Author: James

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Open Houses for February 19,2017

Ridgewood_Real_estate_theridgewoodblog
file photo by Boyd Loving

1705424.1 MLS # 1705424
579 Grove St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, Col
Peggy Jung, Sales Associate
Nenet A. Susar, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
22

1645719.1 MLS # 1645719
220 Canterbury Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Ranch
Maryanne Connaughton, Sales Associate
Terrie O’Connor Realtors-Ridgewood

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
21

1704717.1 MLS # 1704717
320 Northern Pkwy, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Angele Ekert, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
24

1704839.1 MLS # 1704839
953 Andover Ter, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Till Horkenbach, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
20

1639914.1 MLS # 1639914
165 Kemah Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col
Nicholas R. Alutin, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 2/19
25

1703800.1 MLS # 1703800
133 Circle Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Janis Fuhrman, Sales Associate
Terrie O’Connor Realtors-Ridgewood

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
25

1646872.1 MLS # 1646872
289 Oak St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
25

1705750.1 MLS # 1705750
260 Lincoln Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Jennifer M. Parsekian, Broker
Keller Williams Village Square Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/26
25

1705568.1 MLS # 1705568
308 Woodside Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Laura Gill, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
25

1705726.1 MLS # 1705726
80 Crest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Nancy Slott, Sales Associate
Marron Gildea Realty, Inc. Ridgewood

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
25

1702750.1 MLS # 1702750
326 West End Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Cathy Bossolina, Sales Associate
Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Ridgewood

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/19
25
Open Houses for Sun 2/26

1706071.1 MLS # 1706071
676 Terhune Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, Ranch
Jolanta Krygier, Sales Associate
Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Saddle River

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/26
25

1705505.1 MLS # 1705505
214 Fairfield Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/26
25

1706155.1 MLS # 1706155
668 Wall St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 6 Full Bath, Col
Jennifer M. Parsekian, Broker
Keller Williams Village Square Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 2/26
Posted on by — Leave a comment

NJ Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean “Rather than work for headlines, Senate Democrats should start working for New Jersey.”

Sweeney & Prieto

Kean Urges NJ Senate Democrats to Spend Less Time Criticizing Washington & More Time Working to Fix New Jersey

February 19,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean called on New Jersey Senate Democrats to spend less time criticizing Washington and more time working to fix problems here in New Jersey:

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean called on Senate Democrats to stop working for headlines and start working for New Jersey. (SenateNJ.com)

“With Senate Democrats so focused on federal affairs in Washington, they’ve ignored work on reforms they have the power to advance in Trenton that could have a real impact on the lives of every New Jerseyan.

“They’ve planned votes to express opposition, but they haven’t planned any votes on cutting property taxes, nor have they planned votes on creating opportunities for students and job seekers, or on ethics reforms that would help to rebuild trust in our government institutions.

“Rather than work for headlines, Senate Democrats should start working for New Jersey.”

Senate Democrats blocked efforts by Senate Republicans to bring the following three bills up for a vote that would address New Jersey’s crisis of affordability and help to rebuild residents’ trust in government.

S-1557 (Beck) – Provides full forfeiture of pension of elected or appointed official convicted of any crime touching office.
S-1888 (Doherty) – Establishes State Transportation Cost Analysis Task Force.
S-2554 (Kyrillos) – Sets level for health care benefits; requires employee contributions; prohibits reimbursement of Medicare Part B; adds member to SHBP/SEHBP plan design committees; requires retirees to purchase health care through exchanges.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

N.J. needs a water plan, or it may be tears that will flow

ridgewood water

February 19, 2017 at 3:00 AM

Smart companies (and states) make long-range plans based on the most accurate data available. But New Jersey’s real estate and home-building industries, the state’s water utilities and, indeed, any N.J. company that depends on a reliable water supply can’t do that right now. The Statewide Water Supply Plan — a document that details where the water for New Jersey’s future is and is not — has not been updated since 1996, despite a state statute requiring that an updated report be provided every five years.

