IV Vitamin Therapy in Ridgewood, NJ

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Ridgewood's antique charm comes with a dark side thanks to the risks involved in antiquated lead paint, a Patch analysis of state data shows.

Ridgewood and seven other Bergen County municipalities rank among the top New Jersey communities with the high rates of homes at an elevated risk for lead exposure, according to state data first compiled by Patch.

That's because 88.5% of Ridgewood homes were built before 1978, when a federal ban on lead-based paint in homes began, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said.

Homes built before 1950 — when the paint industry adopted its own plan to phase out lead paint — face even greater risk, experts say.

That amounts to roughly half of Ridgewood homes, or 54.9 percent to be exact.

Find out what's happening in Ridgewood-Glen Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ridgewood ranks 12th in the state and third in the county for the highest percentage of houses with an elevated lead exposure risk, the data show.

Bogota is first in the county at 90.5% and Dumont second at 89.5%, both of which, actually, have fewer homes in total built prior to that year.

Ridgewood also has the third-highest number of homes in Bergen County that were built before 1977 (7,230), following Teaneck (10,525) and Fair Lawn (9,973).

Prior to the 1950s, lead was used in paint to achieve certain pigments, and improve drying, durability and moisture resistance, the NJDEP said. Lead paint became common in the early 1900s, as the product was used more commercially, the department added.

Exposure happens, the department continued, when lead paint starts to deteriorate, as that can result in lead-contaminated dust that may be ingested or inhaled, or paint chips that may be touched.

"Living in a house with lead-based paint can result in a chronic accumulation of the heavy metal in the body," the department said.

Exposure can turn into poisoning when lead builds in the body, and increase a person's risk of adverse health effects, including damage to the brain and nervous systems, kidneys and blood cells, the department said.

All of the data and information in this article was gathered through the state's expanded potential lead exposure mapping tool, which looks specifically at lead paint in housing as a source.

“Lead paint is one of the largest sources of lead exposure to our children, and any blood lead level above zero is unacceptable," state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a statement. "The (PLEM) will assist local health staff as they continue to work to eliminate lead exposure among NJ’s children."

RIDGEWOOD — An amended resolution approving a later-start schedule for high school students this fall was approved by the Board of Education on Monday.

"The high school administration, working with staff and students, will determine the structure for the instructional day and length of class periods within the 8:20 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. parameters," board President Michael Lembo said. "This is for the 2023-2024 school year."

The amended resolution was proposed by Lembo. It removed tentative language from the original resolution promising "to study and possibly implement" the program. It also removed language making board approval "subject to future board approval" if it results in added costs or sidebar agreements with the teachers' union.

Lembo moved to substitute a resolution approving "the implementation of the later start initiative at the Ridgewood High School with school starting at 8:20 a.m. and ending at 3:05 p.m. with Period 9 available for students until 3:30 p.m."

Lembo explained, "The board can always come and either mend a resolution or propose a new resolution if there is a financial impact, contractual issues. If that arises from this, we can always make a new resolution."

Ridgewood Education Association President Michael Yannone spoke against the original resolution language before the vote, saying it "meant nothing."

"There's nothing binding about 'possibly,'" Yannone said before the vote. "Second, as stated several times at these meetings, there is no way of knowing in advance if this initiative will result in additional financial costs. Yet the resolution makes this a condition of final approval."

There was confusion among the board members on the procedure to approve the amended resolution. They debated whether the amended resolution approval was sufficient, or whether an additional vote was required to substitute the amended resolution for the original resolution. They eventually approved the resolution both ways.

There was no discussion about to what extent the board expected the program to be implemented by interim Superintendent Leonard Fitts versus a yet-to-be-hired new superintendent to succeed Thomas Gorman, who left the district in July after serving 15 months in the post.

The board's superintendent search website does not address the challenge of bringing a new superintendent in midstream to a major schedule shift. The website says the board has entered the "recruitment phase" of its search, with applications due Jan. 27, and that "interviews are anticipated to begin in late February or early March."

Ridgewood Trustee Hyun Ju Kwak said later that the superintendent search would not delay implementation of the the later-start program.

SURVEY QUESTIONSRidgewood schools survey results on later high school start time raise more questions

No comment was made on how the school day would be divided, or how scheduling would be handled for after-school activities involving interaction with other schools on earlier dismissal schedules.

