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Bid awarded for Learning Commons at Ridgewood High School

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Bid awarded for Learning Commons at Ridgewood High School

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2014, 4:33 PM
BY  LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

A long-awaited bid has been awarded for renovations to the Ridgewood High School (RHS) library, which has not been updated since the 1960s.

According to the Board of Education’s (BOE) Feb. 24 meeting agenda, the $803,790 bid was awarded to “the lowest responsible bidder,” the North Arlington-based Delta Interior Construction. The other bidders, Construction Contractors and Accurate Construction, put in total bids of $835,900 and $837,555, respectively. The architect, LAN Associates, and the board’s attorney have reviewed the bids, according to the BOE.

The awarding of the bid should enable the renovations to commence this June. The work should be finished by the start of the 2014-2015 school year, according to BOE President Sheila Brogan.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/247627541_Bid_awarded__for_Learning_Commons_at_Ridgewood_High_School.html

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Ridgewood Council appoints members to committees

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Ridgewood Council appoints members to committees

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Council unanimously appointed new members to village committees.

The Open Space Committee helps identify types of open space and makes recommendations to the Village Council on the development of existing open space properties.

Appointed to the Open Space Committee were residents Ralph Currey, William Gilsenan, Eleanor Gruber and James Bostler. Also named to the committee were Planning Board member Kevin Reilly, fields committee member Robert Lasky and Director of Parks and Recreation Tim Cronin. Each committee term will expire Dec. 31, 2014.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/247717591_Ridgewood_Council_appoints_members_to_committees.html#sthash.tYxG0zjZ.dpuf

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Readers comment on Parking Problems Near Ridge and other Ridgewood Schools

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Readers comment on Parking Problems Near Ridge and other Ridgewood Schools

Parking near any school is out of control in the village and just seems to get worse while on the rare occasion that a police officer is there he or she does nothing.

It is about driving and safety. Buying near a school does not mean that parents can ignore parking/standing rules, blocking driveways and oncoming traffic. They are clogging the road because they are the laziest and most selfish pack of parents in the area. The council had an opportunity to address this last year and they did nothing. We need Midland Park to step in and enforce the law.

Many could benefit from a brisk WALK to Ridge. Try setting an example for the kids.

I just noticed today for the first time that Somerville parents are now parking on Spring Avenue, east and west of South Pleasant, making that street a nightmare to drive on during afternoon dismissal time.

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Readers suspicious over BCIA involvement in Parking Garage

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Readers suspicious over BCIA involvement in Parking Garage 

Out of 70 Town in Bergen Count. They are going to come here and help us with our garage. You asked the county to fix a road or line stripe one of their roads and it falls on deaf ears but all of a sudden they are going to do this for us. Whats in it for them or is this Council going to sell us down the drain to further the agenda

If it made financial sense to build a parking garage…..it would have been built long ago.

BUT….if you can get your buddies at the BCIA (that independent authority that gets to borrow millions and millions and millions of dollars) to do a study, and to pay for it, and that you will have some influence in it’s results, then you do it.

The Republican County Exe. Donovan stated she would not issue bonds through the BCIA, now she wants to use tax dollars to do just that. Also Glen Rock School Board, refused to use the BCIA because of their high fees

I’ll believe it when I see it. The plain and simple truth is there’s no need for a parking garage in Ridgewood. It simply can’t be cost justified. If they build it, people will NOT come because it will be too expensive to park in.

Here’s a simple idea that costs no money. Free up parking spaces in the downtown district by having your employees park a couple of blocks away and walk to work.
There you go…..I’ll give you that advice for free.

I would think the powers that be would concentrate on getting the stores filled and operational before they build a garage to house the customers that aren’t there yet.

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Food Fight: Lunch vendors file claim agains Ridgewood school board

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Food Fight: Lunch vendors file claim agains Ridgewood school board

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014
BY  LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

A claim has been filed against the Board of Education (BOE) that challenges its recent decision to ban outside vendors from delivering lunch to Ridgewood students at school.

