Author: James

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Tell the Village, the Guild and the Chamber of Commerce that you want plants and flowers in our planters, not politics!

Ridgewood Yard Signs
April 20,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, it seems more and more residents are critical of the sign pollution that has taken over the CBD in Ridgewood .
The change came last fall when the Council Majority pushed for the garage development on Hudson Street . To many this move was emblematic of the total lake of respect for the Village of Ridgewood by the Council Majority and their supporters . The garage was also heavily pushed the Ridgewood Guild and the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce.

Dear Ridgewood Residents,

If you are appalled by the number of political signs littering our Central Business District, please file a complaint with the Village Clerk’s office. They are accepting complaints by email at [email protected] or by phone at 201-670-5500 x201
Tell the Village, the Guild and the Chamber of Commerce that you want plants and flowers in our planters, not politics!

The Village Clerk’s office confirmed that none of these signs were allowed until the rule was changed in Oct/Nov FOR the Parking Garage signs!! My guess is that we will see the old rule reinstated just in time for the November national election.

Heather Mailander had earlier responded by saying , “To clarify, based on last Fall’s regulations, the campaign signs may be placed in the public right of way (planting strip between the curb and sidewalk) anywhere in the Village, including planters in the CBD.  However, they may not be placed on Village property.  This includes all parks, the train station parking lot and green spaces near the train station, or other Village-owned property (Village Hall, both library properties, water properties, DPW properties, the Recycling Center, etc.).  The signs cannot be a sight hazard or a pedestrian hazard.  If you are unsure whether or not you can place a sign somewhere, please contact me.  Also, please be aware that any signs found on Village property will be removed and not returned. ”

However Councilwomen Susan Knudsen was not so sure :

“I’m not certain about information received from the clerks office regarding an ordinance change permitting political cbd signage. Please forward any correspondence regarding same to [email protected].

There were many inquires, and much outrage, over the signs back then and a legal determination that political signs placed in tree wells, planters, etc did not violate Village Code. There was not a change permitting the placement. Notwithstanding the lacking code, I disagreed with the practice then and disagree with it now. Yesterday I sent an email to all six Council candidates requesting a voluntary removal of their campaign signs from the CBD. Four candidates were thoughtful and responsive. There were several reasons for my email including respect for the many volunteers who spend countless hours and private donations on CBD beautification projects.
As stated, four candidates were thoughtful and responded accordingly. Two of the four (Rich and Bernie) never “planted” signs in the historic CBD or by the historic train station. Two others (Ramon and Jeff) voluntarily removed their signs.
Feel free to send additional questions or comments.

Councilwomen Susan Knudsen”

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Reader says Time to take Back the Village of Ridgewood from Special Interests

Abraham Godwin Ridgewood

There has been no better opportunity than now to unite all Village neighborhoods. Citizens for a Better Ridgewood has its roots on the West Side and favors slower growth in high density housing. The Concerned Residents of Ridgewood is based in the Travel/BF/Somerville neighborhood and favors a smaller-scale modernization effort by the Hospital. Friends of Schedler are in the neighborhoods east of Route 17 and favor preserving the woodlands on that property. Most recently, a group of tax payers from all over town that favors a 4 level garage over a 5 level garage has successfully petitioned to bring that issue to a vote.

After 4 years of a “Council majority” that has claimed to know what’s best for the rest of us and has insulted anyone that has disagreed with them, it looks like we might actually be able to take the town back from special interest groups and Council members with personal agendas.

Candidates Bernie Walsh, Jeff Voight and Ramon Hache have the very unique opportunity to unite these neighborhoods in our quest to preserve our property values and the charm of our Village. Please vote for them on May 10.

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Reader asks Was Evan Weitz planted in Ridgewood by special interest groups?

Ridgewood Yard Signs

Hi James – here is a reader says story for you. Please take it if you find it interesting. I was surprised to find this fact and thought the voters should know:

Was Evan Weitz planted in Ridgewood by special interest groups?

It is a widely known speculation that our current mayor was sent to Ridgewood to bring Hudson County politics to Ridgewood. He ran for the office as soon as he moved to Ridgewood and has strategically placed the right people in different committees over the years to get the job done for developers and politicians. Rumors are that he is already renovating his house and preparing to move out once his task is done.

