Tag: turf fields

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Schedler House shenanigans, as expected

gwenn hauck

August 6,2015
Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ,  During what could only be described as one of the most bizarre Village Council meetings I’ve attended in quite some time, Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck publicly accused the “Friends of the Schedler House” organization of turning down a $45k donation from an unnamed individual.

However, according to an officer of “Friends of the Schedler House,” no $45k donation was ever offered by the “unnamed individual.”  What did happen was during a recent meeting between members of the organization and selected Village officials, Councilwoman Hauck merely suggested that a particular individual might be willing to donate the sum.

As you might expect, even though she was publicly corrected, Councilwoman Hauck offered no public apology for her erroneous accusation.

UPDATE: Village Council predicted to vote 3-2 on 8/12 to demolish Schedler House to facilitate construction of a 90 foot baseball field with concession stand.

Despite voting in support of spending up to $500k in “preliminary costs” for the design of a parking garage with a currently unknown shape, size, and final cost,  Aronsohn and Hauck object to spending $45k to save the Schedler House. Pucciarelli is on his honeymoon, so he wasn’t there to make a fool of himself too.

So there you have it folks. The Three Stooges will have one of the most historic buildings in Northwest Bergen County demolished just to secure the Sports Council votes next year.

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Discussion of Schedler Property and House MUST BE AN ELECTION YEAR COMING UP

zabriskieschedler_theridgewoodblog

THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S
PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA
AUGUST 5, 2015

1.         7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor
2.         Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor:  “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin             board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and           time of this meeting.”
3.         Roll Call – Village Clerk
4.         Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
5.         Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
6.         Presentations
a.         Senior Citizen Needs Assessment Survey
b.         June Year-to-Date Financial Review

7.         Discussion
a.         Parking
1.         Hudson Street Parking Garage Update
2.         Proposed 15 Minute Parking Spot

b.         Budget
1.            Capital Ordinance – Funding for Grant – Handicap Ramp at Graydon Pool
2.            Award Contract – F150 Pickup for Parking Enforcement
3.            Award of Contract Under State Contract – Purchase & Servicing of Firefighting            Equipment and Supplies
4.            Award Contract Under State Contract – Snow Plows
5.            Award Partial Contract – Siding Repairs to Traffic and Signal Building
6.            Award Contract – Maintenance Agreement for SCADA System and Software Support
7.            Authorize Change Order – Emergency Service Repair to Water Pollution Control          Facility SCADA System
8.            Authorize Change Order – Benjamin Franklin Middle School Drop-Off
9.            Award Contract – Printing Services – Ridgewood Water
10.        Award Contract – Consulting Engineering Services – Ridgewood Water
11.        Award Contract – Emergency Laboratory Services – Water Department

b.         Budget (continued)

12.        Award Contract – Lead and Copper and Water Quality Parameter Testing &   Compliance Services – Ridgewood Water
13.        Award Contract – Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water –             Ridgewood Water
14.        Award Contract – Emergency Repairs of Graydon Pool Well
15.        Approve Agreement with Washington Township – Paving and Curbs – Hampshire Road and Standish Road
16.        Approve Shared Services Agreement – Fuel – Ridgewood Board of Education

c.         Operations

1.                  2016 Village Council Meeting Dates
2.                  Establish Deposit Fees for Use of Village Barricades

d.         Policy
1.         Discussion of Schedler Property and House
2.         Middlesex Regional Education Services Commission Cooperative Pricing                                              Agreement
3.         Green Business Recognition Program

8.         Review of August 12, 2015 Public Meeting Agenda
9.         Manager’s Report
10.       Council Reports
11.       Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
12.       Resolution to go into Closed Session
13.       Closed Session
A.        Legal – Valley Hospital
B.         Personnel – Human Resources Position
14.       Adjournment

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High Temps On Turf Fields Spark Safety Concerns for Athletes

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July 21,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood  NJ, While many coaches and players love the benefits of artificial fields. Increasingly, municipalities are raising questions about extremely high temperatures on the playing fields when the weather is hot and sunny. Turf field can average 10 degrees hotter than natural grass.

