After advancing in its first committee hearing Monday, a bill to restrict access to information available through the federal Open Public Records Act in New Jersey is drawing criticism from environmentalists who say it could pave the way for less transparency in the way the state doles out contracts for development.
The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo in a bid to keep businesses and advertisers from using public records for marketing purposes, advanced in a unanimous vote.
Agree whole-heartedly with Ms. Aktar’s observation. Like many local residents I have negotiated that hill in both directions having lived in Ridgewood since 1950 and having had a driver’s license since 1959. It has been only in recent years that I have observed on too many occasions trucks attempting the ascent and creating a hazard by blocking the tracks and/or the passage of other vehicles. Some commercial vehicles, particularly landscape contracting vehicles with trailers, manage it but not without risk.
It’s a fair assumption that the widespread use of GPS devices are indeed the source of the problem, particularly in the case of those drivers unfamiliar with the area who get the impression that there is a more direct route to their destination. One would think that the NJDOT would have a more imaginative solution to the problem than those suggested. More emphatic signage on the Ho-Ho-Kus side of the tracks demonstrating the steep and tortuous nature of the roadway would be a start. Even a low clearance sign – albeit fictional – or even a height barrier at the foot of the hill would suffice to discourage truck traffic of a size unable to start up the hill.
Ridgewood NJ, It is being reported that during swimming lessons weeknights from 6:30 to 8:30 a,t the Ridgewood Y kids were told to urinate in the pool and not get out of the water. This is disgusting and uncalled for. Frankly, if you don’t want to instruct, and not get off your phones also, than find s new job! Are these people getting paid for this! It has happened several time. Who’s in charge!
Ridgewood NJ, Jersey Mike’s Subs, known for its fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, opened in Ridgewood on February 8. Franchise owners Bradford Fritts and Steve Korman held a grand opening and free sub fundraiser from Wednesday, February 8 to Sunday, February 12 to support the bell tower at Ridgewood High School.
The new restaurant, located at 305 E Ridgewood Ave, circulated 5,000 coupons throughout the community offering a free regular sub for a minimum $2 donation to the bell tower at Ridgewood High School.
“I look forward to bringing the authentic Jersey Mike’s sub sandwiches to the Ridgewood community, a town I know well” said Fritts. “During our grand opening fundraiser, we will be partnering with Ridgewood High School which not only provides an excellent education to the local youth but is the heart and soul of this town. We are as excited as local residents to finally open our doors and look forward to seeing you all there.”
Fritts and Korman are exemplary Jersey Mike’s franchise owners who share the company’s commitment to quality products and exceptional customer service, and who are dedicated to giving back to the local community. Since 2010, Jersey Mike’s locations throughout the country have raised nearly $18 million for worthy local charities and have distributed more than 1.5 million free sub sandwiches to help numerous causes. In 2016, the company’s 6th Annual Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving in March raised more than $4 million for 180 charities throughout the country.
About Jersey Mike’s
Started in 1956, Jersey Mike’s now has 1,500 restaurants open and under development nationwide. In 2016, for the third year in a row, the company was named the #1 fastest growing chain in the Nation’s Restaurant News Top 100, and continues to win best sub awards in virtually every market it enters.
The growth is fueled by passionate Jersey Mike’s fans who crave their subs made Mike’s Way® with the freshest vegetables – onions, lettuce and tomatoes – topped off with an exquisite zing of “the juice” – red wine vinegar and olive oil blended to perfection. Jersey Mike’s premium meats and cheeses are sliced on the spot, piled high on in-store baked bread and served up with a helping of neighborly banter from a dedicated and high-energy team.
The restaurant’s hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. You can contact this location directly at 201-857-5377.
Ridgewood Nj, seems the attempts by the council to reconfigure parking have been met with new calls for “Garagezilla” .
In a recent NJ.com article on struggling downtowns Englewood was mentioned for having over 2000 parking spaces available, including a 345 space garage, many new, upscale downtown housing developments, and still stores are closing. The fact is the retail landscape has changed and it has nothing to do with the lack of parking or limited foot traffic/customer availability.
