Ridgewood NJ, Is it just a coincidence that the Village Council’s approval, by a 3-2 vote, of a controversial 90 foot baseball field at Schedler came less than 30 days prior to a $100k donation from the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association, in the form of matching funds for a Bergen County Open Space Grant, or is this a classic case of quid pro quo? What say you?
And why were some Village Council members kept completely in the dark as to the grant application and the donation?
Parents investing large amounts of time and money in their athletic offspring with the belief that they’re nurturing a possible professional player should take note: Odds are, you’re wrong.
But you’re not alone. An astonishing 26 percent of parents with high-school-age children who play sports hope their child will become a professional athlete one day, according to a recent pollfrom NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The percentages are even greater among less-educated and lower-income parents: 44 percent of parents with a high school education or less and 39 percent of parents with a household income of less than $50,000 a year are dreaming of the bigs and the majors for their kids.
Those parents are deluding themselves, and possibly cheating their children out of other opportunities if they are demanding a single-minded approach to the game. The National Collegiate Athletic Association puts the real odds right up front on its website, and they’re nowhere near one in four. For baseball, only a little more than half of 1 percent of high school players who go on to play in college will be drafted by Major League Baseball (0.6 percent), and even of those, most will not ever play in the majors — only about 17 percent of draft picks play in even a single big league game. That means only about 1 in 1,000 baseball players who play in high school ever gets a chance in make it big — and the odds of becoming a real star are even smaller.
And that’s baseball. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the odds of going from high school play and then college to become a professional baseball player are higher than those in football, men’s or women’s basketball, or men’s soccer. (The percentages for men’s ice hockey are similar to those for baseball.) Of that 26 percent of hopeful baseball parents, to stick to that example, about 98 percent will be disappointed.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
More insight is needed to address Schedler property
To the Editor:
I am in support of the Village Council votes regarding the Schedler property.
The heated debate at the Village Council meeting meant those who had an issue with the resolution gave up an opportunity to positively influence the development of the property. They could have tried to see if a high berm could be built to insulate the property from traffic on Route 17. The berm could be capped with a sound barrier and covered with dense plantings. This would serve as a safety, sound and pollution barrier.
The third of the property left to nature could be converted into an arboretum of native species and pollinator habitats. The walk around the perimeter could be made to appeal to “seenagers,” those of us who are chronologically seniors but mentally can’t outgrow their teen years. A foot bridge could be built over Route 17 to make it easier for pedestrians to walk over from the west side of the highway. I can’t but believe such a park would be a great improvement over a weed-choked lot with fallen trees and mounds of empty beer cans. I have walked around the property and find little salubrious about it.
Regarding the Schedler house, I am a conservationist and a reader of history. Destroying a historical site is an act of vandalism. I thus support giving the preservation committee another year to come up with a plan for the house. My recommendation to the committee would be to add several new members who would add depth to its considerations. For instance, I would add an engineer and an architect with experience in preserving historical homes. Also, perhaps, a realtor with experience in finding uses for such a property. A historian and a fundraiser would be helpful.
If I were a member of the committee, I would try to answer the following questions:
What is the age of the house? Supporters say it was built in the 1820’s. This may not be a true statement in its entirety. Some of it may have been built in the 1820s, but I have a feeling much of it was built much later. Is it truly a “nationally recognized historic home” as some claim?
How sound is the house structurally? With a broken roof and black mold, what else ails it? Rot? Termites? Lead paint? Asbestos?
What uses will there be for the house and thus what will it be restored to? Some mention a library for historical documents. That’s an interesting idea, but what would it take to reinforce the beams to carry the heavy weight of books, and what would it take to fireproof it to protect invaluable documents?
Depending on the use, what would it cost to restore the house and bring it up to code, especially for public use. If it is to be used for public purposes, who will underwrite the future operating costs?
A rational discussion of our options with less heat would be in everyone’s interests.
CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW INTERACTIVE FLOOD WARNING MAPS FOR PASSAIC RIVER BASIN
MAP DETAILS SIX-MILE STRETCH OF RIVER RUNNING THROUGH WALDWICK, HO-HOKUS AND RIDGEWOOD IN BERGEN COUNTY
Ridgewood NJ, The fourth in a series of online, interactive flood-preparation maps designed to aid emergency management personnel and to inform residents in the Passaic River Basin about flooding events in real time has been launched, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook Flood Inundation Map, covering a 6-mile span of the river in Bergen County’s Waldwick Borough, Ho-Ho-Kus Borough and Ridgewood, is the fourth map designated for the Passaic River Basin in response to recommendations made by Governor Christie’s Passaic River Basin Advisory Commission.
The map was developed in a partnership between the DEP and U.S. Geological Survey. Fifteen additional maps covering critical areas of the basin will be produced in coming months as part of a cooperative effort between the DEP, USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Flood inundation mapping is among the recommendations in the commission’s 15-point plan for short-term and long-term measures to help mitigate flooding impacts in the basin. Governor Christie formed the commission in 2011 in response to a series of damaging floods in the basin, which covers significant portions of Bergen, Morris and Passaic counties.
Key recommendations of the plan called for better information to help prepare for and respond to flooding emergencies. “The Christie Administration remains committed to addressing flooding issues in the Passaic River Basin through mitigation, property acquisitions, de-snagging efforts and emergency preparedness and response,” Commissioner Martin said. “These easy-to-use online maps offer real-time information to residents about conditions during significant rainfalls and will assist local, state and federal officials in making critical decision to protect the public in the event of flooding.” “This flood preparedness tool highlights how our agencies and local officials are working together to create more resilient communities, and to provide better flood preparedness and responses to flooding,” added USGS Associate Director for Water Bill Werkheiser.
In addition to this latest map, flood inundation maps are being developed for Lodi, Ridgewood and Upper Saddle River along the Saddle River; for Little Falls, Pine Brook, Chatham, Millington and Clifton along the Passaic River. Maps are also being created for Pompton Lakes, Mahwah and Oakland along the Wanaque River; for two locations in Wanaque along the Wanaque River; for Pompton Plains along the Pompton River; for Riverdale and the Macopin Intake Dam along the Pequannock River; and for Little Falls along the Peckman River. Previous flood inundation maps were produced for a 2.75-mile reach of the Saddle River in Lodi; a 4.1-mile stretch of the river in Saddle River Borough; and for a 5.4-mile span of the river running downstream from Ho-Ho-Kus Borough through the Village of Ridgewood and Paramus Borough to the confluence with Hohokus Brook in the Village of Ridgewood.
To view the Hohokus Brook map, visit: https://wimcloud.usgs.gov/apps/FIM/FloodInundationMapper.html?siteno=01391000. A click on the map shows the stream flows and water depths for the stretch of the stream that extends from White’s Lake Dam in Waldwick Borough, downstream through Ho-Ho-Kus Borough to Grove Street in the Village of Ridgewood.
Monitoring tools include current stream gauges, which provide real-time data via satellites to the USGS and the National Weather Service. The flood inundation map shows where floodwaters are expected to travel. Emergency management officials and residents can use this information to evaluate the potential threat of floodwaters to property and infrastructure.
Through the website, users will also have the option to receive email notifications in real time of critical thresholds reached in the river via the USGS WaterAlert. To view the Scientific Investigations Report (SIR 2015-5064) documenting the development and methods used to create the flood inundations maps, visit: https://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155064 For current conditions for USGS stream gauge 013910000 Hohokus Brook at Ho-Ho-Kus, visit: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=01391000
For information on the Governor’s 15-point Passaic Basin plan and the Passaic River Basin Flood Advisory Commission, visit: https://www.nj.gov/dep/passaicriver/
One of those 3 60×90 fields is a mess. Lower Hawes barely fits 90 foot baselines. First and third are at the edge of the infield. I think the RBSA has proposed addressing this field but have been turned down by the BOE and the neighborhood. The Somerville field is in good shape and functional but is also a full dirt infield, not the best for ‘true’ baseball. The primary field at Vets was in rough shape at the end of the high school season. Too many teams playing too many games on that field.
