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Posted on November 14, 2017 January 21, 2019

Hackensack Police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office are Seeking the Publics Assistance in a Hit and Run Investigation

November 14,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Hackensack Police Department are requesting information from the public regarding a hit and run collision which resulted in a pedestrian sustaining serious bodily injury.

At approximately 7:11 pm on Thursday, November 9, 2017, the Hackensack Police Department received a report of a pedestrian who was struck by a motor vehicle near the intersection of Polifly Road and Lodi Street in the city of Hackensack. The striking vehicle then fled the scene of the collision, traveling south on Polifly Road, possibly onto Route 80 East. Upon arrival at the scene of the collision, officers observed a male victim lying in the roadway. The victim suffered serious injuries consistent with having been struck by a motor vehicle, and was transported and admitted to Hackensack University Medical Center.

At this time, the vehicle is believed to be a 1992 to 1999 Buick LeSabre, Pontiac Bonneville, or Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight, light in color, with possible damage to the front bumper, hood, and/or windshield, as well as tire/wheel damage.

Anyone with information regarding this hit and run collision is encouraged to contact the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit at 201-226-5595, or the Hackensack Police Department at 201-646-7777.

Posted on October 19, 2017 June 27, 2021

Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company Celebrates 80 years

October 19,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company celebrated 80 years with a beautiful event at the Hackensack Golf Club. The afternoon included lots of singing, amazing food, and getting to catch up with friends old and new.

The event was kicked off with a toast to Jack Strangfeld, who was one of our Life members and beloved by all who knew him. Then, our president, Tim Domini, gave a hysterical speech about his time in the company. Continue reading below for some photos from the event and the entirety of Tim’s speech (and see if you can guess which show each of the G&S references comes from!)

TIM DOMINI GALA SPEECH:

As many of you know I have been singing G & S since the mid nineteen eighties – and after all this time I now am President of a G & S society and must deliver a speech at this most important milestone occasion – the 80th anniversary of our Founding. You have no idea what a poor opinion I have of myself and how little I deserve it. So if I may I want to share my thoughts about how much WS Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan have affected my life lets us say this is – Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.

As I look back at the world of G & S and RGSOC – I see – well – I see a nice dilemma we have here – –that calls for all our wit. REALLY –

There has been very hard work by so many people to keep the flame burning – so much singing and laughter and friendship and eating. Yet, there have been dark times – Times when I thought – Or you , Or I , must yield up our life to Ahrieadnes. I really would prefer it was you – such is the nature of our troupe that we stay a family throughout these conflicts –

Of course the friendship that comes with membership is something that is treasured, something of tremendous value, something beyond value really, something that is never toyed with – Never , what Never? No never…..well Hardly ever…..

And WHAT do we make of the long, long, long , tenure of this organization? Should it have folded long ago? So many have said we sing old music and we do not fit in anymore with the things that the internet and the two career family now makes us obsolete – We go, we go, Yes but we don’t go – (except maybe to the diner). We continue to step out on stage and sing these marvelous works and speak these wonderful words.

Joining a family that is like RGSOC is akin to falling in love – now I know what love is. There was a happy time when I didn’t – but bitter experience has taught me….. we have these flights of soaring music, the appeal of a laughing audience, the joy of working closely with friends’ season after season and sharing the special moments of theater that most strange alchemy of escape.

Of course – I have also been involved in the politics and management of the troupe – as a leader of the company I often think of the Leaders of the House of Peers, it is said that they Throughout the war did nothing in particular and did it very well…. A goal that this organization eschews to and abides by. The board has been a group of Men and Women who work for the good of the company as much as they can. Rarely – there have been issues that created hard feelings over artistic issues – or – financial issues – of course there was the time the feminine members of the board declared MAN is Natures Sole Mistake – yet even these conflicts were overridden by the troupe’s overwhelming friendliness and desire to get out there and sing the wonderful words and music of the dynamic duo Gilbert and Sullivan.

Despite the fact that I wasn’t There, the troupe has ventured into many different formats and ideas towards our long-term survival. All I can say about some of these ideas is that My object – ALL SUMBLIME – I will achieve in time – to let the punishment fit the crime… I too have opinions and ideas, I actually have a Little List, perhaps after lunch –

I will not pretend that the work of the board can not make someone crazy – I often have to find a way to stay calm or like prior board member Margaret find Some word that teems with hidden meaning, like “Basingstoke”. It might recall me to my saner self. For, after all, I am only Mad Margaret! Daft Meg! Poor Meg! He! he! he! – leadership does come with burdens………

Yet through all these hard times one can keep perspective – I always try hard to I’ve jibe and joke, And quip and crank, For lowly folk And men of rank. Yes a gentle sense of humor is the basis of membership in RGSOC – it is the rock upon which the foundation of the troupe is built – let’s face it the boys are funny and the shows stay funny 125 years later.

