Posted on 2 Comments

Flo’s Market at Ridgewood Train Station Sells Winning Jersey Cash 5 Ticket

pick 5 ridgewood

Jersey Cash 5 Ticket Wins $184,570 Jackpot in Bergen County

By staff
Monday, Mar 07, 2016

One Bergen County ticket matched all five numbers for the Jersey Cash 5 game drawn on Friday, March 4 winning the $184,570 jackpot. The ticket was purchased at Flo’s Market at Ridgewood Train Station, 6 Garber Square, Ridgewood in Bergen County.

Executive Director Carole Hedinger said the top prizewinning ticket was the only one sold for Friday’s drawing that matched all five numbers drawn. The winning numbers were: 25, 27, 30, 40 and 42.

https://bergendispatch.com/articles/37755771/Jersey-Cash-5-Ticket-Wins-184-570-Jackpot-in-Bergen-County.aspx

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Dr Fishbein Recommends Full Day Kindergarten for Ridgewood

Dan Fishbein 10
March 7th 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , Dr Fishbein made his recommendation to the Ridgewood Board of Education to go to a 2nd question on the November ballot to fund Traditional Full Day kindergarten for 2017. The Board unanimously agreed. The process will now begin to get ready for that vote.

Full day kindergarten will most likely require more classrooms. Meaning the Ridgewood School District will we be bonding more school construction for all 6 elementary schools in a couple of years.  The usual move will be that the BOE will suggest more classrooms to accommodate full day kindergarten after the full day kindergarten is agreed to . Unless parents will be satisfied having kindergarten held in trailers in the parking lots of the schools.

So the reality is that like the Hudson Street Parking garage , this measure ,Full Day Kindergarten will result in further tax increases .
Posted on 6 Comments

Ridgewood hearings to examine impact of multi-family housing development downtown

CBD high density housing

BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — The results of studies on how zoning to allow high-density, multifamily housing downtown would affect the village will be presented to the public Wednesday night at Ridgewood High School.

The four studies, commissioned by the Village Council in mid-January, will explore the possible impacts of five introduced zoning ordinances on local schools, traffic, community services, infrastructure and finances.

Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said Saturday three firms were contracted to do the work: Ross Haber & Associates to look at the schools, the RBA Group to review traffic, and BFJ Planning, in partnership with Urbanomics, to study local infrastructure and financial impacts.

Experts from those companies will present their findings to the public Wednesday night at the Ridgewood High School Campus Center. The public will be able to comment on the reports afterwards, and a final public hearing and possible votes of adoption are slated for March 23.

The ordinances, approved by the Planning Board by majority votes last June and introduced by the council a month later, would increase the allowable number of housing units per acre from 12 to 30 or 35 in three zones in the central business district. Proponents of the master plan amendments say the resulting housing complexes would provide homes for young professionals and empty-nesters; opponents claim they would strain local infrastructure and forever change the character of the village’s quaint downtown.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-hearings-to-examine-impact-of-multi-family-housing-development-downtown-1.1523992

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Longtime Village of Ridgewood resident Jeff Voigt Announces ‘Voigt for Our Village’ campaign for Village Council

Jeff Voigt Ridgewood

photo courtesy of Jeff Voigt’s Facebook

Jeff Voigt Secures Ballot Position For Upcoming May Ridgewood Council Election

March 7,2016

By staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood, NJ – Longtime Village of Ridgewood resident Jeff Voigt todayannounced he is a candidate for the Ridgewood Village Council. Voigt received more than 300 signed petitions to appear on the May 10th ballot.

“This is a pivotal year for Ridgewood. There are many forces at play with the potential to completely change the character of our Village,” said Voigt. “I bring decision-making, critical-thinking, and consensus building to the Council table, along with 23 years of living
in Ridgewood and contributing to its economic, social, and religious fabric.  It is time to improve the interaction and trust between residents and the council, in order to enhance our local way of life. This outcome lies at the heart of my candidacy.”

Voigt has been a member of the Ridgewood Board of Adjustment since 2011. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont, a Master of Public Health from Columbia, and a Master of Business Administration from Wharton School, University of
Pennsylvania.

