The Personal Injury Attorney in Ho-Ho-Kaus, NJ, You Can Trust

Rising COVID-19 cases numbers prompted Ho-Ho-Kus Public School to switch to remote instruction for fifth and first grades from Wednesday through Friday this past week.

In two letters dated March 15 from the school superintendent that were shared with NorthJersey.com, parents were advised that because of a significant uptick in cases, a first-grade class and the entire fifth grade would go fully remote for three days. Masks would be required after students' return to school on Monday. It was not clear if masks were going to be required for the entire school or just the first and fifth grades.

Diane Mardy, superintendent of the pre-K-8 school and the Board of Education did not respond to emails sent Wednesday asking for case numbers and other information related to the decision to deliver virtual instruction.

Caragh Wilson has two children in the school, in first and fifth grades. Both received remote instruction this week, she said.

“I question the decision to not clearly define what a 'potential outbreak' is, and to abruptly not let healthy children into their classrooms for three days with their teachers with less than 24 hours-notice to parents,” said Wilson. She said she did not intend her comments as criticism of the school or its teachers, who seamlessly transitioned to educating the children through the pandemic.

School districts with mask-optional policies can reinstate universal masking policies at any time, the New Jersey Department of Health said in guidance issued after Gov. Phil Murphy lifted the school mask mandate on March 7. An executive order that required masks to be worn indoors in schools and child care centers was in effect since summer of 2021 due to the public health emergency caused by the pandemic. Schools reopened for full-day in-person instruction in September 2021.

Schools are permitted to switch to virtual instruction during school closures that last more than three days during a declared emergency, or if directed by "the appropriate health agency" to do so, according to the Department of Health.

It's unclear if the Ho-Ho-Kus Public School is operating under guidance from a local health department. There is no declared state of emergency in New Jersey at this time.

Local:These Bergen districts are asking voters to OK millions for fields, classrooms and more

COVID numbers climbing

The Murphy administration has said it is not likely to declare another public health emergency in the immediate future, although it is aware that COVID numbers are climbing globally and monitoring the rise.

"At this time, we do not anticipate any need to reinstate universal statewide mandated protective measures," the Department of Health and the governor's office said in a statement Thursday.

Sixty-one percent of New Jersey’s schools reported COVID-19 cases to the state in the first week of March, with positive cases among 0.92 students and 1.44 staff members out of every 1,000.

In Bergen County, 131 new student cases were reported in the first week of March from 274 schools reporting. Statewide, one COVID-19 outbreak was reported in schools for the week ending March 14. An outbreak is defined as three or more positive cases that are linked within a school setting.

The state has advised school districts to follow its weekly COVID activity tracker. Bergen County and the rest of North and Central Jersey showed moderate virus spread for the past week.

Mary Ann Koruth covers education for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news about New Jersey's schools and how it affects your children, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: [email protected]

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You often hear the term “small-town feel” as a selling point when it comes to the real estate market, but with a population just over 4,000 people, Ho-Ho-Kus is the true definition of the term. Significantly smaller than its neighbors Waldwick and Ridgewood, this charming and mostly residential borough is rich in history and culture, while also cultivating a strong sense of community that is constantly adapting. Style-wise, it’s largely Cape Cods and Colonials, but there are exceptions like the Cheelcroft section of town, named after the architect who designed the homes there, where you can find some Tudor styles.

This tightknit town is home to just one public elementary school which houses students in pre-k through eighth grade, ensuring a holistic approach to education with high parent involvement and consistent standards and expectations throughout all grades. It also means families with children in multiple grades only have one drop off and pick up for the day, and high school students are bused to nearby Northern Highlands Regional H.S. in Allendale.

Route 17 essentially splits Ho-Ho-Kus into two areas and provides quick access to a plethora of businesses and stores in neighboring towns. A trip by car to Manhattan takes about thirty minutes with bus and train route options ranging from forty to ninety minutes.

If commuting isn’t part of your daily routine, you’ll have plenty of places to visit in and around town. The historical Hermitage House was a literal crossroads of the American Revolution and is now a 250-year-old mansion and museum with special events and rotating exhibits. You can lose track of time window shopping in the picturesque downtown or grab a bite at Albert’s Cafe, a drink at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern, or an upscale dinner at St. Eve’s.

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Residents can also enjoy an array of local activities throughout the year set up by the town’s Contemporary Club, including events for Easter and Halloween, an annual Taste of Ho-Ho-Kus culinary celebration, and various fundraisers. This year also marks the town’s first ever Ho-Ho-Kus Day Festival in September for all families and businesses to come together and commemorate their community.

