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Posted on July 17, 2016July 17, 2016 by James — 8 Comments

Time for the Ridgewood Council to disband the Unproductive Financial Advisory Committee

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog

July 17,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, a reader said the ,Financial Advisory Committee was created by the mayor solely as a breeding ground for future council members willing to live in his shadow and image. It didn’t work. Disband it!

The new council need a clean sweep of Village Hall and the Financial Advisory Committee which has added little to no input to Village budgeting should be eliminated.

The Financial Advisory Committee was created on April 24th 2013, resolution 14-171. The leadership of Financial Advisory Committee is there just to stamp the Village Manager’s decisions. So she can say ‘an expert panel has looked at it and they agree with my approach”. She comes from the corporate world and knows how to put everything on outside ‘consultants’.

What is the purpose of the Financial Advisory Committee? They were cheerleaders for the three council members? Populated by partisan Bergen Leeds people ,they should be neutral. So, they are not a financial advisory committee, they are nothing more than a political action committee.

The Financial Advisory Committee has been populated with political hacks and friends of the former mayor and supporters of the Village manager with their own agenda’s leaving out Village tax payers .

The Financial Advisory Committee does not even have bylaws or keep meeting minutes .Lets face it , it was beyond funny that the Chairman of FAC, was a candidate for the council election, and Weitz is not even a finance guy.

The new Council needs to be prudent but decisive in their actions. Let’s not replicate the mistakes of the past

Posted on July 17, 2016July 17, 2016 by James — 14 Comments

The new Ridgewood Village council to move forward with the repeal the ordinance 3066 or “Pfunds Folly”

file photo by Boyd Loving

July 17,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, According to the Bergen Record the new Village Council has decided to explore repealing Ordinance 3066 and introduce a new document that will allow the village to better retain jurisdiction over the master plan.

Now a little bit of history ,ordinance 3066 is known as “Pfund’s folly” .Approved during former Mayor David Pfund’s now a local judges time on the Village Council .

Ordinance 3066, was passed purposely in July 2007 when many residents were down the shore, previously applications to amend the Master Plan would never have even been considered. Ordinance 3066 made it easy for developers to challenge the Village Master plan and force changes init to accommodate development.

“Ordinance No. 3066, which sets forth the fees and processes involved in applying for an amendment to the master plan or development regulations, was originally passed in July 2007. The ordinance has become the subject of controversy as many believe it enabled the multiple master plan amendment applications that have dominated the agenda at Planning Board meetings.”https://theridgewoodblog.net/ridgewood-making-changes-to-controversial-ordinance-no-3066-known-by-many-as-pfunds-folly/

Ordinance No. 3066 allows these incongruous projects. No other town in New Jersey has this ordinance which was initially passed to aid the Valley Hospital development.

The ordinance has played a huge role in the litigation regarding Valley Hospital’s expansion, which many feel makes it difficult for objectors to have a say in the process.

The new Village council has decided to move forward with the process to repeal the ordinance during next week’s council meeting. As of now, the new version will be officially introduced at the Aug. 10 meeting.

Posted on July 17, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood firefighters Quickly Douse Hopper Ave Kitchen Fire

photos courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook Page

July 17,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A kitchen fire at 341 Hopper Avenue, Ridgewood was quickly knocked down by Ridgewood firefighters on Saturday afternoon, 07/16. No injuries were reported and damage to the kitchen was minimal. Ridgewood PD also responded.

Posted on July 17, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — 2 Comments

US WOULD CONSIDER EXTRADITION REQUEST FOR EXILED CLERIC

BY BRADLEY KLAPPER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LUXEMBOURG (AP) — The Obama administration would entertain an extradition request for the U.S.-based cleric that Turkey’s president is blaming for a failed coup attempt, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday.

In a televised speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the United States should extradite Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan said Turkey had never turned back any extradition request for “terrorists” by the United States and stressed Turkey’s joint role with the U.S. in fighting terrorism. “I say if we are strategic partners then you should bring about our request,” he said.

