Category: village of ridgewood

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Village of Ridgewood : FLAG AT HALF-STAFF – MAY 16TH, 2016

half mast flag

May 16,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In  accordance with Flag Code section 7(m), the United States flag is to be displayed at half-staff for the entire day in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day, Sunday, May 15, 2016.

Customary Dates to Fly Half-Staff

Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15th, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. (sunrise to sunset)

Memorial Day, last Monday in May (sunrise to noon)

Patriot Day, September 11th (sunrise to sunset)

National Firefighters Memorial Day, October (typically a Sunday during Fire Prevention Week, which is around Oct. 9, and along with a memorial service held in Emmitsburg, MD)

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7th (sunrise to sunset)

Other Special Flag-Flying Days

President’s Day, third Monday in February: a celebration that takes place between Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays. It is not a half-staff day.

Flag Day, June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which was by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.

Veteran’s Day (formerly Armistice Day), November 11th: This is a day to honor our nation’s veterans. It is not a day of mourning, but a day of celebration and honor. Therefore, it is   not a day of half-staff. Citizens are encouraged to fly POW/MIA flags and flags of the military branches on this day to show support to our Veterans.

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, July 27 of each year: This day marks the anniversary of the signing of a treaty that ended the Korean War. From 2000 until 2003 (during 50th anniversary years) this was a half-staff day. Each year since the proclamation only acts to “encourage the display of the flag”. This is a day for special remembrance of the veterans of the Korean War, and especially the United States and allied combatants who made the ultimate sacrifice in Korea.

Source: https://www.gettysburgflag.com/fly-flag-half-mast

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Readers Discuss the Serving on Village of Ridgewood boards and committees

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog
May 16,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the following Boards and Committees:  Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, The Ridgewood Community Center Advisory Board, The Financial Advisory Committee, The Ridgewood Arts Council, and the Shade Tree Commission.

If you want to get involved in Village governance volunteering for Village boards or committees is a great place to start.
There is no upper age limit. The only qualifications are to have something in one’s background that suggests a good fit with the desired committee or whatever. There needs to be enough on the application form and accompanying CV or autobiography to encourage the council to invite the person for an interview. Often these positions are in demand and the council has to have some reason to choose people over others. Yes, residency in Ridgewood is a requirement but you don’t have to have lived here for any particular length of time (viz. Evan Weitz’s Financial Advisory Committee chairmanship upon crossing the town line).

The time commitment is often three years (often renewable by mutual agreement between the individual and the current council at that time), although it varies, but people can quit if they are going to move or an emergency such as illness arises. That’s one reason there are alternates on the Planning Board and Zoning Board, so there’s always someone ready to step in quickly on boards that make very important decisions.

Members of any committee etc. are of course expected to attend meetings regularly, so if a certain night of the week, say, would be an automatic deal breaker, look at the back pages of the village calendar for an idea of which nights each group meets: for example, the Zoning Board of Adjustment meets on a couple of Tuesdays a month. Council members Susan Knudsen and Mike Sedon can answer questions:[email protected] [email protected]. Also Village Clerk Heather Mailander, [email protected], or call her at village hall, 201-670-5500, ext. 201.

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Strong Winds take down branches and Knock Out Power in Ridgewood

Strong Winds Ridgewood

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

May 16,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A Volkswagen Jetta was just one casualty of a fast moving rain/wind storm that swept through Northwest Bergen County at approximately 7 PM on Sunday, 05/15. Electric service to a home at 428 George Street in Ridgewood was severed when this large tree limb fell. Fallen tree limbs were also reported in neighboring Glen Rock and Hawthorne.

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A Perfect Storm in Ridgewood Developed and Pushed the Council majority to the Curb

3 amigos in action Ridgewood NJ
May 16,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, readers continue to takes issue with Gwenn “drunken tiriad” at village hall after the humiliating defeat of the Aronsohn slate .Many residents can’t get over the fact that Gwenn lost it the night everyone met at the Community Center to hear the election results.  She certainly had been drinking but that really is a non issue( Many drunks are nice!) .

Gwenn literally went into the face of a resident screaming and cursing and saying, ” Are you fucking gloating” and other curses.  Her extremely rude husband who,is known for his rudeness, grabbed her to take her away all the while smiling and saying, ” we have freedom of speech, she can say anything she wants!” A classy act .

All three of the outgoing council members have demonstrated serious narcissistic rage issues. So many have witnessed these rants or have been the victim of them.

They have held these anti free speech civility meetings for two years basically attacking everything and everyone but themselves.

