October 5, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 21 Ridgewood Notes Final tax bills in the mail The Ridgewood Tax Collector has completed mailing the final 2011/preliminary 2012 tax bills. Payments are due Nov. 1, 2011, Feb. 1, 2012, and May 1, 2012. Taxpayers who have not received a bill should contact the tax collector’s office at (201) 670-5500, extension 511. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.ridgewoodnj. net. Artists exhibit self-portraits The Ridgewood Art Institute is sponsoring its first “Art of the Self- Portrait” exhibit during the month of October. Paintings will be for sale, and portraits may be commissioned by the artists. The institute is located at 12 East Glen Avenue. For more information, call (201) 652-9615 or visit www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org. Society Café Concert Series begins The Society Café Concert Series will offer a new program of acoustic singer, songwriter, folk, and Americana concerts to the community beginning Saturday, Oct. 15 in Anderson Hall at the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood. The first concert will feature blues roots rock artist Kirsten Thien with special guest Galia Arad. Dessert will be served at 7 p.m. The concert will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and may be reserved by visiting www. societycafeconcertseries.com. Tickets may be paid for at the door. For booking inquiries or more information, contact Mark Meding at m.meding@att.net. The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood is located at 113 Cottage Place. Rummage Sale set Ridgewood United Methodist Church will hold a Rummage Sale on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 9 a.m. at the church located at 100 Dayton Street. To schedule a pickup for donations to the sale, call (201) 652-2868. Sunday worship services and Sunday school begin at 9:45 a.m. Bible study is available on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. All are invited. For more information, visit www. ridgewoodumc.net. PBA hosts Charity Dinner The Ridgewood PBA Local #20 will host an Oct. 13 dinner to benefit Haley Tyrrell and her family. The event will be held at The Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale at 6 p.m. Tyrrell, a student at Ben Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, is battling a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. She is undergoing many treatments and medical procedures, and has had to have her right leg amputated. The fundraiser will help the family pay for prosthetics, since medical insurance does not cover the cost of the advanced prosthetics this growing girl will need for the rest of her life. Tickets are $75 and include a cocktail hour, dinner, and a premium open bar. The event will feature door prizes, a cash prize contest, and more. Entertainment will be provided by local band Hawk, which includes members of Ridgewood’s “Dad’s Night Band.” To purchase tickets, stop by the front desk of the police department at 131 North Maple Avenue, e-mail ridgewoodpba@gmail.com, or call (201) 638-2946. Table sponsorships are available for $250. The PBA is accepting door prize and monetary donations. Kuhn exhibits at Stable Art Gallery Marianne Valenti Kuhn will exhibit her “American Landscape” painting throughout the month of October at the Stable Art Gallery at 259 North Maple Avenue. Kuhn’s purpose is to create an appreciation of the beauty of nature on canvas, using color, tone, and composition. Her goal is to achieve a simplification and sense of place rather than an exact copy of the scene. Her most important considerations are atmosphere and dramatic flow of light. Capturing those elements with consistency is the core of her artistic approach. Kuhn’s work has received awards from juried shows. She is affiliated with The Ridgewood Art Institute, The Hudson Valley Art Association, and The American Artists Professional League. An Artist Reception will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. All are welcome to attend. The Stable Gallery is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. For further information, call (201) 670-5560. Newcomers set Progressive Dinner The Ridgewood Newcomers will hold the group’s annual Progressive Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 7 p.m. to midnight. The evening will begin with cocktails and appetizers, then progress to another member’s home for a catered dinner, after which the large group gathers to cap off the night with dessert. The cost is $95 per couple and includes cocktails, appetizers, dinner, and dessert. RSVP to lmkstephens@gmail. com by Oct. 5. To join the newcomers, e-mail anne_ mcdonnell@yahoo.com. Blessing of the Animals offered Christ Episcopal Church will celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis with a Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. All are invited to bring their pets: dogs, cats, rabbits, goldfish, or stuffed animals -- any beloved “creature” who shares their home. A short service celebrating all animals will be followed by individual blessings of each animal. Some orphaned animals from the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge Inc. who are eligible for adoption will also be present. Attendees are asked to consider bringing a nonperishable donation for RBARI. The service will be at the outside altar, by the entrance to the Nursery School on Franklin Avenue. In the event of rain, the service will take place inside the church. Refreshments will be provided. ‘Green Kids’ workshops set Ridgewood Parks and Recreation and volunteers of the Women Gardeners of Ridgewood are offering an opportunity for village youth in grades three through five to experience the value and importance of nature through education and the creation of hands-on projects during several upcoming workshops. On Thursday, Nov. 10, children will participate in a community service project of making trivets from natural materials for Meals on Wheels. Participants will also make Thanksgiving wreaths from grapevines, grasses, twigs, leaves, pods, and seeds. Children will learn the process of bulb forcing and forcing blooms indoors. A member of the North East New Jersey Beekeepers Association will explain the importance of pollination for fruits, vegetables, and flowers on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. On Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, the Lorrimer Sanctuary Director Patrick Scheuer will lead an outdoor trek and explain how birds, mammals, insects, and plants survive the winter. On April 10, the group will learn how to compost with worms, create “nesting bags” for birds, and transplant seedlings in the garden. All workshops meet from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue. The cost is $60 per child for all four workshops and includes all materials. Register online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass or in person or by mail at The Stable. Registration forms are on the recreation homepage at www.ridgewoodnj. net. Call the recreation office at (201) 670-5560 for details. Ridgewood High Class of 1991 reunion set The Ridgewood High School Class of 1991 will celebrate its 20th reunion on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Ridgewood Woman’s Club, 215 West Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood from 7 to 11 p.m. The evening will include beer, wine, and a variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. Tickets to the reunion are $90 per person and must be purchased in advance. Guests are welcome, but due to space and other restrictions, anyone under the age of 21 will not be permitted at this event. To purchase tickets, register online at http://rhs1991.com. Overnight accommodations are available at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Paramus at a special rate of $99 per night. The rooms are blocked for both Friday and Saturday night. For reservations, call (201) 262-6900 or visit www.crowneplaza.com/paramus. Middle East (continued from page 4) Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain, have given him some perspective on the Arab world view. Schnaittacher holds master’s degrees in Chinese studies, political science, and business administration from the University of Pennsylvania and University of California, Berkeley. Located at 475 Grove Street in Ridgewood, Temple Israel and JCC is an egalitarian Conservative synagogue with members from over a dozen Bergen County communities. Weekly Shabbat services are held on Fridays at 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m. During the week, minyan takes place on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday nights at 7:45 p.m. For more information, call (201) 444-9320, email office@synagogue.org, or visit www.synagogue.org.