Ridgewood NJ,Ridgewood resident Jacqueline Hone asks ,”What exactly does the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands conserve? Maybe someone can help clarify.”
She goes on to point out ,”This self appointed group and president support clear cutting/bulldozing of the Schedler Woods (7 acres). The irreparable damage, permanent loss of green space and expose endangered/threatened wildlife and residents to toxic conditions. All to make way for a sports complex & 90′ baseball field.”
In fact we have never heard or seen the group raise a finger on any “turf field ” project in town. Frankly you could not support something worse for the environment . Turf fields are not only suspect for safety , but recent news reveals shorter life span than expected . Not to mention increase run off creating more local flooding and durring the summer months they become a heat a sink in summer raising ground temperatures significantly. Folks what happened to all Ridgewood’s true believers in “global warming “?
Hone also points out , “Why? Interestingly, this organization’s secretary is also a Trustee for the Baseball Association behind the exact same sports complex. Where is the conservancy?”
And finally shes get to the magic question, “Why are they calling for a witch hunt and so worried about a slight reduction (few sq ft) of grass, in the middle of the train station parking lot, but willing to bulldoze more than 7acres of true green space? Hypocrisy at its best. What is really going on here?”
Just a case of another misguided committee ,no whats really going on is the mindless support by Aronsohn flunkies for “Garagezilla” . After all “Garagezilla” is the answer to everything and especially for some that are looking forward to being nestled into a new apartments that will require taxpayer funded parking.
Ridgewood NJ,Ridgewood Police, Fire department, EMS, OEM, Parking Enforcement and Emergency Services personnel all participated in the search for an adult female dementia patient who went missing while on foot in Ridgewood’s Central Business District on Wednesday afternoon, 03/29. The missing woman was located safe & sound at her home in Oakland, two (2) hours after having last been seen by her spouse on Franklin Avenue in Ridgewood.
Ridgewood NJ, After PSE&G upgrades the gas lines in your neighborhood, we first wait for the ground to settle and then return to restore roads with permanent paving in accordance with each town’s ordinance and paving requirements. Our goal is to complete this work with minimal impact to customers. Police will be directing traffic, and residents will be able to drive on the roads once paving is complete. You will have access to your driveway throughout the work.
If you have any questions about the restoration process, you may call and leave a voicemail (Oakland Gas District 201-337-2519)
We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to complete these important upgrades to your gas service – ensuring the safety and reliability of your gas service now, and for many years to come.
The streets below are scheduled to be paved, with an approximate start date of March 28th and completion date of April 4th. Please remember that this work is weather dependent and the schedule may be adjusted if necessary.
Become a Sponsor and Take Home a Beautiful Original Framed Painting. Every Sponsor goes home with a painting.
Reception: Sunday, April 9th, 2017 2-4pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, April 7th- Friday, May 5th, 2017
Gala Drawing: Friday, May 5th, 2017 8pm
The Ridgewood Art Institute
12 East Glen Avenue, Ridgewood NJ 07450 201-652-9615 www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org
Ridgewood NJ, The Sponsor Show is our most popular annual event at the Ridgewood Art Institute, providing sponsors an opportunity to acquire a beautifully framed original painting, from the collection donated by our outstanding artists and instructors. In addition to wonderful landscapes and still lifes, several of our professional artists offer the chance to commission a portrait or pet painting. On the night of the Gala Drawing, the name of each sponsor is randomly called to choose their favorite painting. For only $275, become a sponsor and begin creating your painting “wish list” at our Opening Reception, or anytime during the exhibition dates. Proceeds from the show go directly toward the Institute’s efforts to promote fine arts in our community.
Once again we are offering gift certificates. You can become a sponsor yourself, and you can purchase a gift certificate for a friend or family member to join you as a sponsor. A personally selected painting is a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, weddings, or any special occasion.
A limited number of sponsorships are sold each year, so don’t miss out on this exciting event! Sponsorships can be purchased on line at www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org.
For more information , visit our website www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org and click “Art Exhibits”.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Police Department is pleased to announce the 4th annual Chief Michael Feeney, Jr. Police Academy scheduled from Thursday June 23rd through Friday June 30th 2017, at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. The Academy is open to Ridgewood residents entering 6th 7th and 8th grades in the fall of 2017.
Last year’s academy featured demonstrations from The Ridgewood Police Department, Bergen County Sheriff’s Department K-9 and Bomb Squad, Police Motorcycles, Ridgewood Emergency Services, FBI, Ridgewood Fire Department, State Police Helicopter landing, Tactical driving, as well as demonstrations from various other agencies. A field trip to the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Complex in Mahwah is also scheduled.
