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Reader says The Pomander situation reminds us that All Streets Are Equal but Some Streets Are More Equal Than Others

free-parking

The Pomander situation reminds us that All Streets Are Equal but Some Streets Are More Equal Than Others. The Pomander no parking came about based on the CSAC (which did not see the need for no parking) but residents of the street wanted no parking and the previous council made it so without any study. Sherman residents have requested safety changes (with parking remaining intact) – but the Council is requiring an expensive tax payer funded study before even allowing our qualified village staff to make these changes. Pomander had changes with no study – no consideration for how it would affect surrioundings streets. Sherman, with very obvious safety concerns and closer proximity to GW, is being left to wait FOR MONTHS for any of the issues to be simply reviewed by the council.

Some streets in Ridgewood are much more equal than others. Let’s hope you and your children live on a street that is deemed worthy of being safe.

And don’t get me started on how poorly businesses on the west of the tracks are treated. God Forbid anyone not get parking to go to one of the CBD’s high price restaurants – you can get valet! If you want to eat at a restaurant on the other side of the tracks you are just out of luck. Only our fine Mayor cares about them. No solid parking solutions are ever discussed – not at the CBDAC, not at the council meetings, not by anyone except the Mayor. I feel for her having to deal with the short-sidedness of some of the council and committees.

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Reader says Yes, a sad day that another Elks lodge is gone but even sadder that this one could have been rescued

Ridgewood Elks

Truly sad. This Lodge while once in not the best of shape was making improvements by leaps and bounds. A new group of dedicated and excited officers took charge and were taking a no prisoners approach in their efforts to get the Lodge back on track. They had won awards for membership gains (I believe over 40 new net new members in a year), started an Antlers group that was very active in the community, had won several community awards for their local efforts. Looking at the decision from the GF, losses were cut by 81% in a single year (yes a single year) which by definition means revenue was significantly higher (by tens of thousands actually). All signs that the lodge was on the rise in a major way.

This Lodge could have been salvaged. When objectively looked at they were one, maybe two years at the most away from meeting all the requirements of an All American Lodge. That is how far they came in a very short amount of time. Can you imagine that story in the national magazine?

Just look at the effort they put into saving their charter to see how much love and dedication they felt for their Lodge. They never gave up on the Elks or what the Elks stood for. They worked hard to right all the past wrongs, they put their hearts and souls into the place and were making real and accountable progress.

Yes, a sad day that another Elks lodge is gone but even sadder that this one could have been rescued and then been held out as an example that when a team works TOGETHER anything is possible. I say this is an opportunity lost to showcase a potential success story of how to climb that mountain and reach the top.

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Time to Rid the Village of Ridgewood of the Bogus Financial Advisory Committee

Jeff Voigt Ridgewood Council

December 9,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, at Wednesday night’s Council meeting Mayor Knudsen suggested that the missions and bylaws of boards and committees need to be reviewed.  Some have cumbersome bylaws some have none, while others overstep beyond the original intent.  Some, most notably the Financial Advisory Committee, border on performing management functions.

While the volunteer efforts of committee and board members is greatly appreciated and was duly acknowledged, the fact remains that these hard-working individuals need guidelines under which to function.

Interesting this obvious point resulted in an angry, nasty, vituperative outburst from Councilman Voigt, who made wild accusations about Mayor Knudsen. Were we back in the days of the 3 amigos and their consorts? One could close one’s eyes and think, for a horrifying moment, that the angry quartet of Aronsohn-Pucciarelli-Hauck-Sonenfeld had returned to the dais.
Desperately defending the worthless Financial Advisory Committee, just going on and on about it.  The committee that adds nothing to the Village ,has no minutes and no defined responsibilities .The FAC was set up and used by the Aronsohn and Co. to oust former Mayor Kieth Killion and discredit Village Manager Ken Gabbert.
Paraphrasing Shakespeare…….methinks thou dost protest too much.  Who is pulling your strings to protect the FAC with such venom??? (and the Jeopardy answer to that question is……).
The other four elected officials (you know, the four that are level headed and do not have people behind the scenes telling them what to do) agreed that Mayor Knudsen’s suggestion is valid and that the review of committee and board bylaws will be worthwhile…..all while Councilman Voigt continued to spew his objections.  A template for committee bylaws will be developed, thus providing  a framework for each group.
Well that is just not good enough, New council members were well warned about ceding power to nameless special interest run committees. It was a huge mistake not disbanding this “fake” finance committee right from the get go. FAC which only exists to push and justify special interest politics on Village Taxpayers. There is nothing they have to offer about running the Village that could not be found in the comment section of the Ridgewood blog over the last 10 years . FAC is no less of a joke than that ridiculous”civility “committee set up to squash free speech and stifle dissent .
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Ridgewood’s Glenwood Road to become one way street east of Upper Boulevard

