RIDGEWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE presents their famous New Jersey “fresh” and “traditional” farmers’ market Join us every Sunday June 24-EXTENDED THROUGH NOV 18th 9:00-3:00pm West side of NJ Transit Ridgewood train station Put your order in now for delicious FALL PRODUCE… Shop Local Jersey produce at the best prices! Ask the farmers for their favorite receipes on how to cook the vegetable. for more information call 201-445-2600 – [email protected] www.experienceridgewood.com
N.J. to hire up to 1,000 temporary workers to help wtih recovery
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2012, 8:34 PM
BY MICHAEL LINHORST
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
THE RECORD
As many as 1,000 unemployed New Jerseyans will soon be hired by the state to help with the recovery from Hurricane Sandy, the state announced Friday.
A fallen tree and leaning utility pole block the roadway near Heights Rd. and West Glen Ave. in Ridgewood on Tuesday, Oct. 31, a day after Hurricane Sandy battered New Jersey.
The federal government approved a $15.6 million National Emergency Grant on Friday that will pay for the temporary workers. Each worker can be paid a maximum of $12,000 and kept at work for up to six months.
Local governments will hire the workers to help with cleanup and reconstruction of public property, according to the governor’s office. The workers may also provide food, water and other assistance to disaster victims.
The program not only comes after a devastating hurricane, but also after months of stubbornly high unemployment in New Jersey. The state’s unemployment rate, one of the highest in the country, fell slightly to 9.8 percent last month.
The emergency grant totals $15.6 million, with $5.2 million released immediately.
The funding will only be available to workers in the 10 counties that have been declared federal disaster areas. Those counties include Bergen, as well as Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union counties.
“Ridgewood uses lessons from Irene to prepare for Sandy” , a bit early for back slapping November 4,2012 the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Many resident felt it was a bit over the top and premature for the Village to be patting it self on the back while some many residents didn’t have power,heat or hot water .
The Ridgewood Police got high marks for everything except for the “ticket frenzy ” . The use of Facebook to put out information received many kudos.
The Village however failed a basic test when power failed at Office of Emergency Management, Village Hall and Village Police Department . Old time residents remarked thankfully we did not have too much rain or flooding because all of the Village’s first responders are still located in flood zones .
Residents also need to understand the Village given how well it fared during Sandy was not going to be Governor Christie or PSE&G ‘s most pressing priority . Take a drive down to Bay Head and you will see what I mean. The Village was very lucky that the CBD was lights on and so many neighbors and local institutions pitched in to help out
The town attracted visitors from all over North Jersey and as far as Hoboken .People came not only to warm up ,and charge their batteries but also to get a hot cup of coffee and a good meal .The Village seemed to make a good impression on everyone who came to visit and I think many local merchants may continue to get business as an after affect from all the good will.
Many remarked how the Village leave crew hustled and yes even the Ridgewood blog will admit it the BOE and particularly Dr. Fishbien really stepped up .The Village Council and Village Officials also should be commended for just like the article says being prepared !
But folks this is not the time to for photo ops and back slapping many residents in the tri-state area are still without power and face a far more daunting situation than almost any of us could imagine . , it best to take a little time out just to remember how lucky we all are. RIDGEWOOD NEWS: Ridgewood uses lessons from Irene to prepare for Sandy
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
As Hurricane Sandy’s predicted impact and damage quickly became reality, Ridgewood officials were thankful that they applied lessons learned from last year’s extreme weather conditions to preparations for this October’s super storm.
Debris is cleared from the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy. The village was hit hard by flooding during last year’s Hurricane Irene, but was spared any water damage from Hurricane Sandy.
Emergency response teams, led by Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Jeremy Kleiman, began their hurricane preparation plans in the middle of last week, several days before Sandy was expected to hit landfall. The OEM held meetings with all village department heads on Friday and offered specific instructions and details of what to do and what to expect.
PSE&G Misses Service Restoration Deadline for Ridgewood
Nivember 4,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Service Restoration Update: Currently about 73 percent of all PSE&G customers have power while 607,000 customers are still without power. At its peak, the storm impacted 1.7 million of PSE&G’s 2.2 million electric customers.
PSE&G missed its target for full restoration of the Village of Ridgewood and has now pushed in back to the 5th of November or sometime Monday .
