Yes, indeed Derek Schnure! Aronsohn, Pucciarelli, and Hauck HATE the Blog and complain endlessly about anonymous bloggers. Of course then we find out that Hauck’s husband was posting nasty comments about two of Gwenn’s colleagues on the council, and that Albert and Paul were posting anonymously all the time as was Roberta.
The Blog enables people to say what they really think, to air grievances, to reveal hidden secrets, all without fear of retribution. Pucciarelli vilified the blog all the time, but he was obvioulsy one of the big anonymous posters. Hauck told everyone to be very careful what they put on social media, and then she blasted people viciously on facebook while her husband was doing so on the blog. Aronsohn touted transparency but then fed total BS to the news outlets, who were too lazy to get the facts and just printed his falsehoods.
The Blog and other forms of social media are amazing tools for the little people. Seems that the VOCAL MINORITY that Aronsohn and Halaby always talked about weren’t so minority after all.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Fourth of July is looking for volunteers for the Parade and Fireworks. Please volunteer as a parade marshal or for the evening program. All volunteers receive a signature Ridgewood Fourth of July t-shirt and a free ticket to the evening entertainment and fireworks. As we are a non-profit we can also offer community service hours to students.
Parade Marshal – Be the eyes and ears of the committee. Sit wherever you normally sit to enjoy the parade. We will give you a clip board with a copy of the parade regulations and a committee t shirt. If you see anything that doesn’t look right, such as a gap between groups or things being thrown or distributed by any groups, you step forward and correct the situation. If the participant does not comply, you have the cell phone numbers of the committee to call for help.
Parade Judges – Sit wherever you normally sit to enjoy the parade. We will give you a clip board with the necessary judge’s forms. Judges are needed for the following categories:
Parade Groups
Floats
Music Groups
Fireworks Ticket Takers – There are four gates onto Veteran’s Field for the fireworks. Each gate needs 5 people to take tickets, sell tickets, hand out programs, etc. For this position, you will receive a shirt and a boxed dinner.
Pre-Show Gate Security – Due to added security, we will need 2 people at each of our four gates between 4 and 6 pm. Once the Police have done their security sweep of the field at 4pm, no one will be allowed on the field until the gates open at 6pm. For this position, you will receive a shirt and a boxed dinner.
We could always use more volunteers to help ensure a safe and sane event for all our attendees; if you know anyone who is interested in volunteering please have them contact us atinfo@ridgewoodjuly4th.com or 201-602-1922.
Our volunteer information meeting will be at The Ridgewood Fire House located at 201 East Glen Ave on Thursday, June 30 at 7pm.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood YMCA Celebrates 50th Graduating Class of Living Strong, Living Well Cancer Survivor Program
Graduation ceremony held June 16 at Ridgewood YMCA
On Thursday, June 16th, the Ridgewood YMCA celebrated its 50th graduating class of Living Strong, Living Well (LSLW), a strength and fitness program offered by the Y to cancer patients and survivors. The program began in 2008 and to date has touched the lives of over 400 participants. Developed by Stanford University, and partially funded through a grant from the Valley Hospital Foundation, LSLW is a 12-week small group class designed to build muscle mass and strength, increase flexibility and endurance, and improve functional ability. Unique benefits of this program include nutritional information, social and emotional support, and improved levels of energy and self-esteem.
“The LSLW program has greatly helped cancer survivors increase their strength, flexibility, and range of motion. But more importantly it has helped them recover. By meeting others with similar issues, they develop friendships and a new support system which helps them realize that they can overcome anything,” says Carol Livingstone, Health & Fitness Director at the Ridgewood YMCA. “They develop good exercise habits which gives them hope for a healthier future. And they find an inner strength they didn’t know they had by empowering them to do more than they thought they could when first starting the program.”
Amy Phillips, Director of Fund Development at the Ridgewood YMCA, said, “The Ridgewood Y is extremely grateful to the Valley Hospital Foundation for their steadfast support for this tremendously impactful program”.