Ridgewood's Glenwood Road to become one way street east of Upper Boulevard

December 9,2016
by Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ, Acting Village Manager Heather Mailander has announced that the portion of Glenwood Road between Upper Boulevard and the Ho-Ho-Kus train station will be designated one-way eastbound (i.e., all motor vehicle traffic down hill only; no motor vehicle traffic will be permitted to travel from the Ho-Ho-Kus train station up hill) sometime within the coming year.

DSCF0311

This change is being mandated by the NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT) because tractor trailers, buses, and other larger motor vehicles attempting to travel westbound on Glenwood Road from Ho-Ho-Kus are continuing to create hazardous conditions at the grade level railroad crossing just north of the Ho-Ho-Kus train station.

NJDOT gave the Village two (2) options; ban motor vehicle traffic completely between Upper Boulevard and the Ho-Ho-Kus train station, or keep the route open to eastbound traffic only.  Village officials chose the later option.

DSCF1516

The one-way change will be implemented shortly after the grade crossing itself is rehabilitated, which is scheduled to happen sometime in 2017.

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School boards across N.J. to coordinate legal action against FieldTurf

maple+field1-300x19911

By Christopher Baxter and Matthew Stanmyre | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 07, 2016 at 1:43 PM, updated December 07, 2016 at 2:08 PM

The state School Boards Association will coordinate legal action against the nation’s top maker of artificial sports fields, FieldTurf, in response to a report that the company for years sold high-end turf after knowing it was falling apart.

The executive director of the group, Lawrence Feinsod, said Wednesday the allegations should “anger anyone concerned about corporate responsibility” and that he supported calls for an investigation by the state attorney general.

“We are urging school boards to have their attorneys contact NJSBA’s general counsel, who will assist districts in identifying and coordinating legal action,” Feinsod said in a statement.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/12/nj_schools_to_coordinate_legal_action_against_fiel.html?utm_campaign=Observer_NJ_Politics&utm_content=New%20Campaign&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics#incart_river_index

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Is Donald Trump Already The President?

Pence and  Trump

By SARAH WESTWOOD 12/8/16 12:01 AM

Washington Examiner

President-elect Trump has spent the month since his election victory engaging in some distinctly presidential-style behavior, including engaging with businesses on behalf of the American people, conducting a bit of foreign policy, and delivering sweeping public addresses — all before he holds the authority of the presidency.

With weeks to go until he takes office, Trump’s moves have tested the limits of his unofficial powers as the president-in-waiting. And although his activism has drawn scrutiny from detractors, his favorability ratingshave hit new heights on the heels of several high-profile successes.

“I don’t think it’s normal for a president-elect to be out and about like this, but this is the era of Trump, and he is literally rewriting the rules,” said Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist.

“Things always change when you actually are sworn in, but at the same time, he is taking advantage of this and throwing his weight around while he’s got the momentum,” O’Connell added.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/is-trump-already-president/article/2609134

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Washington Post Story on “Fake News” Fake

meet-the-pr-firm-that-helped-vladimir-putin-troll-the-entire-country

Washington Post Appends “Russian Propaganda Fake News” Story, Admits It May Be Fake

by Tyler Durden
Dec 8, 2016 12:19 PM

In the latest example why the “mainstream media” is facing a historic crisis of confidence among its readership, facing unprecedented blowback following Craig Timberg November 24 Washington Post story “Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say”, on Wednesday a lengthy editor’s note appeared on top of the original article in which the editor not only distances the WaPo from the “experts” quoted in the original article whose “work” served as the basis for the entire article (and which became the most read WaPo story the day it was published) but also admits the Post could not “vouch for the validity of PropOrNot’s finding regarding any individual media outlet”, in effect admitting the entire story may have been, drumroll “fake news” and conceding the Bezos-owned publication may have engaged in defamation by smearing numerous websites – Zero Hedge included – with patently false and unsubstantiated allegations.