PSE&G says , ” The significant progress we’ve made on the transmission system means we’re now increasingly focusing our efforts on our distribution system. This means that our work will be more visible in your neighborhood.”
More help is coming, ” we will have additional feet on the ground and more trucks rolling through New Jersey’s streets. Another 600 workers will be joining the more than 3,000 linemen and tree contractors already working in our area. The federal government is flying some of these workers and their equipment from California into McGuire Air Force Base, located near Trenton.
Confusion Reigns In Ridgewood Over Pick Up Of Storm Debris – The Real Deal Explained Here
November 3,2012
Boyd A. Loving
7:34 PM
Ridgewood NJ, From the Village of Ridgewood website: “Residents are reminded that branches are not permitted to be placed on the street.”
As noted by the accompanying photos, the above message seems to be confusing to many residents who feel as though branches placed between the curb and sidewalk will be picked up by Village workers as they are not “on the street.”
However, SEVERAL official sources have advised me that the Village will NOT be picking up branches regardless of where they are placed. Repeat: VILLAGE WORKERS WILL NOT PICK UP YOUR STORM DEBRIS, NO MATTER WHERE YOU LEAVE IT, WHETHER IT IS BUNDLED & TIED, IN BAGS, OR IN BARRELS.
The only way to dispose of your storm debris is to have a private contractor remove it, or bring it to the Recycling Center on East Glen Avenue yourself.
RIDGEWOOD POLICE: TIPS FOR EMERGENCIES HOW TO AVOID SCAMS
TIPS FOR EMERGENCIES
How to Avoid Disaster-Related Scams
Disasters often attract con artists and frauds.
Fly-by-night unregistered home improvement contractors may take your money and disappear, leaving unfinished work and unsafe homes. Fraudulent charities capitalize on compassion, and divert money from worthy causes.
Protect yourself with the following tips. Call the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs at 800-242-5846 to file a complaint or to ask questions about contractors, charities or price gouging.
Home Repair Scams
Price Gouging
Before Hiring a Contractor:
Call the Division of Consumer Affairs to learn whether the contractor is registered, and whether the contractor has been the subject of any consumer complaints.
Demand a copy of the contractor’s liability insurance policy. Call the insurer to make sure the policy is still valid.
Demand a written contract. Don’t sign or pay for anything unless you understand and agree to all of the terms and conditions, including the fine print. Be sure to carefully review the list of materials that will be used.
Never pay the full price up-front.
Demand ID from anyone who claims to be from a utility company and wishes to inspect your home.
Never give your credit card number to strangers over the phone or Internet.
N.J.’s Price Gouging Law:
The law (N.J.S.A. 56:8-107 et seq.)
establishes that during a State of Emergency (or 30 days after it has been lifted) excessive price increases are illegal. Call the Division of Consum- er Affairs if you suspect price gouging
Makes it clear that an “excessive” price increase is any increase in price that is 10 percent higher than the price charged before the State of Emergency.
Establishes that prices may rise higher if they reflect additional costs to the seller, but that the higher price may not
exceed 10 percent of the markup from cost compared with the price prior to the State of Emergency.
Charity Scams
Investigate Before You Donate.
Call the Division of Consumer Affairs to find out whether the charity is registered to solicit in New Jersey, or is exempt.
Learn exactly how the charity plans to use your money. Learn how much it has spent on actual programs, fundraising and management costs. Call the Division of Consumer Affairs to verify this information.
Village of Ridgewood Hurricane Sandy Updates – Nov 3, 2012 3PM
The Village of Ridgewood has completed nearly all tree removal work that DOES NOT involve PSE&G wires and that affects public streets. Just like you, the village is waiting for PSE&G to do their work. Governor Christie released today PSE&G’s restoration plan. PSE&G is estimating total restoration for the Village of Ridgewood by midnight tonight, November 3. This is PSE&G’s estimate – NOT Ridgewood’s estimate. We believe PSE&G is overly optimistic, and that residents should expect many more days before restoration is complete.
Election Day: Due to loss of power at a number of our regular polling sites, the Bergen County Board of Elections has approved the following changes to polling sites:
Normal Voting Location ——– Voting Location For This Election
BF Middle School ——–Hawes School
Glen School ——– Fire Department Headquarters – E. Glen Ave.
