photo by Boyd A. Loving
Police summoned to disturbance at Council meeting
February 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridhewood NJ, resident Dana Glazer had his cell phone knocked out of his hand by a meeting attendee. Police investigation underway. No charges pressed as of this writing.
Witnesses state that it happened when Jim Griffiths was being honored and was especially disturbing especially with so many small children in the room. But, it did happen, “and the choice of timing was fully in the hands of the person who hit the man with the camera. I saw the entire thing because it had caught my attention that one resident was inches from another,bothering him, so I was watching. When the “aggressor” hit the man with the cell phone and knocked the phone to the ground, that was when I ran to get the police.”
The witness went on , “By the time I got to the police desk, one flight down, an officer was already radioing in to get to the courtroom, so either someone else called the police or the police saw on closed circuit camera I counted four officers that came up. What was even more shocking was that at the end, was that Councilwoman Hauck had the audacity to suggest that “no one saw it happen” (you can watch the tape tomorrow, I don’t want to put words in her mouth) – so if she didn’t see it then does that mean it did not happen? And the suggestion that I could have handled it differently, really? So if I see one person hit another, but something nice is going on at the same time, I should just sit back and do nothing.”
A long time resident who did not witness the attack said ,” I think it a sad day for Ridgewood when members of the pubic are afraid to come to meeting for fear of possible assault or harassment by other members of the public.. This was all fueled by the council majority who berated this same member of the public in recent council meeting for video taping them, We have sunk to a new low here in Ridgewood. Never in all my years in town have I see such distrust, in fighting,berating of the public by council members and i’ve been here a long time. ”
The victim Dana Glazer is also someone who has been threatened repeatedly for recording public meetings. This has now opened up the gates for others to attack those who wish to record.
They need to pick their battles. It is a piblic meeting, why shouldn’t someone record it.
Public figures in a public meeting. Stay home if you fear cameras because they are all over the place.
They should worry about secret recordings.
The agressor should be charged with assault. And maybe should get some anger management training. Why did he/she care so much about the video that he/she would act so crazy? Calm down.
the supreme court has ruled that there is no expectation of privacy in public. anyone is free to record anyone else in a public place with no restrictions.
Who is the “aggressor?”
Can someone post the tape? Did Mr. Glazer’s recorder pick up the incident.
Councilwoman Hauck’s diatribe regarding the assault of a meeting attendee at last evening’s Village Council meeting suggests that if she ever witnessed a young women being brutally gang raped during a RIdgewood 4th of July Parade, she’d wait until after the parade was over to call the police – no sense interrupting a “feed good moment,” right Gwenn?
It’s an Idiot Festival !
835 – – First, let’s wait until we hear the tape or other evidence. This is a serious incident and we need to know the facts. Second, if Gwen tried to “hush up” an assault, we should all join in on asking her to resign now. Third, the “aggressor” should be brought to justice.
I don’t think Rurik Hallaby and I ever agreed on anything on this blog, but I am sure he will be the first to agree with the points i just made.
I’m hoping a lot more information emerges and as of now, no local media has picked up on this, not even an errant tweet. I think the term “assault” is a little extreme so let’s right size the discussion until we get a more impartial description of the event. I don’t understand the anger at the taping of VC meetings. Is the videographer editing these things to make people look stupid and further his own agenda? A professional can do wonders on a MAC with the right software.
The man in the photo is familiar itn’t he the guy who had issues at youth sports events?
835- Even though people find the phone taping annoying, there is no excuse for what happened to Mr Glazer as there have been no protocols introduced for taping meetings… but your idiotic comment about a rape during the 4th of July parade is ridiculous as well as the councilwoman stating “no one saw it happen”…
Who is Jim Griffiths and why was he being honored? Who is Dana Glazer and why was recording during the ceremony, which I would think had nothing to do with the normal BS? Who is the witness, the aggressor and the long time resident who did not witness the incident but was ready with a comment? More drama from the village vocal minority.
I smell a huge lawsuit forthcoming.
Swift response by Ridgewood PD, as always. Thanks guys for responding so professionally and keeping things under control. Too bad that Councilwoman Hauck played down the need for your services. Glad that someone in Village Hall was on the ball last night.
9:06…let someone get in your face to intimidate you and then knock your phone out of your hand like a high school bully and tell me how you feel about the term assault…this council has created a hostile environment and this event is on them. Paul, Gwenn and Al preach civility when they don’t like opposing opinions but have nothing to say when someone gets physical with another resident in a public meeting??? These three are a disgrace!
and there’s a difference between video taping a public meeting quietly and physically confronting someone in public…one is legal, one is not…and that says nothing of the childish display…
@9:15 if you know nothing why bother posting? I mean really.
