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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy appoints Darlene Bandazian of Christie’s Special Properties Real Estate Services to the New Jersey Real Estate Commission

Darlene Bandazian Headshot

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ramsey NJ, In late December, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy made his first appointments to the New Jersey Real Estate Commission, including naming Darlene Bandazian of Christie’s Special Properties Real Estate Services as an appointee and representative from northern New Jersey. Bandazian, Christie’s Special Properties’ Vice President of Regional Business Development, has been serving the real estate community, in various capacities for more than 30 years. 

Continue reading New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy appoints Darlene Bandazian of Christie’s Special Properties Real Estate Services to the New Jersey Real Estate Commission
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BREAKING : TOLL BROTHERS APPLE RIDGE SITE HAS REALEASED OVER 24 LBS OF ARSENIC DUST INTO LOCAL WATERWAYS

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photo by Derek Michalski

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper saddle River NJ, its been claimed that Toll Brothers has committed an unprecedented environmental disaster at Apple Ridge (The Preserve at USR & Mahwah) impacting the entire Saddle River Valley with irreversible ecological damage

According to a report just issued , “The Toxicological Impact of the Toll Brothers’ Apple Ridge Development to the Saddle River Valley Ecosystem and Its Residents” claims runoff from “the 110-acre site formerly known as the Apple Ridge Country Club. The name Apple Ridge harkens back to the land’s origins at the turn of the 20th century as an apple orchard owned by the Carlough family. The tract of land mostly lies within the borders USR and Mahwah with a smaller portion of land extending into Ramsey. In 2013, this magnificent property was sold by the Carlough family to a developer with the intent of building high-density housing. When the boroughs of USR and Mahwah balked at the idea of allowing high-density housing the property was sold to Toll Brothers for the development of 78 single family homes.”

Continue reading BREAKING : TOLL BROTHERS APPLE RIDGE SITE HAS REALEASED OVER 24 LBS OF ARSENIC DUST INTO LOCAL WATERWAYS
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Ramsey Middle School Student Organizes Dress Drive to Help Underprivileged Girls

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ramsey NJ, Hannah , is 14 and in 8th grade at Smith Middle school in Ramsey.  She has started this dress drive because she wanted to do something community driven and help underprivileged girls in Paterson.

She met with Jessica Egger, Director of Education at Oasis- A Haven for Women and Children in Paterson.

Hannah and Oasis have partnered up and will be setting up a pop-up shop, at Oasis, in May, for girls to come and try on and get dresses, shoes and accessories for their dance/prom season.  Many of these families cannot afford meals, let alone dresses and yet, they too want to feel beautiful at their school events.  

All dresses, shoes and accessories will be provided for free and are collected thru donation.  To ensure there are dresses of ALL sizes, Hannah will also be collecting cash donations to go and buy gently used dress sizes where needed.

Donation drop off will be at the Ramsey Public Library on March 9th from 1:30-4:30 and on March 17th from 12:30 – 2:30. 

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Bitcoin and IRS Scam alert……….please share.

Utah Software Engineer Mints Physical Bitcoins

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Midland Park NJ, according to the Midland Park Police ,a Midland Park resident was contacted by a female caller who represented herself as an employee of the IRS. The caller explained to the resident that her identity was being used fraudulently and the resident would have to make a payment for an IRS investigation to begin. The resident informed the female caller she did not understand why the IRS was contacting her and asked for a further explanation. The female caller then informed the resident that she would have someone from the Midland Park Police Department contact her and explain the situation to her. A short time later the resident received a phone call from the Midland Park Police Department main number 201-444-2300, a male who represented himself as Officer James Morris of the Midland Park Police Department advised the resident a monetary payment was needed to further investigate the identity fraud. The original female caller then came back on the phone and instructed the resident to deposit money in to a bitcoin ATM machine located inside of a Ramsey NJ restaurant. The resident was ultimately scammed out of several thousand dollars.

This incident is the first where a scammer spoofed the phone number of the Midland Park Police Department. Officer James Morris does NOT work for the Midland Park Police Department. The Midland Park Police Department does NOT solicit any type of monetary payment for the IRS.

We remind you to NOT send any type of payment with gift cards, bitcoin, or electronic wire services such as Western Union.

If you receive a call which you suspect to be a scam simply hang up the phone. If you are unsure of the authenticity of the call please contact us at 201-444-2300 or contact a trusted family member who can help you determine the authenticity of the call.

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17 North Crash Results in Non Life Threatening Injuries

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photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

the staff of the Ridgewood blog 

Ramsey NJ, Six (6) victims of a Monday morning, 12/17, crash on Route 17 northbound near Spring Avenue in Ramsey were transported to area hospitals by ambulances. Ramsey Police, Ramsey Rescue, and Ramsey EMS responded to the incident along with mutual aid ambulances from Upper Saddle River and The Valley Health System. Two (2) wrecked vehicles were removed from the scene by flatbed tow trucks. One (1) travel lane of Route 17 northbound and the exit ramp to Spring Street from Route 17 northbound were closed while emergency crews worked. All injuries were reported to have been non life threatening in nature.