Hawes School ——– Hawes School
GW Middle School ——–GW Middle School
Library ——– Fire Department Headquarters – E. Glen Ave.
Orchard School ——– Orchard School
Ridgewood High School ——– Somerville School
Somerville School ——– Somerville School
Travell School ——– Hawes School
Willard School ——– GW Middle School
24 hour Warming Center: Mt. Carmel Parish, 1 Passaic Street, Ridgewood, has agreed to remain open 24 hours as a warming center for residents who have no power and need a warm place to stay. Please enter on the Passaic Street side. Cots and a limited number of blankets are available. Residents are asked to bring their own blankets and pillows. Mt. Carmel will not be serving meals.
Recycling Center: The recycling center will be open on Saturday from 8 AM to 3 PM, and Sunday from 7 AM to 2 PM. In addition to accepting recycling and tree branches, they will be accepting household garbage.
Tree Branches: Tree branches ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE STREET. If you have placed branches in the street, they MUST be removed. Please bring branches to the recycling center.
The conditions outdoors remain dangerous due to downed trees and power lines. Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Stay away from downed power lines. Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything in contact with the wire.
For more information, continue to visit oem.ridgewoodnj.net and the Village of Ridgewood and Ridgewood Police Department Facebook pages for updates.
NY Waterway Resumes Almost Full Ferry & Bus Service!
NY Waterway is pleased to announce that commencing Saturday morning, November 3, we will resume normal weekend ferry/bus service from 8 a.m. to 1:10 a.m. from Weehawken and North Hoboken/Lincoln Harbor to Midtown.
Commencing Monday morning, November 5, NY Waterway will resume normal weekday ferry/bus service on all regular routes, except Port Liberte in Jersey City, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. We are particularly pleased that this will include the historic ferry terminal at Hoboken Train Station, which, like the rest of the City of Hoboken, was under several feet of water after the storm. Regular scheduled service will resume on all previously reopened routes, as well as these additional reopened routes:
Hoboken/NJT Terminal to World Financial Center and Pier 11
Belford to Pier 11/World Financial Center/Paulus Hook/Midtown
Liberty Harbor/Paulus Hook to Pier 11
Haverstraw/Ossining and Newburgh/Beacon
(Please check our regular schedules as posted on our website).
In those locations where ticketing equipment remains inoperable because of water damage, cash purchase of tickets may be required.
Purchase of single tickets, ticket books, and November monthly passes by credit card can be done:
1) at our Weehawken and WFC terminals;
2) through our website, with will-call pickup at designated terminals; or
3) through our NY Waterway Smart Phone App, which can also be accessed through our website.
We are proud to be leading the way in restoring mass transit service in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. We thank our patrons for their support during this unprecedented emergency.
If you have any questions about this or anything else please feel free to contact our customer relations department at 800-533-3779.
Scott Garrett : Given the uncertainty presented by power outages and other factors, voting in advance may be more convenient
Important Voting Update
November 2, 2012
Friends –
Our thoughts and prayers are with all New Jerseyans impacted by Hurricane Sandy, especially those who lost loved ones or experienced the destruction of their homes. As we help our neighbors and begin the work of rebuilding our communities, our top priority continues to be the safety and security of all New Jerseyans.
Over the past few days, many people have asked us what impact the storm will have on voting. While politics takes a back seat during this critical time for our state, we do want to provide you with the below update:
1. Election Day will proceed on Tuesday, November 6th. Polls will be open from 6:00am to 8:00pm.
2. If you prefer to vote in advance, you may do so at your County Clerk’s office between 8:30am and 4:30pm on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. Below are the addresses for the 5th District’s County Clerk offices.
Bergen County Clerk
One Bergen County Plaza
Room 130
Hackensack, NJ
Passaic County Clerk
401 Grand Street
1st Floor, Room 130
Paterson, NJ
Sussex County Clerk
83 Spring Street
Suite 304
Newton, NJ
Warren County Clerk
413 Second Street
Belvidere, NJ
Given the uncertainty presented by power outages and other factors, voting in advance may be more convenient. If we can be of any assistance to you or your family during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out.