While in Ridgewood many allies of the former mayor Paul Aronsohn are using any attempt at incrementally adjusting parking allocations to promote a massive parking garage. Aronsohns supporters in the Ridgewood Financial Advisory Committee or FAC continue to use the eerily familiar tactics they used on Mayor Killion and Village Manager Ken Gabbert , blaming all cost increases on the new Village Council.
Remember the Financial Advisory Committee was created by the mayor Aronsohn solely as a breeding ground for future council members willing to live in his shadow. The fact remains that in order for the Financial Advisory Committee to be an effective part of the Village governance the following criteria must be met:
Publish clear and realistic by-laws Post agenda’s of all meetings Post minutes of all meetings promptly All members must sign Financial disclosure forms All members must sign NDA’s or non-disclosure forms
These are professional standards that are used and commonly accepted everywhere in the world. If they are not met in Ridgewood the committee must be closed done otherwise the Village will continue to leave itself open to lawsuits.
There has been a noticeable increase repeat critical comments on the Ridgewood blog mirroring the same lines over and over. The same lines once used against Mayor Killion and Kenn Gabbert are now used against the current mayor and Village council.
“My friend went to park at one of the lots that require an app and was unable to download so couldn’t use the lot. She said the lot was mostly empty and also that there was a fee to use the app. I think the VC made these parking rules so complicated now people are just staying away. I’m not aware that merchants supported this plan. I think the new VC came in with ideas of how to “fix” parking and this is the result. I’m sure merchants would rather have seen a parking garage. Good luck. I stay out of downtown altogether now.”
To bad this poster forgot to mention the “parking app ” was the brainchild of the Aronsohn administration and Former village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld.
“The poster does have a decent point about commuters getting screwed by the vocal, anti-development, municipal-election voting majority in Ridgewood who control the Council agenda. Commuters are too busy to care much despite the fact the Council screws them at every turn, i.e. $250 annual increase to $1000 for a commuter parking space which was moved further away from Ridgewood station after the pass was paid for last Dec. Thanks VoR!”
While complaints about the overpriced commuter parking seem valid blaming the current council for the insane property taxes is a recurrent theme,“So go on blaming Aronsohn for the continued inability of this Council to come up with a viable solution for the commuters who pay the bulk of property taxes in Ridgewood. As 12:43 noted, if Ridgewood is no longer attractive to commuters as a place to raise their families (due to high property taxes versus declining schools despite a $100mn annual BOE budget, etc) then property values fall. As potential revenue sources like Valley leave, those who remain will have to just pay more to cover for the excessively expensive contracts the Village and BOE have agreed to with the public sector unions we contract with. Commuters and taxpayers getting screwed, a declining CBD, and a school system that no longer ranks highly in the nation are all facts”
Again,not sure what the Village Council has to do with the Ridgewood Board of Education, and all the residents voting for constant tax increases ie full day kindergarten and turf fields?
Other comments ecco the same shots taken against Killion ,“What proposals does the new Counxil have James? Rebuild Schedler (no conflicts of interest there, right?). Raise taxes to pay the police even more (again no conflicts, wink, wink)? Are we still studying traffic flow? Where’s the Valley PILOT? What’s the plan to renew the CBD? Commuter parking? How do we replace the potential tax revenues from Valley? Do we need such big, expensive police & fire depts if Valley is leaving in 3 years? Even you know the Village is in decline James, while Summit, Tenafly, Scarsdale and Greenwich all see the increase in their property values outpace ours. Why is that?”
This comment is so full of misinformation it ended up in our spam folder.
It all gets summed over and over by the following comments , The poster does have a decent point about commuters getting screwed by the vocal, anti-development, municipal-election voting majority in Ridgewood who control the Council agenda. Commuters are too busy to care much despite the fact the Council screws them at every turn, i.e. $250 annual increase to $1000 for a commuter parking space which was moved further away from Ridgewood station after the pass was paid for last Dec. Thanks VoR!
