The results of the first SurveyUSA Polls conducted for Baristanet this week are just in. Glen Ridgers were asked two questions about next week’s bond referendum in the automated telephone poll conducted Monday and Tuesday nights.

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SurveyUSA tells us that 131 likely voters participated, giving the poll a sample error margin of plus or minus 7 percent.
On the first, most controversial, question — whether the town should borrow money to replace the grass at Carteret Field with turf — 80 percent of those asked said NO, 20 percent said YES and none were undecided.


On the second question — whether the town should borrow money to fix municipal buildings and replace the grass at Hurrell Field with turf — respondents were more divided. Some 47 percent of the people who answered the poll answered YES, 52 percent answered NO, 1 percent was undecided. Again, the margin of error was 7 percent.
More information on this poll, including filters for race and gender, can be found here.
The turf issue has been contentious since September, when the borough council hosted a public hearing that filled the Ridgewood Avenue School auditorium with prononents and opponents of the plan.
Contentiousness turned into outright acrimony as the debate continued in council chambers this fall. And hundreds of comments have been posted about the issues on Baristanet.
“I’m happy about Carteret but I want the other one to go down too,” said Kit Schackner, an organizer of Glen Ridge Votes, which collected 1200 signatures to fight the bonds. She said of the council: “They were working in a bell jar and they were utterly blind to the outside world. They couldn’t see the opposition.”
Schackner blames, in part, the town’s reliance on the Civic Conference Committee to produce slates of uncontested candidates for elections. “We have a council and a mayor who operate in a complete vacuum,” she said. “I supported Carl and I am pissed. I think this whole bond ordinance is full of backroom deals.”
Mayor Carl Bergmanson, driving back from a NJ League of Municipalities meeting, commented that it would be wrong to put “too much strength in such a small sample size.”
“I think it’s informative, not definitive,” said Bergmanson.
Bergmanson, who’d talked to town manager Michael Rohal by phone about the Baristanet-SurveyUSA poll, said he was cheered by the large percentage of respondents who said they intended to vote. Of 181 who identified themselves as registered voters, 131 — or 72 percent — said they were likely to vote next Tuesday.
He encouraged all eligible voters to go to the polls on Tuesday.

238 replies on “Ridgers Oppose Carteret Turf 4 to 1”

  1. “On the second question…respondents were more divided.”
    thats cause they lumped turf into the bill. otherwise it would have ended up like #1 CRUSHED.

  3. Wake up the Bonds will save tax payers money. Stop being so hard headed. And they never will be split again, Glen Ridge Votes misled people. The Turf Fields Pay for themselves and if the Bonds don’t go through you taxes will go up more. It’s a FACT…

  4. Glen Ridge Votes has messed this Bond process up by lying to the people of Glen Ridge, they said the Bonds would raise taxes when the fact is voting no will raise your taxes more, educate yourself a little bit and you’ll see.

  5. From the Township Website
    Tax Increase
    2007
    $0.00 With Bond
    $360.00 Without Bond
    2008
    $200.00 With Bond
    $408.64 Without Bond
    2009
    $276.21 With Bond
    $408.64 Without Bond
    2010
    $276.21 With Bond
    $408.64 Without Bond
    2011
    $276.21 With Bond
    $408.64 Without Bond
    Annual Cost / $100,000 Assessment*

  6. From the Township Website
    Tax Increase
    2007
    $0.00 With Bond
    $360.00 Without Bond
    2008
    $200.00 With Bond
    $408.64 Without Bond
    2009
    $276.21 With Bond
    $408.64 Without Bond
    2010
    $276.21 With Bond
    $408.64 Without Bond
    2011
    $276.21 With Bond
    $408.64 Without Bond
    Annual Cost / $100,000 Assessment*

  7. We don’t have to pay for turf we don’t want! They didn’t separate turf from Municipal repairs bec. they wanted to force the turf expense on us! If the Hurrell Bond goes down, there’s still time for them to pass a smaller bond to fix the municipal building before the budget is due on March 22nd. Let the bond fail, and let them pass a smaller bond to do what is necessary, and what has public support. We can beat back the turf spending and not raise taxes excessively – this poll says we have a 5 point spread – and that’s all it takes!

  8. Julia,
    Have you been listening.
    The Turf will save you money. That’s a fact drilled home by the Mayor and Council, it’s a fact, why do you continue to fight it? I really don’t understand your thought process, do you want to save tax payers money or do you just really not want Turf because of your passionate hate of the GRAA?

  9. using the fields less would save even more money, wouldn’t it? charging an appropriate usage fee for the destruction of the fields would totally save the money, right? stop acting like there’s only one answer to this.

  11. “The Turf will save you money…do you want to save tax payers money or do you just really not want Turf because of your passionate hate of the GRAA?’
    Just you!

  12. Only one real answer… Vote Yes and save yourself some money ,keep the fields open 12 months a year. Oh and remember the Turf will SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY.

  14. I’ve taken Hiding’s challenge and educated myself as to what the Council has put on the website. And it’s fascinating.
    As to whether or not the turf will pay for itself, the Power Point presentation on the web site says the bond cost per year of turfing (if that is a word) Carteret Park alone is $132,660. But the annual cost of sod and lawn care for Carteret and Hurrell without the bond is only $131,000. So, based on information provided by the Mayor and Borough Council, the turf will not even come close to paying for itself.
    As for the projected property tax increases if the bonds fail, the numbers Hiding posts are from the web site. But Hiding hasn’t included the disclaimers, the fine print under those daunting tax figures. Those tax increase figures do not reflect:
    1. The $810,000 in grants and other funds the Borough expects to receive in 2007, as reflected in that same PowerPoint presentation;
    2. GRAA user fees which may be allocated to field maintenance; and
    3. “[O]perational savings attributable to improvements.”
    4. Finally, the tax increase is based on the annual re-sodding of Carteret Park and Hurrell Field, even though the fields have not been re-sodded in 4-5 years.
    Simply put, the PowerPoint presentation is yet another attempt by the Mayor and Borough Council to scare us into voting against our own best interests.
    So, now that we’re all a little better educated, can we please stop drinking the Kool-Aid and admit that a smaller bond for the municipal repairs will save us more money than larger bonds which include FieldTurf?

  16. I came to this site while back and the big story was about turf.
    Now I come back again and the story’s STILL about turf.
    Is that all you f***ers care about?

  17. Here’s a fact: if the state property tax reform
    legislation to cap municipal budgets goes through as planned, they can’t raise our taxes as much as they’ve threatened to! So now there’s really
    no reason not to vote this thing down, if you think it’s wrong.

  18. Here’s another fact: there is PLENTY of time to enact a smaller bond ordinance for essential repairs, and there is enough support on council to do it if the bonds fail. Another reason to vote this thing down, if you don’t want turf.

  20. Yes. That is all we f***ers care about. TURF, You should go to another site and talk about much more important things with much more important people. Run along, now.

  21. I happened to be opposed to turf – I don’t think it is worth $2.7MM and I don’t think it will save us money. And I like grass. If we were voting just on turf, I think it would be voted down handily. I don’t think the majority of our residents want it – so should the majority be forced to a) have turf and b) pay for it? NO. If you don’t want turf, or don’t want to pay for the turf, vote it down. Let Council pass a new smaller bond for the municipal repairs and slow the turf decision down. Do we need to bond so heavily just before our big assessment? Who knows what their taxes will be next year after the new property tax evaluations? Who knows for certain if turf is the right answer for our fields? What difference will a year’s wait and discussion make? It will give us all a chance to determine if turf is right, and if so, how best to fund it.

  22. In the main piece, the attack on the CCC is almost a joke. Does Kit know that our Mayor who was on the council forever before becoming Mayor, is NOT a CCC candiate?
    On the turf itself, if the council didn’t lump Hurrell with the municipal improvements, the bond would have been approved already, with no need for a vote, and the tax analysis is the same.
    Stop lumping Hurrell with the municipal improvements. Turf costs us money, it does not save us money. The council knows it, and anyone who reads the town website knows it.
    Pull Hurrell from the bond, and we save taxes because of the bond. Keep Hurrell in the bond, and we pay more taxes, and more money for the fields.

  24. No Turf,Goldman, Julia
    You have no clue… The Fields will need to be Sodded every year, closed for 3 months and then there are still too many events to hold the grass. Let’s just cancel all sports and let our kids play Video games all day and get really fat.

  26. Turf will keep regular people off the fields – it will be largely reserved for team uses, not for kids who want to play tag, run with a dog, ride a bike or just hang with friends on the grass. Besides the turf fields will be between 40 and 80 degrees hotter than grass, so from May to October, it will be too hot to be on the fields, during the day. That’s enough to push all sports practices into early mornings and evenings, and leave kids at home playing video games during the days. Turf will make you sports schedule pure drudgery.

  29. What did communities all across America do in all the years BEFORE turf ?
    Seems like they were able to manage OK.

  30. Everyone seems to be so focused on Carteret. Is there a separate vote option for just turfing Hurrell, which IMHO needs turf the most.
    Also, how come no one pays attention to Clay Field, which is a disaster and sees a ton of action ?

  32. Everyone seems to be so focused on Carteret. Is there a separate vote option for just turfing Hurrell, which IMHO needs turf the most.
    Also, how come no one pays attention to Clay Field, which is a disaster and sees a ton of action ?

  33. ” so should the majority be forced to a) have turf and b) pay for it?”
    No, you are correct. And we will vote this thing down!
    “You have no clue… The Fields will need to be Sodded every year, closed for 3 months and then there are still too many events to hold the grass. Let’s just cancel all sports and let our kids play Video games all day and get really fat.”
    Speaking of FAt.
    You have wasted ALL OF THIS TIME.
    You have not raised ONE THIN DIME to help offset the cost.
    You could have show the town that you have made a good faith effort.
    You could have put up a kool aid stand on the corner with a sign that read “FOR TURF, BECAUSE WE CARE”.
    You could have written a check for $25 sent it to the town paper and asked that all fellow Ridgers do the same.
    You could have done a lot of things to show that you cared.
    You chose to do NOTHING. It is you who have no clue.
    And that is the reason that this thing will fail.
    Leadership!

