Stage II restrictions (2 days per week irrigation) were imposed in June 2016 and are still in effect in Glen Rock, Midland Park, Ridgewood and Wyckoff. Without these restrictions, the use of drinking water for irrigation will continue increasing toward levels that are unsustainable regardless of drought conditions. To reverse this trend, an ordinance was approved by the Village Council on April 12, 2017 to amend the provisions governing Watering and Water Emergencies in the Village of Ridgewood Code. Changes include:
Making 2 days per week irrigation permanent year round,
Restricting irrigation hours to limit losses to evaporation,
Restricting irrigation using private wells to 2 days a week,
Adding new exemptions, including drip irrigation and smart controllers.
This ordinance became effective on May 2, 2017 and applies only to Ridgewood, but it is expected that the Boroughs of Glen Rock and Midland Park, and the Township of Wyckoff will enact similar rules as they have in the past. Below is the approved ordinance. Questions can be directed to Ridgewood Water at 201-670-5521 or [email protected].
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT will kick off the Memorial Day weekend with “early getaway” rail and bus service on Friday, May 26, for the benefit of customers leaving work early. To help speed the getaway, customers are reminded that they can enjoy the convenience of purchasing tickets through the MyTix feature of the NJ TRANSIT mobile app. Besides giving customers a jump on the unofficial start of summer, NJ TRANSIT is making it easy and affordable to get to fun in the sun around the state with a variety of discounted packages.
Friday, May 26:
Extra outbound trains will operate on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, and Port Jervis lines starting at approximately 1 p.m.
One outbound Pascack Valley train (#9653, leaving Hoboken at 2:58 p.m.) will extend its existing service to terminate in Spring Valley.
Extra buses will operate from the Port Authority Bus Terminal on more than two dozen bus routes starting around noon. Visit njtransit.com for details.
All light rail systems will operate on regular weekday schedules.
Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28:
Rail:
The Bay Head-Long Branch shuttle is enhanced to hourly service (8 a.m.-10 p.m.)
Bus:
Weekend shuttle service resumes between Toms River and Seaside Park on bus route no. 137. The bus leaves Toms River at 11:25 a.m. with the return departure from Seaside Park at 6:25 p.m. This service runs every weekend and holiday through the end of June, when direct service resumes from New York on bus route no. 137 and Newark bus route no. 67. See schedule for details.
Light Rail:
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.
Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday and Sunday schedule, respectively.
River Line will operate on a Saturday and Sunday schedule, respectively.
Memorial Day, Monday, May 29:
Rail:
Trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines.
The Bay Head-Long Branch shuttle is enhanced to hourly service (8 a.m.-10 p.m.)
Bus:
Bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to check their timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information. Many routes serving shopping malls will operate on weekend/holiday schedules. Consult timetable for details. NOTE: Buses may be subject to detours and service delays for Memorial Day parades through various towns. See njtransit.com for details.
Light Rail:
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.
Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule.
River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule.
Summer Savings
With Memorial Day marking the “unofficial” start of the summer recreational season, this weekend is a great time for customers to take advantage of NJ TRANSIT’s discounted travel packages to destinations including the Jersey Shore, Six Flags, Monmouth Park and Liberty Science Center:
Beach Packages: Board a train anywhere on NJ TRANSIT’s rail system, excluding Atlantic City Rail Line stations and save up to $5.00 on admission to one of five beaches— Long Branch, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach and Belmar—by purchasing round-trip train fare and a discounted beach pass for one price at NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Beach/Monmouth Park Packages” and select “Beach Package”) or at ticket windows. Beach Packages will be available for weekends and holidays from May 27 through June 18 and then daily starting Monday, June 19 and continuing through Labor Day, Monday, September 4.
Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari or Hurricane Harbor: Save up to $32 by purchasing round-trip bus transportation and park admission together.
NJ TRANSIT provides express bus service to Six Flags from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York and Newark Penn Station.
Monmouth Park: Save $5.50 when you travel to Monmouth Park Racetrack. Simply purchase a package to Monmouth Park from NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Beach/Monmouth Park Packages” and select “Monmouth Park Racetrack”) or at ticket windows from any NJ TRANSIT station, except Atlantic City Rail Line, and receive round-trip transportation, Grandstand Admission and an official track program for $3.50 plus the regular cost of a round-trip rail ticket.