UPDATED ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
3 p.m.:
11.02.12
Dear RPS Parents and Guardians,
I hope everyone is doing well. I am heartened by today’s news that power has been restored to George Washington Middle School, joining the three schools that never lost power: Hawes, Somerville and Orchard.
It is my hope that more schools will come on line over this weekend. But as you can imagine, PSEG is overwhelmed by the devastation from this storm and so I do not know if we will have school starting on Monday, November 5th. I will keep you informed with an update over the weekend.
With the uncertainty of our schools being ready for next Tuesday’s General Election, we are currently working with the Village on alternative polling location sites. As soon as the polling site plan has been finalized we will spread the word.
For those who continue to be without power, Somerville School will be open both this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. to charge your cell phones and other electronic devices.
Information about other services available to residents can be found on the Village of Ridgewood website at www.ridgewoodnj.net. Residents may also sign up there for the Ridgewood reverse 911 system. This is extremely important and easy; simply click on the E-Notices link in the right column and fill in the contact information.
Also available through the village website is a link to a special web page for post-hurricane information from the Ridgewood Office of Emergency Management. There you will find important resources such as a listing of local warming shelters, a special needs registry, shelter information and tips for food and generator safety.
One resource that is needed at this time is blood. The blood supply is low and those in medical need can use our help. If you are in a position to help and can travel, I encourage you to please donate blood at your earliest convenience.
A tremendous amount of clean-up has already occurred and will continue throughout the Village, thanks to the hard work of the Village Operations workers and the leadership of the Village administration and elected officials. But there are still many treacherous areas with downed wires and trees leaning on wires. Please be careful as you resume your regular activities. And please remember: No branches are to be put in the road. The Village is making every attempt to pick up garbage, recycling and leaves in a timely manner and they will get to you.
Lastly, as I watch the news I am concerned about some deterioration of civility caused by stress and the loss of services after Hurricane Sandy. Mediating disputes should not be something the police and emergency services should be dealing with at this point in time. Communities grow stronger by how we treat each other in times of need and distress. It’s important that we continue to do what Ridgewood does best, and that is to watch over each other and help each other. Please be careful, monitor your children and watch over your neighbors.
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D
Superintendent
Ridgewood Public Schools
PSE&G 54.5% of Ridgewood Customers Still Without Power
PSE&G storm update – Saturday, November 3, 2012 at 11:00 a.m.
With Crews focused on Ridgewood : Currently the VILLAGE of RIDGEWOOD has 10,255 customers served by PSE&G of that 5,586 are with out power leaving 54.5% to be restored
(November 3, 2012 – Newark, NJ) – PSE&G has restored service to 65 percent of those who lost power in Hurricane Sandy. In the last 24 hours, we restored service to all major gas refineries and 75% of the schools in our service territory.
Also in the last 24 hours we energized all of our switching stations and restored 16 substations. While energizing switching and substations does not automatically turn the lights on, it is a major step forward and allows us to focus on our distribution systems that are closer to the customer.
Currently about 73 percent of all PSE&G customers have power while 607,000 customers are still without power. At its peak, the storm impacted 1.7 million of PSE&G’s 2.2 million electric customers.
The switching stations that were re-energized are the backbone of our system and they feed substations which we continue to work around the clock to restore. The 16 substations that we restored in the last 24 hours serve parts of Union Township, Kenilworth, Cranford, and Roselle Park, Bound Brook, Port Newark, Ironbound section of Newark, Hillside, Irvington, Elizabeth, North Plainfield, Bayonne, Jersey City, Linden and Carteret.
We currently have 2,794 mutual aid line workers and tree contractors from out-of-state helping us on the ground. An additional 319 new workers are due today and 300 more are being sent from Washington, DC. Another 102 out-of-state personnel who specialize in substations are here assisting our efforts.
PSE&G is focusing its efforts this weekend on those areas where we can restore power to the maximum number of customers. In addition to the municipalities listed below, we continue to address priority customers including hospitals, public safety facilities, schools and water systems throughout our service territory.
Here is a summary of this weekend’s restoration work schedule:
Bergen County — Of the 333,690 customers in Bergen County, 215,770 lost electricity. As of Saturday morning, 142,100 customers remained without power. — Crews will be focusing on Teaneck, Englewood, Ridgewood, Fort Lee, Paramus, Bergenfield, Palisades Park, New Milford, River Edge, Glen Rock, Tenafly, Hackensack, Lodi and Bogota this weekend.
