River Vale NJ has a true hero in Rutch Tschudin.  This very energetic and charming woman has been a champion of abused and neglected dogs for decades.  Together with her husband Hugo, Ruth has been an amazing force in the world of animal rescue.  With the sponsorship of Open Doors, Ruth began a celebration of “dogs and the people who love them” called Dog Fest and in a very few years it has become a most special event. 

Ruth founded Open Doors, An Amazing Grace Foundation as a tribute to her mother and father.  Open Doors,  which describes it’s mission as “dedicated to encouraging, empowering, and giving practical assistance to those going through difficult times,” is Ruth and Hugo’s passion second only to their new grandchild. 

River Vale residents for many years, Ruth and Hugo are well known in the community and well loved.  River Vale is a small and intimate community and it is people like the Tschudins who prove the axiom that one person can indeed make a difference.  Dog Fest 2010 was more than a triumph – it was an amazing success.  Held at Beechwood Park in Hillsdale NJ this year, people came by the thousands.  They brought their dogs and their children and spent Sunday afternoon enjoying the day and their dogs.  Even people who didn’t have a pet came just to see all the dogs.

Dog Fest 2010 had everything you could imagine for pets of the canine variety with vendors galore, a dog parade, Champ the Miracle Dog and New Jersey’s own Dog Whisperer.  Rescue dogs needing to be adopted were there in force and I’m told that every one was adopted on Sunday.  Ruth Tschudin is a River Vale treasure.  You can help Open Doors by clicking here and making a donation.   Maybe I’ll see you next year at Dog Fest 2011!

Not every short sale ends up at the closing table.  Many homes instead end up in foreclosure.  Often the reason is simple – the homeowner did not use the right professional to represent them.   Whether buying or selling a home, the best results come when you use the right people.  This is critically important for short sales.

The attorney or real estate agent who did a great job for you when you purchased your home are not necessarily the best choices if you are upside down in your house and need to do a short sale.  Skills needed for short sales are very different.

Short sales are arduous transactions requiring a tremendous amount of work and/or patience on the part of everyone involved.  The individual who negotiates with the bank is the person who achieves or loses the opportunity get the home sold.  It really is as basic as that.

If you are buying a home that’s a short sale, you also need a professional in short sale transactions.  There are special protections you must have that don’t exist in conventional transactions.

Sometimes a short sale is not the best idea for you whether you’re a buyer or a seller.  Without an expert’s advice, how can you analyze what’s best for you?  I have done several short sales successfully.  What I can tell you is that without the help of short sale professionals, I could not have achieved the success I did.  If you need the name of a short sale professional, just let me know.

Englewood’s East Hill will soon be filled with the sounds of a beautiful string orchestra.  The Elisabeth Morrow School will hold their annual Summer String Festival for young musicians August 16-20 at the school’s elegant Lydecker Street location.

When you listen to these videos, you can hardly believe this is an elementary school orchestra.  These students are among the most talented and motivated in the metropolitan area, and this unique program is the only one of its kind around here for musicians in this age group.

Admission to this summer program for young violinists, violists, and harpists is highly competitive.  About ten years ago, students from the program were featured in a Carnegie Hall concert staged for the movie “Music of the Heart”.  Yes, children really were playing those instruments!

Students have opportunities for orchestra and sectional rehearsals, ensembles, repertoire and duet classes, and student recitals.  There are also performances by guest artists.  The week culimnates with a gala concert featuring students, all the orchestras, and the entire ensemble.

Englewood NJ today, Juilliard School of Music tomorrow!

If you’re in Bergen County next Saturday, come to the Bergen County Zoo and enjoy a special day there – it’s the zoo’s 50th anniversary.  To celebrate, the zoo is offering free admission to all Bergen County residents from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday August 14th.  Non residents will have a small fee.

With over 500 animals, a train, carousel, and pony rides, the zoo is a favorite spot for families.  Over 250,000 people visit the zoo annually and there are educational programs and activities all throughout the year for adults as well as children. 

During the summer the zoo has 3 live animal shows daily in the amphitheater and a unique exhibit called the Budgie Encounter.  Summer months also host Zoo Camp for children from 5 to 15.  Zoo Camp is a popular one week program that is always sold out. 

Located at the north end of Van Saun Park, the zoo is bordered by Paramus and River Edge.  However, people from every town in Bergen County come to the zoo so it doesn’t matter if you live in Tenafly, Dumont, Cresskill or River Vale - no matter where you are here, the zoo is a “must go” location and, if you can’t go to the zoo, the Bergen County Zoo will come to you.  The zoo has special programs for schools, organizations and senior living facilities too.  You can even book a birthday party at the zoo!

So come join us on the 14^th and help celebrate the Bergen County Zoological Park.