In the claim, attorney Victor Herlinsky, of the law firm Sills Cummis and Gross, notes that “Ridgewood has acted in an arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable manner by relying on an ever-changing set of rationales for the cancellation and continually refusing to engage with plaintiffs to reach a resolution that would reverse the cancellation and benefit all parties.”

Herlinsky believes his clients have a solid case.

“The only problem is this case is going to take months, if not years, to litigate,” he said. “It’s going to take a tremendous amount of school board resources.”

The three outside vendors who have taken issue with the ban are Parkwood Delicatessen & Catering in Midland Park; Westside Bagel & Deli in Ridgewood; and No Fuss Lunch, a school lunch delivery business run by Ridgewood mother Gabriella Wilday. Ridgewood parents Oliver and Alla Train, Maya Scanlon, Leigh Warren and Wilday’s husband James are also plaintiffs.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/247718361_Lunch_vendors_file_claim_agains_Ridgewood_school_board_schools.html#sthash.zESG2cHE.dpuf

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Christmas Tree Pickup – Delayed

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Christmas Tree Pickup – Delayed

The recent snowstorms have delayed the pickup of Christmas trees. However, the Village of Ridgewood is continuing to pick them up. If you would like to drop off your tree, you may do so at the Graydon Pool Parking Lot. Your Christmas tree should be placed in the Graydon Pool Parking Lot, at the corner of Linwood Avenue and Northern Parkway.

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Sebelius Contradicts herself Dismisses 7M Sign-Up Goal for Obamacare

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Sebelius Contradicts herself Dismisses 7M Sign-Up Goal for Obamacare

February 25, 2014 – 11:50 AM
By Melanie Hunter

(CNSNews.com) – Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday dismissed the goal of 7 million Obamacare enrollees by the end of March as something that the Congressional Budget Office made up.

However, that contradicts Sebelius’s own statement on national television in September that “success looks like at least 7 million people having signed up by the end of March 2014.”

“First of all, 7 million was not the administration. That was a CBO Congressional Budget Office prediction when the bill was first signed. I’m not quite sure where they even got their numbers. Their number’s all over the board, and the vice president has looked and said it may be closer to 5 to 6,” Sebelius told HuffPost Live host Marc Lamont Hill.

– See more at: https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/sebelius-dismisses-7m-sign-goal-obamacare#sthash.KIBa8mkw.dp

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U.S. Teenagers Spurn Working as School Takes Priority

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U.S. Teenagers Spurn Working as School Takes Priority
By Jeanna Smialek  Feb 19, 2014 12:01 AM ET

A high school commencement on May 22, 2013 in Boulder, Colorado.

Akil Alvin, 19 and from Detroit, is struggling to land a job as he competes with older, more skilled applicants. Alex Lothspeich, 17 and from Charlotte, North Carolina, is choosing not to enter the workforce to focus on high school.

Both illustrate changes sweeping the teen labor force. Young Americans such as Alvin who want to work can’t find jobs as unemployment among 16-to-19-year-olds stands at more than three times the rate for all workers. At the same time, more teens are taking Lothspeich’s tack, forsaking paid positions to concentrate on getting into college.

Just one in three teens in the U.S. worked or looked for a job in January, a record-lowsince 1948 when the Labor Department data starts. That lack of on-the-job experience could cost future workers, who may lag behind on basic skills their parents developed waiting tables or running registers, some economists say.

“Work experience complements skill, and the combination of the two is more valuable than either one alone,” said Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “It is more difficult to get going, to get onto the on-ramp, in the American economy than it used to be.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-19/teenagers-spurn-working-as-school-in-u-s-takes-priority.html

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New Jersey Gov. Christie’s Budget Proposal has No Tax Increases, Smaller Pension Payment Than Obligated

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New Jersey Gov. Christie’s Budget Proposal has No Tax Increases, Smaller Pension Payment Than Obligated

TRENTON—Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday proposed the state’s most expensive budget ever, using an unusually restrained tone to pitch a $34 billion spending plan that includes a record pension system payment and holds the line against raising taxes.

