Reader says If you want to truly save tax dollars, reduce the school budget.
Its one of the nicer things about Ridgewood. I’m tired of the new residents bitching about the nice things here, like the Paid Professional Firefighters, and rear yard trash pickup. They come here, raise our taxes with these foolish school budgets, million dollar artificial turf sports fields, 10 million dollar horse farms (turned into sports fields) then beat feet out of town after their last kid graduates RHS, leaving the rest of us to foot the tab. If you want to truly save tax dollars, reduce the school budget. A good first start is larger class sizes, and shift medical ‘benefits’ to a bare-bones plan
Neighbors in Ho-Ho-Kus join Schedler property discussion in Ridgewood
Tuesday February 11, 2014, 10:27 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The Ridgewood Council has yet to resume public discussions on the future of the Schedler property, but a handful of residents continue to keep the topic fresh on the governing body’s mind.
Council members last rang in on the potential development of the site in December, when members of the Ridgewood Eastside Development organization presented a series of facts and findings.
Jane Shinozuka, who lives on Ridgewood’s east side, was the most recent resident to broach the topic, when she suggested last week that development might result in a spike in crime. Others, during a January council meeting, stressed the importance of basic winter maintenance to the historic house that currently stands on the 7-acre tract of land sandwiched between Route 17 north and West Saddle River Road.
Flawed bid process will delay Maple Field cleanup in Ridgewood
TUESDAY DECEMBER 17, 2013, 10:32 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Council has rejected the lone bid it received for the Maple Park turf cleaning job, a move that will delay a much-needed procedure at one of the village’s most used fields.
According to a council resolution unanimously passed last week, the village will put the project back out for public bid because the initial bid process was declared flawed.
Plans for open space in Ridgewood still to be determined
Tuesday September 24, 2013, 11:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
It’s not uncommon to catch a glimpse of a youth ball game while driving through the Route 17 corridor. To date, motorists can spy the action on sports fields from the heavily trafficked highway in East Rutherford, Carlstadt and Hasbrouck Heights.
Ridgewood’s Open Space Committee last October recommended that any individual or group interested in preserving the Schedler house on West Saddle River Road should present plans to the Village Council within 12 months. Several residents had the opportunity to tour the property and interior, pictured here, of the home last month.
If funding falls into place, a fourth location and the first adjacent to the thoroughfare’s northbound lanes might one day pop up in Ridgewood. Plans to convert the heavily wooded, 7-plus acre lot between Route 17 North and West Saddle River Road into a multi-use athletics facility have made the first run through the village’s engineering department but are still under scrutiny and far from complete.
The fate of what is known to most residents as the Schedler property is still up in the air, though a youth sports complex has already won the endorsement of a number of key groups in Ridgewood, including the Open Space Committee. Specifically, a 90-foot baseball diamond with a multi-purpose turf field overlaying the baseball outfield has been laid out on the table. The plan also calls for designated areas for passive recreation and an accompanying parking lot.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/recreation/225034202_Plans_for_open_space_in_Ridgewood_still_to_be_determined.html#sthash.wawaqmTI.dpuf
Funds secured for fixes at two Ridgewood fields
Wednesday August 28, 2013, 10:30 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Grants and gifts will pay for needed field improvements at both Maple Park Field and the Irene Habernickel Family Park.
The Ridgewood Council recently accepted a $20,000 grant from the Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund to offset a portion of the cost to rehabilitate the turf at Maple Field. The total price tag hovers over $40,000.
“We were approved at 50 percent of the total cost for the matching grant,” said Village Manager Ken Gabbert.
The artificial surface has “taken a beating” in recent years and the turf has hardened significantly, creating poor playing conditions. Money already appropriated by the village, in addition to the county grant money, will pay to “redo” the turf field, Gabbert said.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEM
The Village of Ridgewood maintains a Lightning Detection System at several athletic fields throughout the village. The system is managed by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and governed by the Athletic Fields and Recreational Facilities Use Policy as established by the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Fields Use Committee and the Board of Education.
An effective lightning safety program is dependent on cooperation by field users, as well as properly functioning technology. We realize compliance with the Lightning Detection System will increase once residents and other users of our facilities understand how the system works and what to do when there is a threat of lightning.
OEM and the Fields Use Committee are providing this summary about the Lightning Detection System to educate the public about the system and current policies.
