Planning Board Members: David Nicholson – – Chairman Albert Pucciarelli – Vice Chairman Keith Killion – Mayor Bernadette Walsh – Councilwoman Morgan Hurley Nancy Bigos Costantino Suriano Kevin Reilly Charles Nalbantian Richard Joel – Alt. 1 Jane Shinozuka – Alt. 2
Staff: Gail L. Price, Esq., Board Attorney Blais L. Brancheau, PP, Planner Christopher J. Rutishauser, PE, Village Engineer Barbara K. Carlton, Board Secretary
Christopher Rutishauser Email: crutishauser@ridgewoodnj.net Fax: (201) 670-7305
>Triple Five, owner of Mall of America, has signed a letter of intent to take over Xanadu
Triple Five to take over Xanadu
Governor Chris Christie and the consortium of lenders that own the debt on Meadowlands Xanadu (“Lender Group”), announced today that Triple Five, owner of Mall of America, has signed a letter of intent with the Lender Group, “subject to final documentation, to revitalize the Meadowlands complex.” (Staff, PolitickerNJ)
>new jersey fiscal crisis :The political and policy impact of authorizing states to file for bankruptcy
In his Op-ed in PolitickerNJ.com on Monday, December 20, 2010, former New Jersey Governor Jim Florio discusses continuing state revenue shortfalls in various states and the impact this has on funding public services and obligations. (Steinberg, PolitickerNJ)
>New Jersey’s pension gap grew to $53.9 billion in the last fiscal year
New Jersey pension gap grows
New Jersey’s pension gap grew to $53.9 billion in the last fiscal year, up from $45.8 billion, thanks to market losses and a lack of state funding, according to figures released Thursday by the state. (Fleisher, The Wall Street Journal)
SACRAMENTO area pilot punished for youtube videa George Warren
The 50-year-old pilot, who lives outside Sacramento, asked that neither he nor his airline be identified. He has worked for the airline for more than a decade and was deputized by the TSA to carry a gun in the cockpit.
He is also a helicopter test pilot in the Army Reserve and flew missions for the United Nations in Macedonia.
Three days after he posted a series of six video clips recorded with a cell phone camera at San Francisco International Airport, four federal air marshals and two sheriff’s deputies arrived at his house to confiscate his federally-issued firearm. The pilot recorded that event as well and provided all the video to News10.
At the same time as the federal marshals took the pilot’s gun, a deputy sheriff asked him to surrender his state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon.
>Ridgewood Public Schools Annual Parent Survey the Wrap
So lets take a look at how parents thought our schools did. Lets look at some high lights and perhaps some low lights . We like to look at the “strongly agreed” responses as they leave little room for interpretation and anything near 30% level is pretty impressive .
29.3% of parents strongly agreed ,that they were satisfied with the overall quality of my child’s education. 34.7% strongly agreed that they would recommend this school to other parents and 36% of parents strongly felt welcomed in my child’s school.
While 27% were strongly pleased with the academic progress of their child, Only 18% strongly agreed that their child is challenged academically. 29.2% said they supplement my child’s education with professional tutoring in core subjects such as math or reading (other than SAT prep). But 84.3% said their child does not participate in SAT prep (tutor, prep classes, etc.) which we find very hard to believe.
Only 14% strongly agreed that their child is encouraged to try new things at school. 10.7% strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the quality of the physical spaces at their child’s school. Only 15% strongly agreed that their child’s school is clean and well-maintained. 10.8% strongly agreed that the condition/quality of our school athletic facilities is acceptable.
A total of 2573 parents or guardians filled out a survey, representing a 38% participation rate, which seems a bit low. However we are not sure weather the participants remained truly anonymous or not . Over all it seems most parents who participated were satisfied with their child’s schools While with only 18% strongly agreeing that their children are challenged academically leaves some room for improvement .
>Village of Ridgewood : Proposed development could fill an entire Ridgewood block of Central Business District
Proposed development could fill an entire Ridgewood block Thursday, December 23, 2010 BY MICHAEL SEDON THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS Staff Writer
A conceptual plan for downtown development could put 100 apartment units, 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail space and a three-level parking garage on Maple Avenue between Franklin and East Ridgewood avenues.
