>Businesses could give N.J. another look Published: Friday, December 31, 2010, 8:45 AM Leslie Kwoh/The Star-Ledger
John Boyd Jr. may work in New Jersey, but as a corporate site selection expert he’s often advised clients against it.
While his firm has helped big companies like JPMorgan Chase, Time and Royal Caribbean find office space in other states, New Jersey is usually perceived as “too congested, expensive, business unfriendly,” said Boyd, a principal with the Boyd Company Inc. in Princeton.
Local businesses seem to agree. Only one in 10 companies said the Garden State is an ideal location for new or expanded facilities, according to a recent survey by the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.
However, that may soon change, according to Boyd, who said he detects “a new sense of optimism” among businesses that are giving New Jersey a second look.
In the kind of out-of-the-box thinking many feel we need around here A reader asks can I bring my own BYOB to Village Council meetings? It would increase the numbers in attendance, don’t you think?
>Congressman Scott Garrett: Internship Opportunities
My district offices in Glen Rock and Newton are now accepting intern applications for the spring and summer semesters. The program is open to all college students, regardless of major. Cover letter and resume are required for consideration. Please contact Christina Garfinkle at 201-444-5454 for more information.
>Towns losing money to illegal scavengers of valuable recyclables Friday, January 7, 2011 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY JANUARY 7, 2011, 9:42 AM BY HANNAN ADELY THE RECORD STAFF WRITER
In Garfield, residents can call the city to haul away a refrigerator left for scrap at the curb. But that doesn’t mean the fridge will still be there when the DPW truck comes around.
And West Milford’s recycling director now personally goes out early on recycling day to ensure his trucks aren’t beaten to bulk items left for municipal collection.
The Village of Ridgewood is a center of commerce in Bergen County.
Advantages to locating your business in Ridgewood:
Supportive community including residents, business and governing body;
Excellent demographics. Bergen County is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States; Strong support from local Chamber of Commerce and The Ridgewood Guild; Major Transportation Hub – Train & Bus; and Regional destination with small town atmosphere Ridgewood has excellent existing brands and businesses including:
Wide variety of restaurants from casual to formal; Whole Foods Market; Crumbs Bakery; Newly Renovated Clearview Movie Theater; Unique Boutiques; Independent Book Store with frequent renown author signings; Numerous Seasonal Community Events; and Art Galleries, Studios and Professional Quality Concerts. What to Expect
In an effort to maintain and protect village character, land use requirements have been developed for the Central Business District. The first place to check during the process of evaluating location and space requirements for your business is with the Village Zoning Officer. The Zoning Review determines the specific track your project will take based upon a number of variables. This may include acquiring approvals from Village departments and boards, which are listed below. The results of the Zoning Review will help you understand the application and permitting you will need to include in your business development timeline.
You can contact our Zoning Officer, Tony Merlino at tmerlino@ridgewoodnj.net or Village Hall, 3rd Floor, 131 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, M – F 8:30AM to 4:30PM, to review your specific business location questions. The Land Use and Development Code is located in Chapter 190 of the Code of the Village of Ridgewood, available online at https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/. (Under site navigation select Village Laws General Code and look for Chapter 190.)
Following the Zoning Review, consultation with the Building Department, Health Department and Planning Board may be needed for code issues related to your project. Information is also available on each department’s page of the Village’s website, or at:
>Only Thirty-one percent of voters have a favorable opinion of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez
Thirty-one percent of voters have a favorable opinion of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-Hoboken) and 25% have an unfavorable opinion, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released this morning. Another 44% either are unsure (29%) or haven’t heard of him (15%).
“Those are fairly anemic numbers for an energetic guy who has already served five years,” said Peter Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll, referring to the senator who is up for re-election in 2012.
New Jersey’s governor is lending his support to a national campaign to encourage shopping at small businesses during the holiday season. (The Associated Press)
Lenders and state officials in New Jersey are desperately trying to cobble together the second rescue of Xanadu, one of the nation’s largest, most expensive and still incomplete retail and entertainment malls. (Bagli, The New York Times)
>New Jersey legislation targets “super political action committees”
New Jersey is considering a cutting-edge campaign-disclosure law that would bring well-heeled groups out of the shadows. (Burton, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
>Legislation rapidly passed is trouble, especially if it’s named for somebody.
Haste can lead to flawed bills
Legislation rapidly passed is trouble, especially if it’s named for somebody. The recent New Jersey bill about bullying wasn’t named for an individual, but a well-publicized suicide gave it urgency and emotional impact and the rush may have caused it to be flawed. (Ingle, Daily Record)
>N.J. bills seek to curb mail solicitation by lawyers
Marcus Rayner was pulled over for speeding in North Jersey recently, and within days he had received a half-dozen letters from lawyers all over the state seeking to represent him. (Osborne, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
>Union Drops Health Coverage for Workers’ Children
By Yuliya Chernova One of the largest union-administered health-insurance funds in New York is dropping coverage for the children of more than 30,000 low-wage home attendants, union officials said. The union blamed financial problems it said were caused by the state’s health department and new national health-insurance requirements.
The fund is administered by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union. Union officials said the state compelled the fund to start buying coverage from a third party, which increased premiums by 60%. State health officials denied forcing the union fund to make the switch, saying the fund had been struggling financially even before the switch to third-party coverage.
The fund informed its members late last month that their dependents will no longer be covered as of Jan. 1, 2011. Currently about 6,000 children are covered by the benefit fund, some until age 23.
>Rowdy in Ridgewood : We, as a community, seem to demand total control and just don’t tolerate even the remote possibility of any chaos.
I don’t know why everyone is so uptight these days.
Sure, I don’t want to go out for a fine time with my lady and get punched in the face or have someone barf on my girl but that’s why we leave before 2 am. Maybe we, as a regulated society, don’t feel comfortable letting people stagger home because we feel an over-arching need to regulate every breath they take from cradle to grave. Maybe, if we let one person lay down in their own vomit, we would lose the ability to rob them of every ounce of empowerment, money and innate human ability they might possess.
Calling in police from two other towns reminds me of the day the Ridgewood Planning Board made a last minute switch of venue for its final vote on the Valley rezoning. I recall the meeting was moved at the last moment from a location with tremendous capacity and parking to the totally inadequate venue of the GW School. Literally, thousands of residents were upset as what appeared to be the capstone of underhanded behavior in this completely one-sided push to turn our village into Valley’s dog sled. It’s not that the police are to blame for over-reacting. That didn’t happen. In fact, it was the bad act of the Planning Board that precipitated the need to call-in three towns’ police. For one perfect moment, the Planning Board had the police to do their blocking and tackling with the public locked out. In a less-perfect world, the police would have told the Planning Board…don’t expect us to do your dirty work, you intentionally created this mess, now face your neighbors!
We, as a community, seem to demand total control and just don’t tolerate even the remote possibility of any chaos. We expect total order and controlled behavior at all times no matter the context or personal cost. That type of rigid thinking and behavior is not nature’s way. It’s a prison we have put ourselves into. And I feel bad for the police who operate under an unrealistic mandate to keep the lid on a societal pressure cooker we’ve created. The police are good people.
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