If the new council is only better in this department, we are most definitely in a better place.  The behavior has affected so many areas of village government including not allowing for real conversation about problems in the departments.

Add that to the fact that the village manager acted as a 6th council member and was encouraged to do so made it impossible for Susan and Mike to have the impact they tried so hard for.

Fortunately, for residents a perfect storm developed:  so many citizen groups with a variety of issues speaking out at once.  There was no way they were going to beat that and that it is why they tried to push everything through in such an aggressive manner so quickly.

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ISRAELI LEADER: IRAN MOCKS WWII HOLOCAUST, PREPARES ANOTHER

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

May 15, 8:07 AM EDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at Iran Sunday for staging a Holocaust-themed cartoon contest that mocked the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews during World War II and said the Islamic Republic was busy planning for another one.

Iran has long backed armed groups committed to Israel’s destruction and its leaders have called for it to be wiped off the map. Israel fears that Iran’s nuclear program is designed to threaten its very existence. But Netanyahu said it was more than Iran’s belligerent policies that Israel opposed, but its values.

“It denies the Holocaust, it mocks the Holocaust and it is also preparing another Holocaust,” Netanyahu said at his weekly Cabinet meeting. “I think that every country in the world must stand up and fully condemn this.”

State Department spokesman Mark Toner, traveling with Secretary of State John Kerry in Saudi Arabia, said the United States was concerned the contest could “be used as a platform for Holocaust denial and revisionism and egregiously anti-Semitic speech, as it has in the past.”

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_IRAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-05-15-05-26-29

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The Valley Hospital of Ridgewood Receives Women’s Choice Award® as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience

Valley_Hospital_theridgewoodblog

May 10, 2016

the  staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital has earned the 2016 Women’s Choice Award as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience for a fourth consecutive year.  This evidence based designation is the only award that identifies the country’s best healthcare institutions based on Medicare data weighed according to the preference of women in a 2016 national survey of 1,000+ female respondents.

The list of award winners, including The Valley Hospital, represents hospitals that create an extraordinary patient experience for women and their families by providing exceptional care.“We are proud to once again be recognized as one of the nation’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System.  “It’s a testament to the priority Valley nurses, physicians and staff place on delivering high-quality, compassionate care to our patients and their families.”

The America’s 100 Best Hospitals scoring process is unique in that it is the only national list that focuses on what matters most to women when choosing a hospital.  For 2016, the most important considerations were patient’s willingness to recommend, doctor and nurse communications, staff help, pain management, cleanliness and explanation of medications, in that order.  The qualification process begins with scores derived by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for each hospital in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) database.  Our national survey of women determines which questions in the HCAHPS survey, completed by patients after discharge, are most important to them in determining their satisfaction with their hospital stay.  The responses to those questions, weighted accordingly, results in a numeric score for each hospital reporting valid HCAHPS data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“Women are the Chief Medical Officer for the household, making upwards of 90 percent of all healthcare decisions.  Considering she bears the responsibility of making these incredibly important decisions, the Women’s Choice Award offers a trusted solution by identifying the hospitals that have proven superior patient experience.  Finally, a source that shares her values and priorities is available,” said Delia Passi, CEO and Founder of the Women’s Choice Award.

For more information on the 2016 America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience visit https://www.womenschoiceaward.com/awarded/best-hospitals/100s-best/.

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John Doe Member of the Punk Rock Band X will be Signing his book Under the Big Black Sun at Bookends, Ridgewood

Bookends Ridgewood John Doe

when : Monday, May 16th @ 7:00pm
who : Member of the Punk Rock Band X, John Doe  will sign his new book: Under the Big Black Sun
where : Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ   07450   201-445-0726

Ridgewood NJ, X is an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1977. Established among the first wave of American punk, the original members are vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist/bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D. J. Bonebrake. The band released seven studio albums from 1980 to 1993. After a period of inactivity during the mid to late 1990s, X reunited in the early 2000s, and currently tours.

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

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New Ridgewood Council Needs to press Valley Hospital to Contribute

valley_hospital_theridgewoodblog
May 15,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, a reader commented that , “hopefully the new Council pushes hard on challenging Valley’s not-for-profit status. If we can capture $4.5mn in annual property taxes from Valley for everything they own in Ridgewood, then the property tax burden on residents could be reduced. This would be enlightened tax policy from the new Council and smarter governance. They pay their CEO $2mn a year to run a single hospital – not a system – and acquire every building they can yet pay no property taxes?!?! Not fair to village residents who effectively subsidize their public safety services, snow plowing around the local roads by Valley’s properties (which get removed from rateables), etc. time to pay your fair share.”