  34. We know who you are:
    Hear Hear! Actors paid for the new auditorium, swimmers paid for the pool, paddle ball players paid for the paddle ball courts. If we all really decide turf is the well-researched and best way to treat our fields for our uses, let the users raise funds!

  35. The Turf will not be 40-80 degrees hotter, and Julia when did you become an expert, all your time volunteering to coach and be out on the fields? Also the Fields will not be closed for 3 months and everyone will be able to use them. I guess the Volunteers who Shopvacumed the Fields so teams could play haven’t shown any effort, user fees, okay lets have them for everyone who walks the dog, plays frisbee and picnics, how about user fees for the Library?

  37. For moretaxesplease,
    Clay will also be part of the second Bond. A much needed improvement of the parking lot our youngest children play on.

  38. Again, in a further effort to educate myself at Hiding’s request, I found this in the Mayor & Council’s Power Point presentation.
    “Synthetic surfaces are hotter than natural grass. It is planned to install sprinklers at Carteret Park to allow for summer usage of the field on extremely hot days. “Surface temperatures of RIF fields can be reduced 33 percent with proper use of irrigation cycling . . . the heat load problem on RIF fields is manageable with irrigation, the problem is that most fields have been constructed without irrigation.”
    So, there is no dispute that synthetic fields are hotter than natural grass, creating a “heat load problem.” We just don’t know how much hotter the fields can get.
    But here are my unanswered questions, based on this information:
    1. We know that the heat can be reduced by 33% with proper irrigation, but since we don’t know how much hotter the field will be with a synthetic playing surface, this statistic is basically meaningless. Although, I have to think that if the heat is reduced 33% with irrigation, it’s not unreasonable to think that the fields are at least 40% hotter than natural grass, as Julia suggests.
    2. How will anyone be able to use Carteret Park on extremely hot sunny days if the sprinklers are constantly coming on? And how much water are we talking about here?
    3. Why is there no mention of sprinklers at Hurrell Field? Will that field be one of those improperly installed without a heat-reducing irrigation system? And if so, at the risk of repeating myself, how much hotter will the neighborhood get on extremely hot summer days?
    The more I read what the Mayor & Council are putting out there, the more I realize it’s all just smoke and mirrors.

  39. The borough maintenance budget of $57,483.00 per year for sod in the first 5 years includes $6,065.00 for water on Hurrell. Their maintenance for turf? $6,000.00 per year. Total. How much of that is water? How much for cleaning up the, blood, spit & vomit? How much is for raking the plastic blades up so they don’t get squished? And where’d they get their data? From the turf vendors, or course.

  40. It always seems that the anti-turf people think that only GRAA plays team sports at these fields. Do you forget that these are the High Schools fields for Varsity and JV sports, and parents are already paying the activity fee for our kids to play. The high school uses Hurrell and Carteret and Forest and Washington (actually in Montclair and another mud pit) 5 or 6 days a week.
    We need fields that we can use.
    Keep in mind that a serious injury in a high school game because of holes in the field or other dangerous conditions could cost the town as much as the whole bond.

  41. Also keep in mind that a serious injury in a high school game because of an asshole in the town government could cost the town as much as the whole bond.

  42. A few points:
    Placing water on a hot surface produces water vapor which, in the air, we call humidity. Just what NJ needs more of in the summer. That may be worse than the heat.
    The president of GRAA stated, according to the newspaper, that collecting user fees from kids in his organization was impractical and unfair. I don’t quite understand why that is in either case. I think they are probably very good at collecting fees or they would have no money to run the program. What is so hard about collecting an extra $10 per kid. Counting up and passing it along to the town?
    Not all of the Council members supported the turf and 2 of the ones who did are gone.

  43. As to injuries, the Mayor & Council’s presentation makes clear that there are different types of injuries inherent in playing on natural grass and synthetic surfaces, so I don’t believe there’s a rational basis to say that one type of playing surface will generate more or fewer injuries than the other.

  46. Boy, I thought I had heard it all.
    Glen Ridge installed an irrigation system for fake grass.

  47. It always seems that the anti-turf people think that only GRAA plays team sports at these fields. Do you forget that these are the High Schools fields for Varsity and JV sports, and parents are already paying the activity fee for our kids to play.
    Isn’t school sports a valid whole community education-ralated expense? GRAA is not part of the town government or the board of ed.

  49. The Mayor & Council’s have been dishonest and divisive.
    They have misrepresented the cost of the current operations. They have under estimated the cost of turf. They have lied about the amount of time available to do a bond issue on just the buildings.
    Apparently they can waste our time and money on this nonsense but can’t get their act together to fill some hole in the playing fields…
    I for one think it is time that we go out heads out of the clay and did something about these gas lamps. Some timers please so they don’t burn 24 hours.
    Just imagine getting all town kids behind the time project.. Glen Ridge will get some great publicity and the kids will all get into Harvard.

  51. I still would like to know why the GRAA won’t make their books public. I support them and they do a great job providing sports for my kids. People perceive them to be sitting on bags of money.
    I don’t know if this is true or not – how about they just explain
    by the way changing the gaslamps is a huge expense and the cost savings of fuel is far outweighed by the cost of putting on timers and automatic lighters

  52. Timers are a hugh expense…Really??? Where do you get your numbers… Come to think of it what are you numbers and come to think of it what are your assumptions???..
    (god is in the details and in the clay)
    Cheers

  53. The folks at Glen Ridge Votes know that the facts don’t support their arguments, so all they can do is engage in personal attacks on the mayor and council and distort the numbers. Unfortunately, sometimes that’s enough to tip an election to your side (let’s hope not in this case).
    Just on this post alone, the number of inaccurate statements by the anti-turf crowd is astounding, and far too many to be any innocent mistake.
    The mayor and council have been working on this for years, and, unlike Kit, Eric, Julia, etc., they actually know what they are talking about, and they don’t have a vested interest (like a pathological hatred of the GRAA). In fact, I’m pretty sure that no one on the council has a kid in the GRAA or on any sports team. When it comes to motive, it’s pretty to hard come up with one that would have the whole Council voting for Ordinance 1458 if they didn’t believe it was in the best interest of the town (and it was 6-0, despite what was said above).
    But I think I have come up with a motive for the rabid actions of the Glen Ridge Votes crowd (in addition to their hatred of the GRAA). This whole “Glen Ridge Votes” thing stinks of a politically motivated attack, especially with the CCC comment by Kit, who never seems to mention that she and her husband are on the county committee and part of the county political machine. Since Bergmanson and Brewster are probably not running for re-election, my guess is that it is part of a plan to take over the town council and hook us into the county patronage machinery. I predict that they will be showing the true motivation for all of this very shortly (but after the vote, no doubt).
    But don’t worry, I’m sure the county political machine will be so much more concerned about us then our current unpaid and non-partisan mayor and council.

  54. Hummm.. interesting.. since they are not paid.. it is OK to make inaccuarate statements ?
    If we paid them, would we should raise the standard of accuracy?

  55. Hiding:
    I’m a member of Glen Ridge Votes, and, speaking for myself, I am absolutely confident that the facts support my arguments. I’m more than happy to discuss any specific factual error you find in anything I’ve posted in this thread.
    Also, I can promise you that I have no desire to sit on the Borough Council or be Mayor of Glen Ridge.
    Finally, I don’t think I’ve ever said a negative word about the GRAA. I think I might have said that the GRAA should consider providing a public accounting of how it spends its user fees, but I wouldn’t consider that evidence of a pathological hatred.
    And if you’re the same anonymous poster calling me “tough guy” and asking me about my sports background, if you don’t have the personal integrity to sign your public statements then you don’t get to ask personal questions.

  56. I still would like to know why the GRAA won’t make their books public.
    This accusation has been made many times before, and it has already been refuted.
    If you had searched the archives for “GRAA report”, you would know how to get a copy of their financial report.
    No wonder your hiding.

  58. Wow! Hook Glen Ridge into the county patronage machinery? Is that you, Art? No one else would know or care if I’m a committee person or not, and by the way, the Glen Ridge Democratic Committee has zero relationship with the county machinery, as near as I can tell….It certainly has nothing to do with why I think this bond stinks. By the way, Glen Ridge Votes is very bi-partisan.
    And “Hiding” at 7:18…what’s with your weird line of questioning Eric’s athletic background?
    Does someone have to have athletic expertise to question the misleading and inaccurate claims our Mayor and Council have made? If your trying to out him, you’re too late.
    If you’re stating that only athletes can question this debacle, you’re pretty limited in your political perspective.
    Typical behavior of most of the “pro-turf” side of this argument: You can’t argue it on its merits, so you scrounge for cheap shots. Jolly well done, boys. Nice shot.

  59. It seems like these comments are running are 4 to 1 against turf. (just like the survey…)
    These two ordinances went to a vote, because 1,200 signers of two petitions asked for a vote on both ordinances. That is already more than half the households in Glen Ridge. If we stick to our guns and vote it out, it will be out.
    It takes all sorts of dedicated volunteers to make a town like Glen Ridge great – pro or anti turf, there is no reason to take away from the enormous contribution the GRAA makes in our town. Like so many other great groups: Home and Schools, Gas Lamp Players, the Pool Team, the Freeman Gardens Association and Friends of the Library, and our volunteer Ambulance, School Board, and many others. (not to mention mayor and council!) We all love our town, and want what’s best for it. I don’t think turf is the best option, and I don’t want to be taxed out of town!

  61. Glen Ridge Votes misled the people of Glen Ridge with their bogus petition stating that ” Vote the Bonds down and your taxes won’t go up” which is just not true. They told and continue to tell people that voting the Bonds down will result in lower taxes which is just not true. According to tomorrow’s Glen Ridge Voice the Borough will be mailing an informative brochure to all residents that will arrive this Saturday, I would suggest that everyone take a few minutes to read this and then with the facts in front of you make not only the smart decision but the decision that will save you money. I doubt that the Mayor, Council and Borough Attorny would allow a Brochure with false information to be mailed townwide.

  62. Check out the footnotes in the Borough mailer: they will qualify everything they previously said as “maybe not necessarily true”.