Anotherwords if we built the garagezilla and massive high-density housing all problems would be solved …. right that’s the ticket oy vey.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: PSE&G ELECTRIC RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENTS- UTILITY UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE
WORK SCHEDULE UPDATE: February 13, 2017 – February 17, 2017
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD
February 6, 2017 –February 10, 2017
Underground Manholes & Pipe Installation
South Broad Street
(at the cross section of Ridgewood Avenue)
Road Closures
(7:00am – 5:00 pm)
Monday- Friday
8 Parking Spots
As part of our electric reliability improvements in Bergen County, PSE&G will be performing utility underground work in the Village of Ridgewood. As of early-February 2017, PSE&G will beperforming the following activities in your area:
Safety is our primary concern. PSE&G will work with the Ridgewood Police Department to minimize any traffic concerns or inconveniences to the public. During construction, please refrain from going near our construction work zones.
The upgrades will enhance your electric capacity, system redundancy, and service reliability within the Village of Ridgewood, as well as surrounding communities. If you have questions or concerns, please call our toll free number at 1-877-678-5784
11Feb – by Daniel Steingold – 336 – In Family Studies Happiness Studies Men Studies Original Studies Relationship Studies Women
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Perhaps love and marriage don’t go together like a horse and carriage after all. A new study finds that older Americans looking for love are latching onto a new trend that tempers the demands of a committed relationship, a phenomenon known as “Living Apart Together,” or “LAT.”
Spurred by a divorce rate that has doubled among this demographic since 1990, many older singles— often divorced or widowed— have taken on “an intimate relationship without a shared residence.” New research was conducted upon the increasingly popular relationship arrangement among those 50 years of age or older.
A new study finds that older Americans are embracing “living apart together.”
According to Jacquelyn Benson, a researcher at the University of Missouri who is entrenched in the topic, LAT has long been an established phenomenon in Europe, but it is just now reaching the United States en masse.
“What has long been understood about late-in-life relationships is largely based on long-term marriage,” Benson explains in a release. With marriage rates amongst older Americans declining, she argues that “if more people— young and old, married or not— saw LAT as an option, it might save them from a lot of future heartache.”
For their study, Benson and another researcher interviewed adults who were at least 60 years of age and in committed relationships, yet didn’t live together. From their interactions with this demographic, the two researchers found that there were a number of motivating factors for a LAT-type relationship.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Knights of Columbus are once again proud to be sponsoring their annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance on Saturday, March 18, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Mount Carmel gymnasium at 52 Passaic Street in Ridgewood.
Guests will first be greeted by bagpipers. The Best of Everything will cater a full-course of traditional Irish fare including corned beef and cabbage. The Celtic Cross Band will be playing Irish classics and great dance music, along with a special appearance by the Irish Step Dancers from the Ridgewood Irish Dance Academy. There will also be a grand prize raffle drawing for a trip to Ireland, with the proceeds going to benefit many local and worthy charities.
Tickets are $55 per person. Payment can be mailed to:
Reader recounts his shopping experience to the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, My wife and I arrived at cottage place around 11:30 Saturday and noticed non-employee parking
Was at about 90 percent empty.The employee parking section was likely At 15 percent max.used.
we were at bookstore ..the Gap and rite aid.
And it was still too early for the movie crowd. The Bookstore was light and the gap had some customers there.
Assuming that 80 percent or more of the employees were signed in midday at work..likely more using
Street and metered parking since they arrive early to mid-morning on most pre holiday Saturday’s.
The high percentage of employee parking that goes unused is a joke.both to town visitors
( that seems to be the merchants target audience ) as the pass holders and locals are just assumed to
be robots on cruise control for 30 % plus percent train pass increases at the station and less supply
In the general boarding commuter allocated lots down the street away from the train area.
Seriously what is so hard to figure out.
The town clearly wants to ticket blitz the visitors..
Who can’t read a 3.5 foot poll that the front of their car blocks.
No sympathy requested, but do the merchants really think this is the master plan to their volume issues .if the permit holders got the shaft after the late 2016 parking reimagined strategy.
