Working on the roadside is a dangerous and sometimes deadly job. That’s why the Division of Highway Traffic Safety is asking motorists to Make the Move. What’s the Move? When you see flashing lights on the side of the road, slow down, and if it’s safe, Move Over – away from police, fire crews, paramedics and tow truck drivers. If you make the move, others will follow.
To learn more about New Jerseys move over law click on the link below.
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving Christ Episcopal Church, Ridgewood Celebrates Shrove Tuesday In Style
February 12,2013
Boyd A. Loving
7:53 PM
Ridgewood NJ, Shrove Tuesday was celebrated at Ridgewood’s Christ Episcopal Church with a pancake supper and pancake relay races (indoors, of course). Parishioners of all ages partook of the buffet style meal, which included pancakes, sausages, and salad. Blue and Red teams were then formed for the traditional pancake relay races. Fellowship and fun was had by all attendees!
Readers Debate Tiger Team Report focus on Village Worker Salaries and Benefits
All the suggestions from the tiger team revolve around reducing employee wages and benefits, dismantling contracts, changing work rules. It’s not the employees fault the village is in the mess that it is, and no mention is made of a multimillion dollar cost over run when rebuilding village hall, nor is there any mention made of the squandering of cost savings from the pension contribution holiday left over from the Whitman years. No mention made of reining in costs of health care legislative help needed of course. Maybe someone can sugar coat what they want to do by calling it something else but it is what it is.
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You obviously have not read the report. That is not what the group recommended at all. Most of the recommendations had nothing to do with employee benefits or wages.
The recommended contract changes were about simplifying the contracts and correcting certain unrealistic policies that cannot be sustained to bring them more in line with best practices in the private sector. However, starting salaries look like they have increased and the rate of base pay increases are higher than current levels in the first half of most employees’ careers. The big changes seem to be eliminate accumulated sick day pay, which is basically “double dipping” on the same pay and reducing excessive pension obligations to levels that are closer to what they were originally intended to be.
The report doesn’t blame the employees (I think it actually says that). Nor does it seek to punish them. You can blame whomever you want. But, the reality is that the current contract structures are unrealistic and unaffordable. The taxpayers can’t afford to keep paying more and, in private, many employees will admit that they knew this day was coming.
Readers Debate Independence of proposed Financial Oversight Board
The Tiger Team recommended a Financial Oversight Board. The Council is elected by law. The recommendation in the report that was published on the village website proposed the following process…
“FOB members may include any Ridgewood resident, who is not a member of Village Management or the Village Council. Nominations for the charter FOB members may be submitted by the Village Council, or any interested eligible resident may nominate himself or herself, according to a process defined by the Village Council. After the charter FOB members are approved by the Village Council, all future nominations would be made by the FOB members, with final approval to be made by the Village Council.”
Clearly, the idea is to create a group that is independent from the politics within village management or among Village Council members (which is probably a good idea, given behavior of the Village Council in recent years). It does not appear to be an “appointment”. I suspect that any interested resident could be nominated.
Most of what they suggest in the report can be implemented relatively quickly. The section that discusses changes to the contracts is pretty dramatic. Most of it can, in fact, be implemented without changes from Trenton when the current contracts expire. The obvious challenge is getting the union negotiators to agree to dramatic overhauls of contracts that have become the “default” starting points during every negotiation. The issue is usually over how much of an increase the village will agree to, not whether another increase is even appropriate, let alone whether a new structure would be more appropriate.
Many of you seem too willing to throw up your hands and say “it is too difficult to make changes” or “we don’t know what we will get with change”. Of course changing decades of entrenched behavior is difficult. If it was easy, it would have been done a long time ago. But, our backs are against the wall now and we can’t afford to allow the existing behavior and policies to continue. We may not know whether change may bring some new challenges. But, we have a very good idea of what we stand to gain and we know very well what the current policies have brought us…and we cannot tolerate them anymore.
