There has been no better opportunity than now to unite all Village neighborhoods. Citizens for a Better Ridgewood has its roots on the West Side and favors slower growth in high density housing. The Concerned Residents of Ridgewood is based in the Travel/BF/Somerville neighborhood and favors a smaller-scale modernization effort by the Hospital. Friends of Schedler are in the neighborhoods east of Route 17 and favor preserving the woodlands on that property. Most recently, a group of tax payers from all over town that favors a 4 level garage over a 5 level garage has successfully petitioned to bring that issue to a vote. After 4 years of a “Council majority” that has claimed to know what’s best for the rest of us and has insulted anyone that has disagreed with them, it looks like we might actually be able to take the town back from special interest groups and Council members with personal agendas.
Candidates Bernie Walsh, Jeff Voight and Ramon Hache have the very unique opportunity to unite these neighborhoods in our quest to preserve our property values and the charm of our Village. Please vote for them on May 10.
This is our Letter to the Editor, Ridgewood News today (April 22, 2016)
Merriam-Webster defines TRUST as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something”. In this upcoming election for Village Council, we believe finding candidates worthy of resident’s trust must be the priority, as they will be the representative stewards of our Village at this most critical time.
Jeff Voigt, Bernadette Walsh and Ramon Hache are candidates we believe meet that test. Each has a deeply rooted connection to the Village and is running for Village Council for their own, personal reasons. Each has an independently developed vision for the future of Ridgewood, and each has expressed a willingness and desire to work alongside the continuing members of the Council to improve resident input and the transparency with which our Village Council operates.
We have clearly seen the negative results of a unified political bloc’s agenda running roughshod over the normal give and take of municipal government. Let’s go for something better this time around.
Ridgewood is in desperate need of a comprehensive, long-term vision for the future. We need candidates who want to be a part of leading a Ridgewood that will progress and grow without sacrificing everything we all love about this town-the charm, the friendly atmosphere, the excellent schools and the safety for our families. We need council members who will put resident’s interests first.
On May 10th, please vote for Jeff Voigt, Bernadette Walsh & Ramon Hache, and let’s get Ridgewood back on a path of trust in our local government.
Thank you.
Jim & Gail McCarthy
I was relieved when three members of our Village Council decided not to run for another term, hoping that we would finally see a change from the consistent voting bloc and divisiveness that has occurred for the past four years within the Council. Now we have six new candidates, but three are already calling themselves “a team”. Should we be encouraged to vote for them and endure another 4 years of sniping within our council? Are we continuing the pattern of “our side vs. theirs?”
I am voting for Jeffrey Voigt, Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh, and Ramon M. Hache. They are NOT a team, but rather will exercise independent judgement always in the best interest of Village residents. They probably will not agree on every issue, but they are dedicated to community engagement that allows residents a voice in their future. And most critically, these candidates share the concerns of many Village residents that growth and progress be balanced with preserving the character, size and scale of our Village.
The election is May 10…every vote makes a difference!
Ridgewood NJ, Classics from Vienna concert. The Pro Arte Chorale, with soloists and members of NYC’s Clarion Orchestra and Pascack Valley High School choir, under the direction of Steven Fox perform the works of Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart. Saturday June 11, 2016 at 8:00 pm. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 155 Linwood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ
Adults $35, Seniors $30 and Students & Children $10
The robo phone calls blitz starts. Got a robo message on answering machine tonight from R.Brooks saying to vote for him, Weitz and other for council, and that he paid for this message. Caller I.D. says 201-345-4962 Ridgewood, NJ.. Report call as Spam. Following same tactics as someone else we all know who’s used robo calls, signs in CBD planters to vote yes for garage, signs in tree wells. I will Not vote for them.
Rather, I am voting for the candidates who will put Ridgewood and the residents in their best interest – Voigt, Walsh and Hache. Matter of fact, concerned citizens and supporters of Voigt, Walsh and Hache, went respectfully door to door in neighborhoods today with flyers to remind people to vote on May 10th. Thank you, well received.
Dear Neighbors, I am writing not simply to express my support for 3 candidates in the council election, but to endorse record participation in the election process.
I am vocally in support of candidates Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh (line 4), Jeff Voigt (line 1), and Ramon Hache (line 8). I have spent a great deal of time speaking with them, and getting to know them. I have a tremendous respect for each one, as do a great number of people who’s opinions I hold in a very high regard. Additionally, I support these 3 because I have personally spoken to them at length regarding the pressing issues that Ridgewood is facing.
