Ryan Stolz, CorrespondentPublished 9:44 a.m. ET July 1, 2017 | Updated 9:44 a.m. ET July 1, 2017
In a presentation to the Board of Education Monday night, Director of Special Services Dr. Kim Turner detailed the process in which Ridgewood Public Schools tests kids for Dyslexia.
According to Turner, the testing process, and the way in which Ridgewood ensures students are being properly aided in the classroom, goes well beyond what the State of New Jersey requires by law.
file photo by Boyd Loving
July 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, At Wednesdays Council meeting defenders of CRAB ie the Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock , got up and ran off a litany of the horrors of living in a terrible place like Ridgewood where even your brand new BMW , winter ski vacations and summering at the shore can not save you from .
photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook
July 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hillsdale NJ, A Saturday evening, 07/01, rollover crash on the Garden State Parkway southbound at mile marker 167.9 in Hillsdale brought out first responders from Washington Township and Hillsdale as well as the NJ State Police. It appeared as though the driver of the rolled over vehicle, an SUV, walked away from the crash with non life threatening injuries.
July 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police report that once again another Ridgewood Business falls victim to the PSE&G gift card scam. A Franklin Avenue business reported being the victim of a fraud on June 21. The business owner reported an individual contacted the business posing as a PSE&G representative. The fraudulent caller reported the power to the business would be shut off if gift cards were not immediately purchased. The victim reported purchasing gift cards before realizing he was being scammed. The Ridgewood Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.
July 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police report that on June 23, a Bronx, N.Y. taxi driver reported he picked up two fares outside of Yankee Stadium and transported them to Ridgewood, N.J. One male party was dropped off on East Glen Avenue and the second male requested transportation to Morningside Road. Upon arrival, the male fled from the taxi onto Glenwood Road. Both males were reported to be white males in their early twenties wearing New York Yankee jerseys. The amount of the theft was reported to be $150.
July 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police finally put an end to the speculation as to the previously reported Lenard Place incident. On June 24 at about 7pm, Ridgewood Police received a report of a man who felt threatened at the sight of a gun in a residence on Leonard Place. The Ridgewood Police responded with appropriate caution until they could determine there was no active threat.
July 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, several very large trees came down before the end of the month . As many readers are aware a new ordinance regulating tree removals on private property was unanimously passed by Village Council members on 6/14. A permit will now be required to remove any tree larger than 8 inches in diameter. Any healthy tree removed must be replaced, or a payment made in lieu of replacement.
The ordinance went into effect July 1st and it looks like some were working to beat the dead line . While it is difficult to know the reasons behind the tree take down .
How did the new owner of 362 East Glen destroy all of these 100 foot high, healthy trees, just under the start of this new ordinance? Another McMansion?? Once again it seems like the Spirit of the ordinance was thrown into the face of Village Residents.
July 1,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Assemblyman and then Senator Kevin O’Toole is leaving the Assembly for greener pastures . While we did not often see eye to eye with Mr. O’Toole we wish him the best of luck on his new endeavor .
All good things in life must come to an end…
On July 1st my time in the Legislature comes to an end as I begin my term as a Commissioner at the Port Authority. Serving as your Assemblyman and then Senator has been one of the most profound honors and privileges of my life. The trust you have placed in me to be your voice and advocate is something I will never be able to repay.
While in the Legislature for 22 years I have tried to make the most of every day in our fight to make New Jersey a better and more affordable place to live. I take great pride not just in legislative accomplishments, but more so in the little things we do every day in our office. Whether that was helping a senior with Medicare, working with utility companies so that a family’s power is not shut off, assisting flood ravaged residents in obtaining money to rebuild their homes, getting our municipal first responders fuel in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene to respond to emergencies, and countless other things, it has been an honor to serve.
I am very proud of the things we have accomplished to benefit our State and improve the lives of its residents. These include co-sponsoring legislation to reform the health/pension benefit system, implementing our 2% property tax cap, strengthening laws to protect the welfare of children from predators, mandating certain preventative medical screenings for women, supporting our veterans, and honoring those who serve to protect us every day.
While I have been your voice in Trenton, the success in achieving outcomes has not been mine alone but ours. Your correspondences over the years regarding your ideas, concerns and thoughts have brought issues to my attention and influenced me every day. It truly takes a village to achieve any success, and I am forever humbled to be in this village with you.
