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Had a very good Cappuccino on Saturday
Category: Village of Ridgewood
>NJ Transit Revises Train Station Plan
>On Wednesday, October 18th, representatives from NJ Transit publicly presented their revised plan to make the Ridgewood Train Station ADA compliant.
Significant revisions to NJ Transit’s previously presented plans include: 1) Overhead canopies that don’t cover the entire length of either the inbound or outbound platforms; 2) neither platform will extend as far north as was originally proposed; 3) the addition of sidewalks to facilitate access between Wilsey Square’s parking area and the inbound platform.
It is anticipated that Village Council members will approve this revised plan via resolution at their October 25th Work Session.
>RHS Marching Band To Perform Exhibition for Community
>The Ridgewood High School Marching Band is inviting the Ridgewood community to its first ever Mid-Season Showcase, a free exhibition performance, on Saturday, October 28, 2006, at 4:30 PM at the RHS football stadium. The band will present its award-winning show entitled “Southern Sketches,” which uses traditional American music, dance, motion, and colors to portray the story of Smalltown, America.
The band has had an excellent start to its competitive season so far with 1st, 5th, and 3rd place finishes at competitions in Somerville, Giants’ Stadium, and Hillsborough, respectively. It has also received awards for Best Music, Best Visual, Best Colorguard, and Best Percussion. Under the guidance of second year director James Garde,
the band will compete at the All-States’ Championship in Allentown, Pennsylvania the following week.
The RHS band program is one of Bergen County’s largest, composed of over 200 students who participate in more than a dozen ensembles. The curricular bands, Marching Band, Jazz Ensembles, Chamber Ensembles, Winter Colorguard and Twirlers are all recognized nationally, regionally, and locally for superior performance. Individually, members of the RHS Bands are chosen annually to perform in honor ensembles at the county, region and state levels.
>10/18 Park, Fields, Facilities & Recreational Master Plan Meeting
>The next meeting of the Parks & Recreation master planning process is scheduled for Wednesday, October 18th at 7:30 p.m. in the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place. The target group for this meeting is the Planning Board; Park, Recreation & Conservation Board; Open Space Committee; BOE Facilities Committee.
Future meetings will be held on: October 30th at the Ed Center; November 29 at the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room at Village Hall, 131 North Maple Ave
>Maple Ave Shut Down
>
Maple Avenue near Glen Avenue shut down for over 2 hours during the evening
rush hour due to 2 separate motor vehicle accidents.
>Revised Plan for Train Station
>Wednesday, October 18th from 7 to 9pm, representatives from NJ Transit will be in the Court Room in Ridgewood Village Hall to present a revised plan to make the Ridgewood Train Station ADA compliant. This meeting is for the public and will detail changes from the former set of plans. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers.
>Around the Village
>
The Ridgewood Blog Celebrates Columbus day
>Columbus Day is a holiday celebrated in many countries in the Americas, commemorating the date of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World in 1492. Similar holidays, celebrated as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many countries in Latin America, Discovery Day in the Bahamas, Hispanic Day in Spain, and the newly-renamed (as of 2002) Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela, commemorate the same event.
Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Columbus Day was first celebrated by Italians in San Francisco in 1869, following on the heels of 1866 Italian celebrations in New York City. The first state celebration was in Colorado in 1905, and in 1937, at the behest of the Knights of Columbus (a Catholic fraternal service organization named for the voyager), President Franklin Delano Roosevelt set aside Columbus Day as a holiday in the United States. Since 1971, the holiday has been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada.
Italian-Americans feel pride in the day due to the fact that Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor, sailed to the Americas. Many royal courts were interested in financing the voyage, but Spain financed the ships for Columbus’ brainchild. Some Hispanics are embittered by this victory for Columbus. In the United States, Banks and government offices are closed on Columbus Day.
>Readers Speak Out on Valley Hospital Proposed Expansion
>Anonymous said…
Slick strategy.1) saves tons in legal fees; 2) eliminates the opportunity for neighbors to object at zoning hearings; 3) instead of trying to schmooze the neighborhood masses, all they have to do is convince the 5 Village Council members.Slick; very slick. Valley’s attorney, Charles Collins, should be quite proud of himself. I guess that’s why Valley pays Charlie the big bucks though.If you plan on objecting to the expansion, don’t waste your time talking to anyone else but a Council member. The entire future of The Valley is now in their hands.