Multi family housing, which will affect our schools tremendously, our infrastructure, our water, our police and fire, fields, and village programs. That building at this density and in the proposed locations, is not at all in keeping with the character of this village, and how can we mitigate the irreversible damage that will be caused if, and when, it is completed.
Valley Hospital, and its proposed expansion. It’s utter disregard for the neighborhood that it resides in, and it’s community as a whole. How the hospitals need to modernize must be done while respecting that it is a community hospital residing within a residential neighborhood tucked next to elementary and middle schools.
Being a life long Ridgewood resident, these issues, in conjunction with so many others, weigh heavily on me. Being residents here for decades themselves; the importance of these issues hits home to these 3 as well.
Ramon, Bernie, and Jeff are not a group. They’re not a bloc. They don’t agree with me about everything, they won’t agree with YOU about everything, and they don’t agree with each other about everything, and I like that.
I like to see that they will have to, and have had to, engage in actual conversation with each other, and I know they will welcome conversation with residents. Something that has been deeply, and purposefully lacking in the last 4 years of council interaction.
Unlike the other 3 candidates in this election who have chosen to run as a trio, Bernie, Ramon, and Jeff are beholden to no one. They’re not bought and sold. They’ve signed no pledges making any promises to ANYONE. This is not because they don’t want to see certain projects completed. On the contrary! They would like to see, for example, the garage built. BUT, they’re unwilling to sign a pledge to anyone to make promises. They have the integrity, and the intelligence to know that NO one should ask that of them, and even more importantly, the integrity and intelligence to say no.
I’ve seen them dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to this election process while still being dedicated to their families, friends, and jobs. I know when elected they will see it through. We can expect positive changes. We can expect the sun to come out after 4 years of storms. I, for one, am looking forward to it.
Ultimately, I hope my neighbors and friends DO simply find the time to get out and vote. This election, and its outcome, are crucial to our future, our kids future. What happens in the coming few years will have the ability to change the landscape of this town forever. The history here is so precious, and we are supposed to protect it. Staying home, forgetting, or not participating on Tuesday is leaving that history, and so many of the qualities that make living here special, vulnerable to damage that we can, and should, prevent. I feel it’s our responsibility to vote- even more than a right-It’s our duty. It pains me to know that 2 other candidates running in this election, have either NEVER exercised that right here in town, or have done so less than 5 times in decades of residency. It’s simply too important to have your voice heard, and to use your vote to effect change.
Growth is necessary- responsibly. Revitalization is a good thing- when handled by careful, thoughtful people. Please, please come out and vote on Tuesday and elect Voigt, Walsh, and Hache to be those people for us.
Polls are open on Tuesday6am to 8pm. Remind your neighbors, remind your friends. Take an elderly family member to the polls, but please, please don’t stay home. Sincerely,<
Melanie Hooban McWilliams
Don’t forget to vote May 10, 2016!! Voigt, Walsh, Hache!!!
I have been a Ridgewood Resident for the last 22 years and bought into the town because of the schools and quaintness of the village.
I would like to know why Rich Brooks and Gail Price have not openly discussed how they plan on handling what is an obvious Conflict of Interest of being married and the effect if will have on decisions for the town.
Secondly, Evan Weitz has only lived in town for around 3-4 years but manages to become the Chair of the Financial Advisory Committee without even serving previous time on the committee? That makes no sense to me except that he was put there for political purposes.
With regards to parking. The height of the current Plan D eliminates much of the parking on Hudson Street. Maybe if the parking stayed with the original estimates as were expressed to the voters before being voted on in November our community would not be going crazy over the height and girth of the current Plan D. It should be the current size of the footprint and Hudson street should stay the same as it currently is designed.
I believe one of the worst offenses is that all of this seems to be coming from politicians in town who seek higher offices in Bergen County. They take their lead from the Democratic Chairperson, Lou Stellato, who is a Lyndhurst resident. So I ask you, why is it we would ever want a Lyndhurst resident influencing our town. Follow the political trail and make your own decision.
As far as Roberta is concerned her allowing 600 tickets to be handed out for leaves in the street is ridiculous. Also her involvement in the local politics of the garage should never be tolerated by town counsel or our residents. She should be reprimanded or asked to leave. It is not the town according to Roberta!
