Yes, the opening of Serendipity highlights the fallacy of the current council’s views on our downtown. Albert and Paul in particular kept talking about the parking surveys from 30 to 80 years ago. The “progress” and “2020” movements (which produced the 3 failed candidates) were similarly myopic. The leaders of these groups are all talking about and looking to solve Ridgewood’s problems from the 60’s and 70’s. Developers, land speculators, the owners of Fish and Greek to Me push for housing developments and parking garages solely for their own narrow minded view of increasing their profits over the next few years.
We live in the new millennium and we should plan for our century not the past century. Who and what is going to make use of our downtown. What brings in the most tax dollars with the least amount of expenditures? Is our future developing our downtown as the regions “restaurant row,” or should we be looking to bring more corporate dollars? Are massive parking garages and massive housing developments really the way forward or are they product of staid minds that don’t see or are afraid to look into the future?
This discussion has never been had because our current council “leaders” never asked themselves or challenged the public to debate what is good for Ridgewood as a whole and the future of Ridgewood as a whole. Instead, the “debate,” if one can call it that, has been over how many families should we squeeze into a downtown lot or should a garage be 4 or 5 or 6 stories tall. Let’s depart from this outdated way of thinking and move ourselves beyond the mire of the past. Let’s embrace our future. And to do that, let’s start by having a real discussion on what our future might be.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood blog has posted verbatim from the Ridgewood Education Association’s Facebook page . We have also included a link to the BOE’s Fact finding Presentation .
Click here to read the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Fact-Finding Presentation with The Ridgewood Education Association.
Here is a summary of the issues surrounding the lack of contract for our association (REA).
“The REA has been working under the terms of an expired contract as of July 1, 2015, negotiations commenced in February 2015. The major issues in our negotiations remain the cost of health contributions teachers will pay, health coverage, and salary.
Employee health contributions are mandated by the state and can not be negotiated away. The law that covers contributions states that once teachers have contributed for four years, and are at the end of a contract, the rate of contribution is then negotiable. Ridgewood is one of the first districts in this position. The rate of contribution is determined by your salary, simply the more money you make the more you are forced to contribute. The average teacher pays 27% of the premium with our most senior teachers paying 35%. This is burdensome on our experienced staff as the increase in contribution is greater than any increase in salary. We are seeking to lower contribution levels.
Salary. We are seeking the county average for salary increase.
Health Coverage. We wish to retain our current options within the state health plan, which is the plan the BOE bargained last round of negotiations. Our willingness to change to the state plan saved the district over a million dollars. It is our contention that Ridgewood’s teachers deserve stability in their health coverage. In addition, the savings achieved in the last round of negotiations combined with the several million dollars contributed by teachers towards that coverage is a significant amount – enough to settle this contract and continue programming.
These issues are not insurmountable and the REA has been willing to engage the BOE in creative means to address the needs of both parties. The larger issue is that the BOE keeps changing their needs. We believe this BOE has no desire to settle a contract:
-At the Sept. 21, 2015 BOE Meeting the Board set their goals for the school year. Goal #3 states: “The Board will continue to negotiate with the REA to settle a new contract.” Their goal is to merely “continue to negotiate”, not settle a contract. When this was brought up by the REA at the meeting BOE Member Vince Loncto stated he saw no problem with the language. Also, why is this the third goal of four? Shouldn’t it be a higher priority?
At the March 23, 2015 meeting the BOE passed a unanimous resolution asking the NJ State Legislature to remove collective bargaining rights for teachers.
-BOE Member Jim Morgan, a member of the Board’s negotiating team, stated in an email sent to the REA: “We can’t impose a contract and the teachers can’t strike. We are therefore left with either just giving up and living with the status quo forever or discussing the issues again. … Like a recalcitrant child, we need to repeat the mantra that ‘the District does not have the money to meet your demands without canceling other educational programs.’” This is their tactic in their own words – act recalcitrant.
-In next year’s school budget the district has allotted $1,592,255 for technology; as well as additional moneys for three new curriculum initiatives next year.
-The BOE keeps changing their position at the table making it impossible for the REA to ever meet them. On March 21, 2016 we presented the Board with a counter proposal. Our counter proposal would cost the Board, over three years, LESS than their proposal, but they refused.
-Ridgewood Board of Education has shown disrespect for the State appointed Fact Finder. They purposely violated procedures by including discussions not entered as evidence at the hearing and misrepresenting the REA’s position in their Fact Finding brief that was submitted to the Fact Finder. Their published brief does not represent their position from the formal Fact Finding hearing. They then doubled-down by making the highly unusual decision to make their report public before the Fact Finder had finished his report in an attempt to intimidate and influence his decision.