Certainly, the Department of Environmental Protection has been working on an update. But, as Rutgers professor and former DEP official Daniel J. Van Abs said in a Feb. 7 column for NJSpotlight, a new draft plan was “last seen” in 2012, when it was presented to the Water Supply Advisory Council — a panel of water company officials, academic scientists and various nonprofits that advises the DEP on water issues. Since then, nothing has happened.

The DEP says it is still collecting data, but Van Abs and others believe Gov. Chris Christie is sitting on the report because the news is not likely to be good. Their theory is that an updated report could stymie development in the state, and the Christie administration does not want to be bound by it.

https://www.njbiz.com/article/20170219/NJBIZ01/170219830/editorial-nj-needs-a-water-plan-or-it-may-be-tears-that-will-flow

Posted on by — 1 Comment

7 reasons why N.J.’s property taxes are highest in U.S. again

Ridgewood Real estate

Updated February 18, 2017
Posted February 18, 2017
By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

With the Governor and the entire Legislature on the ballot this election year, New Jerseyans will likely hear numerous politicians promise to reduce their especially high property tax bills.

We pay among the highest property taxes in the nation. Last year, the average homeowner paid $8,500 per home, a 2.35 percent increase over 2015, according to the most recent state calculations.

Both the Christie administration and the Legislature agree the annual increases would have been worse had they not passed a 2 percent spending cap on most local expenses.

As unpleasant as it is to admit, there are several facts about the Garden State that make bringing down property taxes very difficult, according to Marc Pfeiffer, assistant director for the Bloustein Local Government Research Center at Rutgers Center. (He previously helped manage six municipalities in central and north Jersey, then more than a quarter-century at the state office overseeing local government spending.)

“New Jersey has had property tax problem for roughly 140 years. We have been talking about this forever,” Pfeiffer said. “If we could have solved it easily, it would have been done.”

In no particular order, here are 7 reasons why they’re so high.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/02/7_reasons_why_njs_property_taxes_are_highest_in_us.html

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Obama-linked activists have a ‘training manual’ for protesting Trump

middle-east-shouts-death-to-america

By Paul Sperry

An Obama-tied activist group training tens of thousands of agitators to protest President Trump’s policies plans to hit Republican lawmakers supporting those policies even harder this week, when they return home for the congressional recess and hold town hall meetings and other functions.

Organizing for Action, a group founded by Obama and featured prominently on his new post-presidency website, is distributing a training manual to anti-Trump activists that advises them to bully GOP lawmakers into backing off support for repealing ObamaCare, curbing immigration from high-risk Islamic nations, and building a border wall.

In a new Facebook post, OFA calls on activists to mobilize against Republicans from now until Feb. 26, when “representatives are going to be in their home districts.”

https://nypost.com/2017/02/18/obama-linked-activists-have-a-training-manual-for-protesting-trump/

Posted on by — 8 Comments

Chemistry Expert: Carbon Dioxide Can’t Cause Global Warming

r-FLORIDA-RETIREMENT-large570

Published on February 9, 2017

Written by Dr Mark Imisides (Industrial Chemist)

Scarcely a day goes by without us being warned of coastal inundation by rising seas due to global warming.

Why on earth do we attribute any heating of the oceans to carbon dioxide, when there is a far more obvious culprit, and when such a straightforward examination of the thermodynamics render it impossible.

Carbon dioxide, we are told, traps heat that has been irradiated by the oceans, and this warms the oceans and melts the polar ice caps. While this seems a plausible proposition at first glance, when one actually examines it closely a major flaw emerges.

In a nutshell, water takes a lot of energy to heat up, and air doesn’t contain much. In fact, on a volume/volume basis, the ratio of heat capacities is about 3300 to 1. This means that to heat 1 litre of water by 1˚C it would take 3300 litres of air that was 2˚C hotter, or 1 litre of air that was about 3300˚C hotter!

This shouldn’t surprise anyone. If you ran a cold bath and then tried to heat it by putting a dozen heaters in the room, does anyone believe that the water would ever get hot?

