BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – For the first time since 2008, awards will be given to former students by the Ridgewood Alumni Association.
The Distinguished Alumni Award Dinner, the first of its kind, will be honoring a few notable former pupils on the evening of Thursday, March 10. The honorees will be inducted into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, which was started “a couple a years ago” according to Ridgewood High School Principal Tom Gorman. It is to be run in a similar way to the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, he added.
“Every other year, the athletic hall of fame inducts athletes,” he said, noting that a panel of judges makes the selections. “In the off-year, we will have this distinguished alumni event.”
The Alumni Association is responsible for deciding what makes a RHS graduate distinguished, according to Siobhan Winograd, a board officer and the group’s secretary.
“We came up with what is distinguished,” she said. “We have a definition. We sent it out there and had people write in [their definitions].”
“Once the alumni association … was able to connect with so many alumni via the website, we had an open enrollment and had a separate committee that decided to induct five people this year,” Winograd said. “We have a working list. People have gone on the website and told us their person’s story.”
For those of you who have watched the 2016 budget work sessions, one of the highlights (or actually lowlights) that was discussed is the state of recycling in Ridgewood today. This is by no means a problem unique to Ridgewood.
Our curbside recycling program began in 1991. We ask our residents to separate their recycling into different streams and to use the beige recycling barrels that we provide to you. We sell our recycling products to processors and in the past have collected enough fees to significantly help in offsetting the expense of running this program. The level of fees is under siege and has actually decreased 18% over the last 3 years from $332,552 to $266,232; a further decline is anticipated in 2016.
This is not a Ridgewood-specific challenge. Based on global issues, predominantly the China crackdown dubbed Green Fence, recycling processors are finding it increasingly difficult to supply China, a major global recycling processing center, with recycling products. China is rejecting containers of waste it deems are contaminated or are not sorted appropriately.
Which brings us back to our challenge in Ridgewood……
Our recycling processor has, with little notice, tightened their standards for the product that we provide to them. We therefore must provide the recycling processor with the most pristine product that we can – this means that it is so very important that we improve the quality of our recyclables.
One particular problem is the inclusion of plastic bags with your recycling – this is not allowed. When mixed in with other recycling, plastic bags get caught in the machinery at the recycling plant at times causing the facility to shut down their sorting equipment to manually remove entangled bags. When the processor has to manually separate this material from our stream, the Village loses revenue and pays for the disposal of the material as garbage. Not intermixing plastic bags with your recycling has always been a rule since the inception of our recycling program but has not been strictly enforced because the market was accepting the product without question. Plastic bags must be placed in your trash or recycled at Stop & Shop, Whole Foods Market and Acme.
Besides not intermixing plastic bags with your recycling, you can help us even more by following good recycling practice which you can find either in the 2016 Green Guide that was mailed to your home earlier this year or on our Recycling Website or by calling us at 201-670-3373.
I have touched on the Ridgewood economic challenges above……but a crucial point is that recycling is good for our world…..this should be reason enough for us to try to do better as a community. We have also challenged our recycling team to come up with new and different ways to enhance our program. As usual, we would love to hear your ideas on this – I know that we have many residents who are passionate about this issue.
We look forward to working with you on this effort.
Best,
Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203
Ridgewood NJ Just a few points about the March 2nd Village meeting:
1. Albert sent an email to a resident during the meeting. This is strictly forbidden according to a resolution that he himself penned, as follows:
Resolution 13-87 (April 24, 2013), item #4 reads as follows:
Telephonic or electronic communication between or among Councilmembers or between a Councilmember and a member of the public during public meetings is prohibited.
As soon as he realized his gaffe, Albert made a big point of saying that this is THE FIRST TIME EVER that he has sent an email during a meeting to a “member of the public” other than his family. Evidently colleagues on the dais and members of his family are not considered to be members of the public. Or, maybe the Deputy Mayor considers himself to be above his own rules.
2. The Deputy Mayor got nasty with a member of the public who questioned the accuracy of one of the renditions of the new garage plan. The resident had not only questioned the depiction, but had also questioned whether this misrepresentation might have been intentional. Mr. Pucciarelli referred to the resident’s email as STUPID and announced that he deleted it immediately. Instead of actually looking at the resident’s suggestions, he just discarded it and then was insulting about it.
3. They voted 5-0 to go forward with bonding in-town, which will be a final hearing on the 23. They voted 2 in favor (Susan and Michael) and 3 opposed to killing the ordinance to bond with the BCIA. Aronsohn made it abundantly clear that he will barrel ahead with the BCIA if the in-town bonding does not go through. So the terrible three are keeping “parallel” tracks open so they can get the garage one way or another.
