v5-4--A Lighthouse For Dark times
Maintaining A Positive Vibe
The Ridgewood Maroon Vol. 5… No. 4
Saturday, April 19, 2024
“Bringing us all to a place we don't want to lose."
Observer: A Lighthouse For Dark Times
Macky’s New York: Cove Eternal
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame: Portrait Gallery
RHS Alumni Association: Homecoming 2025
Culver’s Arrow: The Online Home For RHS Arrow Yearbooks
Mark Porro: A Cup Of Tea On The Commode
M + A NYC: Mighty Are We As One
Ridgewood Public Schools: Class of 1974 Green Donation
James Stroker: Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman: Rock Hound
Kathy & Ross Petras: You’re Saying It Wrong
Ridgewood Village Manager: Safety First
Observer
A Lighthouse For Dark Times
All of the chaos and confusion recently inflicted upon our lives by unelected representatives really come home to me when my younger brother was unceremoniously canned. Don was a Senior Foreign Service Officer on his way to a final posting in the Congo before his mandatory retirement. He is an environmental scientist and a leading researcher in his field. His published works are saved but his former agency is mostly gone.
I’d like to tell him that RHS has numerous green thumb projects. It won’t relieve the hurt from his firing but it might provide a ray of hope that a future generation of scientists are loosely continuing his efforts.
You can read below about the collaboration between RHS alumni from 1974 and current students. These sort of collaborations highlight a future for public schools, where learning continues beyond the classroom, includes thoroughly vetted subject matter experts, and is documented for distribution to a wider audience.
With the price of a college education now at an embarrassing high level, more efforts to provide instruction along the lines of a Green Thumb Club are going to be needed. Current programs and ones only being dreamed about which safely include students and alumni experts in their fields are the best we can offer. They will represent the latest examples of RHS continuing its Tradition Of Excellence.
Macky’s New York
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
April 17, 2025 - Central Park
Cove Eternal
I've stood at this spot many times over the years and the view always seems to find a way to capture my imagination and not only that but then roll that imagination up into a ball and throw it up in the sky and let my thoughts rain back down in a thousand million happy pieces.
Shot on the south end of Wagners Cove looking north over the Lake with the Beresford in the distance.
Time 730am
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William Peay
Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
RHS Athletic Hall of Fame Portrait Gallery
The leadership of RHSAHOF Co Chair Tom Thurston made the portrait gallery a reality. The plan for the renovation of the RHSAHOF portrait gallery and it's surrounding area was devised over a two year period with its implementation taking place during the summer of 2024. Final approval for the project was obtained through the efforts of Tom Thurston and building principal Jeff Nyhuis.
Ridgewood High School alumnus Joe Ferraro "03" presented the plan for the new portrait arrangement and the new system that secures them. Joe was also responsible for the installation.
A new paint scheme was also included in the plan to bring uniformity to the entire Hall of Fame area. The area now is a significant instrument to connect our past present and future athletic endeavors at RHS and further enhance our "Tradition of Excellence."
RHS Alumni Association
Culver’s Arrow
The Online Home For RHS Arrow Yearbooks
A collaborative effort by Ridgewood High School and the Ridgewood Public Library. The Arrow Yearbooks from 1898 through the 2021 are now online.
Mark Porro
Happy Easter. Here's excerpt from A Cup of Tea on the Commode. Enjoy. And find those Easter eggs, they're worth a fortune!
We attended Easter Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where even at church, Porsches, Mercedes, and Jaguars steal the scarce “handicap parking” spaces. This confirmed my belief that the disabled only drive the swankiest cars. I don’t believe the lack of morals qualifies as a disability, but perhaps these car owners do. Though Mom couldn’t remember her last Mass, I would think in the eyes of the Church, lack of mobility, and near-death qualified as valid excuses for any lapse. So, Heaven—for her, and not the morally disabled—should still be in the cards. We also stopped by Valleau cemetery to say hi to Dad. It had been fifteen years since we laid him to rest, and I’m sure at least a couple since Mom’s last hello. Her lack of mobility and near-death qualifies here too.
She sat stern and silent for a few minutes. Then I heard her whisper, “I miss ya.”
And I, once again, was reduced to tears.