  63. bitpusher or anyone else-
    Do you have a copy of this financial report? and can you just excerpt some of the GRAA section – thanks

  64. Julia,
    Let me try this again, It’s Crystal Clear vote FOR the Bonds and you won’t be Taxed out of town, vote against and your taxes will go up more.. Why is that so hard for you people to understand… If you hate Turf fine, but realize it’s really the only way for the fields to be usable, with obesity rates going up at alarming rates I don’t think we want to cut programs do you? Do you realize that the field use is 4 times what experts say will be reasonable for fields sodded EVERY YEAR, AND CLOSED 3 MONTHS EVERY YEAR.

  65. Dear hiding.. you are hiding so much that this does not make sense:
    “Check out the footnotes in the Borough mailer: they will qualify everything they previously said as “maybe not necessarily true”.”
    Whose mailer are you referring to hiding?

  67. Really?? the borough mailer says “Vote for this .. but these “facts” may not necessarily be true.”
    That’s a question?

  70. Do you have a copy of this financial report?
    No, I don’t have a copy. Why don’t you contact the GRAA directly?

  71. All this gloom and doom from the Turfers, setting up unreasonable comparisons to “prove” their point.
    Our children have been playing on these fields for years and years, and decades upon decades, without sod and without the fields being shut down for 3 months.
    Those of you who are quoting these facts are simply being conned by those who want turf because it is “new” or “cool” to have.
    Our fields are not sodded annually, and comparing the costs of turf to sod is simply misleading.
    Raise the money for the fields if you want them, but don’t raise my taxes so that you can have the latest and greatest play thing.

  72. Yeah, our kids have been playing on these fields for years and years, and the condition of the fields has been bad for years and years. This I can say having been a soccer mom for about 10 years.
    Carteret has never been right since the big dig and still has drainage problems and kids sliding around in mud and holes and ruts in the field.
    Carteret has been closed several times to let the grass grow and the high school soccer team was practicing at Watsessing park that year without any approval.
    The activity fee I referred to in my above post is paid to the High School. It is $200 so that your child can participate in any extracurriculars.
    It would be nice if GRHS had fields that weren’t the town’s only parks, but we don’t and can’t.
    I support Turf. I don’t have anyone in the family participating in atheletics anymore so this is not self serving. Like everyone else, my taxes are too high. However, I think we need to pass both bonds and do what we need to do to have town facilities that we can be proud of.

  73. The arguments made by the anti-Turf people are wrong. Their claims that installation of turf will not save money is incorrect. Based on field usage numbers compiled by Glen Ridge, the borough will need to re-sod fields to the tune of $100,000 per year. If you do a financial cost benefit analysis, these Fields start to pay for themselves in year 3 and save the borough over $200,000 over ten years. The people making the arguments against these cost savings are not involved in athletics and have no basis to make their claims that sod will last for the extended periods they claim it will. I have been involved in GRAA and GRHS sports for 18 years and have scheduled, lined, cleaned and help pay for our fields during that time. My knowledge is based on experience and from being very actively involved in the process year in and year out.
    The heat argument is pure fear mongering. My son played two weeks this past July at John Hopkins in Baltimore on their Field Turf field at lacrosse camp. His team played three games a day between 8 and 5 on the turf. Temperatures were in the 90’s. The fields were not unsafe, the players were not passing out. He found the field no hotter than a grass field. Besides, very few GRAA activities are played in July and August and the ones that are played are conducted in the evening when it is cooler.
    The arguments regarding disposal of turf in 10 years time are also lacking depth. The company that replaces the turf will take responsibility for disposal of the old turf. Why would disposing of Field Turf be a big issue? It does not contain any contaminated material like radon does it?
    The thought that we in Glen Ridge are smarter than many of our neighbors that have installed Field Turf and can find a way to maintain highly used facilities better than they can is laughable. Our DPW has neither the resources or the knowledge to safely maintain grass fields. If the professional grounds crews with unlimited budgetsGiants or Gillette Stadiums could not keep grass growing on fields that have 40 events a year, how can we expect the Glen Ridge DPW to do so on fields that host over 300 events per year?
    They are stretching the facts to make their argument sound somewhat plausible. They must have some other motive (anti-sports possibly) that motivates them. They claim to base their anti-Field Turf argument on what they say is sound logic and good financial sense. They are way off base and are flat out wrong. Field Turf is the cheapest and best solution available to Glen Ridge.
    Vote yes for both bonds.

  74. Why would we restrict the use of the fields? Athletic programs keep our children fit and relaxed. In a country where the obseity rate is at an alarmingly high level why would you reduce programs? Is that happening in towns like ours? Of course not. This is a certainly not an option. Glen Ridge has a fantastic particpation rate in its youth and HS athletic programs for boys and girls. It is one of the great things about Glen Ridge. Kids have alot of choices and they take advantage of them. Playing sports is first and foremost about having fun and being a form of relaxation and physical fitness. So our HS teams don’t win all of the time. Who cares! Our kids participate at a much higher rate than most other towns. This is a very good thing.
    On your second point, the town numbers on maintenance of grass are way too low. I have been involved in many of the programs so I know the demands on these fields will can not be met with sodding every three years or even every two years. We will be paying at least $100,000 per year for sod and installation. In addition, one cost not included is the cost of not having a field available while if sits for the sod to knit properly. The field sitting fallow will be out of service for 3 to 6 months. We can not afford to be without any one of our fields. Waiting to make a decision will only exacerbate the situation. Talk to other towns who maintain Field Turf and you will find your fears on maintaining it are way overblown. We do not have to re-invent the wheel and analyze this to death. The case is crystal clear as the vast majority of our Council will tell you. We are way behind most of our neighbors in New Jersey in installing these kinds of facilities.
    Vote yes on both Bond Issues!

  75. One thng that has not been mentioned in this debate is the issue of oxygen. A typical front lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four for a year. Obviously this is not the case with the synthetic turf, which produces none and certainly produces greenhouse gases during production. By installing artificial turf we are depriving ourselves of important air quality and even adding to environmental damage. Let’s keep the grass please.

  76. Bitpusher
    When I cut and paste https://tinyurl.com/2dygoo into my browser it takes me to a Baristanet article about Glen Ridge principals taking a polar bear plunge. Are you saying the financial reports for GRAA are in this story?

  77. Also, no one is mentioning the fact that goo-green fields in the middle of a pretty town will look like shit!

  79. What grass? There is mud and ruts and unsafe playing surfaces at most Glen Ridge field locations. Forest and Clay field are also in horrible condition. Field Turf is the ONLY viable solution.

  80. I hate all the bashing our great mayor is getting. I recently had an issue and was able to speak to the mayor on his cell phone during a lunch meeting. He didn’t blow me off but excused himself from his meeting and spoke with me for as long as I wanted. While he may not be able to address all issues, or has his own thoughts on issues, I ask you is there anywhere else around here where you can have an actual conversation with somebody in government and believe that he cares about you and your issues. Shame on all of you who put down our great mayor. Just because you don’t agree with him does not make him a bad man. He puts himself out there for the greater good and I can tell you there is no $204 million parachute attached to his job.
    However, I can’t say the same about the town council. While I wish to tell them what’s on my mind, it will fall on deaf ears.
    Instead of all the athletics issues how about we work on some real issues like crime. When we had a recent intruder enter a residence how come the essex county K-9 unit was not called out to locate this “person”. Montclair recently caught some burglers because of the K-9 unit. Why dont we participate in and work on car theft and break in issues. Set up some stings, be pro-active against crime, not fake grass.

  81. Bitpusher:
    Sorry, I thought you meant I could find an actual financial report. This does say that financial reports are presented at the GRAA annual meeting, but does not say how or where the financial statements are available other than at that meeting, or to non-members who are being asked to pay for turf with tax dollars, which I think is the relevant questions.

  83. We are asked to pay for fields just as we are asked to pay for schools, police, a library and other essential services. We will pay for safe fields one way or the other. Turf is cheaper than maintaining grass surfaces They are used by a very significant portion of our population of Glen Ridge and it is the obligation of the taxpayers to maintain them. Mr. Goldman writes of the GRAA as if the athletes in their programs were only users of the fields (the HS teams and adult groups use them as well) and as if it were some small number of residents who use them. Over 1000 children participate in GRAA activities on these fields and another 300 HS students use the very same fields. If you want to get to the real reason the fields are more heavily used today than they were 10 years ago you simply have to look at the number of female athletes participating in GR. In addition to there being more boys playing more sports, ten years ago there were no girls soccer or lacrosse teams at either the HS or at the youth level. Today over 300 girls play GRAA soccer, 150 play GRAA lacrosse with 70 HS female soccer players and 50 HS female lacrosse players. This is a good thing and not programs that should go be limited in any way. Glen Ridge should be very proud of the programs we offer our girls as they are comprehensive as one could find in any town like ours. We have an obligation to our kids and ourselves to make sure they have safe and playable fields to use just as we are obligated to have schools that are top notch and a library that serves the needs of the community.

  84. “But I think I have come up with a motive for the rabid actions of the Glen Ridge Votes crowd (in addition to their hatred of the GRAA). This whole “Glen Ridge Votes” thing stinks of a politically motivated attack….(more bs)……”
    There is no doubt that this turf or NO turf is gonna cost me either way.
    I am voting NO, not because I hate GRAA or kids.
    I am voting NO because of the HUBRIS of the WE WANT TURF AND WE WANT IT NOW CROWD who think it their divine right to have turf, and to have someone else pay for it.
    Now it’s the GIRLS fault that the fields are overused. It’s a new argument everyday, but NEVER any solution (fundraiser) other that you (ME) pay for it.
    This town has some pretty good recent examples of the power of community spirit, when it comes to fundraising. Yet you made the choice to hold your hand out.
    Why do you feel you are better than those who came before you?
    Why haven’t you raised a penny privately ?
    I don’t care to hear your answer but your gonna wish you had started.

  85. Brilliant- you are voting against the bond issue because you don’t like the hubris of the Pro-Turf crowd. The rationale thing to do is to Turf the fields but you would vote no because you don’t like the people who support it. Brilliant!! I have donated countless hours and funds coaching kids and organizing leagues and activities just as many other fellow GR residents have done. How dare you question my intentions. Who do you think paid for the renovations of the gym at RAES 7 years ago? The answer is the GRAA!! We raised over $25,000 privately, took down the track, did sweat equity in clearing the debris and then installed a new floor and scoreboard. Who do you think pays for all the soccer and lacrosse goals? Do you realize that the recreation budget in Glen Ridge is 25% of what another town our size spends? That is because Volunteers do the job that paid town workers do in places like Nutley, West Orange, Bloomfield, Milburn and Montclair. Get your facts straight before you start spewing the mis-information like you did in the prior posting.