Developers have proposed a mixed-use development to replace an entire block along Maple Avenue. The rendering above was presented to the Ridgewood Planning Board this week.
The idea presented to the Ridgewood Planning Board by local developers Ken Schier, an architect and professional planner, and John Saraceno, principal of Onyx Equities LLC, would replace all the existing buildings along Maple Avenue between the two main downtown thoroughfares with a six-story mixed use building.
At the meeting, Saraceno told the board that he owns all the property with the exception of 260 Franklin Ave., the current site of Brake-O-Rama, but if this plan moves forward, he has an option to purchase that property from the owner.
The properties are listed as being owned by 257 Ridgewood Avenue LLC, according to the village’s online tax assessor records.
The parking structure would be hidden from the street but “slightly visible” from the Feeney Funeral Home property and the municipal parking lot directly behind the property, Schier told the board.
>Senate President Democrat Stephen Sweeney proposes holding state aid for towns that won’t share services
N.J. Senate leader proposes holding state aid for towns that won’t share services
Senate President Stephen Sweeney Wednesday unveiled a new weapon in his war on home rule: withholding state aid for local governments that refuse to share services. (Friedman, The Record)
>Have you been naughty or nice? Last minute gift Ideas
With the Holidays upon us, we are feeling very festive here at the Cellars. So in thinking of you, we slashed the prices on all these collectable items at the store. Thinking they would make great gifts for this Holiday Season.
>Ridgewood drops starting salaries for police officers Wednesday, December 22, 2010 BY MICHAEL SEDON THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS Staff Writer
When the village hires police officers next year to fill positions left vacant by retirements, those new officers will receive a significantly lower starting salary.
A new police superiors and officers salary ordinance introduced by the Village Council at a special public meeting on Monday will lower the starting salary for officers coming into the department after Dec. 1 to $32,000, down from the previous starting salary of $49,273, according to the ordinance.
Officers hired at the previous starting salary would see an increase in their wages to $53,357 after working six months in the department, according to the ordinance, but new hires will have to wait until their third year to reach a salary of $51,220.
Each year, new officers will receive a salary “step” of approximately $10,000, according to the ordinance.
>Parents of gay teen who killed himself to sue N.J. school
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — The parents of a Rutgers University student who killed himself after his roommate allegedly used a webcam to spy on him during a tryst with another man have filed notice that they intend to sue the school.
Joseph and Jane Clementi, parents of Tyler Clementi, filed the notice on Friday. They have to wait six months to file the lawsuit over their son’s death, which became a symbol in a national outcry over the bullying of young gays.
In the notice, the couple said that “it appears Rutgers University failed to act, failed to put in place and/or failed to implement, and enforce policies and practices that would have prevented or deterred such acts, and that Rutgers failed to act timely and appropriately.”
The claim, first reported by the Home News Tribune of East Brunswick, did not list how much in damages the Ridgewood, N.J., family would seek.
Give an active duty armed forces member who is in a combat zone or a veteran who was in a combat zone a membership in the Washington Elm VFW Post 192 for only $26 this year. We have Life Memberships also, with the one time fee depending on age. Contact Stanley Kober at 201-445-1121 or sakober@yahoo.com for more information and an application. Merry Christmas!
Or
Another Last Minute Christmas Idea:
DONATE in memory of a loved one, to the Washington Elm VFW Post 192 through PAYPAL on our website at www.vfwpost192-nj.com. Just click on the blue DONATE button in the sidebar on the right.
>NJ focuses on redrawing the state’s 40 legislative districts
Tuesday’s announcement of New Jersey’s official population provides the first nugget of data two state commissions will need as they re-balance the state’s congressional and legislative districts. (Statehouse Bureau, NJ Press Media)
Gov. Christie signed a bill Tuesday that caps increases to police and firefighter pay awarded through arbitration, a measure he called the most important of the proposals in his so-called tool kit to help towns control costs. (Porter, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
>Outgoing Bergen County Democrat political appointees to receive a 3.5 percent raise
HACKENSACK — Republicans are crying foul over 3.5 percent raises given to outgoing political appointees and other “at-will” employees in Bergen County.
Outgoing Democratic County Executive Dennis McNerney approved raises for about 200 county employees that total about $402,000.
They were given despite furloughs and layoffs that went into effect several months ago.
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