As I move on to the next phase of my life, I wanted you to know how appreciative I am of your support over the years. While I am leaving the Legislature, I will still be around. If there is anything I can ever do to be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone: 973-239-5700 or email: [email protected].
Sincerely,
Kevin O’Toole
July 1,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Council discussed the Hudson lot options . Bob Rooney Village CFO gave the following options 1) sell the lot on Hudson Street, 2) lease property to garage builders . Which is only available for non profit s 3) Award a contract for design 4) declare Hudson Street as a redevelopment zone with no restrictions.
photo courtesy of Ridgewood Police
Current Road asphalt conditions are horrendous. The VC ignoring this fact for years while the PSEG TUNNEL diggers are tearing up the main roads.
For Pipe and Utility upgrades .will get much worse folks.Cars tires suspensions will continue to take a beating .its not like we can take an alternate route to and from town.Means lost business store owners .
Tire car repair alignment shops will continue to rake it in.Visitors know the Town is in downslide,Parking violations officers just hammer the visitors anyway to ensure they know better than to come again next week to shop or dine.is ass backwards to think visitors are fools.Glen Rock and the malls have 3 hours free honor based parking .I get haircuts there every month and I am sure to visit other stores like drugstores there when free parked.
file photo by Boyd Loving
July 1,2017
by Boyd Loving
Ridgewood NJ, During this past Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session (06/28), Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen announced Ridgewood Water’s intent to acquire, via outright purchase, the building and property located at 111 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, which is currently owned by the Ridgewood Elks Holding Corporation.
Mayor Knudsen further stated that Ridgewood Water would make improvements to the Elks Lodge building to permit the relocation of water utility operations currently housed in Midland Park, and at Village Hall in Ridgewood.
No information was made available during the aforementioned meeting as to whether the Midland Park property would be sold when vacated, nor what would be done with the water utility’s space at Village Hall once the utility leaves it.
Ridgewood Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh and Councilman Jeffrey Voigt both stated their opposition to the purchase. Councilman Ramon Hache said that he’d initially been opposed to the plan also, but now viewed it as a good idea.
Costs for property acquisition and building improvements are said to be in the neighborhood of $3 million, according to Councilwoman Walsh.
Further public discussions about the proposed plan with take place later in the summer, as per Mayor Knudsen.
file photo from 2015
July 1,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Train Station Historic district includes Garber and Wilsey Square and the the entire train station plaza ie the parking lot and is known as the Ridgewood central railroad Historic district .
Ridgewood would need an DEP approval to add additional parking at the Historic Train Station. The Village engineer Christopher Rutishauser had already submitted the application to the DEP and that application was challenged at the Council Meeting on Wednesday Night by Cynthia Halaby claiming it held many erroneous assertions .
In recent discussions the Village Council has been challenged by several Village committees and residents of the loss of green space at the train station . These are the same individuals and committees who supported clear cutting 5 acres of trees at Schedler Park.
Amazing how when a pota-potty sat in the train station median for months in 2015 no one uttered a peep about its visibility at the Ridgewood Train Station Historic district..
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ,due to the state shut down government services such as state parks and Motor Vehicle Commission offices will be closed.
Today, Governor Chris Christie signed the following Executive Order:
Executive Order 228 – Declaring a state of emergency and maintaining that essential state government services continue operating for the people of New Jersey, as the failure of the Legislature to act on a Fiscal Year 2018 State Budget by tonight’s constitutional deadline forces the closure of state government.
“This order is necessary to maintain the protection, safety and well-being of the people of New Jersey while I attempt to convince the Legislature to send me a fiscally responsible budget that I can sign and re-open New Jersey’s government, ” said Governor Christie. “This was completely avoidable. But Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto needlessly stalled the budget process, forcing the closure of New Jersey government and inconveniencing everyone living in and visiting our state.”
Included among the essential functions that will remain in operation: State Police, state correctional facilities, key child welfare services, state hospitals and treatment facilities, NJ TRANSIT, and operations linked to the health, safety, and welfare of the public, including certain environmental and health monitoring. The state closure also will NOT impact the State Lottery, casinos and racetracks. For details on non-essential services that will be closed as well as operations that will remain open, check the website of that department or agency.
Links to many major state agencies and a brief description of services impacted are provided below.
