This and That: Changes at Ridgewood Coffee Company; Resident Says Mayor Showed 'Real Leadership'

We don't necessarily operate on The Times' mantra of "All the News That's Fit to Print" because, well, we don't have such constraints with our model. So with that thought in mind, check out a few items that haven't quite made it onto the page but you should definitely know about. If you have a submission you think is worthy of This and That, shoot me an e-mail at James.Kleimann@patch.com.

New cup of Joe

is under new ownership. Rich Wieczorek and family had owned the village's top coffee shop for a few years but said goodbye on Monday when the transfer became official. There aren't many immediate changes patrons will notice but Wi-Fi will be working shortly and the coffee shop will be closing for a few weeks within a few months to renovate. Wieczorek's extensive record collection is regretfully gone.

In the near future, expect the wall behind the baristas to be knocked down and the setup reoriented. Also, there will be some hot-food-hot items like paninis down the road. Still, if you're a coffee purist, you'll still be treated to what many consider to be the best coffee in the village. That's a lack of change we as bean drinkers can all get behind.

The Wieczorek family left a message on Facebook thanking patrons. "The Wieczorek's, Debra, Rich[,] Joe and Lori wish to thank all the great customers for the support over the last 2 years. We will miss you all. Thank you. Good luck to the new owners. Make sure you all support this great shop going forward."

Resident says Mayor showing 'great leadership' by responding to pedestrian strikes

*Resident Boyd Loving took the time at Wednesday night's council meeting to commend Mayor Keith Killion for "showing leadership" on pedestrian safety, as well as the council and Citizen's Safety Committee.

"Mr. Mayor, I also want to personally thank you because I know you have started responding to the scene of some of these incidences to try to get a better insight in terms of what is happening. I think that shows great leadership. I think when the police see you there they shape up a bit more."

Loving also said that regarding the incident at Walton and South Maple, , he was surprised to find that a driver was issued a citation for failing to yield to a pedestrian although the pedestrian did not cross in the crosswalk (there is no crosswalk near the intersection). It turns out, Loving said, as long as you're crossing a street with an intersection, the vehicle is required to stop even if there is no crosswalk.

The council fixture concurred with Deputy Mayor Tom Riche as saying police enforcement efforts in preventing pedestrian strikes "must not be forgotten." The enforcement, he said, seems to be "the only thing that's forcing [vehicles] to slow down, stop and let people cross the crosswalks safely." He said Ridgewood still shows a marked contrast to the driving in Hoboken, where cars don't slow down or even stop, but, he said, "actually speed up."

"So it is a pleasure to be in Ridgewood where people seem to get it," he said.

School Board Reorganizing, to decide new setup on important committees Monday

*The Ridgewood Board of Education will be reorganizing on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. with a slightly new look . Michele Lenhard's term as Board President may be up (but of course they could reappoint her for another year) and the board will have to figure out what to do with the committees Laurie Goodman was on before Krauss won the election last week.

Goodman was most prominently the liaison to the Fields Committee and was on the Negotiating Team, which has been working on a new contract with teachers. If you've been following education in town and the highly charged fields use issue, you know these are very important committees. We'll bring you the scoop after Monday's meeting.

Bus-ted? School bus pulled over last week

*We saw this strange sight last week. A school bus–without any kids onboard–was pulled over by a Ridgewood police officer on S. Broad Street. Patch had been grabbing a quick crepe at Sook when the busy drove past, heading south. A followup with police said there was no report of a summons issued. (See the video on the right.)

Double parking can lead to double danger

*Another thing we noticed on Broad Street last week (this time North Broad, in front of the Ridgewood Cycle Shop) was a large truck double-parked for about ten minutes. This infraction, which apparently went unticketed, forced drivers heading toward Franklin to veer into the oncoming lane to avoid the truck. Luckily, no one was injured. (See the photo on the right.)

Mother's Day Walk at Grove Park

*We got an e-mail from Ellie Gruber about a Mother's Day Walk on Sunday. The message is as follows:

"All residents and friends are invited to take a walk in Grove Park, the largest open space in Ridgewood this Sunday, May 8, at 11 a.m. It is Mother's Day, and a good day to spend an hour with the family, or with friends, or just by yourself. All ages are welcome! Grove Park is a 32 acre natural wooded open space that has been preserved to give us an opportunity to enjoy a quiet and peaceful vista. It is located on the right hand side of Grove Street, shortly before the intersection of Paramus Road. It borders the Saddle River. The only way to preserve open spaces is to get to know our open spaces!

Most residents pass by this unique space without even realizing it is there. The walk will be led by Andy Antista, President of Wildscape, and Dr. Mike Sebitich, Professor of biology at Wm. Paterson University, who will identify plants, trees and other sights at the Park. Please bring binoculars, if you have them, to view migrating and resident birds; and also a small bag to carry out any trash/recyclables we may find. We will meet at the wooden sign "Grove Park" at 11 a.m. If you are driving, best to park on Berkshire Road. Hope to see you there! www.ridgewoodwildscape.org