Experts call this the “heat island ” effect : The first evidence of a “heat island” effect came a few years ago, when Columbia University climate researcher Stuart Gaffin analyzed thermal images generated from NASA satellite maps of New York City. He wanted to figure out how urban trees may help cool down neighborhoods. When Gaffin noticed a bunch of hot spots on the maps, he assumed they were rooftops. But he wanted to know for certain.

“So we picked five or six really hot locations in the Bronx and went to visit them, and two turned out to be turf fields” says Gaffin. In retrospect, he says he should have realized that, because they’re a perfect sunlight-absorbing system. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93364750

In 2008 to understand just how hot the synthetic fields can get, we visited Riverside Park in Manhattan with Geoffrey Croft, founder of NYC Park Advocates.

Carrying a thermometer, Croft stood at the periphery of one of the turf fields that’s used for a soccer camp.

In the shade it’s 86 degrees. But out in the center of the soccer field where kids are playing soccer, the sun is directly overhead. Holding his thermometer waist-high, he gets a reading of 160.6 degrees Fahrenheit.Croft is surprised. “It’s way higher than I thought it would be,” he says.https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93364750

Frequent water breaks are encouraged , drinking luke warm water not ice cold water. Experts say athletes should hydrate the evening before .
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Readers say : non binding = if the residents approve great they will move forward. If the residents do not approve it is non binding (on the mayor and council) and they will move forward

Mayor_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

Readers say : non binding = if the residents approve great they will move forward. If the residents do not approve it is non binding (on the mayor and council) and they will move forward. It’s a done deal folks.

So let’s get the business owners in the CBD who want this (Fish, Greek to Me) to help pay for the garage if it’s a done deal. If they have skin in the game, at least they’ll help protect Village taxpayers from cost overruns and “slippage” better than the Village ever could or would. Why should taxpayers be liable for 100% of the cost and inevitable overruns when this garage will benefit the businesses in the CBD? C’mon, this is North Bergen in NJ. Everything costs multiples of what it should so that everyone can get their “taste”.

The CBD business interests and landlords like to say that Ridgewood always says no to change. Not true. In the past couple of decades we built a new Village Hall, expanded the High School, built a new library, turfed Maple and the HS fields, upgraded Graydon, built a new track facility at BF, added a new gym at GW, converted Habernickel to public use. Whether you agree with all of these actions or not, Ridgewood has not sat still and has spent when needed. Contrast that with the decades long debate about a parking garage. It has NOT been built because there has been a consistent view by most residents that it is not needed and will detract from the Village. The only thing that has changed is that the commercial interests seem to have gotten a firmer foothold with the VC.

so why aren’t these CBD business interests helping to pay for it? Why should taxpayers be on the hook for 100% of this? Makes no sense.

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RHS Baseball team conducts Spring training out of state?

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H.S. baseball: Snow putting season on ice

APRIL 3, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015, 12:30 AM
BY MARK J. CZERWINSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Westwood baseball coach Kris Izzo was hard at work building up his pitcher’s mound over the weekend, celebrating the Cardinals’ first day out on their own field this preseason. All of a sudden, he heard a noise that is usually so out of place on a baseball field.

Especially four days before opening day.

“I hear this crunch of snow,” Izzo said. “So strange. I look up, and our kids are walking in and out of the dugout through snow.”

The Cardinals were lucky. They may have some snow lingering by the dugout and behind home plate, but at least the rest of the field is clear and playable.

That puts them well ahead of a few North Jersey teams who are still waiting for some sort of thaw to set in even with Thursday’s seasonable weather. And almost everyone endured a preseason that kept them inside and off their frozen fields, setting back their preparation.

