Bob Pressner : Brogan’s performance on Tuesday night was sadly predictable
Brogan’s performance on Tuesday night was sadly predictable. She took the vanilla position on the Valley expansion. I knew she would walk the tightrope of non committal; she can’t be counted to cross swords with the mighty Valley. From the start of her comments she spoke of school construction that has taken place while she’s been on the Board, the fix was clearly in. Sorry, what Valley has presented as their vision in no way resembles what our schools have accomplished in construction over the past 10 – 12 years. To compare students’ experiences during the school construction and Valley’s proposed renovations is a reach too far. What Valley proposes for their 15 acre parcel is ridiculous, and the impact will be dramatic.
The expectation of 10 years as the time frame for construction, is also short sided. The effects of this expansion, but more importantly the changing of the Master Plan will have far reaching effects on all of our children’s learning experiences. The area around Valley will be changed forever. In my opinion, not for the better. Changing the Master Plan will also allow for developers to challenge our future concerns regarding growth based on the precedent that will have been established. We are at a cross roads in the future of Ridgewood, and it is time for all of our fellow residents to step up, speak up, and be heard.
Reader says Sheila Brogan has been doing Valley’s bidding since 2002.
Ridgewood BOE and Valley Hospital, hand in hand, a long tainted history together.
(Some of this is a bit hazy so if anyone remembers the details fill in the blanks)
Over the years I have attended many planning board hearings for the Valley Hospital H-Zone. The many memorable meetings at BF and the infamous 2010 meeting at GWMS. I sat through and listened to Village council meetings at the RHS Campus Center. And here we are again at BF listening to more about this ridiculous expansion proposal. Hearing Sheila Brogan’s statement and reading this blog reminded me of the disgraceful and tainted BOE/Valley relationship. Of course, people need to be reminded Sheila Brogan has been a board member for far too long. For newer residents, or those who weren’t in the news loop so many years ago, this is a history lesson.
Many, many years ago, maybe around 2002, Sheila Brogan sat on the BOE along with Mark Bombace, Linda Gilman, Bob Hutton and Charles Reilly. At the time John Porter was superintendent. Valley Hospital had a proposal and was pushing hard to buy part of BF property using the field area for an underground parking lot and subsequently expanding the hospital buildings. If memory serves, the BOE would no longer own the property but the ground level open space could be used as a sports fields. The big offer was Valley would do much for the BF community and offer a state of the art facility IF they were able to purchase the BF property. The Board of Ed, along with John Porter, were positioned to complete the transaction when, unfortunately for them, the residents began to show up at BOE meetings. Over a few short weeks the standing room only crowd mobilized and stopped the infamous Valley/BF land grab.
Because the BOE was anxious to consummate the deal, and Valley was relying on the property for its expansion, it appears a new plan evolved. Within months of the Valley/BF land grab derailment the RHAP program was in the works. Ultimately rolled out in 2004, the program was put together as an effort to buy the BOE and Ridgewood Community. Other less prominent programs were funded by Valley as well. Those too are within our Village schools, internships, summer programs, follow a professional, scoreboard advertising, etc. Some of these programs may have ended or been replaced, however, coupled with the $500,000 the BOE accepted from Valley, it is clear the BOE and Valley are in bed together.
In 2011 Bob Hutton spoke, as a BOE member, in support of the Valley H-zone expansion. His comments were made at Village Council H-Zone hearings at RHS Campus Center. Soon thereafter Hutton was voted off the BOE. Good riddance to him.
Of the original BOE, that was ready to sell BF property to Valley, only Sheila Brogan remains. Don’t ever let Brogan try to convince you she stands for our students or that she opposes this expansion. Brogan fully supports Valley, their massive expansion, and was willing to sell out our kids years ago! As for Valley Hospital, the current H-Zone efforts are the same “idea” without the BF property. Valley’s animus towards Ridgewood and the BF community is palpable.
Concerned Residents question benefits of Valley proposed expansion
Thursday October 31, 2013, 3:23 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Impassioned speeches by the final three fact witnesses for the Concerned Residents of Ridgewood addressed the various quality of life elements that would be impacted by a hospital expansion, and they posed the collective question to the Ridgewood Planning Board: How will doubling the size of The Valley Hospital benefit village residents?