I suspect that many of the comments arguing against change to our municipal management are from municipal employees, who are afraid of the change and may not have a thorough understanding of what the report has recommended. It is hard to imagine that any Ridgewood taxpayer would suggest that we shouldn’t investigate the POSSIBILITY of exploring every recommendation in the report to see what we find out. If a recommendation can’t be implemented for some reason, so be it. But, we can’t be so apathetic that we are willing to accept the admonishments of anonymous naysayers on this blog as reasons not to try.
Reader says get our fiscal house in order before we commit to opening the Village to another 500 households
I am struck by the fact we seem to be sticking our heads in the fiscal sand as we begin a big public debate over opening the town to development. Let’s put first things first and get our fiscal house in order before we commit to opening the Village to another 500 households.
I don’t know if I agree with the entirety of the Tiger Testament, but I sure would like to see some of those issues addressed before we talk about welcoming another 500 households to town. I would like to hear a rationale piecemeal response to the major points raised. I would like to see debate on points worth debating. I would like to see action on points worth taking. Or, I would like to see each of the Council members go on record now as to why they have considered the Tiger Testament, and rejected for the ultimate benefit of Ridgewood.
However, I get the sense from things I have read and heard recently that some on the council believe we will build our way out of financial problems with the new massive developments proposed for downtown. Some folks seem lulled by the promise of money from developers for quick fixes in the downtown area, coupled with the illusion that 500 new families will somehow inject needed cash into our town
From what i see and hear in town, we are gearing up for another massively devisive showdown as committees are formed, litigation plans, citizens unite, etc., to fight over the new development. It makes me think of a homeowner debating how to remodel attic space while neglecting the termites eating away at the house’s foundation.
We are currently experiencing snow and ice weather conditions. During this icy weather, residents are required to bring their garbage cans to the curb for collection.
Village of Ridgewood staff will only pick up garbage and recycling at the curb in snow and ice conditions. Ice condition is when ice is present in driveways and sidewalks.
A Sandy relief group that has raised $1 million in cash is not a tax-exempt organization, as it claims, nor is it registered in New Jersey to operate as a charity, an Asbury Park Press investigation found.
In addition, the Hurricane Sandy Relief Foundation, run by a Sparta couple, solicits funds on its website using the name of a legally registered charity headed by New Jersey first lady Mary Pat Christie, the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. State law prohibits such practices, according to the state Division of Consumer Affairs, which regulates charities.
Also, HSRF’s co-founder, John Sandberg, claims to have a degree from Seton Hall University, yet the school’s registrar’s office says he didn’t graduate. Two of the corporate “sponsors” cited on the HSRF website, www.sandyrelief.org, say they aren’t sponsoring the foundation. To maximize the website’s visibility, Sandberg says he registered 120 different Internet domain names related to Sandy relief. Last week, his site ranked No. 1 in a Google search for “Sandy relief fund,” ahead of the American Red Cross, the Robin Hood Foundation, and Mrs. Christie’s charity.
Meanwhile, the foundation has yet to distribute more than $800,000 in cash donations, according to Sandberg.
Senator Menendez speaking at Ridgewood REORG photo by Boys Loving
Reader Claims Photos of Senator Menendez Appear to inappropriately Associate Village Council
Readers says ,”Every time I see a picture of Aronsohn or other Village Council members inappropriately associated with a story about the Menendez scandal I wonder whether the Ridgewood Blog can be held liable for a defamation of character suit.
Maybe James should reconsider his fast and loose practices on this Blog, in favor of more responsible behavior???
Are you suggesting that Village Council member knew anything about his alleged violations? If you want to post something about Menendez, that is fine. But, if you are going to show a picture, have the decency to show a picture of Menendez or someone related related to the story, not an unrelated member of Ridgewood’s Village Council.”
Editor’s Note : Perhaps the council should have thought of that before you invited the Senator ?