Ridgewood Nj , Pfund’s folly resurfaces once again to haunt the Village of Ridgewood . We have former Mayor and now appointed local judge Pfund to thank.
Without Ordinance 3066, passed purposely in July 2007 when many residents were down the shore, applications to amend the Master Plan would never have even been considered. Then the developers used an old anchoring by applying for 50 units, only to say they’d “compromised” down to 35.
It is clear to most residents that we need to stop the madness , Village residents need to focus on repeal Ordinance No. 3066 which allows these incongruous projects. No other town in New Jersey has this ordinance which was initially passed to aid the Valley Hospital development.
“Ordinance No. 3066, which sets forth the fees and processes involved in applying for an amendment to the master plan or development regulations, was originally passed in July 2007. The ordinance has become the subject of controversy as many believe it enabled the multiple master plan amendment applications that have dominated the agenda at Planning Board meetings.” https://theridgewoodblog.net/ridgewood-making-changes-to-controversial-ordinance-no-3066-known-by-many-as-pfunds-folly/
Developers then seized the opportunity to propose projects which previously would have been summarily rejected without this ordinance. Essentially if the ordinance is not repealed any “for sale” or “for lease” sign anywhere in town can also include the phrase “All uses considered.” .“More specifically, the law – Ordinance No. 3066 – makes formal the process and fees charged to any interested party should they petition the Planning Board or Village Council for a change.
This gives a huge loophole to developers looking to push massive over development on Ridgewood like the current high density housing . Its is time to close the loophole.
Dana H. Glazer speech from the Wednesday Night Council Meeting
I am here to express my strong belief that the real agenda here is to make Ridgewood into another “Transit Village” like
Hackensack, in which a giant garage is built to primarily serve commuters from out of town; in which the master plan is radically amended to allow for high density housing which will create a large influx of new families into the CBD – thus straining our resources and permanently altering the face of our town.
I believe this is still the case, because on February 23rd the Executive of the County said in his State of the County address “I’m sure you’ve all read our partnership with Ridgewood. They’re looking to partner with the BCIA to fund their parking garage and partner with them.” He went on to describe this proposed garage as “a commuter garage to be used by commuters all day long..”
Now, on February 21st, two days before the State of the County, Mayor Aronsohn wrote to residents an email saying “in the spirit of getting this project done –once and for all – and in the spirit of doing it together as a community, I am willing to re-introduce the January bond ordinance at our March 2 Council meeting. “
If there’s no intention of making Ridgewood into a Transit Village, why was the County Executive announcing this Ridgewood partnership in his big speech two days later? Shouldn’t someone have told him not to include it? It makes no sense.
The only way it makes sense is if making Ridgewood into a Transit Village is still the only plan. Why else wouldn’t our Village Council immediately repeal the County Bond before funding the garage through the town? 1500 residents petitioned loudly against this, in an initiative Ridgewood has not seen in years – if ever, right? Our Council Majority would never let this happen because it would jeopardize the real plan– Ridgewood as a Transit Village.
That is why the “Plan E” garage proposal that Lorraine Reynolds and Gail McCarthy have so passionately worked behind the scenes to put together, having spoken with hundreds of residents, shopkeepers and Mt. Carmel – what is being called the “People’s Garage” – I believe is going to be sabotaged – or ignored completely.
I believe this “People’s Garage” will never see the light of day because the shenanigans will continue, whether they relate to the site plan, the financials, the traffic studies or anything else deemed necessary to do this right; and then on March 23rd, if Councilwoman Knudsen and Councilman Sedon stand up and say “No” the Council Majority or even just table the issue, the Council Majority will turn this against them, loudly proclaiming, “See, they are anti-garage. Now, let’s vote for people who are pro-garage and let’s vote to go to the County because there’s no other way to do this in Ridgewood.”
But here’s the thing: this upcoming election will not be about a garage. It will be about who votes in favor of the upcoming High Density Housing vote later this month. It will ultimately be about who trashed our town and made it into a Transit Village like Hackensack. That’s what’s at stake here.
So, Councilman Sedon and Councilwoman Knudsen, I am encouraging you to listen to the 1500 people who petitioned loudly that WE DON’T WANT A COUNTY GARAGE. I trust you will do anything and everything to keep this from happening.
Ridgewood NJ, $100K checks not being deposited? Free parking on what has traditionally been the busiest weekend night in the CBD? Seven new SUVs for the police department? A brand new fire truck? I guess the Village must be just rolling in dough. Did Tom Rica come into town to give back what he stole? Or does the Village manager have a secret money tree or found a genie in a lamp?
