The Maroon Vol. 2… No. 70 Thursday, September 8, 2022
“Bringing us all to a place we don't want to lose."
Observer: BOE Closes RHS HOF
Macky’s New York: A Grand Morning
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
M + A NYC: Mighty Are We As One
James Stroker: Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman: Rock Hound
Siobhan Crann Winograd: Around The Village
Kathy & Ross Petras: You’re Saying It Wrong
Observer
The Online RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame Is Closed
We ended our web hosting of the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall Of Fame (RHS HOF) yeterday. It seems that the Ridgewood Board Of Education objected to the placement of a campaign logo on an Instagram website which had pictures of members of the RHS HOF. Their complaint was made within hours of the posting of the logo and we received word of their ultimatum shortly thereafter.
On the surface, it appeared we had a Hobson’s Choice. We either took down the logo and let the BOE censore our right to free speech or let them threaten to sue us. It ironically sounded like a threat from a school yard bully. No mention of the fact the RHS HOF websites were being hosted for free or that hundreds of hours of freely donated time from numerous individuals had been put into their creation.
The tortured reasoning of the BOE was that since they hosted the physical portraits of the Hall Of Fame that the digital images of these portraits had to follow their guidelines. This meant to them if a Village Council candidate’s logo appears online near the BOE sanctioned images then they could ask they be removed.
This is the biggest accomplishment the Do-Nothing BOE has had this week. They flexed their power and made a veiled threat to a civic-minded group of RHS alumni, who for the last twenty years have honored our Village history with ceremonies showing our collective appreciation of distinguished RHS athletes, their teams, coaches, and supporters.
If the BOE thinks silencing Free Speech regarding Village Council elections is well within their jurisdiction, then they are more pedantic and out-of-touch than they appear on the televised web casts of their monthly meetings.
The BOE needs to get back to working on issues under their purview. They could make a huge difference to the health and well being of students by approving Later School Start Times for RHS students. The BOE has been paying for this over-researched idea for 12 years; the Principal of RHS endorses it, and the majority of the students are in favor of it. Please do your jobs, BOE! You don’t undertand anything about The Internet or what two pedogogic minutes subtracted from each period might do for the mental health of the RHS student population.
Macky’s New York
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
September 4, 2022 - Little Italy
A Grand Morning
A man cleans the sidewalk eating area getting ready for the lunch crowd as another rides by wondering why all of a sudden he is thinking about cannolis.
A mostly pure reflection shot into the glass of the pastry fridge out in front of Ferrara bakery - Grand street just east of Mulberry.
Time 930am.
#ny1pic
William Peay
Tales From The Wood…
M + A NYC
Mighty Are We As One
M + A is a destination devoted to art, artists, artisans and design. We are inspired by art as it relates to design: the soul, the spark that ignites beautiful ideas. We are equally as motivated by craft traditions passed down from generations.
Shop home décor and wearable accessories at www.mplusanyc.com
James Stroker
Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman
Rock Hound
On my recent trip back to visit my hometown of Ridgewood, NJ, I stopped to walk around the grounds of the Hermitage, in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. Back in the Revolutionary War days, this was the home of Mrs. Theodosia Prevost, widow of a British officer, then wife to Aaron Burr. During the war, and at Theodosia’s invitation, Gen. George Washington visited the Hermitage and set up headquarters of the Continental Army there for a short time. Alexander Hamilton was a visitor to the home, as were many other famous figures of that time. In fact, it is believed that it was at the Hermitage that Benedict Arnold’s wife, Peggy, confessed to Theodosia that she had known all about her husband’s traitorous plan to turn over West Point to the British, although historians did not discover this fact until many years later. Peggy had fooled everyone at the time, claiming that she hadn’t known a thing about it. In 1807, the home was bought by Elijah Rosencrantz, and the Rosencrantz family held title to the property for 163 years, 4 generations.
The home had been modified and added onto a bit since its original construction sometime in the early to mid 1700’s. When I was growing up, just across the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook from the Hermitage, this place was very run down. Thank goodness that some concerned citizens back in the early 70’s got together and decided to salvage the place. One of those citizens was my neighbor and friend, June Bove. June was a founding member of the Friends of the Hermitage organization. The Hermitage is now a wonderful little museum, and a gathering place for community events. So many stories. So much history and drama in this little home.
Siobhan Crann Winograd
Around The Village
Ridgewood is a beautiful and extraordinary community. But important issues have lingered for too long, in some cases despite mandates issued by Ridgewood residents. As a Council member, I will focus on three critical areas: our downtown, our parks and fields, and the quality and transparency of Village communications.
Kathy & Ross Petras
You’re Saying It Wrong
discomfit/discomfort
“Data confirms that time and time again, during bouts of dropping share prices, most investors eventually just wamt to make the discomfit go away.”
This sentence makes us feel a bit, should we say, uncomfitable? (No, we shouldn’t.) We thnk the writer meant to use discomfort since discomfit is almost always used as a verb. (There is a very rare usage of discomfit as a noun, meaning, “dejection or perplexity,” but it is, yes, very rarely used.)
That Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means: The 150 Most Commonly Misused Words and Their Tangled Histories
Ross & Kathy’s podcast: