I don’t think the point was merely that they spoke and left, but that they left as a group, confirming the impression that the entire display had been organized and orchestrated rather than representing a number of individuals who wished to make statements on the same issue. Yet they had previously been told that this issue would be on the agenda of the following council meeting, which would have been the time to discuss it. And if anybody does not recognize the Aronsohn touch, they have not been watching. And by the way, I am not very interested in hearing what somebody who lives in Elmwood Park (or wherever it was) thinks about which flags should fly in Ridgewood.
So, someone who is gay feels very proud of himself. Fair enough, it is his business. Now to express his pride he wants a flag flying in the middle of the village. Why? Can’t I also have a flag flying for myself? I am very proud of being a straight man. Where is the equality here? I claim I am being discriminated if a rainbow flag goes up and mine doesn’t. The only flag I want to see in the middle of the village is the flag of the USA which represents the pride of all Americans be it straight, gay, yellow, brown, black, white or whatever you want to be. In my opinion if you feel like the US flag doesn’t represent you you need to fly your own flag in your property.
The following info was taken from the 2010 “Open Space Committee Report to The Village Council”: The Village has been highly successful in securing state and county Green Acres Funds of approx. 5.1 million dollars toward the 10 million dollar acquisition cost of the three properties: Habernickel, Schedler and expansion of Citizens Park. We still remain eligible for additional grants in the amount of 2.1 million dollars for the properties. At a previous council meeting at the time, former VM James Ten Hove said the price of a large field at Schedler would be about 9 million dollars. The council dismissed any development there due to the cost and lack of funds. When I hear people say we paid over 7 million dollars of tax payers money for the Schedler property, I think they must be referring to ” alternative facts.”
you must be new in town if you think this is the worst council ever. This council is honest and is not in the pockets of the developers like Aronsohn and his crew were. Unlike the previous people, there are no ethics violations pending against any of them (Aronsohn and Sonenfeld). Unlike the previous group, no one on this council attempted to destroy a person’s career in order to keep them from running for office (Aronsohn). Unlike the previous council, no one on this council has conflicts of interest with developers and Valley (Hauck, Aronsohn, Pucciarelli). Unlike the previous council, this council engages in friendly dialog with people who come to meetings instead of calling them names like terrorist, stalker, etc (Hauck, Pucciarelli, Aronsohn, Sonenfeld). Unlike the previous council, this council does not have their spouses posting trash about their colleagues on social media (Hauck). Unlike the previous council, no one has signed a police complaint against any of them for their outrageous behaviour. Yep, you must be new in town if you think this is the worst council ever.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police, EMS, and Fire Department personnel were dispatched to aid an adult male who reportedly fell off of a NJ Transit bus at the intersection of East Ridgewood and North Pleasant Avenues late Thursday afternoon, 04/27. Preliminary results of an on-scene evaluation conducted by EMTs determined that the victim was apparently uninjured from the fall, but likely highly intoxicated. He was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital for further evaluation/examination. The bus was released by Ridgewood PD and continued on its route.
Ridgewood NJ, at Wednesday nights council meet ,Jan Phillips once again attempted to strong arm the council in the name of civility by pushing them to hang a Gay Pride flag over Village Hall. Many will remember her as the one who called everyone “GRANDSTANDERS” who objected to Aronsohn’s giant garage fiasco.
If Susan and company do not put the flag up, Jan will make it her mission to brand all of them as anti-gay which is completely untrue.
A reader wrote us ….
So, Last night as I was watching the Village Council meeting from the comfort of my easy chair, I could hear what sounded like a rather large crowd and wondered what everyone might be there for. Could it be Schedler? Clinton Avenue? Parking? I was pretty surprised when people started going up to the microphone talking about hanging the Gay Pride flag over Village Hall. This was obviously an orchestrated demonstration of power and pride by people who fully support inclusion, welcoming, understanding, and civility toward non-heterosexuals. I am one of those people. I not only support LGBTQ, but I support all minorities, everyone who is marginalized, I support interracial and inter-religious marriage, immigrants’ rights, religious freedom, inclusion of all with physical handicaps, and every single nationality on our planet. I do not support, however, putting up one flag to indicate acceptance of one group that has most unfortunately been discriminated against. If the Village Council opts to do this, then what is to stop someone who wishes to have the Confederate flag hang over Village Hall for one month, or perhaps the newest addition to the lineup, the “Straight Flag.” We could wind up with the flag of the month, pretty much diluting the overall message of inclusion. I like to think that our Village welcomes everyone. It is not necessary to hang a flag to indicate that one group is accepted, when in fact all “groups” are accepted. I was about to get in my car and drive over to the meeting to say this, but I was afraid I would be branded as anti-gay. Sadly, a quick condemnation of someone for stating their feelings is all to common, and I would be devastated if I had to start defending myself. I hope that our elected officials will be able to say “no” to this request. Although the request is well-intended, hanging this one flag welcoming one group would be wrong.
Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing Statutory Prohibitions on Federal Control of Education
EXECUTIVE ORDER
– – – – – – –
ENFORCING STATUTORY PROHIBITIONS ON FEDERAL CONTROL OF EDUCATION
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to restore the proper division of power under the Constitution between the Federal Government and the States and to further the goals of, and to ensure strict compliance with, statutes that prohibit Federal interference with State and local control over education, including section 103 of the Department of Education Organization Act (DEOA) (20 U.S.C. 3403), sections 438 and 447 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), as amended (20 U.S.C. 1232a and 1232j), and sections 8526A, 8527, and 8529 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7906a, 7907, and 7909), it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive branch to protect and preserve State and local control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, and personnel of educational institutions, schools, and school systems, consistent with applicable law, including ESEA, as amended by ESSA, and ESEA’s restrictions related to the Common Core State Standards developed under the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
Sec. 2. Review of Regulations and Guidance Documents. (a) The Secretary of Education (Secretary) shall review all Department of Education (Department) regulations and guidance documents relating to DEOA, GEPA, and ESEA, as amended by ESSA.
(b) The Secretary shall examine whether these regulations and guidance documents comply with Federal laws that prohibit the Department from exercising any direction, supervision, or control over areas subject to State and local control, including:
(i) the curriculum or program of instruction of any elementary and secondary school and school system;
(ii) school administration and personnel; and
(iii) selection and content of library resources, textbooks, and instructional materials.
(c) The Secretary shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, rescind or revise any regulations that are identified pursuant to subsection (b) of this section as inconsistent with statutory prohibitions. The Secretary shall also rescind or revise any guidance documents that are identified pursuant to subsection (b) of this section as inconsistent with statutory prohibitions. The Secretary shall, to the extent consistent with law, publish any proposed regulations and withdraw or modify any guidance documents pursuant to this subsection no later than 300 days after the date of this order.
Sec. 3. Definition. The term “guidance document” means any written statement issued by the Department to the public that sets forth a policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue or an interpretation of a statutory or regulatory issue, including Dear Colleague letters, interpretive memoranda, policy statements, manuals, circulars, memoranda, pamphlets, bulletins, advisories, technical assistance, and grants of applications for waivers.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT’s spring rail schedule change continues the effort to best match equipment and timetables to customers’ travel needs. Highlights of the plan, to go into effect on May 7th, include adding additional seating capacity to ease overcrowding on heavily traveled trains and adjusting the schedules on certain trains to provide improved connections at Secaucus and Newark Penn Station in response to customer feedback. An additional weekday evening stop at Newark Airport also will be available for North Jersey Coast Line customers.
The following is a summary of some of the improvements:
Easing weekday overcrowding:
Main Line train #1206, the 8:22 a.m. arrival in Hoboken from Waldwick, will add an additional car, making it a total of seven cars.
Extended connection times at Secaucus:
Eight Main/Bergen County (ML/BC) and Pascack Valley Line (PVL) trains in the late afternoon and early evening will depart Hoboken several minutes later to extend connection times at Secaucus from seven minutes to ten minutes. This is in response to customer feedback received at a recent “We Are Listening” forum in Secaucus suggesting improved connection times.
#1271 – (BC) Departs Hoboken 2 minutes later at 6:02 p.m. #1175 – (BC) Departs Hoboken 3 minutes later at 7:18 p.m. #1277 – (BC) Departs Hoboken 1 minute later at 8:41 p.m. #1127 – (ML) Departs Hoboken 1 minute later at 7:46 p.m. #1129 – (ML) Departs Hoboken 1 minute later at 8:46 p.m.
#1641 – (PVL) Departs Hoboken 3 minutes later at 7:29 p.m.
#1643 – (PVL) Departs Hoboken 3 minutes later at 8:23 p.m.
#1645 – (PVL) Departs Hoboken 2 minutes later at 9:44 p.m. to Spring Valley
Adjustments to accommodate customer travel patterns
NEC train #3817, the 6:34 a.m. departure from PSNY to Trenton will depart PSNY 5 minutes later at 6:39 a.m.
NEC train #3897, the 12:14 a.m. departure from PSNY to Trenton will arrive in Trenton 6 minutes later at 1:55 a.m.
NJCL train #3269, the 5:34 p.m. departure from PSNY to Long Branch will no longer stop at Secaucus to improve Raritan Valley Line connections at Newark Penn Station. Train #3267 will add a Secaucus stop at 5:35 p.m.
NJCL train #3271, the 5:52 p.m. departure from PSNY to Long Branch will depart PSNY 3 minutes later at 5:55 p.m.
NJCL train #3283, the 8:22 p.m. departure from PSNY to Long Branch, will make a stop at Newark Airport at 8:46 p.m.
IMPORTANT CUSTOMER NOTE: Customers are advised to carefully check the new timetables, which are available at major stations and online at www.njtransit.com, for changes that may affect their itinerary. Customers with questions may call NJ TRANSIT at 973-275-5555
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The Centers for Disease Control says a deadly superbug fungus has hit hospitals in the United States, primarily in the Tri-State Area.
As CBS2’s Meg Baker reports, it’s an infection that can easily be misidentified and become deadly, and now health officials are on high alert.
“The organism can be spread patient to patient as well as environmental surfaces which make it unique in that regard,” Dr. Neil Gaffin said.
Gaffin is an infectious disease specialist at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey — which has not had any cases of the dangerous superbug.
He explains it’s a yeast known as Candida auris that is being spread around hospitals, mainly around New York and New Jersey.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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/)
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.
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.
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.
