Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli did not violate Open Public Meetings Act.
Ridgewood meeting deemed within the rules
Thursday January 10, 2013, 4:57 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Neither the spirit nor the letter of the law was violated when Ridgewood’s deputy mayor convened an informal meeting on Nov. 27, according to Village Attorney Matt Rogers.
At least two residents suggested last month that Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli violated the state’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) when he held the meeting in an effort to gain additional information regarding a proposed ADA-compliant ramp at Graydon Pool. The Village Council vote on the ramp took place Wednesday, Nov. 28.
Pucciarelli indicated that he purposely did not invite other members of the Village Council so as to avoid the legal obligations surrounding a public meeting. One other council member was in the same building where the meeting took place and eventually attended.
Unlimited Prepaid Parking – UP3 Permit January – December 2013
Parking rules have changed for all Ridgewood parking lots. Hourly rates in Village lots are 25 cents* per hour 6AM to 6PM, Monday through Saturday. Â Unlimited Prepaid Parking is offered through the new – UP3 program.
UP3 – Unlimited Pre Paid Parking permit provides the convenience of “coinless” unlimited parking in all lots. Â Annual permits are issued for a calendar year at a cost of $650. Â If the permit is purchased later in the year, fees are prorated as follows:
Purchase Month
FEE
Purchase Month
FEE
January
$650
July
$350
February
$600
August
$275
March
$550
September
$225
April
$500
October
$175
May
$450
November
$125
June
$400
December
$75
To obtain an UP3 – Unlimited Pre Paid Parking permit application for all lots, go to Village Hall Reception Desk, Monday to Friday, 8:30AM to 4:30PM. Applicants – residents and non residents – must show current Driver’s License and Vehicle Registration for up to three vehicles.
Train Station Lot will continue to require a Ridgewood Resident Commuter Parking Permit in addition to UP3 Permit. Resident Commuter parking Permits are issued free to residents at the Village Hall Reception Desk.
Please refer to the Explore Ridgewood Parking Guide that provides information and maps for locating parking lots in the Village at www.ridgewoodnj.net .
The Explore Ridgewood Parking Guide is located on top bar of the Homepage.
*Exception – Rt. 17 Park and Ride is 50 cents per hour, Monday to Saturday, 6AM to 6PM
Childrens Program – Dragons and Dreams – Sciencetellers – February 20
“Dragons and Dreams” presented by Sciencetellers
Children’s show at the Community Center
The Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to welcome Sciencetellers on Wednesday, February 20th, 11 a.m. at the Anne Zusy Youth Center, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue.
“Dragons and Dreams” is a spectacular adventure to be enjoyed by ages 5 to 95. With castles, kings, an Ice Sorceress, the Horn of Fire, two villagers and a daring journey to save an entire kingdom, spectators are swept away to a world where dragons are real, dreams come true, and only the most daring of people will survive to tell the tale!
Admission is $5.00, ages 2 and up. It is suggested tickets be purchased in advance either online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass or in person at the Recreation Office at the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, weekdays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
For additional information kindly contact the Recreation office at 201-670-5560.
Audit shows state missed 2012 revenue projections to sustain $2 Billion spending increase
Thursday, January 10, 2013
BY JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
The Record
Governor Christie’s $31.7 billion budget projects more than 7 percent revenue growth. But a new audit shows tax collections fell short of his more modest predictions for last year, coming in at less than half of what he expects for this year.
Christie, a Republican who is seeking reelection this year, based his call for the income tax cut he proposed in early 2012 on a blossoming state economy.
But information included in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report released by the state Department of Treasury on Wednesday shows Christie missed his revenue projections for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2012, by roughly $288 million.
The shortfall was whittled down to just $123 million after a series of routine budget adjustments, and no bills were left unpaid or overdue. The gap was simply carried over into the current budget year because the state constitution prohibits deficit spending.
But Christie is projecting much bolder growth to support the $31.7 billion spending plan he signed in June, and the audit offers no evidence of such an expanding state economy.
The audit confirms the state saw growth during the last fiscal year, but not as much as Christie predicted and much less than he’s projected for the current budget year. Major revenue sources grew by a combined 2.8 percent during the last fiscal year.
The current budget, however, projects revenue growth of more than 7 percent to sustain a $2 billion spending increase.
But so far, tax collections have failed to live up to the governor’s budget targets. All 14 revenue sources tracked by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services have lagged Christie’s projections.
