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Ridgewood Honors Its Own: 9/11 Memorial Trees to be Replaced Using Open Space Fund

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Sacred Ground Preserved: Ridgewood Village Council Approves Funds to Restore 9/11 Memorial Trees Honoring 12 Lost Residents

photo courtesy of the Village of Ridgewood

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, with the November election right around the corner and an open space ballot question hanging on the line .The Village of Ridgewood, NJ, is taking action to ensure its solemn tribute to the heroes and victims of September 11, 2001, remains a strong and vibrant symbol of remembrance. While we believe the Village has failed in its remembrance of 9/11, using 9/11 to promote the open space ballot question is extremely bad taste.

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20 Years of Activism: Teaneck International Film Festival Unveils Explosive Lineup!

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20th Anniversary TIFF Lineup Revealed! Get Ready for 8 Days of Activism, Drama, and Can’t-Miss Films in Teaneck, NJ.

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Teaneck NJ, the Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) is ready to roll the credits on its monumental 20th anniversary with a powerhouse lineup that’s more relevant and urgent than ever. Dubbed “Activism: Making Change,” this year’s festival will run from November 6 – 13, 2025, transforming Teaneck, NJ, into a hub for social conscience, compelling cinema, and thought-provoking discussion.

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Pink Power Play: How Ridgewood High Cheerleaders are Tackling Breast Cancer!

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Ridgewood High Cheer Squad Jumps Into Action: Selling T-Shirts to Tackle Breast Cancer!

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood High School (RHS) Varsity Cheer Squad is flipping the script on community service this month, turning their team spirit into a powerful force for breast cancer awareness and fundraising.

Under the direction of dedicated Coach Erica Cassler and the leadership of Captains Molly Hanrahan, Emily Kaufman, Keelin Sullivan, Mia Lake, and Erianna Gonzalez-McCutcheon, the squad has launched an inspiring campaign centered around a simple, yet meaningful item: breast cancer awareness T-shirts.

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880 Rabbis Condemn Anti-Zionism Following Mamdani Interview: A National Call to Action

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Mamdani posts smiling photo with NYC imam tied to 1993 terror bombing

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

New York NY, nearly 900 rabbis from across America—specifically 880 as of 10 a.m. on October 23rd—have publicly signed an open letter titled “A Rabbinic Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future,” condemning what they term the “political normalization of anti-Zionism.”

The letter, published by JewishMajority.org, was issued in direct response to comments made by New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, during a Fox News interview where he appeared to dodge questions regarding Hamas.

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Ridgewood Locals Are Rethinking Their Daily Flow Due to Remote Work

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Ridgewood has always had its own rhythm: early trains, packed cafes, and evenings that settled down quietly into the suburbs. That rhythm has changed. With more people working remotely, daily life seems different. Commutes have disappeared, schedules have loosened, and homes have become offices.

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Open Space or Slush Fund? Ridgewood’s Turf War & League of Women Voters Under Fire

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Ridgewood’s ‘Open Space’ Tax Exposed? Turf Battle Heats Up, Puts League of Women Voters on the Spot

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the political temperature in Ridgewood, NJ, is soaring as the controversial topic of artificial turf fields and the Village’s Open Space Trust Fund takes center stage. A recent statement by the League of Women Voters (LWV) regarding the turf expansion has drawn significant public criticism, leading many to question the transparency and accountability of local political groups and committees.

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Pompton Lakes Teacher Accused of Taping Student to Desk Surrenders Teaching License

Lenox Hill Elementary Teacher Todd Lewis Agrees to Permanently Relinquish Certificates Amid Investigation

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

POMPTON LAKES, NJ—A former elementary school teacher at Lenox Hill Elementary School in Pompton Lakes, who was accused of using masking tape to secure a student’s head to his desk, has permanently forfeited his right to teach in New Jersey.

Todd Lewis voluntarily agreed to relinquish both of his teaching certificates to the New Jersey State Board of Examiners in August 2025, effectively ending his career in the state’s public school system.

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Former Pathmark on Route 17 Hackensack Gets Major Asian Supermarket Upgrade

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G Mart Fills Decade-Long Void on Major Retail Strip with 25,000 Sq. Ft. of Global Specialties

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

HACKENSACK, NJ—The massive, long-vacant retail space on Route 17 South in Hackensack has finally found a vibrant new anchor. The former Pathmark building, which closed nearly a decade ago after the supermarket chain’s bankruptcy, is now home to G Mart, a major new Asian specialty grocery store.