Many current residents have been living in this quaint town their whole lives, and some through many generations. If Ho-Ho-Kus sounds like your perfect place to live, be sure to reach out to Maryanne Elsaesser and the Home Navigators Team for a truly excellent real estate experience.

About Maryanne:

Maryanne Elsaesser is known for individualized strategic planning and solving complex matters with calmness. Her clients say she is a "brilliant negotiator," tenacious, helpful, smart, creative, focused and has an amazing ability to read people. Consistent hard work puts Maryanne in the top 1% of brokers in the country. Maryanne is well-versed in contractual elements and understands the intricacies of navigating the most profitable net gain in each transaction. She can be reached at 551.206.9264 or [email protected].

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Toll Brothers, America’s luxury home builder, has expanded into nearby Bergen County, New Jersey, bringing a variety of luxury communities to the market. Buyers searching for more space, more luxury, or simply just more than city living can offer are driving demand in delightful suburbs close to New York City and Toll Brothers has developed a variety of communities to satisfy the discerning buyer’s desire for more. From new farmhouse-style homes to modern townhouse living with resort-style amenities, the nation’s leading and award-winning luxury home builder has you covered.

Exciting new developments in Bergen County include West Saddle Estates, currently under construction, in Ho-Ho-Kus and The Grove, coming soon, in Upper Saddle River, and both exemplify the Toll Brothers legacy of superior quality. Each vibrant community is convenient to major highways and NJ Transit stations for an easy NYC commute and boasts great schools, offering that ideal urban-suburban, best-of-both-worlds scenario.

The Grove at Upper Saddle River has been generating quite a buzz and is expected to open this summer. Low-maintenance but high-end, the collection of modern townhomes (and elevators are available) is perfect for a lock-and-leave kind of lifestyle, and luxury resort-style amenities include a state-of-the-art clubhouse and outdoor swimming pool. The brand new product has been developed in a farmhouse style by an award-winning division at Toll Brothers and a VIP list is already forming. Interested buyers have the opportunity to meet with The Grove sales team right now for more information and a preview before the general public.

West Saddle Estates offers the opposite of city living in the borough of Ho-Ho-Kus. Recently featured in The New York Times, Ho-Ho-Kus is described as a “tight-knit but welcoming community” with a “small-town vibe” and West Saddle Estates is less than two miles from the town’s NJ Transit train station. Luxury homes are currently under construction, including future quick delivery homes available for pre-construction tours and previews. Schedule an appointment to visit the Craftsman-style farmhouse construction and see the new community site plan.

For six years in a row, Toll Brothers has been ranked the #1 Home Builder Worldwide on the “World’s Most Admired Companies®” list compiled by FORTUNE Magazine. Toll Brothers also has been honored as national Builder of the Year by BUILDER magazine and was twice named national Builder of the Year by Professional Builder magazine. Toll Brothers luxury developments can be found nationwide and it is a public company, trading on the New York Stock Exchange as TOL. With an unwavering commitment to quality and customer service, Toll Brothers has been building in the Garden State since 1982 and has established a large footprint across multiple counties.

For more information on Toll Brothers communities in Bergen County and throughout the state, call 844-834-5263 or visit TollBrothers.com/NJ.

HO-HO-KUS -- The house at 303 Ardmore Road has been part of Ho-Ho-Kus for nearly 200 years.

It belonged to Henry A. Ackerman, part of a major landowning family in Bergen County, who built the farm house on Sheridan Avenue in the 1830s. About 100 years later, Harold Cheel, an architect who developed the dozens of homes that make up the Cheelcroft neighborhood, used it as an office and moved it to Ardmore Road.

But the house may soon disappear. The Ho-Ho-Kus planning board voted in March to allow a developer to subdivide the property, clearing the way for two new houses to be built.

Local historians say the home is just the latest to be swallowed by the push to develop in Bergen County.

"It's happening all the time," said Peggy Norris, a trustee with the Bergen County Historical Society.

John Hanlon, chairman of the Ho-Ho-Kus planning board, said there was little the board could do. The owner had the right to subdivide his property.

Hanlon is a history buff and knows the story of the house well. It was built by the Ackermans, then sold to the Blauvelts, another prominent early Bergen County farming family, then sold back to the Ackermans.