So despite all the worries and woes of the past years I have been involved with the troupe I find Oh, philosophers may sing Of the troubles of a King, But of pleasures there are many and of worries there are none; And the culminating pleasure That we treasure beyond measure Is the gratifying feeling that our duty has been done.

So as I think back to all the days and times I have spent with my fellow Savoyards and all the meals, and parties and fun occasions yes I think So bumpers – aye, ever so many –The cost we may safely ignore! For the wine doesn’t cost us a penny, Tho’ it’s Pomméry seventy-four! After all It isn’t so much what’s on the table that matters, as what’s on the chairs.

So as I wrap up this discussion I am reminded it is an unjust world, and virtue is triumphant only in theatrical performances – so as I look back at my time in RGSOC I am proud that – I did nothing in particular and did it very well – after all wouldn’t the world seem dull and flat with nothing whatever to grumble at.

Respectfully submitted – at the 80th Gala gathering

OH – and a Gilbert Quote

Its LOVE that makes the world go around

( https://www.ridgewoodgilbertandsullivan.org/single-post/RGSOC-Celebrates-80-Years )

Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company will lead off their 80th Anniversary season with a special production of Iolanthe (which is the first production Ridgewood G&S presented during their founding in 1937). Iolanthe runs November 4-26 in various locations throughout the tri-state area. Ticket info : https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=80233

Performances at Ridgewood United Methodist Church
(100 Dayton Street, Ridgewood, NJ)
Saturday, November 4 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, November 5 @ 3:00pm
Sunday, November 12 @ 3:00pm

Performance at Heritage Village
(Southbury, CT)
Sunday, November 19 @ 3:00pm

Posted on October 17, 2017 January 21, 2019

Five defendants Plead Guilty of Human Trafficking and Prostitution Out of South Hackensack Motel

October 17,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

South Hackensack NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced that a Newark man pleaded guilty today to a first-degree human trafficking charge for trafficking a girl, 16, from New York to New Jersey and making her work as a prostitute in the prostitution ring he ran, which advertised on Backpage.com.

Glen Bowman Sr., 42, of Newark, N.J., pleaded guilty today to first-degree conspiracy to commit human trafficking before Superior Court Judge Robert M. Vinci in Bergen County. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Bowman be sentenced to 13 years in state prison, including five years of parole ineligibility. Bowman ran the prostitution ring with his wife, Ernestine Bowman, 33, of Orange, N.J. Ernestine Bowman pleaded guilty in December 2016 to second-degree facilitating human trafficking. She is awaiting sentencing and faces a recommended sentence of 10 years in prison, with 39 months of parole ineligibility.

Deputy Attorneys General Brandy Malfitano and Jamie Picard are prosecuting the case, and Malfitano took the guilty plea today for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, Human Trafficking Unit.

Five defendants were indicted in April 2015, and all have pleaded guilty, as a result of an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice and the South Hackensack Police Department. The defendants were charged with conspiring to traffic the 16-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., to make her work as a prostitute at motels in South Hackensack and Clifton, N.J. The couple’s son, Glen Bowman Jr., 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to promote prostitution and faces a recommended sentence of seven years in prison. Jessica Copeland, 29, of Newark, N.J. – who acted as boss or “bottom” over the prostitutes in the ring – pleaded guilty to second-degree facilitating human trafficking and faces a recommend sentence of six years in prison, including three years of parole ineligibility. Tokina Williams, 33, of Raleigh, N.C., pleaded guilty to second-degree promoting prostitution.

Sentencing for Glen Bowman Sr. is scheduled for Nov. 14. The other defendants, with the exception of Williams, are scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 25.

“This man threatened to beat the 16-year-old victim if she didn’t follow his orders and perform to his expectations for clients of his prostitution ring,” said Attorney General Porrino. “This plea will ensure that Bowman serves a lengthy sentence behind bars, where he can no longer subject young women and children to an unspeakable life of brutality and sexual slavery. I commend the South Hackensack Police and our attorneys for rescuing the victim and bringing those responsible to justice.”