It was the closest the Washington Post would come to formally retracting the story, which has now been thoroughly discredited not only by outside commentators, but by its own editor.

The apended note in question:

Editor’s Note: The Washington Post on Nov. 24 published a story on the work of four sets of researchers who have examined what they say are Russian propaganda efforts to undermine American democracy and interests. One of them was PropOrNot, a group that insists on public anonymity, which issued a report identifying more than 200 websites that, in its view, wittingly or unwittingly published or echoed Russian propaganda. A number of those sites have objected to being included on PropOrNot’s list, and some of the sites, as well as others not on the list, have publicly challenged the group’s methodology and conclusions. The Post, which did not name any of the sites, does not itself vouch for the validity of PropOrNot’s findings regarding any individual media outlet, nor did the article purport to do so. Since publication of The Post’s story, PropOrNot has removed some sites from its list.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-12-07/washington-post-apends-russian-propaganda-story-admits-it-may-be-fake

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Life Expectancy In U.S. Drops For First Time In Decades, Report Finds

obamacare_theridgewood blog

December 8, 201612:02 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition

One of the fundamental ways scientists measure the well-being of a nation is tracking the rate at which its citizens die and how long they can be expected to live.

So the news out of the federal government Thursday is disturbing: The overall U.S. death rate has increased for the first time in a decade, according to an analysis of the latest data. And that led to a drop in overall life expectancy for the first time since 1993, particularly among people younger than 65.

“This is a big deal,” says Philip Morgan, a demographer at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill who was not involved in the new analysis.

“There’s not a better indicator of well-being than life expectancy,” he says. “The fact that it’s leveling off in the U.S. is a striking finding.”

Now, there’s a chance that the latest data, from 2015, could be just a one-time blip. In fact, a preliminary analysis from the first two quarters of 2016 suggests that may be the case, says Robert Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch at the National Center for Health Statistics, which released the new report.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/08/504667607/life-expectancy-in-u-s-drops-for-first-time-in-decades-report-finds

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Bergen man sues cop who showed up at wrong house and killed his dog

otto

By Anthony G. Attrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 08, 2016 at 8:45 AM, updated December 08, 2016 at 11:51 AM

WYCKOFF – A township man has filed a lawsuit against a police officer who shot and killed his dog during a botched burglary investigation last year.

Goran Vukobratovic claims in court papers he suffered “great pain, shock and mental anguish” after Wyckoff Police Officer Kyle Ferreira fatally wounded a German shepherd named Otto belonging to him and his family.

The officer, who was cleared of wrongdoing, showed up at the Vukobratovic home to investigate a burglary about 3:40 p.m. on April 29, 2015. However, the officer showed up at the wrong home, an investigation later revealed.

Police audio recordings showed a dispatcher told Ferreira to go to 621 Lawlins Road, the correct location of a recent burglary. But Ferreira went to the wrong house, 622 Lawlins instead of 621, after the dispatcher failed to correct him when he incorrectly repeated the address.

Ferreira’s supervisors at the time said the officer took his gun out of its holster as a precaution, and that the dog jumped out of a window and bit him on the foot as he tried to run. That’s when the officer fired at the dog, officials said.

https://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2016/12/bergen_man_sues_cop_who_showed_up_at_wrong_house_and_killed_his_dog.html?ath=9c46bfc08d76232bb5a5e00eeaf0bfa2#cmpid=nsltr_strybutton

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New Census data paints ugly picture of N.J. recovery. See how your town did

for sale Ridgewood_Real_Estate_theRodgewopodblog
file photo Boyd Loving
By Stephen Stirling and Erin Petenko | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 08, 2016 at 6:45 AM, updated December 08, 2016 at 9:50 AM
The most remarkable thing about post-recession New Jersey isn’t that the state is struggling, it’s how indiscriminate the pain has been.

