Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock Mayor Bruce Packer has asked people to please remove the orange ribbons from trees , the color orange is apparently used to communicate a need for construction.On Facebook he explains,”I realize that we live in a time where it is easy to attribute negative intentions to any message that might appear to infringe on your civil liberties.A few days ago the Borough asked people to please remove the orange ribbons from trees as the color orange is apparently used to communicate a need for construction or action by some of our local utilities or cable companies. I am frankly still not completely clear on what the color is used for but I have confirmation that it is used.
I took it upon myself to contact Ridgewood Water and PSEG to let them know that some of our residents have orange ribbons on their tree which should not be misinterpreted. I did not reach out to the local cable companies, who apparently also use this color but likely higher on a pole, nor local tree services who may or may not use this color.
We are in a Borough that has a mayor that has been a proud member of the group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns (https://everytown.org/mayors/ ) since his first year in office (2016) and that has a Mayor and Council that has read and unanimously approved a proclamation for Gun Violence Awareness Month every June that this administration has been in office.
We proudly invited the students to a council meeting the evening that they staged the school walkout to give them an opportunity to share their message with residents.
I have personally offered my help to the students, if needed, to help them to continue to get their message out but they are an amazing group and quite self sufficient.
It is this Mayor and Council that represent the Borough so I would hope that it should be obvious that a request from the Borough to move orange ribbons from our DPW does not reverse all of that.
There is no ordinance that can be enforced which would allow us to force you to move ribbons from trees on your property. However, orange ribbons on a right of way (within 10 feet of the street) are in violation and are at higher risk to potentially be misinterpreted.
If you don’t want to move your ribbon to something other than a tree or further away from the street, that is your prerogative but this request has nothing to do with political stands and everything to do with the color orange. My ribbon would still be displayed on my front railing if it hadn’t blown away.
You still have a right to disagree but the Borough has no intention of preventing anyone’s right to free speech.
THE SPRING SEASON IS ALMOST UPON US, SO LETS KICK IT OFF WITH THE…………
RBSA OPENING DAY PARADE & FAMILY FUN DAY
APRIL 21, 2018
9AM – 2PM
Parade begins at the Ridgewood Train Station in Wilsey Square and marches to Veterans’ Field for Opening Ceremony and activities
Sample fare from the Metro area’s best food trucks
Browse the Vendor Corner
Hangout at the Entertainment on Wheels Zone
Dance to the Live Deejay
Lots of Inflatables
Participate in Baseball & Softball Instructional Clinics
Sports Demonstrations
Carnival Games for all ages
Raffles
Ridgewood NJ, , no this is not from the Onion ,and it a little late for April fools, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s administration on Tuesday made the case to skeptical legislators that nearly $1.6 billion in new taxes is necessary to take the state’s economy off “life support” . Is this a joke the reason the state’s economy is on “life support” because of high taxes , have driven out private investment and massive fiscal mismanagement .
Poll after poll shows that most New Jerseyians feel high taxes are the biggest issue and the primary reason for leaving the state ,yet Phil Murphy running on a platform of raising everyone’s taxes won election .
Republican Sen. Declan O’Scanlon warned against taxing millionaires for fear they might move to states with friendlier tax climates.“You can squeeze the golden goose to get it to lay more golden eggs faster but at some point you either crush the goose or it gets pissed off enough and it flies to Florida, and either way you have no more golden eggs,” Bad news Senator its already happened , the “golden goose ” is long dead and the ship is sinking fast.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra presents ,Viennese Nights,Music by Mozart & Johann Strauss. Piano soloist: Felicia He.
Friday, May 4th, 2018, 8:00pm at West Side Presbyterian Church ,6 South Monroe Street, Ridgewood, NJ.The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra is a regional intergenerational orchestra composed of talented volunteer musicians located in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Supported by the surrounding communities and friends in neighboring areas, the orchestra serves the Northern New Jersey region with many musical and educational activities.
Artistic Director & Conductor Diane Wittry, is celebrating her third season as the orchestra’s Artistic Director and Conductor for the 78th Anniversary Season.
She is excited to be working with our dedicated and talented musicians as the organization celebrates the history and accomplishments of the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra over the past 78 years.
New family pricing available! For tickets, click here.