  86. Turf now! is the only answer that the field overusers will accept. There are three other answers that, alone or in some combination, would work GREAT:
    1) use the fields less
    2) charge the heavy users some additional fee for such use
    3) have the supporters of the project sponsor a big chunk of the cost with fundraising (just like the auditorium).

  88. “But I think I have come up with a motive for the rabid actions of the Glen Ridge Votes crowd (in addition to their hatred of the GRAA). This whole “Glen Ridge Votes” thing stinks of a politically motivated attack….(more bs).
    So these are your words, Thats not brilliant, thats a shame.

  89. Turf fields are becoming very common at schools around the state, because teams can play on them for a longer season and the long term cost is lower. Anyone whose child plays travel or rec sports knows that fields are frequently closed at some towns after a rainfall, so that it won’t be damaged.
    Turf fields drain easily after a rainfall, and can be played on in early spring.
    The only downside to turf is playing in the summer heat.
    Can GR get access to the Brookdale turf field for some of their varsity and JV games? This field was paid for with state and county money, and should be used exclusively by surronding schools.

  90. “Anyone whose child plays travel or rec sports knows that fields are frequently closed at some towns after a rainfall, so that it won’t be damaged.”
    Turf fields are also frequently closed because towns don’t want them ruined.

  91. “Over 1000 children participate in GRAA activities on these fields and another 300 HS students use the very same fields.”
    John:
    Are you saying that 1300 kids use the fields regularly, or are those 300 high school students also included in the 1000 figure? In other words, how much cross-over is there between the school and GRAA athlete population?
    The reason I ask is, there are only about 1800 kids in the entire Glen Ridge school system, and I’ve never seen any data suggesting that 73% of them are using these fields, as you indicate.
    It would be a wonderful thing if more than 2/3 of our student population regularly participated in team sports; but I’m guessing your numbers are high.

  93. GRAA doesn’t have teams at the High School level.
    John, you forgot Field Hockey in yor list, and marching band practice at Hurrell.
    Eric, I am guessing that you don’t have kids, or you would know that kids as young as 5 are doing clinic level, and yeah, more than half the kids do team sports at some time during the 14 years that they spend as students in GR.
    Private fund raising contributions would be good, but when you compare with the Auditorium, it wasn’t a user fee. I am a Drama Parent and we didn’t pay for the Auditorium.
    The whole town contributed so we could have a facility we could be proud of.
    The 2nd round of the Group 1 Boys State Championship Soccer was played at Carteret this fall and I was ashamed of the condition of our field.
    Do those that oppose Turf ever come out to watch games so they know what the fields are like?

  94. Dr?Donna – I too am a drama parent, and most of the other drama parents that I know DID help pay for the new auditorium, by buying a seat or two, and contributing in other ways to the GREF. Probably like Eric, I do have kids, and yes they have played on all of the fields. As for being embarrassed so were we when our audiorium seats were held together with duct tape, but after pulling together and working hard, we were able to see our dream realized. I oppose the turf, and not only come out to watch the games, but also have children playing the games.

  96. “Eric, I am guessing that you don’t have kids, or you would know that kids as young as 5 are doing clinic level, and yeah, more than half the kids do team sports at some time during the 14 years that they spend as students in GR.”
    Dr. Donna:
    I am a dad, so that guess is wrong.
    And while I would believe that more than half the kids in town participate in team sports at some time in their lives, I would be very surprised (pleased, but surprised) to find that 2/3 of the kids in town were involved in team sports all the time.

  97. I know that when my daughter was a freshman at GRHS, at least 85% of her freshman class went out for a Fall sport. I was stunned at the percentage of participation. I am sure that the percentage fell off over the course of 4 years, but it was a pretty impressive starting figure.

  99. But Hilary, your contribution to the Auditorium was not a user fee and the Drama Parents weren’t expected to pay for the whole renovation like people seem to expect GRAA to pay for the field improvements.

  100. How quaint you Earthlings are, with your one dimension of earth turf. On the moon, we have five… THOUSAND.

  101. people seem to expect GRAA to pay for the field improvements
    no, people expect GRAA to pay for ruining the community fields

  102. Hummm.. we can’t afford to do grading on these fields or filling of holes but we sure can afford turf..
    Of course turf is the only solution to drainage problems and holes on a playing field…

  103. dr. Donna – actually, i did pay a user fee to Gaslamp (participation fee). Can’t say that was donated directly to the auditorium, but much of the profits made by Gaslamp are then passed on to auditorium projects. Drama parents weren’t “expected” to do anything – they just DID. And compare that number (probably around 150) to the number of GRAA parents, and think what you could contribute. Hey better yet, instead of teaching your kids to carry signs, demanding “Give us turf”, how about teaching them how to help raise the money needed. You would be giving them such a greater life lesson, and preparing them for the real world ahead where things are not just simply “given”! And by the way, WHO do you think paid for the auditorium renovation? Are you one of those misinformed residents, that think it came from GR tax payers?

  104. What about the GRAA parents that also contribute to the Auditorium, High School Gymnasium,Library, Ambulance, Maintain the Fields, (your kidding if you think the DPW does this) Volunteer their time to Coaching, oh let’s just bash them. So GRAA raises the money for the Fields are the then GRAA property? No everyone uses them everyone should help and this is the only way. VOTE YES

  105. it is not ecologically sound to replace grass and dirt with synthetic turf. our kids need the best of the best? then that includes an environment that is not completely distructive to our ecosystem. “pave paradise, put up a parking lot…” also, the finances posted by the pro-turfers are, as has been posted since, not the whole story.

  107. Please Vote No on both ordinances – and here’s why. It’s no secret that I’m anti-turf, in that I don’t think it is fair to ask us all to pay for what only a few want. We are being bullied into paying for turf!
    If this were separated bonds – one for turf and one for building repair, I don’t believe the bond would gain majority support. If however, I were wrong and a pure turf bond passed, then fine… I would obviously let it happen and pay my share.
    They’ve lumped it with the Municipal repairs to force us to buy something the majority does not support (Remember the petitons handily earned 1200 signatures each – that’s a majority representation right there.)
    So vote no on the bonds. Let them bring back a smaller non-controversial municipal repairs bond, and look into turf pros and cons longer and bring that bond proposal back out for a separate vote. If the majority of Glen Ridge residents supported turf and voted it in on its own merits (not bec. of a bully tactic) then that’s democracy in action. Who would I be to say no turf with a majority vote saying yes to it?
    Why not vote it down, and let them come back with multiple bond proposals so we can ALL decide how to spend millions of dollars (bonded or not.)

  108. Why not waste more time and money when there is clearly a need and savings for Turf Fields, I don’t understand your being Bullied, is there a GRAA member threatening your life if you vote it down? If you OPENED your eyes you would see that the Turf Pays for itself with savings on Sod, Maintence ect…. It’s all there in Black and White read,learn vote YES.

  109. you don’t understand the feeling of someone being bullied because you are among the bullies! open YOUR eyes (and, while you’re at it, your wallet to pay for your own pet project).

  111. As usual, it is all about sports. Oh, don’t let my Billy get mud on his cleats while he’s playing soccer! Do you know how silly that is? Carteret PARK is for everyone… not only athletes. How about the boy who wants to throw a stick to his dog? Think they’ll be allowed to run around on your ridiculous fake grass? It is a PARK.
    park /pÉ‘rk/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[pahrk] Pronunciation Key – Show IPA Pronunciation
    –noun 1. an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation.

  112. To Hiding (Who doesn’t have the guts to state his/her name) Any GRAA parents who CHOOSE to contribute to the auditorium, library, etc do so of their own free will. It is not reflected in their taxes, and is in fact a tax deduction.

  113. The fact that you have not seen a financial report from the GRAA should not surprise you as you are not someone who does anything for the kids in our organization. If you did, you would know each year about our meeting, decide to attend if you want and walk away with a financial report. However, what do you think you’re going to find there? Theft? Or are you, someone who does not contribute at all, going to identify some problem? By the way, I have never seen a Home & School financial report, friends of the library report, gaslamp players report, ambulance squad report or any other organization’s report. Why should I expect to see it when I don’t get involved there? Personally, I am so thankful those people are looking out for our children in those areas and trust them to do the right thing. However, I’m sure if I asked any of those groups they would supply it to me. Just like Bob Salvatelli would if you asked. It is so laughable that the focus has become GRAA here when the High School programs are the primary users and clearly do more damage to the fields than the little kids do. Anyway, send Bob an e-mail at Bob@graa.org. If you refuse to contact Bob than you really have no right to keep bringing this up. Bob has no obligation to track you down.

  114. The Glen Ridge Votes flyer just came in the mail. They have apparently realized all of the mis-information they have been spewing about FieldTurf not being cheaper is not flying with GR residents. This argument has taken a back seat to their new shrill argument. FieldTurf is not evironmentally safe. Well, I guess that all depends on which study you read. The vast majority of studies actually say that that Turf is environmentally friendly. Terry Doss, an evironmental scientist who live in GR and coaches Girls lacrosse presented very cogent arguments for the pro-environmental side of the equation. One obvious benefit is that there will be no more pesticides or fertilizers which are applied to the fields, running off into our yards and sewers. The benefits of Turfing are clear cut from a financial and practical point of view.
    The anti-Turf argument is grasping at straws. The arguments are based on pure emotion with a strong touch of anti-athletics built in.
    Vote yes for both bond ordinances.

  115. “By the way, I have never seen a Home & School financial report”
    Then you must not come to Home & School meetings where we present a treasurer’s report (a written copy) every meeting (with year to date spending, working check book balance, reserves, profits etc…)and we file our taxes every year. At the end of the school year, since we are a 501(c)3 not for profit group, we try and clean out of bank account and donatte alot to the schools in the way of funds and materials.