Applications will be available online in community pass or at the Ridgewood Police Station 2nd floor police desk after April 15th 2017.
I find this new”law” has taken things to the limit. I park my car a block away to allow a repair man to park in my driveway. My dog walker comes, parks in my driveway to walk my dog as I have recently had surgery. Repairman said he may need to go out before the dog walk is back I tell her to pull in the street and I will stand with her car. A few min later , while standing in the street a traffic office pulls up, I explain the situation and that she will be back in a min or 2 and he says the car is in violation and MUST give me a ticket to put on the car. He never even gets out of his car! I ask why must he be so severe and I was told it is his job. I take the ticket to avoid upsetting my dog walker and I am told it I don’t put it on the car or move the car she may get a second ticket. I email this to all council members, only to hear back from 1who doesn’t even seem to know what I am referring to when I ask for the so called safety study that I have asked for on 3 separate occasions.Is this level of law enforcement really necessary!
MARCH 28TH EAST SIDE SANITATION COLLECTION NOT COMPLETED
March 29,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Village website reports that due to equipment breakdown, the East Side sanitation collection was not completed Tuesday, March 28. On Wednesday, March 29 Village crews will collect the remaing East Side sanitation before beginning the West Side Bulk Collection scheduled for 3/29.
Ten years ago this month, a state law was enacted encouraging more municipal consolidations as a method for saving money and reducing property taxes.
In the decade since, there’s been just one merger – the combining of Princeton borough and township.
Now a less ambitious update to the effort is on Gov. Chris Christie’s desk. It seeks to clarify some of the rules and tools though does include a few wrinkles – such as allowing towns to merge that are near each other but aren’t directly neighbors.
Sen. Bob Gordon, D-Bergen, said he doesn’t foresee a surge of municipal consolidations because of the bill – though he does think local voters will look at the prospects more willingly as costs keep rising.
“There’s no reason why two small towns next to each other or close to each other shouldn’t get together and try to save some money,” Gordon said.
WATER EVENT – MARCH 29TH PRESENTED BY RIDGEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
March 28,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, from the New Jersey Division of Water Supply and Geoscience , “Overall, reservoirs have responded positively to the recent wetter precipitation patters and the Department’s Administrative Orders, but overall conditions are still dry statewide. A sustained return to normal conditions is needed to measurably improve the drinking water supply indicators.”
After over 10 years of water restrictions in the Village of Ridgewood , Ridgewood Water is proposing the follwing for all Ridgewood Water customers .
Stage II restrictions (2 days a week irrigation) were imposed in June 2016 and are still in effect in Glen Rock, Midland Park, Ridgewood and Wyckoff. Without these restrictions, the use of drinking water for irrigation will continue increasing toward levels that are unsustainable regardless of drought conditions. To reverse this trend, an ordinance was introduced on March 8, 2017 to amend the provisions governing Water Emergencies in the Village of Ridgewood Code. Changes proposed include:
Making 2 days a week irrigation permanent year round,
Restricting irrigation hours to limit losses to evaporation,
Restricting irrigation using private wells to 2 days a week,
Adding new exemptions, including drip irrigation and smart controllers.
This ordinance applies only to Ridgewood, but it is expected that the Boroughs of Glen Rock and Midland Park, and the Township of Wyckoff will follow suit as they have in the past. Below is the proposed ordinance. Questions can be directed to Ridgewood Water at 201-670-5521 or [email protected]
The Ridgewood Water service area is under a State drought warning and continued Stage 2 watering restrictions. Changes in local municipal water restrictions are proposed which will make these conservation efforts permanent. The Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC), in conjunction with Ridgewood Water, will be hosting a presentation on issues relating to local water resources. Mike Furrey, Chair of the New Jersey Section of the American Water Works Association and president of AGRA Environmental & Laboratory Services will address the audience on the state of the water industry and Ridgewood Water’s “Journey from Rain to Drain”. Information on what customers can do to conserve water will also be presented and made available. Wednesday, March 29th, 2017 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the Senior Center at Village Hall, 131 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey, on the first floor. Attendance is free.
REAC is a board of volunteers, appointed by the Village Council, to assist in developing long-range planning on environmental issues.
Ridgewood NJ, The PSE&G work on West Glen Avenue has been completed, and the long-awaited milling and paving of West Glen Avenue will take place over the next couple of weeks, weather permitting, as follows:
Week of 3/26/17: Beginning March 28th, milling will take place on West Glen Avenue, from North Maple Avenue through at least the far side of Upper Boulevard. On that day, the street area by the underpass, next to the Ridgewood Art Institute, will be closed. On March 29th and March 30th milling will continue until it is completed.
