If Mayor Paul does not issue an emphatic statement about this then I think the citizens should upraise. It is ridiculous that he allowed this to happen in a meeting that he chairs, he said nothing, he did nothing, he did not speak to Dana on the way out, he is such an obnoxious self-serving jerk. It is increasingly apparent that this whole event may have been in some way planned in order to make Dana look bad. Well, Sir Paul and Sir Albert, this did not happen. Instead you and your blondie gal Friday wound up looking like complete and total insensitive, uncivil idiots. There are simply not enough horrible adjectives to describe the three of you.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
349 AM EST SUN FEB 14 2016
…DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS THIS MORNING…
…WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST TODAY…
* LOCATIONS…NEW YORK CITY…LONG ISLAND AND PORTIONS OF
NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY.
* HAZARD TYPES…DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS.
* TIMING…THIS MORNING.
* WIND CHILL…15 TO 24 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
* WINDS…NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.
* IMPACTS…THE FRIGID CONDITIONS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE
VENTURING OUTSIDE. PROLONGED EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE FROSTBITE. THE
COMBINATION OF VERY LOW WIND CHILLS AND FRIGID AIR TEMPERATURES
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN FROZEN PIPES…FROSTBITE AND
HYPOTHERMIA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS
WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN
FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
OUTDOOR EXPOSURE SHOULD BE LIMITED. IF YOU ARE HEADING OUTDOORS…
DRESS IN LAYERS AND KEEP YOUR HANDS AND HEAD COVERED TO PROTECT
AGAINST FROSTBITE
Ridgewood NJ, With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I wanted to gauge your interest in a story about American spending habits around the romantic holiday, the topic of a recent survey conducted by Finder.com, a personal finance comparison and education site. The survey, which polled over 3,000 Americans, covered a ton of interesting data points, including how much people spend and the differences in spending based by state, length of relationship and gender. It also looked at secret spending, where a partner knowingly hides purchases from their significant other. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to share the findings, some of which include:
Respondents in Kansas spent the most on their partners on Valentine’s Day, with an average spend of $117, followed by Nevada ($112), Idaho ($111), North Dakota ($108), Hawaii ($102), Arkansas ($93), Virginia ($87), Florida ($83), California and South Carolina ($82).
The states that spent least on their Valentine were New Hampshire ($31) and South Dakota, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, Wyoming and Kentucky (all $36).
34% of Americans plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day by going to a restaurant
Those who are in 2 to 5 year relationship will get the highest valued gifts
Married couples were the most likely not to buy a gift at all
30% of Americans have hidden purchases from their loved ones
In the U.S. alone, there are 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day, a trend expected to continue for the next 15 years. This means that about 3.6 million Americans are retiring each year. And more Americans are retiring outside of the U.S. every year, as evidenced by almost 375,000 retirees receiving their Social Security checks overseas in 2013 (the latest data published by the Social Security Administration).
The dollar has appreciated against most foreign currencies. Thanks to this exchange rate, purchasing property overseas has become relatively reasonable and certainly much less expensive than the purchase of similar property here in the U.S. The cost of living in most overseas locations is a good deal less, which means you can maintain a better lifestyle and your savings will last longer.
In addition, although the cost and quality of health care varies substantially from country to country, there are many overseas locations that offer health care services similar to what is provided in the U.S. and usually at a great deal less.
As you research overseas locations you should select some destinations and check to see how they compare to your needs and expectations. Considerations should be:
Ridgewood NJ, Within the timeframe of a year and a half, about 80 percent of new businesses fail, according to Bloomberg Business research.
And, throughout the past 30-plus years, the amount of new businesses has drastically declined, according to Gallup. During the economic meltdown of 2008, it was the first time in several decades in which more businesses failed than new ones were started. About 70,000 more businesses fail than are launched.
“We see it all the time in our communities – signs on doors that read, ‘Due to circumstances beyond our control we have to close our business…’ What business owners today don’t seem to understand is that what’s required, not only to survive but to thrive, is absolutely within their control,” says Pamela Herrmann, author of the bestseller “The Customer Manifesto, How Business Has Failed Customers And What It Takes To Earn Lasting Loyalty,” ranked No. 3 on the list of customer service books every business owner should read by Business.com.
“The truth is, what is required is way outside their skill sets. The typical business owner has no idea how to create leverage, how to utilize new technologies, how to strategize on any level that makes them competitive or how to stop the hemorrhaging of cash in the form of failed online marketing investments.