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Medical Procedure Promises to Control Chronic Back and Knee Pain And Reduce Opioid Use in New Jersey

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In September, Congress agreed to a series of measures aimed at addressing the nation’s overwhelming opioid epidemic.  Politicians, in rare show of bipartisan agreement, were responding to a public outcry over the 72,000 overdose deaths that occurred in 2017, a majority of which – about 50,000 – involved opioids.

An epidemic of addiction has ravaged communities across the United States, including locally here in the tri-state area, where more than 1,400 people have died from an overdose. 

For years, prescription pain medications have been widely used to help control chronic pain. But now, thanks to advances in medical science and technology, there are new, minimally invasive procedures that can help control pain, instead.

Continue reading Medical Procedure Promises to Control Chronic Back and Knee Pain And Reduce Opioid Use in New Jersey

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Major Breakthrough in a 10-month Investigation in Toll Brothers Alleged Sludge Pumping into Local Brooks from the Apple Ridge Development in Mahwah

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photo by Derek Michalski , Pictured: Chairman of Mahwah Environmental Commission Richard Wolf documenting ongoing pollution at Toll Brothers construction site in Mahwah and Upper Saddle River.

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, Major breakthrough in a 10-month community investigation started back in January 2018 by GreenUSR activist and resident of Upper Saddle River Derek Michalski.

Ramsey, Mahwah, Upper and Saddle River. Over the weekend residents from Ramsay, Mahwah and Upper Saddle River met for the second weekend in a row on the property that was featured in April 23, 2018 CBS New York Evening News coverage. We all remember Channel 2 Lisa Rozner’s report from 5 months ago about those infamous hoses pumping mud into Upper Saddle River stream directly from 100 acre site that had arsenic in the past.* Since that day very little has been done to stop the mud pumping that is occurring now 24/7 according to eyewitnesses. Last weekend the site was visited by Richard Wolf, Chairman of Mahwah Environmental Commission. This weekend Councilwoman Janet Ariemma took initiative and also met with residents and visually inspected continuous mud discharge into the Pleasant Brook.

Continue reading Major Breakthrough in a 10-month Investigation in Toll Brothers Alleged Sludge Pumping into Local Brooks from the Apple Ridge Development in Mahwah

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NJ Transit : Beginning Sunday, October 14th, select trains will be temporarily discontinued or have changes of origin/destination.

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  Progress continues on the installation of Positive Train Control (PTC) equipment on NJ TRANSIT’s rail fleet to meet federal year-end milestones, requiring NJ TRANSIT to make a final set of rail service adjustments. The temporary discontinuation of some trains and modified times and origin/destination points are necessary to accommodate installation of PTC hardware on additional locomotives and cab control cars.

“Our customers will always be our first priority, and their experience must be safe and consistent. We thoughtfully reviewed all trains that are part of this adjustment and found the most reasonable alternatives,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Kevin Corbett.

To proactively address the potential service adjustment impacts, NJ TRANSIT will offer a 10-percent discount on all NJ TRANSIT rail tickets and passes for travel in November, December and January while the mandated hardware installation is completed.

Continue reading NJ Transit : Beginning Sunday, October 14th, select trains will be temporarily discontinued or have changes of origin/destination.

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NEWARK, MAN CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE GAS STATION BURGLARIES IN BERGEN COUNTY

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announced the arrest of YOURGHI TURKMANY (DOB: 5/15/98; single; and unemployed) of 31 Kent Street, Apt. 1, Newark, NJ. The arrest is the result of a month-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Milford, Washington Township, Oradell, Ridgewood, Ramsey, Franklin Lakes, Rutherford, Montvale, Piscataway, Newark, and Middlesex Borough Police Departments.

Continue reading NEWARK, MAN CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE GAS STATION BURGLARIES IN BERGEN COUNTY

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Governor Murphy Signs “Tommy’s Law” ,Requires the state to promptly provide NJ Transit accident victims and their families with information regarding the incident

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file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ,  Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi’s legislation assisting NJ Transit accident victims was signed into law today by the governor. Tommy’s Law (A3904) requires the state to promptly provide accident victims and their families with information regarding the incident. Senator Cardinale sponsored the bill in the Senate.

Continue reading Governor Murphy Signs “Tommy’s Law” ,Requires the state to promptly provide NJ Transit accident victims and their families with information regarding the incident

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Rollover Crash on Franklin Turnpike takes Out Utility Pole

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photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

the staff of the Ridgewood bog

Allendale NJ, Allendale Police, Allendale Fire, and Allendale EMS responded to a Monday morning, 08/13 rollover crash in the 900 block of Franklin Turnpike, Allendale. A utility pole was demolished in the mishap. At least one (1) person was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital assisted Allendale EMTs. Ramsey Police assisted with traffic control. A flatbed tow truck righted and removed the wreck from the roadway. Police at the scene did not indicate if the downed utility pole caused any outages to electric power or communications services. No word either on whether any extended road closures would be in effect.

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Ridgewood High School Ranked 26th in New Jersey by Niche

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August 3,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the list is out , the 2019 Niche Best Public High Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users. Learn where our data comes from.