2:49 PM
Anonymous said…
So now Ridgewood taxpayers know EXACTLY why Ms. Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Health Group, trotted herself out to this week’s Village Council Work Session to deliver what was billed as a “courtesy” presentation.”Courtesy” presentation my ass. Ms. Meyers completely understands the game objective; pull out all stops to get every Village Council member in favor of the expansion project.I always thought that Audrey Meyers was a very classy, upstanding businesswoman. Now I know that she’s nothing but a sleezebag like many others in this town.
3:11 PM
Anonymous said…
The defined legal process is for The Valley to present before Ridgewood’s Zoning Board of Adjustment or Planning Board. The Valley’s attorney is very familiar with the proper procedure.Ms. Meyers’ attempt to inappropriately influence the Village Council prior to such presentations is what qualifies her as a sleazebag.Fortunately, Mayor David T. Pfund knew what she was up to, and that is why he directed Council members were to make no comments, nor ask any questions before, during, or after her presentation. Any slip of the lips could have created cause for legal action by opponents at a later date.Way to go Dave!
5:30 PM
Anonymous said…
If you prefer reading the opinions only of those who identify themseleves, may I suggest that you confine your reading to the Ridgewood News’ Letters to the Editor section.99.9% of the posters on this blog choose not to identify themselves publicly. If that bothers you, stop reading this blog.Based on reports carried here and in the Ridgewood News regarding Ms. Meyers’ presentation, and from information taken directly off of The Valley’s own web site, it would appear The Valley was indeed trying to inappropriately influence Village Council members.If the shoe fits, wear it.
12:46 AM
Anonymous said…
It would be my pleasure to provide you with my name, when and where would you like to meet? Regarding the suggestion about reading the Ridgewood News’ Letters to the Editor section, Thanks, I already read that newspaper along with a few others.I am well aware that 99.9% of the posters on this blog choose not to identify themselves publicly. However, I don’t remember saying that that bothered me…. Does it bother you? As you know (and I hope you do) Valley Hospital sent their presentation to every resident of the Village of Ridgewood, which happens to include the mayor and council.This presentation was done in public at a public meeting not in some back room behind some magical curtain. I wonder… if Valley didn’t make this presentation and only sent out their plan to the residents of the Village of Ridgewood, including the mayor and council, I am willing to bet you would still be making the same allegations of this being an inappropriate influence of Village Council members. Sounds to me like you just want to make claims of wrong doing no matter what. Based on your analysis then I guess the Valley Hospital is trying to inappropriately influence each and every resident too. A bit of a stretch!Your friendly Village Idiot
5:14 AM
Anonymous said…
I am not concerned about The Valley’s advertising/public relations campaign directed at citizens of our community. The Valley is entitled to spend their money as they wish. I would fully anticipate they would seek to gain public support for this project.What concerned me was The Valley’s attempt to circumvent the prescribed process of presenting to either the zoning board of adjustment or planning board. The Village Council deals with zoning matters, by way of introducing new ordinances or amending existing ones, only upon the recommendation of either the zoning board of adjustment or planning board.Translation: There is an established process for pleading your case with respect to zoning matters in Ridgewood, and no individual/organization, except governmental agencies, is exempt from this process – not even The Valley.
10:53 PM
Anonymous said…
“Any other laws we should change to protect a few important taxpayers?”For the record, The Valley pays no property taxes for their campus at Linwood and Van Dien. Zip, none . . .
4:44 PM
Anonymous said…
Good point. Shall we list the ways that Valley Hospital impacts the local economy? Maybe they can move the Hospital.. then sell the land to developers? That will generate some property taxes! Oh, but wait… how to zone it? Review by the proper authorities? Nahhhh… lets have it re-zoned by our Friends in the Executive Branch.
5:41 PM
>Village Council and Planning Board Meetings
>10/03/06 7:30pm Planning Board Work and Public Meeting
10/04/06 7:30pm Village Council Work Session
10/11/06 8:00pm Village Council Public Meeting
10/17/06 7:30pm Planning Board Public Meeting
10/25/06 7:30pm Village Council Work Session
11/01/06 7:30pm Village Council Work Session
How things get posted on the Blog….