Herrmann is co-founder, along with Patty Dominguez, of CREATE Buzz (www.CreateBuzzNow.com), a Fortune 50 branding expert which is changing the way small businesses connect with their customers – both online and offline. Dominguez and Herrmann review four mistakes – and ways to correct them – to keep businesses thriving:
• They miss their biggest revenue opportunity. “When we look at traditional marketing, so many solutions providers are focused on customer acquisition and how to get prospects into their marketing funnel – which is totally necessary and valid,” Dominguez says. “However, the biggest revenue opportunity is in knowing how to keep these customers, because that’s where the higher profits are in the lifecycle of a customer.”
“We teach our small business clients not only how to get new customers but more importantly, how to keep their existing customers,” Herrmann says. “Most small businesses don’t have the foundational strategy for how to build their business for growth. Once you have that in place, marketing tactics such as word of mouth online can be fully leveraged, and that is the key to organic growth.”
• Entrepreneurs not only track the wrong metrics, they don’t even know what they are. In the absence of a strategy, business owners make marketing decisions based on short-term data, like how much money is in the bank or how many sales they made last month. This is reactive — not proactive.
“In life and in business, it’s often not the ability to answer a question, but rather whether or not you’re asking the right questions,” Dominguez says.
So, what are some of those questions? – The duo have come up with the following:
How many new leads did you get this month?
How much did it cost you to acquire that new lead or customer (CAC)?
What’s the average value of a single transaction?
What is the lifetime value of your customer (LTV)?
• Businesses don’t manager their message across all customer touch points. Technology brings customers to us from so many sources. Most businesses are not aware of all the ways consumers are using technology to find businesses to transact with. Businesses should go through the process of creating a Customer Journey Map so that they can see all the touch points across all channels and first measure how well they are doing and then identify gaps and opportunities. The goal in this process is to know exactly what your customer is thinking, feeling and doing throughout their engagement at touch point. This one exercise alone will show you where your profits are being won or lost.
• They don’t know the fundamentals of marketing that are the cornerstones to any long term growth strategy. Just like an archer tries to hit the bull’s-eye, an entrepreneur tries to reach her customers. No matter how many arrows that may be in her quiver, if she doesn’t know how to aim, she’ll probably miss with each attempt. The same is true with marketing: you can spend vast amounts in a campaign, but you need to know the who, the how and the why of your aim.
Dominguez, a Fortune 50 business strategist, says: “You need to know who you’re marketing to. Why are you marketing to them? What are their wants and needs; what keeps them up at night? Are there emotional triggers that make your marketing relevant? What is your brand promise and what makes you different from the guy down the street? And, you when you do you this effectively, you shift from sinking money into fixing problems and into growing your business through strategic decision making.
About Pamela Herrmann and Patty Dominguez
Pamela Herrmann and Patty Dominguez cofounded CREATE Buzz (www.createbuzznow.com), an online training experience which helps business owners and their employees get powerful, positive and practical customer engagement habits that build loyalty. As CREATE Buzz, Herrmann and Dominguez provide deep insights and strategic planning on how to make your marketing dollars convert more sales. They co-host Customers For Life podcast and co-host The Morning Would Show providing daily motivation. The duo have a very big vision of helping one million companies leverage customer loyalty in the digital age, and they’ve influenced thousands of entrepreneurs with their straight talk about growing business from a place of strategy.
Ridgewood NJ, Councilwomen Gwen Hauck has announced her re-election bid for Ridgewood Village Council. On her email she lists village hall as the mailing address for her campaign?Maybe that is ok in NJ, but it does seem odd. Maybe she should also have add. ” Or visit my Field Office located at The Valley Hospital Campus in Ridgewood.
Gwen’s term on the Village council has been marred by controversy . In 2012 when she ran Gwen promised a return to a more “healthy dialogue” in the Village , results have been anything but. Gwen’s is part of the triumvirate known in the Village as the “3 Amigos” which includes Mayor Paul Aronsohn ,Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli and Gwen Hauck . The 3 Amigos are led by Mayor Paul Aronsohn and vote as a block on all issues .
Gwen known for her cookie baking for senior citizens had her tenure on the Village Council marked by massive conflicts on interest with Valley Hospital , the over reliance of electronic devices during council meetings, her absence during a key reorg vote, the use of a taxpayer funded newsletter to self promote ,the constant documented attacks from the dais on Village residents , and now the revelation of her implication in the whole sale murder of “wood turtles” at Irene Habernickel Family Park a “Threatened Species” and most recently totally ignoring and some suggest covering up of an alleged assault at a Village council meeting on a Ridgewood resident.