Last year, New Jersey bills S2462 and A3816, proposing statewide adoption of later starts for all schools, were referred to the education committees of the Senate and Assembly. No action was taken.

Although the largest school district in Bergen County with 5,619 students, Ridgewood is not the first to adopt a later start. Tenafly converted in 2019. Chatham High School in Morris County and Princeton High School in Mercer County have also converted.

California activated later-start statewide this fall: Middle schools begin class no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. However, California's year-round moderate temperatures had encouraged almost universal lighting of its outdoor sports fields, allowing flexibility in scheduling practices and games to continue after dark.

Lighted outdoor sports fields are less common in the Northeast, due to uncomfortable evening temperatures. Only four of Ridgewood's playing fields are lighted for evening practice and games.

Gourmet cookie brand Chip City said Friday it has opened a new location in Ridgewood as part of its plans to scale beyond New York City and strengthen its brand position within the growing gourmet cookie segment.

The award-winning New York cookie concept recently opened in Newark Penn Station, which marked its beginning of its expansion into New Jersey. Newark was the brand’s first New Jersey location, with Ridgefield and a spot in Hoboken set to open before the end of February.

The new Chip City location, which is located at 305 E. Ridgewood Ave. in Ridgewood, is the latest addition to the brand’s growing footprint, as it plans to cross 40 open units by the end of 2023 and strengthen its position in the competitive cookie segment.

The gourmet cookie brand, which rotates its cookie offerings every week, was born in Astoria, Queens, in 2017. It started as a hobby between childhood friends Peter Phillips and Teddy Gailas, as the duo challenged each other on who could make the best cookie. A small storefront, some equipment and a dream led the entrepreneurial team to open store one. Now, they’re taking on development across New Jersey.

“We are thrilled to open our doors in Ridgewood,” Phillips, the CEO, said. “This opening is another incredible step forward for the brand and the business mission we have — to make communities smile through the quality of our products and to make our employees feel purpose in their communities.”

Today, Chip City now has 16 locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, entered New Jersey in January of this year, and has plans to enter into new markets in 2023, including Miami, Boston and Washington, D.C.

The brand offers more than 40 unique flavors every year, such as Peanut Butter & Jelly, the Everything Cookie, Oatmeal Apple Pie, Blueberry Cheesecake, S’Mores, Lemon Berry, the Cannoli Cookie and more. Each week, the menu changes to offer classic flavors and seasonal varieties.

In 2022, Chip City received a $10 million investment from Enlightened Hospitality Investments, the growth equity fund associated with Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. The investment will be used to support the brand’s multistate expansion and growth of its direct-to-consumer business, bolstered by its ship-anywhere partnership with Uber Eats.

A house in Livingston that sold for $3 million tops the list of the most expensive real estate sales in Essex County between Feb. 13 and Feb. 20.

In total, 113 real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $568,708. The average price per square foot was $292.

The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Feb. 13., even if the property may have been sold earlier.

10. $905,000, condominium at 216 Metzger Drive

A sale has been finalized for the condominium at 216 Metzger Drive in West Orange. The price was $905,000 and the new owners took over the condominium in January. The condo was built in 2013 and the living area totals 2,662 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $340. The deal was finalized on Jan. 19.

9. $927,000, single-family house at 81 Willowdale Avenue

The property at 81 Willowdale Avenue in Montclair has new owners. The price was $927,000. The house was built in 1922 and has a living area of 2,462 square feet. The price per square foot is $377. The deal was finalized on Jan. 23.

8. $980,000, detached house at 35-37 Portland Place

The property at 35-37 Portland Place in Montclair has new owners. The price was $980,000. The house was built in 1890 and has a living area of 2,716 square feet. The price per square foot is $361. The deal was finalized on Jan. 24.

7. $1.06 million, single-family home at 265 Scotland Road

The sale of the single-family residence at 265 Scotland Road, South Orange, has been finalized. The price was $1,065,000, and the house changed hands in January. The house was built in 1890 and has a living area of 5,483 square feet. The price per square foot was $194. The deal was finalized on Jan. 20.

