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Valley’s position:whatever it takes
Valley’s position:
“We will climb any wall. If we can’t climb the wall, we will jump over it. If we can’t jump over it, we will pole vault over it. If we can’t pole vault over it, we will parachute over it, but whatever it takes to pass the Valley Expansion, we will do it!”
Believe it.
>Valley Renewal : What are the mechanics needed to reverse the H:Zone
I’d also like to know what kind of legislation is needed to enable the only govt we elect here — the VC – to have the power to override an appointed Board’s decision and revert Master Plan changes if the elected govt decides that an appointed board has adopted something which is not in the best interest of the Village as a whole.
Can that be done via a new ordinance? Or is something else needed?
The Planning Board is not elected and I think it’s impt that elected government have the ultimate power to decide what will or will not be adopted in a Master Plan or anything else which affects the entire Village.
I realize the VC has the power to not introduce something as indeed they used following the Valley hearings.
But they should also have the power to revert changes made by any appointed board to a Master Plan or anything else which affects the Village at large.
Fine to have an appointed (not elected) board study, consider and PROPOSE amendments to a master plan, but actually ADOPTING such changes should be the duty of elected – not appointed- government.
So, either let the VC have that power as our only elected government locally, or put such proposed changes to a Village wide referendum vote when they affect the Village as a whole.
WHY? When an appointed board can just adopt amendments to a Master Plan or anything similar- we are stuck with that outcome with no recourse to revert it unless that same appointed board decides to do so.
The public then has no oversight, since neither did we appoint them nor do we have the power to recall them or vote them out if we wish to.
After all, didn’t we all read somewhere it’s SUPPOSED to be government of, by and for the people?
What are the mechanics needed to get that done- anyone know?
>Last-minute tax tips for procrastinators
Associated Press
Posted: 04/13/2012 06:03:11 PM PDT
Updated: 04/13/2012 06:03:11 PM PDT
CHICAGO — Getting an extra two days to file taxes beyond the usual April 15 tax filing deadline isn’t likely to cure a nation of procrastinators this year.
Tens of millions of us routinely wait until just before the deadline to file returns. More than 30 percent of taxpayers filed the week before Tax Day or later via extensions in 2011, and Internal Revenue Service statistics show the pace is similar this year.
Perhaps working under deadline pressure helps you focus better on the task at hand. But procrastinating may come at a price.
“The amount of work that’s going to need to be done at the last minute is no less just because you’ve waited, and the potential for errors is greater,” says Suzanne Shier, a tax strategist at Northern Trust Bank in Chicago. “There’s not really an upside to waiting.”
So you probably should dive into your tax return without waiting any longer.
Either way, there’s little time left to round up records and research the details of any tax code changes from last year.
Here are some points for end-of-season tax filers to keep in mind:
https://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_20393180/last-minute-tax-tips-procrastinators
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STOP, LOOK AND WAVE: better idea. the current situation in town is a game of “freeze tag” with cars
This is a much better idea. The current situation in town is a game of “freeze tag” with cars. I step off the curb and the cars must freeze. This is a dangerous lesson to be teaching the pedestrians.
Common sense must prevail. If you want to cross, stop, look around, and when it is safe, start to cross. I have done this all my life, even in NYC, and it works. I believe it is called “Stop. look and listen”.
I was also taught ” Don’t cross the street in the middle of the block”. I am a survivor.
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>YWCA Summer Camps Host April Open Houses
Sat, April 14, 2012
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
YWCA, 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ
YWCA Bergen County is hosting a series of Open Houses for families interested in finding out “Y the W Makes a Difference” in summer camps.
All YW camps offer American Red Cross swim lessons, sports, arts and crafts, nature activities, and more. CIT programs for boys and girls ages 13 to 16 are also available. For more information, visit www.ywcabergencounty.com
>RHS ORCHESTRAS JOIN WITH BOSTON STRING QUARTET IN CONCERT
On Saturday evening, April 21, the Ridgewood High School Orchestras will join in concert with the Xibus World Orchestra, featuring the Boston String Quartet. It promises to be an entertaining evening with something for everyone: a fun mix of rock, pop, world, and classical music.
It’s a great opportunity to enjoy both our talented student musicians and world touring professionals. The concert takes place at the RHS Campus Center starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available either at the door or by mail. Click here for the order form. https://tinyurl.com/7qv2lbo
>Report grades N.J. on preschool efforts
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Ridgewood to begin Ho-Ho-Kus Brook repairs after trout season
THURSDAY APRIL 12, 2012, 5:07 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The governing body passed an ordinance Wednesday night that will essentially shore up funds to improve conditions around two bodies of water that have proved problematic in the village, particularly during and after major storms.
The Village Council appropriated a total of $422,000 for protective measures at the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River. The sum includes nearly $344,000 in grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, while $78,000 is taken from the municipality’s capital fund account.
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H-Zone: Aren’t both the VC and the Planning Board supposed to represent all of us?
Also, given that the whole Planning Board process seemed to not fully consider many of the effects of allowing something like these amendments would permit (water, traffic, foundation damage nearby, and all the rest) — why not reverse those amendments?
The VC asked questions of the same experts the Planning Board utilized and a lot of new info and answers came to light as a result of that.
So the Planning Board part of the process seems to have been flawed.
That also argues strongly that the amendments should be reversed in light of the consequences and likely side effects that came to light during the VC hearings.
Anyone looking to build something there like the amendments the Planning Board approved would permit would clearly risk the same side effects to the community, would they not?
Whichever body is empowered to revert them doesn’t really matter as much as the need to change the Master Plan back to how it was.
But it seems logical for the same Board which approved those changes to simply rescind that approval based on new information that came out from the same experts they consulted during their process subsequent to their having approved them in the first place.
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photo by Boyd Loving
Final Voter Registration (Municipal Election) Final Voter Registration (Municipal Election) 4:30pm – 9:00pm in Village Hall Lobby
Village Council Election Candidates Night April 30
The League of Woman Voters will hold a Candidates Night , Monday, April 30th at 7:30PM in the 4th Floor Village Hall Court Room. All six candidates will participate in the debate and stating thier positions on Ridgewood issues.
Candidates Night will be televised on Cablevision Channel 77 and Fios Channel 34.
RIDGEWOOD MUNICIPAL ELECTION MAY 8
The Municipal Election, to be held on May 8, 2012, will elect three Councilmembers to the Village Council. There are six candidates running for the three open seats. The polling hours are 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Any questions concerning the Municipal Election should be directed to the Village Clerk’s Office at 201-670-5500 ext. 201 or by email to: [email protected]
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>What the heck? The Times gets the tunnel wrong again
Published: Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 3:49 PM
By Paul Mulshine/The Star Ledger
I’ve noted before that the people who run the New York Times seem to have not the vaguest notion of just how their island is connected to New Jersey.
Now it seems they don’t understand who runs their subway system either.
There was an article in Wednesday’s Times on Chris Christie’s response to a soon-to-be-released study on the canceled ARC Tunnel.
In it, we come across this puzzling passage about the governor’s views:
While the tunnel would have expanded the number of subway lines available to those who commute to Pennsylvania Station in New York City, he characterized it on Tuesday as a dead-end to a department store.
Huh? ARC had nothing to do with expanding subway lines.
The plan called for two tunnels carrying NJ Transit trains, not MTA subways.
https://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2012/04/what_the_heck_the_times_gets_t.html