After weeks of objections and other legal challenges by the hospital’s project attorneys, the grassroots group comprised of more than 150 members voiced its concerns Tuesday night. CRR’s testimony, including president Pete McKenna’s audience-rousing summation, went on without any lawyer interruption.
McKenna admitted that his worries related more to the final product of Valley’s proposal instead of other points of contention previously raised by residents, such as prolonged construction and the effect it would have on the learning environment at nearby schools. But those concerns, he said, are just as vital to the residents’ case.
“Driver seriously injured in late night Ridgewood crash” arrested on drug possession charges
October 29,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , Ridgewood Police report that on October 29, 2013 at 11:35 PMa patrol responded to a motor vehicle accident on Fairfield Avenue. The responding officers found a single vehicle that had crossed into the opposite lane of traffic and left the roadway striking a tree. The driver was transported to Hackensack Medical Center by the Ridgewood Ambulance Corp.
During the investigation the investigating officers, Ptl Joseph Dibenedetto, Joseph Youngberg, and Sgt Heath James found what appears to be synthetic marijuana, heroin and hypodermic needles in the vehicle.
The driver Nicholas Demetro 25 of Ridgewood was arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of heroin. He was also charged with Drugs in a motor vehicle, failure to maintain lane, Failure to keep right, improper display of plates, and unsafe tires. The accused was released pending an appearance in Ridgewood Municipal Court.
Driver seriously injured in late night Ridgewood crash
10% in N.J. may be forced to switch health coverage
Tuesday October 29, 2013, 11:01 PM
BY LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
One in 10 New Jerseyans will need to change their health coverage over the next year under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, industry experts say, despite repeated assurances from the Obama administration that those who liked their current plan could keep it.
Their policies currently do not include all of the health benefits required by the new law, such as pediatric dental and vision care, and had to be redesigned and repriced before the main part of the law takes effect in January.
Governor Christie added his voice to the mounting criticism from Republicans on Tuesday, saying that “people weren’t told the truth” about the Affordable Care Act.
“They were told they would be able to keep their policies if they liked them,” he said in an interview with “CBS This Morning.” “Now you hear hundreds of thousands of people across the country being told they couldn’t. The White House needs to square that with what was told to the American people and told to the Congress beforehand.”
About 150,000 New Jersey residents who buy their own insurance and 650,000 who get coverage through businesses with fewer than 50 workers have learned — or will learn over the next year — that they need to choose another option, said Ward Sanders, president of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/10_in_NJ_may_be_forced_to_switch_health_coverage.html#sthash.mQPPefjw.dpuf
‘So much wrong’: Aetna CEO blasts Obamacare tech debacle
Published: Monday, 14 Oct 2013 | 12:57 PM ET
By: Dan Mangan | Health Care Reporter
Aetna’s CEO gave a harshly critical review Monday of the federal government’s Obamacare marketplace, saying, “There’s so much wrong, you just don’t know what’s broken until you get a lot more of it fixed.”
Asked on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” if he knew that the rollout of Healthcare.gov would be problematic, the insurer’s CEO, Mark Bertolini, said his giant company’s role as an alpha tester for the system gave it a sense of how many problems the health insurance marketplace faced on the eve of its launch.
“We were pretty nervous as we got further along,” Bertolini said. “As they started missing deadlines, we were pretty convinced it was going to be a difficult launch.”
(Read more: Rx for Obamacare? Feds mull rebuilding website)
His fears have been realized, he said, and the technological debacle seen at Healthcare.gov is one similar to just the handful he’s witnessed in his career.
“It’s nothing you ever like to repeat,” Bertolini said. “Because it’s very difficult. I’ve been there. It’s career-ending in a lot of cases.”
A black box in your car? Some see a source of tax revenue
The devices would track every mile you drive —possibly including your location — and the government would use the data to draw up a tax bill.
By Evan Halper
October 26, 2013, 7:11 p.m.
