Category: Uncategorized

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.

Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

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?

So again I ask what are they going to ban next?

photo from the Ridgewood PD

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.

Ridgewood Police : Village Ordinances pertaining to clearing sidewalks of snow and ice

Snow and Ice Removal 249-1

A. The owner of any land abutting upon the streets or public highways in the Village, if such land is owner-occupied or vacant, otherwise the tenant or occupant of such land situate in all zones of the Village of Ridgewood as shown on the 1990 Zoning Map, with the exception of the B-1, B-2, P and P-2 Zones of the Village, shall remove all snow and ice from the abutting sidewalks of such streets or highways within 24 hours after the same shall fall or be formed thereon. No snow or ice so removed, however, shall be deposited or placed in the street or highway in such a manner or location so as to impede the flow of traffic. For purposes of this section, such land shall be deemed owner-occupied if occupied by either the owner or owners of record or any agent, servant or employee thereof.

B. Owners, tenants and occupants of any land abutting the streets or highways of the Village situate in the B-1, B-2, P and P-2 Zones of the Village are subject to the following snow removal regulations. Special regulations are adopted for the business and office zones in order to maintain an attractive and safe environment in the business and professional office zones of the Village by assuring that the snow will be removed from the sidewalks in and around the central business district on a timely basis.

C.Snow is required to be removed in the B-1, B-2, P and P-2 Zone Districts from the sidewalks concurrently with its fall. To assure compliance with this section, more than one clearing may be required to keep the sidewalks as free of snow as is practical. The following specific regulations are hereby adopted. Snowfalls commencing during the evening, that is, after 6:00 p.m., will be cleared by no later than 9:00 a.m. the following morning, Sundays and holidays included. During weekday storms, Monday through Saturday, occurring during business hours, sidewalks shall be cleared to a five-foot minimum width to provide access from the storefront to the curb, between meters, if meters are installed. After 6:00 p.m. and on Sundays and holidays, sidewalks will be completely cleared into the street.

D. A court appearance will be required to answer any summons issued for a violation of this section occurring in the B-1, B-2, P and P-2 zones of the Village. A court appearance will be required to answer any summons issued for a second or subsequent violation of this section in all zones of the Village.
[Amended 7-11-1995 by Ord. No. 2533]

Planning Board Special Public Meeting – February 11

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

Cancelled: February 19, 2013, Public Meeting

Called: Work Session & Special Public Meeting: Monday, February 11, 2013

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board has scheduled a special public meeting and work session for MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013, in the VILLAGE HALL COURT ROOM, 4th Floor, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Board may take official action during this Work and Public Meeting at which time the Board will:

have a concept subdivision review for Mr. and Mrs. George Halwagy, 313-319 West Glen Avenue, Block 1607, Lot 3.

have discussion regarding multi-family housing and mixed-use developments in and near the CBD.

All meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.

Jane Wondergem

Secretary to the Board

Ridgewood Police Department : 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.

No street parking is permitted during a snowstorm to allow the street department to clear the roadways of snow and ice.

Village parking Ordinance 265-75

In accordance with the provisions of § 265-43, no person shall park a vehicle upon either side of any of the streets or parts of streets thereof listed below, whenever snow has fallen and the accumulation is such that it covers the street or highway.

Sidewalk Snow and Ice Removal 249-1

A. The owner of any land abutting upon the streets or public highways in the Village, if such land is owner-occupied or vacant, otherwise the tenant or occupant of such land situate in all zones of the Village of Ridgewood as shown on the 1990 Zoning Map, with the exception of the B-1, B-2, P and P-2 Zones of the Village, shall remove all snow and ice from the abutting sidewalks of such streets or highways within 24 hours after the same shall fall or be formed thereon. No snow or ice so removed, however, shall be deposited or placed in the street or highway in such a manner or location so as to impede the flow of traffic. For purposes of this section, such land shall be deemed owner-occupied if occupied by either the owner or owners of record or any agent, servant or employee thereof.

B. Owners, tenants and occupants of any land abutting the streets or highways of the Village situate in the B-1, B-2, P and P-2 Zones of the Village are subject to the following snow removal regulations. Special regulations are adopted for the business and office zones in order to maintain an attractive and safe environment in the business and professional office zones of the Village by assuring that the snow will be removed from the sidewalks in and around the central business district on a timely basis.