“In my 30 years as an educator, this is the worst I remember,” Demarest athletic director Greg Butler said. “We’ve had other bad Marches, but not like this. This is the worst, not because of the snow, but because it’s been so cold along with the snow.”

That’s why you have fields like the one at St. Joseph. It’s always a little colder up on that hill in Montvale, and the parts of the field along the third base line that are shielded by trees – a blessing on sunny days in the late spring – had so much snow remaining that the Green Knights had to move Thursday’s opener to Morris Catholic.

And the drains in the dugouts are frozen and layered with ice.

In Mahwah, the field was covered by a coating of snow Wednesday morning, just hours before the Thunderbirds’ first game.

Up in West Milford, where winter always seems to linger a bit longer, weekend pictures of the Highlanders’ field look like a Christmas card scene. Half the field is covered in snow, and Wednesday’s opener was moved to Wayne Valley.

“We’ve played two scrimmages on turf, but we haven’t practiced outside except for fungoes in the parking lot,” said West Milford coach Joe Jordan.

“It’s funny because the school district had drainage put in over the summer. It worked really well in the fall, but a new drainage system doesn’t make a difference when the ground is frozen and there’s nothing to drain.”

Some lucky teams such as Demarest, Ridgewood and Don Bosco were able to head off to places such as Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Florida to squeeze in some workouts and scrimmages.

https://www.northjersey.com/sports/h-s-baseball-snow-putting-season-on-ice-1.1301951?page=all

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Fight erupts on use of NJ open space money

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maple+field1-300x19911

Fight erupts on use of NJ open space money

Just four months after voters in New Jersey overwhelmingly decided to put tens of millions of dollars into the state’s open space program, conservationists are accusing the governor of raiding the fund. (Fallon/The Bergen Record)

https://www.northjersey.com/news/fight-erupts-on-use-of-nj-open-space-money-1.1289600

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Popular athletic field turf raises worries in North Jersey

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maple+field1-300x199111

Popular athletic field turf raises worries in North Jersey

FEBRUARY 22, 2015, 9:50 PM    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2015, 9:59 PM
BY JEFF ROBERTS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The tiny specks of black rubber burrow their way into everything.

Keith Verkem finds them embedded in his carpet. In his car mats. Even chewed by his dog.

The shredded bits of used car and truck tires — called crumb rubber — routinely infest his Glen Rock home. They are carried in by his 13-year-old son, Zachary, after soccer games on artificial turf. They are used as infill on nearly all synthetic fields in the country.

And he wonders just how safe those little pellets are.

“My son comes home and takes off his cleats, and now I have piles of crumb rubber in my house,” Verkem said. “They do get everywhere.”

The large majority of studies have found minimal to no health risks from crumb rubber after testing turf fields, including analyses conducted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the University of California at Berkeley.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/popular-athletic-field-turf-raises-worries-in-north-jersey-1.1276229

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No plans yet for Ridgewood’s Schedler property, house

zabriskieschedler_theridgewoodblog

zabriskieschedler_theridgewoodblog.net_

No plans yet for Ridgewood’s Schedler property, house

JANUARY 28, 2015    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015, 9:28 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

As a piece of Ridgewood property has continued to sit in limbo for the past year, the issue seemingly comes down to money.

Neighbors in favor of a park with lots of trees are making some financial steps, while those in favor of a large baseball field for the older athletes are considering others.

But, since making an initial step toward a grant to stabilize the Schedler house’s roof at the urging of some neighbors, the village – which officials say is currently not in a position to fund any changes to this property – is holding off on future movements.

Eastside neighbors of the Schedler property on West Saddle River Road, who want to both preserve the roughly 200-year-old Schedler house currently languishing on the property and create a family park, are now creating a 501(c)(3) to collect donations from “Friends of the Historic Zabriskie-Schedler House and Family Park.”