“Our Human Trafficking Unit will continue to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies to apprehend and convict human traffickers,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Human traffickers typically isolate their victims and remove them from any support system, so it is critical that members of the public notify us if they see a young woman or child in questionable circumstances. We will move swiftly to investigate and save victims like the teenage girl in this case.”

Attorney General Porrino and Director Honig urged anyone who suspects that individuals are engaged in sex- or labor-related human trafficking to confidentially report such activity by calling the Division of Criminal Justice’s 24-hour NJ Human Trafficking Hotline 855-END-NJ-HT (855-363-6548).

“Our department has been committed to conducting these undercover operations to flush out the criminality of prostitution and narcotics in our motels,” said Chief Joseph Terraccino of the South Hackensack Police Department. “We remain committed to rescuing these victims from the underworld and arresting the predators who are responsible.”

Deputy Attorneys General Malfitano and Picard are prosecuting the case for the Division of Criminal Justice Human Trafficking Unit, within the Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Annmarie Taggart and Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis. The investigation was conducted for the Division of Criminal Justice by Detective Timothy Savage, Sgt. Noelle Holl, Lt. Lisa Cawley and the other detectives in the Human Trafficking Unit. Attorney General Porrino thanked the South Hackensack Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Joseph Terraccino, for their investigation and referral. Capt. Robert Kaiser, Lt. Robert Chinchar and Detective James Donatello led the investigation for the South Hackensack Police Department.

The investigation began as an undercover operation by the South Hackensack Police Department targeting a prostitution ring that advertised on Backpage.com. Such rings typically offer “escort services” and display nude or semi-nude photos of young women. An undercover officer responded to an advertisement that included a photo of a very young-looking female with her breasts exposed. The officer phoned the number in the ad on Oct. 1, 2014, and a woman told him that he could have “full sex” for $160 cash at a motel on Route 46 in South Hackensack.

The undercover officer was directed to a room, where a teenage girl answered the door. She repeated that the price of “full sex” was $160 and accepted $160 cash from the undercover officer. He asked why the bathroom door was closed and learned there was a woman in the bathroom, who turned out to be Tokina Williams. The teenage girl invited Williams to come out and told her that the client had paid to have sex with both of them. At that time, backup officers entered and arrested Williams and the teenage girl. The teenage girl was determined to be a 16-year-old who was reported missing out of New York State. She was the young female whose breasts were exposed in the photo in the ad on Backpage.com.

Further investigation revealed that the defendants had conspired to lure the 16-year-old victim into a life of prostitution. The victim met Glen Bowman Jr., in Brooklyn, N.Y., several months earlier, and he conspired with his father, Glen Bowman Sr., to traffic her to New Jersey to work in the prostitution ring. Both Glen Bowman Sr. and Copeland threatened the 16-year-old with physical violence if she did not follow their rules and perform to their expectations. The defendants drove the victim and other prostitutes to hotels and motels in South Hackensack, Clifton and other locations in northern New Jersey, where they serviced clients. At the end of the day, the defendants picked them up and collected the money they had been paid. Glen Bowman Sr. was the primary leader of the prostitution ring, but Ernestine Bowman took on a greater leadership role after her husband was arrested and imprisoned in New York in August 2014.

Posted on September 23, 2017 January 21, 2019

Real Estate Author and Accomplished Broker Joins Special Properties’ Franklin Lakes, NJ Office as Broker Associate

September 23,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ , Special Properties Real Estate Services, LLC, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, has welcomed Cynthia (Cindy) Harkins, and accomplished real estate author and experienced broker to its Franklin Lakes, NJ office as part of the agency’s ongoing expansion throughout the region.

Cindy Harkins has been a fixture in Bergen County’s luxury real estate market for nearly 20 years. In addition to her agency experience, she is a licensed real estate instructor and teaches the New Jersey real estate salesperson pre-licensure course to aspiring agents. Cindy is also the author of The Savvy Seller: Preparing Your Home for Showings, a handbook and roadmap for sellers to ready their homes for the real estate market. She was inspired to put her tips in print in order to help sellers’ market their properties to their fullest potential.

Cindy attributes her success in the industry to her keen listening skills, attention to detail, personalized service, and superior networking resources. Her network of community contacts is built on her home sales experience and her former law practice (before she entered real estate), as well as her enduring commitment to community service. Cindy is a member of the Board of Governors of Hackensack University Medical Center, and a board member of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Junior League of Bergen County.

Cindy graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor degree from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.

