Welcome returning loyal visitors and those who have just stumbled upon this site. Some of you may have noticed that the navigation structure at the top has changed. Have no fear, nothing is lost. In fact, it’s all here. The old site is gone and all the content has been completely moved here. There are nested pages within each link at the top of the page, and all pages can be accessed with the “Pages” navigation structure on the right-hand side of every page.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, and submissions. Enjoy!
Dust cloud in downtown Westwood from gas-powered leaf blowers.
Recently, an insightful Hillsdale woman wrote a letter to the editor of one of those free so-called newspapers that litter our driveways on a weekly basis. Her letter addresses the noise, smell, and dust created by those terrorist pollution machines generally referred to as gas-powered leaf blowers. These machines terrorize us in a number of ways: they are responsible for a significant amount of noise pollution and air pollution, and they run on nonrenewable fossil fuel (overpriced gasoline).
If you’ve ever been on a walk or a ride past an area where one of these machines is operating, then you likely noticed the dust storm created in the area, as well as the excessive noise and emissions smell. You better have something nearby to protect your mouth, nose, and eyes!
Dust cloud in downtown Westwood from gas-powered leaf blowers.
It is interesting to note that many people who use these machines don’t even wear protective equipment. Sometimes you see hearing protection being used, but rarely do you see protection for the mouth or nose. Yikes!
The Pascack Valley needs to take a stand against these gas-powered leaf blower terrorist machines.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a lot more:
If the video above fails to load, click here to view.
Now let’s be clear about one important thing: nothing above is meant to criticize the young gentlemen operating the machines. They are working hard, and you gotta do what you gotta do to make a living. However, the people at the top who are calling the shots should be aware of the impact of their decisions on the environment and on the health and the quality of life of both occupational and non-occupational receptors.
Look down in the gutter of any road in the Pascack Valley, NJ, and you will notice that the most prevalent litter is in the form of cigarette butts. It’s just despicable. Where do these smokers get off using the ground as their personal garbage dump?
This is a call for the local police to do something constructive and to stop turning a blind eye toward these destructive litter habits which impact personal and environmental health. Enforce the quality of life ordinances!
Cigarette butts are not readily degradable. Cigarette butts are litter. Don’t be a litter pig.
It’s a quality of life issue: motorcycle noise. You know, those loud motorcycles that are illegally modified to make excessive noise. It’s the type of contraption only a brain-dead individual would own; one would have to be brain-dead to make a road vehicle louder.
Illegal motorcycle exhaust modifications impact everyone in at least a quarter-mile radius from the offending vehicle. Many of these noise machines are found driving around Westwood and the Pascack Valley every day. Why won’t the police enforce the local noise ordinances as well as the NHTSA and EPA regulations on motorcycle emissions??
It is a disturbing reality that Westwood’s overstaffed and overpaid cops turn a blind eye to quality of life issues like excessive noise emanating from illegally-modified motorcycles on local roads.
The Hub of the Pascack Valley, Bergen County, New Jersey, 07675.
Comments/Submissions
You may use the comment feature below each post without registering, OR submit a post for consideration by emailing webmaster at mrwestwood.com. Publication not guaranteed.
Please play nice.
The government is financing its more than trillion-dollar-a-year borrowing with i.o.u.’s on terms that seem too good to be true — a happy situation that may not last much longer.
A U.S. program that offers trusted trucking companies speedy passage across U.S. borders has begun attracting customers who place a premium on avoiding inspections: Mexican drug smugglers.
A leading Senate Democrat said Monday his party is determined to push through a health care overhaul bill with or without Republican support because the "system is broken."
Medical marijuana users in Portland, Ore., now have their own place to socialize: the nation's first cafe for licensed residents to sit down, sip coffee and smoke pot.
An attorney for the man accused of gunning down an abortion provider has argued in court documents that his client has the right to argue the killing was justified to stop abortion.
Federal authorities are due to unseal new charges against eight suspects in a long-running probe of young men who left the United States to fight in Somalia.
The crackdown on child pornography and other sex offenses has created manpower shortages and technology challenges for probation officers, police and federal agents.
The Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people at Fort Hood is paralyzed from the chest down and doctors believe his paralysis will be permanent, his lawyer said.
After running out of leads, federal agents investigating civil rights-era killings of black men appealing for relatives of victims to come forward with any evidence or details about the crimes.
States like Ohio that offer financial aid to hunters in order to control high deer populations are getting an unexpected return: Hunters are donating more venison to strapped food banks.