Why has this impasse gone on so long? Could it be because this impasse doesn’t affect the Ridgewood Board of Education? Four of the five BOE members do not have children in our schools. One member elects to send her youngest child to a private high school. What do they care if teachers feel disrespected by their actions, if morale is at an all-time low? Their children already graduated and went to great schools. They have nothing at stake – but hopefully the parents and residents of this community will tell this Board of Education that they have a job to do, they need to settle this contract.”
I can’t help but think a lot of the pro parking garage noise came from certain restaurateurs. I imagine diners having dinner at their “regular” restaurants and the owner does his meet-and-greet walk-through. He see his regular customer and say,”Hi. Where have you two been? I haven’t seen for for some time”.
Now the diners are sort of regular, and instead of admitting that their lack of attendance is mostly about cutting back on dining expenses, they save face by saying, “We have tried to get in here every week but we can never find a parking place. We had to head over to Ho-Ho-Kus.”
The restaurant bosses hear this so often that they not only believe it, but it’s in their interests to believe it. Most of them don’t live in Ridgewood, so costs of a garage are irrelevant.
The aforementioned absence of parking demand serves to validate how much the downtown has declined and businesses are struggling to survive. Lack of cars = lack of customers.
While many residents do not seem concerned over the possible demise of the CBD the fact is it WILL have a negative impact the value of their homes. Houses in Ridgewood have traditionally garnered a premium over comparable houses in other towns. The question is why. The answer is quite simple. Ridgewood has a wide variety of homes at varying price points in different neighborhoods all of which share a legendary school system and offer a convenient commute to NYC.
While there are other affluent towns in Bergen County which offer similar attractions Ridgewood is unique in that has all of the foregoing PLUS it has traditionally been home to a lively and walkable downtown with a wide variety of shops and restaurants This “trilogy” has proven to be highly successful in attracting newcomers to the Village who are willing and able to pay a premium for their homes.
The question is what happens if this highly successful formula were to disappear ? It is the opinion of the writer that the premium assigned by the market to houses in Ridgewood would gradually diminish and ultimately disappear. We would be just another affluent town in Bergen County that has nice neighborhoods and good schools. I say let’s keep what makes Ridgewood special. Let’s undertake to revitalize our downtown by building a garage …..albeit one that may be a little smaller. Let’s then work together to figure out a long term strategy that builds on our strengths and augments them so as to maintain our premier status as the town that “has it all”. Just my thoughts.
Paramus NJ, according to the Paramus Police there have been numerous bear sightings on Midland Ave. west of Rt.17 if seen dont approach,call the Police Dept.
According to New Jersey Fish and Wild life , “Since the 1980s the Garden State’s black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range both southward and eastward from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey. Within the most densely populated state in the nation, black bears are thriving and there are now confirmed bear sightings in all 21 of New Jersey’s counties.”
The most common bear problem New Jersey’s residents experience is black bears getting into their garbage. Bears are attracted to neighborhoods by garbage odors, so properly securing your garbage is one of the best ways to prevent bears from becoming a nuisance in your community.”
New Jersey spends $183,757 to build and maintain a single mile of road, according to a new study by Rutgers University and the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Christopher Maag, The Record Read more
I wish people would take photos of parking spaces all over town on different days of the week, ordinary and holiday, and at different times to show in aggregate that parking IS AVAILABLE. A large number of photos documented at various times and days of the week would tell the story. Walking a couple of blocks is good for your health! And unless you’re going to a Hudson St. or S. Broad Street venue, you’ll walk a couple of blocks (or much more) from the garage anyway. Please VOTE NO on June 21 and get an absentee ballot if you can’t.
Ridgewood NJ, As older Americans approach retirement, many may be realizing their financial planning isn’t what it should have been.
That could mean they need to postpone retirement – or abandon the idea altogether.
“Most people don’t spend much time even thinking about retirement,” says Stephen Ng, author of “10 Financial Mistakes You Should Avoid: Strategies Designed to Help Keep Your Money Safe and Growing” (www.stephenngfg.com).
“They see it as a far-off time when they will have magically accumulated the money they need to jet around the world, pay for their grandchildren’s education, or otherwise have fun.”
That leaves them unprepared for the reality, Ng says. They may need to work part-time just to get by. It’s possible they will outlive their money.
