July 15,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Swim Team End of Year Dinner will be held on July 20th .
Friday, July 20 at 6 PM – 9 PM
Next Week · 66–84°F Partly Cloudy
Ridgewood Parks & Recreation
259 N Maple Ave, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
Citizens We have lost control of our town..but will pay the invoices for these scandalous errors and boondoggles for decades..many will see the handwriting on the wall and sell..then the newbees will be fresh rubes for the VC and their takers to clean them out as well..because they see the future and it’s all for their backers to cleave off extra unearned value by over developing the town and packing up the loot and jetting off to Margaritaville.Folks we are being ripped off.Young families won’t be able to easily sell with multiple kids in VR free but taxed school systems and longer term future college and tax costs so high.we have been gamed folks
July 15,2018
Rebecca Eisen Ph.D. (CDC)
Ridgewood NJ, Tickborne diseases are on the rise and prevention should be on everyone’s mind, particularly during the spring, summer, and early-fall when ticks are most active. From May through July, people will get more tick bites and tickborne diseases than any other time of year in the United States. It’s especially important to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones (including pets) from ticks during this season, as well as any time during warmer months when you’re outside.
Many people do not know they are at risk. Each year, more than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported nationwide, while studies suggest the actual number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is more likely about 300,000. Despite these numbers, a recent national survey reported that nearly 20 percent of people surveyed in areas where Lyme disease is common were unaware that it was a risk. Additionally, half of people interviewed in another study reported that they did not routinely take steps to protect themselves against tick bites during warm weather.
No sure way to predict how bad a season will be
Preventing Lyme and other tickborne diseases is important every year. Predicting the number of Lyme disease or other tickborne infections, and how an upcoming season will compare to previous years, is complicated. Ticks that spread disease to people can have up to 2 to 3-year lifecycles, and many factors can affect their numbers, including temperature, rainfall, humidity, and the amount of available hosts for the ticks to feed on, such as mice, deer and other animals. In any given year, the number of ticks in an area will be different from region to region, state to state, and even county to county.
Know the risk
What is known is that regardless of the number of ticks this year, people should be aware that ticks could be in the areas where they live, work and play. Everyone should take steps to help protect themselves and their loved ones, including pets, While not all ticks carry the same diseases, ticks can be found in every state. Throughout the continental United States, some diseases occur more frequently in some areas than others:
Lyme disease risk is focused in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest, with pockets of lower risk along the west coast. However, the range of the tick that transmits Lyme disease also is expanding. While nearly 95 percent of Lyme disease cases occur in 14 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin, infected ticks can also be found in neighboring states and in some areas of Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
Other less known, but serious tickborne diseases include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus, and babesiosis. These diseases tend to be concentrated in specific parts of the country. Babesiosis and anaplasmosis occur in the same areas as Lyme disease—mainly in the Northeast and upper Midwest. More than 60 percent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases occur in five states: Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
Take steps to protect against ticks
Taking steps to protect yourself and your family from getting a tick bite is the best defense against Lyme disease and other tickborne infections. Whether you’re working, enjoying your yard, camping, hiking, hunting or otherwise in the outdoors, CDC recommends that people:
Avoid areas with high grass and leaf litter and walk in the center of trails when hiking.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone. EPA’s helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions.
Use products that contain permethrin to treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents or look for clothing pre-treated with permethrin.
Treat dogs for ticks. Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and to some tickborne diseases. They may also bring ticks into your home. Talk to your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products for your dog.
Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find crawling ticks before they bite you.
Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon returning from tick-infested areas. Parents should help children check thoroughly for ticks. Remove any ticks right away.
Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed.
July 15,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Board of Education will have two regular board meetings this summer :
July 16 2018 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Education Center, 49 Cottage Place
August 27 2018 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Education Center, 49 Cottage Place
Ridgewood Board of Education Candidate Information:
Monday, July 30, 2018 at 4:00 PM is the deadline to file a nominating petition. The petition must be filed with the Bergen County Clerk’s Office, One Bergen County Plaza, Room 130,
Hackensack, NJ.
The candidate petition is for Ridgewood Board of Education Trustee ( School Board member) for the November election. Candidates must obtain at least 10 signatures on a petition to be nominated, one of which may be the candidate. Petition signatures must be registered to vote in Ridgewood. ***It is recommended to collect about 15 signatures. New Jersey School Boards Association has created a Candidate Kit with additional information and instructions for those interested in running for open seats. For more information and candidate kit: https://www.njsba.org/…/membership-…/school-board-candidacy/
July 15,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, to celebrate National Ice Cream Day, Ice Cream by Mike will be offering a Buy One, Get One Half Off special, on Sunday, July 15, 2018,
Purchase any size cone, cup or shake at the regular price and get another for half price (of equal of lesser value). This special cannot be combined with any other offer, is limited to one per customer, and available while supplies last.