>I usually have to hear the information form 2 independent sources, unless over time someone proves to be very reliable on a particular issue. Sorry to inform you but 90% of the posts on this blog are submitted by your friend’s, your neighbors and your coworkers. So I am not some evil genius you all suspect. Most of the time I get many emails from residents who have questions about a particular happening around town. So if it’s on the blog people are talking about it already. Let’s face it there is usually a reasonable explanation for things, but if there isn’t you can always have your wife post comments defending you.
Comments again come from your friends and neighbors and in some cases coworkers as long as they don’t get too nasty I will put them up .The foolish comments seem to get shot down pretty quickly.
As for all the Anonymous comments, lets face it through the miracle of modern technology I can pretty much figure out who you are and I hate to inform you so can a lot of other people .Your secrets are safe with me unless you want your name released and no dont email me asking who someone is your wasting your time even if they are critical of the blog.
Contrary to popular belief I don’t have an Ax to grind but I see there is a great need for local information. I don’t try to go out and make the news like many other people in the media I just put it out there and let the readers decide for themselves. Do you really think no one notices when the schools fall short or ,the Village hall floods right after a costly renovation is finished ?I would suggest that if you don’t like the way something appears don’t do it .
A blog is a process and it is far from perfect so I invite anyone in the village to submit something of interest to the blog no matter who you are. Finally and most importantly I think Ridgewood is a great town; and I want it to stay that way.
Just some thought s from PJ
>9/11 Remembrance
>
9/11 Remembrance
The Village Council invites you to attend a Remembrance Ceremony on the Plaza at Village Hall on Monday, September 11th at 8pm. There will be a short ceremony to remember those who were lost five years ago in the World Trade Center attack. We will light a candle and unveil a memorial marker in their memory.
We encourage residents to go to the 9/11 Memorial Rock in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square to pay their respects. The Ridgewood Public Library will exhibit “Portraits” of each resident lost in the WTC attack, in the Belcher Auditorium for the month of September.
Please join the Village Council on September 11th in remembering our friends and neighbors
>Selling Covered Calls… Turning your Portfolio into a Cash Machine
>
The covered call strategy is straightforward. Monthly cash income is generated by selling call options on stock that you own. When selling a call option you contract the delivery of stock owned at a price (strike price) for a specific amount of time (option month). In other words, the buyer has the right to buy your stock (at the strike price), and you are paid a premium (price paid for the purchase right). This investment strategy works best in a rising market or flat market. Why? It helps to maximize the yield (premium) of the held stock. What’s safe about options investing is that the strategy works well in a declining market, too. How? Use it to minimize losses by offsetting your stock’s devaluation with premium income. If you plan to hold the stock you buy or own for a long period of time, then writing covered calls (selling call options on owned stock) can greatly enhance the yield performance of your stock portfolio.
Call options can be written every month on the stocks you own. This is because the highest premiums are realized over single-month periods, rather than two or more months out in time. The stocks you choose to hold or buy should be stocks you plan to own for a long period of time. They should be steady growth stocks that have done well over the long term and can be prudently held even if a market decline occurs.
To keep commissions down, it’s best to write calls in contracts (lots) of five to ten. Since each contract is for 100 shares, plan to hold 500 to 1000 shares of each stock.
James
Investment Representative to the Stars
(201)966-7788
>Highlights: Village Council Special Public Meeting, Joint Session with Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, and Historic Preservation Commissi
>The recently defeated “no downtown financial institutions” ordinance will reappear in revised form and expanded to encompass “limited downtown non-retail use.” That is, the Village Council will seek to discourage any use downtown except traditional retail.
Street lighting in the central business district will soon be upgraded through a phased plan. Plans call for replacement of all light poles, globes, and bulbs. The Historic Preservation Commission has asked that poles in a two block area surrounding the train station not be replaced. Duh? Isn’t that where street lighting is needed the most due to higher pedestrian traffic headed to and from the station?
Future commercial development in the Route 17 corridor will be encouraged. It is believed that although this area is now zoned residential, there is minimal interest in building residences right on the highway.
It was suggested that a comprehensive plan be developed to change permitted land uses along Franklin Avenue between Maple Avenue and North Broad Street. This would be done to promote more pedestrian traffic along the street.
It was agreed that steps need to be taken to control the unlawful sprawl of sidewalk cafes in the central business district. Cited were seats placed in excess of permitted numbers, the unlawful placement of furniture, and non-permitted signage.
There was much discussion regarding the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s routine granting of variances permitting residence sizes in excess of ordinance limits. Village Council members were clearly upset by this trend.
>the Blog would like to thank all our Readers
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