M + A NYC
M+A NYC is a modern design studio founded by Margaret Ahearn, dedicated to creating original, handcrafted pieces that are made to last. Thoughtfully produced in small batches with skilled artisans, each item reflects a commitment to quality, sustainability, and slow design.
From timeless forms to beautiful materials, M+A pieces are meant to bring a little spark to your everyday.
Shop the collection at The Fuller Market: Spring Edition, April 26th & 27th!
45 Pine Grove Ave, Kingston, New York 12401
@mplusanyc
Ridgewood Public Schools
RHS Class of 1974 Makes Green Donation
Last autumn, 140+ members of the Class of 1974 returned to their alma mater celebrate their class reunion.
Led by Reunion Committee Co-chairs, Pam Perron and Gail Leach Ansheles, the Class of 1974 was able to meet and surpass its goal of donating $2,000 as a result of their 50th reunion.
The class requested that the bulk of these funds go towards the student-led environmental efforts at Ridgewood High School under the direction of RHS Environmental Sciences teacher, Mr. Miles Luo, and the RHS Green Club.
• The Grass Study - Pearl's Premium Grass is a new strain of grass that is sold as having roots that grow eight feet deep and requires much less watering than regular grass. The students want to demonstrate how Pearl's Premium Grass might look attractive while consuming far fewer resources. They would focus on water demands, appearance, and root length. The funds would be used to buy growing containers, soil, and potentially lights.
• Meadow signage - The Green Club planted a meadow on East Ridgewood Avenue by the RHS tennis courts this past spring. It bloomed beautifully and was a delight to behold. The students would like to get a proper sign explaining the benefits that meadows bring to RHS property.
• Tree Fencing - Last year, students planted several new trees along the HoHoKus Brook by Stevens Field. In order to protect them, and any of the new trees they intend to plant, protective fencing is advisable.
• A fourth initiative came to our attention directly from two students in the Advanced Placement Environmental Sciences class, rather than from the Green Club. This proposal entails planting sedge plugs along the HoHoKus Brook to mitigate erosion of the banks due to flooding.
James Stroker
When MAGIC HAPPENS THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE TRANSFERRING THEIR KINDNESS SUPPORT AND LOVE TO ANOTHER EVEN THE RECIPIENT IS SHOCKED !
Thanks to the greet Jon Hill School and their incredible leadership for the chance to teach LIFE MAGIC 101 THE POWER OF LOVE ❤️
Jim Schoneman
Rock Hound
What a view this is, especially after yesterday’s snowfall. If there were to be a competition to designate one place as the perfect spot to represent the “Gateway to the Northwoods” in Wisconsin, this spot might win. It’s State Highway 107, just a few miles north of Merrill, and looking north. Behind me the topography is mainly farm fields, with a few patches of nice woods. Directly in front of me is the terminal moraine of the Wisconsin Valley Lobe of a massive glacial ice sheet that, at one time, covered all of Canada and much of the northern portion of the United States, including about half of what is now the State of Wisconsin. The ice sheet melted, and left behind a more rugged landscape that, in many areas, wasn’t so well suited to farming.
If you look at a google maps satellite view of the State of Wisconsin, including Lake Superior, the contrast in the topography is pretty obvious. Just north of Merrill, the farm fields become much less numerous and the Northwoods begin to take over; all the way up to Lake Superior, and beyond that, all the way up to Hudson’s Bay.
I first saw this view in 1976. It was summer, and my first time visiting Wisconsin after the family moved here from New Jersey. My brother was driving me and my canoe up to the Grandfather Falls put-in for my first paddle down the river. The Wisconsin River is out of view, about ¼ mile to the left.
Kathy & Ross Petras
Ross & Kathy’s podcast: You're Saying It Wrong looks at what we get wrong—and what we sometimes get right—when it comes to this English language.
Ridgewood Village Manager
Safety First
A REMINDER TO RESIDENTS from the Ridgewood Police Department - please be vigilant in reporting suspicious activity and vehicles as Ridgewood and surrounding towns have experienced an increase in motor vehicle and residential burglaries. Car thieves have become more brazen, obtaining the keys to high-end vehicles parked in driveways by breaking into houses.