The Maroon Vol. 2… No. 12 Tuesday, March 15, 2022
“Bringing us all to a place we don't want to lose."
Observer: Looking Forward & Looking Back
Macky’s New York: Put A Cap In It
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame: Save The Date: Nov. 5th 2022
La Vita Cortellesi: March Weather
M + A NYC: Mighty Are We As One
James Stroker: Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman: Rock Hound
Siobhan Crann Winograd: Around The Village
Jeff Meyers: Listening For Winter Birds
Observer
Looking Forward & Looking Back
No doubt these days I have more to reflect upon than I have to look forward to. Yes, the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall Of Fame 2022 Inductees Banquet on November 5, 2022 is a highlight of the coming autumn. I also have been working in my garden and took down a mulberry tree to create more light. Don’t worry we have three other mulberry trees (Red, White, and the all too familiar Texas with its purple-colored fruit). The one we took down was of the Texas variety and it had been painting our sidewalks with fruit for two solid weeks every year since we moved here. It won’t be missed by anybody who has stepped in its produce and tracked it into their home. We have plenty of berries for the birds so our little eco-system will not greatly miss it.
As for other things I am looking forward to there is our new puppy. We adopted Burley (named after my grandfather) last summer and he is in a state of prime puppy mischievousness and excitement. We love dogs of all ages because they are always glad to see you, but a puppy greeting is like no other for its intensity. You have to laugh when you are experiencing it. We need all the laughs that we can get!
Looking back on my past week I do have one regret. It comes with age in our country, where we don’t respect or pay attention to the opinions of our elders as much as we probably ought to. The term used these days is “Ghosting” and it actually refers to not contacting someone after a date or a job interview. My being ghosted was by a long time non-profit association of my peers. No names necessary as I told them what they had been doing and that I felt badly about their snub. When they didn’t respond I knew I was being ghosted again.
The other thing that caught me eye last week was something that I intrinsically knew but was glad to see a statistic from a reliable source to verify it:
K-12 Cyber Incidents Are Drastically Undercounted
The number of ransomware attacks, data breaches and other cyber incidents affecting K-12 schools could be 10 to 20 times greater than what’s reported publicly, according to K12 Six's annual report on the state of cybersecurity in the education sector. Weak disclosure requirements for school districts and vendors results in the number of breaches being vastly undercounted, which in turn undermines efforts by researchers, policymakers and education officials to address the cyber threats that teachers and students face.
Please keep Cybersecurity at the top of your personal agenda. The war in the Ukraine began in Cyberspace and is currently spilling over into other countries including our own. Peace out.
Macky’s New York
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
March 14, 2022 - Midtown west.
Put A Cap In It
A man walks from car dealership to car dealership trying to sell his bag of gas caps.
This is a pure reflection shot on 11th Avenue at 58th Street looking south.
Time 1245pm.
#ny1pic
William Peay
Tales From The Wood…
Deer chilling on Woodside Ave...
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
Save The Date: November 5, 2022
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame Nomination Form
Visit The RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
La Vita Cortellesi
March Weather
I can’t remember if the month of March is in like a lamb and out like a lion or in like a lion and out like a lamb, but I am certain that it has something to do with Sheep.
This is Jenny, one of our rescues, who has over an inch of snow on her back.
It is a reminder that we should all wear nice warm woolen sweaters on a day like this.
M + A NYC
Mighty Are We As One
Inspired by art, designed in New York, and made by hand with love by artisans all over the world. Shop home décor and wearable accessories at www.mplusanyc.com
James Stroker
Jim Schoneman
Rock Hound
Wisconsin River at New Wood County Park. One more cold night tonight, and then we should be done with the below zero stuff until next winter.
Siobhan Crann Winograd
Around The Village
Below is an article that details some of the hybrid discussion. What is very clear to me is that unless you motivate under old school, antiquated means our council does not want to hear from you. Such a shame and a terrible message to send to our community.
https://www.tapinto.net/.../council-votes-down-hybrid...
By SOPHIE MILLER
Published: March 7, 2022 at 2:37 PM
Last Updated: March 7, 2022 at 2:37 PM
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. - Members of the public came out in support of hybrid meetings, but Village Council members could not be persuaded to support the measure. In a two-two tie vote that met its final fatal fate following Mayor Knudsen's “no” vote, the Village Council ended the yearlong debate.