C.Snow is required to be removed in the B-1, B-2, P and P-2 Zone Districts from the sidewalks concurrently with its fall. To assure compliance with this section, more than one clearing may be required to keep the sidewalks as free of snow as is practical. The following specific regulations are hereby adopted. Snowfalls commencing during the evening, that is, after 6:00 p.m., will be cleared by no later than 9:00 a.m. the following morning, Sundays and holidays included. During weekday storms, Monday through Saturday, occurring during business hours, sidewalks shall be cleared to a five-foot minimum width to provide access from the storefront to the curb, between meters, if meters are installed. After 6:00 p.m. and on Sundays and holidays, sidewalks will be completely cleared into the street.

D. A court appearance will be required to answer any summons issued for a violation of this section occurring in the B-1, B-2, P and P-2 zones of the Village. A court appearance will be required to answer any summons issued for a second or subsequent violation of this section in all zones of the Village. [Amended 7-11-1995 by Ord. No. 2533]

Reader says Aronson, Pucciarelli and Hauck are subverting the public’s right to be a part of the process

The parking ticket accusation as a defense of Aronsohn and his running mates’ violation of the Sunshine law is pretty pathetic. As citizens we should be asking ourselves why our mayor and his campaign team are so bent on getting all of these developments through with little or no cost benefit analysis being done. The whole thing reminds me of how Valley got the Master Plan amended – through back room deals and closed door meetings. Does anyone remember when half the people wanting to attend the Planning Board vote at GW were shut out?

The Village is in a very scary place right now. The ticket of Aronson, Pucciarelli and Hauck are clearly operating and voting as one. With this majority, they appear to be meeting privately to determine what they think is right for the rest of us. They are subverting the public’s right to be a part of the process and trying to cram their own ideas down our throats.

And then when someone has the audacity to question the Mayor or his team we get this type of political vindictiveness. Parking tickets? Really?

The Village Council approves the 2013 budget

2013 VILLAGE BUDGET- January 30, 2013 Status

The information in this section is a working document of Village Finance and Village Manager’s Office.

The Village Council approves the 2013 budget, after a thorough process of which these documents are the current discussion following department requests and CFO/Manager negotiations with the department.

Included in this folder are:

1.) 2012 Budget Newsletter (for reference) – Click Here  https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2012BudgetNewsletter.pdf

2.) 2012 Adopted Budget – Click Here https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/finance/Budgets/2012VORBudget.pdf

3.) 2013 edited budget discussion presented at 1-30-13 Council workshop

Pages 1 -14

General, budget options: base, zero increase, zero tax increase

Timeline (page 1-2)

Amount to be raised by taxation (page 3)

Budget Revenue (pages 4-6)

Budget Appropriations (pages 7-12)

Discussion of potential revenue increase (pages 13-14)

Please understand, this is not a final document. It will not be voted on by the Council in this form. There will be opportunities for you, if interested, to appear before the Council and comment or question the proposed 2013 Budget prior to final adoption by the Council. In addition to Council meetings the meeting times of department discussions with the Council will be posted on the Village’s website – www.ridgewoodnj.net

For the Report  https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2013VillageBudgetStatus.pdf

Main, Bergen County & Pascack Valley Lines: Face Fare Increase Effective March 1, 2013
February 06, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, just weeks after NJT was nearly shut down by Hurricane Sandy ,NJT announces that some stations on the Main Line , Bergen County Line  and Pascack Valley lines.

NJ TRANSIT fares are influenced by Metro-North fares in New York State.  At times when NJ TRANSIT fares would otherwise be higher than Metro-North fares, an automatic agreement is triggered that “holds down” NJ TRANSIT fares, with Metro-North reimbursing NJ TRANSIT for the difference.

This agreement keeps ticket prices consistent with distance traveled, and ensures that revenue is collected by the appropriate railroad. Currently, fares at selected stations on the Main, Bergen County and Pascack Valley lines are lower than trips of similar distance on other NJ TRANSIT rail lines.