Cheel bought the house in the 1920s for use as a real estate office for the neighborhood of distinctive Tudor-style houses he built, known as Cheelcroft. The home at 303 Ardmore, also known as the Ackerman-Hopper farm house, is the oldest house in Cheelcroft and the only one that wasn't built by Cheel.

Hanlon noted that the house has been changed dramatically since its construction and that it needed repairs.

"When the board voted they were not happy doing it, but there was really no other choice," he said. "The applicant was within his rights."

Joseph Lupino, a Mahwah resident who owns 303 Ardmore, told the planning board he would give anything historic inside the house to the town to be preserved. A person who answered the phone at his home in Mahwah said Lupino was unavailable for comment.

There's little incentive for prospective developers to save historic buildings, especially older houses on large lots like 303 Ardmore. The larger lots make them attractive to subdivide and redevelop with multiple houses, Norris said.

Because Bergen County has so many towns, it can be difficult to keep track of when historic buildings are threatened by development. Dozens of building applications cross the desk of Elaine Kiernan Gold, the historic preservationist for Bergen County.

She checks to see whether any buildings with historic significance are involved, but all she can do is note it in a memo. The developer or local planning or zoning board can ignore it, or not.

Many owners, Gold said, think preservationists want to freeze their property in time, but in many cases, like that of the Rambo House in Fort Lee, historic properties can be reused while still being preserved. In the case of the Rambo House, a landmark of early film history, it will be used as housing for low-income veteran families.

The county can dole out state money for some preservation projects, but for the most part it's up to towns and their people to fight for historic houses, Gold said. In some cases, even that's not enough.

Many local historians cite the loss of the Zabriskie Tenant House, a remnant of an 1830s-era community of freed slaves, as a watershed.

Local residents and preservationists fought for months to save the building and came up with a plan to move the house to nearby Bergen Community College, but they couldn't come up with the money. The developer razed the house in 2012 and built two large homes instead.

Earlier this year, the former Valley Hotel, where Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were turned away trying to vote in 1880, was torn down in favor of a day-care center.

But there are also victories. Hanlon pointed to 605 E. Saddle River Road in Ho-Ho-Kus an example of the stone houses the Dutch built when they settled Bergen County. The house's historical features have been preserved, and its owners use it as a residence.

Ho-Ho-Kus is also home to the Hermitage, a National Historic Landmark where George Washington once headquartered. It has been preserved as a museum.

And even defeats help educate the public about the history around them, Norris said.

"Even if the process has no good outcome, like the Zabriskie Tenant House, a large number of people learned about it and learned something about the conflict between development and historic preservation," she said.

Myles Ma may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Christie's International Real Estate Group, exclusive partner of Christie's International Real Estate, announced today that Jo Anne Brown and Ju Won “Jane” Yoon have joined the company in the firm’s state-of-the-art Ho-Ho-Kus and Allendale Sales Galleries. The addition of Brown and Yoon is part of Christie’s ongoing growth and expansion in the region. Moving forward, the brokerage has plans to continue its expansion deeper into the northern New Jersey market zone and beyond.

Jo Anne Brown is a Realtor-Associate® with the Ho-Ho-Kus Sales Gallery specializing in residential real estate in Bergen County and is committed to servicing her clients, whether buying or selling, with the highest level of customer service in the industry. A hardworking and dedicated professional, Jo Anne provides exemplary customer service and has access to significant support and resources to help her clients achieve their goals.

Ju Won “Jane” Yoon is a Realtor-Associate® with the Allendale Sales Gallery specializing in residential real estate. Jane was introduced to her love for real estate through travel and the hospitality industry. She was enamored by design and the excitement experienced whenever she would stay somewhere new. As such, she felt a career in real estate was an effortless transition, and now thrives on making her clients’ dreams of design and exceptional service a reality.

With their affiliation with Christie's International Real Estate, Jo Anne and Jane are able to leverage the strength of Christie's unparalleled corporate marketing resources and superior customer service programs to assist and support clients throughout the entire real estate process.

About Christie’s International Real Estate Group Christie’s International Real Estate Group is an exclusive partner of Christie’s International Real Estate (CIRE). With more than 25 offices and 1,000 associates, CIRE Group services clients with all of their real estate needs throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. CIRE is a global real estate network of more than 31,000 agents across 48 countries, representing annual sales volume of more than $100 billion. With a staff of accomplished real estate agents and brokers, the firm’s clients receive the highest levels of customer service and customized, personalized real estate services. For more information, call 201-447-6100, 201-904-7400 or visit www.christiesrealestate.com.

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