Tiger Team : Changes to the contracts are exactly what must occur to avoid the out of control budget increases over the next few years
I read the report closely and most of the recommendations do not require any changes to contracts. But, at the end of the day, changes to the contracts are exactly what must occur to avoid the out of control budget increases over the next few years. We obviously cannot continue with the status quo. I looked at the contracts that were posted on line and they specifically say that the terms of the existing contracts do not have bearing on future contracts. So, why not make sensible changes when the contracts are up? At the very least, we need a permanent financial committee to look at these issues every year.
If you don’t agree with the recommendations they came up with in the report, how would you suggest Ridgewood avoid $1-2mm of budget increases each year?
Carlo’s Bakery Opens in Ridgewood !
February 10 , 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, After a couple of false starts , “Cake Boss” star Buddy Valastro opened the much-anticipated Carlo’s Bakery on Wilsey Square in Ridgewood .
As predicted the line stretched all the way down the block, but waiting in the cold and snow after this past weekends huge snow storm for star studded treats prepared by the “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro hime self was well worth the wait .
Long lines lasted well until 3pm . The day before Buddy Valastro assured his fans that ,”I’ve got the whole famiglia workin hard at Carlos Ridgewood today. It’s really comin together. Can’t wait for you all to see it.”
Carlo’s Bakery is located at 12 Wilsey Square ,Ridgewood Nj
The Ridgewood Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Ridgewood Police Department jointly hosted an information session and organizational meeting for residents interested in volunteer opportunities to assist OEM and the Police Department.
If you were unable to attend the meeting, you may complete the form below and submit to [email protected] or [email protected] or questions at 201/670-5500 x380.
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving Car Slams Into Bus On East Ridgewood Avenue – No Injuries Reported
February 10,2013
Boyd A. Loving
11:00 PM
Ridgewood NJ, A NJ Transit bus destined for New York City was rear ended by a Mercedes SUV on East Ridgewood Avenue near South Pleasant Avenue late Saturday evening. The bus driver and his six (6) passengers all escaped injury, as did the Mercedes SUV driver.
Ridgewood Police Department patrol officers directed traffic at the scene while members of the Ridgewood Fire Department attended to a minor fluid spill, and disconnected the SUV’s battery to minimize the risk of fire.
Damage to the bus was limited to the left rear bumper and fender; the Mercedes appeared to have been totaled and was removed by flatbed tow truck.
Support for smoking ban: the Tyranny of Stupidity Continues
February 8, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, By now many of you are aware the Village Council members have given their preliminary OK to the plan, part of a statewide initiative to create a smoke-free environment in all public parks.
One Question , whats next ,banning Slurpee’s , large sugary drinks , loud dogs, big cars , seat belts for dogs in cars , haven’t we all had enough of this nonsense all ready? Or has person freedom become something to fear ?
Any doubt with anything I say just ask Mayor Bloomberg . Lets face it there is virtually nothing you can do in your life that wont raise eyebrows with someone .
Any chance anyone even remembers that personal freedom means personal responsibility . Our country was founded on the idea of limits to government intervention on ones personal life . I know that’s a very old fashioned idea.
With the absolute mess we find ourselves in in this country , do we really want to concede all our personnel freedom of choice to a government that on a good day barely knows what time it is . Do you really want the Village Council telling how to live your life?
Ridgewood Police : Ice & Snow – Remove It Before You Go
Remember to remove all ice and snow from your vehicle before driving, especially from the hood, windows and roof. It’s the law in New Jersey! Motorists who fail to do so face fines of $25 to $75 for each offense, regardless of whether the ice and snow is dislodged from the vehicle. If flying ice or snow causes property damage or injury to others, motorists face fines of $200 to $1,000 for each offense.
Ridgewood Police :Keep fire hydrant clear
If you have a fire hydrant in front of your house, help yourself and help your neighbors by keeping it clear of snow.
Ridgewood Police : Overnight parking is suspended in the Village
Overnight parking is suspended in the Village. Residents are prohibited from parking on village streets overnight. Residents residing in the Central Business District are permitted to park vehicles in the Cottage Place and Hudson Street lots.