You would hope that looking rows of unused employee parking spots on a high revenue pre-valentines Saturday might open up a few imaginations as to how?
The merchants in supporting such a poorly planned solution are getting little out of the pie on an Important pre-holiday shopping weekend.
At a minimum employee, only Saturday parking spots should
be eliminated..commuters still got screwed but at least we could see that the VOR PARKING emperors have no clothes .
The whole thing is a failure .great for the violations bureau.That will teach them to dare come to
Ridgewood to spend their gifting money and perhaps stop for a book or coffee/lunch while walking the
By Greg Adomaitis | For NJ.com
on February 11, 2017 at 7:50 AM, updated February 11, 2017 at 9:29 AM
CAMDEN — Parents can’t just be forced to hand over cash for college payments without being involved in their child’s higher education decisions, an Appellate Court has ruled.
The Feb. 9 opinion on the long-simmering case between Caitlyn Ricci and her divorced parents Michael Ricci and Maura McGarvey sheds light on whether the two were legally obligated to pay for their estranged daughter’s higher education
“A parent cannot be viewed as a ‘wallet’ and deprived of involvement of college decision making process,” the ruling states. Also at heart here, however, is when those over the age of 18 become truly independent and the circumstances surrounding such a decision.
“Once the issue of emancipation is decided, an obligation to pay college costs for an academically motivated un-emancipated child requires a two-fold analysis,” the opinion reads. The first being whether the parents are involved in those choices and whether they can afford it.
Ridgewood NJ, From Valentine’s Day to Heart Health Month, February is splashed with red.
Although chocolates may rule as a popular Valentine gift, those in the mood for a healthier treat can enjoy strawberries, cherries, raspberries, cranberries, watermelon, tomatoes and beets and reap the rewards.
These vibrant foods have a cornucopia of nutrients that love you back by healing your body and preventing disease, says best-selling author and nutritionist Cherie Calbom, known as “The Juice Lady,” whose latest book is The Juice Lady’s Guide to Fasting (www.juiceladycherie.com).
For example, numerous studies show that just one glass of beet juice lowers blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, she says. Other attributes of these red-themed fruits and vegetables include:
• Tomato juice has lycopene, a phytonutrient that studies show reduces the risk for prostate cancer. Tufts and Boston University researchers discovered that the highest intake of lycopene was linked to nearly a 30 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. • One study published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods found that tart cherry juice can improve sleep in older adults with insomnia. • Another study found that quercitin, a powerful antioxidant found in tart cherry juice, helped people fight heart disease by preventing oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol. • Strawberry juice is rich in vitamin C and folate—nutrients that help you fight cancer. • The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that the intake of raspberries can lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease due to their high content of anthocyanins, flavonoids that reduce inflammation. Inflammation is a leading cause of heart disease. • Watermelon has more lycopene than tomatoes—making it a delicious heart healthy fruit.
For those seeking to lose weight before Valentine’s Day, Calbom recommends a one-day red juice fast. “You can lose at least a pound a day and recharge your energy,” she says.
Heart Healthy Juice Recipes
Red Sunrise Beets have been shown to lower blood pressure in a matter of hours. One study found that drinking one glass of beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 4 to 5 points.
1 apple
1/2 small beet with tops
1 cucumber, peeled if not organic
Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube. Juice ingredients, stir and enjoy. Serves 1.
Rosy Glow All red, orange, and green vegetables and fruit are rich in carotenoids. Studies show that carotenoids give your skin an attractive rosy glow, even more appealing than being out in the sun.
4-5 medium carrots, tops removed
1 red apple
1 medium cucumber
1 small beet, with or without a few tops
2 ribs celery
1-inch chunk ginger root
Juice all ingredients, stir and enjoy! Serves 1-2
Icy, Spicy Gazpacho Cilantro has been shown in studies to help the body detox heavy metals such as mercury, lead and aluminum.
