Week in Review: Pink Slime, Principals Move On, Candidate Debates

Education news dominated the headlines this week, with major budget movement, principals departing and (potentially) arriving, lunch meat controversies, and entitlements for superintendents.

A Ridgewood resident with kids in the district, Tom Gorman seems poised to take over as principal of Ridgewood High School. Gorman currently serves as principal of Westwood Jr./Sr. High School.

Andrew Matteo too will be making a homecoming career move, saying goodbye to Central Elementary School for Dater Elementary in Ramsey, the school he attended decades ago.

Glen Rock Schools announced this week that its school lunches contain no 'pink slime,' an ammonia-laced meat filling in ground beef. The meat is deemed safe for consumption but its presence in most ground beef has alarmed citizens nationwide.

Some kids likely set some brush on fire behind Panico's Salon Friday night. There were no injuries. Firefighters later responded to a kitchen fire at Puzo's, where one man refused medical attention.

School board candidates Jim Morgan, Bob Hutton, Gina Damasco and Vince Loncto all discussed budgets, teacher quality, technology and other issues at the League of Women Voters Candidate Night on Thursday. Full recap.

Identical twins Jamie and Jenn Dunn say they're going to jumpstart the beleaguered CBD with their chic, newly-opened "Moxie Salon". The 'makeover twins' may have a reality show coming to Ridgewood in the near future.

Council candidate Jane Shinozuka said special interest groups won't have any sway over her opinions if she's elected to the council. She spoke to Patch at length over some of Ridgewood's hottest topics.

Jen Marchetti's "Goosie Cards," educational flashcards, are in the running for a Wal-Mart contest to make it on the shelves of the world's largest retailer. Voting ends on April 3.

The Board of Education says it's a lean, mean budget that if cut any further would likely lead to pink slips and sliced programs/extracurriculars. Some residents, naturally, say taxes are too high and we need to find a way to reduce the burden.

Glen Rock's retiring chief of schools, David Verducci, will receive a $115,000 payout in the form of additional vacation, sick time and negotiated salary. Verducci is retiring in July and has two years remaining on his contract.