“There’s no reason to work hard your whole life, but end up without the money you could have had because you failed to avoid common mistakes people make,” Ng says.
He says three examples of avoidable errors are:
• Failing to understand taxation. Most money is taxable right away, but in some cases, such as with individual retirement accounts, taxes can be deferred. A third category, Ng says, is tax-free money. Examples of tax-free investments include municipal bonds, life insurance proceeds and 529 education savings plans. “Your goal should be to shift as much taxable money as possible into the tax-deferred or tax-free categories,” he says. • Acting without enough specialized advice. You might assume one financial advisor could handle all your investment needs. But that’s not necessarily the case, Ng says. The strongest plans usually benefit from multiple specialists. An eldercare attorney could be helpful for those 60 or older. A certified public accountant could assist you with tax-avoidance strategies. An estate-planning attorney can help minimize estate and inheritance taxes. • Failing to appreciate the longevity risk. Medical advances allow people to live longer, but that creates a problem. Americans today are more likely than previous generations to outlive their money. They also are more likely to need a nursing home or some other form of long-term care, which can be expensive. “It’s important to ask yourself whether you have enough money to handle expenses for as long as you live,” Ng says. “Do you have enough to cover inflation? To cover long-term care? To cover healthcare?” The sooner people address the longevity risk, he says, the more prepared they may be to live a rich life.
Ng insists there’s still time for those nearing retirement to make amends – at least to some degree – if they haven’t planned for what lies ahead.
“I can’t stress this enough,” Ng says. “It’s never too late to formulate a plan. We can’t change the past, so the time to get started is now.”
About Stephen Ng
Stephen Ng, founder and president of Stephen Ng Financial Group, is author of “10 Financial Mistakes You Should Avoid: Strategies Designed to Help Keep Your Money Safe and Growing” (www.stephenngfg.com). Ng is a Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant and a Certified Estate Planner. He is also an Investment Advisor Representative with SagePoint Financial, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. He regularly holds financial management, retirement investing and insurance planning seminars at businesses, churches and non-profit organizations.
Securities and investment advisory services offered through SagePoint Financial, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC and a registered investment advisor. Insurance services offered through Stephen Ng Financial Group, LLC, which is not with SagePoint Financial, Inc. or registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor.
At first glance, you might think the Democrats would have their easiest time ever of accusing the Republicans of waging a war on women, with Donald Trump at the top of the Republican ticket.
But there are three powerful reminders this week that the Democrats have plenty of problems of their own.
First, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, former chair of the Democratic National Committee and prominent supporter of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, explained that Trump will have trouble with women at the polls because there are “more ugly women in America than attractive women.”
Then supporters of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders unleashed a jarring stream ofvulgar, sexist attacks on the chairwoman of the Nevada Democratic Party after Sanders got bested in delegates by Clinton.
Now Sanders’ campaign is engaged in a war of words with current DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, accusing her of being in the tank for Clinton.
And, finally, Trump served notice that whenever Clinton and other Democrats slam him for objectifying women, Trump will hit back at Bill Clinton, as he did in a television interview Wednesday, accusing the former president of rape.
As you are aware, this school year the district did not have any weather-related emergency closings. Therefore, I am happy to announce that the Ridgewood school district will be closed on Friday, May 27, in accordance with the provisions of the official 2015-2016 school calendar.
Closing the district on May 27 will allow the Ridgewood Public Schools community to enjoy an extended Memorial Day holiday. I hope this news helps in planning your holiday weekend with family and friends.
Ridgewood NJ, The adult male driver of a Ford Escape SUV and his female passenger escaped injury during a crash in which their vehicle careened off of Route 17 southbound in Ridgewood and came to rest in a clump of bushes. The incident occurred at approximately 4 PM on Wednesday, 05/18, just south of the NJDOT Park & Ride Facility.
The driver was reportedly reacting to a delayed command from his GPS system when the SUV crashed. The vehicle was able to be driven away on its own power after flatbed tow truck winched it from the bushes. There were minor rubbernecking delays on Route 17 southbound near the accident scene until the vehicle was removed
Ridgewood NJ, The Stotesbury Cup Regatta is the largest high school rowing regatta in the world. Since 1927 exceptionally fine crews from all part of the United States and Canada travel to the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia to participate in the Stotesbury Cup Regatta. Over 5,000 competitors meet at the Athletes Village to experience both the spirit of rowing competition as well as the physical challenge of pitting themselves against the very finest crews rowing at the high school level. Their achievements draw a crowd of nearly 10,000 spectators.