Ice Cream by Mike
(201) 343-4514
305 East Ridgewood Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07451
People it will never be over they are so embarrassed one of the biggest factors in village and Street right under their own nose is. So much for the surveillance and police department. Others know about it they just kept real quiet didn’t day. Think about it how do you steal $1 million and you don’t do a day in jail. In this case it came down to all the skeletons in the closet. And they did not want them to come out.
July 14,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Public Library is pleased to announce that hoopla now supports Amazon Alexa devices. Ridgewood Library cardholders can play borrowed audiobooks and music albums directly on their Amazon Echo, Dot, Spot, and Show devices. Check out this quick video that shows Alexa and hoopla in action and contact us with any questions.
125 N Maple Ave
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Call (201) 670-5600
Alexa, meet hoopla! from hoopla digital on Vimeo.
July 14,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Taking significant steps to begin the process of fully and fairly funding New Jersey school districts, the Murphy Administration today released new school funding distribution totals based on increased appropriations and modernizations made to the school funding formula. In total, almost $8.5 billion will be disbursed to the state’s 577 school districts, including an additional $68 million to bring aid in balance for underfunded districts.
“A stronger, fairer New Jersey means making sure that New Jersey’s schools are receiving the funds they need to advance academic excellence for our students,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “After years of neglect, we are turning the page to bring a balanced approach to school aid by removing the growth cap on funding increases and finally beginning the process of fully implementing the state’s school funding formula established in 2008. ”
Nearly every district in the state will receive at least 58 percent of the full uncapped aid as calculated according to the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA). Compared to FY 2018, an additional $351 million in K-12 school aid will be allocated to 391 districts. Another $32 million will be redistributed from 172 districts receiving more than their uncapped aid amounts to those districts that are underfunded.
“By providing additional resources to districts that have been significantly underfunded, this budget starts a path toward the Governor’s goal of a stronger and fairer school funding structure,” said Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet.
The District and school funding totals can be found on the NJDOE’s State Aid Summaries webpage.https://nj.gov/education/stateaid/1819/
The Governor’s FY 2019 budget also includes the largest increase in preschool funding in more than a decade, totaling $688 million, $32.6 million over FY 2018 to support existing preschool programs. In addition, Governor Murphy’s commitment to expanding access to preschool includes a total of $50 million to fund high quality new preschool seats in districts ready to grow their programs.
Other education initiatives in the FY 2019 budget include:
$195 million in extraordinary special education aid that is provided through an application process to reimburse districts for eligible high-cost special education services;
$5.4 million for the nonpublic technology initiative, an increase of $2.4 million;
$2 million in funding for a new Secondary School Computer Science Education Initiative, which will be used to support approved applications for the expansion and support of advanced computer science course offerings;
$400,000 for STEM Dual Enrollment and Early College High Schools; and
$750,000 for a new High Poverty School District Minority Teacher Recruitment Program.
Dist District 2017-18 Total K-12 Aid : Ridgewood Village 2,453,765
2018-19 Governor’s Budget Message (GBM) Total K-12 Aid 2,586,693
2018-19 Approp. Act Revised Total K-12 Aid 3,477,429
Transportation Aid 620,535
Special Education Categorical Aid 2,409,152
Security Aid 447,742
2018-19 Approp. Act Revised Total K12 Aid2 3,477,429
One Year K-12 Aid Difference 1,023,664
Aid Percent Difference 41.72%
July 14,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood
Wyckoff NJ , the National Weather service has issued a coastal hazard message ,saying there is a high risk of “rip currents” . Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away
from shore, which occur most often at low spots or breaks in sandbars and near structures such as groins, jetties, and piers.
Talk to lifeguards and beach officials to learn about any surf hazards and heed their advice. Pay attention to flags and posted signs and swim in life guarded areas.
Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float, and do not swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.
from the desk of Assemblyman Kevin J. Rooney:
TIP: What to do if You Get Pulled into a Riptide
When you’re at the beach, you need to be aware of the dangers of the sun and surf, even as you enjoy the beautiful weather, so that your beach day is as safe and perfect as possible! That’s why it’s important to protect your health and life by being aware of one of the big hidden risks of the ocean: unexpected riptides that come up out of nowhere.