A middling farmer in Cumberland County. A poor resident of crime-torn Newark. A member of the state’s highest tax bracket in Somerset County.

All are likely worse off today than they were a decade ago.

New data from the Census, released today, shows wide swaths of the Garden State remain slow to get back on their feet following the Great Recession.

There are exceptions, of course. Urban-adjacent communities like Maplewood, Summit or Westfield have seen growth in most key economic areas, but overall the news is not good.

Census data show median income in the state fell nearly 5 percent from the years leading up to the recession when compared to the five years that followed, outpacing the national decline during that time period.

Housing values too have dropped 20 percent in New Jersey between those time periods, while they fell only 13 percent nationally. However, housing costs have the opposite trend — New Jersey housing costs fell less than the national average, and remain higher than the rest of the nation.

A closer look at year-to-year data reveals weak growth in the past few years. New Jersey was ranked last in the nation in income growth from 2014 to 2015.

The state has been lagging behind the country in unemployment as well, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While unemployment has dropped from its high in 2009, the state has not quite reached pre-recession levels.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/12/census_paints_an_ugly_picture_of_njs_recovery_see_how_your_town_did.html?ath=9c46bfc08d76232bb5a5e00eeaf0bfa2#cmpid=nsltr_stryheadline

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President-Elect Donald J. Trump Picks Linda McMahon to Head the Small Business Administration

Linda McMahon
December 8,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate Linda McMahon to serve as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, a cabinet-level position.”My America First agenda is going to bring back our jobs and roll back the burdensome regulations that are hurting our middle class workers and small businesses. To help push our agenda forward, I am pleased to nominate Linda McMahon as the head of the Small Business Administration,” said President-elect Trump. “Linda has a tremendous background and is widely recognized as one of the country’s top female executives advising businesses around the globe. She helped grow WWE from a modest 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees in offices worldwide. Linda is going to be a phenomenal leader and champion for small businesses and unleash America’s entrepreneurial spirit all across the country.”

“Our small businesses are the largest source of job creation in our country,” said Ms. McMahon. “I am honored to join the incredibly impressive economic team that President-elect Trump has assembled to ensure that we promote our country’s small businesses and help them grow and thrive.”

Ms. McMahon advises global businesses as part of APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council. She is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Women’s Leadership LIVE, LLC, a company that uses live events and ongoing mentorships to educate and inspire women to launch and expand their own businesses, advance their careers toward executive roles, and pursue opportunities for leadership in public service.

Ms. McMahon is a co-founder and former chief executive officer of WWE, based in Stamford, Connecticut.

In 2014, she was honored by the Fairfield/Westchester County Business Journal as one of its “Women Making an Impact.”  In 2013, she was named one of New York Moves Magazine’s“Power Women.” In 2007, she was named one of Multichannel News’ “Wonder Women,” recognizing her accomplishments as a leader in the cable television industry.

Ms. McMahon spearheaded a wide variety of community and charitable programs at WWE, including the company’s Get R.E.A.L. educational and literacy programs. The Make-A-Wish Foundation has recognized WWE as a top wish granter, awarding it its highest honor in 2004. Ms. McMahon was appointed to the organization’s National Advisory Council in 2005. During her tenure, WWE was the recipient of the USO of Metropolitan Washington’s first-ever “Legacy of Hope” award, in honor of Bob Hope, for its extensive support of our troops. In 2007, the company received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award for its support of deployed service members in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2009, Ms. McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education as an appointee of Governor M. Jodi Rell.

Ms. McMahon serves on the boards of Sacred Heart University of Fairfield, Connecticut; the Close Up Foundation, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that works to educate and inspire young people to participate in our democracy; and American Corporate Partners, a New York-based organization that pairs returning veterans with mentors in the workforce. She also serves as President of the Advisory Board for Operation Helmet, which provides comfortable and protective helmet pads for U.S. combat troops; and is a member of the Advisory Board for SoldierStrong, which provides scholarships and rehabilitation technology for returning veterans. She is a graduate of East Carolina University.

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What the Dakota Access Pipeline Is Really About

Dakota Access Pipeline

The standoff isn’t about tribal rights or water, but a White House that ignores the rule of law.