New Jersey courts have established a three-part test that, in essence, provides that for an organization to be entitled to property tax exemption, it must show that:

1. it is organized exclusively for a charitable purpose (or other qualifying purpose enumerated in the statute);
2. its property is actually used for such a charitable purpose (or the specific qualifying purpose applicable to that organization); and
3. its use and operation of the property is not for profit.

Morristown Hospital failed the third test, so will Valley.

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Village of Ridgewood Seeks Resident Volunteers to Serve on Various Boards and Committees

New Broom Sweeps Clean

SEEKING RESIDENTS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

May 15,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood

Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the following Boards and Committees:  Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, The Ridgewood Community Center Advisory Board, The Financial Advisory Committee, The Ridgewood Arts Council, and the Shade Tree Commission.

The Planning Board reviews site plans and subdivision applications; prepares, adopts, and amends the Master Plan; makes recommendations to the Village Council regarding amendments to developmental regulations and the official map.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment hears variance applications and appeals from rulings and determinations arising from the enforcement of Village zoning ordinances.

The Community Center Advisory Board develops policies and procedures for the operation of the Community Center facility and assists in the fulfillment of the County Municipal Alliance Grant requirements.  Membership includes:  Senior Citizen residents; adult residents with children in the school system; and adult residents with no children in the school system.

The Financial Advisory Committee assists in the review and understanding of the financial considerations necessary to the operation of the Village and the Village’s preparation of the Annual and Capital Budgets; provides review, advice and recommendations to the Village Council on Village financial and budgetary matters; and prepares an annual report for the Village Council to assist the Councilmembers in their budget preparation.  Members will preferably have strong finance, accounting, government and/or business backgrounds.

The Ridgewood Arts Council will assist in the promotion of and encourage artistic and cultural programs and will provide for educational opportunities in the areas of art and culture.  The Ridgewood Arts Council will also provide advice, guidance, and recommendations to the Village Council, as needed.

The Shade Tree Commission works closely with the Parks and Recreation Department, the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Green Team to promote awareness and education of the residents as well as advise and provide recommendations to the Village Council in promoting and sustaining a safe and productive shade tree resource.

All interested residents should fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website under “Forms”), and send it along with a cover letter indicating on which board(s) or committee(s) the resident wishes to serve, and a biography or resume to:

Heather Mailander
Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ  07451

Deadline for submissions is May 26, 2016.

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Employee Charged with stealing $50,000 from Ridgewood Doctor

Ridgewood _police_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

May 15,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, administrative assistant to Ridgewood doctor charged with theft and forgery. Sussan Lopez a 29-year-old Cliffside Park woman was arrested this week on theft and forgery charges stemming from a complaint that she was stealing from her employer, a Ridgewood doctor, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday.

In a statement acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal Sussan Lopez was arrested on computer related theft, theft by deception and forgery related charges, and authorities allege that she stole more than $50,000 in value from her employer.

An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office White Collar Crimes Unit and the Ridgewood Police Department, authorities allege that Lopez also fraudulently created an American Express corporate account using the office’s corporate identity to purchase goods and pay for personal services.

The Ridgewood Police Department received the initial complaint from the doctor, who was not identified at this time by Grewal, in late March. On May 11, a warrant was issued for Lopez’s arrest, and on May 12 she was arrested at her home in Cliffside Park.

Lopez was remanded to the Bergen County jail in lieu of bail set at $35,000, authorities said. She is scheduled to appear in Bergen County Municipal court on May 27 at 9:30 a.m.

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The 41st Annual Fred De’Elia Ridgewood Run May 30th

mike_fisher_ridgewood_run_theridgewoodblog

May 14,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,The Ridgewood Run is the premier road race in northern New Jersey and one of the longest running races in the tri-state area. Choose either the 10K, 5K, Road Mile, Fun Run – all or one of them.

Registration information https://www.ridgewoodrun.com/

Veteran’s Field
Ridgewood, NJ

2016 Race Day Schedule

Race Day Registration for
all events, up to field limit of
4000 runners.