Living Strong, Living Well is offered at no charge and each participant is given a free Three-Month Triangle Membership to the Ridgewood YMCA, which includes access to workout equipment, two pools, and fitness classes. The next session begins September 7, 2016.
For more information, contact Carol Livingstone at 201-444-5600, ex. 330 or visitwww.ridgewoodymca.org/lslw.
Below is the schedule of what will be playing. Make sure to check our Facebook page or event page for updates, notifications of weather changes, etc. before coming out to the Park.
June 15 – To Kill a Mockingbird
June 29 – Vertigo
July 13 – Grease **We’ll also feature live 50’s music, a sock hop & more, so come to the park early and enjoy the party!
July 27 – Raiders of the Lost Ark
August 10 – Despicable Me
August 24 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
All movies are shown on a big screen at Memorial Park in Van Neste Square! Movies begin at sundown (approximately 9pm in June and July and 8:30pm in August).
So let me ask a question to all the Private Sector poster on this blog to include Roberta who say that Government should be run like the private sector. Here it goes. What happens in the private sector when you have a supplier or division that cannot meet the supply of the parent company because of inefficiency,incompetence, antiqued infrastructure,or not enough room for that division or supplier to expand? Does the parent company continue to throw money at that division or supplier knowing that it past, record shows that they cannot keep up with the demand. Or does the parent company cut their losses and sell that division or find a new supplier.
Ridgewood Nj, this was taken from “it takes a Ridgewood Village ” Facebook page :
I just wanted to comment on the past two elections here in Ridgewood. We have seen the power of social media drive the results of the VC and Referendum contests. In the past, the public would have been spoonfed much more information from those in power (i.e. through such cultivated media such as the Ridgewood News, VOR email blasts, regular politics as usual campaigning).
The “little guy” is now able to counter the misinformation and party politics, at least at the local level, through such forums as this FB group, the Ridgewood Blog, etc.
It is very interesting how much information came out on the Mayor’s plans that never would have been revealed but for these forums.
It’s pretty cool and empowering! Unfortunately, it’s not really working on a state or national level yet…
Who is the new watering czar? I want to know where to call to report a neighbor’s system that’s watering at illegal times and has done so for years. It has to be anonymous. Is there such a thing?
Water Dept. wants us to approach the neighbor in person. Not gonna happen.
I have suggested a “tip line” before with no result. They’d get a million calls from frustrated neighbors. Last year the schools were watering at the wrong times, it was reported on the blog. They can be fined, too, although they’d pay with our money! But they could get reprimanded.
I’d guess that in 99% of cases, the owners have no idea that there are restrictions (despite the robo-calls, which they either don’t listen to or figure are meant for other people) or don’t think they apply to them…and in addition, have no idea how to reconfigure their sprinkler systems, and won’t pay their suppliers for a house call. People must be told, firmly, that they MUST learn how to reprogram their systems to comply with rules quickly, as they change. Last night’s call had me dashing out to the garage to remove one day–today–from the cycle.
I would give a pass to anyone who was on vacation, until they got home.
Ridgewood NJ, YWCA Bergen County is holding its June Women’s Empowerment Network (WEN) event, “Mentoring: The Secret to a Satisfying & Impactful Career”, on Wednesday, June 29, 2016 from 8:30 to 10:00 am at 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood.
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Get the personal and professional growth you seek with exclusive opportunities for WEN Membership. Annual WEN Memberships are available at $100 for Professionals and $75 for Military or Students (with valid ID). Memberships include one-year basic YWCA membership, members-only discount for all WEN Intensive workshops, and a tax deductible donation ($50/$25) toward vital YWCA programming. WENPlus Memberships are also available at $250 annually and include a one-year basic YWCA membership, exclusive early bird registration and members-only discount for all WEN Intensive workshops, one non-member guest pass for the monthly program series, and discounts for other YWCA programs for women. A $200 tax-deductible donation toward YWCA is also included. Per event rates for monthly WEN programs include $25 for non-members, $10 for WEN members, and no charge for WENPlus members.
A recently released report confirms what Common Core critics have suspected all along: Common Core State Standards do not adequately prepare students for college-level work.