Liberty Science Center: Save $5 per person for up to four general admission, combo ticket and/or all-access passes when you travel on NJ TRANSIT and show your ticket, pass or fare receipt at Liberty Science Center. General admission passes include live science demonstrations, hands-on labs, and a variety of daily activities. Combo and all-access passes provide options for films and premium exhibits.
Visit njtransit.com for more information on NJ TRANSIT summer travel deals.
On weekends, kids ride free on NJ TRANSIT
Every weekend, families riding NJ TRANSIT can save with the Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult. For the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the program will be extended and in effect from 7 p.m. Friday, May 26 until 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 30.
Travel tips
Check Schedules in Advance: Plan your trip online to take advantage of extra trains and buses.
Allow Extra Travel Time: Traffic congestion during the long holiday weekend may affect bus travel times especially on routes using the Garden State Parkway heading down the shore, so customers should plan accordingly.
Ticketing: Purchase round-trip tickets at the start of your trip to speed your return. Use the MyTix feature on the NJ TRANSIT mobile app, ticket vending machines or see a ticket agent, if available, to avoid possible surcharges. Bus customers departing Port Authority Bus Terminal are reminded that tickets must be purchased before boarding the bus.
Luggage: Travel as light as possible. Passengers with luggage or packages should use the overhead racks or designated luggage spaces. On multilevel trains, customers with large bags should use the mezzanine levels at the ends of each car.
photos courtesy of Ridgewood High School Alumni Association
May 21,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood High School gathered under this beautiful tent at Veterans Field to celebrate 125 years of excellence on the 19th of May.
The party featured the one and only DJ Nick Cannon. Ridgewood High School ,125 years of excellence. A total and complete celebration of a place that has educated thousands (myself included-class of 1980).
photo courtesy of the Ridgewood High School Alumni Association
May 19,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, So it safe to say this is really happening!, hundreds of people who love and support Ridgewood High School will gather under this beautiful tent on Veterans Field to celebrate 125 years of excellence. It will be a total and complete celebration of a place that has educated thousands .
Food stations, hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and speciality drinks — along with musical entertainment — will help celebrate Ridgewood High School’s 125th anniversary at the “Party in the Park” on May 19
Word is they are dangerously close to selling out, there is still room for a few more. Same day registration will be open. Party in the Park 2017.
511 municipalities. Home rule isn’t cheap. Delayering administration and management would yield tons. How many police chiefs in NJ vs. NYC, which have about the same population? How many superintendents? rationalize pay scales too. Unfortunately, it’s all aspirational…if you look at some of the school regionalizations that did not take place, a big reason was proportionate representation and cost allocation. It’s easy to sloganeer, it’s tough to end local rule.
Number of houses in Ridgewood hasn’t changed in a long time. How come now the company can’t keep up with the needs? A few years ago there were no issues with irrigating, right? What happened in the meantime? You cannot blame this situation to automatic sprinklers. After all most of them work very early morning when people are asleep. We are getting more restricted every year. In a couple of years showerheads will probably be declared illegal in Ridgewood. What I smell is a collaboration between Rwg Water and VC to make this situation as tough as possible in order to convince people that the only alternative it to block the sun with some huge deposits in the middle of the village. It always works this way.
After more than a year at the bargaining table, NTU walks away with contract that protects performance bonuses, includes raises
Newark schools superintendent Christopher Cerf
Four years ago, a landmark contract for Newark public school teachers warranted a public signing and a press conference, complete with Gov. Chris Christie and the national president of the American Federation of Teachers.
The deal was the first in the state with significant performance bonuses for teachers, mostly funded by private money, including the much-ballyhooed $100 million gift from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
New Jersey state treasurer says Gov. Chris Christie’s fiscal year 2017 budget is expected to be about $527 million shy of expected revenues.
| May 16, 2017, at 6:50 p.m.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey state treasurer told lawmakers Tuesday that Gov. Chris Christie’s fiscal year 2017 budget is expected to be about $527 million shy of expected revenues.
Ford Scudder told the Democrat-led Senate budget committee that the Republican administration will account for the shortfall by spending less than expected in a number of programs. He also said it will divert $50 million from the Clean Energy Fund and defer homestead benefit payments to towns across the state.
The shortfall is smaller than in previous years when Christie at one point in 2014 faced a $3 billion gap across two fiscal years and was forced to slash payments to the state’s public pension to make up for the missed revenue projections.
Scudder also told legislators that revenue projections for the 2018 budget, which begins on July 1, are expected to be $191 million higher from those made earlier this year.