On Friday, March 1, 2013, Metro-North fares will increase, automatically triggering an adjustment to NJ TRANSIT fares at stations where a “hold down” has been in effect.

Check out your fare : https://www.njtransit.com/AdminTemp/fareincrease2013.pd

Cenergistic consultant acknowledged that the Ridgewood Public Schools has done much already to lower energy consumption and costs
February 5,2013

Ridgewood NJ, The BOE consulted to energy conservation company Cenergistic . A company representative presented information on its savings program, which promises financial relief to the district through a reduction in energy use.

The program relies on various energy-saving initiatives that include the implementation of best practices in the K-12 environment through behavior and equipment modifications. The goal would be to achieve a 30% cost savings over 10 years. The consultant acknowledged that the Ridgewood Public Schools has done much already to lower energy consumption and costs.

Cenergistic builds customized, comprehensive energy conservation programs that help organizations reduce their consumption of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and water, delivering financial savings that can be invested in the lives of the people our clients serve, not utility companies.

Clients include school districts, institutions of higher education, large churches, healthcare institutions and other organizations that share a commitment to fiscal and social responsibility and the wise use of limited financial and environmental resources.

They partner with clients to transform them into self-sufficient, energy-efficient organizations. By leveraging our data- and technology-powered energy conservation program, our clients are able to achieve their most ambitious goals, whether it’s hiring new staff or just reducing their overhead.

Tiger Team Recommendations: Establish a Five-Year Staffing Strategy

The Village should establish a five-year staffing plan that incorporates anticipated attrition, compensation rates for new hires, outsourcing, civilianization opportunities and modeling of efficient staffing levels.

Personnel costs, staffing levels, and service offerings are some of the main drivers of the excessive operating costs of the Village. Historically, when one Village employee retires, another is hired as a replacement with little or no attempt to reengineer other employees’ duties to consolidate positions or reduce cost.

Across the Village, a significant number of employees are near or currently eligible for full-time retirement benefits. These long-term employees are at the highest end of the pay scale and it is critical for Village management to evaluate the cost-benefit for them to continue working for the Village or attempt to accelerate their retirements and replace them, if necessary, with lower cost employees. This must be facilitated under collective bargaining agreements. In order to properly evaluate this, the concessions from existing employees, as well as the terms of contracts for new hires must be known. Therefore, this analysis should be performed in conjunction with collective bargaining agreement negotiations, in collaboration with the FOB, and in alignment with the Strategic Financial Plan.

The manner in which services are delivered must be closely evaluated for every service offering throughout the Village. If the Board of Education can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by terminating the use of Village services and outsourcing them, it is only logical that the Village itself could save significantly larger amounts by doing the same. As referenced throughout this report, Village management must carefully evaluate the cost-benefit of outsourcing the delivery of all service offerings.

The analysis of all of these components requires coordination among numerous departments and Village management. In order to more effectively manage future personnel levels and compensation/benefit costs, in terms of the immediate and long-term impact, the committee believes it is critical for management to develop a five-year staffing plan.

Readers says The valley fiasco didn’t really turn out all that bad, Mayor Pfund is the judge now

The valley fiasco didn’t really turn out all that bad, mayor Pfund is the judge, Tom Richie got elected to the council, Keith Killion got elected to the council and ultimately took care of unfinished business he had at village hall.

Tom Richie was excoriated on this blog as a traitor by those who supported him but he’s still on the council. Now you have the Mayor and deputy mayor being accused of the same wrongdoings as mayor Pfund was during his tenure but he’s a municipal judge now.

Strange business this politics, no one is ever satisfied, lots of people complain and accuse as a tactic to slow or stop governmental process. No wonder it’s so hard to get anything done.

NJ TRANSIT Announces Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Advance of Winter Storm – Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9, 2013

In preparation for the impending winter storm, NJ TRANSIT operations, customer service and police personnel are taking steps to minimize delays and ensure service reliability and safety.  Customers are strongly advised to check njtransit.com before traveling for up-to-the-minute service information.

Full System-wide cross-honoring in effect:  NJ TRANSIT will offer full systemwide cross-honoring for the entire service day Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, light rail, NJ TRANSIT bus or on private bus carriers at no additional cost.