  116. Caris: You missed the point. Exactly, I have not seen a H & S financial report because I do nothing for the H & S. This was not at all a knock on the H & S. The point to Eric was, why would you expect to have seen a GRAA financial report if you don’t participate in the organization. The H & S does a great job and I stated that I am glad you folks are there. You should re-read what I wrote.

  117. Are you sure? I heard reports that houses have actually melted next to turf fields. I also heard that a dog was scalded by his own urine splashing back up at him while peeing on a turf field. Families who live next to the fields haven’t mutated into super beings? Not true? Wow I need to stop reading Kit & Kelly’s Suburban Survival guide.
    You mention fertilizers & pesticides like they’re a bad thing.

  118. Caris,
    That is exactly what “To Eric” was saying. They do not attend. “By the way, I have never seen a Home & School financial report, friends of the library report, gaslamp players report, ambulance squad report or any other organization’s report. Why should I expect to see it when I don’t get involved there?”

  120. “However, what do you think you’re going to find there? Theft?”
    Maybe. If you look at the news lately there are plenty of people milking the organazations the work for. $100,000 here $200,000 there who cares right. Lets all go on a nice vacation buy a Rolex watch, pay personal CC bills. This is all happening now by the clergy, city government , school workers, not for profit workers, hospital employess the list goes on and on.
    So maybe you are hiding a theft who knows nowadays.

  121. To Eric and John
    I fully understood what you said but you don’t have to be involved with Home & School to see our financials you don’t even have to ask for them. We have monthly meetings – not yearly – that are advertised. To see our financial report you can walk into a meeting, grab a copy off the table and leave. At Forest, the report is frequently posted on a bulletin board in the hallway. Last year another parent and I requested to see the GRAA’s financials – this was before turf – and we were told we could only get a copy at the annual meeting (which is when?).

  122. with a strong touch of anti-athletics built in
    you can be anti-turf without being anti-athletics
    you can be anti-bullyingjocks without being anti-athletics
    the choice is crystal clear: the bullying jocks don’t want to raise money to repair the damage they cause — all you feeble anti-athletic wimps must pay!

  123. The anti-Turf argument is grasping at straws. The arguments are based on pure emotion with a strong touch of anti-athletics built in.
    No John, my kids are very active in the GRAA and I am anti-turf. Many anti-turf are anti-raising taxes, especially raising taxes for plastic grass.

  124. We are right. You are wrong. It’s really very simple.
    You people do a nice job of dividing the town. Is this what you teach your children? Can we expect a bunch of spoiled brats comin’ down the pike soon? My guess is yes.
    Nice work.
    Mulligan’s words:
    “Terry Doss, an evironmental scientist who live in GR and coaches Girls lacrosse presented very cogent arguments for the pro-environmental side of the equation…”
    “The anti-Turf argument is grasping at straws. The arguments are based on pure emotion with a strong touch of anti-athletics built in…”

  125. Caris: Please try to be honest. You were told that you can only get a copy if you went to the meeting? Please! I’d love to know who told you that. Feel free to identify who here. For years we placed the reports in the Library and Town Hall but no one ever took any. Again, e-mail Bob@GRAA.org and I’m sure he’ll send you the report. Someone like yourself who is involved in things should have more class than to accuse hard working people of trying to hide something. Shame on you! Let me guess, your kid got cut from a team.

  126. they just keep coming:
    “Someone like yourself who is involved in things should have more class than to accuse hard working people of trying to hide something. Shame on you! Let me guess, your kid got cut from a team.”

  129. Don’t you dare call me dishonest! You are not even posting under your own name! I didn’t accuse anyone of hiding anything – I said I was able to get copies of financials.
    And, if you must know, the brain tumor my son had when he was three prohibits him from playing contact sports like foot ball and lacross, and the surgery required to remove the tumor left him with gross motor skill issues so he would not have made the team if he had tried out. He was involved in GRAA sports until this year – he now plays sports outside of Glen Ridge.

  130. My comments are bullying yet Caris can make untrue statements at will. It’s so hurtful when you put so much time in helping kids and others sit back & take pot shots. I’m done here!

  131. Excuse me “I said I was able to get copies of financials.” Should have said “I was not able”. My hands are shaking so hard.

  132. ” I’m done here!”
    You were done “here” along time ago, you just didn’t have the sense to leave.
    Bye.

  134. John Mulligan claims over 1000 GRAA are using the fields and only 300 high school kids! How Can you say HS use is more than GRAA. GRAA and Mr. M. – may I ask you a question – short and simple- WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH FUND RAISING? IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO do not want THIS don’t force it down their throats!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  136. The GRAA kids play on multiple field inside & outside Town. That’s how we explain the 1,000 vs. 300. Plus, the HS has the fields first and the GRAA gets them after.

  137. The information on the town website indicates that the majority of events at Hurrell and Carteret are GRAA events, not HS events.

  138. Caris: Sorry to hear about your son but if your son does not participate in GRAA why are you looking for their financials. Also, I think it is a valid question when you are asked “Who Did You Ask”. Also, saying someone is hiding is interesting when you identify yourself as Caris. Is that like Madonna or Cher. Frankly, I have no idea who your are.

  139. To Caris: You have our sympathies. You have a lot of people on your side. These guys are worse than bullies, and they obviously feel threatened. Don’t let them get to you — they’re only plastic figurines. Push their buttons, they spew insults and threats.

  140. I wonder how the pro-turf people will feel about a new bond 10 years down the road for re-turfing when their kids are no longer in that age bracket?

  143. “does not participate in GRAA why are you looking for their financials”
    So he/she can see what y’all do with your money
    Why not re-invest some funds into the fields you play on?

  144. Caris is my first name – I am the only one in Glen Ridge – I notice you didn’t post your name. And I was a part of a small group of people who simply wanted to know where their money went and how it was spent. I contacted the BOE office and another parent contacted the GRAA – I do not know who she spoke to, but we both got the same response: we could get a copy at the GRAA’s annual meeting. This is not an inflammatory remark, and it certainly did not deserve to have my child’s athletic ability attacked. Now that I know who to go to get a copy of the financials I will.

  146. Caris,
    Please contact me and I will get you a copy of the Financials. I’m sorry for the way you were talked to please know that not everyone on here speaks for the GRAA.

  149. Sorry to hear……………………
    now I’m gonna kick your ass again.
    Nice work boys!

  150. Well we gave up on GRAA after traveling all over to have our son never play. Wait, unless the team was winning by a million points and it was the last 45 seconds. And we paid something like 200.00 to GRAA. The coaches played their kids and their kids friends. Guess what, our son wasn’t interested in playing after that and I couldn’t blame him. Personally, I don’t care for the mighty and powerful GRAA.The town was divided well before turf became an issue. I will vote against it.

  151. Well we gave up on GRAA after traveling all over to have our son never play. Wait, unless the team was winning by a million points and it was the last 45 seconds. And we paid something like 200.00 to GRAA. The coaches played their kids and their kids friends. Guess what, our son wasn’t interested in playing after that and I couldn’t blame him. Personally, I don’t care for the mighty and powerful GRAA.The town was divided well before turf became an issue. I will vote against it.

  152. I bet the pro-turf folks talk amongst themselves saying things like “I’m so PUMPED to get turf! YEAH! The only people who oppose turf are just pansy-assed parents of no-talent wannabes and freakin’ medical cases! Wusses like that should move to a wussy house on wuss street in wusstown!! GO TURF! OOO-RA!”

  153. A review:
    Glen Ridge Votes circulated petitions town wide. The petitions were for both ordinances. The council that now claims they had no idea there was resistance to turfing Hurrell seperated the original single ordinance into two seperate ordinances at the behest of the Mayor. Carl felt the strong opposition to turf by homeowners on Carteret park deserved to be heard. I believe he said something like he did’nt think turf should be forced on anyone. At that time the Council and Mayor were aware of the resistance to turf in general. Clearly they believe at least one field needs to be “improved” by the installation of turf. So when the opportunity presented itself to seperate turf from municipal repair, they chose not to. Why, many have asked. The answer is that they felt by including the turfing of Hurrell in the ‘municipal bond’ they could argue a huge tax increase would be necessary (mainly because of a matching fund grant) if the municipal bond went down. This was pure calculation designed to force voters to accept an all or nothing ultimatum. In other words to force voters to choose artifcial turf or higher taxes, the very thing the Mayor said should not be done to his immediate neighbors on Carteret Park.
    The big tax increase is only necessary, if in the wake of defeat, the Mayor and Council fail to act in good faith- again. The Mayor has stated repeatedly over the last several weeks that there is not enough time to enact an ordinance that does not included the ‘improvements’ to Hurrell field. In fact he has known all along that this is not true. When called on this point he has alternately stated that under the circumstances the Coucil could not enact a new ordinance because the council cannot be “certain” how the public would react to a smaller ordinance. Uncertainty didn’t stop them when they put the original bond proposal up for public commentary and one after another people stood up, wrote and testified against turf. It didn’t stop them when they were handed 1200 names on two petitions. And apparently it won’t stop them if the referendum fails. It appears it will prevent them from acting in the best interest of the community as a whole if the vote does not go their way.
    Glen Ridge Votes acted in the interest of voters and taxpayers by taking the only legally available path to include the voters in an extraordinary decision. The Council and Mayor, with numerous opportunities to choose a variety of alternatives have forced this issue. By manipulating facts, muddying the issues and stubbornly insisting on pursuing one path they have damaged their credabilty, hurt their cause, and cost the taxpayers unnecessary expense and time. They should not be rewarded for their miscalculations and less than candid behavior. Vote the ordinances down and hold the Mayor and Town Council accountable for their actions going forward.

  154. “The Council and Mayor, with numerous opportunities to choose a variety of alternatives have forced this issue. By manipulating facts, muddying the issues and stubbornly insisting on pursuing one path they have damaged their credabilty, hurt their cause, and cost the taxpayers unnecessary expense and time. They should not be rewarded for their miscalculations and less than candid behavior.”

  155. The arguments the Pro-turf folks are making are based on good, solid financials. Turfing the fields saves money flat out. The Glen Ridge Votes crowd are the divisive bullies trying to hide behind their emotional rhetoric.