And as for Paul Arohnson, just leave – you have been self serving and a disaster for this village.
Ridgewood NJ, Village Council Candidate Bernie Walsh comments on Ridgewood News reporting of the elections, “So my experience with the Ridgewood News this week. And the ensuing poorly written article. The reporter was demanding my age – like that matters in an election. Told me he had no opinion of what happens in Ridgewood because he lives in Wayne – even though he works and reports here every day. Talked to me for over a half hour and put three totally out of context quotes in the article. I was the one who kept telling everyone they were wrong that the Ridgewood News could be unbiased. In my 51 years (yes I finally told him my age) I’ve never seen such horrible journalism. Oh and by the way, he had no idea about many of the items I referred to in our conversation. Hopefully, he’ll know more before he writes any more articles.”
Folks the Ridgewood blog would welcome the opportunity to host any letters in support of candidates ,even on election day it self email [email protected] Fyi the blog traffic nears 20,000 unique visits per month thank you
Ridgewood NJ, Buzz Aldrin will sign his new book: No Dream Is Too High ($22.00) on Monday May 9th, 7pm at Bookends in Ridgewood .
Buzz graduated from Montclair High School in 1947,Aldrin turned down a full scholarship offer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (which he would later attend for graduate school), and went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. The nickname “Buzz” originated in childhood: the younger of his two elder sisters mispronounced “brother” as “buzzer”, and this was shortened to Buzz. Aldrin made it his legal first name in 1988.
Buzz Aldrin is often referred to as the second man to set foot on the moon . He was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11, prior to that he flew Gemini 12. Buzz has some history in Ridgewood he was the Grand Marshal of the Ridgewood 4th of July Parade in 1981.
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.
While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
2016 SEASON Regular Season
Saturday, June 4 through August 14, 2016
Daily, 10 am to 7:30 pm
**Holiday** – July 4th, close 4 pm Late Season
Monday, August 15 through Labor Day, September 5, 2016 Weekdays – 12 noon to 7:30 pm
Weekends/Holiday – 10 am to 7:30 pm
CONTACTS
Pool Manager’s Office – 201-670-3376 (in season)
Badge Office – 201-670-5566 (in season only)
Recreation Office at The Stable- 201-670-5560 [email protected]
INFORMATION – GRAYDON
GRAYDON MEMBERSHIP RATES
RESIDENT MEMBERSHIPS – Village priced memberships are available to Ridgewood residents, non-residents who pay local property taxes to the Village of Ridgewood, and employees of the Village of Ridgewood and Board of Education. Proof is required.
ADULT – $120.00
CHILD – (ages 2-15, under 2 free) $110.00
SENIOR – $30.00 (62 and older)
PERMANENT DISABLED – $30.00
DAILY PASS – $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
NON-RESIDENT MEMBERSHIPS – The Village Council and the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to invite all families in the surrounding area to join the Graydon Pool facility for the 2016 summer season.
ADULT (ages 16 and up) – $200.00
CHILD (ages 2-15) – $175.00
GUEST PASSES (must be accompanied by 2016 season member)- $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
Serendipity Labs Opens In Ridgewood / Towns First Premium Coworking Space
May 7,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood’s first coworking location at 45 N. Broad Street opened today in the iconic, totally renovated Lincoln building across from the Ridgewood train station. The three-story, 8,500-square foot space provides a vibrant coworking area, dedicated offices and team rooms. Members will also have access to an upscale lounge, ideation studio, work bar, event venue space and a café. The entire Lincoln building has been upgraded with a new lobby, modern elevator, new windows and HVAC systems.
Independent professionals, entrepreneurs, remote and mobile workers working in and around Ridgewood will now have a premium workplace and meeting venue offering a level of hospitality that rivals boutique hotels.
Serendipity Labs is offering a free day pass to anyone that is interested in coming to check it out. Here’s the link: https://woobox.com/k9ma6o
Serendipity Labs in Ridgewood will produce a full schedule of daytime and evening seminars and networking events designed for entrepreneurs, mobile workers and corporate members.
It has been a while since this group has communicated – I hope everyone is doing well. I received your email below and wanted to respond.
