On July 23, 2013, voter registration will be conducted in the lobby of the Ridgewood Public Library, 125 North Maple Avenue, from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This is the final opportunity for voter registration in order to be eligible to vote in the August 13, 2013 Special Primary Election to fill the late Senator Lautenberg’s seat.
All residents of Ridgewood who are at least 18 years of age and a citizen of the United States are eligible to vote. Residents who have recently moved to Ridgewood, as well as those who have moved within Ridgewood, must re-register to vote even if they were previously registered at another address.
Readers ask “How is the Valley Expansion good for Ridgewood?”
All those hours, all those “experts”, all those pages, all those concerns to address and Valley has yet to even attempt to answer the question “How is this expansion good for Ridgewood?”
Primarily because in both the short and long run it is not. Instead of trying to hit a “home run” and keep up with Hackensack at the very high expense to the residents of Ridgewood, maybe they should come up with a plan that makes a little more sense.
I wonder if this “expert” that gave the summation the other night was the one who did the same for the hospital in Princeton. You know, the plan that got rejected.
Yes, the expert said something like, “look, see, the princeton hospital got rejected and moved out of town…”
To Plainsboro. Right next door. Where they have plenty of space. And….the hospital and the town agreed it was the right thing to do. Now they have a beautiful hospital, got everything they wanted/needed, and didn’t bother anybody. And it’s still close to Princeton.
I’ve been espousing this as the right thing to do for Valley for several years. The Princeton hospital is a perfect example of a collaboration between the town and the hospital, and is a win-win for everyone.
“In 1998, an expert working group, organized by the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), assessed the health effects of exposure to extremely low frequency EMF, the type found in homes near power lines. Based on studies about the incidence of childhood leukemia involving a large number of households, NIEHS found that power line magnetic fields are a possible cause of cancer. The working group also concluded that the results of EMF animal, cellular, and mechanistic (process) studies do not confirm or refute the finding of the human studies. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) reached a similar conclusion.
What you can do to protect yourself
People concerned about possible health risks from power lines can reduce their exposure by:
Increasing the distance between you and the source – The greater the distance between you and the power lines the more you reduce your exposure.
Limiting the time spent around the source – Limit the time you spend near power lines to reduce your exposure.”
Driving somewhere? There’s a gov’t record of that
ANNE FLAHERTY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chances are, your local or state police departments have photographs of your car in their files, noting where you were driving on a particular day, even if you never did anything wrong.
Using automated scanners, law enforcement agencies across the country have amassed millions of digital records on the location and movement of every vehicle with a license plate, according to a study published Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union. Affixed to police cars, bridges or buildings, the scanners capture images of passing or parked vehicles and note their location, uploading that information into police databases. Departments keep the records for weeks or years, sometimes indefinitely.
As the technology becomes cheaper and more ubiquitous, and federal grants focus on aiding local terrorist detection, even small police agencies are able to deploy more sophisticated surveillance systems. While the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that a judge’s approval is needed to track a car with GPS, networks of plate scanners allow police effectively to track a driver’s location, sometimes several times every day, with few legal restrictions. The ACLU says the scanners assemble what it calls a “single, high-resolution image of our lives.”
“There’s just a fundamental question of whether we’re going to live in a society where these dragnet surveillance systems become routine,” said Catherine Crump, a staff attorney with the ACLU. The civil rights group is proposing that police departments immediately delete any records of cars not linked to a crime.
Just when I didn’t think I could trust the developers less, they hire Ron Simoncini as their mouthpiece. Ugh….what a debacle. Hartz, Hoboken, etc… and we’re exporting that mentality to Ridgewood. Landlords and developers first!
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Minor Injuries Sustained By Two In North Irving Street Crash
July 13,2013
Boyd A. Loving
11:36 AM
Ridgewood NJ, Two individuals, one of which was a 10 year old girl, sustained minor injuries as a result of a crash involving a VW Passat sedan and Honda Odyssey minivan on North Irving Street near Warren Place on Saturday morning. Ridgewood police, Fire, and EMS units rushed to the scene after more than fifteen 911 telephone calls were received regarding the collision.
The Passat suffered moderate damage and was removed from the scene by flatbed tow truck; the Odyssey had damage to its left rear bumper and fender and was able to leave on its own power. There was no report of a summons being issued to either driver.