We looked at the council candidates for 2016. All but one are long term residents. Something VERY interesting came up for Evan Weitz. He moved to the village in late 2012 and in 2015 he was appointed to Financial Advisory Committee and made it’s CHAIR by resolution 15-301. We DID NOT find any other committee or volunteering experience from Evan before his role in Financial Advisory Committee and when he was made the chair, Janice Willet was Vice Chair of the committee already. She wasn’t promoted to the CHAIR of the committee and instead he was brought in and made the chairman. He has no prior experience with municipal financing in other towns or any experience with how Ridgewood works and our village’s finances or resident needs. He has not served in any other committee. Evan is an attorney by trade and has no experience or degree in Finance. This was evident with his answers in council meeting when he was cross examined.

So the reader asks what is the rationale for bringing a new comer to Financial Advisory Committee and bring him as the chair. Who brought him in? Who are his backers? This is he representing there? Is he being planted to complete some work that PA could not complete?

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Verizon cell site now operational at Ridgewood High School?

verison RHS

April 19,2016

by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood NJ, The appearance of a cellular base station antenna on the roof of RHS suggests that the “microcell” cellular telephone site owned & operated by Verizon, proposed early last year, is now in place and fully functional.

When questioned about the installation in January of 2015, a BOE representative said that radio signals from the “microcell” were intended to enhance cellular telephone coverage within RHS.  Reportedly, even residents of nearby Beverly Road and Heermance Place would be unable to benefit from the installation.
Improved cellular telephone coverage was required within the RHS building in connection with enhanced security and communications protocols, or so claimed the BOE at the time the system was proposed.

https://www.publicnoticeads.com/nj/search/view.asp?T=PN&id=272/1022015_22051003.htm
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UNITEDHEALTH TO TRIM ACA EXCHANGES TO ‘HANDFUL’ OF STATES

obamacare_theridgewoodblog

BY TOM MURPHY
AP BUSINESS WRITER

UnitedHealth, the nation’s biggest health insurer, will cut its participation in public health insurance exchanges to only a handful of states next year after expanding to nearly three dozen for this year.

CEO Stephen Hemsley said Tuesday that the company expects losses from its exchange business to total more than $1 billion for this year and last. He added that the company cannot continue to broadly serve the market created by the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansion due partly to the higher risk that comes with its customers.

The state-based exchanges are a key element behind the Affordable Care Act’s push to expand insurance coverage. But insurers have struggled with higher than expected claims from that business.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. said it now expects to lose $650 million this year on its exchange business, up from its previous projection for $525 million. The insurer lost $475 million in 2015, a spokesman said.

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNITEDHEALTH_ACA_EXCHANGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-04-19-09-14-34

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Tuesday Brush Fires Shutdown NJT Commuter trains into New York Penn Station

Ridgewood_Train_station_train-_is_coming_theridgewoodblog
April 20,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, If was a very difficult commute for Ridgewood Passengers on Wednesday .Strong winds fed brush fires in the Meadowlands shuting down  NJ Transit and Amtrak service between Newark and New York Penn Station. The Shutdown resulted in massive delays .

Bergen Line trains to Ridgewood were also briefly suspended then operated on a delayed schedule in both directions, while MidTown Direct rail service will be diverted to Hoboken.

The PATH service cross honored tickets and passes at Newark Penn, Hoboken and 33rd Street in NY. stations.

Rail service between Newark Penn Station and New York was resumed following earlier brush fires. NJT told customers to expect delays of up to 60 minutes.

NOAA cites “CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR RAPID BRUSH FIRE SPREAD
DURING THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING” in the area .

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Taxpayers Pay through the Nose for the Minimum Wage

CASHIERS WORK AT THE CHECKOUT LANES OF A WALMART STORE IN THE PORTER RANCH SECTION OF LOS ANGELES

A Billion Dollar Stool to Reach the Bottom Rung of the Job Ladder

Adam Millsap

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

In February, the Obama administration proposed a “First Job” initiative. The main goal of the aptly titled initiative is to help unemployed young people obtain their first job by spending $5.5 billion on grants, training, and direct wages. Unfortunately – but unsurprisingly – the press release failed to acknowledge the most significant factor impeding employment in this age group: the minimum wage.