A consummate civic leader, Voigt is running for one of the three open Council seats.  His platform focuses on three main issues he views as most critical to Ridgewood’s future:

 Development that holds a line on appropriate density and reflects the character of the Village and the concerns of its neighborhoods including

parking;

 Fiscal responsibility which includes taxes;

 Environmental issues including the need for open and recreational space in

the community; and health issues including water quality and the presence of the chemical PFOA

“I am in favor of pragmatic, sensible development that does not threaten our existing quality of life or increase our tax burden,” Voigt said.  “I believe we should pursue solutions to our problems within the village, work together, embrace diversity of opinion,
compromise, and not look to other entities for answers, funding, or other supports.  I am also extremely concerned about the need to clean up the water quality and toxic waste in the middle of downtown.”

Voigt is married, with three adult children.  He is a Commentator and Lector at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Ridgewood, a member of the Ridgewood Knights of Columbus, and an Eagle Scout.  He recently served as President of the Wharton Healthcare Management Alumni Association (WHCMAA) and was a member of the WHCMAA Board from 2010-2015.  Jeff’s other board memberships include: Leonard Davis Institute Executive Advisory Board, University of Pennsylvania (a leading US health policy think tank) and Columbia University School of Public Health Alumni Board.

A regular Tuesday host of the national Wharton Business School radio program The Business of Healthcare on SIRIUSXM 111, Voigt also publishes frequently in peer reviewed journals on U.S. healthcare policy and practice.  His work has been referenced hundreds of times.  Prior to launching Medical Device Consultants of Ridgewood in 2003, he helped build several companies from startups into very profitable entities.

“I want a Council which is resolved to think through issues from the vantage point of the neighborhoods most affected,” said Voigt. “”What needs to change is the character of the current council. Private agendas are getting in the way. I have no hidden agendas; want to give back to a place that has given so much to my family and me, and to preserve the character of our village, in the truest sense of the word.”

“My campaign team and I are launching the ‘Voigt for Our Village’ campaign.” said Voigt.  “We have a great team of involved and concerned Village residents who understand the issues.  I look forward to talking with individuals from every part of this community in the weeks ahead to learn more about their concerns and the solutions they favor.  I am confident that Ridgewood’s best days lie ahead.”For more information about the Jeff Voigt campaign, contact:  Campaign Manager: Sergio Alege, [email protected].

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Ridgewood Water to Host Municipal Information Forum for Residents

RidgewoodWaterLogo_061912_rn_tif_

Dear Resident,

I am writing to inform you of a Municipal Information Forum that we will be hosting for Ridgewood residents regarding Ridgewood Water.

The intent of this forum is to educate the public on how water is delivered to your faucet.  We will deal with current issues in the news as well as discussing the quality of our water, sustaining water for the future, budget and capital investments and our short-term and long-term strategies.

Our decision to hold this forum emanated from several sources.  One clearly is the amount of interest that residents have expressed in learning more about Ridgewood Water; this has definitely been heightened by stories in the news.  Secondly, we have held two sessions such as these at both our 2016 budget reviews as well as at a Glen Rock Council meeting.  These were two-way dialogues that were well received and I believe went a long way in a better mutual understanding of how the water we consume is delivered to our homes.

We are planning on conducting this forum on two separate dates.  The first isThursday April 21st from 9-11 AM.  The other is Monday April 25th from 7:30-9:30PM.

Please let us know if you intend on joining us by responding to this e-notice.

Look forward to seeing you.

Best,

Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203

Posted on 3 Comments

Caitlyn Jenner: ‘Hillary Clinton Couldn’t Care Less About Women’

Caitlyn Jenner,  ridgewood

KAITLAN COLLINS
Entertainment Editor

During the season premiere of “I Am Cait” Sunday night, Jenner was on a bus tour with a group of transgender women when he said he didn’t want to stop at the Democratic debate. (RELATED: Caitlyn Jenner Fondly Remembers When Obama, Hillary Opposed Gay Marriage)

“It’s the last place I want to be,” Jenner said. “But I’m open. We need both sides and if we’re unfortunate enough get Hillary as our next president, we need her on our side. Although she won’t be — she couldn’t care less about women.”