Ridgewood NJ, The blog was mention by our buddy Rurik Halaby, and the council spoke on how uncivil everyone is. The best part was Gwenn who spoke about not believing everything people write on Facebook. I guess she is the only one people should believe ?
Rurik Halaby as we said ,took yet another swipe at The Ridgewood Blog during Wednesday night’s Village Council meeting when, during a public comment period, he publicly announced that he’d been named “Villian of the Year” by The Ridgewood Blog.
Of coarse it was OK for the head of the civility committee to characterize all residents at Village Council meetings as “Grand Standing”.
As for civility you live in a town where the Deputy Mayor makes threats in public meetings more than once, anyone who speaks his mind get harassed, anonymous emails get sent to peoples place of business and do not let us forget a physical assault took place at a council meeting , but yes the meanies on the blog are a tough bunch …
Ridgewood NJ, The Council Majority starting to cater to the Chamber of Commerce by changing the hour from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m.and free parking on Saturday night. That is an estimated loss in revenue $ 50,000. $50,000 a year for 25 years is 1.25 Million.The council majority used the excused it was for the church goers on Saturday. The Village Manager called lowering the meter times and free Saturday night parking . ” A mere bag of shells”.
So our main question is if the garage is in fact a boost for local merchants in the Central Business District , how does raising meter rates from .75 to $1.00 and adding free parking at night when most are closed help any merchants in Ridgewood ???
RIDGEWOOD — The Village Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to introduce an ordinance allowing Ridgewood to bond for a new municipal parking garage on its own, despite recent assurances from Bergen County that it would provide the financing.
The ordinance, up for a second hearing and vote of adoption on March 23, would authorize the issuing of $11.5 million in municipal bonds to fund construction of a four-story parking deck on the corner of Hudson and South Broad streets.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, who’d voted against a similar $12.3-million ordinance in early January, said she was voting in favor of local bonding with the understanding the council was “going to look at some redesign options” for the proposed 325-vehicle garage, which some residents have called too large for the proposed site.
Ridgewood NJ, All was calm last night no major out breaks , no assaults reported . Lorraine, Gail and others opened up the meeting with comments regarding design of the garage which would be one level lower and allow retention of street parking on Broad Street which is extremely important to the businesses in that area such as the Bamboo house( take out orders pick up),a design shop and others whose clients need to park close to the store for business purposes.
The council majority kept talking about all the compromises they have already made . It is uncertain if changes were made because the original ideas were not feasible such as the structure entering into the street by 12 feet. Clearly not compromise, it is common sense solutions that needed to be brought to their attention.
The Council Majority caved to the Chamber of Commerce demands by changing parking hours from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. and adding free parking on Saturday night. The estimated loss in revenue $ 50,000. The Council Majority used the excuse it was for the church goers on Saturday.
The most interesting discussion was about Schedler. Mike had real issues about the whole process which he felt was not done with full transparency with regard go the grant, budget and was full of inconsistencies. Roberta said that she was holding a 100,OOO dollar check from the RBSA issued in January that had ” Strings Attached “. It was to be used with the guarantee that a 90 foot baseball diamond would be placed at the property. She also said that the village had in their coffers an additional 100,000 dollars of Open Space funds. Every one seemed quite surprised as it had not been mentioned before. Could this money be used for other projects such as Kings Pond, Schedler House, etc. ? The answer is yes. Where was this money when Friends of Schedler was applying for a matching grant to save the house and the town said they had zero money?
The “sink hole” in Midland Park which released gallons of sludge that was in the streets coming out of sewers and man hole covers. A concrete pipe had disintegrated due to hydrogen sulfide gases collecting in the pipe. The sludge was directed into the brook, wells were closed and are being monitored. A village employee said that this is a serious problem and is a prediction of things to come.
Anne Loving made a brief comment about Albert’s use of electronic devices at the dais since he mentioned he was in constant touch with his family during meetings!
Rurik Halaby praised Roberta for everything under the sun and was so glad that she had no previous municipal experience. Mr Halaby took yet another swipe at The Ridgewood Blog during Wednesday night’s Village Council meeting when, during a public comment period, he publicly announced that he’d been named “Villan of the Year” by The Ridgewood Blog.
Much about The BCIA funding and it appears that they are going forward with both funding options .
Paul Vagiones concluded the meeting with comments regarding kitchen table meetings . One was held at his kitchen table with our garage friends including Lorraine, Dana and Gail and even though they didn’t agree, it was all very pleasant.
