Fields Destroyed, Big Projected Bill for Village Hall Cleanup This Week

Hurricane Irene's much-anticipated arrival did not disappoint in Ridgewood, forcing evacuations, shutting down power and ultimately, leaving Ridgewood with a cleanup cost totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Village Hall's damage alone could approach $200,000 though one source in the village told Patch he believed it could be far more than that, even.

Although the costs are currently not yet publicly known, damage to the high school fields could be just as high, if not higher. Already smashed up over the spring, RHS Stadium Field had at least one significant rip in its turf after it was rendered a lake on Sunday.

If you were on vacation or just haven't checked in lately, catch up with all that happened in Ridgewood this past week.

1) From the moment the storm dumped huge amounts of rain on Saturday, we were there LiveTweeting, LiveBlogging, LiveWriting (made the last one up, but we wrote lots of articles, too). You can read up on a thorough account right . It takes you through the preparation down to the last moments of the cleanup.

2) Village Hall's first floor will need a massive cleanup effort; the . The three-foot-tall barriers the village put up at Village Hall were no match for the four-plus feet of water that rushed through the first floor. A contractor has ripped out the sheet rock already (mold had developed), and the village council is expected to pass an emergency appropriation next week. There could be FEMA money coming the council's way, too.

3) There's significant damage to the two high school fields (which were something of an apex for flooding on Sunday), including . At this point, what the cleanup costs are have not been disclosed, but could easily hit six figures. Depending on the rip to the turf, it may need to be taken out entirely. As a result of the closures to Stadium and Stevens fields, . Meet your athletic neighbors, Kenilworth, Somerville, Willard and Travell. If the council says yes, Hawes will also have sport practices there. We'll find out much more sometime next week.

4) On Monday, a woman crossing the street in front of Valley Hospital with her son was . Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward took the lead on scene, providing medical attention to the victim. A citation was issued to the driver of the vehicle.

5) A in his attempt on Saturday morning. A man fitting his description robbed another bank in Garfield less than an hour later. Both Ridgewood and Garfield police departments are investigating the cases, with the FBI assisting.

6) The storm-shanked  further down the county park, but will be shuttered until the new park is built, sometime in winter.

7) Hurricane Irene also brought soup, if you haven't heard. That's right, has "Hurricane Irene" soup thanks to new owner Joan Day. Day, of Westwood, is bringing a mix of charm and great specials to make The Library Cafe a dining destination and not just a stop-through.