WASHINGTON — As America’s road planners struggle to find the cash to mend a crumbling highway system, many are beginning to see a solution in a little black box that fits neatly by the dashboard of your car.
The devices, which track every mile a motorist drives and transmit that information to bureaucrats, are at the center of a controversial attempt in Washington and state planning offices to overhaul the outdated system for funding America’s major roads.
The usually dull arena of highway planning has suddenly spawned intense debate and colorful alliances. Libertarians have joined environmental groups in lobbying to allow government to use the little boxes to keep track of the miles you drive, and possibly where you drive them — then use the information to draw up a tax bill.
Halloween Safety Tips from The Chief John M. Ward
!0/27/13
With a little luck we should have decent weather for Halloween this year. As our children take to the streets on Halloween to trick-or-treat, I would like to remind everyone of a few safety tips to ensure that the treats are plentiful and tricks fun and safe.
To help ensure that this Halloween is fun and safe the Ridgewood Police Department will be deploying extra officers on both October 30th and Halloween.
Additionally we secured glow sticks and (AAA) Halloween bags which will be available to the public. (glow sticks and bags will be available at our police desk)
Here are some tips for helping keep young ones safe on Halloween:
Motorists -The National Highway Safety Administration and The CDC list Halloween as one of the top days for pedestrian involved accidents especially children. Because excited trick-or-treaters often forget about safety, motorists and parents must be even more alert. While the festivities may start earlier in the day, the most popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours.
•Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals.
•Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart into the street.
•Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. In dark costumes, they’ll be harder to see at night.
•Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
•Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
•Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
• Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings
•Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and front porches.
Parents
•Ensure an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise children under age 12.
•Plan and discuss the route your trick-or-treaters will follow.
•Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
•Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger’s home or garage.
•Establish a time for children to return home.
•Tell children not to eat any treats until they get home.
•Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
•Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and visible with retro-reflective material.
Trick-or-Treaters
•Be bright at night – Carry a glow stick and wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and treat buckets to improve visibility to motorists and others.
•Wear disguises that don’t obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic face paint.
•When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls.
•Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.
•Walking Safety
Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it face down in the treat bucket to free up one hand. Never shine it into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
•Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.
•If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
•Look ALL ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street and keep looking as you cross.
•Cross streets only at the corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks. and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
•Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
•Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. (Remember STOP LOOK & WAVE)
•Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to
the left as possible.
Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
•Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
•Tell your parents where you are going.
We thank you for your cooperation and wish everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween
Published time: October 26, 2013 15:45
Edited time: October 26, 2013 18:02
Hundreds are marching on the National Mall in Washington, DC to protest covert NSA surveillance operations on the anniversary of the Patriot Act. The organizers are planning to present Congress with a petition which has acquired over 570,000 signatures.
Stop Watching Us is a collective of 100 public advocacy groups, among them the American Civil Liberties Union, Freedom Works, as well as individuals like Chinese artist/activist Ai Weiwei and Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who worked with Edward Snowden to expose many of the NSA’s surveillance procedures. The rally is scheduled to begin at 11:30 am local time on October 26 – the 12th anniversary of the US Patriot Act.
New dorm space going unused at NJ colleges
Friday October 25, 2013, 11:53 PM
The Record
New Jersey’s largely commuter public colleges and universities made a concerted push over the last decade or so to make their campuses more residential, spending tens of millions of dollars on new dormitories and recreation centers.
But the economic downturn has reduced demand at some schools, leaving them with empty beds even as they continue to pay back the bonds used to build new facilities.
Ramapo College in Mahwah reports that 333 of its 3,019 beds are empty this semester; William Paterson University in Wayne also has a vacancy rate near 11 percent as about 300 of its 2,700 beds are unoccupied, according to the school.
Friday October 25, 2013, 9:33 AM
The Ridgewood News
Democracy not evident in Valley’s approach
Melinda Wagner and James Saporito
To the editor:
We have long been vehemently opposed to Valley Hospital’s unprecedented bid to double in size in a residential neighborhood of single-family homes, three schools and two major playing fields – an area that is traversed by many hundreds of children every single day.