So what exactly is a riptide? The name itself is a bit deceptive, because it’s not a tide at all, it’s a strong current. According to the United States Lifesaving Association: “Rip currents are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from shore. They typically extend from the shoreline, through the surf zone, and past the line of breaking waves.” These kinds of currents can occur in a large body of water with waves that break, even large lakes.
Here are some tips on how to avoid, escape, and survive if you are stuck in a riptide:
Watch the waves: Your best assurance of staying safe from riptides is simply knowing that the risk is out there. That way, you can stay aware of dangerous conditions, and know when the possibility of a riptide is highest. Naturally, you need to keep an eye out for storms coming in, but it’s also important, even during nice weather, to notice if waves are breaking hard in one spot and gently in another: the perfect conditions for a riptide to develop.
Don’t go out over your head: In general, one of the best ways to stay safe in a large body of water is to keep from going out over your head. You should make sure that you can always put both feet on the ocean floor and still breathe with your nose and mouth above water. That way, you have a bit of an assurance that, even if you are caught in a current, you’ll be able to anchor yourself in place.
Keep your feet down: If you do find yourself caught in a strong current that feels like a riptide, make sure to keep your feet firmly grounded. Having this point of connection to the ground helps to stabilize your body and keeps the waves from yanking your feet out from under you. If your feet do get swept away, do your best to reconnect to the ground as quickly as possible and dig your feet in.
Call attention to yourself: Even if you’re a strong swimmer, a riptide can conquer you immediately if you’re taken unaware. That’s why it’s important that you call out for help as soon as you feel that you’ve lost control. Get the attention of a lifeguard or another beachgoer by shouting, “Help!” rather than screaming, which might go unnoticed at a busy, noisy beach.
SWIM PARALLEL TO THE SHORE: If you can swim, try to break free of the current by swimming in a line parallel to the shore. Don’t try to turn around and swim straight back to shore, because then you’ll be struggling straight against the current. Swimming parallel can help you break free from the flow of the current, which tends to be quite narrow.
Don’t fight it: By the same token, you shouldn’t fight against the flow of the water. The water is immeasurably larger and stronger than you are, and trying to fight the current directly will simply exhaust you. If you can’t swim sideways to break free, simply allow yourself to be pulled in the hopes that you’ll swing free in the process.
Keep calm: This one is tricky, but extremely important to remember: if you’re stuck in a riptide, you need to stay calm. Stay mellow, float along, and try to breathe deeply and normal. If you panic, your breathing will pick up and you may exhaust yourself, pass out, or even inhale water by mistake.
Float on your back: If all else fails, roll yourself onto your back and push your hips up to create a pocket of air at the small of your back. This is the easiest way to survive in the ocean, especially if you aren’t a strong swimmer, and your best bet if you find yourself caught far out at sea, away from shore. By floating, you stop expending the energy of struggling and swimming, and give yourself the necessary rest to break free of the current or grab onto something when it gets weaker or you have an opportunity. That way, you have a much better chance of getting yourself free from a scary situation!
July 14,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Proposed Parking Lot Reconfiguration – Train Station Expansion
Proposed parking lot reconfiguration details are:
One bench, center of island, to be provided by others.
11 decorative streetlights, matching pattern used in the Village
An increase of 38 parking spaces
15 trees are to be removed. All were examined by the Village Arborist for health, most were in poor health.
14 trees are to be planted, 11 of which will be red oaks
44 of the reconfigured spaces will be for compact cars, with a stall size of 9-wide by 16-feet deep.
One way counter-clockwise circulation in the parking lot.
22-foot wide circulation lane.
Center island is to be 14-feet wide.(It is currently approx. 33 feet wide, at the widest section)
Sidewalk in the center island to be 5-feet in width.
Standard 9-foot by 18-foot parking stalls surrounding the center island
Center island sidewalk to be tinted a dark color (as per SHPO).
Existing lot has 107 parking spaces. Reconfigured lot will have 145 parking spaces.
Face it, folks. The village council and Board of Ed are treating the residents of Ridgewood poorly. We are open checkbooks for them. They need to treat our money like they treat their own household budgets, very carefully. I do not spend money that I do not have, why are they paying for things that will never make sense, like a huge parking garage that they already know will lose money. On top of that, buying property so someone else doesn’t buy it and develop it? This is bad. How about creating zoning ordinances that help maintain Ridgewood’s character to made large development unattractive and too difficult that developers will be scared away. I grew up in a NJ town where they have never let in franchises and fast food. No DD, no Starbucks. It is a thriving town where they have kept development reasonable and well thought out. Why can’t we do that here?