8:46 a.m. Why bring up Rurik Halaby. Should he honored next for being a blowhard?
Gwenn Hauck said nothing happened because she didn’t see it; she was arguing with Ms. Loving who saw the incident and called out “assault.” Watch it on the link.
You can be sure if any of the relatives of the three amigos were the assault victim, the council meeting would have been interrupted in order to make sure the assault victim was safe.
If an adult at a council meeting shouts out “assault” and runs over to investigate, responsible council members concerned with civility and safety would have interrupted the council meeting. An interruption is no big deal.
I am disgusted with the members of council in charge of the meeting for not interrupting it. They should resign; Gwenn for denying it and the mayor and deputy mayor for ignoring “the woman” who cried out a warning and ran over to investigate.
When is dopey Gwen going back to her hole in the ground, this woman is a total and complete fool.
Good to see the forum moderator continues to do his stellar job of policing the comments. 9:38 and 9:46 should have been thrown into the dumpster but I guess it’s ok when it fuels your own agenda. Hypocrisy. …and I’ll be shocked if this post sees the light of day based on previous censoring despite the fact it’s a heck of a lot more civil than others that make the cut.
name one ?
938 – i should not have raised his name. My only point was this is serious as alleged and the facts should be developed. And if those facts support what was alleged, then we should ask the Council to act like men and women and resign. I think that is something we can all agree on.
James- the 835 comment is over the top… gang rape during a 4th of July parade?… C’mon, you give people a long leash from BOTH sides but that comment was moronic as well as disgusting….
ok so at council meeting residents are threatened and now attacked ??? Anonymous emails sent to peoples jobs, but it still the evil anonymous bloggers ,one offhand comment on this blog and the police get called hummmm perhaps the council should raise its standards just a bit
Ah the 3 Amigos apologists are alive and well on the blog James.
Let’s face it, if a supporter of the Council majority had his phone knocked out of his hand at a public meeting, the aggressor would have been taken away in cuffs.
Don Delzio is an Aronsohn spokesperson who very much desires a 90-foot field at Schedler.
I agree the 4th of July comment is offensive.
I very recently watched the same “agressor” make a face, gesture, and then push/hit Dana’s camera out of focus and away from the dais while Dana temporarily stepped away from his (larger, stationary) camera. The SAME guy.
Hey 9:06 – If you hit someone aggressively it is simple assault. Plain and simple. How dare you suggest otherwise? Really? Thank god the cops came because as soon as the guy heard the word police, he stayed very still and he left very compliantly with the police when they arrived. If he had been left to his own devices, there is no telling what could have happened. Maybe nothing else would have happened, but maybe more would have.
It is all on Dana Glazers THREE tapes, so it is undisputed what happened, even though you can watch the ever-ridiculous Mrs. Hauck suggest that it did not really happen and no one really got hurt.
You do not have to be physically harmed to have it be an assault.
Of course Mrs. Hauck did not want the police called because she does not like the police. Go ahead and OPRA the police reports. She does not allow them to come to her house. FACT, as Don Delzio likes to shout.
Police called because of a posting?
at the meeting , lots more too it , but we have to wiat on the lawyers
This is the same person who has been so verbally abusive (from the podium) to Susan Knudsen. He’s also written very abusive Letters to the Editor about her. He has a history of abusive behavior.
Incivility, thy name is Village Council Majority!
FINALLY we have incontravertible video evidence of what the three amigos and their supporters really mean when they demand “civility.” They want docility, timidity, fear, skittishness, unwillingness to defend or fully exercise one’s first amendment rights, a tendency to become cowed by intimidating behavior, you name it! The mask has slipped and their capacity of the Three Amigos’ unhinged supporters to resort to violence to advance their statist political agenda has been revealed for all to see. SUCH STAGGERING HYPOCRISY! Whoooo dogie…the next municipal election is going to be a barn burner. Ms. Hauck and Mr. Deputy Mayor, prepare to get schlonged!
If it’s about that 835 comment, you can not arrest a person for slander. Was it offensive:yes, was it illegal:NO…. But, can the aggrieved party file a lawsuit for a comment like this:yes….
Yes; someone read a post on here several weeks ago, felt threatened by what was written, and filed a police report.