Current Locations With Lightning Detection System
• Ridgewood High School/Stevens Field
• Veterans Field
• Maple Field
• Benjamin Franklin Middle School
• Somerville School
• Hawes School
Future Locations Not Currently Covered By Lightning Detection System
• George Washington Middle School/Citizens’ Field
• Habernickel Park
• Kenilworth Field
• Brookside Field
• Glen School
• Orchard School
• Willard School
• Ridge School
• Travell School
How the Lightning Detection System Works
• Each field is equipped with a rotating amber beacon (flashing light) and a siren.
• When the system detects a lightning strike within 10 miles, a text/email alert will be sent to anyone registered to receive electronic alerts (see below for more information). Within approximately one minute, the siren will sound for 15 seconds and the amber light will illuminate and rotate. The amber light will remain on for the duration of the alert (the siren will not sound again until the “all clear” signal is sounded).
• Once 30 minutes have passed with no lightning detected in the 10 mile area, an “all clear” signal will be broadcast.
o Important: Do not assume it is safe to return to the field after 30 minutes. The system tracks ALL lightning strikes within a 10- mile radius, but only activates after the first strike. There may be multiple consecutive strikes occurring. The system will only sound the “all clear” 30 minutes after the LAST lightning strike. In other words, the “all clear” may sound well beyond 30 minutes from activation. Wait until the “all-clear” signal is given before returning to the field.
• The “all clear” signal consists of three 5-second alerts on the siren and the amber light will shut off. The system will also send out an “all clear” text message and email.
• The system is active from 8am until 10pm, consistent with the hours the fields are open for use.
• The Lightning Detection System is an additional tool to provide warning of potential lightning strikes. If the system does not activate but you see lightning or hear thunder, clear the field immediately and seek shelter.
What to Do When the System is Activated
• While the alert is active the field is closed and users should seek immediate shelter. A safe shelter includes any building (grounded or with plumbing) or any vehicle with a metal roof.
• Anyone arriving to use a field should check to see if the light is active, especially if it looks like others have left the field.
• Encourage others to leave the field and seek immediate shelter.
• Wait for the “all clear” signal before returning to the field. Remember: it may take longer than 30 minutes for the “all clear” to be given.
Your Obligation to Comply
• Rules for complying with the Lightning Detection System are posted at the fields.
• All field users have an obligation to comply with the alerts by immediately vacating the field and seeking shelter. This includes coaches, parents, referees/umpires. It applies equally to organized sports activities as well as casual field users.
• The safety of all participants, especially children, is of paramount importance. Lightning kills and heeding the alerts could be a matter of life or death.
What to Do at Location with No Lightning Detection System
• If you see lightning or hear thunder, clear the field immediately and seek shelter.
• Wait 30 minutes from the last lightning strike or sound of thunder before returning to the field.
• Use common sense.
Register for Receive Lightning Alerts by Text/Email
• Residents are encouraged to sign up to receive email and/or text alerts directly from the Lightning Detection System. These electronic alerts serve as a redundant system in the event the sirens or rotating beacons are not functioning. They also serve to alert parents who are not present at the field but may have children that are on the field.
• 2 ways to register for email/text alerts
o Visit www.ridgewoonj.net and click on “E-Notice sign up” or
o Visit https://oem.ridgewoodnj.net and either click on “Register for Notifications” under the News & Information tab or click on the “Swift 911 Notification” icon
o Be sure to check the box that says “Lightning Detection Email Alerts”
Notify Us of System Problems
• The Village of Ridgewood has a dedicated email address to report problems with the Lightning Detection System. To report a problem or if you believe the system is not functioning properly, please send an email to LDSinfo@ridgewoodnj.net.
Maple Field revisited : Does better Drainage simply push flooding down stream ?
August 11,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, During the original debate over the turfing of Maple Field residents and this blog raised concerns over field drainage and where the run off was actually going to go going to .
file photo by Boyd Loving
The REAC issued a study claiming : “Perhaps the most important environmental benefit at Maple Park is the improvement of the storm water runoff management in the flood plain (this will be discussed in more detail on page 21). According to the Department of Parks and Recreation’s records,the peak storm water runoff into the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook was reduced over 95% for a “2-year storm” event and over 94% for a “ 10-year storm” event.In fact, today the peak runoff in a “10-year storm” event is 72% lower than it was for a “2-year storm” event with the previous non-engineered natural grass surface and water capture/drainage system . (https://ridgewoodreac.com/REAC%20Synthetic%20Turf%20Assessment%20FINAL-2.pdf) “
Several readers have since wondered if with the addition of the turf at Maple, the turf at Stevens and RHS Stadium are we simply over whelming the HoHo Kus Brooks ability to carry water down stream , especially given that the Village is not the only town with turf fields along the its banks .