About Special Properties Real Estate Services
Special Properties Real Estate Services embraces the history and traditions of its flagship brokerage location in Saddle River, NJ, into an expanded, modern presence in Mahwah, Franklin Lakes, and Ridgewood, NJ. With a staff of accomplished real estate brokers, its clients across northern New Jersey and southern New York are provided with customized, personalized services, backed by the luxury real estate brand of Christie’s International Real Estate. Special Properties provides local expertise with global connections. For more information, call (201) 904-2085.

Posted on August 4, 2017 January 21, 2019

Motorcyclist Rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center after Route 17 Crash in Paramus

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

August 4,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ , Paramus PD, EMS, and FD responded to aid an adult male motorcyclist who was involved in a Thursday afternoon, 08/03, collision on Route 17 southbound near A&S Drive. The victim was transported by ambulance to the Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) main campus; he was alert and conscious when the Paramus EMS team arrived at the crash site. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital accompanied the ambulance to HUMC.

Posted on June 1, 2017 January 21, 2019

PSE&G Preps for 2017 Summer Electric Demand

file photo by Boyd Loving

$2.8 billion infrastructure investments will maintain reliability

June 1,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest utility, has made significant infrastructure investments that are in service for the first time this season, ensuring the utility is better prepared than ever to meet customer demand for safe, reliable electricity this summer.

“PSE&G customers are benefiting from the $2.8 billion in electric and gas investments the utility made this past year,” said John Latka, senior vice president of electric and gas operations at PSE&G. “These investments, along with our highly skilled and dedicated workforce, play a big role in making us one of the most reliable utilities in the country, and the most reliable in the Mid-Atlantic region 15 years running.”

Notable projects completed since the start of last summer include:

Eliminated, or raised and rebuilt six substations and switching stations that were damaged by water during storms, including stations in Elizabeth, Garfield, Hoboken, Jersey City, Rahway and South Hackensack.
Installed relays and remote terminal units at 45 substations and installed a new Distribution SCADA system in all four divisions. This program deploys smart grid technologies to better monitor system operations to increase our ability to more swiftly deploy repair teams.
Completed 62 projects that address critical facilities, including hospitals, water treatment plants, telecommunications facilities and police stations. This program creates redundancy in the system, reducing outages when damage occurs.
Replaced 12 aging station transformers to maintain electric service reliability for customers in Bergen, Camden, Essex, Hudson and Union Counties.
Completed transmission hardening projects to raise station equipment in five flood-prone stations, benefiting customers in Bergen, Camden, Hudson and Union Counties.
Energized eight 69,000-volt substations and associated lines. The new networks provide increased local transmission supply capacity to customers across our service area, including many living in Bergen, Burlington, Hudson, Passaic and Union Counties.

In addition to these electric distribution upgrades, phase 2 of the $1.2 billion Bergen to Linden corridor upgrade is fully energized and completed on schedule. This portion represents the upgrade from Bayway station in Elizabeth, to Linden station. When complete in 2018, the 345-kilovolt (kV) line will run from Ridgefield to Linden, maintaining reliability by relieving congestion on other regional transmission lines.

The 2017 forecasted summer peak is 10,057 megawatts. Last year’s peak was 9,800 megawatts, set on August 12. PSE&G’s all-time summer peak was 11,108 megawatts, set on August 2, 2006.

PSE&G expects to have no problem delivering the additional power, but utility crews are at the ready to respond to service interruptions should they occur. The utility’s rigorous preparedness program for summer includes conducting annual hurricane and tropical storm drills, employee training, developing emergency summer operating plans, and performing summer peak reliability analysis, helicopter and climbing inspections of transmission circuits, infrared inspections, system reinforcements and transmission line work.

Posted on May 27, 2017 January 21, 2019

Pregnant Women Transported to Hackensack University Medical Center after Glen Rock Collision

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook Page

May 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, A two (2) vehicle Friday afternoon, 05/26, collision at the intersection of Hamilton and South Maple Avenues in Glen Rock injured one (1) adult female, who was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus. The victim, who is pregnant, appeared to have sustained non life threatening injuries. Both vehicles involved in the crash were removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. Glen Rock PD and EMS responded along with a paramedic team from St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center.