Meet the Instruments of the Orchestra
Join the orchestra members as they demonstrate and talk about the instruments of the orchestra, then stay for a portion of the RSO rehearsal.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018, 6:30pm
West Side Presbyterian Church
6 South Monroe St, Ridgewood, NJ
Ridgewood NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (“ABC”) today announced the formation of a task force to provide municipal police officers with hands-on experience spotting signs of organized crime in their local bars, investigating and shutting down problem servers, and enforcing other alcoholic beverage control laws that help protect the quality of life for New Jersey residents.
The ABC Task Force will invite municipal police officers from around the state to sign up for year-long stints working alongside investigative personnel from the ABC and the Division of Criminal Justice (“DCJ”) as they oversee compliance among the more than 9,000 licensees who manufacture, distribute, sell, and serve alcoholic beverages in the state.
ABC Task Force members will receive specialized training in ABC policies, procedures, and techniques, and gain hands-on experience in identifying and investigating liquor law violations ranging from selling untaxed alcohol and serving underage patrons, to hidden criminal interests among liquor license holders and organized crime activities in bars and clubs.
“When alcoholic beverage control laws are broken, communities suffer the consequences in the form of public disturbances, tragic accidents, and the presence of undesirable criminal elements. The ABC has long relied on municipal police departments as critical allies in enforcing its laws in every city, suburb, and rural community across the state,” said Attorney General Grewal. “The ABC Task Force will strengthen and expand these important partnerships by providing local officers with in-depth training and experience to better identify, investigate, and take action against licensees whose illegal activities wreak havoc on their communities.”
The announcement of the ABC Task Force comes on the heels of the ABC’s successful collaborations with municipal police departments during annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations this year.
On March 3, the ABC dispatched 14 officers to help the Hoboken Police Department keep a lid on disorderly behavior during the city’s annual St. Patrick’s-themed bar crawl known as “LepreCon.” The yearly event, and its Christmas-themed predecessor “SantaCon,” have drawn fierce criticism from Hoboken residents and elected officials who say the day-long celebration draws unruly crowds to the city and inevitably devolves into drunken chaos fraught with street brawls, public urination, and alcohol-related medical emergencies that tie up police and emergency personnel.
This year, ABC officials met with Hoboken police prior the event to discuss ways to apply and enforce the state’s liquor laws to cut down on disruptive behavior. During the event ABC officers worked alongside officers from the Hoboken Police Department’s Alcohol Beverage Control Unit to monitor bars and other establishments for compliance with laws prohibiting the admission of underage guests, serving intoxicated patrons, exceeding occupancy limits, and other health and security violations.
As a result, this year’s LepreCon was, by all accounts, a calmer, more orderly event. Calls for police service dropped 21 percent from the year before, fewer individuals required transport to the hospital, and just four people were arrested, a significant decrease from the 11 arrests the year before.
The day after LepreCon, the ABC sent 13 officers to Belmar to help local police there maintain order during the town’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the largest in the state. The ABC’s presence at the event has been credited by the town as helping to sharply reduce disorderly conduct during the day-long parade and celebration.
“Our work with local police departments during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations represent the kind of cooperative partnerships we’re looking to promote through our ABC Task Force,” said David Rible, Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. “ABC officers can’t be everywhere at once. By providing local officers with in-depth training in applying and enforcing our laws in their towns, we’re putting additional boots on the ground to help us promote the responsible use of alcohol, while maintaining a fair regulatory environment for the industry.”
Acting under the direction of the ABC, the ABC Task Force will be comprised of approximately 20 members – eight ABC investigators, nine DCJ detectives assigned to the ABC, and three municipal police officers representing departments from the north, south, and central sections of the state.
Under the ABC Task Force, municipal officers will:
Be provided with a working knowledge of New Jersey’s alcoholic beverage control laws and administrative regulations.
Become familiar with the ABC’s current investigative techniques.
Conduct detailed financial investigations to uncover undisclosed interests, illegal activity, tax, and record-keeping violations of ABC licensees.
Investigate complaints involving alleged violations of NJ alcoholic beverage laws and/or administrative regulations.
Learn how to conduct a background investigation on liquor license applicants to determine if applicants meet the requirements to hold a NJ liquor license.
Become familiar with how to hold municipal disciplinary hearings to address allegations of violation among licensees.
Conduct special projects and assignments deemed necessary at the request of the Director of the ABC.
The ABC is currently accepting applications for its first ABC Task Force, which is scheduled to begin training in April. Police departments interested in participating in the ABC Task Force should submit a letter of interest to Director David Rible by April 23, 2018.
Ridgewood NJ, With Arbor Day right around the corner on April 27, let’s take this opportunity to discuss planting trees. The benefits of planting trees extend environmentally, economically, and socially.