I respect Roberta. I think she has done a great job overall managing this Village. It’s not an easy job by any means. I personally know Roberta…she is a good neighbor and I like to consider her as a friend. She is smart, quick, effective – I respect her and admire her and from what I have heard she has done a better job of executing than previous VMs. However, I was shocked to see the full page ad in the news. I was even more shocked when I read your email and was targeted with a mass email chain from someone in my neighborhood (how she got my personal email is quite a mystery). I guess I am confused…why are we making this election about her or any village staff? Shouldn’t the election be about the issues at hand – high density housing, doubling the size of Valley hospital in the middle of a residential area? When did we turn this election into village hall staffing? You work for a corporation so you know very well that a new boss is entitled to evaluate the existing talent pool. So why is this even a concern? No company will hesitate to bring in the right boss for fear of cleaning up the existing talent pool. We shouldn’t either.
We have to remember, this election isn’t about any Village Hall staff. It’s about whether we trust the people we elect to represent the town fairly and responsibly. It’s about where they stand on the issues that we each find important to our families, to our property values, to our future, to our way of life.
It saddens me that you are trying to turn this campaign around and divert the attention away from the true issues. Not to mention make up deceitful lies. Not one candidate has made any statement about Roberta and her role. It’s simply not part of this election, nor should it be. It’s a non issue. It saddens me that we are not able to campaign with dignity and respect for one another. I hope that changes.
Respectfully,
Bonita Shimpfky
———- Forwarded message ———
From: Paul Aronsohn <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, May 6, 2016, 9:04 PM
Subject: Vote for Brooks, Weitz and Willett
To: <[email protected]>
Dear Neighbor,
Last week, I endorsed council candidates Rich Brooks, Evan Weitz and Janice Willett in a letter-to-the-editor, noting that they have solid experience, uncompromising integrity/ethics and a proven commitment to Ridgewood. I also noted that they are right on issues important to me, such as the budget, the parking deck, the special needs community and the Village Manager.
This week, several additional community leaders – past and present – have also endorsed Rich, Evan and Janice – community leaders who have helped shape Ridgewood’s traditions, while moving Ridgewood forward. And importantly, a group of residents took out a full-page ad in the Ridgewood News today, noting that “only 3 candidates are committed to keeping Roberta Sonenfeld as Village Manager – Rich Brooks, Evan Weitz and Janice Willett.”
Please see the attached list of endorsements and the full-page ad.
Needless to say, many of us believe that this year’s election is especially important, and as explained by the Ridgewood News Editorial Board, every vote matters. Remember, in 2012, there was a difference of only 15 votes between the 3rd and 4th placed candidates.
If you have any questions, about this year’s election, please feel free to email me. If you want to learn more about Rich, Evan and Janice — and their positive, inclusive vision for Ridgewood — please visit their website – www.Ridgewood2020.com.
Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for voting on Tuesday.
Editors Note : Folks the Ridgewood blog would welcome the opportunity to host any letters in support of candidates ,even on election day it self ; email [email protected] Fyi the blog traffic nears 20,000 unique visits per month thank you
May 7,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, Ridgewood News squashes story garage petition, certification and special election, days before pivotal Village Council election.
From the Facebook page It Takes a Village , “Before you read the Ridgewood News tmrw, please know this-We, Lorraine and I, were interviewed by a smart, new reporter recently employed by the Ridgewood News who was excited to report our side of the story on the garage petition, certification and special election. We had an hour long conversation and she even was speaking to our attorney to share her response.The reporter called me today to apologize and tell me they will not be printing the article due to “space constraints”. Maybe next week she said. I told her we know it was not her decision, and encouraged her to find a new job at a real newspaper. I have cancelled my subscription.” , Gail McLaughlin McCarthyIt is also being reported that Janice Willet’s campaign manager is a long time employee of the North Bergen Media Group (who owns the Ridgewood News), Pam Wyne. Big surprise.!The inequity of the media coverage in our area is disgraceful. I hope everyone cancels their subscriptions to all of their publications immediately and sends them the message loud and clear that we do not tolerate bias in our journalism, period. Laurie Bender
If you do a quick search on line there are many instances of this-bias newspapers are part of our culture and are protected-they can turn ads away all they want if they don’t adhere to the publishers bias-and of course editorial content is under their discretion. The real problem is that ALL our local news outlets are owned by the same people-this is an issue worth examining. Ellen D’Arcy Simpson
We have already reported that the Ridgewood News decided not to print any letters to the editor in support of candidates on the eve of the election yet felt in necessary to post pro Village manager commentary and advertising.