  • 8:15 – The Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10K
  • 8:15 – 10K Runners in corrals
  • 8:20 – Park Ave BMW 10K
  • 10:15 – Park Ave BMW 5K
  • 11:15 – Valley Hospital Mile
  • 12:00 Noon
    Ridgewood YMCA
    Fun Run/Health Walk Mile
  • Course Map
  • 2015 Results
  • Volunteers Needed
  • Our Sponsors
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Ridgewood to Celebrate the Grand Opening of New Jersey’s First Serendipity Labs Coworking Space

Lab Cafe_Ridgewood_Serendipity Labs Ridgewood
May 13,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn will be joined by Brian M. Stolar, President and CEO, of The Pinnacle Companies and John Arenas, CEO, of Serendipity Labs on Tuesday, May 17, 5:00-6:00 p.m. to host a ribbon cutting ceremony to showcase newly renovated Lincoln Building’s premium workspace, vibrant lounges and event space in Ridgewood.

This will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for New Jersey’s first Serendipity Labs coworking location in Ridgewood. The three-story, 8,500-square-foot premium workspace with vibrant, upscale lounges, ideation studios, work bars, event venue space and a café are all located in the iconic, newly renovated Lincoln building right across the street from the Ridgewood train station at 45 North Broad Street.

“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,” says Brian M. Stolar, CEO of The Pinnacle Companies, the exclusive Serendipity Labs area franchisee for Northern New Jersey.

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The Village Council of Ridgewood has proclaimed the week of May 15 through May 21 as Emergency Medical Services Week

Ridgewood EMS Week

May 14,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ ,In 1973, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work that  they do in our nation’s communities. Henceforth ,The Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood proclaimed  the week of May 15 through May 21 as Emergency Medical Services Weekand encourages the community to support Ridgewood Emergency Services and all of their programs, ceremonies and activities. The members of Ridgewood Emergency Services are 24/7 ready to provide lifesaving care to those in need. These members engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their lifesaving skills. The Village Council recognized the value and accomplishments of the Ridgewood Emergency Services with the 2016 theme “EMS STRONG-CALLED TO CARE”. The  proclamation was presented to Chief/Director  Tony Lillo  with members of Ridgewood Emergency Service present at the May 10th Village Council meeting.

On any given day, Ridgewood Emergency Service EMT’s  help save lives by responding to medical emergencies, including heart attack, difficulty breathing, a fall or accident, drowning, cardiac arrest, stroke, drug overdose or acute illness. The  Ridgewood responders  care for their patients’ medical needs and show caring and compassion to their patients in their most difficult moments. For the first 4 months of 2016, Ridgewood Emergency Services responded to over 530 requests for assistance while spending over 6500 hours being on duty and training away from their own families. Please find out more about Ridgewood Emergency Services at https://ridgewood911.ridgewoodnj.net

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Ridgewood Financial Advisory Committee Political Hacks or Valuable Input?

village-hall-theridgewoodblog
May 13,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, a reader said the ,Financial Advisory Committee was created by the mayor solely as a breeding ground for future council members willing to live in his shadow and image. It didn’t work. Disband it!

The leadership of Financial Advisory Committee is there just to stamp the Village Manager’s decisions. So she can say ‘an expert panel has looked at it and they agree with my approach”. She comes from the corporate word and knows how to put everything on outside ‘consultants’.

Its beyond funny that the Chairman of FAC, a candidate for the council election, Weitz is not even a finance guy. He is an attorney and we have seen how good attorneys are on the council (Albert). Try asking him some finance questions. May be he will do better than the CFO?

Inorder to save the committee the FAC needs to have bylaws and minutes and a clause that prohibits members from running for public office while serving. THe VM needs direction, goals and an evaluation after a specified time. She needs to be held accountable for the administration and operations of the Village. There can no longer be selective ordinance enforcement. The Village Attorney, PB attorney should be evaluated and if necessary replaced. The assistant VM should be evaluated and if needed replaced. The new Council needs to be prudent but decisive in their actions. Let’s not replicate the mistakes of the past.

The election is over. The new council needs to stabilize the governance of the municipality by vesting the village operational authority in the VM where it belongs by law and holding her accountable for the execution.

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Reader sums up Ridgewood Village Manager’s situation : “She has to go “

Roberta

I think Ms. Sonenfield mistakenly and foolishly assumed that her Party’s machine was too strong to be challenged, let alone be defeated, by a bunch of mere ordinary residents. When you are so neck deep in machine politics, you sometime do end up making such delusional assumptions.

Whatever her abilities, there should be NO place for a village employee who so openly and blatantly aligns herself with one set of political leaders.

There is NO way her name could have been so openly and repeatedly used in their campaign absent her approval.

She made her bed, now it is time to lay down in it. She has to go.