Posted on May 25, 2017 January 21, 2019

Head on Collusion on Paramus Road Sends Driver to Hackensack University Medical Center

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

May 25,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, A head on crash in Paramus early Wednesday afternoon, 05/24, was apparently caused when the driver of a vehicle involved experienced an unknown medical emergency. The crash occurred when a 4-door Buick traveling southbound on Paramus Road veered into the northbound lanes and was hit by a Mercedes sedan. The collision occurred near 85 Paramus Road. Paramus PD, EMS, and a paramedic team from Hackensack University Medical Center responded to the incident. The Buick’s driver was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus with unspecified injuries/in unknown condition. A paramedic team was on board the ambulance during its hospital run. Both vehicles involved were removed by tow trucks. An occupant of the Mercedes sustained a minor arm or leg injury. She was not transported from the scene by ambulance. Paramus PD is investigating the incident.

Posted on April 24, 2017 January 21, 2019

Garden State Parkway Crash Leaves Car on shoulder of Route 4 westbound

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

April 24,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, A Honda SUV traveling southbound on the Garden State Parkway (GSP) near Route 4 in Paramus on Sunday evening, 04/23, careened off of the roadway’s right shoulder, down a steep embankment, and wound up on the grassy shoulder of Route 4 westbound near an entrance ramp to the GSP southbound. Witnesses reported that the vehicle completely flipped over at least once during the crash. Paramus PD, FD, EMS, and Rescue Squad personnel all responded to aid the driver, who was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s (HUMC) main campus with life threatening injuries. A paramedic team from HUMC also responded to the scene. The crash is being investigated by a trooper from the New Jersey State Police GSP Patrol Division, Bloomfield Barracks.

Posted on March 26, 2017 September 9, 2019

Kelly: A motel in South Hackensack may finally solve a 9/11 mystery

Great Work by Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly , Record Columnist, @MikeKellyColumnPublished 6:08 a.m. ET March 24, 2017 | Updated 3:23 p.m. ET March 24, 2017

The cramped, first-floor motel room on the noisy stretch of Route 46 in South Hackensack isn’t much to look at now. Just a double bed, a picture window, a dresser, a tiny bathroom. But in the coming months, this unlikely spot — Room 506 at the Congress Inn — may play a key role in helping to answer one of the most explosive questions that linger from the 9/11 attacks.

photo by ArtChick

Just before that fateful day more than 15 years ago, two Saudi Arabian men who were part of the 9/11 hijacking team rented Room 506. They forked over $19 a night, then waited. Investigators say the two suicide-killers — Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi — kept to themselves, offering no hints of the murderous scheme they were about to undertake.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/columnists/mike-kelly/2017/03/24/kelly-motel-south-hackensack-may-finally-solve-911-mystery/99544400/

Posted on February 23, 2017 January 21, 2019

Paramus Truck Accident Shuts Down Route 17 during the Wednesday Morning Rush

February 23,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ , Route 17 was closed in both directions between Century Rd and the Rochelle Park Border yesterday during the morning rush do to a massive truck accident.

After a truck swerved to avoid another disabled tractor tailer on 17 northbound, dislodging a steal beam into the southbound roadway damaging two oncoming cars.

One driver sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries and was removed from the vehicle and transported to Hackensack University Medical Center.

Paramus Police were dispatched to the crash at 5:47 a.m. The southbound lanes were open by 7:40 a.m. and the southbound lanes were opened at 9:45 a.m.

The accident is under investigation by the Paramus Police Traffic Division and the New Jersey State Police Commercial Carrier Safety Inspection Unit.

Posted on October 22, 2016 January 21, 2019

b.good Ridgewood Community Appreciation Day!

Sun, October 23, 2016

Time: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Location: b.good, 381 Route 17 South,, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

What better way to show our appreciation to the community we serve than to throw a party! Come join our b.good family next Sunday, 10/23, between 11:30a & 5:30p, for our first b.good Ridgewood Community Appreciation Day!In addition to having fun games for kids and free samples for everyone, we’ll also be giving back by supporting our community partner, HealthBarn Foundation.

We’re excited to donate 20% of sales from the day to their Healing Meals program – which prepares nutritious meals for families with children undergoing treatment for cancer and serious blood disorders through Tomorrows Children’s Fund at Hackensack University Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.

So, please stop in and join the fun. We can’t wait to see you!

Matt
Owner – b.good Ridgewood

Posted on August 20, 2016 January 21, 2019

Ridgewood One of Many New Jersey Towns to Sue Hospitals Over Property Taxes

August 20,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In April Ridgewood joined over two dozen other municipalities, including Teaneck, Englewood, Wayne, Paterson, Pequannock and North Bergen challenging the tax exempt status of their local hospital

Like Ridgewood many of these municipalities are looking for new sources of cash to lower their high property taxes, local officials have now filed tax appeals challenging the tax-exempt status of 35 nonprofit hospitals according to NJ Advance Media for NJ.com .