By
KEVIN CRAMER
Dec. 6, 2016 7:40 p.m. ET

A little more than two weeks ago, during a confrontation between protesters and law enforcement, an improvised explosive device was detonated on a public bridge in southern North Dakota. That was simply the latest manifestation of the “prayerful” and “peaceful” protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Escalating tensions were temporarily defused Sunday when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at the direction of the Obama administration, announced it would refuse to grant the final permit needed to complete the $3.8 billion project. The pipeline, which runs nearly 1,200 miles from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota to Illinois, is nearly complete except for a small section where it needs to pass under the Missouri River. Denying the permit for that construction only punts the issue to next month—to a new president who won’t thumb his nose at the rule of law.

Like many North Dakotans, I’ve had to endure preaching about the pipeline from the press, environmental activists, musicians and politicians in other states. More often than not, these sermons are informed by little more than a Facebook post. At the risk of spoiling the protesters’ narrative, I’d like to bring us back to ground truth.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-the-dakota-access-pipeline-is-really-about-1481071218

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The Story of Santoni’s Pizzeria

Santoni’s Pizzeria

photo Vegan personal pizza with fresh portobello mushrooms, sautéed spinach and garlic, broccoli, green peppers, basil with avocado and hemp seeds!

Tuesday Special 2 Large Pizza’s for $15.95  and Wednesday Special ! Large Pizza choice of Wings, antipasto or mussels  $14.95 (After 3pm)

December 8,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Santoni’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in Garfield was founded in 1988 by Ed Lewer and Joe Parillo. Both coming from a vast variety of restaurant experience they set out to create mouthwatering food using only freshest ingredients and the highest quality products. Santoni’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant was an instant hit and over the years has become a staple in the town of Garfield. Ed and Joe believed in not only providing a great product as a key to their success but staying involved in the community. For decades they have been highly involved in the community. Santoni’s has sponsorship many fundraising events, nonprofit organizations, and various town sports teams. This community involvement led the business to win Business of the Year in 1994.

Santoni’s Pizzeria has always been a family run and operated business. Joe and Ed’s sons worked in the pizzeria since they young kids and are continuing their father’s principles and philosophy.  In 2013, Santoni’s opened its second location in Ridgewood, NJ with the same idea and principles in mind. Since the grand opening Santoni’s has been an instant success in town and has won several awards for best pizza in Ridgewood voted in a blind tasting by the Ridgewood High School pizza club.

Much more than just another pizza joint, Santoni’s embodies what your favorite neighborhood pizzeria should be– A warm, welcoming place where you can have a delicious meal with your friends and family. We pride ourselves on making the only best quality food while using only the freshest ingredients. Santoni’s aims to be your favorite neighborhood pizzeria and restaurant.

Everyone should order pizza from Santonis Pizzeria and Restaurant at 88 Godwin Avenue. This guy has really gotten the shaft from the NIMBY’s in his neighborhood; his business has been unjustly and unfairly affected by the privatization of precious Pomander Walk. His food is delicious, and he is a really nice guy who is just trying to run his business.   Call 201-389-6810  Show him that the rest of Ridgewood is filled with nice people who appreciate good food and hard-working shop owners. https://www.santonispizza.com/menus/ridgewood-menu/

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Ridgewood Council Meeting : Pomander Walk war, Pizza,a Central Valet plan, the “Financial Advisory Committee”, Hauck Speaks for Seniors , parking and by-laws

Ridgewood Village Council

 

December 8,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ten points to ponder from the Village Council Work Session of December 7