Standing up to Valley Hospital and its ludicrous project, for over seven years, has been an exhausting and frustrating test of endurance. However, we have never been more disgusted with the process than we were during the Oct. 22 Planning Board meeting at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. Indeed, Valley’s true colors, in all their meanness and vibrancy, were on full display. Many hundreds of Ridgewood residents watched in dismay as our opportunity to be heard was literally hijacked by Valley’s lawyer, who proceeded to interrupt, often with tones of blatant disrespect, at every single turn.
We would like to think that money does not trounce democracy, but Valley Hospital – with its endless funds to pay lawyers to run out the clock – will apparently do everything in its power to prevent the residents of Ridgewood from actually speaking. Any kind of common sense approach to the issue, or input from residents, has so far been suffocated by interminable legalese (Valley’s strategy). We, the taxpayers, are being prevented from having a say about the future of our village and about the quality of life we pay to preserve. What does Valley have to hide? Ultimately, an enormous medical center will provide no additional benefit to our town, yet the cost to us will be great. This fact alone should stop Valley’s project in its tracks.
CBR seeking to preserve Ridgewood’s ‘ineffable’ quality
Friday October 25, 2013, 9:36 AM
The Ridgewood News
CBR seeking to preserve Ridgewood’s ‘ineffable’ quality
Lori Weil
To the editor:
The Citizens for a Better Ridgewood (CBR) are long-term residents who genuinely care about the future of Ridgewood. It is disappointing that our attempt to inform the public about the serious nature of the issues facing Ridgewood has been characterized as “tactics intended to create hysteria.” Wanting to protect the unique reputation and outstanding quality of life in our village does not make us anti-development or anti-developer.
This issue has less to do with housing and more to do with the future of Ridgewood. We are looking at irrevocable changes that will permit a substantial number of high-density housing units, and we worry that if development is not thoughtful and prudent, Ridgewood will suffer the consequences of overcrowded schools, traffic congestion, parking shortages and most importantly, the lack of that ineffable feeling that makes Ridgewood so special.
Developers claim that new housing developments will provide the town with “beneficial solutions to downtown problems.” We truly hope that is the case, but we fail to see how adding more residents will improve traffic issues, pedestrian safety and parking. We are also concerned about overcrowding in our schools and hope that the Planning Board is able to put mechanisms in place to guarantee that new housing goes to empty-nesters or seniors, where there is a need.
Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Sarah Polley tells the moving portrait of her family–her many siblings, actor/writer father, and actress/mother–and a legacy of secrets and lies. As with many families, there are a multitude of stories that have been told through the years. Polley, the youngest child, mines this oral tradition in this groundbreaking film, seamlessly blending past and present, the real and the imagined. Polley’s characteristically unflinching yet compassionate gaze delivers an exceptional level of depth and emotion. As Polley says, “If I have learned anything from making this film, it is that we can’t all be right and we can’t all be wrong. So we must be unintentionally distorting things to varying degrees in order to feed our own version of what we need the past and history to be, and in our way, we must all be telling the truth as well.”
• No speaker
Friday, October 25 at 7:30 pm
THE INVISIBLE WAR
(2012/US; 90 mins., not rated)
Film website: https://invisiblewarmovie.com/index.php
Nominated for a 2013 Academy Award, this groundbreaking documentary investigates the the shameful and underreported epidemic of rape within the US military. With stark clarity and escalating revelations, the film exposes the rape epidemic in the armed forces, investigating the institutions that perpetuate it as well as its profound personal and social consequences. We meet characters who embraced their military service with pride and professionalism, only to have their idealism crushed. Focusing on the emotionally charged stories of survivors, the film reveals the systemic cover-up of the crimes against them and follows their struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. The Invisible War features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officers and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm conditions that exist for rape in the military, its history of cover-up, and what can be done to bring about much needed change.
• Speaker: RET. BRIGADIER GENERAL LOREE SUTTON, MD
Friday, November 1 at 7:30 pm
THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE
(2012/US; 120 mins., not rated)
Film website: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/centralparkfive/
In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers were arrested and charged with brutally attacking and raping a white female jogger in Central Park. News media swarmed the case, calling them a “wolfpack.” The five would spend years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit before the truth about what really happened became clear. With The Central Park Five, this story of injustice finally gets the attention it deserves. Based on Sarah Burns’ riveting book and co-directed by her husband David McMahon and father, the acclaimed doc filmmaker Ken Burns, this incendiary film tells the riveting tale of innocent young men scapegoated for a heinous crime, and serves as a mirror for our times.