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I’m a broken record — let’s thank the Willard school district for all of this. They helped pass the vote for getting their school extended while including the field changes at the high school and BF (removing a 60×90 and a softball field). We can go back further to who proposed putting into that vote the field changes and Willard changes. Can’t continue to post-blame at this point.
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Let’s look at what’s needed to support the needs of youth sports in town. If soccer, baseball, softball, lax and other field sports can use the field, why is that such a bad thing? I believe (and could be wrong) that there was a review of the field usage and needs in town and we came up short. Schedler will help alleviate these needs.
AUGUST 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015, 8:20 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Recent discussions at Village Council meetings over what should be done with the Schedler property — 7 acres of wooded land the village purchased six years ago — have resurrected age-old allegations in town of political favoritism.
At the council’s work session Aug. 12, a handful of speakers contended that Ridgewood was a divided community where a collective “east versus west” mind-set was pervasive and that village officials had long overlooked their neighborhood on the far east side. They said decisions about the Schedler property reflected bias against residents of their neighborhood.
Generally, the railroad tracks are considered the dividing line. However, Route 17 severs a triangular tract on the east that touches both Washington Township and Ho-Ho-Kus from the larger portion of the village, which is home to the Village Hall, the central business district and all the village’s schools.
That neighborhood runs from Route 17 to just beyond Van Emburgh Avenue, and from Racetrack Road on the north down to Linwood Avenue.
AUGUST 21, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Fate of Schedler property requires compromise
To the Editor:
“Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive” is a Shakespeare quote from the 16th century. This aptly describes current activities of the Village Council regarding the Schedler property.
Friends of Schedler were charged to find a use for the historic Zabriskie-Schedler house and to secure funding for its maintenance. This was accomplished and their report was given at the Aug. 5 council meeting in the form of a resolution request. The mayor appeared so flummoxed that all he could think of to stop the proceedings was to introduce another resolution to be voted on the following week that would in effect disregard the Friends of Schedler’s resolution. No discussion or vote was taken. If this sounds confusing that is because it is! On Aug. 12, the council voted 3-2 to accept a resolution that would move forward on the controversial 90-foot baseball diamond at the property in question leaving many people dazed and confused. It took a bit of time to realize that the council, in its efforts to dismiss the Schedler plan to save the house, had actually done the opposite. The council left the door open by its own actions, and advocates for Schedler can go for forward with procuring matching grant opportunities to support the house.
Will we trust them again? I think not. The amount of work on the part of many to raise funds and to advocate for a balanced plan for the property that would save the house, eliminate the need to remove four acres of trees and allow for a smaller field is huge. Had the process been more transparent and members of the council more honest in their deliberations with the Schedler group, much emotional upheaval and hours of time invested could have been avoided. Friends of Schedler want the property to be treated as the Habernickel property was treated. Neighbors were part of the process, treated with respect and compromises were made. The end result satisfied the majority, and now Habernickel Park is considered an asset to the village. This can be the future of the Schedler property. How wonderful for everyone if Ridgewood has a nationally recognized historic home used as a library by the Bergen County Historical Society in addition to an appropriate-size grass playing field and the trees that are so important to the environment.
We are running out of open space at the local, state and national levels. We must make good use of what we have left. Compromise is not a dirty word, it is how we best meet the needs of a diverse constituency. It is how a civil society operates when we are not dictated by emergencies.
Freehold John Mitchell with residents several years ago
Local’ residents deserve a say on Schedler property
To the Editor:
“Go West, young man,” a phrase made famous by Horace Greeley, could have certainly been directed at families moving to the Village of Ridgewood. This young man decided to go east in this beautiful community and raise a family. He has stayed for over 30 years, and now after all this time is wondering whether west would have been the smarter and wiser choice for his family’s future.