6. $1.27 million, single-family residence at 35 Ridgewood Terrace

The 3,000 square-foot single-family house at 35 Ridgewood Terrace, Maplewood, has now been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in January and the total purchase price was $1,276,626, $426 per square foot. The house was built in 1909. The deal was finalized on Jan. 23.

5. $1.31 million, single-family home at 21 Concord Drive

The sale of the single family residence at 21 Concord Drive in Livingston has been finalized. The price was $1,315,000, and the new owners took over the house in January. The house was built in 1949 and has a living area of 1,360 square feet. The price per square foot was $967. The deal was finalized on Jan. 20.

4. $1.78 million, single-family residence at 11 Hemlock Road

The 4,060 square-foot detached house at 11 Hemlock Road in Short Hills has now been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in January and the total purchase price was $1,788,000, $440 per square foot. The house was built in 1965. The deal was finalized on Jan. 25.

3. $1.87 million, detached house at 558 Ridgewood Avenue

The 2,646 square-foot single-family home at 558 Ridgewood Avenue, Glen Ridge, has now been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in January and the total purchase price was $1,875,000, $709 per square foot. The house was built in 1925. The deal was finalized on Jan. 24.

2. $2 million, single-family house at 180 Mountain Avenue

The property at 180 Mountain Avenue in Montclair has new owners. The price was $2,010,000. The house was built in 1916 and has a living area of 3,874 square feet. The price per square foot is $519. The deal was finalized on Jan. 19.

1. $3 million, single-family house at 21 Canterbury Road

The sale of the single family residence at 21 Canterbury Road in Livingston has been finalized. The price was $3,025,000, and the new owners took over the house in January. The house was built in 1900 and has a living area of 6,288 square feet. The price per square foot was $481. The deal was finalized on Jan. 23.

Real Estate Wire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Boston College baseball team beat Rutgers, 6-4, at Shipyard Park on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles swept the weekend at the Swig And Swine Classic and moved to 5-1 with their fifth straight win, while the Scarlet Knights dropped to 2-4.

Each team led early with BC pushing across a run in the top of the first and Rutgers answering with a single run in each of its first two turns at bat. The Eagles scored twice in the third with RBI hits from junior second baseman Patrick Roche (Milton, Mass.) and sophomore third baseman Nick Wang (Newton, Mass.).

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Eric Schroeder (Ridgewood, N.J.) was the first reliever out of the BC bullpen with one on and nobody out in the third. He stranded the runner and retired nine of the first 11 batters he faced. Schroeder (1-0) got his first career win in four innings of work with two runs charged to his line on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Freshman RHP Bobby Chicoine (Armonk, N.Y.) made his first career start and went two-plus innings. He gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. RHP Jake Marshall (0-1) took the loss in a three-inning start for the Scarlet Knights. He surrendered four runs, three earned, on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Graduate RHP Andrew Roman (Monson, Mass.) notched his first save in a three-inning appearance. He allowed two hits and struck out two.

Roche totaled three RBI in a 2-for-4 day with a double. Junior right fielder Travis Honeyman (Massapequa, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk. Junior first baseman Joe Vetrano (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) added a 2-for-5 day with a run and a RBI.

For Rutgers, third baseman Chris Brito drove in two runs, including a solo home run.

DETAILS Score: Boston College 6, Rutgers 4 Records: Boston College 5-1, Rutgers 2-4 Stadium: Shipyard Park Attendance: 254

BC HIGHLIGHTS · Trailing 2-1 in the third, Roche flared a base hit over short with runners at the corners to tie the game. Two batters later, Wang put BC in front on a single to right. · Walsh drew a leadoff-HBP in the fourth and scored on a two-out single from Vetrano. · Roche picked up his second RBI of the day on a two-out double to right in the sixth.

GAME NOTES · The game marked the first meeting between BC and Rutgers since 2018. The Eagles trail the series, 9-16. · Burns tallied his second multi-hit game of the season and 17 of his career. · Honeyman recorded his second multi-hit game of the season and 19 of his career. · Honeyman hit his third double of the season and 12 of his career. · Mercado stole his team-leading third base of the season. · Vetrano posted his second multi-hit game of the season and 21 of his career.

UP NEXT Boston College begins its eight-game, 11-day spring break trip with its series opener at Kennesaw State on Friday, March 3.