  156. GRAA – you just DON’T get it. Nothing you say will make the larger percentagfe of the town WANT turf. YOU are a minority – face it. The town for the most part, particularly all the seniors DO NOT WANT IT. WE WILL VOTE NO. YOU want it YOU pay for it. Period the END….AMEN

  157. The turfing of these fields would never even have been an issue if it weren’t for some sneaky closed door meetings with the GRAA last summer.
    Why can’t we just repair the municipal buildings?

  160. The arguments the Pro-turf folks are making are based on good, solid financials. Turfing the fields saves money flat out. The Glen Ridge Votes crowd are the divisive bullies trying to hide behind their emotional rhetoric.
    Gee, let’s try that again, shall we?:
    The arguments the Pro-turf folks are making are based on good, solid financials so long as you ignore the ideas of (over)user fees, fundraisers or simply doing with less or without. Turfing the fields saves money flat out except if you count not turfing the fields and simply leaving them as they have been. The Glen Ridge Votes crowd are the divisive bullies trying to hide behind their emotional rhetoric because we know that the bullying jocks are the truthtellers who never pressure the wusses!.

  161. When did this whole turf thing pop into the picture. Who attended the meetings with the mayor and council – was it you Mr. M. or Bob – How sneaky, sneaky, sneaky that you were all able to get this ball rolling without making the townsfolk aware of what was going on. I am so happy that people came out and stood up to you all – GRAA, mayor and council included. Turfing was an issue that should NEVER have been discussed by only an elite few.
    Thank goodness for the school board and the excellent job they do. If our schools weren’t top rated our houses taxed at $25,000 a year would be worth nothing.

  162. Glen Ridge Votes lied to everyone especially our seniors by stating Voting no will lower your Taxes which is an outright Lie. It’s all there in Black and White. I hope the morons at Glen Ridge Votes apologize to those same people they lied to when their taxes go up more…As for the problems with Animal droppings on the Turf Fields, I would appreciate it if your Dogs didn’t crap on our Fields Turf or Grass. Thanks.

  163. ” I would appreciate it if your Dogs didn’t crap on our Fields Turf or Grass.”
    Ok. how bout on your head. Address pls.

  164. Hiding –
    Enough potty jock talk.
    You didn’t answer my question – who started this turf talk and when – that’s what the public should know.

  165. “The arguments the Pro-turf folks are making are based on good, solid financials. Turfing the fields saves money flat out. The Glen Ridge Votes crowd are the divisive bullies trying to hide behind their emotional rhetoric.”
    Fact: Turf will not save you money. The website analysis shows it. They’re including $32,000.00 for labor in maintenance of grass. Their mainenance figure for turf is only $6,000.00 a year — that includes water, cleaning materials, labor. But guess what!! There will be no reduction in personel! So the $32,000 isn’t going away –it’s being moved over into another column. Add the cost of the bond to the $32,000.00 labor that’s still somewhere else in the budget, and sodding every three years, (which is more than we’ve ever done in the past) is much less expensive.
    Another important fact: There is now enough support on the Council to enact a smaller bond ordinance if 1458 fails. Our mayor would have us believe otherwise, but he’s wrong. There are 4 council members who have admitted they would not seek to punish the voters with higher taxes if the bond fails.
    Finally: I was personally ambivalent toward the GRAA before this “debate” started. Bob Savatelli is a decent guy, and a good citizen. But after reading the current and past posts on this site – in particular those remarks by John Mulligan, Jim Grady, and who knows how many anonymous cowards: “guy in a tutu”, “To eric” and others, I’ve concluded that if this is representative of the GRAA, we should do away with the organization. These people are bullies, thugs, bigots, and not fit to be allowed around our children. I’d frankly rather be taxed to support a municipal recreation department than allow these primitives to continue controlling our sports program, and expose any more children to this kind of behavior.
    Vote NO on both bond ordinances: if just to send a message that we will not tolerate any influence by these people!

  167. “in particular those remarks by John Mulligan, Jim Grady, and who knows how many anonymous cowards…., I’ve concluded that if this is representative of the GRAA, we should do away with the organization.”
    If you go back and read earlier posts and then read the more recent ones, you will realize that they are in fact the same people. They just chose to hide so they could make ugly and derogatory comments about other hard working GR residents who don’t drink their Kool aid.
    The absolute balls on these people to demand turf and not do a bloody thing to raise money for it.
    The GRAA needs to be dismantled. Lets start at the top. We call for your resignation boys, get in line. Do the right thing. It’s time to go.

  168. “This whole “Glen Ridge Votes” thing stinks of a politically motivated attack, especially with the CCC comment by Kit, who never seems to mention that she and her husband are on the county committee and part of the county political machine. Since Bergmanson and Brewster are probably not running for re-election, my guess is that it is part of a plan to take over the town council and hook us into the county patronage machinery. I predict that they will be showing the true motivation for all of this very shortly (but after the vote, no doubt).
    But don’t worry, I’m sure the county political machine will be so much more concerned about us then our current unpaid and non-partisan mayor and council.”
    Notice that there has been no actual denial by Kit or Kelley.
    The Glen Ridge Votes people could care less about the safety of the kids using the fields. Look at who’s involved, you could not put together a more accurate list of people in town known for their hatred of athletes and athletics if you were trying to.
    This is all a nasty political attack on our independent mayor and council. A number of the people behind this are employees of the county or connected to the county machine. “Glen Ridge Votes” is asking to see the GRAA’s books, but we already know where the GRAA gets its money, from the the parents of the kids who join. The real qyestion should be “where is Glen Ridge Votes getting all their money?” The flyer that they just sent out (which is packed with misleading statements and a number of outright lies), was sent out FIRST CLASS MAIL – that doesn’t come cheap!
    Wake up people, the county machine hates that they only get 20% of our property tax dollar when they get so much additional graft from so many other towns in Essex.
    Kit and Kelley want to fix that for them (and take a healthy slice for themselves).
    Say no to graft, corruption and the county machine, and save yourself a fistful of cash.
    Yes on 1
    Yes on 2

  169. “The Glen Ridge Votes people could care less about the safety of the kids using the fields. You could not put together a more accurate list of people in town known for their hatred of athletes and athletics if you were trying to.”
    Resign Now!

  170. Kit,
    I find it incredible to read all that you wrote early today; and have finally realized that you are not even be partially sane. The work that the board and Mayor did was not only extensive, but right on the mark. So please stop with your ridicules banter and your incorrect writing.
    You also obviously do not even understand the GRAA programs that are going on in our town. As said over 1000 times before, OUR FIELDS CAN NOT HANDLE THE AMOUNT OF PLAYING TIME NEEDED to handle all the sport programs we are currently offering. Oh wait, I know what we can do, lets get rid of the girl sports, and then we will be able to take care of fields. NOT!
    You also do not seem to understand that every person involved with the GRAA donates their time, YES donates their time! They should all be congratulated, especially Jim Grady and John Mulligan. They are not only great men; they have dedicated a great deal of their time and efforts only to help our town sports programs.
    All that being said, hopefully all of this will be over soon and we will have new fields that will not only benefit our town financially, but will also allow us to raise our children on state of the art surfaces. And, then you will be able to crawl back up into that hole you came out of, and go back to smoking what ever it is you are smoking, and leave the rest of us alone.

  171. I play basketball.
    I want a sport court
    I WANT A SPORT COURT AND I WANT IT NOW.

  172. It’s too absurd a line of questioning that I should even bother to answer, but I will. I’ve never denied being a county committe person for the Democratic party. That has nothing to do with anything, and your trying to turn it into something betrays your total ignorance and complete lack of political expertise. I was, frankly misquoted on the CCC remark, but it is not worth trying to undo.
    Members of Glen Ridge Votes chipped in to pay for the mailing. Where’s the GRAA contributions for your mailing? Members of Glen Ridge Votes, who are Rebublicans, Democrats, Senior citizens, parents of athletes, volunteered to petition and distribute fliers. Where are the GRAA fliers? How many senior citizens are involved in the pro-turf movement?
    And why don’t any of you have the courage to write under your own name?
    And doesn’t it occur you you even a little that every time you post one of these hateful, semi-literate ravings, you set your own cause farther back?
    Do your cause a service, and stay away from the keyboard.

  173. ” Oh wait, I know what we can do, lets get rid of the girl sports, and then we will be able to take care of fields. NOT!”
    That’s just a stupid thing to say. You guys are just too much. How about getting rid of the soccer for all of the itsy bitsy kids. can’t you play in your own back yard with your friends and kick around a ball when you are little. Maybe if sports didn’t start during diaper training the field use could be cut back.

  174. Blah Blah,
    Don’t you know the GRAA is grooming these babes to be something that themselves never were. They dream about turf. They dream about their children getting recruited – then they wake up.

  176. As said over 1000 times before, OUR FIELDS CAN NOT HANDLE THE AMOUNT OF PLAYING TIME NEEDED to handle all the sport programs we are currently offering.
    So either offer less and stop ruining the fields or pay to make up for ruining the fields. Stop acting like you are doing the world a favor by ruining the fields and, especially, stop acting like the only answer is to soak EVERYBODY for your exclusive activities.

  177. Hey Kit
    I never once attacked you personally. But now that you have called me a “thug, bully, and bigot and not fit to be around children” the gloves are off. How dare you say that! You do not even know me. Someone has an opposing view and you start calling them names like a 6 year old. I would put my record of doing good things for GR up against yours any day.
    Vote yes on both!!

  178. Kit
    If all the GRAA officers resign maybe Kit would like to take over. Nah, that would never work because you would have to give your time and energy. The GRAA is an organization that HELPS and you are painting it as the bad guy because it disagrees with what you want. I think you are the bully.

  179. Screw it. The real solution is to just move Giants Stadium to Carteret Street. Your little Beckhams will be satisfied with that, no?
    To the post above, Mulligan calling Kit the bully = the pot calling the kettle black.

  181. Kit
    I have given your comments some thought, especially the one about Jim Grady and myself being bigots. I fully expect you to retract them and apologize to both of us. If you don’t I will have to consider other options. Civil discussion is called for, not name calling.
    John Mulligan

  182. Hey Mulligan,
    Your an idiot.
    Maybe we should reveal the “hiding” posts from you and Grady.
    Tis you two who started the name calling.
    Now turn the computer off and go watch the game or go to your room you child.