The litigation continues to gain momentum in response to last year’s precedent-setting tax court ruling and settlement which required Morristown Medical Center to pay Morristown $15.5 million in lieu of property taxes. The judge in that case found the hospital operated like a for-profit entity and should share the cost of public safety and other municipal services.

While the Morristown case took 5 years to see it through ,so far two of the 35 cases have been settled already, resulting in additional revenue for the city of Elizabeth and Edison Township.

The settlements have already paid off for local taxpayers.The property tax rate has declined in Morristown by 2 cents this year, as a direct result of the “historic” agreement reached with Morristown Medical Center’s parent company, Atlantic Health Systems.

Ridgewood has quietly pursued Valley Hospital on the same grounds .It has been often repeated that Valley’s current 15 1/2-acre main campus would owe about $4.5 million in taxes if it were fully assessed. That is before the major increase in size by the proposed renovation double its size .

The N.J. Hospital Association says the tax-exempt status of these hospitals have been challenged:

Clara Maass Medical Center (Belleville)
Jersey City Medical Center (Jersey City)
Monmouth Medical Center (Long Branch)
Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (Lakewood)
Saint Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston)
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (Newark)
Holy Name Medical Center (Teaneck)
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center (Englewood)
Hunterdon Medical Center (Raritan Township)
Bayshore Community Hospital (Holmdel)
Hackensack UMC Palisades (North Bergen)
Jersey Shore University Medical Center (Neptune)
Raritan Bay Medical Center (Old Bridge)
Raritan Bay Medical Center (Perth Amboy)
Riverview Medical Center (Red Bank)
Chilton Medical Center (Pequannock)
Overlook Medical Center (Summit)
Newton Memorial Hospital (Newton)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (Rahway)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (New Brunswick)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset (Somerville)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (Hamilton)
Trinitas Regional Medical Center (Elizabeth)
CentraState Medical Center (Freehold)
Virtua Memorial Hospital (Moorestown)
St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center (Paterson)
St. Joseph’s Hospital Wayne (Wayne)
JFK Health (Edison)
Shore Memorial Hospital (Somers Point)
The Valley Hospital (Ridgewood)
Capital Health (Hopewell)
Kennedy University Hospital (Stratford)
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus (Atlantic City)
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Campus (Galloway)
Princeton Healthcare System (Plainsboro & Princeton)

Posted on August 12, 2016 January 21, 2019

Newsweek releases its 2016 Rankings of Nation’s Best Public High Schools

August 12,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, in Newsweek’s annual ranking of public high schools 51 in N.J. made the cut. Noticeable absent was Ridgewood High School and Tenafly High School.

Ridgewood’s slip has not gone unnoticed, as many long time residents have commented ,” Years ago it was ranked highly in the nation. It fell from that to being ranked highly in the state, then down to County level and now basically is ranked no where. ”

Newsweek looked at six measurements and weighted them to come up with a “college readiness index.” The rankings are meant to show how well high schools do at preparing students for college.

Those measurements and their weight are:

Holding power: 10 percent
Ratio of counselor/full-time equivalent to student enrollment: 10 percent
Weighted SAT/ACT: 17.5 percent
Weighted AP/IB/dual enrollment composite: 17.5 percent
Graduation rate: 20 percent
College enrollment rate: 25 percent

Here’s a look at all of the New Jersey high schools that made Newsweek’s list and where they came in on the national list (in parentheses):