• Speaker:
SARAH BURNS
Producer/Director, The Central Park Five
Friday, November 15 at 7:30 PM
BLOOD BROTHER
(2012/US; 92 mins., not rated)
Film website: https://www.bloodbrotherfilm.com/
The unmistakable power of love is celebrated in this story of one man’s decision to move to India and restart his life among the dispossessed. “Rocky Anna,” as the children living at an orphanage for those infected with HIV know him, was dissatisfied with his life in America. Having grown up without a close-knit family of his own, he found his calling living and working with kids in need. Unlike others who simply passed through their lives, Rocky stayed, dedicating himself to their health and well-being. Despite formidable challenges, his playful spirit and determination in the face of despair proves to be an invaluable resource.
Director Steve Hoover ventured to India to chronicle his best friend ’s newfound life in this film that serves as a testament to one person’s ability to create a meaningful life.
• Speakers, live via Skype:
STEVE HOOVER, Director, Blood Brother
DANNY YOURD, Producer, Blood Brother
Friday, November 22 at 7:30 pm
BIG MEN
(2013/US; 99 mins., not rated)
Film website: https://bigmenthemovie.com/
In Ghana, a small American energy company fights to hold onto its discovery of oil just as a new government comes into power. In Nigeria, where oil has already been discovered, the ramifications of the oil industry have taken their toll on the people, most notably those in the Niger Delta who have seen none of the benefits of this new wealth. As the American company falls under the scrutiny of the new Ghanaian government and the U.S. Justice Department, the contracts for the oil field languish. Jobs are lost, power plays are made and all the while, the Ghanaian people wait to reap the benefits. In the Niger Delta, pipelines are attacked and set on fire as militants continue to demand more of the wealth from their government. With unprecedented access and an unflinching eye, Big Men takes us deep into the African oil industry in Ghana and Nigeria, delivering an exposé on the ambition, greed and corruption that threaten to exacerbate Africa’s resource curse and leave more of its citizens behind..
On Friday October 11th the Ridgewood Police Department, held the first meeting of its new Community Policing Youth Ambassador Program at B.F. Middle School. The meeting was attended by 18 young residents representing the elementary schools, middle school and the High School along with several parents, school and police officials.
photos from Ridgewod Police
The program is a community policing partnership with the Ridgewood Board of Education, focusing on leadership and youth engagement in community and public safety concerns. These young residents will be part of an active community policing advisory team consulting directly with the Chief of Police, police personnel, school officials and village personnel on public safety and community concerns.
The Youth Ambassadors will have the opportunity to:
• Help make our community a safer place to live, learn, play and work.
• Be a voice in matters/concerns which directly or indirectly impact the youth of our community such as anti-bullying, tolerance and respect.
• Assist the police department with community outreach andeducational programs for Crime Prevention, Community Policing, and Pedestrian/Traffic Safety etc.
• Have input and involvement in the development of and content for Public Safety/Awareness (PSA) videos which would reach varied audiences.
• Help forge a collaborative partnership between Ridgewood’s youth and various public officials and agencies which serve our community and the region.
• Learn and experience team building and project management, as well as help develop interpersonal skills of collaboration, communication, cooperation, leadership and active listening.
• Demonstrate to their peers and others that you are never too young to develop the leader within you and make a difference.
The issues and concerns they will be addressing are real and have an impact on our community and region. The solutions they help develop will make a difference for our community. They will be working with other students, police, school and other public officials to find innovative solutions to current and future challenges.
Honorary Police Chief Michael Feeney will continue his duties for the Ridgewood Police Department as a critical member of the Youth Ambassador team.
Chief John M. Ward and Gregory Wu (Assistant Principle BF Middle School) will be coordinating and serving as program advisors.
Chief John M. Ward – [email protected] Gregory Wu – [email protected]