Reader asks Wasn’t having all 5 council members at a non public meeting a violation of the sunshine law?
Wasn’t having all 5 council members at a non public meeting a violation of the sunshine law? I would have thought Mr. Puch would have known that.
This is hilarious. The council accepts tickets, eats good food, drinks good booze……….and all at the expense of Mr. Saraceno. Hmmmmm….sure, they are not going to be influenced when they vote on his massive development project. Wait a minute, they CAN’T vote, since they accepted his gift of a social evening. Also hilarious that they were invited by Saraceno, NOT by the Christie camp. The Christie camp clearly stated that they did not invite any local politicos.
Ok everyone is talking and writing about it, now who calls the ag’s office? a lot of talk and teeth grinding occurred about the tom Richie situation but nothing was done. I’ll bet the same thing happens with this debacle.
Readers says Politics has changed by “Big Money” in town
Yes, this was sent in response to a prior post. A Ridgewood Blog advertiser had received a letter stating that the sender had selected Ulrich rather than All Done to renovate the kitchen in a rental apartment because All Done advertised on the Ridgewood Blog.
Posters commented that nobody hires Ulrich for a rental, among other things. “Many of my neighbors, and I, feel The Ridgewood blog is not a positive reflection of our community….as long as you do advertise there I, and many of my neighbors, will not be doing business with your company.” (Who are “many of my neighbors”? Give me a break.)
This is becoming ubiquitous. I was referring to the way that politics in town has changed. Many people are unfamiliar with these new forms of manipulation and continue to believe that everybody is sincere. Those who are doing these things are taking advantage of that.
The “assigned” letter to the editor is particularly insidious because it is signed and has every appearance of being genuine and in good faith. (I’m not talking about letters praising candidates for office; these are routinely solicited. It comes out mostly when the message is negative.)
Previously it would have been laughable that anyone would bother with such ploys here. But suddenly big money is to be made and we are being sold down the river of greed and ego.
RFP – Long Term Ground Lease Development on Blk 3703 Lot 12 E Ridgewood Av
Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level 4 Courtroom, at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey, on Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. prevailing time, then publicly opened and read aloud for:
“Request for Proposals
For the
Long Term Ground Lease for Development
On
Village Owned Property Block 3703, Lot 12 East Ridgewood Avenue
Village of Ridgewood Bergen County, New Jersey”
The Village of Ridgewood is seeking proposals from qualified firms for an as-of-right project to develop Lot 12, Block 3703 into a first class, two story facility conforming to current zoning code, sympathetic to adjacent local conditions.
The RFP package may be obtained from the Engineering Division Offices, Level 3, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, (201) 670-5500, extension No. 238. Proposal packages may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., at 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, Monday through Friday. The proposal may also be downloaded from the Village’s website, however prospective respondents are responsible to register with the Village in the event any addendum are issued. Prospective respondents requesting proposal documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration. No proposal forms shall be given out after 4:00 p.m. on Friday, August 30, 2013.
All prices quoted in the proposal must be net and exclusive of all Federal, State and Local Sales and Excise Taxes. Proposals may be submitted in person or by mail prior to the proposal opening, addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any proposal sent to it prior to the date and time stated for receipt of proposals.
Each proposal must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the respondent thereon and endorsed, “Request for Proposals for the Long Term Ground Lease for Development on Village Owned Property Block 3703, Lot 12 East Ridgewood Avenue Village of Ridgewood Bergen County, New Jersey”.
All respondents shall present satisfactory evidence of being authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. All respondents shall also provide a copy of their New Jersey Business Registration Certificate with their proposal. Additional requirements for submittal are presented in the RFP. All respondents shall adhere to the requirements presented in the “Request for Proposals”. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informality or to accept a proposal, which in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village.
” BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27). A complete statement as to these requirements is included in the Request for Proposals.
Reader says attack on advertiser is entirely bogus and could easily be part of what Paul Aronsohn is paying White Horse Consultants for
Entirely bogus and could easily be part of what Paul Aronsohn is paying White Horse Consultants for as well as advice from various persons with marketing experience or who are just plain mean, or both.