How so, P. Smith?
How is 8:35’s comment actionable slander?
At the heart of any true act of defamation is a strategic lie. A real canard. The goal of an individual who slanders or libels another is to destroy the victim’s public reputation and thereby cause “decent folk” to start walking the other way when they see the victim coming, not be willing even to give the victim the time of day when they can’t avoid him/her, and certainly never give any validity to the victim’s point of view on any issue of importance. To do this, the defamer has to go further than simply rhetorically criticizing the victim, however caustic that criticism might be. To commit defamation, one must deliberately lay down a damaging lie, for example about the victim’s personal or professional character, or falsely allege a prior bad act by that individual that others would naturally find odious. If the lie, like a seed, manages to take root in the mind of the “target audience” (it can be one other person, the rest of humanity, or anything in between), the job of defeating the victim on an issue of immediate importance to the defamer, which is often unrelated to the subject matter of the lie, becomes much easier.
So inquiring minds want to know, P. Smith: What basic lie did 8:35 tell about Ms. Hauck?
Yes, of course Delzio is for turfing Schedler. The Recreation Committee wants all of the fields turfed in town.
This is a very powerful group – instructions on who to vote for comes straight from Fast Eddie.
The push here is from soccer and lacrosse…both sports play truer on turf.
So what looks like a push to get a fourth 60×90 field for baseball is really camouflaged as an effort to get an additional turfed facility for soccer and lacrosse.
So it was Anne, professional busy body, that ran around saying call the police. Paying attention to everything except what was going on in the front of the room. Ruined that poor guys moment of recognition in front of the cub scouts.
assault is assault Ridgewood Police were brought in correctly
Where is the Video feed of last evenings weds FEBRUARY 10 th VOR PUBLIC Meeting..thanks
I think the cub scouts can also use the lessons that even local Governments and Citizens interactions can at times show Emotion Passion and sometimes an inappropriate action of an individual meeting attendee.Democracy can be messy..not an excuse for any force or assault to be sanctioned by any party.There are laws in place for the common good and safety on the street in homes offices and public meeting places
Well 1:48….The gang rape comment and the suggestion of her reaction can LEGALLY be construed as slanderous…. much less has resulted in litigation… If you think there was nothing wrong with that analogy you have your own problems….
@12:33…what?? which post? you must give details…
I believe it was a post in which someone suggested a particular individual should wind up on the railroad tracks in front of a commuter train.
Paul – I don’t think a reasonable person would believe that the poster was insinuating that the Councilperson would actually say those things. The post is merely a parody of what she COULD say. If the 8:35 poster had made the accusation that Ms. Hauck ACTUALLY said those things, it might be considered Slander, but that’s not what the post says.
Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell.
But where is the lie? For defamation to occur, a deliberate falsehood must be uttered. Otherwise it would seem to amount to nothing worse than hyperbole, however offensive it may be to your delicate sensibilities.
@1:51 please let us know what you are talking about (soccer and lacrosse field)? RBSA made a donation to the town of $100K in September 2015 and is actively trying to get this additional full sized baseball diamond (that may also be used for some other sports during another season – i.e. not the spring). Likelihood lacrosse would ever step foot on that field is next to 0%.
For anyone, elected official or not, to suggest that an alleged act of harassment and simple assault be allowed to occur and go temporarily unreported (or not reported at all) in deference to an awards ceremony being conducted in the room is just inexcusable. Talk about a multi-million dollar lawsuit in the making. Wow!
Delicate sensibilities? Hyperbole like that is acceptable? See a shrink. The fact that a comment like that is in the least bit appropriate in your eyes speaks volumes about you… but anonymity brings out the courage in people I guess.
People vs. Larry Flynt was not a precedent as focus was on compensatory damages. The law that would apply here would be Actual Malice or Common Law Malice… and the result would be the public identification of plaintiff and defendant… there have been numerous cases where Actual Malice and Common Law Malice have been successfully litigated. It’s a slippery slope.
Anon – your comments and dismissive name calling are so consistent with what we hear coming from the dais at these meetings. It’s as though we are listening to one of the Council majority themselves. And you wonder why so many people post here.
The agressor has documented anger issues at youth sports events.
And he wrote a letter to the editor of the Ridgewood News criticizing a sitting council member that never should have been printed. I never saw his apology in print.
He should be banned from council meetings. The public needs to know that they will be safe when presenting opinions that this man disagrees with.
