The Maroon Vol. 3… No. 66
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
“Bringing us all to a place we don't want to lose."
Observer: Ridgewood Historic Districts
Macky’s New York: 2 Minds Think Alike
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame: Made For & Inspired By RHS Alumni
Project Arrow: Creating An Online Home For RHS Arrow Yearbooks
M + A NYC: Mighty Are We As One
James Stroker: Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman: Rock Hound
Kathy & Ross Petras: You’re Saying It Wrong
Ridgewood Library Bolger Heritage Center: Home Made Candy
Observer
Ridgewood Historic Districts
The Village Master Plan adopted by the Planning Board on October 18, 2022 is a comprehensive overview of the history of Village land use, as well as the current state of every parcel of land in Ridgewood.
The Master Plan is a long-range guidance document that sets forth the Village’s vision for its future, objectives, goals, and values.
The section in the Master Plan Index which caught my eye, while reading this 455 page document, was the “Historic Preservation Element.” (For some inexplicable reason every major category is labeled an “Element” in this document.)
Skeptics can call the proposed Historic Districts a crass attempt by local real estate firms to lobby local government for imaginary or exaggerated historic designations to prop up home prices. This might well be happening.
While the assessment of a Village Skeptic is useful, what’s more insightful is to view the proposed designations as a means to knowing a neighborhood’s history and appreciating its values.
While field stone walls won’t be erected anytime soon to further distinguish neighborhoods, nor will gates ever be installed to make an area even more exclusive, the proposed Historic Districts do offer village residents many possible ways to enhance their designated historic district. Some neighborhoods will install stone monuments and other neighborhoods will exhibit a creative use of technology to store their neighborhood history.
Whether it’s old fashioned attempt to cultivate an appreciation for civic life in finely cut stone or an original digital remembrance, both might work to set an Historic District apart from their neighbors the next street over.
Let’s follow through on the naming the neighborhoods and see what happens. We can use any sort of artifacts produced to allow future generations to make their own judgements as to what the Village found important and what Life was like in years past.
Macky’s New York
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
August 10 2023 - Greenwich Village
2 Minds Think Alike
My goal these days.is to try to take a photo every morning before I go in to work - I guess I'm not the only one with that idea.
Shot on Waverly place at 5th Avenue looingbsouth with One World Trade Center in the distance.
Time 830am.
William Peay
Tales From The Wood…
Taken from the intersection of Godwin and Lincoln Avenues. In the Background is Westside Presbyterian on West Ridgewood Ave and Monroe Street.
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
Made For & Inspired By RHS Alumni
Visit the RHS Hall of Fame
Digital Printing for the RHS Hall of Fame provided by Tim Boucher, RHS 1988
Project Arrow
Creating An Online Home For RHS Arrow Yearbooks
Details To Be Available in July, 2023
Digital archiving by Michael Culver, RHS 2002, and his firm 1Row.com
M + A NYC
Mighty Are We As One
M + A's thread earrings look great on their own or when paired with our ear cuff.
Shop home décor and wearable accessories at www.mplusanyc.com
James Stroker
Hope Coach
I had the privilege of growing up with a reframer - a mother who possessed the ability to spot tiny gems and hidden treasures amidst the haze. It wasn't just about enduring challenges; it was always about finding the good within them. Reframing requires practice and consistency; at times, it's like bowling a gutter ball, allowing anger to obscure that powerful perspective.
Our family adopted the belief that events unfolded for a purpose. The universe slyly extended opportunities for improvement by guiding us down different paths. During our recent beach visit, I witnessed my daughter Ali, in her wheelchair, transforming it into a stroller as she ingeniously secured her nine-month-old to her lap.
The bond between her and her son transcended the physical; it was palpably somatic, an exchange of love. As we entered Wawa, numerous onlookers stared in astonishment at this dual-seated chariot of affection. "Wow," they pondered, "she's in a chair, yet she and her baby radiate such happiness."
How should one interpret this? Once more, Ali defied norms, turning things upside down through reframing. While conventional stroller moms might have had an easier time pushing, I'm uncertain whether they experienced the same depth as this so-called wheelchair-bound mother did.
Ali grew up and adapted a "we can do this!" mindset – an attitude that embraces challenges and transforms them. Every day, we're granted the chance to do the same in our lives. Perhaps it's as simple as asking, "How can we make this situation good?" Yet, I genuinely mean it, striving and believing it. Beyond the confines of normalcy, outside the herd mentality, lies potential magic.
The notion of flying planes, universal equality, hula-hooping, or using pocket-sized devices to make calls all emerged from unconventional thinking. Reframing isn't limited; it's for all of us. Let's begin with today's self-talk. Is it just another day? Or could it be more? Is the car broken down? Or is it a chance for something else? Is summer ending? Or might it be a new beginning?
Jim Schoneman
Rock Hound
Love these late summer evenings on the river. The water's starting to cool down, but the fish are still biting. Last night while I was fly fishing an osprey flew by and landed in a tree just downstream. He was chirping loudly as he flew, so I figured something must have upset him. So I tried an experiment and found a video on my phone of an osprey chirping loudly and played it over the river just to see what would happen. The osprey didn’t react, but a bald eagle appeared out of nowhere and landed in another tree just upstream from the osprey. Ospreys and eagles don’t like each other much. Hope I didn’t start a fight with my little experiment.
Kathy & Ross Petras
You’re Saying It Wrong
Ross & Kathy’s podcast: You're Saying It Wrong is a podcast that looks at what we get wrong—and what we sometimes get right—when it comes to this English language.
Ridgewood Library Bolger Heritage Center
Home Made Candy
We're highlighting an old candy store in Ridgewood. This advertisement for E. Lumpe's home made candy (which includes chocolates!) was in the Ridgewood News in April of 1898. It was located near the former Opera House, which is now where the Ridgewood bus station is near Van Neste Square.