Trees improve air quality by filtering harmful dust and pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur from the air while also releasing oxygen .
In a tree census, or urban forestry assessment, done by the Morton Arboretum in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, trees of the seven-county Chicago region remove approximately 18,080 tons of carbon from the air each year. For more information on the census, follow the link here.
Trees reduce the amount of stormwater runoff, reducing erosion and pollution in our waterways .
Trees serve as homes for wildlife, and provide them with other resources that they need .
Appropriately placed trees can reduce your cooling costs in the summer by shading the south and west sides of your home .
According to “Urban Trees and Forests of the Chicago Region” done by The Morton Arboretum and U.S. Forest Service, the trees of the Chicago region reduce residential energy costs by about 44 million per year. To view the census, follow the link here.
Trees have the potential to increase residential and commercial property values by improving the appeal of the local area .
Trees can separate and define space, providing a sense of privacy, solitude, and security .Studies have identified a direct correlation between the amount of trees and grass in community common spaces and the use of those common spaces by residents, which leads to more opportunities for informal social interaction and greater relationships between neighbors .
ridgewood public library is offering a workshop on genealogy Sat, April 21, 2018 Time: 10:30 AM Ridgewood Public Library, 125 N. Maple Ave, Ridgewood,NJ 07450
April 8,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Using familysearch.org, Saturday, April 21, 10:30am. Learn about the wealth of records and research help available free on familysearch.org. Instructor: Judy Kenney. Registration and fee required. Please contact Local History Librarian Sarah Kiefer at [email protected] or call 201-670-5600, ext. 135.
Trenton NJ, police throughout New Jersey will be targeting distracted drivers as part of a nationwide enforcement campaign called “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.,” which seeks to stop one of the most dangerous habits that motorists display.
The Division of Highway Traffic Safety has awarded $5,000 to 38 police departments for the initiative and many more agencies are expected to participate unfunded. The campaign runs through April 21. The crackdowns are similar in scope to the “Drive Sober, or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” mobilizations, which have targeted impaired driving and seat belt usage, respectively. The campaign is part of a nationwide effort, which was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and will coincide with nationally-observed Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
“The dangers of driver inattention are staggering, placing drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike in harm’s way,” said Acting Attorney General John Hoffman. “Distracted driving is an incredibly significant issue on our roads and one that requires a total commitment from law enforcement to eliminate. To continue to make our roads safer, we must be as aggressive with distracted drivers as we have been with drunk drivers and people who refused to wear seat belts.”
“Driving and texting is illegal and irresponsible. People who break our distracted driving laws will be stopped and fined,” said Division of Highway Traffic Safety Acting Director Gary Poedubicky. “For those who say that driving and texting is an epidemic, we believe enforcement of our state texting law is part of the cure.”
In addition to the enforcement component, public service announcements recorded by Attorney General Hoffman will be broadcast on New Jersey radio stations throughout April and will urge drivers to put down their phone and just drive.
The national “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” enforcement blitz will also be supported by a multi-million dollar national advertising campaign, designed to raise awareness about the enforcement effort and remind people about the deadly consequences of driving and texting.
Researchers have found that distracted driving is a major problem, especially for young drivers. According to the AAA Foundation, analysis of crash videos of teen drivers found significant evidence that distracted driving is likely much more widespread than previously known. The organization’s new findings, issued earlier this month, found that distraction was a factor in nearly 6 out of 10 moderate-to-severe teen crashes, which is four times as many as official estimates based on police reports.
Researchers analyzed the six seconds leading up to a crash in nearly 1,700 videos of teen drivers taken from in-vehicle event recorders. The results showed that distraction was a factor in 58 percent of all crashes studied; including 89 percent of road-departure crashes and 76 percent of rear-end crashes. NTHSA previously has estimated that distraction is a factor in only 14 percent of all teen driver crashes.
It is illegal in New Jersey to operate a motor vehicle while using a handheld electronic device. Violating this law subjects motorists to fines of $200 to $400 for a first offense and could increase to $800 and three insurance points in subsequent violations.
In last year’s “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” campaign, police issued 13,478 summonses for illegal phone use, 5,908 for speeding and 1,211 for DWI.
Ridgewood NJ, A Superior Court judge declared a mistrial in the state’s case against Ridgewood Resident Dr. Roberto Rivera, a physician who was indicted in 2012 for stockpiling large amounts of bomb-making materials in his Ridgewood home.
