Habernickel horse barn renovation scrapped for now – prefab building maybe October 22,2014 Boyd A. Loving 12:45 AM
Ridgewood NJ, Based on the recommendation of Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld, Village Council members have seemingly nixed plans to undertake an expensive renovation of the Irene Habernickel Family Park’s horse barn. The renovation project was being considered to satisfy a need for permanent restrooms and shelter from inclement weather at the expansive park located on Hillcrest Road.
Sonenfeld suggested that a prefabricated restroom may be a less expensive alternative, with preliminary estimates in the $60K – $90K price range. A $60K grant may help offset costs.
Many of you may remember that the restroom project at Vets Field wound up costing taxpayers almost $400K, and those commodes were constructed in an existing building.
How Asset Forfeiture Allows Cops to Steal from Citizens A Virginia lawmaker takes on policing for profit. A. Barton Hinkle | October 22, 2014
In September Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Chairman of the Congressional Constitution Caucus, and Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Co-Chairman of the bipartisan Crime Prevention and Youth Development Caucus, today introduced H.R. 5502, the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act, to protect Americans from having their property seized without the due process of law. The FAIR Act makes a number of changes to civil asset forfeiture laws to restore the constitutional protections guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
The FAIR Act would ensure that Americans are innocent until proven guilty by requiring the government to meet a higher legal standard before seizing an individual’s property. This legislation would raise the standard to seize assets from a preponderance of evidence to a higher standard of clear and convincing evidence. In addition, the FAIR Act would eliminate the practice of equitable sharing and eliminate all profit incentives by requiring that all funds seized by the federal government go into the general treasury fund.
It probably seemed like a bright idea at the time: Let the police seize the ill-gotten gains of alleged drug dealers and other suspected criminals and sell it, using the proceeds to buy much-needed crime-fighting gear.
Unfortunately, the process—civil asset forfeiture—did not require convicting anybody of a crime. In fact, it didn’t even require charging anybody with a crime. Not surprisingly, this led to rampant abuse, which has been abundantly documented for many years. Various reform efforts, including a 2000 federal law, have been unable to stop what’s become known as policing for profit.
But Virginia lawmaker Mark Cole is going to give it another shot. That’s as good a sign as any that civil asset forfeiture has jumped the shark.
You can’t get much more conservative than Cole, a Republican who represents Spotsylvania in the General Assembly, without falling off the edge of the political spectrum. Cole supports “traditional family values” — so much so that he voted against appointing a Richmond prosecutor and former Navy pilot to a judgeship because he was gay. Cole has sponsored legislation to deny government benefits to illegal immigrants. And to strip state funding for abortions even in cases where the fetus has “gross and totally incapacitating physical deformity or mental deficiency.” And to rewrite a state prohibition against guns in schools so private schools could set their own rules. Four years ago, he sponsored a bill to protect people from having microchips implanted in their bodies, in part because such microchips might be used as the “mark of the beast” described in Revelations.
On his website, Cole boasts of supporting law enforcement. “Public safety and emergency services are Mark Cole’s top priorities,” reads a quote from Stafford County Sheriff Charlie Jett. “He helped ensure that funding was available for pay raises for deputies and state troopers. He has been a strong voice for us in Richmond.”
But policing for profit has gone too far, even for Cole. In anticipation of the 2015 legislative session, he already has filed a bill (HB 1287) that would forbid asset forfeiture without a conviction—and even then only after all appeals have been exhausted.
Ridgewood High School Marching Band takes first place at competitions
OCTOBER 17, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014, 12:31 AM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood High School Marching Band captured first place in the recent USBands competition, which took place at J.P. Stevens High School in Edison. At the competition, the band swept all caption awards, including best music, best visual and best effect.
In addition to the win at the USBands competition, the RHS squad took first place in a competition last month at Pequannock High School. The team won the award for best music.
The RHS Marching Band’s 2014 field show is named “Rise,” depicting the life of a phoenix. The show begins with a Steven Reineke composition, “Rise of the Firebird,” and then features the percussion section in the “Infernal Dance,” by Igor Stravinsky. The ballad this year is by Dmitri Shostakovich, entitled “The Fire of Eternal Glory.” The show closes with music that symbolizes the firebird rising from the ashes, Stravinsky’s “Finale” from “The Firebird.”