My wife, Michele, and I have spent most of our adult lives bringing up two children, supporting the excellent school system, participating in community events, and the excellent sports programs. Living on the east side of Ridgewood came with some issues that we have accepted and lived with over these 30-plus years: No local grammar school for our children to attend, no local park for our children to play in, and being treated at times by this town as the forgotten community but always being told by the Village Council that this was not true but a figment of our imagination.
Finally, we are given the chance to have something that could prove very positive for this east side community, the purchase of the Schedler property. My wife and I were very active early in getting the local community and Village of Ridgewood interested in securing this property. We expected and were led to believe by the Village Council that we, the local residents, would have a major and important say on how this property was developed, similar to the way the Habernickel property on the west side was developed.
Now, we were told at the Aug. 5 meeting of the Mayor and Council that they are submitting a recommendation to approve the Open Space Committee October 2012 recommendations, which includes the most controversial issue, a 90-foot baseball field on the Schedler site. The same 90-foot baseball field other Ridgewood communities did not want. It was considered for Pleasant Park but that idea appears to have been killed, and it was not built on the larger, 10-acre Habernickel property on the west side of Ridgewood because the local community preferred a smaller Little League field.
Because of this lack of concern by members of the Village Council toward the east side, this is where they have decided to definitely build this 90-foot field. It appears the plan all along was to destroy the historic Schedler house to make room for this field.
This comes, even after our east side community secured $45,000 (50 percent) of the funds necessary to save this historic house. We have always been willing to compromise except for the issue of destroying the Schedler house and building a 90-foot field. Everything else was on the table, and we were led to believe by the current administration that our proposals were being seriously considered and open to further debate and discussion.
We were misled and will soon know if the east side Ridgewood community will again be treated as second class citizens and not heard from again.
At the Aug. 5 Ridgewood Council meeting, the mayor took it upon himself to request a resolution to adopt the old Open Space Committee’s recommendation in 2010 to place a Major League Baseball standard diamond on the Schedler property. That would result in the demolition of the historic Zabriski House and the removal of 4 acres of trees, which buffer a residential neighborhood backing onto Route 17.
The mayor disregarded the 2012 amended version that gave interested parties six to 12 months to find a suitable use for the house. The group, Friends of Schedler, met its deadline as the Bergen County Historical Society expressed a desire to lease the house for a library. The Schedler group also was able to secure a $45,000 donation along with matching grants to cover the costs of stabilizing the house.
They sought a resolution that would allow them to gain a certificate of eligibility from the county and to establish a non-profit organization. The town only would have to provide the $45,000 grant to finish the work.
But rather than vote on this resolution, the mayor threw every obstacle he could think of at the presenter to prevent a vote from occurring. His own proposal for a second resolution was based on an outdated recommendation. We did not expect our mayor to throw the efforts of the people who acted in good faith under the bus. His last-minute resolution should be pulled.
Well, we can be doggone sure that the three of them lost EVERY vote from the east side of 17, and many votes from the west side of 17. We lost this battle, but we won a war, because this for sure put the last nails in their coffins. They will never get reelected. And don’t tell me the sports people will be out in force. Albano was TROUNCED in the last election, Mr. sports had a terrible turnout .
Any Ridgewood voter living east of Paramus Road would be absolutely insane to cast a vote for either ARONSOHN, HAUCK, OR PUCCIARELLI in the future. This will go down as the biggest screw job in Ridgewood’s history.
That’s gonna have to be a biiiig fence along Rt 17. It’ll look like a driving range when it’s done.And yet again, we plunder green space money for sports fields.
2012 municipal election results District 14 “THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN”
This was a done deal before the property was even bought. What people need to understand is the way some residents get themselves on committees and boards precisely to do the opposite of what the board purportedly is for.
Despite what the Deputy Mayor said last night, I predict the following:
1) The house will soon be bulldozed to the ground.
2) There will be artificial turf.
3) There will be lights.
4) The property will be clear cut of all trees.
You voted them in ladies & gents of the Salem Ridge area. Now you must pay the price.
The Lawns residents should pay attention to what happened last night because Lower Hawes field was mention. That will be the next target for Fast Eddie and the RBA.