SMA African Art Museum

It is pretty well acknowledged that Bergen County is an extremely diverse, eclectic population, home to many different cultures, races, religions. Here in Tenafly, we are home to the SMA African Art Museum, and it’s a fabulous place to have some fun and celebrate Africa.

Owned and operated by the Society of African Missions SMA Fathers, the museum is located on Bliss Street in Tenafly. It houses collections of masks, prints, sculpture, and fabrics, reflecting a multitude of African cultures. It is one of the few museums in the United States devoted exclusively to African art.

How fortunate we are to have this resource, a windown on the world, right here in Tenafly! Upcoming events include a Festival on September 11, which will celebrate East African culture for the entire family. It’s a great opportunity to have fun and enjoy a great opportunity here at home.

Recently, middle school students from all over northern New Jersey were treated to African and Western music at the museum. They learned dances, tried different instruments, and had a great time. They also were introduced to western classical music at a small concert, and really enjoyed the experience.

Not only is Tenafly a nice place to live, it’s a cultural center. It’s also home to the Thurnauer School of Music at the JCC, a theater company, and many community events at the library. I’ll keep you up to date on the wonderful things happening in the arts.

STEVE HOCKSTEIN/SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

Did you ever believe you would live so close to one of the greatest cities in the world and see headlines like this:

Bear Just “Playing Through” NJ Suburbs

Well, this is what happened here in Tenafly this week, and in the surrounding towns. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen occasionally that we see wild animals in this beautiful area we live in. The bear is a very unusual visitor, but in Tenafly, it is not uncommon to see deer, and many beautiful birds. You will even see wild turkey strolling through our green neighborhoods on occasion.

We don’t see the big fellows like that young bear very often for the simple fact that we are a community, and wild animals don’t like to get too close to people. But we do live in a place where we can connect with nature, and yet have the benefit of the city close by.

One of the truly great places to learn about all the natural beauty in our community is the Tenafly Nature Center. Stroll the paths, go birdwatching, or visit when they have family hikes organized. It is a great place to relax, and to really appreciate the beautiful world we live in.

By the way, the best thing you can do if you encounter a bear or any wild animal unexpectedly, is to remain calm, don’t run, don’t play dead, and don’t try to feed it.

It seems the bear was lost in Tenafly.   He should know that neighboring Bergenfield High School is the home of the bears!

The real estate market in Bergen County outperformed the national market.  According to the report released this morning by the National Association of Realtors (and which is making headlines throughout the news media), June pending contracts are down by 2.6% from where they were in May.  This is not true for Bergen County.

New Jersey MLS data shows that we had 844 homes going under contract in May and 848 in June.  Where you will see declines are in July and August but this is typical of what happens every summer.  The real estate market is still geared towards the school schedule.  If parents don’t register their children by mid August, their children will miss the first day of school in September.  As a result, parents can’t wait until July to find a home - it’s just too late.  For example, if you bought a home in Tenafly, you would need a minimum of 2 weeks to get your child registered today and 3 weeks is preferred.

Last year July had 139 fewer pendings but this year July is down by 101 so here too we’re doing better.  The bottom line is that real estate is always extremely local.  Despite today’s report from the NAR, the truth is that we’re doing all right.

What do Mahwah, Paramus, River Vale, Rockleigh and Teaneck have in common?  Each of these towns has a public golf course.  Bergen County supports 5 excellent public golf courses and has an award winning junior golf program as well.  Golf is big here and well supported by the Bergen Couny Parks Department.  

The 5 public golf courses are Darlington in Mahwah, Orchard Hills in Paramus, Overpeck in Teaneck, Rockleigh in Rockleigh and Valley Brook in River Vale.  All are 18 hole courses except Orchard Hills which is a 9 hole course.  Darlington also has a concession based driving range as well as a pro shop and snack bar.  You’ll find a clubhouse at Overpeck, Rockleigh and Valley Brook.  Course fees are very affordable as one would expect with a public golf course and facilities are truly excellent.

There’s an automated tee time reservation system where you can also reserve a golf cart.  Tournaments are scheduled from mid June to the first week of October and run from highly competitive events to golf outings that are geared to beginning players as well as seniors.

A recent addition to the Bergen County golf program is the Pioneer Program.  Begun in 1995 to introduce golf to young people from 8 through 18 years of age, the Pioneer Tour has had a major impact.  Close to 1,000 young golfers participate with more tournaments added each year.  An outstanding program, Golf Digest in 2000 awarded the Pioneer Junior Tour it’s prestigious award for being the best municipal junior golf program in the US.

So whether you buy a home in Dumont, River Vale, Tenafly or anywhere in Bergen County, there’s a golf course and a program just perfect for you.