Dear Friends,
I am very excited to announce that I will be running for re-election on May 10, 2016.
Over the next five months I will be hosting focus groups in many of your neighborhoods to explain what I have accomplished and what I believe in. Most importantly, I will be listening to what residents have to say.
Ridgewood deserves diligent, centered leadership. Ridgewood deserves someone who works to find common ground; someone who works for all citizens, a practical problem solver who considers economic, political AND administrative details. My goal is to be that leader for you.
I have created a website, GwennHauck.com, which will highlight current council issues and my thoughts on them. I hope you will find this to be a place you come to understand my views on the current events that are affecting Ridgewood.
Find something interesting? Email me directly after you read an article to share your views. Want to join the discussion? Sign up to host a focus group where residents can learn more about me, and I can learn more about the issues that concern them.
Let’s work together to make us all proud of Ridgewood.
Ridgewood NJ, A recent OPERA request turned up the Village was buying bottled water .I guess Ridgewood Water isn’t good enough for some employees. Maybe it’s the lead.
Village eblast January 5th 2015 , “The water supplied by Ridgewood Water does not have lead in it. A small number of homes in the Ridgewood Water service territory have plumbing materials that can leach lead into the water which caused an exceedance of the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for lead during routine testing in 2012. Regulatory agencies require that water utilities test for lead by setting up “worst‐case‐ scenarios” at locations at increased risk such as those known to have lead service lines. Additionally, the samples taken for testing must be water that has been undisturbed and in contact with the household plumbing for at least 6 hours. These samples are usually taken in the morning before any water has been used including the flushing of toilets. Therefore, samples are usually collected by residents. Each participating resident received the test results for their specific location. Additionally, virtually every faucet has brass components that contain a percentage of lead. This is why it is prudent to let a faucet run for several seconds before using the water for cooking and drinking, especially if the faucet has not been used for several hours. If your service line is made of lead, run the water for a longer period to clear all of the water from the service line. Please call 201‐ 670‐3372 if you are unsure of your service line material. Ridgewood Water will start using a phosphate‐based additive later this year that will also address this issue by coating the lines and faucets effectively stopping the leaching of lead into the water”
photo by Boyd Loving minutes after the alleged assault at the council meeting
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – Ridgewood’s Village Council voted 3-2 to bond with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) on Feb. 10 in order to fund the proposed Hudson Street parking garage.
This came on the heels of last week’s unanimous vote of the BCIA to authorize the submission of an application to the state local finance board, accelerating the process along.
Just as there was at the BCIA version, Wednesday’s meeting featured both proponents and opponents of the decision to bond with the county, including village residents and council members.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, who voted against adopting the ordinance to bond with the BCIA, said that she still has some serious concerns with moving the process along at this time.
“I think that before we get into this, it’s really important to have a conversation with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and be neighborly and have the simulations and all of the information available to address and allay any concerns that they have,” she said.
While she did admit that bonding with the BCIA “seems like a great option,” she said that she continues to believe “that when we find the appropriate scale and design of this garage, it could be done on self-bonding.”
“While there seems to be some financial benefits to be gained by going through the BCIA, some of the detriments are very real,” Knudsen said. “Maintaining ownership and absolute control is imperative to the success of this garage … I think it’s still an opportunity to bond on our own.”
Councilman Mike Sedon, who cast the other dissenting vote against bonding with the BCIA, said he thinks it is necessary to have a payment plan in place before moving forward.
FEBRUARY 12, 2016, 5:54 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, 5:57 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — A village couple hoping to slip North Jersey’s winter chill got more than they bargained for last week after their cruise ship, destined for the Bahamas, sailed into a North Atlantic storm packing hurricane-force winds and towering waves.
Lou and Linda Lembo are no strangers to the sea — together they’ve gone on 18 cruises which have taken them to Alaska, across Europe, and to a number of Caribbean islands.
But their journey aboard the hulking 1,141-foot Anthem of the Seas, which departed Feb. 6 from Bayonne, was a bit more “interesting” due to a tempest that struck late Sunday afternoon.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
404 AM EST FRI FEB 12 2016
…DANGEROUSLY COLD WINDCHILLS THIS WEEKEND…
…WIND CHILL WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING…
* LOCATIONS…COASTAL CONNECTICUT…AND WESTERN BERGEN COUNTY.
* HAZARD TYPES…DANGEROUS TO POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING
WINDCHILLS.
* TIMING…COLDEST WIND CHILLS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY
SUNDAY MORNING.