At the time authorities including the Ridgewood police discovered a stock of hazardous materials during a 2012 raid on Rivera’s Union Street home, including nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, sulfuric acid, calcium hypochlorite and potassium perchlorate. Along with multiple weapons, authorities also recovered 10 thermite lighters, which can be used as detonators.
In 2012, Dr. Roberto Rivera, 60, was reported to be active in the Occupy Wall Street movement and a far left wing activist .His license to practice medicine temporarily suspended in 2013 and in 2015, he was cleared by a court to represent himself in his trial.
This past Wednesday Judge Frances McGrogan made her decision after a juror independently obtained information about the case during deliberations, said Joseph Torre, a Bergen County assistant prosecutor.
The three-day trial in March saw testimony from detectives who seized two Cobray M11 9mm assault rifles and a large-capacity ammunition magazine from Rivera’s house, Torre said.
Rivera is charged with possession of assault weapons and a high-capacity magazine. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
A new trial will take place in June,and the state will also hold a second trial in October on charges related to the explosive material, including possession of a destructive device and creating risk of widespread harm.
Ridgewood NJ, This 4-day multi-sport camp for students in Grades 1-7, will be held Monday through Thursday, April 9 through 12. It offers a half-day session from 9 am to 12 pm ($145) or a full-day session from 9 am to 3 pm ($170). Rain make up will be Friday, April 13th if needed.
Introductory classes provide fundamentals of each game, teaching skills that increase in difficulty as the players progress, with the promotion of teamwork, spirit, respect, fair play and much fun. Sports include golf, tennis, cheeerleading, flag football, floor hockey, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee and volleyball. Activities are held at Maple Park, Leuning Park, the Hockey Rink and Graydon Pool (check-in at Maple Park each morning).
Registration can be made online at CommunityPass, www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass, or in person/by mail to the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.
MULTI-SPORT CAMP WITH TGA PREMIER SPORTS
From Monday, April 09, 2018 – 9:00AM
To Thursday, April 12, 2018 – 3:00PM
Good afternoon, Ridgewood families! I’m the staff supervisor for the RHS Junior New Players summer program. If your child is interested in theater — or just wants an inclusive place to call home this summer — please consider signing them up for Junior New Players! We are open to district students who have completed grades 4 and up! No previous stage experience is required!
This three week workshop is facilitated by advanced RHS students (under the direction and supervision of adult staff) and culminates in performances on the RHS Little Theater stage. Junior Co. (approaching its 25th year) is special and unique to our district. As a Junior Co. alum, I can attest to some very happy memories and close friendships being made here. The performances are great fun but, more importantly, our J-Co. kids learn life skills like public speaking, teamwork, time management, and self-confidence; our high school students make for positive role-models and mentors.
For additional information and registration, see the attached file, or visit our website at rhsnewplayers.com
Feel free to send me a personal message, or email me at [email protected] with any questions about our program!
The RHS New Players Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; donations are tax deductible.
Ridgewood NJ, Nearly 40 percent of Americans who plan home projects that require digging this year don’t plan on calling before they dig, according to a recent national survey conducted by Common Ground Alliance. Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest utility, reminds customers, contractors and excavators to call 811 to request a mark-out before digging to avoid hitting underground pipelines, conduits, wires and cables. The service is free, and absolutely critical to avoiding injuries and disruptions to vital utility services.
“Each year, PSE&G responds to about 220 incidents because someone didn’t call before digging,” said Joe Forline, PSE&G vice president of gas operations. ”Summer and spring are the peak seasons for accidental damages to gas lines by contractors, construction workers or residents, so please put safety first and call us.”
PSE&G has more than 8,200 circuit miles of underground electric lines, and 35,000 miles of buried natural gas distribution lines. In addition to the electric and gas lines, there are other buried utility lines, including communications cables, and water and sewer lines.
When you call 811 or 1-800-272-1000, you are automatically connected to the One Call center, which collects information about your digging project. The center then provides the information to the utility companies, who send representatives to mark the locations of underground lines in the immediate vicinity of the planned work location with flags, paint or both. After lines have been marked and you receive confirmation, you are free to carefully dig around the marked areas. In New Jersey, the marks are valid for 45 business days. The call must be made whether you are hiring a professional or planning to do the job yourself, using shovels or other hand tools.
Important information to consider:
Call 811 at least three full business days before each job to have underground pipes, wires and equipment located. Utility workers will respond and place markers where utility lines are buried, free of charge.