The band is under the direction of John Luckenbill and has 96 members for the 2014 season. Among upcoming competitions, the RHS Marching Band will travel to Rutgers University on Oct. 18 for USBands New Jersey State Championships.
Left to right are RHS Principal Tom Gorman, Siobhan Winograd, Jacqueline Hennessey, Steven Correll, and Keith Dawkins
The newly elected officers of the Ridgewood High School Alumni Association. Thomas Gorman, principal of RHS and a Class of ’87 graduate, said more than a dozen people attended the Sept. 30 meeting where Keith Dawkins was elected president, Jacqueline Hennessey (Class of ’87) was elected vice president, Steven Correll (Class of ’88) was elected treasurer, and Siobhan Winograd (Class of ’91) was elected secretary.paul mccubbin https://rhs1977.blogspot.com/
RHS Alumni association to strengthen tradition
OCTOBER 17, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014, 12:31 AM BY JODI WEINBERGER STAFF WRITER | THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood community is pioneering a path to help support the district’s high school through an alumni association.
Last month, the ad-hoc group formalized itself by electing four officers and creating a board of trustees.
Their first official meeting on Sept. 30 was followed days later, on Oct. 2, with a dinner for alumni at Novo Restaurant.
Thomas Gorman, principal of RHS and a Class of ’87 graduate, said more than a dozen people attended the Sept. 30 meeting where Keith Dawkins was elected president, Jacqueline Hennessey (Class of ’87) was elected vice president, Steven Correll (Class of ’88) was elected treasurer, and Siobhan Winograd (Class of ’91) was elected secretary.
“On some level it was kind of a no-brainer for me [to be involved] in that I’m a RHS alum, my boys – I have an eighth-grader and a fifth-grader – will be RHS alum,” Dawkins said. “The school did a lot for me, and it’s going to do a lot for them.”
Dawkins said he envisions the association being a “powerful network that gives back into the Ridgewood ecosystem,” but short-term he’s excited about the “passion and enthusiasm” from the community.
“[Superintendent] Dr. [Daniel] Fishbein got an email from an alumnus who lives in China and he wants to not be left out,” Gorman said. “It’s growing. A lot of people who couldn’t make it [to the meeting] said, ‘I want to be involved. Get my name on the list’.”
Humphrey the hamster unites Ridgewood school’s community
OCTOBER 17, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014, 3:35 PM BY JODI WEINBERGER STAFF WRITER | THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A hamster named Humphrey has taken over at Somerville School.
All the students in kindergarten through fifth grade, along with their parents and teachers, the administrators and custodial staff are reading a 144-page book about the furry rodent called “The World According to Humphrey” by Betty G. Birney.
Parents received a letter earlier this month explaining the project, called “One School, One Book,” which will run until Thanksgiving and has the children and their families reading two chapters a week of the book.
“One of the biggest parts of our jobs as elementary school people is to really promote kids loving reading,” said Somerville Principal Lorna Oates-Santos. “We want to create lifelong readers.”
Birney writes the story from the perspective of Humphrey, a hamster purchased from a store by a teacher to be a class pet. Through the book, Humphrey learns to read and write and has many adventures both in and out of the classroom.
There is no homework assigned with the book, but there will be weekly trivia contests at the school during the project and other activities, like a Humphrey healthy snack day where kids are encouraged to bring in snacks that a hamster might eat like carrots and cucumbers
Reader asks have we received signed assurances that our children would not be tracked?
Why do we have an online system that is a hodgepodge? Multiple signons. Skyward, blackboard, Google groups and that awful system to pay fees.
Do we have any assurance from Google that they will not be tracking our children? Teachers use Google class management. Is Google tracking the student’s grades and progress in school?
In California parents pushed for and received signed assurances that their children would not be tracked. Do we have the same guarantees?