Everyone knows that a first job is a vital step in a young person’s development. Research has shown that work experience at a young age teaches positive work habits, time management, perseverance, and improves self-confidence. Increases in teenage employment also reduce the rate of violent crime. Yet despite these well-known benefits, the US maintains a minimum wage policy that makes it very difficult for all but the most productive teenagers to find a job.

When the minimum wage was discussed in the late 19th and early 20th century it was in the context of preventing the least skilled, most “undesirable” workers from finding a job, with the goal of eradicating the unemployable people. For the next 80-plus years it was common knowledge that a minimum wage would reduce employment among the least-skilled workers. The only debate was about whether such a reduction was desirable from society’s perspective, as many of the appalling eugenicists of the time contended.

As late as 1987, the New York Times editorial staff recommended a minimum wage of $0 because of its negative effects on employment. The Times argued that the minimum wage was an ineffective anti-poverty tool whose employment costs outweighed any benefits from higher wages.

https://fee.org/articles/taxpayers-pay-through-the-nose-for-the-minimum-wage/

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Christie marks Narcan law anniversary, saying antidote has saved several thousand lives

sanitation truck ridgewood

file photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page :Glen Rock Police Department uniformed patrol officer administered Narcan to the adult male driver of a Toyota Corolla

Governor Christie on Monday marked the second anniversary of a law that put a heroin overdose antidote in the hands of first-responders, observing that while no program is perfect, this one has saved several thousand lives. John C. Ensslin, The Record Read more

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The Right Questions To Ask For Financial Advice You Can Trust

iStock_000013278458_Large

April 19,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ Many people looking for good investments or hoping to save for retirement are wary of the very financial professionals who can help them reach their goals.

That was illustrated once again recently by the 2016 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient Report, which showed that just 37 percent of people surveyed believe the financial-services industry has a solid reputation.

The good news is that’s an improvement from past surveys. The bad news is that the pharmaceutical industry, the tobacco industry and government are the only ones with worse reputations.

Skepticism about the profession may sting a little, but there’s nothing wrong with caution when shopping for a financial professional, says Lou Desepoli, president of Desepoli Wealth Management (www.desepoliwealth.com).

“It’s important for investors to do their homework,” Desepoli says. “Don’t be timid about asking questions. A financial professional should answer any questions you have, and they should be able to provide details about fees, fiduciary standards and a client bill of rights.”

Mike Desepoli, Lou’s son and a wealth adviser at Desepoli Wealth Management, says all financial professionals may work with the same market conditions, but that doesn’t mean they are all created equal.

“How they assess, evaluate and react to the market is what sets one adviser apart from another,” he says.

The Desepolis say just a few of the topics an investor should broach when looking for an adviser include:

 

  • Fee transparency.

Ask how they are paid for the investments they recommend. Are they paid commissions on investments or other products they sell? Do they receive payments from mutual funds or investment companies they recommend? “What you’re trying to determine is whether they push investments that are more beneficial to them than they are to you,” Mike Desepoli says. “It’s best if the firm just charges a fee based on the value of the assets they manage for you. That makes it in their best interest for your portfolio to grow.”

  • Regulatory controls.

Find out what safeguards they have in place to protect against fraud. Have they ever been disciplined for unlawful or unethical actions? How do they ensure the firm remains in compliance with legal and regulatory statutes?

  • Experience and credentials.

The products an adviser can sell and the investment advice they can give are tied to their credentials. So find out what licenses and certifications they have.

 

“Most people spend more time shopping for a car than they do a financial adviser,” Lou Desepoli says. “But you want to be an informed consumer when it comes to who will handle your life savings. That person’s investment philosophy, their client-service philosophy and how they communicate with clients are all topics worth asking about.”

About Lou Desepoli

Lou Desepoli is the president and founder of Desepoli Wealth Management (www.desepoliwealth.com). He has more than 30 years’ experience in investment management, financial planning and tax consulting. He is also a CPA.

About Mike Desepoli

As a wealth adviser for Desepoli Wealth Management, Mike Desepoli serves as a wealth management resource to business owners and executives, assisting them in making proactive, personal financial decisions.