  1. The Pomander Walk war continues, with people from all sides arguing loudly about why parking should or should not be permitted on this PUBLIC STREET. The Sherman Place residents are totally disgusted that all the cars are now on their street. The Pomander Walk people are as happy as can be with their private street.  For now Pomander remains no parking, but a study is commencing that will assess the entire neighborhood in terms of parking, safety, traffic flow, etc.
  1. Everyone should order pizza from Santonis Pizzeria and Restaurant at 88 Godwin Avenue. This guy has really gotten the shaft from the NIMBY’s in his neighborhood; his business has been unjustly and unfairly affected by the privatization of precious Pomander Walk. His food is delicious, and he is a really nice guy who is just trying to run his business.   Call 201-389-6810  Show him that the rest of Ridgewood is filled with nice people who appreciate good food and hard-working shop owners. https://www.santonispizza.com/menus/ridgewood-menu/
  1. FORMER (with emphasis on the former) Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck showed up to speak about seniors and to refresh everyone’s memories that she is the savior of all elderly residents. And she indicated that seniors cannot really manage using UBER, you know, because they are old and addled.
  1. A grant is being applied for to finally get the N. Walnut St. lot remediated.  Kudos to this council for getting this going.Wonder if a parking deck could go there?5. Councilman Voigt presented a detailed spreadsheet itemizing the restaurants, numbers of employees, numbers of seats in the restaurants, and more.  He entitled it Councilman Voigt’s Parking Analysis…..just to make sure that everyone knows that he did this.  Listening to him one might have the impression that several hundred cars are prowling the streets of Ridgewood on Saturday nights looking for a parking space, which we all know is far from reality.  The mayor indicated that more than a year ago a request was made of the Chamber of Commerce to provide the information presented in Councilman  Voigt’s document.  The Chamber would not, or at least did not, provide this information; what was with the Chamber’s lack of cooperation?  Paul Vaggianos???
  1. Deputy Mayor Sedon talked about smaller parking garage options for Hudson.   A long-ago, quickly discarded plan that actually fit on the Hudson Street lot was dug out of the archives, and is now being revisited.Father Ron of Mt. Carmel was contacted and his position reportedly remains the same (not too big, not too intrusive, not messing up the traffic flow, not removing street parking by the church).  Question:  if they are remediating North Walnut, why not put a garage there?
  1. Councilman Hache talked of all the parking improvements that are being made. The Central Valet plan is moving forward, which will enable people to leave their cars and go shopping, dining, whatever they wish. Drivers will not be restricted to just going to a certain restaurant, but will have the freedom to go anywhere in town.  There are plenty of spaces where the valet cars will be parked….including Cottage Place…..because, you know, there ARE plenty of parking spaces in Ridgewood if you are willing to walk a block or two.  Councilman Hache also indicated that signs now direct people to lots, a huge and simple improvement.  Enforcement is being stepped up to keep employees of the shops from parking on the streets.  Lower-priced parking will be available at the Cottage and Walnut lots, with blocks of spots designated just for employees.  The UBER-at-the-train plan is still underway, but it promises to be a congestion problem since no area has been assigned for all the anticipated cars.
  1. Mayor Knudsen suggested that the missions and bylaws of boards and committees be reviewed.  Some have cumbersome bylaws.  Some have none.  Some overstep beyond the original intent.  Some, most notably the Financial Advisory Committee, border on performing management functions.  While the volunteer efforts of committee and board members is greatly appreciated and was duly acknowledged, the fact remains that these hard-working individuals need guidelines under which to function. This resulted in an angry, nasty, vituperative outburst from Councilman Voigt, who made wild accusations about Mayor Knudsen.   One could close one’s eyes and think, for a horrifying moment, that the angry quartet of Aronsohn-Pucciarelli-Hauck-Sonenfeld had returned to the dais.  Really, Mr. Voigt, cool your jets.  You were obnoxious and completely inappropriate and you came off as a total jerk.  In particular, Mr. Voigt was desperately defending the Financial Advisory Committee, just going on and on about it.  Paraphrasing Shakespeare…….methinks thou dost protest too much.  Who is pulling your strings to protect the FAC with such venom??? (and the Jeopardy answer to that question is……).  The other four elected officials (you know, the four that are level headed and do not have people behind the scenes telling them what to do) agreed that Mayor Knudsen’s suggestion is valid and that the review of committee and board bylaws will be worthwhile…..all while Councilman Voigt continued to spew his objections.  A template for committee bylaws will be developed, thus providing a framework for each group.
  1. The Ridge School Traffic Study was presented.  Could the subject of sidewalks on Clinton Avenue be reading its head once again?
  1. No word from Mr. Halaby, guessing he was not there or surely he would have pontificated. Former candidate and current FAC member Evan Weitz was clearly visible on camera…..maybe he is planning to run again in 2018?