Next meeting is to be held at Ridgewood High School March 9th at 8PM. The Housing Density Ordinances are coming up and COAH litigation and deadlines all in March. Hope this gives you a few ideas. Snow tomorrow I hear! Sincerely, Linda
Ridgewood NJ, Every March, we are all faced with the arrival of Daylight Saving Time and its impact on our circadian rhythms,our sleep-wake pattern. The 1-hour shift in time can even temporarily disrupt our ability to fall asleep at night and to wake up in the morning. We not only lose an hour of sleep, but the time change disrupts the body’s biological clock and circadian rhythm. The effect is the same as jetlag in plane travel, in which our bodies remain on the prior schedule for a period of time.
“People who sleep well can usually adjust to the time shift with little difficulty,” says Jeffrey P. Barasch, M.D., Medical Director of The Valley Hospital Center for Sleep Medicine in Ridgewood, NJ. However, if someone has been coping with chronic difficulty sleeping, daylight saving time can worsen or uncover an undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorder, such as insomnia or sleep apnea.
It is important to keep in mind that the required amount of sleep per day changes with age, and studies indicate the following recommended sleep durations:
• Newborns — 16 to 18 hours a day
• Preschool-aged children —11 to 12 hours a day
• School-aged children — at least 10 hours a day
• Teens — 9 to 10 hours a day
• Adults (age 20-64) — 7 to 9 hours a day
• Elderly (age 65 and over) —7 to 8 hours a day
“Unfortunately, as you well know, sometimes life can prevent us from going to bed when we want to and many of us have experienced the frustration of not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep once we are in bed,” Dr. Barasch says. “Luckily, our bodies can adjust to occasional instances when we do not get enough sleep.”
But what happens when we are consistently not getting enough sleep? According to Dr. Barasch, sleep deprivation can impact the brain and every organ in the body. During sleep, a newly discovered network of water channels in the brain, called the glymphatic system, becomes active and functions as a waste disposal system, carrying toxins away which would otherwise accumulate and damage brain cells. The accumulation of one of those toxins, amyloid-beta, is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Barasch warns that those who suffer from chronic sleep deprivation, regardless of the reason, can experience adverse effects in many aspects of their lives. The lack of crucial restorative sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness, irritability, difficulty focusing, deterioration in work or school productivity, and impaired creativity and decision making. Sleep deprivation also affects performance and reaction time. Losing two hours of sleep is similar to the effect of alcohol intoxication. Sleep deprivation is also involved in many automobile, truck and airplane crashes. Lack of sleep also promotes weight gain and may lead to long term health consequences, such as depression, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders and colon cancer.
So what do you do if your struggle with sleep isn’t limited to a change in the clocks?
If you are having difficulty sleeping, the National Institute of Health suggests incorporating some of the following strategies into your nighttime routine:
• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
• Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends.
• Use the hour before bed for quiet time.
• Avoid heavy and/or large meals within a couple hours of bedtime.
• Avoid alcoholic drinks, nicotine and caffeine before bed.
• Spend time outside every day (when possible) and be physically active.
• Keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark (a dim night light is fine, if needed).
• Take a hot bath or use relaxation techniques before bed.
If you regularly experience daytime drowsiness, fatigue or disturbed sleep, consider consulting with a sleep medicine specialist to evaluate and treat the problem.
Ridgewood NJ, Star of Orange Is the New Black and That 70’s Show, LAURA PREPON, and Nutritionist, ELIZABETH TROY will take pictures and sign their new book: The Stash Plan ($26.00).
*This Event is Limited to 300 People
*Each person attending MUST purchase a copy of the book.
*Books must be purchased from Bookends Bookstore
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
By Ted S. McGregor Jr.
Analysis by Ted S. McGregor, Jr.
“I think the council really has exercised honest and forthright due diligence. ” That’s how, in January, 1997, then-Mayor Jack Geraghty described the events that led up to the city’s decision to participate as a partner in the River Park Square project. Now, three years after that controversial decision and just seven months after the new mall opened, the degree and quality of that due diligence is being reexamined as a way to understand why the parking garage – the city’s portion of the deal – is failing to meet expectations.
As the specter of having to tap the city’s parking meter fund to help the garage stay afloat has emerged as a real possibility, the scramble for solutions has begun. A few want to refinance the entire deal; others flirt with the idea of somehow reneging on the pledge of the parking meter money; and some want to stay the course, waiting for the second phase of the mall to open and the additional parkers it could bring. But even after just seven months, the garage’s performance is so far below expectations that some are saying holding course isn’t really an option.
How could so many people be so surprised by the garage’s performance? Weren’t the best consultants in the country hired to test the feasibility of the entire project, specifically the garage? That Walker Parking Study, most agree, is where the garage’s problems begin. How a document that appears to be so deeply flawed came to be relied on so heavily for this project raises new questions about that study and the city’s self-described due diligence.