The problem gets even stickier when you consider the size of the ocean. Basically, there is too much water and not enough air.

The ocean contains a colossal 1,500,000,000,000,000,000,000 litres of water! To heat it, even by a small amount, takes a staggering amount of energy. To heat it by a mere 1˚C, for example, an astonishing 6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 joules of energy are required.

Let’s put this amount of energy in perspective. If we all turned off all our appliances and went and lived in caves, and then devoted every coal, nuclear, gas, hydro, wind and solar power plant to just heating the ocean, it would take a breathtaking 32,000 years to heat the ocean by just this 1˚C!

In short, our influence on our climate, even if we really tried, is miniscule!

https://principia-scientific.org/chemistry-expert-carbon-dioxide-cant-cause-global-warming/

Posted on by — Leave a comment

N.J. taxpayers shouldn’t be punished because of sanctuary cities

Tom Kean - High Quality

Posted on February 17, 2017 at 8:24 AM

By Tom Kean Jr.

As the New Jersey Senate debated a pair of symbolic resolutions on immigration last week, a new bill that has the potential to devastate our state budget and cause unbelievable harm to New Jersey taxpayers was introduced by Senate Democrats with little fanfare.

This new legislation, S3007, follows a proposal floated by President Trump to withhold federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement efforts.

The president’s proposal has yet to become actual federal policy or law.

Still, Democrats in the state Senate rushed forward with an ill-conceived response which would require the state to reimburse local governments for the loss of any federal funds resulting from their status as a sanctuary jurisdiction.

Our concern with S3007 centers on the great cost that may result from this reckless bill. We worry about the harm it could cause to hard-working New Jersey families that already struggle to get by in our extremely expensive state.

The potential impact of this legislation on our friends and neighbors is beyond immense.

https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/02/nj_taxpayers_shouldnt_be_punished_for_sanctuary_ci.html#incart_river_home

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company is seeking chorus members and principals

Ridgewood Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company

February 18,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, We are seeking chorus members and principals ages 16+ for our upcoming musical production of the Gilbert & Sullivan classic, Patience! Whether you are professionally trained or plan to study theatre, OR you just enjoy choral singing for fun, we would love to have you join us! We have all types of singers in our casts. The show is in English, and will be performed both as concerts and as a full-scale production.

Thursday, February  23
7:30-9 p.m.*
Glen Rock Community Church
354 Rock Road
Glen Rock, NJ 07452

Stage Director: Milly Gonzalez
Musical Director: Paul Geidel

*Do not arrive later than 9, but we will hear people longer than 9 p.m. depending on turnout.

Drive to the back of the church, enter through the main door, and the audition room is the first door on the right.

Please prepare at least 32 bars of a song (if not the whole song) that shows off your voice. Singing a song from the show is perfectly acceptable, especially if auditioning for a certain role. An accompanist will be provided.
You may be asked to read from the script. There is no dance audition, though the show will be blocked. Bring a headshot and/or resume if you have them.

Rehearsals will mostly be on Mondays and Thursdays from 7:30-10 p.m in Glen Rock and Ridgewood (both down the street from train stations and bus stops for transportation to NYC). Most parts will be double cast due to our long performance season. Please check our website for our performance schedule and email [email protected] or Facebook message us with any questions.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Art Brainz Academy Announces Summer Art Camp Offerings

Van Gogh Doctor Who
file photo

Special Rates for Early Summer Art Camp Registration!

Summer Art Camp
EARLY REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Walk Ins Welcome!

Half Day 8:30AM – 12:30PM
Full Day 8:30 – 4:30PM

Cost: 1/2 Day: $35 or Full Day: $65 (Best Value)

Summer Early Registration
Reg. $325 Sale: $275 Full Week

Making Art like Matisse
June 19 – June 21
Join us as we paint, draw and create
colorful art inspired by Matisse!

Fun with Picasso
June 26 – June 30
Young artists explore a fun filled, color
and shape learning experience
as they dive into Picasso’s world
drawing, painting and more!