Week of 4/2/17: On April 3rd and 4th, paving will take place on West Glen Avenue. The street area by the underpass will be closed again, when that area is being paved.
There will be long detours in place during the milling and paving, and Police Officers will be able to help guide motorists, as needed. The Police Officers will also assist residents on West Glen Avenue in traveling to and from their homes during this work.
Please plan alternate routes during these two weeks. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Nothing emanating from the Financial Advisory Committee can be assumed to be well intentioned. Continued pressure to build a structure that not only is unneeded but also failed a binding referendum bears the whiff of Aronsohn’s dogged instructions to his minions. Let us never forget that his political career, even his bids for Ridgewood Council, has been financially supported by construction unions throughout the state; the apartments we may face downtown being closely allied with this. But that garage, which he may well have promised absolutely, still figures in his dreams, and he still has an eye on higher office. Maybe by age 50 he will finally realize that he will never go farther than local mayor (now hated), abandon his political aspirations, let us alone, and get a real job. May that day come soon. And may he move away, too.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police, Fire Department, and EMS personnel aided two (2) victims of a Monday morning, 03/27, motor vehicle crash that took place on Route 17 southbound just north of Linwood Avenue, Ridgewood. A pickup truck rear ended a van; two (2) occupants of the van were transported by separate ambulances to local hospitals with non life threatening injuries. A flatbed tow truck removed the van from the scene. The pickup truck appeared to have been undamaged. Traffic flow on Route 17 southbound in the crash vicinity was significantly restricted, which caused major backups.
Americans are dying with an average of $62,000 of debt
You’re probably going to die with some debt to your name. Most people do. In fact, 73% of consumers had outstanding debt when they were reported as dead, according to December 2016 data provided to Credit.com by credit bureau Experian.
Those consumers carried an average total balance of $61,554, including mortgage debt. Without home loans, the average balance was $12,875.
The data is based on Experian’s FileOne database, which includes 220 million consumers. (There are about 242 million adults in the U.S., according to 2015 estimates from the Census Bureau.) To determine the average debt people have when they die, Experian looked at consumers who, as of October 2016, were not deceased, but then showed as deceased as of December 2016. Among the 73% of consumers who had debt when they died, about 68% had credit card balances. The next most common kind of debt was mortgage debt (37%), followed by auto loans (25%), personal loans (12%) and student loans (6%).
These were the average unpaid balances: credit cards, $4,531; auto loans, $17,111; personal loans, $14,793; and student loans, $25,391.
That’s a lot of debt, and it doesn’t just disappear when someone dies.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Art Institute is proud to offer college scholarships to high school seniors who will be majoring or minoring in art. If you are a member of Ridgewood Art Institute, please fill out the attached form to be considered. Worthy candidates will be expected to bring six pieces of original artwork on April 29, 2017 for the Board of Trustees review.
Print an apllication Here. Deadline is April 15, 2017
In addition, Our Summer Schedule for Young People is attached. You can find it online here.
RE: Cease and Desist Letter and Demand For Retraction
Dear Mr. Patrick J. Monaghan, Jr. Esq.
the Ridgewood blog takes theses issues very seriously .Your unsubstantiated threats and accusations seem a stretch at best .
As you are aware :
Publishing the Statements and Content of Others
“If you have web forums, allow reader comments, host guest bloggers on your site, or if you repost information that you receive from RSS feeds, you generally will be shielded from liability for defamatory statements made by your users and guests under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act(“Section 230″). This important federal law protects you from certain types of liability, including defamation, associated with the statements and other user-submitted content you
publish on your site.
Section 230 grants interactive online services of all types, including blogs, forums, and listservs, broad immunity from liability so long as the information at issue is provided by a third-party. You will not lose this immunity even if you edit the content, whether for accuracy or civility, and you will be entitled to immunity so long as your edits do not substantially alter the meaning of the original statements. However, if you alter someone else’s statement so that itbecomes defamatory (e.g., changing the statement “Bob is not a murderer” to “Bob is a murderer”), you would be responsible for the
content of the edited statement; and if it turns out to be untrue, you could be liable for defamation. In addition, if you add your own commentary along with the user-submitted content, you will only be shielded from liability for the material created by your user, not for your own statements. For more on this important protection, see the section on Immunity for Online Publishers Under the Communications
Decency Act.”
In the case of your client , Ridgewood blog received information from a source that was corroborated by a police report and at lest one witness.
Next in your letter you referenced the well know conflict between your client and Mrs McWilliams .
To paraphrase your own words Mrs Taddei and Mrs McWilliams have a well know history of conflict , that would render any reporting non defamatory since even according to you, only “minimal investigation” would have made us aware of that fact .So the Ridgewood blog reported on what everyone already knows.