Scudder’s estimates contrast with the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, which has estimated a $687 million gap to close over the two fiscal years. The legislative analysts said they expected the 2017 revenues to dip by $274 million compared to earlier estimates and by $413 million for 2018.
These are Christie’s final two budgets as governor, as he is term-limited and expected to leave office in January. He’s proposing a $35.5 billion spending plan for 2018, which lawmakers are considering.
Ridgewood NJ, Tonights 7:30pm Planning Board meeting at Village Hall is going to be an important one for the fate of Ridgewood and we need you to show up and voice your concerns.
If you are concerned about our current water shortage/restrictions, ask yourself:
How do you think 200-300 added apartments in the proposed high density developments are going to impact this water shortage?
Forget about worrying about your lawn. What about your home? What if there ever was a fire? Should these oversized developments be built and should the current water shortage continue, will there be enough water pressure coming out of your street hydrant to save your house?
The Planning Board is likely to vote for the Ken Smith high density housing site tonight, 7:30pm at the Village Hall courtroom. This water concern is a public safety issue that the Planning Board can vote NO on as the developers have yet to do the proper research to address. Please come out this evening, speak about your concerns at the podium and help protect our village.
The Planning Board can vote NO on the basis that there is a public safety issue with the site plans – which we strongly believe is the case!
Here’s how (courtesy of Dave Slomin) :
WATER: A major safety issue is WATER. When Ridgewood Water testified on housing, they did so before the historic drought of the past two years. If current residents are unable to use water fully on a regular basis, how can we add 200-300 new homes in town? What happens if there is a fire at one of these buildings during peak water usage hours in the summer… that could be a disaster?
TRAFFIC: At the last meeting, there was debate about what level of responsibility falls to the developers to fix new traffic issues they create, all along the Franklin Ave corridor. Right now, they are saying they only have to install lights and signs, right near their building. But even the Planning Board’s own traffic engineer admitted, they don’t know the full impact of this development. But for the CURRENT RESIDENTS… WE NEED TO KNOW!
Until these issues are resolved, the Planning Board must vote NO. Please hold them to that by coming to tomorrow night’s meeting. The future of our downtown depends on it.
Ridgewood Water :
Stage II restrictions (2 days per week irrigation) were imposed in June 2016 and are still in effect in Glen Rock, Midland Park, Ridgewood and Wyckoff. Without these restrictions, the use of drinking water for irrigation will continue increasing toward levels that are unsustainable regardless of drought conditions. To reverse this trend, an ordinance was approved by the Village Council on April 12, 2017 to amend the provisions governing Watering and Water Emergencies in the Village of Ridgewood Code. Changes include:
Making 2 days per week irrigation permanent year round,
Restricting irrigation hours to limit losses to evaporation,
Restricting irrigation using private wells to 2 days a week,
Adding new exemptions, including drip irrigation and smart controllers.
This ordinance became effective on May 2, 2017 and applies only to Ridgewood, but it is expected that the Boroughs of Glen Rock and Midland Park, and the Township of Wyckoff will enact similar rules as they have in the past. Below is the approved ordinance. Questions can be directed to Ridgewood Water at 201-670-5521 or [email protected].
CONTACTS
Pool Manager’s Office – 201-670-5500, ext 7002 (in season)
Badge Office – 201-670-5500, ext 7003 (in season only)
Recreation Office at The Stable- 201-670-5560 [email protected]
GRAYDON POOL/2017 HOURS OF OPERATION
Early Season
June 3 through June 22
Weekdays – 12 noon to 7:30 pm
Weekends – 10 am to 7:30 pm
Regular Season
June 23 through August 13, 2017
Daily 10 am to 7:30 pm
**Holiday**, July 4th, closes 4 pm
Late Season
August 14 through Labor Day, September 4, 2017
Weekdays – 12 noon to 7:30 pm
Weekends/Holiday – 10 am to 7:30 pm
Graydon Pool Rules and Regulations – General Public
Graydon Pool Deep Water Test Requirements
Parks, open space, facilities, year round recreational activities to meet the needs of all residents. All Village parks and recreational facilities are now smoke free.
Print
INFORMATION – GRAYDON
GRAYDON MEMBERSHIP RATES
RESIDENT GRAYDON POOL MEMBERSHIPS
Village priced memberships are available to Ridgewood residents, non-residents who pay local property taxes to the Village of Ridgewood, and employees of the Village of Ridgewood and Board of Education. Proof is required.