Visiting Luxembourg, Kerry said Turkey would have to prove the wrongdoing of Gulen, who left Turkey in 1999.

Gulen has harshly condemned the attempted coup attempt by military officers that resulted in a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left dozens dead. But Erdogan’s government is blaming the chaos on the cleric, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania and promotes a philosophy that blends a mystical form of Islam with staunch advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue.

Erdogan has long accused Gulen, a former ally, of trying to overthrow the government. Washington has never found any evidence particularly compelling previously.

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNITED_STATES_TURKEY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-07-16-14-00-41

Posted on July 17, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — 5 Comments

8 YEARS AFTER HOPE AND CHANGE, VOTERS ARE ANGRY, ANXIOUS

BY JULIE PACE
AP WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT

ARVADA, Colorado (AP) — Eight years ago, Barbara Conley was one of the millions of Americans swept up in Barack Obama’s promises of hope and change when he accepted the Democratic nomination at a packed stadium a few miles from her home in the Denver suburbs.

But those optimistic days are almost unrecognizable to Conley now.

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CAMPAIGN_2016_EVENING_IN_AMERICA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-07-16-07-56-19

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Global Corporate Defaults Just Hit 100, On Pace To Surpass Financial Crisis Record

by Tyler Durden
Jul 15, 2016 7:05 AM

The bizarre financial paradoxes unleashed by central planning continue.

While the S&P rises to new all time highs day after day, the IMF is about to downgrade global growth again, $13 trillion in global bonds trade with a negative yield, and the shape of the US yield curve is where it was the last time the US entered a recession. But what remains the most perplexing aspect of the unprecedented disconnect between market surreality and fundamentals, is the ongoing surge in corporate defaults, which is now on pace to surpass 2009, the worst year in history for corporate bankruptcies.

According to S&P, with half of 2016 in the history books, corporate bond defaults just hit the milestone “century” mark, or 100, last week, rising by 50% from the number of bankruptcies at this time last year and the highest level since the US emerged from recession in 2009. The number rose by four to 100 in the first full week of July, as defaults in the US oil and gas sector ratcheted higher, according to Diane Vazza of S&P Global Ratings, the FT reports.

As a result, the total amount of defaulted debt has risen to $154 billion.

But what is most troubling is that at the current run-rate, with half of 2016 still to come, the global debt default total is on pace to surpass 2009 for the all time corporate bankruptcy record.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-14/global-corporate-defaults-just-hit-100-pace-surpass-financial-crisis-record

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

HAVE FUN AND GET HEALTHY AT THE RIDGEWOOD YWCA AQUATHERAPY AND ARTHRITIS CLASSES

July 16,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The YWCA Bergen County offers convenient and affordable rehabilitative exercise classes for people of all ages living with physical limitations or challenges. Our experienced and caring Aquatics Specialists conduct water therapy classes in two spacious, heated pools, and you can take advantage of a free trial session to find out if a program is right for you.
Since 1985, the YWCA’s Health and Therapeutics department has continuously developed programs in conjunction with physical therapists to treat a variety of physical and medical conditions. Aquatherapy classes are designed for adults with orthopedic and/or neurological conditions. These group classes use water movement exercises to increase range of motion while strengthening muscles and improving flexibility. Arthritis Class provides gentle exercises to increase range of motion, relieve joint stress and relax muscles with instructors specifically trained to assist arthritic individuals. One-on-one instruction is available for individuals who are unable to participate in group classes.
All classes are held at the YWCA’s 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood location. This facility is handicapped accessible, and our Habernickel pool is equipped with a hydraulic lift to provide easy entrance and exit. For more information, please call (201) 444-5600, ext, 400 or visit us online at www.ywcabergencounty.org.