As for damages you have presented none at all and according to your own words Mrs Taddei does not work.
As for your claim of “maliciousness “, it would be hard to argue that fact given that the Ridgewood blog approved comments that contradicted the post and took a comment from Mr Taddei that contradicted the
entire account and turned it into a post that received a similar amount of attention.
Interesting to note that we were contacted by Mrs Taddei about the parking situation on Bogart on March 15th and published a post she crafted about that very issue.
In fact it has also come to our attention that some negative comments posted anonymously appear to be the work of the same posters who under their own name voiced strong support for Mrs.Taddei . We would have to
confirm this of coarse but it does appear to be the case.
Now we get to the “cyberbullying” claim and the “harassment “claim.
1. The definition of cyber-harassment is very broad.
New Jersey’s cyber-harassment statute defines the crime as making a communication online or through a social media site with the purposed to harass another and then threatens another in one of the following
ways:
Threatens to inflict injury or physical harm to any person or the property of any person; Knowingly sends, posts, comments, requests, suggests, or proposes any lewd, indecent, or obscene material to or about a person with the intent to emotionally harm a reasonable person or place a reasonable person in fear of physical or emotional harm to his person; or Threatens to commit any crime against the person or the person’s property
No such language exists in the mentioned blog article.
2. Intent is key
Cyber-harassment has two elements to the crime — the action or conduct constituting harassment, known as the “actus reus,” and the intent to harass the victim, or “mens rea.”
Seton Hall law professor John “Kip” Cornwell said the “actus reus” covers a “wealth of conduct” under the statute, but “an individual is only guilty, however, if his or her conduct is undertaken with the
intent to harass or to place a reasonable person in fear of physical or emotional harm.”
According to Cornwell, “if person A sends a sexually provocative photo to person B in which person C is pictured, there is no liability if A was doing so merely because she thought the photo was funny and/or
never expected word to get back to C.”
“As such, it seems to insulate those who carelessly harm others, focusing instead on those who truly intend to cause harm,” Cornwell said. “If that intent is present, on the other hand, the potential for liability is great, in light of the breadth of qualifying misconduct.”
Clearly there is absolutely no evidence that the Ridgewood blog had any “intent” to engage in “cyberbullying” and or “harassment” . And you have presented no evidence of any “intent” or any actions that would meet even the most lenient definition .
However there is ample evidence to suggest that Mrs Taddei and her co-conspirators colluded to engage in “cyberbullying” and “harassment” against myself and the Ridgewood blog .
Blitzing the Ridgewood blog with hundreds of comments many threatening in nature by Mrs Taddei’s supporters fits the very definition of ” cyberbullying” and “harassment” as well as cyberstalking .
Key factors to identifying cyberstalking cases include:
False accusations. A cyberstalker often tries to damage the reputation of his victim by posting false information on social media websites or blogs. A perpetrator may even create fictitious websites or other accounts for the purpose of spreading false rumors and allegations about the victim.
Gathering information about the victim. A cyberstalker may try to gather as much information as possible about the victim by interacting with the victim’s friends, family, and colleagues. In serious cases, a cyberstalker may hire a private investigator.
Monitoring victim’s activities. A cyberstalker may attempt to trace his victim’s IP address, or hack into the victim’s social media accounts and emails to learn about his online activities.
Encouraging others to harass the victim. The offender may encourage the involvement of third parties to harass the victim.
False victimization. It is not uncommon for a cyberstalker to claim the victim is harassing him, taking the position of victim in his own mind.
Many of the above mentioned factors have clearly been met by Mrs Taddei and her co-conspirators as evidenced in this “Cease and Desist” letter along with the comment section on the Ridgewood blog.
Also this “Cease and Desist ” letter appears to be nothing more a blatant attempt to bully the Ridgewood blog to post only articles in support of Mrs Taddei position in her feud with Mrs McWillaims in violation of the 1st amendment and in an attempt to influence public opinion in her favor.
Finally ,we noticed the address on the letterhead was to :James J Foytlin 144 South Maple Ave ,Apt C-2 Ridgewood NJ 07450. This address is not my address.It was the address of my long deceased
father and frankly its in very poor taste sending things there and demonstrates clear intention of an attempt to harass, intimidate and bully me .
The Ridgewood blog does not take kindly to anyone telling us what we can of can not post .We also have no interest in getting dragged into a “cat fight ” between Mrs Taddei and Mrs McWilliams. We hope that
the two parties can work out their differences .
Make no mistake however, the continued attempt by your client and her co-conspirators to use the Ridgewood blog to further their advantage in this situation will be met with a VERY AGGRESSIVE LEGAL ACTION.