Believe it or not, every house in town does not have central air conditioning, not to mention a private pool. Graydon has always been a delightful, convenient hot-weather respite at reasonable fees for those in town who do not own second or third homes and can’t spend half the summer at resorts–as well as those who do have vacation homes but would like a cool dip when they can’t go there. It looks great, too–a refreshing oasis in the center of town.
Many Village residents enjoy and demand amenities, such as increasingly expensive sports fields and turf remediation, that are of no interest to others, but who nevertheless pay for them through property taxes. Fairness is an issue. Nevertheless, if the Village marketed Graydon in any way beyond Parks & Rec fliers, more people would join. There isn’t even an obvious place on the Village website to learn details about the place and join.
Ridgewood Schools : the “good old days” ain’t comin’ back
Your references (Carin Cone, Doug Cook, Jeff Yearing, etc…) puts you at RHS in the 60’s an interesting time in our country’s history and much, much different than today. A couple of questions in regards to your comments about class sizes, turf, size of administration, etc….
How many classes were offered at RHS in 1965? How many electives? How many Honors classes? How many languages? There is no more wood shop or auto shop at RHS which had large class enrollments. Just the sheer size of varied class offerings at RHS requires more class rooms and teachers and leads directly to overall lower class sizes. In regards to turf and lights. How did the RHS Boys and Girls Soccer teams do back then? What about the girls softball team? Were the boys and girls lacrosse teams state and national powers in the 60’s? How many All-American girls track stars were there back then? Since the boys basketball program was so strong I would assume the girls team was pretty good as well? Did the girls cross country team run for State titles year in and year out in the 60’s? None of those teams even existed back then. Yet the size and number of our fields is almost exactly the same. That’s why we have turf.
You mention some legendary Principal’s and Administrators. How did they deal with the Federal Gov’t mandated “No Child Left Behind? Wiring the schools for internet and high speed telecommunications must have been much easier back then. I’m sure the NJ mandated “No Bullying” rules took up a lot of their time. What about the HESPA exams and all the other mandated testing that goes on, how did they deal with those responsibilities? With all of those sports teams, multiple bands, New Players, Clubs, activities, over involved parents and the such they must have been swamped.
Look, we all long for the “good old days” whatever they may be for each of us but we all have to realize they ain’t comin’ back. We can be as nostalgic as we want but it is impossible to turn the clock back. The taxes we pay in this town are ridiculous, we all know that. Yet we all choose to live here. The Ridgewood School system when compared against similar districts in similar towns of similar size and when compared against State averages has a cost per pupil far below our peers and the state averages. It is hard to believe that we pay the taxes we do and in some respects we’re getting decent value. There is not a lot of “administrative bloat.” Name some if you can. The problem we have is that with a $90 million dollar budget approx. 85% of it is salaries and benefits. That’s over $75 million bucks right there. $385,000 for a new science curriculum doesn’t really sound like a big deal to me when you look at it like that. If you want to try and roll back the clock then start eliminating electives and teachers and before you do that, freeze their salaries on the contract being negotiated.
>Some thoughts on the New Year generated by the comments on our current mayor:
I don’t always agree with what Killion does, but I strongly disagree with some of the attacks against him. Yes, he may have a tendency to favor the unions, but who isn’t sympathetic to those whom they know, have worked with, etc?
More importantly, I think he is fair and even handed. Keith took over after two bozo’s had served as mayor. The Mancuso/Pfund years saw a decline in Village standards and services. In those days, Keith sat in the audience night after night, speaking up for what he thought should be done. When he retired, he put his effort where his mouth was and he ran for office. He’s worked his rear end off since that time. It is a thankless task — probably a lot like a fire hydrant having to cater to a number of different dogs.
Keith has not been perfect. But I think he’s handled the hand he was dealt with as best as he can, and frankly as best as most of the rest of us could. I don’t understand the approval of the Gabbert raise. That was stupid. I will say it again, that was stupid. Ketih should be looking into replacing Gabbert, not paying him more.