  183. The GRAA needs to be dismantled. Lets start at the top. We call for your resignation boys, get in line. Do the right thing. It’s time to go.
    Now there is a unique concept, let’s fire(no one gets paid, they are volunteers)or get them to resign. Then we can hire full time coaches and recreation directors. The first thing you will hear from those profesionals you just hired(ps.increased your taxes again) is that they cannot jepordize the kids safety by having them play on inadquate fields. Then they will request new fields and you will pay for them, just as you pay for new curbs.
    I applaude the fund raising for the adutorium and have supported the effort however I must point out that the building was there and paid for by the people of GR, for the people. I will work with the people of GRAA to fund raise to maintain a turf field, but first it must be built.
    There is a basic infrastructure that has to be provided by any community, including municipal offices and a library. Included are public safety (police & fire) and it is just as essential to a provide recreational facilities that are safe and useable.
    Voting NO (just because of taxes)is a very selfish way of saying I do not care about the future. Municipal debt is not a bad thing (The last time we issued bonds in GR was to errect the very same building we are looking to repair) It is my understanding that those thirty year bonds were paid off in 12 years. I find it almost comical that the Mayor who issued the bonds was hiz honor Mayor Hurrell. Some fifty years later, thirty five years since our last bond payment we cannot clean up the facility named for him. I bet he would have loved it if the internet was available back in the day, so all could have lambasted him for building the municpal building.
    I think it is time for all to look in the mirror and Thank all of the people of GR who do perform acts of civil service, the town council members, the mayor, and all of the rest of the volunteers (especially GRAA), that give towards building a better GR. These people always seem to be the givers and they are constantly challenged by the takers. I suggets that you look to your town council members for their reccomendation, they live here too!
    PS. Yes I volunteer my time in the GRAA, and yes I am for better fields, a better library, a better municipal complex and just about anything that will help to support a better community for all from age 8 to 80.

  184. Most people want to help make Glen Ridge a better community; we just disagree on how this should be done. Members of Glen Ridge Votes serve their community on Borough Council, on the Planning Board, on the Mayor’s Advisory Council, on CCC, on Friends of the Library, on Historic Preservation Commission, and yes, on the GRAA, as well as other community organizations. Being opposed to artificial turf is not the same as being selfish. For some of us it has little to do with taxes, and more to do with our environment. For others, it is fiscal. There are many reasons to oppose turf, as well as support it. While Tuesday’s election will determine what happens in the immediate furture, the debate will not be over. The dialogue should continue, hopefully in a more civilized format than has occured on this site.

  185. Although I have lived in this town since 1985, I have never identified with this town… I always suspect that it is not for me. What I have read here is pretty much what goes for being an adult here. I would love for this to be published in the Star Ledger and or NJ Monthly… who would want to move here? Who??
    But I must comment on this bit of wisdom:
    “The Glen Ridge Votes people could care less about the safety of the kids using the fields. You could not put together a more accurate list of people in town known for their hatred of athletes and athletics if you were trying to.”
    The big picture. The UN just released a fairly substantial report about the state of our planet… I assure you that it is of more consequence to the future of your children than whether they have turf. And having turf may just be a worse choice for them for so many reasons that it is not worth it to start.
    But just to let remind you…
    These fields are used by many people for many purposes. There are many ways to make these fields safe besides turf.. If indeed they are unsafe.

  186. The GRAA is a great volunteer organization that runs many rec and travel sports teams for all the kids in Glen Ridge.
    Jim Grady and John Mulligan and many dozens of others have volunteered many hours to provide safe, fun activities for my kids and others.
    However, I think that bond issue will be voted down, because we haven’t had any private fund raising for these fields. I’ll vote for it, but there aren’t enough supporters out there.

  187. Received my flyer from the town on Sunday.
    UNFORTUNATELY when they mention that your savings will be $330 and $30 next year on both bonds, they NEVER mention that these are TWENTY YEAR BONDS!!!!!
    That is the key issue here. The chart on the back shows savings with the bonds passing for ONLY the next five years. BUT LOOK LOOK LOOK CLOSER BEFORE YOU VOTE – Multiply $270 x the next 14 years – that’s another $3780 out of the average homeowners pocket! THIS INFORMATION WAS VERY MISLEADING. It only gives you 6 year statistics on TWENTY YEAR BONDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  188. It seems that the GRAA has become somewhat of a lightning rod for field turf opposition. I realize that there are several events that the GRAA sponsors on the fields each year, but there is quite a difference between 8 – 13 year olds running around then high school age athletes practicing and playing games on the same fields. I am not suggesting that either is at fault. Quite the contrary, this is known as growth and progress. We are a small town with limited resources. We do not have the luxury of space and must deal with an ever growing population. Field turf helps with that problem. We as a town will be able to offer more playing fields to meet the demand that a growing community needs. This town now has a premier lacrosse program, both at the youth and high school level. A program, that wasn’t in existence, 10 years ago. This is something to be proud of, not to find fault from. Because of its success and popularity we are seeing and influx of participation. This town has very limited playing fields (Hurrell, Carteret and Forrest Ave.) and we have to maximize their use. Field turf fills that need. Field turf is not a luxury. It is a necessity in order to maintain a vibrant fruitful society. I understand that if regular grass was an option I might feel differently. But grass in not an option. Closing the fields down for 2 years for sod to take, is not in the realm of possibility.

  189. Yes, Mary Mac, it will probably be voted down, simply because of what you’ve stated. The GRAA has done NOTHING to raise any funds. They’ve shown no initiative to contribute to the cause. Perhaps if they didn’t think everything was just going to be handed to them the townspeople would be more willing to help by supporting fundraisers and giving private contributions – I for one would contribute if approached rather than pay for the next 20 years.
    Verona voted Turf down last week – I’m hoping GR follows their lead.

  190. It will be a shame if it does get Voted down. Lots of hard work was put in by the Mayor and Council. The Town needs improvements and this was the most cost effective way. If it goes down taxes will go up.

  191. “I will work with the people of GRAA to fund raise….”
    -Too little Too late ! You and the GRAA dropped the ball.
    “We are a small town with limited resources.”
    -Couldn’t have said it any better. Private donations and fundraisers.
    “Field turf is not a luxury. It is a necessity in order to maintain a vibrant fruitful society.”
    -The march of the fruitLOOPS.
    Most of the people in this town would have given (donated) a $1000 bucks to turf the fields given the prospect of a tax increase. At least a donation can be deducted.
    The point is the council did this in the dead of night and lumped needed infrastructure improvements with unneeded and unwanted turf.
    The council and the GRAA will be responsible for this debacle when both bonds fail. Time and money have been wasted which is a shame. But what is truly as shame have been the attacks from the pro turf crowd.
    You people should be ashamed of your selves. Your words and actions have sent a terrible message to our kids. The example you pro turfers have sent will hurt the kids far more than any twisted ankle on the athletic field.
    Greed and entitlement are not lofty goals for the kids. We already have enough of those people around here.

  192. According to the Star Ledger (1/24/7)… the average cost to the Verona homeowner was going to be about $39 a year for the field’s projected lifespan of a decade.

  193. Be ashamed for Volunteering countless hours to the Town, Maintaining unmaintainable Fields for hours and hours so another game won’t be cancelled. What do you do to help?
    “Dead of the Night” your kidding right? Unneeded Turf? What would you like, mud, rocks? Unwanted by whom? We’ll see…

  196. Band should be for Tuuf also, they help kill the Fields, and I have seen them fall in the holes in the field.

  198. Turf is not the only option, nor should it be stated that way. Certainly Lacrosse, which is one of the driving factors here, should not be directing the town’s resources.
    I’m sorry, Coach Mulligan, but competitive athletics are not the only way in which we build a community. It is great that we have a quality program in the sport, but a grass field, even one that is not resodded every year, serves more purposes: in particular, the production of oxygen and it also helps to keep the town cool. Were we to install turf, the homes surrounding Carteret and Hurrell would have to deal with the increase in temperature during the sumer months. Plus isn’t nice to walk on the dirt/ grass?
    I hope that we follow Verona’s lead.

  199. We are a small town with limited resources. We do not have the luxury of space and must deal with an ever growing population.
    Why doesn’t GR exercise its powers of eminent domain to sieze 4 or 4 fields’ worth of land from the GR country club? There — an easy solution that would help avoid PLASTIC grass.

  201. Plus isn’t nice to walk on the dirt/ grass?
    When do you get to do this? Isn’t it occupied all the time by team sports? Sure seems that way…

  202. Fellow Resident. I agree grass is nice to walk on unfortunetly our Playing Fields have little or no Grass on them. La Crosse and Soccer programs have really grown in the past 10 years and our Fields have really taken a beating, unfortunetly Field Turf which really isn’t bad on the feet is the only solution.

  203. Sitting, there will be lots of times the Fields will be available once the Field Turf is installed because we won’t have to close them 3 months every year for sodding.

  204. Does anyone have any idea if the absentee votes been counted yet? Barista better add another server for tomorrow. I am sure there is going to be plenty of exit poll updates… I’m thinking a special forum of “Glen Ridge Votes” should be setup. Less than 15 hours before the polls open…

  205. Then I shall walk on dirt. To continue to claim that artificial turf is the only solution is ridiculous. I’ll be happy to pay an exra $300 or so a year to keep grass. (and I certainly can’t afford, in fact I can hardly afford to live here now!)
    I want the best for our children, my own included. In this case the best is to keep grass.

  206. So if we Sod every year, the field is closed 3 months and still the grass goes away then it’s a waste of money right? Do you also think we should cut programs?

  207. all you “grass is nicer” people are crazy. Don’t you realize that vinyl siding is better than wood, margarine is better than butter, Zima is better than wine and turf is better than grass?

  208. We don’t resod every year. When was the last time? And our sports programs have to deal with their resources. I.e. limited space. The entire town uses the fields, like the bunch of guys playing football on Hurrell sunday. Would the GRAA be happy about that on their turf field?

  209. Is there anything you anti-turf nuts won’t lie about?
    The Bonds for the turf are 10 years, not twenty.
    And the council passed this bill at a regular council meeting after months and months of public hearings, how does that become in the middle of the night?
    You know you can’t win this on the merits, so you lie and slander and hope that will work for you.
    People in town should vote yes on both question, if for no other reason then to send the message that tactics like that should not be rewarded.