Ridgewood NJ, The Mayor and the Village Manager have persistently and knowingly mischaracterized the Village Council’s decision to call a $ 40-45k special election as being required by the terms of the petition.
The special election is NOT required and the Mayor, the Village Manager, The Village Council and now the taxpayers know it.
The clear and compelling evidence of this is that the language of the special election Resolution #16-110 which was passed by the Village Council on April 27 th incorporates the very statute (NJSA 40-49- 27 otherwise known as the Home Rule Act) that specifically provides the option of waiting until the next General Election in November,or if the municipality desires it may call a special election.
This statute was included in the Resolution, according to Matt Jessup, bond attorney for the council since Matt Rogers recused himself (little known fact), “to protect the Council from any litigation.” That says it all right there. Matt Rogers recused himself because he had done some pro bono work for the church, & felt that if he counseled on the petition, it could be perceived as a conflict of interest.
The Mayor, the Village Manager and the rest of the Mayor’s customary voting bloc desire a special election because:
1) It creates a diversion from the fact that to date they have wasted $ 415,000 on the design process. They were so arrogantly confident that they could shove the original Plan A and its looming 12 Foot encroachment into Hudson Street through the Council, that they ordered $295,000.00 worth of construction documents BEFORE THE DESIGN WAS SELECTED. They subsequently issued a $120,000.00 change order to try again and we are not done yet
2) They bootstrap a false claim that the petitioners don’t support building a Hudson Street garage at all and are anti -everything. This is false and can be verified as such by any number of Council Meeting recordings and correspondence
3) They can falsely claim that the petitioners are causing the Village to incur the roughly $ 40-45k in expenses, thus smearing the petitioners, when in fact, the Council is deciding to call a special election
4) It puts the election on the calendar when they will be still be using the bully pulpit to misinform the public
5) It fits with their overall victim narrative. They are claiming to hostage to the demands of the petitioners when it’s clearly the Village that is being held hostage to the agenda of the other way around. All the petitioners want is either a more reasonable garage or the residents to make an informed decision Mayor, please stop making stuff up. It hurts the Village you claim to Love
Ridgewood NJ, Reader challenges Ridgewood blog on “Free Market principles “claiming we are picking the candidates in favor of more regulation against “free market developers and development”.
“Ironic that “Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View” is in favor of a government that promises to be more restrictive than the alternative, but in this case, Jamsie, I agree with you 100%.
I hope you are learning the flaws in your Randian world view, specifically, left to their devices, the “job creators” would starve themselves out of existence. In the case of Ridgewood: motivated by short term benefit, the Job Creators (i.e. CBD restaurant owners and landlords) would overdevelop the CBD and surrounding areas to the detriment of our community, schools and way of life. In the long term, the quality of the schools would decline even more, the quaintness of the village would erode, property values would drop, and before you know it, you live in a version of Caldwell or whatever.
The judicious application of regulation is a good thing.”
Got to laugh on this one but the reader is a bit confused ;
The Free Market is ,”A system of economics that minimizes government intervention and maximizes the role of the market. According tothe theory of the free market, rational economic actors acting in their own self interest deal with information and price goods and services the most efficiently. Government regulations, trade barriers, and labor laws are generally thought to distort the market. Proponents of the free market argue that it provides the most opportunities for both consumers and producers by creating more jobs and allowing competition to decide what businesses are successful. ”
What we have in Ridgewood and New Jersey as well as on a National level is called by many Crony capitalism or Cronyism , “Crony capitalism is a description of capitalist society as being based on the close relationships between businessmen and the state. Instead of success being determined by a free market and the rule of law, the success of a business is dependent on the favoritism that is shown to it by the ruling government in the form of tax breaks, government grants and other incentives.”
Developers using the Village Council forcing tax payers to pick up the tab for a parking garage that clearly benefits certain businesses ie those that support the Mayor and his consorts is not in any way shape or form “Free Market Capitalism” but clearly a local example and the very definition of “Cronyism”. The negative issues associated with over development in the Village are all a direct or indirect cause be they foreseen and unforeseen consequences of government intervention ie.. 3066 , COAH, open space , and so on . These tax breaks, government grants and other incentives are all put in place to aid developers and to garner political contributions .
Crony capitalism is the marriage of the state and private special interests. Some people have called it corporatism, mercantilism, fascism, or even Communism.