The opening of the approximately 25,000-square-foot G Mart in late September injects new life into the highly-trafficked corridor, which has struggled to fill the void left when the 58,000-square-foot Pathmark shut its doors in 2015. While a Planet Fitness occupies a portion of the original structure, a large section of the building has sat empty for years.

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Dam Secrets Hinder Flood Safety: Westwood Mayor Calls Out Veolia & State Agencies Over Critical Reservoir Study

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Major Obstacle in Flood Modeling: Stevens Tech Team Stymied by Lack of Data

photo courtesy of Westwood Mayor Ray Arroyo (2012)

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Westwood, NJ—The ongoing study into flood mitigation in the Pascack Valley is running into a significant roadblock: a lack of crucial operational data regarding the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir.

On October 16, 2025, Mayor Ray Arroyo hosted Professor Marouane Temimi and a colleague from the Stevens Institute of Technology at the Westwood Community Center to update about 40 residents on the Forecast Informed Reservoir Operation (FIRO) study.

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Traffic Alert: Route 4 Bridge Replacement Project to Widen Major NJ Bottleneck to Six Lanes! 

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$74 Million Project in Teaneck Promises Relief for GWB-Bound Commuters—But Brace for Six Years of Construction

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

TEANECK, NJ—Commuters relying on Route 4 for access to the George Washington Bridge and Manhattan can finally look forward to a major upgrade—but the wait will be long. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) has confirmed a multi-year, multi-stage project to replace the 91-year-old Route 4 bridges over Palisade Avenue, Windsor Road, and the CSX Railroad in Teaneck.

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Democrats Block Bill to Pay Military and Essential Federal Workers 

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Partisan Divide in Senate Leaves Critical Employees Without Pay During Government Shutdown

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON D.C.—A major legislative effort to guarantee pay for active-duty military members and essential federal employees working through the ongoing government shutdown was blocked by Senate Democrats on Thursday.

The measure, known as the Shutdown Fairness Act of 2025, was sponsored by Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and would have immediately funded paychecks for critical workers. The bill failed on a mostly party-line 54-45 vote, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance.

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Beyond the Baseline: How Palisades Park Teen Alexander Lorenzo is Redefining ‘Service’ for the Digital Age

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From U.S. Open Ball Crew to Global Humanitarian: A Life Guided by “Much is Required”

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Palisades Park NJ, in an era dominated by screens and social media, Alexander Lorenzo of Palisades Park, NJ, stands out as a young man committed to authentic, person-to-person connection. An avid tennis player since age five, Alexander has truly taken the concept of “service” far beyond the tennis court, logging nearly 300 hours of community service by the end of his junior year at Regis High School in New York City.

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Ridgewood Takes Action: Flood Advisory Committee Tours Flood-Prone Hotspots as Village Accelerates Mitigation Efforts

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Volunteers Lead the Charge: Advisory Committee Gains On-the-Ground Insight

photo courtesy of the Village Manager Keith Kazmark

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood is aggressively tackling its long-standing flooding issues. Last week, the Ridgewood Residential Flood Advisory Committee—a dedicated group of volunteer residents—toured the Village’s most flood-prone areas, visiting the Saddle River, the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, and areas prone to stormwater system backups.

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Ridgewood Village Council: No tree for me?

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photos courtesy of the Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission
the staff of The Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, recently, Ridgewood Councilperson Siobhan Winograd publicly revealed that approximately 40% of residential property owners living in area of West Saddle River Road who were selected to have shade trees planted on Village owned property in front of their respective properties refused those plantings.

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FBI Shatters NBA Gambling Ring: Chauncey Billups & Terry Rozier Arrested in Historic Mafia Probe

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photo FBI Director Kash Patel

Federal Authorities Uncover Sprawling Criminal Network Linking NBA Figures to Organized Crime

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Portland OR, The integrity of the NBA has been rocked by a massive federal investigation. In a stunning announcement on Thursday, law enforcement officials confirmed the arrests of over 30 individuals—including Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat Guard Terry Rozier—in connection with two wide-ranging criminal schemes involving illegal gambling and “sports rigging.”

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