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Art Of Motion Dance Theatre To Perform With Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra and virtuoso pianist Yoonie Han

pianist Yoonie Han Ridgewood

*** TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE ***

April 19,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra completes its 76th season with a program of symphonic dances, featuring the Art of Motion Dance Theatre and virtuoso pianist Yoonie Han. The concert will take place on Friday, May 6 and will include dance numbers from Respighi’s “La Boutique fantasque” (after Rossini) and Bernstein’s West Side Story Symphonic Dances. The program will also include Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite for Orchestra as well as Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s Grande Tarantelle for Piano and Orchestra.

The concert will begin at 8:00 PM, and will take place at West Side Presbyterian Church at 6 South Monroe Street in Ridgewood. Tickets for adults, seniors, and students cost $25, $20, and $10 in advance; $28, $23, and $13 at the door.

The Art of Motion Dance Theatre is a Ridgewood-based repertory company, directed by Lynn Needle and Olivia Galgano, who hail from the dance traditions of Ballet Russe and Nikolais. The company specializes in creating original work that reflects the complexities of dance as a 21st- Century art form.

Concert pianist Yoonie Han made her solo debut with the Seoul Philharmonic at age 13. Since then she has trained at the Curtis Institute and at Juilliard, has won top prizes in prestigious international competitions, and has performed to great acclaim with major orchestras in celebrated concert halls all over the United States and the world.

For more information on programs, subscriptions, or advance ticket sales, visit the RSO website at: www.ridgewoodsymphony.org.

“Great music…close to home.”

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Paramus Police Department : A crew of pickpockets that target women’s handbags

Paramus Pick Pockets

April 19,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ,  The Paramus Police Department is looking to identify a crew of pickpockets that target women’s handbags while the victim is shopping. A majority of these thefts have taken place in supermarkets . We would like to remind people of some simple tips to avoid being a victim of these crimes:

Don’t leave your purse in your grocery cart as you shop. The first photo shows the actors hand in the victims purse

Don’t hang your purse on the back of your chair at restaurants. Keep it between your feet.

Use handbags that have a zipper or a flap that latches. Carry it with the flap side towards you.

Carry your purse in front of you.

Don’t hang your purse on the hook on the bathroom stall door and don’t sit it on the floor within arm’s reach. Set your purse at your feet or on a shelf that is midway up the stall wall.

Anyone with information on these crimes may call the Paramus Police Dept. at 201-262-3400 or use our confidential TIPS App located on our FB Page and/or website www.paramuspolice.org

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The First American Cookbook and Ridgewood native’s 1823 book of recipes

The First American Cookbook , Ridgewood native's 1823 book of recipes,

April 19,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, 220 years ago next week, on April 28, 1796, Amelia Simmons published the first cookbook “American Cookery”, written by an American. Prior to that, the cookbooks used in the Thirteen Colonies were British, and lacked information on how to use foods, spices and other ingredients found in America.

As historian Greg Mangan states, what made Simmons’s work unique “was its recognition of the deficiencies of existing British cookbooks when it came to understanding American culture”, and that it provides valuable insights into the methods and foods that helped colonists forge a uniquely American culinary identity.

A skillful cook, historian Karen Hess points out that Simmons recipes had a variety of herbs, as well as wine, and “extraordinarily fine roasting techniques”. She incorporated common early American foods – cornmeal, pumpkins, and molasses — into her recipes, and was the first cookbook author to mention “pearl ash”, (a wood ash, the forerunner of baking powder) to lighten or leaven dough.

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American Cookery also shows the influence of Dutch words in our area at that time – words like slaw, meaning salad; and cookey, from koekje, meaning cookie.

The impact of American Cookery on local Ridgewood residents at that time can be seen in an 1823 book of hand-written recipes by Ridgewood native Jeanette Pells. Two of her recipes (Ginger bread and Sugar cake) call for one or two teaspoons of pearl ash.