The ACT report finds many concerning shortcomings in the Common Core State Standards, which have been adopted by most states. Notably, the report reveals:
“While secondary teachers may be focusing on source-based writing [essays written about source-based documents], as emphasized in the Common Core, college instructors appear to value the ability to generate sound ideas more than some key features of source-based writing.
“Some early elementary teachers are still teaching certain math topics omitted from the Common Core standards, perhaps based on the needs—real or perceived—of students entering their classrooms.
“In addition, many mathematics teachers in grades 4–7 report including certain topics relevant in STEM coursework in their curricula at grades earlier than they appear in the Common Core.”
Teachers who must adjust their curriculum to fit Common Core aligned state tests now find themselves in a bind. As the report finds, the Common Core math standards do not adequately provide a child with the skills needed to succeed in the classroom, forcing teachers to add on extra material to their limited instruction time.
Additionally, high school English teachers must now emphasize material that leaves students lacking in original thought and analytical skills, according to many college professors. For example, only 18 percent of college professors surveyed rated their students as prepared to distinguish between opinion, fact, and reasoned judgement—a skill determined to be important for college-level work.
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The “one-size-fits-all” national standards are underserving American children. It is nearly impossible, and does a great disservice to future generations, to demand uniformity and place restrictions on the classroom that assumes one “best practice.”
Each child’s unique abilities require variation in teaching styles and curriculums. Common Core limits a parent’s say in their child’s curriculum, making the possibility of an education suited to his needs a near impossibility. Unfortunately, this report indicates that in an attempt to create uniform standards for achievement, Common Core fails to create the building blocks necessary to prepare aspiring students for college-level work.
The Heritage Foundation’s Lindsey Burke and Jennifer Marshall predicted the unintended consequences of Common Core in 2010:
It is unclear that national standards would establish a target of excellence rather than standardization, a uniform tendency toward mediocrity and information that is more useful to bureaucrats who distribute funding than it is to parents who are seeking to direct their children’s education.
Education isn’t mentioned in the U.S. Constitution; it is quintessentially a state and local issue. Common Core forces uniformity on America’s ingenious system of federalism—which decentralizes power and allows different, but finely attuned policies to serve communities.
Yet initiatives like Common Core—and other efforts before it to establish national standards and tests—reinforce a misalignment of power and incentives, forcing states to respond to the demands of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., instead of being responsive to the needs of families.
Correcting that misalignment will come by infusing education choice throughout K-12 education, by ensuring every child can access options like vouchers, tuition tax credit scholarships, and education savings accounts in order to be able to finance education options that fit their unique learning needs.
Instead of more centralization, which further removes parents from the decision-making process, states should fully exit Common Core and work to create choices for every family. Restoring parental control of education is essential to establishing truly high standards.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood blog asks , How many tickets were given out last year to Ridgewood residents last year for water irrigation violations ?
Just wondering if any other towns that Ridgewood water supplies were issued tickets for the same violations?
Our newly hired code violation enforcement person does not have jurisdiction in those towns to issue tickets . So in a nut shell the Village Manager Roberta hired and employee with taxpayer money to issue tickets only to Ridgewood residents .Other towns that are supplied by Ridgewood Water do not have a dedicate employee for that service.
Do you really think they were issued the same amount of violations?
BOE has not made an offer.. on the contrary;
The Ridgewood Board of Education has refused to meet with the new state appointed Super Conciliator assigned to mediate the contract impasse.
The REA and BOE were recently assigned a state appointed Super Conciliator. This past Tuesday he offered three available dates of June 21, June 23, and June 27. The REA quickly informed the Super Conciliator and the BOE that they would make themselves available all three dates.
On Thursday, the BOE’s attorney sent an email to the Super Conciliator requesting dates after July 6 due an upcoming meeting of the SEHBP Commission where 2017 premium rate increases will be discussed. They also “heard” that the elimination of Direct 10 is an anticipated topic of discussion for the same meeting. They feel that both issues are key to resolving the current impasse.
#1. The commission doesn’t have the ability to eliminate a plan. That is done by the SEHBP design team which is not meeting until the Fall. Is it the Board’s intention to keep delaying negotiating until after the start of the new school year?