* WIND CHILL…AS LOW AS AROUND 25 BELOW ZERO DUE TO TEMPERATURES 0 TO 5 BELOW ZERO…AND WINDS NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.
* IMPACTS…THE FRIGID CONDITIONS WILL BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO
THOSE VENTURING OUTSIDE. PROLONGED EXPOSURE WILL CAUSE
FROSTBITE. THE COMBINATION OF VERY LOW WIND CHILLS AND FRIGID
AIR TEMPERATURES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN FROZEN PIPES…
FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WIND CHILL WATCH MEANS THE THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A
COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS TO CREATE
DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS
AND WARNINGS FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.
FEBRUARY 12, 2016 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY AIMEE LA FOUNTAIN
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Girl Scout Troop 1326 completed their Silver Award project of restoring the fitness parcourse that lines the trails at Veterans Field and Maple Park. The course became open to the public on Nov. 20, 2015.
The Silver Award is the second-highest award given by the Girl Scouts of America and the highest award Girl Scout Cadettes may receive.
“Not a lot of individuals across the country finish the award,” said Troop 1326 leader Bernadette Walsh.
Four Girl Scout cadettes from Troop 1326 carried out the project: Katie Doyle, Erin Shevlin, Celeste Walsh and Chloe Young.
“They chose an ambitious project. They were thinking of things that would be sustainable and have an impact on students and adults,” Walsh said. “They all live in Ridgewood and have seen the old parcourse’s decay, so that’s how they came up with this idea.”
The scouts removed two stations and rehabilitated the push-up and knee-lift apparatuses from the parcourse’s original 18-part layout. They also added numerous new equipment, including a chin-up bar, balance board and balance plank.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Knights of Columbus are once again proud to be sponsoring their annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance on Saturday, March 19th, beginning at7:00 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 McLoughlin Dance School. There will also be a grand prize raffle drawing for a trip to Ireland.
Tickets are $55 per person. Payment can be mailed to:
Come enjoy this annual celebration as the Knights of Columbus continue the tradition that the People of Ireland started over a thousand years ago. And what better way to celebrate the life of Saint Patrick then to gather with friends and family, enjoy a fine meal, and dance to great music!
Come out and celebrate St. Patrick’s with the Ridgewood Knights !
FEBRUARY 12, 2016 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – Ridgewood’s Village Council members discussed the proposed addition of HealthBarn USA to the Irene Habernickel Family Park at the Feb. 3 meeting.
“I feel very strongly that it makes sense to have HealthBarn there,” said Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “I’m not just supportive of this program, I’m excited about it.”
The final decision on whether to approve HealthBarn moving onto the property was postponed to a later date during the Feb. 10 meeting, due to some of the council members wanting to see the business’ lease before deciding on anything.
The current plan is to have HealthBarn USA, a company that offers various outdoor activities to children, take up partial residence in the house on the Habernickel property, in exchange for payment to the village.
This does not sit well with local resident Margene Rubin, who said at the Feb. 3 meeting she feels the addition of HealthBarn to the property would make the area a less-enjoyable place to live.
“Everyone in that area that faces that field does not want (HealthBarn),” Rubin said, adding that HealthBarn founder Stacey Antine can “go someplace else” and not disrupt the neighborhood.
“It’s very upsetting,” said Rubin. “I really do encourage you to think about how many people this is upsetting,”
Ridgewood NJ, Some questions from the most recent walker report. May be some of our readers who are more financial savvy can answer them / explain them, as residents are a little confused:
1. The main argument for the biggest garage is that it is needed for CBD’s revival. This week’s Walker Report projects up-to 20% reduction in cars coming in to CDB. So, how exactly will this help?
“We project a 10% reduction in volume from rate increases and a 7.5% – 10% reduction in volume for the extension of meter hours through the dinner hour”..
https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/20160203revwalker.pdf
2. OLMC was promised that no rates will increase on Saturday evenings. This report doesn’t reflect that.
3. They mention that this report cannot be used for financing. So, the consultant themselves are not confident about this report?
“As with the previous study, this is considered a preliminary analysis. We have not done the very detailed analysis that is required for a financing document and our projections cannot be used as such.”
4. On Jan 27th, in village council meeting, when this new contract was awarded to Walker Consultants, we were told that they will provide us the new makeup of the parking garage, i.e. how many commuters, how many shoppers and how many CBD employees should park there. That break down is not provided in this report (I think we paid somewhere between 12-20k for this piece of pdf).
5. This report recommends additional enforcement for the extended hours, but it doesn’t consider additional enforcement officer’s compensation in the calculations?