Ridgewood Schools Technology Outreach Programs for Parents and Guardians
The district’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment has added a session on financial literacy to the 2014-2015 Community Outreach Program. This series for parents and guardians consists of evening presentations focusing on current education topics. First up is “Technology in Our Schools,” presented by district Manager of Information Technology Ryan Kenny on Thursday, October 16 from 7-9 p.m. at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. Ryan will share information on the district’s 1:1 Chrome Book initiative, which was just launched this fall at RHS. His presentation will be followed by presentations by six new Technology Teacher Coaches from elementary, middle, and the high school, showcasing examples of how technology is being used in classrooms in all schools and levels of education. K-5 – Stephen Polanin and Susan Foreman 6-8 – AJ Bianco and Mary Lou Handy 9-12 – Stef Gigante and Daisy Sam This not-to-be-missed presentation will give parents exposure to their how technology is enhancing their children’s education everyday across the District.
Click here for more information on the October 16 program and the entire series. Click here for the press release with more details.
Ridgewood Football stays unbeaten with 47-12 victory over Clifton
OCTOBER 11, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014, 1:21 AM BY JIM MCCONVILLE SPECIAL TO THE RECORD THE RECORD
CLIFTON – Coming into the season, Ridgewood knew it had to make the most of the first half of the schedule. With a young and inexperienced team, the Maroons had five winnable games to open the year.
The quintet was completed Friday night as Ridgewood scored on the first play from scrimmage and never looked back. The 47-12 defeat of Clifton sets up an intriguing matchup next week with Paramus, the first team with a winning record the Maroons will face.
“Now we’ll find out how good we are,” Ridgewood coach Chuck Johnson said. “I can tell you that we are a whole lot better than we were at the beginning of the season, but just how good will be determined.”
The Maroons certainly took care of winless Clifton, which was playing its first game at the newly renovated Joseph Grecco Field. After the opening kickoff went out of bounds, Drew Granski was able to stretch out a sweep left and find a hole, racing 65 yards for a touchdown.
OCTOBER 10, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014, 8:31 AM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS Print
Ridgewood Should Continue Common Core discussions Christina Krauss
to the Editor:
I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt appreciation to Ridgewood Cares About Schools (RCAS) and the League of Women Voters-Ridgewood for putting together a standing-room-only forum last Thursday evening.
The panel assembled was stellar. Educational luminaries Drs. Sandra Stotsky and Christopher Tienken along with Ridgewood’s own Jean McTavish engaged in the first honest discussion on the Common Core State Standards and PARCC testing we have heard in either the district or the state. The president of the NJ State Board of Education, the assistant commissioner of the NJ Department of Education and a spokesperson for the NJ School Boards Association, entities that normally do not “discuss” the policies they issue, were queried by the public. The exchange was riveting and enlightening.
My sincere hope is that our district will become a leader in bringing to its citizens and the surrounding communities continued discussion on Common Core and all its ancillary issues. Data privacy, exhaustive testing/reporting and the harmful effect of CCSS/PARCC on early learners are but a few of the legitimate concerns parents are expressing.
UPDATE: They found him. Turns out he is a RHS alumnus in town for a reunion. Just taping the schools he went to.
Man in white sedan with video camera wanted for questioning
Octobber 10th 2014
Boyd A. Loving
4:36 PM
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police Department Chief John Ward has stepped up the frequency of uniformed police patrols near Village schools following the receipt of telephone calls from two (2) schools reporting suspicious activity at times when children are leaving and entering school buildings.
photo By Boyd Loving
Administrators at both Willard and GW reported that a man driving a white sedan with out of state license plates and a video camera in hand was seen outside of both schools at start, lunch, and dismissal times.
If you or your child should spot this person, notify Ridgewood PD immediately
Panelists debate Common Core at forum in Ridgewood
OCTOBER 9, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014, 5:01 PM BY BY JODI WEINBERGER STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
It’s not likely that a two-hour panel of experts both for and against the Common Core state standards and the standardized testing it’s linked to changed any minds of the hundreds of parents who watched the debate at the Ridgewood Library last Thursday.
