Tag: Ridgewood Schools

>Many parents may be appalled by the “condom field trip”

As a parent of two 14 year olds, I can tell you that the best approach to teaching them about sexuality is direct and honest discussion that begins at home, and is reinforced by their sex ed program at school.

It may not be comfortable for some, but it may mean everything in terms of fostering positive attitudes about their sexuality and self-esteem.

We are living at a time when teenagers are more mature and are becoming sexually active at a much earlier age. It’s a little late to try to determine where to place the blame and I seriously doubt that preaching abstinence is going to be very effective. Humans are sexual beings.

We talk about safe sex practices with our kids as often as they will listen. As parents, I can tell you it makes us cringe to think that at 14 years old they may be sexually active. Still, we have accept that this indeed may be a reality, if not now, at some point in the not so distant future. We can’t pretend otherwise simply because it makes us more comfortable.

To be blunt, kids have a low tolerance for bullshit. They don’t want to be confused by a lot of half truths or sugar coated explanations and quite frankly, that’s not going to help them to make intelligent decisions for themselves.

Many parents may be appalled by the “condom field trip”. It’s too graphic, too explicit, etc. But if your kids learned anything that might keep them healthy and safe, in the long run, being appalled may be a small price and you might be thankful for lessons learned.

>All parties seeking dismissal of charges in Graydon Pool lawsuit
Friday, March 25, 2011
BY MICHAEL SEDON
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
STAFF WRITER

A web of litigation is still in Bergen County Superior Court relating to the 2008 drowning death of a 14-year-old boy at Graydon Pool.

“All the parties — Ridgewood, the Park family as third-party defendants and the Kim family as third-party defendants — have all filed motions to dismiss” all charges in the matter, said Neil S. Weiner, the Park family’s legal counsel. “A decision won’t be forthcoming until at least a couple of weeks, perhaps longer.”

Soo Hyeon Park, 14, drowned at Graydon Pool on July 15, 2008. The Park family was guests of the Kim family, who recently moved to Ridgewood at that time, and had joined Graydon Pool for the first year, according to the “factual and procedural history,” contained in court documents.

Initially, attorneys representing Park’s family filed an intent to sue, providing the village with notice that they intended to seek damages of up to $30 million. The boy’s family then filed a complaint in Bergen County Superior Court on Feb. 19, 2009, claiming the village was negligent in the drowning and sought judgment for “damages, punitive damages, interest, cost of suit and other such relief as the court deems proper,” according to the complaint.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/118633084_All_parties_seeking_dismissal_of_charges_.html

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>Montclair is reviewing a contract awarded to M. Disko Associates after an engineer who worked for the firm was charged with bid-rigging


Montclair reviews Edgemont Pond pact
Thursday, March 24, 2011
LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY MARCH 24, 2011, 1:26 AM
BY LINDA MOSS
THE MONTCLAIR TIMES
OF THE MONTCLAIR TIMES

Montclair is reviewing a contract, regarding Edgemont Pond improvements, after an engineer who worked for the firm the township retained was charged with bid-rigging in Union County.

Township Attorney Ira Karasick said that the municipality is reviewing a contract awarded to M. Disko Associates to do engineering work to prepare for $1 million in improvements to Edgemont Pond.

Last September the Township Council granted M. Disko Associates of Kenilworth, N.J., a $38,700 contract to provide engineering consulting services such as surveying, design, permit and construction inspection services, for the dredging and wall reconstruction of Edgemont Pond in Edgemont Memorial Park.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/118557484_Montclair_reviews_Edgemont_Pond_contract.html

>Christie: We will challenge special master findings

Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday he will challenge the Special Master appellate court finding that his school funding formula was unconstitutional. (Staff, State Street Wire)

https://www.politickernj.com/46142/christie-we-will-challenge-special-master-findings

>Trim public worker benefits over 7 years, Sweeney urges

Senate President Stephen Sweeney outlined his take on what he calls the “public employee health benefits crisis” in New Jersey before the Courier-Post editorial board Wednesday. (Murray, Courier-Post)

https://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110324/NEWS01/103240325/1006/Trim-public-worker-benefits-over-7-years-Sweeney-urges

>Christie says he’s confident about convincing N.J. Supreme Court the state can’t afford full aid for schools

Gov. Chris Christie said today he is confident his administration will be able to convince the state Supreme Court it doesn’t have the money to fully fund the state’s school-funding law. (Reitmeyer, The Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/gov_christie_says_hes_confiden.html

>Christie: ‘Seize the moment,’ share patrols


Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney Wednesday said it was time to “seize the moment” and move toward regional public safety services. (Mast and Roh, The Courier-Post)\

https://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110324/NEWS01/103240321/0/VARSITY0397/Christie-Seize-moment-share-patrols?odyssey=nav|head

>New Home Sales Dive to Record Low
By Clifford Marks
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | 10:36 a.m

The pace of new home sales plummeted to a record low last month, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday in a further sign that the battered housing market is only slumping further.

Sales fell 16.9 percent from January, delivering a shock to analysts who had expected a gain for last month. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of 250,000 homes sold marks the slowest pace recorded since the data series began in the 1960s.

Median sale prices fell 13.9 percent, which represents the sharpest one-month drop on record.
Wednesday’s numbers for February were coupled with an upward revision in January’s pace from 284,000 to 301,000 homes sold.

https://www.nationaljournal.com/economy/new-home-sales-dive-to-record-low-20110323

>Ridgewood School District’s architect of record charged with taking kickbacks
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

According to sources the head of Disko Associates charged with taking kickbacks in three other school districts

Disko Associates is the Ridgewood School District’s architect of record, and the lead architect for the recent $48 Milliondollar bond referendum . Disko Associates, has been charged with taking more than $80,000 in kickbacks from three other school districts for construction projects.

https://www.topix.com/city/tinton-falls-nj/2011/03/head-of-disko-associates-charged-with-taking-kickbacks-in-three-other-school-districts

In case you for got Ridgewood’s $48 million bond referendum controversial from the start was approved by a very small margin ,according to the Ridgewood News “Residents have approved the issuance of $38,420,602 in bonds to fund school construction and improvement projects.Unofficial results were 2,129 votes in favor of the referendum, and 2,047 votes against it.”

The Ridgewood news went on to say , “The total cost of the project, which includes improvements at nine district schools and several athletic fields, is $48,265,314, and will be funded in part by state grants totaling $9,844,712, and debt service of $2,135,471.
The tax impact on the average Ridgewood home will be $300.55 per year over the course of the next 25 years, based on the formula of $37.47 per $100,000 of assessed value.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/Ridgewoods_48_million_bond_referendum_approved.html

The Willard School district did overwhelmingly approve the referendum while being primarily unaffected by the turf fields and field lighting.