Ridgewood High School came in a very respectable #26 in a list  filed with a majority of private schools .

#20 Tenafly High School

#26 Ridgewood High School

#36 Fair Lawn High School

Ridgewood School district came in an impressive #18 once again trailing Tenafly #8,  Fairlawn #11 ,but besting Mahwah  #24 , Northern Valley Regional #25, Ramsey #27 and Glen Rock #29.

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Second Protest Planned at Apple Ridge

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Dear Mahwah, Ramsey and USR Residents and Friends,

It is time to organize our second protest against Toll Brothers at Apple Ridge. Following our first great protest this one promises to be even better!

Come and make your voices heard and protest the environmental damage that Toll Brothers are causing to our local environment and water. Bring family, friends and neighbors and support our community. Make some new friends, meet some old ones. Can’t stay for long, a short visit is great too! Short on time, drive by and honk your support!

Saturday July 21 12-4 pm.
269 E. Crescent Ave. Mahwah (on the Mahwah side of Apple Ridge)

Street parking is available, drinks and refreshments too!!

Bring signs, or your voice, wearing green is suggested and optional!

Hope to see you there!

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West Bergen Mental Healthcare Awarded Highest Level CARF Accreditation

West Bergen Mental Healthcare

July 8,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood  NJ, West Bergen Mental Healthcare, with offices in Ridgewood, Mahwah and Ramsey, has once again been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for a period of three years for the following programs: Day Treatment: Mental Health (Adults), Outpatient Treatment: Mental Health (Adults), and Outpatient Treatment: Mental Health (Children and Adolescents). West Bergen received its first Three-year Accreditation in 2003 and has maintained this accreditation ever since. This latest accreditation is West Bergen’s sixth consecutive.

West Bergen CEO, Michael Tozzoli, says of the accreditation, “We are extremely proud to be awarded another Three-Year Accreditation from CARF. This independent designation demonstrates West Bergen’s commitment to ensuring our clients receive the best possible care across our many programs. Congratulations to the entire West Bergen staff on a job well done.”

This acknowledgement by CARF represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to approximately 2,500 standards established by CARF. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation outcome has voluntarily put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are measurable, accountable and of the highest quality.

West Bergen Mental Healthcare is a private, nonprofit agency providing counseling, psychiatric and specialized services for all members of our communities – regardless of ability to pay. Since opening in 1963, the Agency has been a leader in the provision of quality, evidence-based mental health care programs and services. To learn more visit www.westbergen.org; follow us on Facebook or Twitter

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. More information about the CARF accreditation process, can be found at www.carf.org.

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Protesters Converge on Toll Brothers’ Open House in Mahwah at Apple Ridge construction site

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photos by Derek Michalski

June 25,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Mahwah NJ, Heavy police presence during Toll Brothers’ Open House in Mahwah at Apple Ridge construction site over the weekend.

Probably never in the history of these three Bergen County towns Mahwah, Ramsey and Upper Saddle River residents who live along East Crescent Road heard so many drivers honking their horns. On June 24, 2018 Saturday afternoon over the course of four hours hundreds of drivers drove by and honked their horns sometimes 3, 4 and even 5 and more times in solidarity with the protesters who were all lined up along the road on East Crescent Avenue in Mahwah. The protest was aimed at Toll Brothers accused by some residents of Ramsey, Mahwah and Upper Saddle River of massive pollution of Pleasant Brook over the course of the past six months. The subject of this pollution was extensively covered by local and regional media. First CBS did a story which aired on April 23, 2018 on CBS NY News, than FIOS NJ one run all day reports from the site on. Also owned by USA Today media concern NJ Bergen Record wrote extensively in an article titled “Residents want backyard stream tested for arsenic, lead because of construction runoff”.

Link to CBS story:
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/04/23/bergen-county-brown-streams/

Link to FIOS NJ One coverage:

Link “The Record” story:
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2018/04/28/residents-want-backyard-stream-tested-arsenic-lead-because-construction-runoff/549503002/

Apparently this matter is not going away anytime soon said Derek Michalski, one of the community organizers of the protest. We are still waiting for our Mayor and Council to show us the results of the water tests and for the assurance that appropriate Superfund is being set up to provide for the cleanup of potential contamination of Pleasant Brook as well as drinking water wells in the corridor of Pleasant Brook. Many residents of bucolic once Upper Saddle River still rely of private wells as a source of their drinking water. Many USR residents scared of potential toxic and carcinogenic contaminants being arsenic and lead allegedly intentionally released into our streams and aquifer by Toll Brothers over the course of the past six months are switching from private wells into the city water but the issue is not should they switch or not.

The issue in my opinion is the following- why environmental disaster caused by cutting corners by one of the largest developer in the country makes our residents’ life more difficult and more expensive as a consequence – said Derek Michalski.

photo above Derek Michalski and Lisa Glick

Mahwah PD cars parked in the “Arsenic Field” at the Toll Brothers construction site – a name coined by GreenUS.org volunteers after CBS run a news story on April 23, 2018.