village council meeting resident Ellie Gruber recited instances of what she referred to as repeated resident dumping at Dunham Trail in Ridgewood.
According to the Ridgewood Wildscape Association Dunham Trail, a 1/4 mile, peaceful walking trail alongside the Ho Ho Kus Brook, stretches between Grove Street and Spring Avenue. The trail features beautiful views of the brook, with its two small dams and sandstone wall, butterflies and many birds, especially kingfishers and woodpeckers, plus several very old sycamore trees. The wooded areas are thick with trees and bushes.
Ms. Gruber went on to describe the poor condition of the trail due to erosion , but focused primarily on what appeared to be neighbors dumping yard waste and landscaping debris on the trail.
Whose responsibility is it to empty the cans in the Ridgewood parks?
October 20, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, This garbage can is overflowing with dog-poop that has been carefully bagged by the responsible owners. But the can is totally jammed.
The Dunham Trail which runs between Grove Street and Spring Avenue. It seems dog owners and dogs always get such a bad rap from the haters in town……but here you have a clear example that the owners are absolutely trying their best to pick up all the poop, even from a woodsy nature trail, yet no one empties the garbage can.
Whose responsibility is it to empty the cans in the Village parks?
Reader says Same Group Behind the Garage is Behind Destroying Van Neste Square in Ridgewood
Paul Vaggianos was the first to get up at the mic at a town council meeting a year or two ago and ask that Van Neste be changed to accommodate lighting at night and entertainment every weekend.
Vaggianos said, “Let’s bring everyone together at Van Nest on the weekends.”
I obviously remember that. I was very saddened by his suggestion. Paul Aronsohn as mayor at the time was very receptive. I spoke against the idea at council meetings. I tried. I love Van Neste as a quiet park as it is now, an oasis of calm and beauty midst the busy downtown. Very charming invention!! Let’s keep it that way. Paul Vaggianos was happy with the big garage at Hudson. I wasn’t and wrote and spoke against it from day one. Vaggianos is a business owner in town and has influence , I have no influence. I think it would be wonderful to preserve Ridgewood a for future generations to experience, no expansion, not more congested. A town with easy accessibility to the Big Apple but with a small town charming quality. And yes, Van Neste is a big part of that as it is right in the center of the CBD. It says something by virtue of letting people experience of oasis of natural beauty and quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a busy but small and charming downtown. ( I love that oasis ……sentence I made up)
Reader says Twinney Pound is a Mess
I just took a walk to Twinney’s (Aug. 4, 10 a.m). I was shocked to see how much the POND is NARROWED due to plants taking over.
Are those the plants, the milkweed that the Ridgewood Conservancy planted? Those plants must be removed or pond will disappear very soon. I will be glad to help.
The pond wooded area is heaven sent. I was greeted by a beautiful large bird with partial orange colored wings over-head that landed in a nearby tree and later showed off its wings again flying overhead and landing in another nearby tree. There were two loud quacking ducks conversing in the now very narrowed pond. The pathway had shady trees and the narrowness of the pathway was super fun to walk on. Real naturey and wild.
But it is IMPOSSIBLE TO WALK TO WATER’s EDGE due to the over growth of that plant life (milk weed?) In past years since 1980 I could ALWAYS WALK TO Wa edge and see tadpoles. Now I couldn’t get there at all, even to see mud.
What’s up Conservancy?
Its Up to All of Us to Keep Ridgewood Parks Clean
July 10th 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Memorial Park at Van Neste Square is used for many events during the summer . Both the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce and the Ridgewood Guild host events there . The Park is across from the Ridgewood bus station and on most days a Ridgewood police cruiser is parked near the Ridgewood avenue intersection.
Recently residents have reported that the park has become increasingly garbage strewn . Folks its up to every single one of us to keep Ridgewood a beautiful place .
Reader says No, let’s NOT give up a park to dogs!
No, let’s NOT give up a park to dogs! Imagine how well that would turn out! Our parks are for people. They have already been given up to sports diamonds and fields and fences, and when that particular sport isn’t in season, the place is a waste. Speaking of waste, what would be the criterion indicating that such an experiment had failed? Lawsuits from dog bites (inevitable)? Dog litter all over the place (laughably inevitable)? Are we really expecting any follow-up at all from the town for this when we get it for nothing else? People who merely felt intimidated or uncomfortable or allergic regarding the omnipresence of canines would not complain, but probably just stop going to the park. Is that fair? Dog owners are not uniformly respectful of other people and do not consistently keep their dogs in tow. I would hate being sniffed at, run after, leg-humped, and slobbered on or to watch it happen to others, or to have to extricate myself from a long leash–that happens already. Dogs smell, shed, and trail menstrual blood. And bark. Sorry, people, dogs are not people! Some towns may allow this, but plenty forbid dogs in parks. If we changed our ordinance, people from those towns would all come here with their dogs! This is NOT far fetched (to coin a phrase).When a reasonable ordinance is not respected, you don’t rewrite the ordinance–you enforce it. That’s the real answer: give tickets to dog owners outside the dog runs, which they are lucky to have. NO DOGS.