Where does the time Van Gogh?
July 10 – July 14
From starry nights to rich and colorful
landscapes, students will enjoy drawing
and painting in the impressionist style.

Doing it like Da Vinci!
July 17 – July 21
Explore this master of the Renaissance
as we build, paint and draw many of
Da Vinci’s most famous creations!

Making All Things Monet
July 24 – July 28
Explore this master of the Renaissance
as we build, paint and draw many of
Da Vinci’s most famous creations!

Create Your Own Tees and Hats
August 7 – August 11
Custom tees and color filled hats
will be created using fabric paints. Fun
filled days with exciting themes. Wear
your own artwork and have fun!

Get Hopping With Haring
August 14 – August 18
Pop art is alive and well as we
learn about Keith Haring and his colorful
creations. Paintings and drawings in
mixed media to be created.

Mad About Emojis
August 21 – August 25
We love emojis and so will you as
we create our favorite ones in clay,
paintings and drawings!

Call 201-932-0202 or visit https://www.artbrainz.com/summer-camp.html

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival Fund Raiser!!

Ridgewood Guild Oscar Night

An Oscar Evening

You’re Invited!

February 18,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Guild will be hosting a fund raiser for it’s Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival Oscar watching event.

Come walk the red carpet – Dress as your favorite movie star or movie character [optional] – DJ – Hollywood Trivia – Oscar Ballots – Prizes – Delicious Appetizers & Drinks! $50 Cash Bar or $65 for Open Bar. Join us at this Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival Fund Raiser!!!!

Join us on Friday, February 24 from 7:30 – 11:30pm at park West Loft (38 Oak St.) for an evening of fun on behalf of the Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival.

Imagine you are attending the Academy Awards – Ladies can wear a gown, men can wear a tuxedo (or a nice dress and suit, black tie NOT required). Or, if you’re feeling festive come dressed as a character from an Oscar-nominated movies from this year, or any past year.

There will be a red carpet with an interviewer and photographers. There will be Oscar trivia and gift certificates awarded for best costume and whoever picks the most winners on the Oscar ballot (The Academy Awards are only 48 hrs later).

Hot and cold appetizers will be served, and there will be a pasta station as well. We will also have dessert, coffee, tea and soft drinks.

There are 2 ticket options, $50 (if you opt for a cash bar) or $65 (premium shelf open bar until 10pm).

Tickets can be purchased by sending a check to The Ridgewood Guild, 41 N. Broad Street, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.

Please, come out and support arts in our community. You will get a lot of bang for your buck, and have a fun and memorable night with your friends and neighbors! We hope to see you there!

Posted on by — 1 Comment

No Time For Gym? 30 Minutes *A Week* On Stairs Just As Good, Study Finds

gym

18Feb – by Charles Hartwell –  16 – In Exercise Studies Health Studies Longer Life Studies Weight Studies

ONTARIO — Is too much time at home or work keeping you away from your local gym? Good news: a new study finds that all you need is a staircase and 30 minutes a week to give your body a great workout.

The findings were published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, and conducted by researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. The study shows that intense bursts of exercise for short periods of time can be critically beneficial for one’s heart health.

A new study finds that all you need for a great workout is a set of stairs and just 30 minutes — a week!

In the study, stair sprints were used as an example of sprint interval training, or SIT. The researchers recognized that such exercises can improve cardiorespitory health. Lead author Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at the university, has dedicated an abundance of research into high-intensity interval training over the years. He wrote a book regarding the topic, titled “The One Minute Workout,” which was published earlier this month.

https://www.studyfinds.org/brief-intense-exercises-found-increase-heart-health/

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Rutgers fashion police boot students from job fair for wrong color suit

plaid suits

By Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on February 16, 2017 at 5:19 PM, updated February 17, 2017 at 3:02 PM

PISCATAWAY — Rutgers University has issued a formal apology after banning students from a job fair for wearing blue suits, colored shirts, brown shoes or other attire that violated a strict new dress code for the event.