Additionally, NJ TRANSIT is encouraging customers to consider traveling early on Friday due to the expected impact of the storm on the evening commute.  Early getaway service will be offered on select rail lines Friday afternoon.

View schedules for Friday here.

View rail schedules here.

Northeast Corridor

The following trains WILL operate: Train 8849 (the 2:02 p.m. NY departure), Train 8851(the 2:24 p.m. NY departure) and Train 8855(the 3:27 p.m. NY departure). These trains are shaded in red on the weekday FROM (outbound) panel of the October 14 public timetable. (NOTE:  Getaway Trains 8845 and 8847 WILL NOT operate on Friday.)

Thefollowingregular trains WILL NOT operate: Train 3867 (the 5:21 p.m. NY departure), Train 3955 (the 5:45 p.m. NY departure), and Train 3961 (the 6:39 p.m. NY departure). These trains are shaded gray on the weekday FROM (outbound) panel of the October 14 public timetable, and are normally cancelled on getaway days.

Please note that NJ TRANSIT will closely monitor the crowds at New York Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal and the Port Authority Bus Terminal and make further adjustmentsto service as necessary.

Customers are advised of the following:

Systemwide:  NJ TRANSIT plans to operate a regular weekday schedule on Friday, February 8, and a regular weekend schedule on Saturday, February 9.  Depending on the impact of the storm, it may be necessary for NJ TRANSIT to modify service as conditions change.

Bus Service:  While every effort will be made to continue operating bus service throughout the state, customers may experience delays or detours on their routes in the event of extreme winter weather conditions.  Customers are advised to plan accordingly and anticipate disruptions to bus service.

Travel Advice:  For the latest travel information, visit njtransit.com or access our Twitter feed at @NJ_TRANSIT prior to starting your trip.  In the event of delays or service adjustments, NJ TRANSIT will provide the most current service information via the My Transit alert system, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cellphone, PDA or pager.  (If you are not yet a My Transit subscriber, we encourage you to sign up at njtransit.com/mytransit)  Service information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports.

Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.

Stairs, flooring and platforms can be slippery, so please use caution when walking along wet surfaces or any outdoor surface exposed to the weather. Use extra care when boarding or exiting buses and trains.  Report slippery or unsafe conditions to bus operators, train crews or NJ TRANSIT staff.

During this time, customers should allow for additional travel time.  For further information, please call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at (973) 275-5555.

The “Cake Boss” announces the Grand Opening of the Wilsey Square Carlo’s City Hall Bake Shop
February 3,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, After several delays “Cake boss” Buddy Valastro has finally set the date to open his Wilsey Square ,Carlo’s City Hall Bake Shop in Ridgewood . Carlo’s City Hall Bake Shop will hold its grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 12

Since the initial announcement Valastro has opened the  2,774 square foot “Cake Boss Cafe” on the ground floor of the Port Authority bus terminal in Times Square. The Wilsey Square location will be the second location in New Jersey .

The Cake Boss is an American reality television series, airing on the cable television network TLC. The show follows the operations of Carlo’s Bakery, a family-owned business in Hoboken, New Jersey .  The show focuses on custom cakes, and the interpersonal relationships among the various family members and other employees who work at the shop.

There is always some interesting interplay bwetween the siblings Buddy Valastro  Lisa Valastro, Maddalena Castano, Grace Faugno and Mary Sciarrone.

Reader says Aronsohn and Pucciarelli should be impeached if this is possible

Bernie did NOT try to get her ticket “fixed.” She paid her ticket, and was simply advising the Village Manager that the police were not checking cars for parking passes as they should be. In other words, she was doing the responsible thing as an elected official, informing the person in charge that proper procedure was not being followed. If you watched the meeting you might have missed this, because the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were so busy stepping on her words and trying to distract from the matter at hand.

Aronsohn and Pucciarelli should be impeached if this is possible. They are unprofessional and their behavior was akin to middle school – let’s shout louder than she does and call her names and maybe she will cry. Bernie held her ground, she had a point to make and she did eventually make it, in spite of the jackass shenanigans of her three colleagues. Hauck looked like she was reading from a computer and she out-and-out stated that getting along was more important than following the law. Geeezzzzz, this is such a mess for our Village.