Early in the event the fire department was brought in to handle the massive outpouring of interest, which significantly exceeded the 212-person capacity of the room. Some went home after being urged to do so by library staff, but most stayed packed tightly next to each other, leaning against the walls or sitting on the floor.
“It reinforced my positive view of the Common Core,” said Sara Erwin following the debate. “Knowing the teachers at the high school in Ridgewood, they’ll make it work.”
Kim Barron, of Mahwah, said “nothing changed my mind in my opposition.”
“I don’t think that the ‘pro’ people made their case,” Barron contended.
Resident-led advocacy group Ridgewood Cares About Schools (RCAS) joined with the Ridgewood League of Women Voters to host the panel of six experts representing both local, state and national voices on the topic.
OCTOBER 7, 2014 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014, 1:21 AM BY KARA YORIO STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
Amelie Wilday was coming home “weepy, cranky, tired and hungry,” according to her mother, Gaby. It was two years ago, halfway through the first month of first grade, and something was not right with the Ridgewood 6-year-old. Gaby Wilday, who had ordered Amelie’s lunch through the school’s food provider, asked her daughter to bring home what she wasn’t eating.”That’s when I noticed she just wasn’t eating,” said Wilday. Amelie didn’t like the food, and her mother didn’t like the quality. She also noticed the Wildays must not have been alone, as there were many lunches from outside food vendors being dropped off at Ridgewood schools.Already with a commercial kitchen for a sauce business, she decided to see if she could create a better school lunch model. She started with seven lunches, which she gave to a group of families for free in return for feedback. She ended up hearing from many more than those seven.
“By November 1st, I was getting emails from principals, PTO presidents, parents from other schools,” she said.
The next Regular Public Meeting of the Ridgewood Board of Education will be held on Monday, October 20, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting will be aired live on FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77. Or it may be viewed live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Link in Live” tab.
Click here to view the agenda for the September 22, 2014 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the webcast of the September 22, 2014 Regular Public Meeting.
Board of Education Regular Public Meeting CANCELLED Date:10/6/2014 (7:30 PM) Calendar:Ridgewood Public Schools (Board of Ed Meetings) Description: This meeting has been cancelled.
Scrutiny in Texas to Detect Whether Ebola Has Spread
By MANNY FERNANDEZ and NORIMITSU ONISHIOCT. 1, 2014
DALLAS — The man who has become the first Ebola patient to develop symptoms in the United States told officials at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital last Friday that he had just arrived from West Africa but was not admitted that day because that information was not passed along at the hospital, officials acknowledged Wednesday.
The man, Thomas E. Duncan, was sent home under the mistaken belief that he had only a mild fever, a hospital administrator said; the information that he had traveled from Liberia, one of the nations at the heart of the Ebola epidemic, was overlooked.
Mr. Duncan came back to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday and was admitted for treatment, but in those two days in between, his contacts with a number of people — including five schoolchildren and the medics who helped transport him to the hospital — potentially exposed them to Ebola, forcing officials to monitor and isolate them in their homes and to begin a thorough cleaning of the schools the students attended. Mr. Duncan is now in serious but stable condition.
DALLAS — Parents rushed to get their children from school Wednesday after learning that five students may have had contact with the Ebola patient in a Dallas hospital, as Gov. Rick Perry and other leaders reassured the public that there is no cause for alarm.
The patient, identified by The Associated Press as Thomas Eric Duncan of Liberia, arrived in the U.S. on Sept. 20 to visit family. Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zachary Thompson said county officials suspect that 12 to 18 people may have had contact with Duncan.
“Right now, the base number is 18 people, and that could increase,” he said. Thompson said more details are expected by Thursday afternoon. The number includes five students at four schools, Dallas school district Superintendent Mike Miles said.
“This case is serious,” Perry said during a news conference at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where Duncan is being treated. “Rest assured that our system is working as it should. Professionals on every level on the chain of command know what to do to minimize this potential risk to the people of Texas and of this country.”
Miles said Dallas school officials learned Wednesday morning that five students at four schools — Tasby Middle, L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary, Dan D. Rogers Elementary and Conrad High — had come in contact with Duncan. Lowe Elementary is also being watched because it connects to Tasby.