To learn more about food preparation and cooking in Ridgewood in the 18th and 19th centuries, come to the Schoolhouse Museum’s new exhibit “Farm and Home”using artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Museum is located at 650 E. Glen Ave., Ridgewood, NJ, and visiting hours are Thursdays and Saturdays; 1 to 3 p.m. and Sundays; 2 to 4 p.m. To contact the museum: 201-447 3242 or [email protected]

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Failure to Yield Results in Pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue in Ridgewood

Lincoln ave Ridgewood failure to yield

photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

April 19,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, An adult female sustained a non-life threatening knee injury after being struck by a motor vehicle at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Bellair Road in Ridgewood on Monday evening, 04/18. She was transported by a Ridgewood EMS ambulance to The Valley Hospital. Ridgewood PD reportedly issued a summons to the vehicle’s driver for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

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Readers take on Ridgewood’s East Side vs West Debate

maple+field1-300x19911

 

“Ms. Hauck got elected last time because the West side of Ridgewood voted and the Eastside did not. Check the records. I believe this “committee” came into existence after that election. Most of those in administration, on the board, and doctors from Valley that live in Ridgewood are also from the West side, and, I would be willing to bet, most of this front they call a Financial Advisory Committee live on the West side. Get it ? It is nothing more than a power play by a relatively small group of people with big money and egos that could care less about the overall well being of Ridgewood. And you are right 1:44, that could easily happen, but not just to that neighborhood.”

While others say , ” please don’t make this a West v. East thing. That tears a community apart and it’s insulting. I happen to live on the West side, within spitting distance of the East side – the argument that we are 2 separate groups doesn’t fly.”

Lets face it , “that has been the undercurrent for several years and now with all of the disputes going on, especially with the so called “crown jewel”, a lot of people are making this an east side west side thing… and some postings implying people living near the hospital are suckers, selfish, nimby etc. has done wonders to cement that feeling…and yes it is unfortunate but it is becoming a huge reality…”

“I’ll stick to my original comment for which I think I’m entitled after 33 yrs. It’s a power play, pure and simple. I have not said anything that people who have resided here have not said privately, trust me. But if nothing else, maybe it will get the people in this town to wake up, vote these people and their friends out, and stop the train wreck. That’s what the statement was intended to do. Sometimes being “politically correct “”does not work.”

“I live on the west side and I have email from Gwenn saying the previous administration did not take care of the west side and she and the current administration are making sure that west side is not neglected. So, she definitely tried to play that card.”

 

 

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Outline of Proposed Terms for the Development of the Schedler Property in Ridgewood

Save Our Schedler Members & Friends at the Schedler House3

file photo by Boyd Loving

April 18,2016

Ridgewood NJ, from the Friends of Schedler Facebook page :

Outline of Proposed Terms for the Development of the Schedler Property

1. In order to provide the Village with much needed passive park and recreational space, the field shall be no larger than 60’.

2. Any design will include a sound wall to block out the sound of the highway for the entire length of the property. In addition, to a sound wall near the highway, the park will include a berm on West Saddle River Road to block off the sound and view of the park. The berm shall include several rows of regularly maintained evergreens in order to provide the neighborhood with a “green shield”.

3. All demolition, including removal of trees (downed, diseased or otherwise) will not occur until completion of a development plan and budget approved by the Village Council. Demolition shall occur in conjunction with the overall project in order to avoid a gap between demolition and construction.

4. The plan and design of the park will be developed by an independent civil engineer and landscape architect specializing in park design with input from representatives of the neighborhood and the Village.

5. The development plan and budget will be based off of independent, comprehensive studies which would include:

* Addressing the issues already identified by environmental and wildlife impact studies

* The noise study to be conducted on the property and the surrounding area

* A third party traffic and safety study on West Saddle River Road and the surrounding side streets as recommended by the council committee. The traffic and safety study will include a determination of an adequate parking lot, as well as a review of potential ingress and egress into the parking lot from Rt. 17. In addition, the traffic and safety study will include a determination of appropriate parking restrictions on West Saddle River Road and, if practical, the surrounding streets off West Saddle River Road

6. Prohibition on the inclusion of (1) lights, both permanent and portable as required by the conservation easement, (2) a public address announcement system and (3) a concession stand.

7. The hours of the park will be from dawn to dusk.

8. Installation of police monitoring system to monitor any criminal activity.

9. Preserve the Schedler house by moving forward with registering the house with the historical society. The house will be used to benefit the entire community by, for example, providing meeting space for different community groups and providing restrooms for the park participants.