Ridgewood public works inspector charged with stealing meter coins
Thursday January 10, 2013, 10:06 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Ridgewood’s public works inspector was arrested and charged Tuesday night with allegedly stealing more than $500 worth of coins that had been collected from municipal parking meters.
Thomas Rica, 42, was charged with theft and hindering apprehension, Village Manager Ken Gabbert told The Ridgewood News on Wednesday night.
According to the Ridgewood Police Department, an investigation was prompted on Jan. 8 after a municipal employee reported that coins stored in the meter collection room at Village Hall “appeared to be missing.”
The investigation, which was conducted by members of the police department’s detective bureau with assistance from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, revealed that an unauthorized employee entered the coin collection room “numerous times,” police said. Authorities identified the employee as Rica, who has been employed by the village since 2004.
Bolger Heritage Center presents : The People of New Netherland
Bolger Heritage Center, Ridgewood Public Library
January 4,2013
Ridgewood NJ, Save the Date: Tuesday, January 22, 7 pm. The People of New Netherland: Roughnecks, Multitaskers, Grandees, or All of the Above?
A program by Firth Haring Fabend, author of the just-published New Netherland in a Nutshell: A Concise History of the Dutch Colony in North America. The book has been described as a “handy, richly packed resource that gives the background, the actors, the action, and the legacy in clear prose” in a mere 125 pages.
Firth will show slides to illustrate who the diverse people were who inhabited the seventeenth-century colony that became New York, New Jersey, and parts of Delaware, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. She will have this book and some of her other books available for sale and signing.
The Ridgewood Public Library Bolger Heritage Center has a wide variety of resources for the study of genealogy and of Ridgewood and New Jersey history. The Center is located on Level 2 and is open during all library hours. Special assistance is available by emailing [email protected]. For more information about the Heritage Center see www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/localhistory.
Located at the Ridgewood Public Library , 125 North Maple Avenue Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450 Phone (201) 670-5600 ext. 135
The Valley Hospital Welcomes Howard “Hal” Jones, M.D. to its Staff as a Specialist in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery
January 8, 2013
Ridgewood NJ, Howard “Hal” Jones, M.D., has joined The Valley Hospital’s staff of surgeons specializing in minimally invasive procedures. A specialist in Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgery, Dr. Jones is certified in the da Vinci Surgical System and recently completed a prestigious Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Since completing his medical training at St. George’s University School of Medicine and his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Jones has participated in numerous research projects focusing on minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques and is currently a reviewer for The Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. He is certified by the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) and has attained a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (FMIG).
In addition to general gynecology, Dr. Jones focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal bleeding, fibroids, hormone dysregulation, endometriosis, and pelvic pain. Specializing in the latest, most effective techniques, Dr. Jones performs traditional and novel minimally invasive procedures such as single incision laparoscopy, conscious pain mapping, hysteroscopy (for diagnosis and treatment of fibroids, polyps, or bleeding), incisionless hysteroscopic sterilization, robotic myomectomy, robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy, and the removal of deep infiltrating endometriosis. “The da Vinci System gives us the ability to diagnose and treat complex pelvic conditions in a far less invasive way,” notes Dr. Jones. “Consequently patients tend to experience less trauma, shorter recovery time, and better outcomes.”
Dr. Jones comes from a long line of notable pioneers in the field of gynecology. “My grandparents were co-founders of the Howard and Georgeanna Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School,” he explains. “They established the nation’s first IVF clinic and continued to push the frontiers in assisted reproductive medicine for many years.”
For more information about minimally invasive gynecological procedures performed at The Valley Hospital, please call Dr. Jones’ office at 201-327-8765.
Flu reaches epidemic levels in N.J.
Wednesday January 9, 2013, 10:32 PM
BY BARBARA WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Influenza is rampant across the nation, and New Jersey is smack in the middle of what local physicians are calling an epidemic.
“It’s here. Big time,” said Dr. Thomas Birch, president of the medical staff at Holy Name Medical Center. “When the virus comes into a community with susceptible individuals, it will literally spread like those wildfires in California that burn everything in their path.”
The onslaught of the illness marks the first time in about a decade that influenza is so prevalent this early in the year — 41 states are reporting widespread flu activity. More than 2,200 people nationwide have been hospitalized and 18 children have died, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So many people are sick that St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson on Monday treated a record number of patients — 514 compared with about 420 it normally sees, said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, chairman of emergency medicine at St. Joseph’s Healthcare System, which has hospitals in Paterson and Wayne.
The city hospital admitted 90 patients, up sharply from the 60 to 65 typically kept for treatment on any given day.
The flu is spreading fast — and it’s virulent, doctors said.