Reader says No need to change the ordinance, just keep bringing your dogs like you already are doing only please remember to clean up after them
The reality is that there are dogs in all the town parks every day, ordinance notwithstanding. Look at Habernickel, dogs run up there on and off leash. People walk their dogs through Van Neste and people congregate at Brookside field to let their dogs run loose and at any given ball game parents are on the sidelines with the family dogs. The ordinance is completely ignored just like so many of the stupid laws that exist in this town. No need to change the ordinance, just keep bringing your dogs like you already are doing only please remember to clean up after them. And oh by the way throw away your soda cans and candy wrappers in garbage cans while you are at it.
Ridgewood Residents Express a Time for Change for Dogs in Parks rules
july 7th 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, and idea who’s time has come for Ridgewood ? A lot of resident dog walkers think so .Anne LaGrange Loving said on Facebook the , “Twice I asked the former mayor whether the council might consider changing the ordinance that prohibits dogs from being in our parks. In conjunction with that, I suggested that “poopie bags” could be provided at each park.
Loving goes on to say ,”It is my observation that the garbage in our parks comes from careless humans – soda cans, water bottles, etc. Most dog owners I know are very careful about picking up after their pets. Of course there are some exceptions, just as there are some people who litter. The fact is that dogs are brought to parks all the time in Ridgewood in spite of the law – as they should be! So why not rescind this ordinance and at the same time provide these bags. I had even suggested a trial run on this – see how it goes. If the parks become filled with dog waste, well then the experiment is considered a failure and we can go back to prohibiting dogs. But it is worth a try.”
Saurabh Dani suggests that there could be certain instances when dogs would have to be prohibited, such as during the fireworks. But overall Loving asks ,”why can’t Paul Smith or Susanne Ziskis or Anne LaGrange Loving sit in the park with their dogs and enjoy a cup of coffee or a chat with a friend? It will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the former mayor that my suggestion, which I posed twice at public meetings, was met with dead silence. His style was to never answer questions from members of the public. Thankfully we now have a new mayor and new council members and we are all so happy that open dialog on matters small (like this one) and great (like HDH, Valley, parking, etc) will be the norm between elected officials and the public.”
Ridgewood Mayor Aronsohn disregards “No dogs in the Park ” Ordinance
file photo by William Thomas
April 28,2016
Anne Loving
Ridgewood NJ, Mayor Aronsohn After stating that my question would be answered “at the end of public comments” this evening, you then chose to ignore my question and end the meeting. Even when I attempted to remind you that I had an unanswered question, you refused to follow through on your word that questions would be answered and allow the Village Attorney to address the issue.
No problem, I answered it myself by looking at the Village Code (pasted below). As I already knew, dogs are prohibited from most Village parks, so you as well as anyone else who had dogs at the event last Sunday were in violation. How convenient that you chose to ignore my question rather than admit at the public meeting that you broke the law. And for your information most, if not all, of these parks have signs stating this law.
As I indicated, I completely disagree with this ordinance and firmly believe that dogs should absolutely be allowed in all Village Parks. It is my experience that humans create much more waste in parks than dogs do, as witnessed by the countless cigarette butts, soda cans, candy wrappers, and water bottles that are found scattered about. In general, I think dog-owners tend to be very cautious about picking up after their pets. Many towns even provide “poopie bag” dispensers to make clean-up extra convenient.
I would love to see this ordinance rescinded. But until or unless that happens, dogs are prohibited in the parks listed below. It is always good to know – and obey – the local laws, especially when you are an elected official.
§ 212-29Dogs.
Dogs are hereby prohibited from certain parks as follows: Citizens Park, Graydon Park, Maple Park, Pleasant Park, Twinney Pond Park, Van Neste Park and Veteran’s Memorial Field.
Wildscape – River Clean Up
All are welcome!
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE ANNUAL WILDSCAPE RIVER CLEANUP ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1-3pm AT MYSTERIOUS GYPSY POND, RIDGEWOOD RAIN OR SHINE!!!! IT IS ONLY FITTING WE DEDICATE THIS YEARS CLEANUP TO ‘ECO’ ED SCHWARTZ, OUR FRIEND AND SUPPORTER, WHO PLANNED AND SUPPORTED OUR FIRST CLEANUP AT GYPSY POND. HE IS GREATLY MISSED. WEAR OLD CLOTHES, OLD SHOES, LONG SLEEVES, PLEASE. GLOVES, RAKES, WADERS, BAGS ARE ALL GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY THE VILLAGE. DIRECTIONS: EITHER: ROCK ROAD EXTENSION, JUST BEFORE GOFFLE ROAD; OR GOFFLE ROAD, LEFT TURN ONTO ROCK ROAD. THERE WILL BE SIGNS. BRING YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FAMILY, AND JOIN US! www.ridgewoodwildscape.org : click on Events/Archives to see past photos Any questions: mandegruber@gmail.com
New research suggests nature walks are good for your brain
By Chris Mooney June 29 at 3:42 PM
In the past several months, a bevy of studies have added to a growing literature on the mental and physical benefits of spending time outdoors. That includes recent research showing that short micro-breaks spent looking at a nature scene have a rejuvenating effect on the brain — boosting levels of attention — and also that kids who attend schools featuring more greenery fare better on cognitive tests.
And Monday, yet another addition to the literature arrived — but this time with an added twist. It’s a cognitive neuroscience study, meaning not only that benefits from a nature experience were captured in an experiment, but also that their apparent neural signature was observed through brain scans.
The paper, by Stanford’s Gregory Bratman and several colleagues from the United States and Sweden, was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In it, 38 individuals who lived in urban areas, and who had “no history of mental disorder,” were divided into two groups — and asked to take a walk.