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

The Sub-Zero Club: Getting Used to the Upside-Down World Economy

In the new reality of negative rates, borrowers get paid and savers get penalized

Simon Kennedy simonjkennedy

April 19, 2016 — 12:01 AM EDTUpdated on July 15, 2016 — 1:09 PM EDT

Japanese families seem to have a sudden affinity for home safes. According to the Tokyo-based manufacturer Eiko, shipments have doubled since last fall. And in Germany, insurer Munich Re has stashed some 10 million euros ($11.4 million) worth of its own cash into vaults.

Why the squirreling? One possible reason is the creeping imposition of negative interest rates across the world, which could make it more rewarding to bypass banks—and a safe or vault is, well, more secure than a mattress.

Welcome to the upside-down world of modern monetary policy. In this new reality, borrowers get paid and savers penalized. Almost 500 million people in a quarter of the global economy now live in countries where interest rates measure less than zero. That would’ve been an almost unthinkable phenomenon before the 2008 financial crisis, and one major economies didn’t seriously consider until two years ago, when the European Central Bank first partook in the experiment. Now the ECB and the Bank of Japan are diving deeper into the sub-zero world as they seek more ways to spark inflation.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-19/the-sub-zero-club-getting-used-to-the-upside-down-world-economy

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association

Ridgewood 12U boys take the District 4 Little League title!

Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association 12U boys take the District 4 Little League title!

13U Raiders win the 2016 NJ Section 1 Intermediate (50/70) Championship!

14U take the District 4 Junior League title in a 1-0 thriller

14U Girls are Section 1 Champions!

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

This Summer RHS New Players Present , Prelude to a Kiss ,You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Jesus Christ Superstar

July 15,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The New Players online box office will close at noon on Thursday July 14th at noon for the July 14 at 8 performance of Prelude to a Kiss and at

noon on Friday July 15 for all other performances this weekend. Tickets will be available for purchase at the box office starting 30 minutes before the start of each performance.

RHS New Players Present:

Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas

July 14 at 8 and July 16 at 8

Tickets go on sale on June 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Click here for tickets: Prelude tickets

https://rhsnewplayers.com/
* * * * *

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Music and Lyrics by Clark Gesner

July 15 at 8 and July 17 at 2

Tickets go on sale on June 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Click here for tickets: Charlie Brown tickets

https://rhsnewplayers.com/

* * * * *

Jesus Christ Superstar, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice

July 29 at 8, July 30 at 2 and 8

Tickets go on sale July 18 at 7:00 p.m.

Click here for tickets: Superstar Tickets

https://rhsnewplayers.com/

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — 2 Comments

Picnic on the Square in Ridgewood closed

July 16,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Chef and co-owner Christine Nunn has shuttered her Ridgewood restaurant after nearly two years to focus on catering full-time.

The writer of the “The Preppy Cookbook” told the Bergen Record she wanted to focus on catering and more writing. The original Picnic closed in Fair Lawn also after 2/1/2 years of operation.

Nunn said she will run her catering operation out of the kitchen of Picnic on the Square located at 26 Wilsey Square until her lease expires.

While the business is winding down we are not sure of the fate of the cooking classes held at Picnic.

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — 1 Comment

Where does Transportation Trust Fund money go?

By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on July 14, 2016 at 11:14 AM, updated July 14, 2016 at 12:12 PM

We asked, and you responded with some pretty insightful questions about the state’s road and transit construction shutdown.

While lawmakers and the governor try to hammer out a solution to replenish the state’s cash strapped Transportation Trust Fund and end the shutdown, readers asked questions about the billions of dollars that could be raised and how it will be used.

Q: Is the 23 cent gas tax increase for bridge and road construction, or (is it) funding New Jersey Transit? The seven costliest projects will buy buses and locomotives for NJT (example: $712.7 million for 772 buses). Not one cent goes towards our crumbling bridges and roads. Something is wrong here.

A: Let’s take those in order.

The TTF, which would be supported by a proposed 23 cent increase in the gas tax, funds both the Department of Transportation and NJ Transit, said Stephen Schapiro, a DOT spokesman. How much each agency receives is determined in the annual capital budget. The DOT will receive $1.017 billion from the trust fund and NJ Transit receives $582 million in fiscal year 2017.