Local Gas Stations begin to open
November 3rd, 2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , Readers report to us that the Getty station on North Walnut Street and Franklin Avenue now has gas opening at 11 am and Exxon on Maple has gas but is only dispatching fuel to people with gas cans .
As already reported In an effort to prevent a fuel shortage and ease waiting times at gas stations, Governor Christie enacted odd-even gas rationing beginning at noon Saturday in Bergen, Passaic and 10 other northern New Jersey counties. Motorists with license plates ending with an odd number can purchase gas only on an odd calendar day, while those whose plates end in an even number can go to the pump on even days.
Long lines await patrons at area gas stations with some people telling the Ridgewood blog they waited over 3 hours . The Route 17 corridor between Linwood Ave and Garden State Plaza , had power restored yesterday afternoon but it was a little too late to mitigate gas lines . Other have told us horror stories of waiting in line on the Garden State Parkway and as early as 7am long lines formed throughout Paramus with the only bright spot being the sole gas station on Pascack Road across from the Rite Aid in Washington Twp ,where after several earlier altercations , people have settled down taking under and hour to get gas.
MSNBC really is more partisan than Fox, according to Liberal Think Tank Pew study
How does Comcast allow such wretched bias in presidential coverage?
By David Zurawik
The Baltimore Sun
2:38 p.m. EDT, November 2, 2012
In writing about the Pew study released today, I was struck by the big story of how negative coverage on several levels of presidential politics had become.
I think this is big trouble for democracy, especially the hostile level of discourse in social media. And that it’s something the media need to address collectively after the election.
But here’s one of several fascinating smaller findings of the study that are kind of stunning — even if they seem obvious and ho-hum to some of my more jaded, postmodern, aren’t-we-cleverly-ironic colleagues:
ON MSNBC, the ratio of negative to positive stories on GOP candidate Mitt Romney was 71 to 3.
That’s not a news channel. That’s a propaganda machine, and owner Comcast should probably change Phil Griffin’s title from president to high minister of information, or something equally befitting the work of a party propaganist hack in a totalitarian regime. You wonder how mainstream news organizations allow their reporters and corrdespondents to appear in such a cauldron of bias.
NJT: Updated Rail and Light Rail Service as of November 2, 2012
NJ TRANSIT sustained devastating damage to our rail infrastructure system-wide during Hurricane Sandy. Crews work around the clock to repair and restore sustained damage and only when service is deemed safe and secure will it resume.
RAIL SERVICE:
• Northeast Corridor Line: As of Friday, November 2 service has resumed between Trenton Transit Center and Penn Station New York. Service will operate on a modified schedule until further notice – schedule
PLEASE NOTE: THE SCHEDULE ABOVE APPLIES ONLY TO NEC TRAINS. ALL 7200 SERIES TRAINS ARE SUSPENDED. AT THIS TIME, NORTH JERSEY COAST LINE SERVICE REMAINS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
• North Jersey Coast Line: Service remains suspended until further notice due to a power failure at NJ TRANSIT’s Rail Operations Control Center.
• Raritan Valley Line: Service remains suspended until further notice due to a power failure at NJ TRANSIT’s Rail Operations Control Center.
• Montclair-Boonton Line: Service remains suspended until further notice.
• Morris & Essex Line: Service remains suspended until further notice.
• Main/Port Jervis Line: Service remains suspended until further notice due to a power failure at NJ TRANSIT’s Rail Operations Control Center.
• Pascack Valley & Bergen Line: Service remains suspended until further notice.
• Atlantic City Rail Line: Service remains suspended until further notice.
LIGHT RAIL SERVICE:
• River Line: As of Thursday, November 1 service has resumed and is currently operating on a regular Weekend schedule.
• Hudson-Bergen Light Rail: On Saturday, November 3, test cars will operate on the tracks – please note: service remains suspended until further notice.
• Newark Light Rail: Service remains suspended until further notice.
o The Newark Light Rail experienced flood waters beneath Newark Penn Station. NJ TRANSIT crews work around the clock to pump out water from the system.
*Monthly Pass Extension: NJ TRANSIT has extended the validity period for October monthly passes until Friday, November 9 for our customer’s convenience.