Read more: https://dailycaller.com/2016/03/07/caitlyn-jenner-hillary-clinton-couldnt-care-less-about-women/#ixzz42GiLF7iI

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NOAA Data finds No Warming for 58 years

abominable-snowman-520169

NOAA Radiosonde Data Shows No Warming For 58 Years

In their “hottest year ever” press briefing, NOAA included this graph, which stated that they have a 58 year long radiosonde temperature record. But they only showed the last 37 years in the graph.

https://realclimatescience.com/2016/03/noaa-radiosonde-data-shows-no-warming-for-58-years/

Posted on 2 Comments

TRUMP SHAKES WORLD ORDER

big-brother-poster

Foreign diplomats voicing alarm to U.S. officials about Trump

WASHINGTON | BY MARK HOSENBALL, ARSHAD MOHAMMED AND MATT SPETALNICK

Foreign diplomats are expressing alarm to U.S. government officials about what they say are inflammatory and insulting public statements by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, according to senior U.S. officials.

Officials from Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia have complained in recent private conversations, mostly about the xenophobic nature of Trump’s statements, said three U.S. officials, who all declined to be identified.

“As the (Trump) rhetoric has continued, and in some cases amped up, so, too, have concerns by certain leaders around the world,” said one of the officials.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-foreign-idUSMTZSAPEC37O1O8W3

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Record 61 million immigrants in U.S., 15.7 million illegally

illegal immigrants3

By PAUL BEDARD (@SECRETSBEDARD) • 3/7/16 6:37 AM

There are a record 61 million immigrants and their American-born children in the United States, including an estimated 15.7 million illegally here, according to a new analysis of 2015 U.S. Census data.

The estimated number of undocumented immigrants is one of the highest ever.

The analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies found that 45.3 million, or three-fourths of the 61 million, are legal immigrants and their children. The report out Monday notes that the so-called “Gang of Eight” immigration bill supported by GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio would have doubled that number of legal immigrants.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/report-record-61-million-immigrants-in-u.s.-15.7-million-illegally/article/2585110

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NPR finds out public hates Obamacare, buries its own poll results

obamacare_theridgewood blog

” I hope you haven’t been making plans of what to do with that $2,500 a year you’ll be saving on premiums. The NPR poll confirms that that was just another in Obama’s litany of lies. Forty-five percent of respondents said their premiums had gone up, while 46% said their premiums had stayed about the same. Only 4% said their premiums had actually gone down, as Obama promised they would.” Alieta Eck, MD

In Health Care, Politics by Mr. RightMarch 4, 20162 Comments

Most of the country now knows what we were warning about several years ago: Obamacare is horrible. Even the far-left folks at NPR were made aware of it when one of their own polls showed that only 15% of Americans say they have been helped by the law.

From American Thinker:

A thorough repudiation of the (un-)Affordable Care Act comes from, of all places, state-run National Public Radio. Timed to be buried by Super Tuesday coverage, NPR this week released a new study that indicates that Obamacare has failed on almost all levels.

The poll, by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, shows that three quarters of Americans think health care in their state has not improved under Obamacare. The survey says more people think health care has gotten worse (26%) than better (15%). Forty-nine percent of people think health care has stayed about the same.

And I hope you haven’t been making plans of what to do with that $2,500 a year you’ll be saving on premiums. The NPR poll confirms that that was just another in Obama’s litany of lies. Forty-five percent of respondents said their premiums had gone up, while 46% said their premiums had stayed about the same. Only 4% said their premiums had actually gone down, as Obama promised they would.

Along with higher premiums, co-pays and deductibles have gone up for 35% of people.

Read the Rest (give it a click. It’s good)

Yeah, America hates Obamacare. And you can probably guess how NPR reported on the poll results…

From Newsbusters:

This is not all the way NPR reported on its own poll. On Monday’s Morning Edition, they waited until late in a seven-minute segment to mention the Obamacare part of their results on health care, and they completely avoided numbers, especially the notion that more feel harmed than helped…

https://poorrichardsnews.com/npr-finds-out-public-hates-obamacare-buries-its-own-poll-results/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetwork

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The Future of Ridgewood: Hoboken police chief ‘disturbed’ after 15 arrested at annual Lepre-Con bar crawl

Clock CBD

By Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 06, 2016 at 5:59 PM, updated March 07, 2016 at 7:24 AM

HOBOKEN – Police Chief Ken Ferrante is speaking out after 15 people were arrested and dozens of others ticketed after this year’s annual Lepre-Con bar crawl.