(2) Academy for Math, Science and Engineering, Rockaway
(4) Union County Magnet High School, Scotch Plains
(10) Middlesex Cty Acad. for Sci,, Math, & Engineering Tech., Edison
(11) Bergen County Academies, Hackensack
(12) Academy of Allied Health and Science, Neptune
(14) Biotechnology High School, Freehold
(20) High Technology High School, Lincroft
(21) Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Scotch Plains
(23) Academy for Information Technology, Scotch Plains
(27) Communications High School, Wall
(31) Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health & Biomedical Sciences, Woodbridge
(40) Chatham High School, Chatham
(41) Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro, Teterboro
(67) Westfield High School, Westfield
(71) Ridge High School, Basking Ridge
(76) Summit High School, Summit
(84) Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science, Manahawkin
(88) Bernards High School, Bernardsville
(91) Holmdel High School, Holmdel
(108) Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, Bridgewater
(112) Moorestown High School, Moorestown
(115) Madison High School, Madison
(127) John P Stevens High School, Edison
(131) Watchung Hills Regional High School, Warren
(137) Glen Rock High School, Glen Rock
(144) Rumson-Fair Haven Regional HS, Rumson
(158) Morris County School of Technology, Denville
(181) Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Highlands
(189) Union County Vocational Technical High School, Scotch Plains
(192) Governor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights
(198) Montville Township High School, Montville
(203) Academy for Performing Arts, Scotch Plains
(210) Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains
(217) Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough
(222 Wayne Hills High School, Wayne
(226) Allentown High School, Allentown
(227) Northern Valley Regional High School Old Tappan, Old Tappan
(233) North Hunterdon-Voorhees, Annandale
(234) Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Demarest
(237) Pequannock Township High School, Pompton Plains
(365) Hanover Park High School, East Hanover
(366) Mahwah High School, Mahwah
(377) Cranford High School, Cranford
(383) Livingston High School, Livingston
(417) Wayne Valley High School, Wayne
(421) Marlboro High School, Marlboro
(425) Cresskill High School, Cresskill
(429) Whippany Park High School, Whippany
(473) Kinnelon High School, Kinnelon
(482) Mount Olive High School, Flanders
(497) Middletown HS South, Middletown

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Posted on June 21, 2016 January 21, 2019

The Preserve Graydon Coalition: Vote NO to GarageZilla, Tuesday, June 21

All information courtesy of The Preserve Graydon Coalition

Events since our June 8 newsletter describing tomorrow’s special election reinforce the importance of voting NO.

The two continuing and three incoming council members do not support the current iteration of the garage, believing that anything built at the corner of Hudson and South Broad Streets should be smaller and not stick out into the street.

The same concern to preserve the Village’s historic character that led the Preserve Graydon Coalition to oppose ill-advised ideas about replacing Graydon with a concrete pool now drives us to join a number of grassroots groups and individuals to oppose the $11.5 million parking garage bond in tomorrow’s binding referendum.

More than a radical alteration in our skyline
Even now, at the 11th hour, many, perhaps even most, residents do not comprehend what’s at stake. And it’s more than a big garage.

Although the official word is that the $11.5 million bond that is the sole item on tomorrow’s ballot would not inevitably fund any particular garage design, it is generally understood that the contract, already prepared and ready to go, would force the new council’s hand, giving them little leeway in determining what, if anything, should be built on the parking lot at Hudson and Broad, and taxpayers would be stuck with the bill.

The garage construction contract that has been readied in hopes of a “yes” vote is said to incorporate a 6% penalty on either side for making changes even though it’s impossible to predict everything that will happen. If the referendum passed and the contract were quickly signed before the outgoing council’s final day, June 30, the new council’s hands would be tied. Apparently that is precisely what the outgoing council members desire, although they deny it. Tomorrow’s special election could have been scheduled for next month, weeks after the new council had taken office—but the “council majority” set it on the first possible day.

Several members of our Village Council have put their concerns in writing. Excerpts, with full text available through the links that follow:

Councilman Mike Sedon:
“I will be voting no in Tuesday’s special election.
In order for the new council to move forward with a comprehensive parking plan for the Central Business District, which includes a reasonable parking structure, it is imperative that we can do so without having our hands tied by the outgoing council majority.
A no vote will not defeat a parking structure. It will allow us, the new council, to incorporate such a structure into the fabric of our CBD along with other solutions that have been mentioned in the past by some of my other colleagues and myself.
A true parking committee should be formed that includes residents, property and business owners along with Village officials to further explore any other ideas that could improve our situation.
The mayor’s previous parking committee did not include residents, and in my opinion resulted in information that appeared filtered and then potentially misrepresented when it reached the wider public.
This outgoing council majority has proven over and over that they cannot be trusted, and I for one will not give them any more trust by supporting what has become a monument to deceit and manipulation.”

https://theridgewoodblog.net/councilmen-michael-sedon-urges-a-no-vote-in-tuesdays-special-election/

Councilman-Elect Ramon Hache:
“Ultimately we have a parking distribution problem in our CBD, not a parking deck problem. We have already begun planning for more cost-effective solutions that will require minimal expenditures. . . . The notion that a single parking deck will solve our parking problem is in itself an outdated 90 year old idea.”

https://theridgewoodblog.net/ramon-hache-the-village-of-ridgewood-needs-a-comprehensive-and-modern-parking-solution-that-is-both-innovative-and-reflective-of-the-world-we-live-in/

Councilman-Elect Jeff Voigt:

Short video: https://youtu.be/hVcW-r8Q-qk

Letter to the Editor, The Ridgewood News, June 10, 2016:
“. . .the Hudson St garage addresses a symptom but not the disease. . . . I am voting no (to not adopt ordinance No. 3521) on June 21st. As a Village, let’s put together something that makes sense, is clear as to what our monies are to be used for, and makes our central business district more user friendly.”