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/07/readers_where_does_transportation_trust_fund_money_go.html

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

ARREST MADE IN ALLEGED NEW JERSEY TRANSIT TICKET SCAM

Dover, NJ man charged with tampering with Ticket Vending Machine and selling tickets

July 15, 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood bog

Dover NJ, New Jersey Transit Police have arrested a Dover, NJ man accused of tampering with a ticket vending machine and selling NJ TRANSIT rail tickets and passes. Following reports of a disabled ticket vending machine and someone selling tickets at the Dover train station, the New Jersey Transit Police Department launched an investigation.

On July 14, 2016 at approximately 4:30 p.m., 53-year-old David Mendes of Dover, NJ allegedly sold a ticket to a New Jersey Transit Police anti-crime officer at the Dover train station. Upon arrest, Mendes was discovered with 29 NJ TRANSIT tickets, including three monthly passes and one weekly pass, worth more than $1,200.
“What the actor thought was a way to make a quick buck was quickly foiled by solid police work,” said New Jersey Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo. “We encourage everyone within the NJ TRANSIT system that if they “See Something, Say Something.” Let this serve as a reminder to the criminal element that the New Jersey Transit Police Department will relentlessly pursue all leads, no matter how big or small.”

Mendes has been charged with distribution of tickets, receiving stolen property, theft by deception, criminal mischief and smoking in public.

NJ TRANSIT encourages customers to remain aware of their surroundings and to be the eyes and ears for law enforcement – If you see something, say something. To report a crime, suspicious activity or unattended packages contact the New Jersey Transit Police Department at 1-888-TIPS-NJT or send a text message to NJTPD (65873).

The charges and allegations contained in this release are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Posted on July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 by James — 12 Comments

Reader says Never Again Will Ridgewood Officials Act Like “Dirtbags”

file photo by Boyd Loving

Aronsohn, Pucciarelli, and Hauck went after Tom Riche publicly and aggressively and in the most disgusting meeting I have ever seen. Matt Rogers told them to manage this in closed session but they wanted to have a public flogging so they went against the recommendations of our village attorney and they were like the bullies in Lord of the Flies that night. Riche did NOTHING underhanded. Everything he did for the Village was above board and with the full knowledge of the Village Officials. They treated Riche like a criminal and it was just a taste of the things to come from the three dirtbags. They went on to do the same to Bernadette Walsh, John Ward, Heather Mailander, and others. They should have been taken out in handcuffs the three of them. Their names and their faces should never hang in village hall. They were a plague, the three of them, and their toxic germs are still scattered around town. Never mind sweeping them out the door….we need to completely sanitize everything and everyone that ever had contact with them.

Remember, these are the same 3 dirtbags who accused former Police Chief John Ward of violating a local ordinance (the BC Prosecutor’s Office cleared the Chief of any wrong doing), allowed the Village’s former labor attorney to defile the reputation of Susan Knudsen during an open public meeting, claimed that Bernie Walsh tried to fix a parking ticket (all she did was to have a conversation with the then Chief of Police about the supervision of parking enforcement agents), and called Bernie Walsh a liar in public after Ms. Walsh stated that she’d observed Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld and former Mayor Paul Aronsohn shouting at then Councilwoman Susan Knudsen in a hallway at Village Hall (which did happen).

As I stated previously, every single bit of trash they talked was bullshit. The biggest bunch of dirtbags ever.

Posted on July 16, 2016July 15, 2016 by James — 7 Comments

New Ridgewood Council gets to work

BY ALEXANDRA HOEY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD – Ridgewood’s new governing body laid the groundwork for pressing issues in their first meeting on Wednesday. Parking, budget approvals and Ridgewood Water were top items.

Parking

The council openly brainstormed different ideas to fix parking in the central business district. Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon, who kicked off the conversation, said the village should explore creating more one-way streets, which will increase on-street parking spots.

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/town-government/new-council-gets-to-work-1.1630886

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