It is imperative that I a Ridgewood resident for the past 40 years have the opportunity to CONTINUE to vote on the school budget. The cost of the election is insignificant compared to the millions of dollars the Ridgewood council spends on non NECESSITIES. . Voting on the school budget is a right and a necessity. I don’t care what other communities do. I don’t care what other individuals do. I do what is right, what is my right as a citizen of this country. It is my right to have a voice in deciding the school budget which makes up a majority of my property taxes and and and above all, determines HOW MONEY is spent for the education of children.
It’s great in theory, voting on the budget, but in practice it does nothing.
Learn from history, the few times the budget did not pass the law says it goes to the village council for a vote.
Each time the village council passed the vote, under pressure from parents AND because the state mandates a budget must be passed by a certain date……. a date that is impossible to meet if 5 people who have lots of other responsibilities are now going to begin the budget process over all over again.
In other words — your vote is meaningless, that is why several years ago the vote was taken away from the citizens so that at least we could salvage the $$$$ spent on the meaningless vote.
The pressure from the teachers and the parents will be even stronger on the village council in this age or facebook rants and threats.
I caution newcomers….. nothing is as simple as it sounds, the state, the feds and all of the unions have all of the local boards and councils in NJ tied up so that they can achieve very little meaningful change……. if they wanted to.
Keep that in mind the next time you vote for a big government, free wheeling spending politician.
Hold on to your wallet. —- there’s a lot more coming with Murphy
July 13,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, after Wednesday council meeting and the confusion over the actual cost of renovations to the Elks Club ,it reminds old time residents of the “golden toilet fiasco of 2009 , and the Village Hall renovation fiasco of 1999.
https://theridgewoodblog.net/hurricane-floyd-and-the-village-hall-renovation-fiasco/
https://theridgewoodblog.net/the-big-flush-golden-toilet-outrage-grows/
The garage is being built solely for the apartments who will then get a quantity discount that is lower than the actual cost to Ridgewood. Have you noticed the builders offering to pay part of the construction? Restaurants and stores much beyond Walnut will not get one bit of additional business from the garage but even those few won’t commit a cent to the construction. As many said, before you build a garage, see what will happen if Ridgewood starts enforcing repeat parking, marking the tires in such a way that they can’t be rubbed off or just rolling the car a little bit. Easily done with 2 marks on each outside tire at different locations so one would always be showing. Also these business complainers who blame everyone but their employees should enforce the parking rule as well. The lot where they wish to build the garage could be repaved and restriped with diagonal parking at each end and restriping of all the center lanes would provide much more parking than the garage is going to actually allow non-commuters if villagers cannot use but the ground floor. The ground floor as presently described in the garage will not even give as as much space as we currently have without the re-striping. If on the remaining downtown streets they would convert to diagonal parking on one side and parallel on the other, we would gain a lot of spaces. And lastly, take away the favored businesses extra reserved spots where their valet picks up, or where it has to be marked yellow for no parking because an illegal wall blocks parking spots. Do either of these precious to the Village properties pay the town for the parking meter charge that would be normally earned with removal of their illegal blockades? Two meters to a spot would really add up as you know they would be constantly used. Since Susan and Raymond think the Village will just curl up and die without this garage and are going to put it there regardless of objections–why don’t you two take it upon yourselves to count the total spots gained by restriping just in that one parking lot and the on the street parking? And removing the illegal obstacles! If you really wanted an accurate count of what is possible, why don’t you include as a second count all our current parking lots after repaving and restriping? I am sure you could easily come up with over a hundred. Yes, that may not help the commuters much, but who is Ridgewood really for? The commuters who park, maybe grab a coffee and a newspaper, go to work, return, unpark their car and go home? What money or convenience does Ridgewood gain from that? And again, a reduced fee for monthly parking that will not cover our costs. Or for the residents who you are expecting to pay much more in taxes to provide a convenience for the builders (do they leave any money here?). Instead you are forcing Mt Carmel members to use your garage on Sundays and other days that Church is in session (and I’m sure it won’t be free!). I’m going to insult you here but I wish you would rise up out of the poppy field in Oz, put your brains back in your head, and actually think and listen for a change. Are any of you, except Bernie, capable of doing that?
Also, many of the parishioners are handicapped or have several small children and it is a long walk from the garage even to the side door of Church.