Security Concerns Prompt YMCA to move nursery school program from Ridgewood to Upper Saddle River
January 9, 2013, 5:17 PM
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The YWCA of Bergen County is relocating its nursery school and parent/child classes to its more secure location in Upper Saddle River.
The school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut prompted the Y to move the programs from the Ridgewood facility at Oak street in Ridgewood which is open to the public, to Upper Saddle River a dedicated early learning site where entrants must use a key code or be buzzed into the locked building.
In a press release issued by the YWCA ,Arlene Vasquez, President of the YWCA Bergen County’s Board of Directors said ,” The safety of the children entrusted to our care has always been our number one priority,”
The move was not spurred by specific security concerns raised by parents or any security issues within the organization, Donna Gould, a spokeswoman for the YWCA, told the Bergen Record said Wednesday. ( https://www.northjersey.com/news/YMCA_of_Bergen_moving_nursery_school_from_Ridgewood_to_Upper_Saddle_River__.html )
Gould went on to say . “ I think from a standpoint of really trying to keep the facility kid-safe parents will appreciate that we take it that seriously.”
Nursery school classes for children 2½ to 4 years old, as well as Parent/Child classes for ages 15 months to 2 years will begin in the new location on Feb. 20. The Upper Saddle River center, is on Pleasant Avenue, about 6 miles from the current Ridgewood location.
Over 100 children from Ridgewood, Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick and other towns to the north, attend the nursery school program at the YMCA.
Notice to Bidders – Graydon Pool Sloped Entry – Bids open January 31
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level Three (3) conference room at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey, 07450 on Thursday, January 31, 2013, at 11:00 A.M., prevailing time, and then publicly opened and read aloud for the following:
“Graydon Pool Sloped Entry”
The work of the Contract shall consist of the construction of a concrete sloped entry ramp meeting American’s With Disabilities Act requirements into the Village of Ridgewood’s Graydon Pool. Principal items of the work include, but are not limited to the following: approximately 80 square yards of concrete pathway, a set of concrete steps, hand railings, concrete edge protection, field stone work with re-pointing, and construction of a small concrete structural wall in accordance with the technical specifications and drawings in the bid documents.
Specifications and bid forms may be obtained by mail from the office of the Division of Engineering, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450 for a non-refundable fee of $25.00 per set of bid documents. Documents may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, Monday through Friday. Prospective bidders requesting bid documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration. No specifications and/or proposal forms shall be given out after 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29, 2013.
The contractual obligation of the Village of Ridgewood under this Contract for these items is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for this Contract can be made.
Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all Federal, State and Local Sales and Excise Taxes. Bids may be submitted in person or by mail, addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any bid sent to it prior to the Bid opening.
Each bid must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the bidder thereon and endorsed, “Graydon Pool Sloped Entry” and must be accompanied by a certified check, cashier’s check, or Bid Bond (Schedule B), drawn to the order of the Village of Ridgewood for ten (10%) percent of the amount bid or $20,000.00 whichever is less; a Consent of Surety (Schedule A); a Corporation or Partnership Statement (Schedule C); a Non-Collusion Affidavit (Schedule D); and a Statement of Responsibility (Schedule E). Any award or partial awards may be made at a later or subsequent time or meeting of the Village Council. All required schedules, that is Schedule A, B, C, D, E, and F, shall be submitted on the forms attached to the bid documents. No other forms will be accepted.
The successful bidder shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Prevailing Wage Act, as determined by the New Jersey Department of Labor. All contractors, their subcontractors, and material suppliers shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Public Works Contractor Registration Act, pursuant to Public Law 1999 Chapter 238 and the Contractor Business Registration Program, pursuant to Public Law 2004 Chapter 57. Evidence of satisfactory registrations shall be submitted at the time of the bid. All bids submitted shall contain a copy of the bidder’s New Jersey Business Registration Certificate and a copy of the Certificate of Employee Information Report.
The successful bidder shall furnish and deliver to the Village of Ridgewood a performance and payment bond (Schedule F) in the amount of 100 percent of the accepted bid amount as security for the faithful performance of the Contract. Additionally, the successful bidder shall furnish policies or Certificates of Insurance required by the Contract. In default thereof, said checks and/or bid bond and the amount represented thereby shall be forfeited to the Village of Ridgewood as liquidated damages, not as a penalty.
Proposals submitted by Bidders and/or Bidder’s Insurance Company(is) not chartered in the State of New Jersey, must be accompanied by proper certificate(s) from the Secretary of State, indicating that such Bidders, Bidder’s Insurance Company(is), and/or Surety Company(is)’s is (are) authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informalities or to accept a bid which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the date and time set for the opening of bids.
“BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27). A complete statement as to these requirements is included in the specifications.
Buono: Not enough being done to put New Jerseyans back to work…you think
TRENTON – Sen. Barbara Buono says she sees eye to eye with Gov. Chris Christie when it comes to some aspects of the recovery effort from Superstorm Sandy, however she differs greatly on how she would lead the state. Arco, PolitickerNJ
Planned Parenthood Touts over 333,000 Babies Aborted in 2011
by William Bigelow 8 Jan 2013
And the American genocide continues, with 333,964 murders in 2011. That’s the figure proudly released by Planned Parenthood Federation of America in their report delineating how many abortions they performed in fiscal 2011. Doing some simple math reveals that the number of abortions performed equates to one abortion every 94 seconds.
And Planned Parenthood can be pleased with their progress: the number of abortions they performed in 2011 was up from 2010, when they snuffed out 329,445 lives. And the U.S. government can carry the banner high with the abortion provider; Planned Parenthood received $542.4 million in “government health services grants and reimbursements,” including “payments from Medicaid managed care plans.”
Planned Parenthood isn’t hurting. Its assets total $1,244.7 billion.
Healthy Weight Loss Happens – Program starts JAN 28
Ridgewood NJ, The Bolger Fitness Center (BFC), a program of the Ridgewood YMCA and YWCA Bergen County, will kick off its next two month “Be the Winner” program on January 28, 2013. This comprehensive program provides the fitness instruction, nutrition strategies and community support needed for healthy and successful weight-loss. Since “Be the Winner” was launched in 2010, 35 participants have lost a total of 288 pounds.
All participants will meet on Monday, January 28 for weigh-ins and a group session with a Registered Dietician. The program features eight 30 minute sessions with a certified personal trainer; sixteen 60-minute group exercise classes during weeknights with fellow participants; a follow-up group session with the Registered Dietician and ongoing health and wellness support via email; plus access to over 70 free fitness classes, strength and conditioning gym and lap swimming. The winner (determined by largest percentage of body weight lost at the end of the program) receives a healthy gift basket and choice of a 3-month BFC membership; three one-hour personal training sessions; or three one-hour massages.
The cost is $399 for BFC members and $499 for non-members (includes BFC membership for program duration.) Upgrade to 60-minute Personal Training sessions for only $99; 1-on-1 nutrition consultations are available for an additional $95 each ($150 value) or two participants can do a group session for $50 each. For details or to register call Silvia Allen at 201-444-5600, ext. 382 or visit the BFC at 112 Oak St., Ridgewood.
Pedestrian Struck and Injured In Busy Ridgewood Intersection
January 9th 2012
Boyd A. Loving
3:13 PM
Ridgewood NJ , Shorty before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, a pedestrian crossing Franklin Avenue at the intersection of North Walnut Street in Ridgewood was struck and injured by the the driver of a late model Volvo station wagon that was traveling eastbound on Franklin Avenue.
The victim, a 54 year old female, was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood for injuries reported to be non-life threatening.
The driver was issued a summons for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Responding were Ridgewood PD, Ridgewood EMS, and Ridgewood FD personnel.
Ridgewood bomb doctor has medical license suspended
January 9, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A Ridgewood physician formally charged with stockpiling large amounts of highly volatile chemicals primarily used for making bombs has had his license to practice medicine temporarily suspended.
Today the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners announced the temporary suspension of Dr. Roberto E. Rivera’s medical license.
Rivera was arrested back November and remains incarcerated at the Bergen County Jail on $1 million bail and currently faces charges of possession of large quantities of bomb-making materials and having multiple unlicensed assault weapons in his possession .
The temporary suspension will remain in effect until the board reviews the outcome of his criminal case. Rivera has a right to appeal the board’s decision.
In November.Ridgewood police had initially responded to the home after receiving a report that potentially hazardous materials might be at the residence. The Bergen County Prosecutor, John Molinelli, called at least one of the chemicals “highly volatile,” but authorities did not disclose the names or nature of the chemicals found in the house. ( https://theridgewoodblog.net/occupy-wall-street-protester-roberto-rivera/ )
Rivera was active in the the Occupy Wall Street movement which is a breeding ground for Marxist Revolutionaries that hide behind the Anarchist label , but prosecutors have yet to offer a motive in the case, and have not said what exactly Rivera was planning to do, or whether he was working alone or with a group.