But, when you look at the larger picture, you see that Keith had done a good job. Pfund passed off the Valley issue to the hand picked planning board that passed a resolution over the objection of the majority of Ridgewood resident’s wishes. That issue took much of the VC;s attention away from other issues. It can never be overstated how damaging the hospital over-expansion would have been to the character of the Village. It is criminal how much time and effort was wasted dealing with what should have been a non-starter.
But, as Valley, the Graydon debate, the Graydon lawsuit and other issues were addressed, other problems were brewing. Most importantly, like every other town in America, our tax base was shrinking as costs increased. Basic economic issues needed and need to be addressed. Keith and the other VC members need to turn their attention to those issues. It is the economy stupid.
My own 7-point wish list for 2012:
1. Village Manager: Fire Gabbert and replace him with a no-nonsense leader who shakes up Village Hall.
2. Departments: Make department heads start working or fire them.
3. Budget: Serious assess where we are heading with our budget, anticipated revenues, expenses etc. What are spending money on in the Village and school board budgets and what will we need to keep spending money on to maintain village standards.
4. Downtown building: Remake the downtown without approving the massive building projects on the drawing board. New housing is only going to add to the Village problems. Don’f fall prey to the argument that only massive building will allow Ridgewood to pull out of the recession.
5. Parking — many people remark that other similarly situated towns have dealt with parking in more creative ways than building a massive parking garage. The suggestion i like the best is making our three main roads one way and changing parking from horizontal to angled, so that you can get three cars in where you only get one now.
6. NJ Transit. Don’t let them turn Ridgewood into a transit hub.
7. Fields — even handedness should be the order of the day. Not every field needs to be turfed and lighted.
>“No Money” : Habernickel was bought, many other projects undertaken, and money was found for those – and still seems to be found- even for retroactive raises
One person we know of who was badly affected by the non-connected storm drains asked the Village to fix that for many years, and sadly he died still waiting for the problem to be resolved. It still is unresolved.
Many times his family’s property was damaged. Many times he requested the Village take care of the problem – and was told over and again “no money” and that they would get to it when there was money available. This pre-dates fields, turf and Habernickel.
Other people we know have asked that very worn curbs be fixed for years and received the same answer.
And on our street, Village planted trees many years ago and then refused to care for them when they uprooted walks and driveways, saying they’d retroactively changed the law and the trees now are yours- but you must get permission if you want to cut them down.
If you read elsewhere on this blog too, you’ll see that recently a new proposal to give more Village trees to homeowners was made though tabled (for now). And also that the Mgr just announced a discharge fee would be applied to some homes.
Many streets are also in bad shape and need repairs around the Village.
It wasn’t as much about sewer connections as these other things, though years ago the Village didn’t charge you for the under-the-street part if that failed, either- as other posters have noted. You were not responsible to pay for the part under the street, just under your own property. If you have to dig up the street, many fees and charges apply and there is a big and expensive process involved.
In the interim though, Habernickel was bought, many other projects undertaken, and money was found for those – and still seems to be found- even for retroactive raises.
But apparently not for all the other stuff – that’s the issue- why not?
> Ridgewood school board estimates Irene’s cleanup costs at $118K
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 BY JOSEPH CRAMER STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Cleaning and repair costs to Ridgewood High School (RHS) fields following the damage that occurred during Hurricane Irene will total around $118,000, Superintendent Daniel Fishbein reported at Monday’s Board of Education (BOE) meeting
The figures will be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the hopes of receiving disaster assistance funds to alleviate the cost to the district.
During his “opening of school” report, Fishbein outlined the various damages at school facilities during the late August storm, including folds, tears and sediment deposits on the turf surfaces on Stadium and Stevens fields, which both spent the better part of the storm submerged under the overflowing waters of the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook.
Fishbein estimated the cost of cleaning and repair to Stadium Field – involving the removal of debris, correction of the folds and repair of the tears – would be about $58,175. The corresponding cost to neighboring Stevens Field is about $32,585, he said. In addition, about $16,300 will need to be spent on landscaping repairs to the areas surrounding the fields.
>The question is do we want to remain a Village or do we want to become more city like?