“Probably in a month or two we should have that running,” Ridgewood Eastside Development (RED) leader Isabella Altano said last week. Altano is an architect from that neighborhood who is in favor of preserving the house.

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/no-plans-yet-for-ridgewood-s-schedler-property-1.1259791

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Glen Rock voters reject turf field referendum

DSCF9653

file photo Boyd Loving

Glen Rock voters reject turf field referendum

NOVEMBER 5, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014, 2:03 PM
BY RICHARD DE SANTA
STAFF WRITER |
GLEN ROCK GAZETTE

Wasting no time addressing the implications of Tuesday’s resounding Faber Field turf referendum defeat, the Glen Rock Borough Council will start its Monday, Nov. 10 work session at 6:30 p.m., an hour earlier than usual.

Although Mayor John van Keuren and the council had already extended the meeting time several days before the vote – to specifically allow discussion of next steps for Faber either way – the setback and its magnitude have ramped up the need for fresh deliberation.

After the lopsided 2,999-1,176 vote against the $3 million bond proposal, van Keuren told the Glen Rock Gazette Tuesday that, “We had already moved up the start time, just to talk about the outcome and next steps, not knowing what the outcome was going to be, and it was obviously definitive.”

Saying the post-vote reaction of some council members ranged from “disappointed” to “shell-shocked,” the mayor added, “Regardless, we have to move forward. So we’ll see what the mood of the council is, and how to tap into the mood of the community.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-state-news/elections-in-nj/glen-rock-voters-reject-turf-field-referendum-1.1126423

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Ridgewood council weighs costs of turf versus grass

DSCF4899

file photo Boyd Loving

Ridgewood council weighs costs of turf versus grass

AUGUST 14, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014, 3:48 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER

Artificial turf appears to cost less to maintain than grass, at least on Maple Field.

According to Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld, an estimated $121,500 was spent maintaining the turf on Maple Field during an eight-year period from 2006 to 2014.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-council-weighs-costs-of-turf-versus-grass-1.1067710#sthash.qIgm1R3Q.dpuf

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Reader says Maple Park was not “renovated.” It was strip-mined and destroyed

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Reader says Maple Park was not “renovated.” It was strip-mined and destroyed

Maple Park was not “renovated.” It was strip-mined and destroyed. Nobody walking into it for the first time would describe it as a “park” any more. It is no longer available or of interest to most taxpayers. Therefore, we should not have to pay one cent for it. In fact, the turf there was undoubtedly partly responsible for the recent flooding (again) of the community garden, making all that lovely produce, just becoming perfectly ripe, too dangerous to eat.

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Reader says “sports groups” already have more “skin in the game” than any other organization or group of organizations in town

RHS_Girls_Lacross_therigdewoodblog.net_

Reader says “sports groups” already have more “skin in the game” than any other organization or group of organizations in town

The “sports groups” already have more “skin in the game” than any other organization or group of organizations in town. They privately raised the funds and paid for the renovation of Maple Park, (A million bucks, the Council didn’t spend a dime and until recently they haven’t spent a dime on maintenance either.) they annually pay for upgrades and renovations to both BOE and Village owned facilities including baseball fields, gymnasiums, and other fields. They have paid for installation of sprinkler systems, drainage, seeding, backstops, backboards, padding, bleachers, scoreboards, lights, and the list goes on and on. The problem with the support is that the BOE and the Village have become dependant on the funds. The HS athletic teams are supported by the sports groups by over $200,000 per year in private funding at least. Sports groups purchase uniforms, pay for coaches, pay for buses, etc…. In return for that support you better believe they are going to demand the best playing surfaces available for their teams.

In regards to paying for the maintance and repairs, the sports groups would probably make that trade in a heart beat. Pay for maintenance and repairs on the turf fields in return for the BOE and Village fulfilling their responsibilities for all of the other items would be a major win for the sports groups and net loss for both the BOE and Village Council.

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Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits

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Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits

TAKEN FROM THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG (Archived ) You should read the whole article.