  210. They won’t be and aren’t GRAA fields. They will not be locked and the public will be able to use them, and they won’t be closed 3-4 months a year. Vote Yes to both Bonds,” Try it you’ll like it” Field Turf

  211. We don’t sod every year, no but we will if the Bonds go down see thats what you need to understand the Bonds will save money because we don’t have to sod, or line or put down dangerous chemicals oh yea and the fields will not be closed 3 months every year. Vote Yes

  212. The turf itself is a dangerous chemical, as will the cleaning products used to maintain the turf.

  213. If I see anymore posts about the GR turf issue, I’m gonna hurl.
    Somebody will win (or has won), and somebody will lose (or has lost). Losers, get over it.

  215. Don’t know why you wastin time back here.
    There is a new page near the top about the GR school Band raising money for their organization by having a pancake breakfast. These bonds is DOA. Lets help those who ask for our help.
    Not those who wish you and your family ill will.
    These guys are lazy slackers who want to soak you. The turf and the bonds will COST YOU PLENTY OF MONEY, FOR YEARS TO COME. NOT TOO MENTION THE FIELDS WILL BE PADLOCKED AND ONLY OPENED WHEN THE SLUGS FROM GRAA COME TO PLAY.
    All they think or care about is
    WE WANT TURF AND WE WANT IT NOW !

  216. Mike DePhillips:
    “I applaude the fund raising for the adutorium and have supported the effort however I must point out that the building was there and paid for by the people of GR, for the people. I will work with the people of GRAA to fund raise to maintain a turf field, but first it must be built”
    Yes the building was there and paid for by the people of GR, for the people. Carteret Park, and Hurrell Field are also there, paid for by the people for the people.
    The fields are already BUILT! you want to make them better, just like some poeple wanted to improve the auditorium. It’s the same thing!!!! Only there was no bond, or tax dollars used for the auditorium, something that EVERYONE uses, and actually belongs to the schools!

  217. Dear Sucking Sound,
    Fields will never be locked the will be open 24/ 7 /12 for everone’s use, lazy slackers that volunteer their time free to the town and work tirelessly to keep the hopeless current fields somewhat playable. What have you done.. Vote yes so our taxes will go up less.. Thats right your taxes will be lower with Turf and with both Bonds.

  218. I will bring my dogs to poop on your turf.
    I’ll pick it up to be within the law but they will poop there .
    They are large and have lots of pooping to do.

  219. As long as you clean it up, believe me we have had to take pleanty of poop off the Dirt non Grass fields before games. Enjoy

  222. where are you located?
    I’ll bring them to your house to show them off.
    They’ll poop on your lawn for free and then frisk around.
    You’ll love it!

  224. I’m not Mad. As a matter of fact I’m very happy that the turf is coming.
    Poop is a fact of life.
    We would be glad to come and fertilize your lawn.
    My dogs have an affinity for pooping on turf.
    They love to do that doggie drag your butt thing on the turf and then sniff it.
    We look forward to scooting and sniffing your turf.

  225. Crazy Pooper
    I think Brookdale Park is the place for you they have a Beautiful Grass park and Field Turf your Pooches can have the best of both worlds

  226. sorry brookdale is passe.
    we’ve done it.
    These guys need NEW turf and Glen Ridge will be the place.
    Hopefully Montclair will turf soon and we’ll have other new places to go (hahaha)

  227. All this talk about poop and turf reminds me of an AGONIZINGLY long story… thousands of years ago the ice had made the globe inhabitable. Early man did not know where Glen Ridge was. How could he? He was born before geography existed. So he carved and placed his home right here right here on Carvaret Field, which would later be referred to as Carteret Field. Because human minds are small. And can’t process the letter V. Long before his people unionized, early man dug a drinking reservoir with his feel and covered it with mats of his own underarm hair to prevent leakage. This “artificial turf” helped stabilize the area that became known as the foot/bowl field. Now known as football field. Because Glen Ridge became slow. And somewhat limited in its vocabulary.

  228. ‘m not finished. You should have gotten a snack. A war-like race of elves from the Red Planet landed on the ice-encased Earth and they were immediately enslaved by the unevolved early man to make his confused toys using galactic elfin technology. Toys were made into recognizable shapes and given names like “ball,” but these toys were also thrown at predators and defecated upon because they were so stupid. Glen Ridge still sucked, in a big way.

  230. Good question. It reminds me of a PAINFULLY long story… Thousands of years ago, before the dawn of man as we knew him… there was Sir Glen of Ridge: an ape-like creature playing crude and pointless games with dino-bones and his own waste, hurling them at chimp-like creatures with crinkled hands regardless where they lived. These so-called “atheletes” were buried as witches and defecated upon and hurled at predators who were awoken by the searing grunts of children. It wasn’t a gaslit little hamlet that year; for many were killed!

  232. That is good, because that reminds me of an EXCRUCIATINGLY long story… In the year 9595, one thousand years before Sigourney Weaver, turf and tacos were banned… and I think we all know why….. anti-tacoturf legislation! The legislators wrote their laws with the blood of small egrets and these laws were then defecated upon and thrown from their Mountain Lair. Later known as Montclair. Which still looks down on Glen Ridge today. And still defecates heavily. These laws were eaten by small animals and later defacated back into the foot/bowl making it uninhabitable by the turkey warlords, who along with space chickens from the third nebula, enslaved the elves and early man by forcing them to do community theater productions naked and smeared with feces. They performed for scraps of feral animal meat and delivered nonsensical one-acts that earned them great scorn among their peers, who chose to eat dirt instead. These plays later became the basis for the great revolution, when the turkeys were walked about as pets, and the chickens defecated upon the pathways and roundabouts, where the children would sled through on animal bones and dried out husks of mammoth testes. But this was in the before time, which was much more stupid that the final reckoning in which the people were given names like “doctor,” “lawyer” and “hack journalist” and required to sit upon their hands and hurl insults across great distances until it induced tears and urine from the opponent. This fluid exchange marked the passage into adulthood, when the youngest children could go unchained from the basement. But you would not know that. For your “books” were written long after and all memory is seared into the earthen waste piled beneath the land of which you speak. This is why we laugh as you talk of defecation, as your land was the subject of much defecation that was necessary for social interaction.

  233. where was the story in all that?
    Tell us about the Manager of the Montclair Lair.
    The arrogant Joseph of Hartnett.
    The proud warrior Ted the Mattox.
    The slovenly mayor, Ed of Remsen.
    And the taxes- oh the taxes- the burdensom taxes and reval that all toiled under.

  235. today is voting day and it is cold outside- how many people are eligible to vte in Glen Ridge? and how many total votes will be cast?

  237. Who ever voted No for field turf, u aren’t the brightest people in glen ridge. Yes the field turf will cost a lot of money so we can put it on hurrel, but it will benifit more in the future, you wouldnt have to spend money on fixing the field every year. Field turf will last 10 to 15 yrs before fixing it, and plus we could rent the field out to ashleys or who ever and get money from that so field turf will bring more money in then we will pay. People are now going to pay more because the town has to pay the people to fix it up and reseed everything because you voted no for field turf. Its not only about the money its about the kids safty. there are sprinkler heads sticking up out of the ground. Not only that there are holes in the ground and kids can twist or brake their ankle on them, theirs glass on the field too and other things that can hurt a kid who plays on the fields. Field turf will take away all of that, so there isnt a great risk of getting hurt on them, the only thing you can get is a rug burn, and if your going to complain about that then grow up because they only hurt for a day not even. I’d rather have a rug burn then a twisted ankle or broken bone. About the sprinklers heads and how they r sticking up if a player on the other team trips or falls over or on it and breaks something then they can sue the town because the field wasn’t taken care of and because of being sued the town will pay for it and lose money and then probably raise taxes to get it back. Yes the fields don’t look nice I been on them the field turf will make it look so much better and make the town look nice. For all those people who complain about like that they cant turf carteret because it their back yard well they arent smart because it isnt their backyard its a public park so they can decided what should happen with that park. So to wrap this all up field truf would have been the best choice for this town but people are retarded and don’t realize because they r stubbern rich people who probably got picked on in high school by Athletes and are just taking it out on kids now. And for not supporting these kids because they are “dumb jock” they are wrong because about 90 percent of the students in GRHS play sports and a lot I do know are very inteligent people and got into very good colleges or get very good grades so the kids now aren’t dumb jocks anymore they are Athletes..

  238. Who ever voted No for field turf, u aren’t the brightest people in glen ridge. Yes the field turf will cost a lot of money so we can put it on hurrel, but it will benifit more in the future, you wouldnt have to spend money on fixing the field every year. Field turf will last 10 to 15 yrs before fixing it, and plus we could rent the field out to ashleys or who ever and get money from that so field turf will bring more money in then we will pay. People are now going to pay more because the town has to pay the people to fix it up and reseed everything because you voted no for field turf. Its not only about the money its about the kids safty. there are sprinkler heads sticking up out of the ground. Not only that there are holes in the ground and kids can twist or brake their ankle on them, theirs glass on the field too and other things that can hurt a kid who plays on the fields. Field turf will take away all of that, so there isnt a great risk of getting hurt on them, the only thing you can get is a rug burn, and if your going to complain about that then grow up because they only hurt for a day not even. I’d rather have a rug burn then a twisted ankle or broken bone. About the sprinklers heads and how they r sticking up if a player on the other team trips or falls over or on it and breaks something then they can sue the town because the field wasn’t taken care of and because of being sued the town will pay for it and lose money and then probably raise taxes to get it back. Yes the fields don’t look nice I been on them the field turf will make it look so much better and make the town look nice. For all those people who complain about like that they cant turf carteret because it their back yard well they arent smart because it isnt their backyard its a public park so they can decided what should happen with that park. So to wrap this all up field truf would have been the best choice for this town but people are retarded and don’t realize because they r stubbern rich people who probably got picked on in high school by Athletes and are just taking it out on kids now. And for not supporting these kids because they are “dumb jock” they are wrong because about 90 percent of the students in GRHS play sports and a lot I do know are very inteligent people and got into very good colleges or get very good grades so the kids now aren’t dumb jocks anymore they are Athletes..

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