Facing a scandal over his administration’s role in creating a traffic jam near the George Washington Bridge, the potential 2016 GOP presidential contender avoided fights with Democrats, who control both houses of the Legislature and have been emboldened by the scandal. He didn’t push a tax cut and proposed a $2.25 billion payment to the public-employee retirement system that was in keeping with a state law passed to shore up the system.

Mr. Christie returned to a source of strength, broadly calling on public workers to make new sacrifices in their state benefits as he first did in 2010—though this time he didn’t offer specifics. And his speech was devoid of the brash rhetoric common to many of his past addresses. Instead, Mr. Christie outlined stark choices ahead for the state to stay fiscally sound.

“If we want a better future tomorrow, we must prepare today,” Mr. Christie said during his 30-minute speech before the full state Legislature and guests here. “We must make good choices now, and we must make certain sacrifices.” (Haddon and Dawsey/Wall Street Journal)

https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303880604579404703414242932?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303880604579404703414242932.html

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IRS TARGETING: Emails Prove Lerner Helped Craft New IRS Crackdown Rules, Nets Censor

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IRS TARGETING: Emails Prove Lerner Helped Craft New IRS Crackdown Rules, Nets Censor

By Geoffrey Dickens | February 6, 2014 | 15:55

On Wednesday the House Ways and Means Committee released new emails proving that former IRS executive Lois Lerner secretly helped craft, with Treasury officials, new rules that would make it easier to crack down on conservative groups like the Tea Party. These new rules were being written in 2012, at the height of the IRS’s targeting of the Tea Party.

So far the Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC) networks have yet to mention this latest IRS scandal bombshell on their evening or morning shows.

On February 5 Patrick Howley reported the following:

The Obama administration’s Treasury Department and former IRS official Lois Lerner conspired to draft new 501(c)(4) regulations to restrict the activity of conservative groups in a way that would not be disclosed publicly, according to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

The Treasury Department and Lerner started devising the new rules “off-plan,” meaning that their plans would not be published on the public schedule. They planned the new rules in 2012, while the IRS targeting of conservative groups was in full swing, and not after the scandal broke in order to clarify regulations as the administration has suggested.

The rules place would place much more stringent controls on what would be considered political activity by the IRS, effectively limiting the standard practices of a wide array of non-profit groups.

Read more: https://newsbusters.org/blogs/geoffrey-dickens/2014/02/06/emails-prove-lerner-helped-craft-new-irs-crackdown-rules-nets-cens#ixzz2uWhXwgMZ

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Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital : Keeping Your Dog Safe

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file photo Boyd Loving

Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital Keeping Your Dog Safe

No one wants to think about the possibility of a beloved dog running out into the street, yet a study shows that more than a million dogs were struck by cars last year in the U.S. alone.

These tragic accidents happen all too often to dogs, both on-leash and off, in a matter of seconds.

Read a few suggestions to avoid this type of tragedy in our blog article “Keeping Your Dog Safe is Our #1 Priority”

by clicking this link: https://www.ridgewoodvet.com/blog/2014/02/26/keeping-your-dog-safe-is-140760

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Excess sewer fees in Ridgewood get flushed

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Excess sewer services fees in Ridgewood get flushed

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2014, 1:45 PM
BY  DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood businesses and other entities that discharge an excessive amount of sewage into the village’s water treatment system will be charged at a rate comparable to previous years. The Village Council introduced last week an ordinance establishing the 2013-14 rates for those that deposit more than 109,500 gallons of sewage into the system.

The ordinance, which will be up for adoption next month, sets up a fee of $4.03 per 1,000 gallons in excess. The rate is the same as one previously approved by the village.

Last fall, officials proposed a fee increase to $4.44 per 1,000 gallons for 2013, and a spike to $4.84 per 1,000 gallons in excess for 2014. The enacting ordinance was eventually defeated, in part because of resistance from business and restaurant owners in Ridgewood’s Central Business District.

“The reason for [the fees] is [excessive discharge] puts extra wear and tear on our water pollution control facility. In addition, especially in the Central Business District, we put extra de-greasers into the system there because of all the food products that go into the system,” said acting Village Manager Heather Mailander.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/247295261_Excess_sewer_fees_in_Ridgewood_stay_at_status_quo.html#sthash.GL3Sd0Cn.dpuf

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Midland Park officials react to parking woes near Ridge Elementary School in Ridgewood

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Midland Park officials react to parking woes near Ridge Elementary School in Ridgewood
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014
BY  LYNN BRUGGEMANN
CORRESPONDENT
MIDLAND PARK SUBURBAN NEWS

MIDLAND PARK – Maltbie Avenue residents whose driveways are being blocked by cars of parents picking up their children from nearby Ridge Elementary School in Ridgewood will be given the chance to decide what option the governing body will take to remedy the situation.

Mayor Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan told the Borough Council at its Feb. 20 meeting that he was made aware of the situation when Maltbie Avenue residents Arthur and Abbey Marchetti attended a recent Saturday morning “Coffee With the Mayor.”

“These residents told me how frustrated they are that they are not able to get in or out of their own driveways,” O’Hagan said. “It is a narrow street and cars double-park to pick up their children.”

Maltbie intersects Franklin Avenue where it becomes West Ridgewood Avenue, perpendicular to Ridge Elementary School at 325 W. Ridgewood Ave.

Council members said they had discussed the predicament and suggest two options: striping the road to designate parking areas or restricting parking to one side of the road.

“Let’s hear what is acceptable to the residents,” said Councilwoman Nancy Cronk Peet.

Borough Clerk and Administrator Adeline Hanna was instructed by the governing body to send certified letters to the residents with homes on Maltbie.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community/events/247430801_Midland_Park_officials_react_to_parking_woes_on_Maltbie_Avenue.html#sthash.GwTAa5Sl.dpu

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Ridgewood, Bergen County moving on plans for parking garage

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Ridgewood, Bergen County moving on plans for parking garage

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2014, 10:33 PM
BY  CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER

RIDGEWOOD — Village and county officials have been meeting on a parking garage partnership since late 2013, and have agreed that a parking study should be conducted to determine just how big that garage should be.

The Bergen County Improvement Authority would commission the study, which would take a few months to complete, Mayor Paul Aronsohn said. The authority will meet in the next week or two to discuss the study.

The results of the study, which will determine the village’s overall parking needs, also will dictate how many spots the new garage facility will eventually have and what rates will be charged to customers.

“We’re all on the same page, and the county executive is also into the idea,” Aronsohn said, adding that the parking study will be “comprehensive,” with results reviewable sometime this summer.

The Bergen County Improvement Authority will cover most of the costs of the study, but the design of the garage will be mutually determined by both the village and the county, Aronsohn said.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Ridgewood_to_seek_approval_for_parking_study.html#sthash.eNZqZYiY.dpuf

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Draft tree ordinance in Ridgewood dubbed onerous

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file photo Boyd Loving

Draft tree ordinance in Ridgewood dubbed onerous

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2014, 9:18 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

A resolution on Ridgewood shade trees may never take root.

The 10-page, single-spaced draft ordinance on the planting, replacement and preservation of shade trees, which the Village Council referred to the Planning Board for review, was described as “onerous” and likely unnecessary on Tuesday by several Planning Board members and Village Planner Blais Brancheau.

In the draft ordinance, homeowners would be required to obtain permits before removing trees on their properties, which Planning Board Chairman Charles Nalbantian noted may be impossible to enforce.

“Something like this can’t be enforced unless a neighbor complains,” he said, adding that it can create safety issues if a tree expert who wants to remove a tree cannot do so until a permit is obtained. “To restrict people’s ability to manage their property, I think, creates a problem.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/247249761_Draft_tree_ordinance_in_Ridgewood_dubbed_onerous.html#sthash.lpc4QowL.dpu