From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs

Found it! Posted May 7, 2012.

https://theridgewoodblog.net/turf-king-endorses-aronsohn-hauck-and-puciarell-criticizes-police-and-firemen-attacking-salary-and-benefits/

Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits

Moments ago, after a long day at work I sat down to review my personal emails, check school info and sports emails, kids schedule, etc. In the mix was an email from Brian Abdoo who I know from a number of sports programs my kids are involved in. I began reading the Abdoo’s endorsement of candidates, Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarelli. The more I read the sicker I became. Abdoo has thoroughly disgusted me with his hypocritical rhetoric.

From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs.

Now, this same Brian Abdoo wants to express concern over taxes? He attempts to peddle Paul Aronsohn’s gimmicky zero based budgeting. Even my 6th grader understands built-in inherent cost increases. Abdoo states he wants more transparency and Village Council should “open the books”. The fact that Brian Abdoo is ignorant should not persuade anyone to his argument. Brian, the books are open. They are a matter of public record and are available for anyone to review. Brian, feel free to visit APP DataUniverse if there is anything you need to know. However, Mr. Abdoo, while doing your research you likely will not find the value of your candidate Aronsohn’s health care costs, at village taxpayer expense, for the past four years. Mr. Abdoo, while Mr. Aronsohn is busy telling you he wants to help Ridgewood Taxpayers, he has been busy helping himself for four years
.
Brian Abdoo proceeds to attack our police and firemen, attacking their salary and benefits. If this is such a concern why on earth would he support Aronsohn who voted for each and every raise, and contract , pertaining to the police & fire department. Maybe he prefers regionalized police and fire departments like Hauck and Puciarelli. Hauck announced the savings for each village taxpayer during the debate: a whopping $ 285 each! For that money I will sleep better at night with Village police and firemen.

Abdoo professes the revitalization of Ridgewood downtown and how committed each of his threesome is to this goal. Mr. Abdoo, Paul Aronsohn is the Council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce. What has he been doing for the past four years? Shopping at the mall? And Hauck and Puciarelli prefer a more urbanized Ridgewood. If they want urbanization let them move to Hoboken.

Best for last, Abdoo states each of these candidates is committed to helping Valley and residents to negotiate a compromise to allow for expansion. For goodness sake, Brian, where has Al Puciarelli been? He has been a member of the planning board forever. Hauck didn’t speak of compromise when she endorsed the massive expansion, as is, over and over again. Valley Hospital is not interested in compromise. The only time that was suggested by Valley was at the last Village Council hearing. Audrey Meyers, seeing the writing on the wall, begged council to hold off their vote so Valley could develop a compromise. Seriously, where was the compromise for six years?

Mr. Abdoo, reconsider and bullet for Killion and Shinizuka before we are in another turf-like drowning mess attributable to the likes of you.

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Reader says Soccer 11 months a year…crazy…

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Reader says Soccer 11 months a year…crazy…

Remove the friggin’ lights. This is not Friday Night Lights. Horrendous.

Trouble is not with grass but too many people and teams expecting the grass to withstand continuous use. It needs time to recover.

Reduce the number of teams and forget the leagues. Just stop it and give us our parks back. They’re all ruined.

Microsoft Store

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Reader says it only fair that the Sports Groups step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation of the turf fields

DSCF4899

file photo Boyd Loving

Reader says it only fair that the Sports Groups step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation of the turf fields 

If the sports clubs have gotten so much value out of the fields, I would think it only fair that they step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation. It shouldn’t always be the VC or BOE (the rest of us). Given that maintenance seems to be running about $100K year and depreciation another $200K for $1.5M to replace the carpets after a flood-shortened 7 year life, the sports clubs should be contributing on the order of $100K.

Raise dues if you have to — it’s part of the true cost of doing business.

And did they ever contribute everything they had promised for the lights?

Microsoft Store