ADULT – $120.00
CHILD – (ages 2-15, under 2 free) $110.00
SENIOR – $30.00 (62 and older)
PERMANENT DISABLED – $30.00
LATE SEASON ADULT MEMBERSHIP – $60.00 (available August 1st)
LATE SEASON CHILD MEMBERSHIP – $55.00 (available August 1st)
DAILY PASS – $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
NON-RESIDENT GRAYDON POOL MEMBERSHIPS
The Village Council and the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to invite all families in the surrounding area to join the Graydon Pool facility for the 2017 summer season.
ADULT (ages 16 and up) – $200.00
CHILD (ages 2-15) – $175.00
GUEST PASSES (must be accompanied by 2017 season member)- $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Donald J. Trump announced the issuance of an executive order forming the bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Integrity. The President also named Vice President Mike Pence as Chairman and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach as Vice-Chair of the Commission.
Five additional members were named to the bipartisan commission today:
Connie Lawson, Secretary of State of Indiana
Bill Gardner, Secretary of State of New Hampshire
Matthew Dunlap, Secretary of State of Maine
Ken Blackwell, Former Secretary of State of Ohio
Christy McCormick, Commissioner, Election Assistance Commission
“This action by President Trump fulfills another promise made to the American people,” said Vice President Pence. “We can’t take for granted the integrity of the vote. This bipartisan commission will review ways to strengthen the integrity of elections in order to protect and preserve the principle of one person, one vote because the integrity of the vote is the foundation of our democracy.”
The Commission on Election Integrity will study vulnerabilities in voting systems used for federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations, improper voting, fraudulent voter registrations, and fraudulent voting. The Commission will also study concerns about voter suppression, as well as other voting irregularities. The Commission will utilize all available data, including state and federal databases.
Secretary Kobach, Vice-Chair of the Commission added: “As the chief election officer of a state, ensuring the integrity of elections is my number one responsibility. The work of this commission will assist all state elections officials in the country in understanding, and addressing, the problem of voter fraud.”
Additional Commission members will be named at a later time. It is expected the Commission will spend the next year completing its work and issue a report in 2018.
ISIS is recruiting an army of AK-47-brandishing women from the West who are just as bloodthirsty as the men they are marrying. Calling themselves “lionesses of Allah,” they are thought to now number more than 600, and they’re bearing the next generation of terrorists, whom they call “cubs of the caliphate.”
Many of these women are true believers who trust that even with horrific gore and bloodshed, they are helping carry out the holy work of Allah in restoring the ancient Islamic caliphate, and that once it’s reestablished, all believers will live in peace and harmony under Islamic rule.
Some of these ISIS brides living in Syria and Iraq have made the terrorist watchlist. Arguably the most dangerous is Sally Jones, 49, a British Muslim convert who goes by the nom de guerre Umm Hussain al-Britani. She is reportedly now on a British special-forces “kill list” after threatening Queen Elizabeth II.
Kellyanne Conway’s climb from pollster to White House counselor has been closely watched by the media.
When Conway joined the Trump administration, she and her husband, New York City lawyer George Conway, disclosed assets worth up to $39.3 million. Much of that wealth came from Kellyanne’s polling business, which she started in 1995, at the age of 28.
While attending law school at George Washington University, Conway worked as an assistant at a firm headed by Richard Wirthlin, who was President Ronald Reagan’s pollster and strategist.
American retail culture may well have reached a tipping point.
Major department stores are floundering about like fish in a rapidly draining pond after reporting dreadful earnings last week.
The time-honored multigenerational giants like Macy’s, Sears and JCPenney are all looking at a dramatically different future.
Macy’s stock collapsed 17 percent after Thursday’s first-quarter report. And high-end retail behemoths like Nordstrom are getting clobbered, too. Shares of that politically petulant retailer fell 11 percent Thursday on news of its first-quarter results.
Better take a good look, because this may be last call for the mall.
Trump: ‘In America we don’t worship government, we worship God’
TheHill.com
Speaking to a friendly crowd at the country’s largest Christian university on Saturday, President Trump told the graduating class that “in America, we don’t worship government, we worship God.”
“America has always been the land of dreams because America is a nation of true believers,” Trump told those gathered at Liberty University.
“When the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, they prayed. When the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence, they invoked our creator four times. Because in America, we don’t worship government, we worship God.”
“It is why our currency proudly declares, ‘In God We Trust,'” Trump continued. “And it is why we proudly proclaim that we are one nation, under God, every time we say the Pledge of Allegiance.