AUGUST 13, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2015, 3:32 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Two resolutions related to Ridgewood’s historic Schedler property were put to a vote Wednesday night, with the governing body deciding in favor of endorsing recommendations made for the property by the village’s Open Space Committee and voting against the authorization of filing a Bergen County Historic Trust Fund matching grant for money related to the 200-year-old Zabriskie-Schedler house.
The subject of the Schedler property was revived last week as residents appealed to the council to support a grant that would be used to stabilize the house. The grant had a deadline of Sept. 3.
After a lengthy discussion and public comment, two resolutions were considered on Wednesday’s agenda. One resolution adopted the recommendations set forth in a 2012 Open Space Committee report that determined the Schedler property should be developed for recreational purposes, including a 90-foot baseball field with an overlay multi-purpose field for soccer and lacrosse.
The resolution also makes several other recommendations, including leaving the fate of the Zabriskie-Schedler house in the hands of the Village Council. It also provides guidelines for “interested citizens” to “raise and expend private funds for the purpose of stabilizing the house until a decision is made by the Village Council,” which some council members said made the second resolution to approve the grant unnecessary.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn stated his belief that the Open Space Committee report strikes “the right balance” and meets the needs of all Ridgewood residents.
file photo then Freehold John Mitch visiting the property with Village representatives
The Historic Zabriskie-Schedler House is not “a crumbling 200-year-old house”, in fact, the information could not be more inaccurate. There is a structural investigation I would love to give the Record that clearly reaffirms the structural integrity of the 1820’s historic house. We can always find space for a 90′ multi-purpose field in a much better location but the destruction of an Historic house is a final death sentence for the Village and for history.. The Zabriskie-Schedler House has already been included in the Village of Ridgewood Master Plan, under “Historic Preservation Plan Element” the Village’s list of historic sites under the following criteria:
A. Important to the general development of the area and the unique cultural heritage of the community.
B. Significant example of an architectural style or period.
C. Representative example of vernacular architecture of the area.
This information has recently been reaffirmed during the re-examination of the Master Plan.
Funds are needed urgently to stabilize the Historic Zabriskie-Schedler House. Last year, The Ridgewood Historic Commission echoed the concerns of many village residents and submitted a request for a “Certificate of Eligibility”. This request was granted and on May 2, 2014 by the Department of Environmental Protection, Natural and Historic Resources, Historic Preservation Office, Trenton. The letter states, among other historic attributes, that “the Zabriskie-Schedler House is individually eligible for listing in New Jersey and in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C as an example of third period Jersey Dutch framed houses.
AUGUST 9, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015, 9:50 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD – The future of the village-owned Schedler property – a crumbling 200-year-old house on seven wooded acres abutting Route 17 – was suddenly back on the council’s agenda last week because of an impending deadline.
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said time was running out to apply for a matching grant from the Bergen County Historic Trust Fund that would be used to stabilize the building.
In 2009, Ridgewood purchased the thickly wooded property, believed to have been the site of a Revolutionary War encampment or battle, with $2.7 million in open space grant money specified for active recreation. The move preempted any commercial development of the site.
Resident Isabella Altano – representing Ridgewood Eastside Development, a grass-roots citizens group – pleaded with the council Wednesday night to meet the grant’s deadline next month.
The house, which was occupied by Florence Schedler until she died in 2007 at age 104, “is in dire need of help,” Altano said. She said the “roof is falling and mold is present.”
Altano said an anonymous donor had placed $45,000 in an escrow account, earmarking the funds for the structure, but village officials said the fact that the source of the money is unknown is an issue.
Ridgewood NJ, With the expected Village Council “majority” approval of a resolution endorsing an Open Space Committee plan to build a 90 foot baseball field, including a concession stand, on the Schedler property, and demolish the existing historic house to facilitate same, this taxpayer predicts that Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser will soon be ordering a demolition excavator to accomplish the dirty task.
I wonder if the police department will be ordered to completely close off West Saddle River Road so no one can get photos or videos of the destruction in progress? What time of day do you think they’ll start the engines? Under the cover of darkness maybe?
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