Ridgewood NJ, Hillary Clinton has managed to avoid similar treatment despite her glowing praise for former Senator Robert Byrd, who joined the KKK when he was 24-years-old because he didn’t want to fight alongside “race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds,” during World War II.
As a young man, Sen. Byrd was an ‘exalted cyclops’ ( the BOSS) of the Ku Klux Klan. Although he apologized numerous times for what he considered a youthful indiscretion, his early votes in Congress–notably a filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act–reflected racially separatist views.
“I shall never fight in the armed forces with a negro by my side,” vowed Byrd in a 1944 letter to Sen. Theodore Bilbo (D-MS).
Byrd subsequently wrote another letter in 1946 in which he asserted that, “The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia and in every state in the nation.” Its funny how the Democrats always skate on their racist past .
The Democrats a History :
Democrats fought to expand slavery while Republicans fought to end it.
Democrats passed those discriminatory Black Codes and Jim Crow laws.
Democrats supported and passed the Missouri Compromise to protect slavery.
Democrats supported and passed the Kansas Nebraska Act to expand slavery.
Democrats supported and backed the Dred Scott Decision.
Democrats opposed educating blacks and murdered our teachers.
Democrats fought against anti-lynching laws.
Democrat Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, is well known for having been a “Kleagle” in the Ku Klux Klan.
Democrat Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, personally filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for 14 straight hours to keep it from passage.
Democrats passed the Repeal Act of 1894 that overturned civil right laws enacted by Republicans.
Democrats declared that they would rather vote for a “yellow dog” than vote for a Republican, because the Republican Party was known as the party for blacks.
Democrat President Woodrow Wilson, reintroduced segregation throughout the federal government immediately upon taking office in 1913.
Democrat President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first appointment to the Supreme Court was a life member of the Ku Klux Klan, Sen. Hugo Black, Democrat of Alabama.
Democrat President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s choice for vice president in 1944 was Harry Truman, who had joined the Ku Klux Klan in Kansas City in 1922.
Democrat President Franklin D. Roosevelt resisted Republican efforts to pass a federal law against lynching.
Democrat President Franklin D. Roosevelt opposed integration of the armed forces.
Democrat Senators Sam Ervin, Albert Gore, Sr. and Robert Byrd were the chief opponents of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Democrats supported and backed Judge John Ferguson in the case of Plessy v Ferguson.
Democrats supported the School Board of Topeka Kansas in the case of Brown v The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas.
Democrat public safety commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor, in Birmingham, Ala., unleashed vicious dogs and turned fire hoses on black civil rights demonstrators.
Democrats were who Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the other protesters were fighting.
Democrat Georgia Governor Lester Maddox “brandished an ax hammer to prevent blacks from patronizing his restaurant.
Democrat Governor George Wallace stood in front of the Alabama schoolhouse in 1963, declaring there would be segregation forever.
Democrat Arkansas Governor Faubus tried to prevent desegregation of Little Rock public schools.
Democrat Senator John F. Kennedy voted against the 1957 Civil rights Act.
Democrat President John F. Kennedy opposed the 1963 March on Washington by Dr. King.
Democrat President John F. Kennedy, had Dr. King wiretapped and investigated by the FBI.
Democrat President Bill Clinton’s mentor was U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, an Arkansas Democrat and a supporter of racial segregation.
Democrat President Bill Clinton interned for J. William Fulbright in 1966-67.
Democrat Senator J. William Fulbright signed the Southern Manifesto opposing the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision.
Democrat Senator J. William Fulbright joined with the Dixiecrats in filibustering the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1964.
Democrat Senator J. William Fulbright voted against the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Southern Democrats opposed desegregation and integration.
Ridgewood NJ, Get up to speed on the latest details released from the Village on the proposed parking garage on Hudson Street.
DESMAN HUDSON STREET DECK DRAWINGS – 1/29/2016
These drawings represent the site plan, floor plan & building sections for the revised design of the Deck at Hudson Street. This Deck design was first considered in October 2015. There will be 325 parking spots. The height to the roof is approx. 43′ and 46′ 8″ to the parapet. Click Here for Drawings
This document produced by BCIA Professionals contrasts BCIA County Guaranteed Financing with Village of Ridgewood Stand Alone Financing for debt associated with the Parking Deck Project. Please note that the estimated differential between the two scenarios has changed since last week, due to changes in BCIA issuance costs amended by the BCIA on Friday, January 29, 2016. Now, there is an estimated differential of $22,248 which averages less than $900 per year. Click Here for the document.
