Week in Review: Flooded Fields Hit Taxpayers, Developer Threatens Neighbors

With long-awaited movement on critical ordinances that could change the fate of the village and updates on the cost of flooding, it was quite a week. Beyond that, this week also featured neighbors fighting back against threats of a developer off Walthery Avenue, and village students tended to earthquake victims on the other side of the world. See our top seven stories.

1) Clearly the top story this week is how village and school officials are working to fix up the ravaged fields. The numbers for cleanup are in and , which includes treatment for possible contaminates released by a sewage treatment facility. The school-owned fields should be open by the end of the weekend, officials said.

2) The planning board heard the closing arguments on a . Attorney Charles Collins, representing developer Robert Jennee, threatened neighbors that if two homes can't be placed on a subdivided lot, maybe a home for mentally ill, a shelter for battered women or other uses will have to replace a demolished 1850 home. The board will likely vote on April 5.

3) Folks have waited for it and it will soon be here! That's right, after the planning board gave it the green light early in the week, in spirit anyway. The board must still vote to pass it along depending on questions. The newly-revised ordinance takes into account many of architect and anti-"Renewal" resident Cathy Benson's objections, Planner Blais Brancheau said but what Brancheau said on Tuesday was minor technical language changes and clarifications.

4) The police arrested a Jersey City man for allegedly stealing money from village youths . Police said the man also had a prior warrant in Hudson County.

5) Although the Japanese quake has been getting all the attention lately, village high schoolers are making efforts in Christchurch, New Zealand.

6) The controversial pool , near and far, the council decided. Badge sales have also been scheduled to open on April 15, though Village Manager Ken Gabbert and the pool advocacy group Preserve Graydon Coalition wanted May 1 and April 1, respectively.

7) after a cooking accident sent smoke through the second floor of the senior center, Ridge Crest. The woman, firefighters said, had a prior medical issue. There was no actual fire, there were no other injuries, and evacuations were not needed, officials reported.