If you hired a contractor, confirm that a call to 811 has been made. Do not allow work to begin if the lines are not marked.
Property owners must maintain and respect the marks. Always hand dig within two feet of marked lines.
Various colors are used when marking lines. To learn what each color represents and for more information, go to www.call811.com.
If you accidentally damage gas piping or smell gas when excavating, call 911 immediately from a safe area. Also notify PSE&G by calling 1-800-880-7734. Call before you dig is more than a good idea — it’s the law.
The SAT definitely has been dumbed down on the verbal side over the years (e.g., 1. hard vocabulary words have been eliminated, 2. analogy questions have been eliminated, 3. more context is now being given in the text of the text itself to allow the test-takers to figure out on the fly what hard or unfamiliar words mean, etc.). As a result, many students can score much higher on the verbal SAT than in years past without having worked hard over the years (or even in the months prior to the SAT test administration) to attain and maintain an excellent vocabulary. So those students with top vocabularies are finding this is not as much an advantage to them as it was for SAT test-takers two or three decades ago (i.e., less proficient students are readily getting the same or close to the same scores as they are getting). It doesn’t appear, however, that this is the case on the math SAT sections. The math SAT is still very challenging. Perhaps many of the Ridgewood High School students benefiting the most from SAT tutoring are making up for not working as hard as they should have in math from grade 6 or 7 onward, or for having had teachers or lower level classes during those grades that didn’t challenge them or that didn’t prepare them adequately to score very well on the math sections of the SAT.
Ridgewood NJ, Tonight during the Budget presentation, Dr. Fishbien spoke about the stellar SAT scores among Ridgewood High School students. When asked how many families pay for private SAT tutoring, he replied that about 40% of parents responded to a survey, and of those about 40% self-reported that they paid for private SAT prep for their children. I think that number is likely quite a lot higher. It seemed like everyone I knew (in the late 1990’s) was paying for Kaplan or Huntington or some private individual to help improve SAT scores. Depending on how high the numbers actually are, this could mean that the stellar SAT scores are more a reflection of wealth (or the decision to allocate funds toward this effort) than it is a reflection of the Ridgewood High School preparation of students for this standardized exam. Just wondering whether my thoughts on this are off base.
Free talk: Graydon sycamore assessment and removal
Have you been wondering what led the village to remove the historic sycamore tree from the island in Graydon–and even whether it was really necessary?
The expert consultant himself, Wayne Cahilly, will describe his assessment procedure at next Tuesday’s meeting of the Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission.
The public is invited to attend and to ask questions. For those still mourning and perhaps questioning the loss, this presentation may promote closure. Anyone wishing to learn how tree professionals make such decisions would benefit as well.
o What: “Risk Assessment in Municipal Arboriculture: The Graydon Sycamore Case Study”
o Who: Wayne Cahilly, Cahilly’s Horticultural Services, LLC, Dumont, NJ
o When: Tuesday, April 10, 7 PM
o Where: Ridgewood Public Library auditorium, 125 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ
Shade Tree Commission chair Andrew Lowry, quoted in a press release from the group, said, “The Graydon sycamore was an icon in our village. Many residents had strong feelings about its removal. We hope this presentation will help people understand what went into making this tough decision and the complexities of risk assessment more generally.”
Adapted from the Shade Tree Commission press release:
Speaker’s background
In 35 years of working with trees, Wayne Cahilly has assessed the structural condition and health of more than 60,000 trees in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and elsewhere. A graduate of the New York Botanical Garden School of Professional Horticulture, he has served the Garden as Forest Manager, Arborist, Manager of the Arboretum and Grounds, and Manager of the Mapping Department. He lives in Dumont, New Jersey.
About the Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission
The purpose of the Ridgewood Shade Tree Commission is to protect, preserve, and enhance the village’s shade trees, defined as trees planted next to streets on village property. Goals are to foster public-private partnerships to educate the community about the contribution to the Village environment made by shade trees and to increase the number of shade trees in the village by actively promoting community tree-planting programs.
We hope to see you there.
Swimmingly,
The Preserve Graydon Coalition, Inc., a nonprofit corporation
“It’s clear—we love Graydon!” [email protected] PreserveGraydon.org
![2017ST6[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2017ST61.png "April as Tree Planting Month in the Village and April 27, 2018 as Arbor Day")
![alexander_hamilton_pic[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/alexander_hamilton_pic1.jpg "Ridgewood Public Library is offering a Workshop on Genealogy")