“I don’t understand why we would make it harder on those that choose to login virtually to attend these meetings and participate in our government. For instance, people with young children who simply can’t leave them at home alone at night, disabled and older residents who have difficulty physically attending these meetings, even with the better COVID conditions, we still have members of our society that simply are COVID-sensitive, working families that need to balance commuting time with civic involvement. Again, why would we want to make it harder for those people to play a role in how we run our government?” asked Ridgewood resident Evan Weitz.
Councilman Paul Vagianos, who has been encouraging the council to put hybrid access on the agenda, said “The goal of this program is so that [taxpayers] can see how we are spending their money, that they can comment and tell us they like what we’re doing, they don’t like what we’re doing… That is the goal-- to bring more people into this discussion and every discussion.”
Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon was against hybrid access, explaining “These meetings are in a fully accessible building, it’s a government building. We have 24/7 email access so anybody can chime in anytime they want, any day. People could call the clerk’s office and leave a message, they can write letters. People see us in grocery stores and on the street. It’s not like we’re hiding anything and it’s not like nobody’s been able to comment before... In my opinion, I don’t see this as something that’s necessary. I don’t see it as an accessibility issue. That’s been my opinion, I haven’t changed my opinion, and that’s going to continue to be my opinion.”
Councilwoman Pamela Perron spoke in favor of hybrid access. “We have the ability, at a very reasonable cost, to accommodate those with disabilities, those with children, those who are commuting, those who are on vacation. It’s axiomatic that good government encourages public participation. If we refuse to have hybrid access, it will be seen as hubris, correctly. We need that public input, we don’t have all the answers, let’s recognize that. Let’s get some creativity, let’s have the public give their opinions, let’s listen to them. We will be a stronger and better government if we allow some form of hybrid access,” said Councilwoman Perron.
Councilwoman Lorraine Reynolds was adamantly against hybrid access, stating “I think our kids are suffering, I think that we won’t even know the ramifications of what this has done to our kids for years and I will not be a part of making this world more virtual. People need to get out and do things…I will never encourage hybrid meetings, sorry, I don’t think the Zoom meetings work, I hate Zoom meetings and I really don’t think they work. That’s my opinion.”
Mayor Susan Knudsen was the tie-breaking vote against hybrid access. “The suggestion that somehow people can’t come and comment, or that these meetings aren’t accessible to everyone is simply not true,” said Mayor Knudsen.
After the decision, Councilman Vagianos responded, “I won’t bring it up until there’s a new council seated. At that point, I’m going to bring it up again. And we’re going to win this, we’re going to get it done because I have not heard one solid reason why this can’t be done.” Councilman Vagianos went on to say, “The world has changed, the council has not. One day, the council will change and this policy will change.”
After the end of the meeting, a number of residents voiced their disappointment with the decision. “I am absolutely floored by the conversation I just heard with regard to hybrid meetings… We’ve done exactly what you’ve asked us to do. We’ve come here to talk in person, to tell you what’s important, and I feel we’re just being ignored,” said Ridgewood resident Kathryn Schmidt.
“I cannot understand why you don’t want hybrid meetings. It doesn’t make any sense to me to want the public to be part of what’s going on in this community and then not listen to the ones that cannot make it to the meetings,” said resident Lillian Blood.
Jeff Meyers
Listening For Winter Birds
It's unusual
to have a group of students
willing to be quiet outside.
Yet today more than a dozen
Intentionally muffled their voices
and the crunch of their feet on icy snow.
They spent an hour listening
for winter birds,
following the sounds
Sent down from branches
loud, clear, subliminal, garbled,
Looking for the source...
They spent an hour
Away from the nonsense
Of their phones.
I saw the white spot
In their eyes that bird photographers
Hope to capture,
I heard whispers,
Watched them disappear into the woods
Intent on finding something new.
I stood in the cold air
Warming; educational jargon
And the sound of bombs lifted
Like a mist that never happened.
Humans, captivated, as the ancestors of dinosaurs
Gently made their way through hemlocks.