Fake blog posts and letters have, sadly, become a standard part of negative marketing and politicking, not only on this blog and Patch but even in real letters to the editor–which may be signed by real people, but they are “plants” who were either told what to write or were sent something to submit under their own names.
A high, high level of suspicion is unfortunately essential in such cases. This will increasingly be true as we approach the next council election in the spring as well as other important upcoming decisions and votes.
As for the respectful tone, faux sincerity is standard because it tends to be convincing: “I used to like X, but alas, I no longer can patronize it, or vote for him/her, because of [whatever negative message is desired to be promulgated].”
We backwoods suburban types need to get with the program. Let’s be hyperaware and recognize big-city manipulation as it falls over us like a net, and disdainfully shake it off.
The baddies who want to have their way with this town can’t come up with good reasons to wreck it other than personal glory and financial and/or social advancement. If they could, they wouldn’t have to resort to these insulting stratagems.
These experts from Valley are a joke. I hope the Planning board gets some impartial experts of their own.
Yet another “expert” on the Valley payroll spewing testimony that one would have to be an idiot to believe. I sincerely hope but kind of doubt that Ms. Price and our Planning Board will see through it all.
The fact that this process is still going on is a joke. It just looks like Valley has bought off everyone in their way – the “experts” that testify, the Planning Board that allows such tripe to be allowed on the record, and, when it gets to Council, a councilwoman who doubles as a fundraiser and lobbyist for Valley. Where is the media? This story has legs.
Readers debate when it appropriate to correct inappropriate behavior of someone else s children
reader says speaking of Graydon, I was there recently and observed several children (individually and in groups) absolutely terrorizing a mother duck and her 4 ducklings in the water and on the shore.
When I asked a lifeguard why she was allowing children to abuse the waterfowl, she told me that the ducks were not wanted there anyway so what was the big deal.
So because the ducks aren’t wanted at Graydon, the Village is condoning their abuse?
How nice. What a lesson to teach our children.
readers responds did you think that it was the parent’s responsibility to teach the children? Were you afraid to approach the parents with your superior knowledge of appropriate behavior?
The lifeguards are not there to teach your kids right from wrong. That is the parents job. Maybe the parents would have thanked you for your insights, then again, maybe not.
Bloomberg/BizWeek Acknowledges ‘Obama Call for Muslim Brotherhood Role’ in Egypt
By Tom Blumer | July 07, 2013 | 01:04
Nicole Gaouette and John Walcott at Bloomberg BusinessWeek have revealed that the Obama administration has specifically stated that it wants the Muslim Brotherhood to have a role in any new Egyptian government. Meanwhile, other news outlets, particularly the Associated Press, have avoided disclosing that specific detail.
There are two “little” problems with the administration’s disclosed position. The first is that now-deposed Mohammed Morsi’s final speech on Tuesday was seen as a promise that there would be civil war if he were ousted. The second is that Morsi supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups have promised to carry out a campaign of terror until Morsi is reinstalled, and are keeping that promise. Those two factors should objectively disqualify the Brotherhood’s involvement. Excerpts from the Bloomberg pair’s report follow the jump (bolds are mine):
Obama Skips Past Congress Again With Health Mandate Delay
By Steven T. Dennis and Matt Fuller
Roll Call Staff
July 5, 2013, 2:29 p.m.
A constitutional law professor at George Washington University said that Obama “has been far more aggressive in circumventing Congress and far more successful in creating an imperial presidency” than Bush.
President Barack Obama’s latest legal end run around Congress — delaying enforcement of the employer health mandate — has sparked more questions about whether he’s abusing his executive discretion under the Constitution.
The move announced late Tuesday was the latest in a string of decisions where the president, facing a divided Congress unable to get much done beyond keeping the government running, has taken matters into his own hands.
Where a previous president might have asked for a legislative fix if a mandate was proving too onerous for business, the Obama administration put out a couple of blog posts saying that, in listening to the business community, it decided not to enforce a key part of the 3-year-old health law for another year.
The administration notes that parts of laws are delayed in implementation all the time — including various pieces of the tax code.
– See more at: https://cdn.rollcall.com/news/obama_bypasses_congress_again_with_health_mandate_delay-226124-1.html?popular=true&cdn_load=true&zkPrintable=1&nopagination=1#sthash.fvVIVoN5.dpuf