First, to address the commentary, the train station is beautiful. No doubt about it. But why so big? That’s what the old mayor and council failed to address when it was being built and something about which the current council appears to be clueless. Why would NJ Transit pour that much money into Ridgewood? Call me cynical, but the answer has to lie with broader expansion plans to make Ridgewood a transit hub.
To get to the broader issue raised by this post, call us semi urban, urban, urbane, suburban or whatever you like. We are a densely populated town, like many in the NorthEast. But at the moment, we can still call ourselves a Village. The question is do we want to remain a Village or do we want to become more city like?
Every issue we face has to be addressed in that light: Do we accept a larger, improved train station — and more bus connections and parking as we become a transit hub? Do we tear down the center of town to put up a hundred one room apartments — and then deal with the need for more parking for the working couples that move in and the need for a larger school budget for the children that will undoubtedly follow? Do we double the size of the hospital — and devalue a large portion of the Village’s housing stock and take away the front yards of those on Linwood so there is enough room for the construction vehicles and patients that the Hospital hopes to attract from across the NorthEast? Do we continue to supply water to our well heeled neighbors in Wyckoff and elsewhere — and then have them sue us? Do we turf and light our fields and shut off the lights by 8 or 10 — and create a carnival atmosphere if we choose the latter? Do we emphasize sports over academics and the arts — and lose the competitive edge our students had in all these areas?
Ridgewood is at a semi-urban crossroad. It has been and remains a premier town in the New York Metropolitan area. The challenge is to keep it as Village like as possible. That is a tall order for the Village council and all of us. Myoptic visions must be set aside and folks need to see the broader picture. With every potentially wonderful advance put on the drawing board — hospital, train station, parking lots — come potential disadvantages. They need to be weighed carefully. We diminish the whole when we diminish any part of our collective backyard.
>A Coup d’état at the Zoning board of adjustment Pj Blogger and the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ – Fireworks were felt at the Zoning board of adjustment meeting when both Doug Cronk, a former council candidate, and Dean Vellis, a Fields Use Policy proponent, were not reappointed to the board.
It seems the Village is looking to clean house to avoid any impression of conflict of interest before the controversial H-Zone ,Valley Renewal Village Council special meetings. The Village is looking to avoid a repeat of the “I forgot to tell anybody my father was a Valley Trustee ” death bed confession of a former Village Mayor.
Many viewed the move as unexpected but is was rather difficult to not notice the impression that Doug Cronk and his running mate Brian Dowd ran a very pro Valley campaign , perhaps accepting contributions and as many allege campaign support from Valley Hospital itself , Doug also finds himself involved with the “bogus” pro Valley Renewal group that has sprung up from the “artificial turf”. Cronk and Dowd were defeated by current members Deputy Mayor Tom Riche and Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh.
Dean Vellis who runs the junior football program in the Village, and is a big proponent of youth sports may have been targeted because of the continued anxiety over whether many of the ‘turf and field light projects have been alleged to have been misrepresented to the public.
The other elephant in the room was the mishandled “Action Park” Graydon pool project which was under the thumb of none other than Melinda Cronk the wife of Doug.
The house cleaning had already started with the “sudden departure” Planning Board Chairmen David Nicholson a Valley ally who was presiding over an extremely unpopular tenure at the Board.
While Cronk and Vellis claim the vote not to re-appoint was politically motivated the Village Council seems to have woken up to the fact that it is a new day in the Village and the last 15 years of “we can do what ever we want and your gonna pay for it” are now over.
A new professional atmosphere is reemerging and perhaps the council is beginning to see both the liability and the folly of the all the incestuousness and parochial self interests that has so tarnished the image of the Village .
The very fact that the fields are in the flood plain is why they should be turf.
“Turf fields that need replacement and continuous maintenance (b/c they were idiotically built in a flood zone) does not represent wise spending. The return on investment does come close to breaking even as not nearly enough of the student population benefits.”
We had an unusually severe spring storm season this year. So, here is a question for you…how much would we have spent to maintain/repair the old grass fields after the floods this spring? Or, would we have just left the fields closed for 3-4 weeks until they were playable, like we did at Brookside Field this March/April? You need to compare what the costs would have been and what the impact of lost field access would have been.
No one said that the turf fields are maintenance free (particularly in the flood plain). However, the very fact that the fields are in the flood plain is why they should be turf. There are maintenance costs. But, they are different costs from grass field maintenance and are a lower expense to taxpayers
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