#2. Rates discussed will be recommendations and probably will not be adopted until another meeting later in the summer or closer to the Fall. Those are the rates which would be implemented on January 1, 2017.
REMINDER: The Fact Finder’s report had no change in healthcare plan and took into consideration the BOE’s projected premium increases which they budgeted at 10%. The Fact Finder’s report proved they could keep status quo health plan and settle this contract while balancing their budget under the 2% cap – without any additional increase in taxes. This upcoming meeting has no bearing on the Fact Finder’s recommendations which is the basis of the next round of mediation
#4. Delaying the process creates concern for finding availability of dates from the Super Conciliator that will work when trying to coordinate vacation and summer work schedules.
The BOE informed the public at their last meeting that they were willing to meet anytime with the REA to work towards settling this contract. Apparently that simply was not true. There is now an opportunity to meet with the new state appointed mediator as early as next week. Their refusal to meet is further indication of their lack of desire to settle a contract.
They say it takes a village, right? The support that our village gave us and is still giving, during our sons injury has been amazing!
That Tuesday and the days that followed were one of the scariest times in our lives. The support , love and comfort that the Ridgewood village extended our way was heart warming and greatly appreciated. Whether you sent us an email, text, phone call, a meal, cards, gifts, words of love, sent prayers, gave us a hug, took the girls, and so much more, you will never know how much it all meant to us.
Jack is coming along but has months of recovery ahead, so continue to send those prayers his way. He too is amazed by the support we received and thanks you too! We are truly grateful to live in such a wonderful town and have the support of so many.
Thank you to everyone who came to our aid , it was truly appreciated and we thank you form the bottom of our hearts! xoxo Nancy and Tom , Thomas , Brett, Laurel, Kailey and of course JACK!
Ridgewood NJ, Just one day after an announcement of stage 2 water restrictions ,does the Village’s water utility own 2 small boats, or are some of the utility’s employees now being permitted to store their personal property on land owned by the utility? Roberta, are you on this?
“When some districts continue to fail decade after decade, it’s clear that money is not the answer,” – Senator Mike Doherty, on his support for Gov. Chris Christie’s new school funding plan.
A longtime proponent of changing New Jersey’s school funding formula is coming on as the Senate sponsor of Governor Chris Christie’s plan to change the state’s apportionment of school aid. Senator Mike Doherty (R-23), who has pushed his own plan to change the amount of tax revenue given to certain districts rather than the amount of state aid, will serve as primary sponsor of the governor’s plan in the upper house. JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more
Ridgewood NJ, What a mess the Village of Rdgewood and the Water Co are. At almost every Council meeting Ridgewood Water is asking for money ( Big Money) and yet here we are within two week we went from sage 1 to stage 2.
So why do we have that 36 inch water line that was put in many years ago. Yes thats right that water line is a hook up to United Water . Thats right residents we buy water from them. Many resident talk about high taxes. Is this what we get for taxes. No need to build big tanks just buy more water from United Water or is this a parting shot from the 3 Amigos and Ms Queen Bee?
DECLARATION OF STAGE II WATER USE RESTRICTIONS
In accordance with the Codes of the Village of Ridgewood, the Boroughs of Glen Rock and Midland Park, and the Township of Wyckoff, Stage II water restrictions in Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff, New Jersey are in effect beginning June 23, 2016 until further notice.
Residents, businesses, governmental agencies, and all other water users must adhere to Stage II of the restrictions shown on our website,water.ridgewoodnj.net.
If your address is an odd number, you may irrigate on Tuesdays and Saturdays only. If your address is an even number, you may irrigate on Wednesdays and Sundays only. A handheld hose may be used at any time including Mondays. No irrigation is allowed on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays except the use of a hand held hose.
The restriction level had to be increased to Stage II because water is being consumed at a greater rate than the supply system can sustain, thus reducing the amount of water in reserve for fire fighting and other emergencies.
Compliance with the Stage II restrictions will reduce the likelihood that more severe controls will be needed. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Violators will be subject to a fine and court appearance