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/ridgewood-news-letter-voigt-is-voting-no-june-21-1.1613884

Residents are shocked by the lengths to which Paul Aronsohn and his yes-persons on the Council have gone, along with the Village Manager and others, to make their garage happen.

Dave Slomin, representing Ridgewood Citizens for Reasonable Development (RCRD, formerly Citizens for a Better Ridgewood), notes that the garage would set new guidelines for size and scale that developers would use to obtain permission to construct bigger and more dense buildings here. High-density developers could seek garage-related “parking variances,” giving them the opportunity to build as big as they wanted under new high-density ordinances passed by the outgoing mayor’s voting bloc.

The group recommends voting no in the referendum for reasons outlined here:
https://theridgewoodblog.net/why-a-garage-no-vote-on-tues-621-is-important-to-limiting-high-density-housing-more/

RCRD supporter Jim McCarthy shares his views in this short video: https://youtu.be/3MSgIMYcfyA

A new lawsuit and a new ethics complaint
A lawsuit has been filed in Superior Court claiming misuse of Village funds and employees’ time to create a video posted on the village website that urges residents to vote for the referendum:

https://theridgewoodblog.net/breaking-ridgewood-residents-file-lawsuit-against-village/

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/town-government/lawsuits-emerge-over-garage-video-1.1617759

In addition, a complaint has been filed with the Local Finance Board in Hackensack—the agency that enforces the Local Government Ethics Law—by the Open Government Advocacy Project of the New Jersey Libertarian Party. The letter names Mayor Paul Aronsohn and Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld as having violated “N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.5(c), which prohibits a local government officer from ‘using’ or attempting to use his official position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages for himself or others.”

https://theridgewoodblog.net/ridgewood-mayor-and-village-manager-accused-of-violating-local-government-ethics-law/

The video was watched several times by Rev. Msgr. Ronald J. Rozniak (Father Ron), Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, who wrote in his weekly bulletin yesterday (pages 2-3) that it “lists a number of entities that were consulted. You will not hear the name of Our Lady of Mount Carmel mentioned . . . . Incredibly, the single largest reality, neighbor, directly across the street from the deck, not four or six blocks away was ignored. This is despite the fact that Mount Carmel hired its own traffic consultant from an equally reputable traffic consulting firm.”

If reducing Hudson St. to two lanes would “eliminate the on-street parking on the church side of Hudson,” he wrote, it would “unquestionably have a negative impact on the operations of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.”

https://www.olmcridgewood.com/images/pdf/bulletin.pdf

More quarters in the meter for longer hours
To repay the bond—a loan, after all, not a gift—we would face extended street parking meter hours and fees, including at the Route 17 Park & Ride, rising incrementally over time. This would add insult to injury for taxpaying residents while driving shoppers and diners to the many surrounding towns that provide parking for free. Only a few years ago, when meter hours were extended to 8 pm, downtown business owners objected to the council and the end time for feeding meters reverted to 6 pm. Why would 9 pm fare better than 8 pm did?

For these reasons, we consider it essential to reject the proposed bond and to vote NO onTuesday, June 21.

If tomorrow’s referendum passes, the three outgoing council members, while stating repeatedly that the new council will be in control, are prepared to rush-approve a contract for an enormous garage via a special council meeting a week before leaving office. That would leave the new council in a “bind.”

Bonding…binding…bind.

Only by voting down the referendum can residents prevent GarageZilla from rising above all it surveys at the corner of Hudson and Broad.

Where to vote: wherever you usually do. Polls will be open from 6 am to 8 pm.

To share this message (please do), click on “Forward this message to a friend” below the pail photo below.

Swimmingly,
Marcia Ringel and Alan Seiden
Co-Chairs, The Preserve Graydon Coalition, Inc., a nonprofit corporation

“It’s clear—we love Graydon!”

info@PreserveGraydon.org PreserveGraydon.org