The controversy started Feb. 10 when several students who arrived at a career fair for the Rutgers Business School were turned away, according to The Daily Targum, the university’s student newspaper. Students were told they could return if they changed clothes, but some owned only one suit or lived too far away to drive home and make it back in time, the Targum’s report said.

Rutgers told NJ Advance Media it could not confirm how many students were turned away.

https://www.nj.com/education/2017/02/rutgers_dress_code_controversy_career_fair_busines.html

Posted on by — 9 Comments

Letter to Editor of the Ridgewood News Causes Social media Firestorm

Ridgewood News letter
February 18,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood
Ridgewood NJ, recent letter to the editor of the Ridgewood news causes a furor on social media. Initially, the letter suggested among other things that the former “breath of fresh air ” Village manager was fired when in fact she resigned.
The misinformation in the letter was later edited out by the Ridgewood News but not before the damage was done.
The staff of the Ridgewood blog had noticed the letter but felt it was what we call a “put up job” where a local special interest, usually a supporter of the former mayor and his schemes puts up a relative or friend to promote garagezilla and to attack the current council.
The push for garagezilla now being framed as the end all to be all solution in Ridgewood guaranteed to solve all problems in town.
The killer line in the letter for us was,”there are plenty of empty lots in the central business district perfect for a parking garage “.The key words being “empty lots”.
Jacqueline Hone‎ called out the Ridgewood News on Facebook claiming, “RIDGEWOOD FAKE NEWS OUTLET ⁉️ Why didn’t the Ridgewood News fact check? Why would someone write this, lie and stir up faux outrage? “
Even going as far as to post the resignation letter in the comment section, “Below, in comments, our previous Village Manager’s resignation letter. It’s proof our Mayor DID NOT fire her. This letter, Ridgewood News turning into a PR platform…Sad State of Affairs INDEED.”
16806769 10212004953384003 2110332427994247679 n
Which came as a surprise to us after all, with the election Paul Aronsohn both the Ridgewood News and Bergen Record seemed to amount to nothing more than PR for the former mayor and his grandiose plans for the Village of Ridgewood.
Posted on by — 1 Comment

Rockland lawyer involved with the Town Garage gets prison for lying to investigators

Town Garage Ridgewood

February 18,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Reader pointed out that the owner, Ridgewood 120, LLC , the owner of the “Town Garage ” is either owned or represented by a Burton Dorfman, ESQ. Coincidentally, he was in the new four days ago.

Rockland lawyer Burton Dorfman gets prison for lying to investigators

Steve Lieberman , [email protected] 2:58 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2017 | Updated 5:04 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2017

Federal judge sentences Rockland attorney Burton Dorfman to six months in prison

A Rockland attorney was sentenced Monday to six months in federal prison for lying to federal Labor Department investigators looking into accusations he stole money from a profit-sharing plan at his former law firm.

Burton Dorfman, once a prominent development and investment lawyer, also must repay the fund $212.429, pay a $25,000 fine and $100 court fee under the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Seibel at the White Plains federal courthouse.

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2017/02/13/burton-dorfman-lawyer-sentenced/97851046/

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Airbnb sees growth in the state: N.J. hosts earned over $50M in 2016

Ridgewood Realestate

By Andrew Sheldon, February 17, 2017 at 12:39 PM

It sure sounds as though it might pay to rent out that extra bedroom.

Airbnb announced that New Jersey’s 6,100 active hosts earned over $50 million dollars in supplemental income in 2016 by welcoming approximately 257,000 visitors to the Garden State. This figure represents a 100 percent year-over-year increase in inbound guest arrivals, according to the company.

The company says a typical host in New Jersey earns $6,200 annually. The typical listing is occupied 44 nights per year and the average length of stay is 4.2 nights.

https://www.njbiz.com/article/20170217/NJBIZ01/170219828/airbnb-sees-growth-in-the-state-nj-hosts-earned-over-50m-in-2016