Department of Environmental Protection:All state parks, recreation areas, forests, and historic sites, including Island Beach State Park and Liberty State Park, will be closed; all public events within state parks and historic sites will be cancelled. The following will also be closed: permitting offices for Air, Historic Preservation, Land Use, Site Remediation, Solid Waste, and Water Supply; Green Acres and Blue Acres offices; Office of Dispute Resolution; Office of Permit Coordination; most of the Division of Fish & Wildlife (Wildlife Management Areas and on-line services will not be impacted); NJ Geologic Survey; and Rebuild by Design projects.
Department of Transportation: Construction will continue, as will emergency repairs and some roadside safety services. The rest areas on I-295 in Deepwater, Salem County and on I-80 in Knowlton, Warren County, will be closed.
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission: All MVC agencies and inspection stations will be closed. Online services will still be available.
Department of Law & Public Safety: Juvenile Justice Commission operations, State Medical Examiner Offices, and other public safety operations will continue, but some administrative offices will be closed.
Department of Health: The public will not be able to obtain copies of birth and marriage certificates, or copies of adoptees’ original birth certificates. No new certifications or renewals will be issued for EMTs, paramedics or Certified Nursing Assistants.
New Jersey Department of Labor:Unemployment Insurance and disability determination services will remain operational. Temporary Disability Insurance claims, Wage and Hour claims, and Family Leave Insurance claims may be filed, but they will not be processed. One Stop Career Centers (state not county services) will be closed; Workers Compensation Courts will be closed. Division of Vocational and Rehabilitation Services will be closed.
Department of Children and Families:Child abuse hotlines, protection services and response teams will continue to operate. Schools for children with special needs will remain open.
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: Veteran’s Haven North and South will remain in operation and National Guard will remain on call.
Department of Banking and Insurance: All offices will be closed except the IURO (health insurance internal appeals program).
Department of Community Affairs:Inspections related to construction codes, fire safety, fairs and fireworks displays will continue, however some public services will not be available.
Department of Corrections: Prisons and halfway houses will remain operational, although some inmate services will be impacted.
Department of Education:Katzenbach School will remain open. Phone help desks, customer service, and all other related staff-based assistance functions will be unavailable and all core public functions will be closed.
Economic Development Authority: EDA will not process any payments to businesses from any program (such as the Business Employment Incentive Program) which funding source needs to be authorized by the FY 2018 Appropriations Act.
Department of State: The travel and tourism welcome centers will be closed.
Department of the Treasury: July 1 pension checks have been processed and mailed. Taxation call centers and walk-in facilities will be closed. The Division of Risk Management will be closed, however the scheduling of medical appointments, treatments and services for injured workers will remain ongoing. The Division of Pensions and Benefits will be closed, although it will continue payment of health provider claims and life claims, and continue to process changes to family status for health benefits.
file photo by Boyd Loving
Of course the district can re-assign students at any moment, and of course they are going to have to once the reality of all these new students hits home. Do you seriously think the developers are not going to market these apartments to young families with children? And, if you were a family of any age, wouldn’t you go for the cheapest way to obtain the best education for your family.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And when he was mayor, he went out of his way to give away the Village to others.
The apartment projects are going to attract good solid people, just like those who built the Village and those who work so hard to maintain the quality of life. But, people beget more people, and that’s the fact of life. Its not that we don’t want these people, in our Village – – we absolutely do. Its just that we can’t afford that many new people. We don’t want this number of new people.
The Aronsohn projects will bring in 300 to 400 families when all is said and done. You can expect your taxes to go up to take care of their schooling, lights for their roads, water & sewage infrastructure improvements, etc.
And now that this round of housing is done – – look for the developers to buy up more properties and say they should be able to build the same number of units. And ask this council what the hell it is doing to stop this nonsense, now that the word is out it is easy pickings for developers to zero in on Ridgewood.
Photos courtesy of Village of Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen
July 1,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Michael Feeney Jr. Police Academy class #4 members graduated Friday at BFMS. Congratulations to the 100 student participants and thank you to the Ridgewood Police Department, Bergen County Sheriff’s Department K-9 and Bomb Squad, Ridgewood Emergency Services, Ridgewood Fire Department, Bergen County Law and Public Safety and more.
Special thanks to Lieutenant Glenn Ender, Jill Feeney & junior instructors and to everyone involved with this outstanding program! Village of Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen and Chief Jacqueline Luthcke got involved and did a few selfies with graduates.