In a statement, the chief said he was “disturbed” by what he called repeated issues with revelers at the St. Patrick’s Day-themed event, sponsored by a private promoter and local watering holes.

Arrests this year increased by four over 2015, and Ferrante specifically cited the arrest of a former college football player for allegedly breaking a city officer’s ribs and dislocating another’s shoulder.

“I will not tolerate having any of our officers injured, for the purposes of a few to make a financial profit at the expense of our residents, and for the purposes of promoting deviant behavior attached to various holidays, which results in citizens and officers being hospitalized!” he said.

https://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2016/03/hoboken_police_chief_disturbed_after_15_arrested_a.html?ath=9c46bfc08d76232bb5a5e00eeaf0bfa2#cmpid=nsltr_stryheadline

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Reader says why pay to park in Ridgewood when I can Park for Free in Other Towns ?

parkmobile_meter

I go to Glen Rock to eat, get a haircut, etc., I park, I pay nothing. I go to Midland Park to the hardware store or the shoe repair shop or others or to eat, I park, I pay nothing. I go to Wyckoff to shop or eat or go to the bakery, I park, I pay nothing. I go to Allendale to shop or eat, I park, I pay nothing. I go to Hawthorne for whatever (including, most often, the movie theater, but also restaurants and shops), I park, I pay nothing, and I don’t worry that the meter will expire before the movie is over, because there isn’t one. I go to Waldwick to the hardware store or to shop or eat, I park, I pay nothing. I go to Ramsey to shop or eat or go to the movies (two different ones), I park, I pay nothing, ditto re: worrying about meter expiring because there isn’t one. That’s not to mention free parking at Route 17 stores, strip malls, and bigger malls, and we won’t even mention the internet (can’t eat lunch or get a haircut there).

What is wrong with this picture? Ridgewood, my own town, is not so special that it’s worth paying so much to park and (more important) looking at my watch and worrying about risking a ticket, which we’ve been assured will soon be increased in price and monitored intensely.

Just no. Sorry. I am frankly embarrassed by this entire thing. We don’t need a garage and we are already paying too much to park. Entire project was a waste of time and resources and will only get worse. Even more distressing is that it’s not going to work. Could end up ripping the whole thing out just as the one-lane underpass road/suicide bike lane will eventually be replaced by the two lanes we had before.

Posted on 2 Comments

Reader Insists Ridgewood Teachers are a good Deal for Baby Sitting our Kids

RHS_BEST_theridgewoodblog

Teachers’ hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It’s time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do — babysit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage.

That’s right. Let’s give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan– that equals 6 1/2 hours).Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day…maybe 30? So that’s $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.

However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

That’s $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master’s degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute — there’s something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher’s salary is $75,000. $75,000/180 days = $416./per day/30 students=$13.80/6.5 hours = $2.13 per hour per student — a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Posted on 11 Comments

Readers not Buying Village of Ridgewood Recycling Challenge

Village_Manager_Roberta_Sonenfeld_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

They will begin issuing summonses for violations of the new Recycling policy just like they did with the leaves. A new way to make money for the parking garage. Hold onto your wallets!

“The level of fees is under siege and has actually decreased 18% over the last 3 years from $332,552 to $266,232; a further decline is anticipated in 2016.”

The residents are the ones under siege here in Ridgewood; not fees. But I get your logic since you intend to raise my parking fees by 400% this summer to support the county garage.

If you happen to watch the recycle refuse being collected it is not uncommon to watch it be all be loaded into the same exact collection gate on the truck. We spend time separating the papers into different bins only to watch them get dumped into the same place.

I did ask the driver one time about this and he said they had reached the limit and it did not matter too much on paper differences.

At the end of the day seems like a simple jobs program with unmeasured results

It’s another simple edict: do as we say or the fines will continue. Years back when the Village was going to stop hauling the BoE garbage, they offered to do it for a price. (Around $125k/yr, I think) The BoE put out a bid for quotes and it resulted in a hauler taking it for about half the price. I am not attacking our hard-working village employees but for Roberta to say ‘give us only pristine garbage’ is absurd.

Let’s start by removing the Garbage from Village Hall…

Conveniently it meets there every other Wednesday night and sometimes by appointment if you are a special interest or campaign contributor.

Or you can just remember to vote in this coming election so you don’t have to get the stink of these skunks on you.