Teams compete for trophies in 31 events. Ridgewood is sending 50 of its best athletes who are expected to do very well in their respective categories. Ridgewood Crew has had an extraordinary season so far. They brought in a record setting number of medals (8) at the Cities Championship on the Schuylkill River, May 1. Cities is a qualifier for the Scholastic Rowing
Association of America (SRAA) Championships race in Ohio, which will be held May 27 &28.
The US Rowing Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships was held May 7-8 and is a qualifier for Youth Nationals. 4 Ridgewood boats earned a slot in the prestigious Youth Nationals race which will be held June 10-12 in West Windsor, New Jersey. Go RW Crew!!!!
CITY CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS –
Girls Freshman 4x – GOLD MEDAL
o Alexandra Walton Roth
o Claudia Ricatto
o Hayley Jubitz
o Ainsley Wilkinson
Girls JV 2x – GOLD MEDAL
o Isabella DeGregorio
o Claire Callaghan
Boys JV 2x – GOLD MEDAL
o Edward Hida
o Charles Koontz
Boys Ltwt 2x – BRONZE MEDAL
o Spencer Campbell
o Sam Daspin
Girls Varsity 1x – BRONZE MEDAL
o Julia Randall
Boys Varsity 1x – GOLD MEDAL
o Brendan Caltavuturo
Girls Varsity 2x – BRONZE MEDAL
o Caroline Lampone
o Erin Dwyer
Mid-Atlantic Youth Championship – RESULTS
Mens Youth 1x – Brendan Caltavuturo – GOLD MEDAL
This is absolutely ridiculous. Why the heck in this day and age can’t these people manage their email messages. They are paid plenty. If someone sends them an email the bounce-back should be timely. It should not be six months old. Shows a total disregard for the citizens who want to contact them. Maybe a minor issue compared to some, but really if you can’t manage the small stuff then the big stuff is insurmountable.
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Nancy Bigos
Thank you for your most recent email.
Please know that I will be away from my office beginning Friday evening, April 1, and returning Tuesday, April 12th, 2016.
Feel free to contact Administrative Assistant, Marge Anderson, 201.670.5560 [email protected]. for assistance with day to day operations or for further information. For urgent matters please use my cell phone 201.407.0076.
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Tim Cronin
I will be out of the office on vacation, returning Monday, November 30th. Should you need immediate assistance, please contact Deputy Director Nancy A. Bigos [email protected] or by telephone to the Recreation Office at 201-670-5560.
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Roberta Sonenfeld
Dear Residents, Businesses and Village Staff,
I will be out of the office beginning Tuesday, May 17th, returning Tuesday, May 31st. Rich Calbi ([email protected]) will be my deputy.
Beth Spinato (201-670-5500 ext. 203) can also address any issues you may have.
why are you so interested in Valley increasing it’s business? To bring more traffic, more people smoking on our sidewalks, more employees parking on our streets, more of our police and fire department time spent filing reports of theft and unruly behavior? Maybe you are looking forward to talking to the residents of Steilen Ave who have been dealing with noise and light violations from Valley for years or maybe you are just looking forward to driving into Ridgewood and seeing a 1700 car garage at the intersection of Linwood and Van Dien. Won’t that look beautiful! Maybe they can make the lights that will shine from it 24 hrs a day in a residential neighborhood color coordinated for the holidays. Maybe we should turn the houses on either side of you into high density housing in order to fulfill our fair housing. It will only take 8 months of construction for that, not 6 years. What’s the matter? Just because you bought a house in a residential zone that doesn’t allow hdh doesn’t mean things can’t change, right? In just the same way that Valley’s lot cannot be turned into apartments, Schedler cannot be a 7-11, so just stop with that stupid argument. And yes, the car dealerships should be developed, but changing the density in our cbd from 12 units per acre to 36 was unnecessarily excessive. 24 units per acre would have brought the same benefit without as much downside. Unless of course all you’re concerned about is maximizing the profits of developers. Here’s a word for you to ponder…moderation. Is that so hard to achieve? Bigger is not always better.
Do people not understand that this is a green acre and open space funded park. In the green acre rules a FOR PROFIT / PRIVATE business just is not allowed. How on earth did this private business get the lease. And as far as usage, Habernickel fields are used everyday and all summer long by maroons soccer and Ridgewood baseball as they should be. The neighbors are not complaining about the traffic or noise from this usage. They are upset with a business in their neighborhood. People should know the facts before they comment. Also the name should be changed 100 percent. The land was purchased for millions not donated by any Habernickel.