Ridgewood News Issues Correction on claims against Councilwoman Susan Knudsen
file photo by Boyd Loving
Delzio letter to the editor published on 10/2 by The Ridgewood News
Councilwoman has clear conflict
TO THE EDITOR:
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen acknowledged two weeks ago that she had recused herself from further council votes on Schedler Park. She did so through an opaque and nuanced explanation for the recusal and after she voted against the Schedler Park proposal at the Village Council meeting on Aug. 12. That’s a fact.
Councilwoman Knudsen’s conflict is simple; she failed to disclose a personal interest in property adjacent to Schedler Park. In her role as a council member, we expect Councilwoman Knudsen to be truthful and transparent, and not play games on issues that affect the future of our village.
Now that Councilwoman Knudsen has recused herself from any further Schedler discussion at the municipal level, she would better serve all citizens of the village by 1) dropping the deception and 2) assisting the Ridgewood Eastside Development group (RED) in its quest to preserve the Schedler house, which is part of the current Schedler Park development plan.
Finally, Councilwoman Knudsen’s father, Jack Traina, needlessly insulted the other members of the Village Council, see The Record, Aug. 24, at noon, amended at8:20 a.m., same day.
An apology by Susan to all involved is appropriate and warranted.
Don Delzio
CORRECTION
The Ridgewood News
October 9, 2015
In a letter to the editor written by Ridgewood resident Don Delzio and published in last week’s edition, Mr. Delzio wrote that Councilwoman Susan Knudsen stated during a public meeting that she would recuse herself from “further council votes” and “further Schedler discussion at the municipal level.”
Councilwoman Knudsen made no such statement. She stated that when the village attorney suggested that there might be a conflict that she heeded his advice until such time that the Local Finance Board responds to her inquiry.
The letter also stated that the councilwoman failed to disclose a personal interest in property adjacent to Schedler Park. Councilwoman Knudsen does not own any property adjacent to or near Schedler Park. The councilwoman stated at the meeting that her family member who lives in the vicinity of Schedler does not live in her household. Tax records reveal that her parents own property near Schedler.
The Ridgewood News regrets the errors and any embarrassment or distress it may have caused Councilwoman Knudsen.
Whats the matter Rurik Halaby nothing to say?
Anonymous February 11, 2016 at 8:39 am
It’s an Idiot Festival !
I concur. People really learn how to behave or not attend. This is Ridgewood, after all. We have an image to uphold…or not 🙂
Judge Changes Mind, Says James Woods Can Likely Unmask Guy Who Made Fun Of Him On Twitter
http://www.Techdirt.com ^ | 02/11/2016 | TechDirt
Last summer, we noted a crazy case in which the famous Hollywood actor James Woods sued a random Twitter troll who had been making fun of Woods. The anonymous troll.., mocked some of Woods’ own nonsensical tweets about Caitlyn Jenner and Planned Parenthood by saying:
“@RealJamesWoods @benshapiro cocaine addict James Woods still sniffing and spouting.”
— Abe List (@abelist) July 15, 2015
Then, earlier this month, there was a hearing, and LA Superior Court judge Mel Recana, appeared to side with Abe List, issuing a 10-page tentative ruling dismissing the case. In that tentative ruling, Judge Recana noted: The court finds . . the tweet at issue is not a statement of fact but rather “rhetorical hyperbole, vigorous epithets, lusty and imaginative expressions of contempt and language used in a loose figurative sense” that does not support a defamation action….
{Less} than a week later, Judge Recana released a 1-page final order that says the exact opposite:
As contended by plaintiff: Applying the totality of circumstances test, .. , it is clear that any reader of the AL False Statement could and indeed must view it as a statement of fact. As described by Professor Finegan, AL’s use of a prenomial characterization (i.e., “cocaine addict”) followed by a proper noun (i.e., “James Woods”) is a well-established linguistic structure widely used to characterize people with shorthand factual information. Prof. Finegan’s opinion that “many if not all readers of the ‘cocaine addict’ Tweet will understand and interpret Abe List to be making a factual claim about James Woods — namely that he is a cocaine addict’ is on an issue of fact. His opinion is sufficiently beyond common experience and assists the trier of fact.
(Excerpt) Read more at techdirt.com …
654— that is in the appeal process but its long ugly and expensive- the post wasn’t as severe and a one off- in Texas an actual malice case was successfully prosecuted recently- in Iowa a candidate won a trial and 231k for defamatory ads under actual malice statutes…. it’s not a clean sweep for either side…