2 tomatoes, cut in chunks
1 cup fresh carrot juice (about 5–7 carrots)
1 lemon, juiced, peeled, if putting it through a juice machine
1/4 cup cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 small jalapeño, chopped (more if you like it hot)
3 radishes
Place the tomato chunks in a freezer bag and freeze until solid. This is optional. (Or you can use fresh tomatoes placed in the blender.) Pour the carrot and lemon juices into a blender and add the frozen tomato chunks, cilantro, salt, cumin, jalapeño, and radishes. Blend on high speed until smooth, but slushy; serve immediately. Serves 2
About Cherie Calbom, MSN (aka The Juice Lady)
Cherie Calbom MSN holds a Master of Science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University. Known as “The Juice Lady” for her work with juicing and health, she is the author of 32 books including her latest The Juice Lady’s Guide to Fasting and Sugar Knockout. She and her husband offer juice cleanse retreats throughout the year, 30-Day Detox online and Garden’s Best Juice Powder. She has lectured worldwide on juicing, detoxing and fasting including consulting for the Royal Family of the UAE. Winner of the TTAC Lifetime Achievement Award for her work with juicing and detoxification, her blogs and books on juicing, cleansing and health have helped thousands of people live healthier lives. You can connect with her on Facebook and Twitter and sign up for her free newsletter at www.juiceladycherie.com
Customers to benefit from lower energy and capacity prices
February 10,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) today said that residential electric bills will drop 2.6 percent on June 1 as a result of the recent Basic Generation Service supply auction, approved today by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
The monthly bill for a PSE&G residential customer who uses the statewide average of 650 kilowatt-hours per month will be $112.62, or $3 less per month on June 1 than today. Last year, this same customer paid $116.08 per month.
“We commend the Board of Public Utilities for once again approving this efficient and competitive way to secure electricity on behalf of our customers,” said Jorge Cardenas, PSE&G vice president of asset management and centralized services. “Our customers are benefitting from the lower costs of energy and capacity, even as PSE&G is upgrading its transmission and distribution systems to maintain reliability.”
In addition to lower electric bills, most PSE&G customers also receive gas service and are benefitting from lower gas bills this winter. PSE&G lowered the price of residential gas supply on October 1, 2016 to 34 cents per therm — its lowest rate in 16 years.
The utility is also providing bill credits to residential gas customers for usage from January to February 2017 – saving the typical residential gas customer $25 during the two-month period.
NJ Transit is trash. Have a polling of people who traveled yesterday and I don’t think they get a passing grade. It wasn’t even a major storm and they consider it a success doing their job.
Since fare was raised more than 1 yr ago things have been going downhill. To pay more than $300 for such crappy service is a robbery. They raised fees, eliminated trains at rush hour, shortened number of cars and now you have overcrowded trains where you have to push in order to get a seat. Add to it daily morning delays from Secaucus to NY and you have a garbage service. As long as no one complains loudly we will keep getting screwed.
Ridgewood NJ, All Village offices will be closed on February 13, 2017, in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday and on February 20, 2017, in observance of Presidents’ Day. There will be no garbage or recycling pickups on these days and the Recycling Center will also be closed. All Village offices will open the day after these holidays, at 8:30 a.m.
Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 died April 15, 1865. Abraham Lincoln was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865.Republican Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.
Ridgewood NJ, One (1) summons was issued in connection with a two (2) vehicle crash at the intersection of Greenway Road and Highland Avenue in Ridgewood on Friday afternoon, 02/10. Ridgewood firefighters used the “Jaws of Life” to free a passenger from a Nissan that was broadsided by a Jeep. Both occupants of the Nissan were transported by separate ambulances to a local hospital for treatment. Ridgewood PD was assisted by Glen Rock PD at the scene. Ridgewood FD and EMS personnel were also put into service, as was a paramedic team from The Valley Hospital. Both vehicles were heavily damaged and removed by a tow truck. Interestingly, the only 911 call reporting the accident was received from an occupant of the Nissan. No one in the neighborhood where the accident occurred called the police to report it, nor did the driver of the Jeep. Go figure.
