Ridgewood NJ, its official tonight is the night , the time moves back one hour at 2 a.m. local time Nov. 1; unless your out and about or doing some late night tick or treating you should reset your clocks before going to bed so you won’t arrive at appointments an hour early tomorrow .
While many question whether anyone in New Jersey really knows what time it is .Arizona and Hawaii are now the only two states that do not observe daylight saving time. During daylight saving time, parts of Arizona match up with Pacific Time instead of the Mountain time zone that the state is in. U.S. territories where time simply does not have the same meaning like Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas also do not observe daylight saving time.
In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act into law, making daylight savings time the law of the land . The U.S. Department of Transportation is the keeper of daylight saving time.
So why does it exist ; one argument for daylight saving time is that fewer accidents happen during daylight hours, so extending morning daylight in winter and evening daylight in summer results in a slight reduction in automobile accidents.
The idea behind daylight saving time is to take advantage of daylight hours and save energy. This theory has come under debate inn recent years ,with many “daylight deniers ” out there . In 2008 federal Department of Energy study, U.S. electricity use decreased by 0.5% for each day of extended daylight saving time, resulting in a savings of 0.03% for the year as a whole.
While the savings may seem small in percentage terms, in absolute terms, if the theory is true added up to 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours ,which is enough to power about 122,000 average U.S. homes for a year.
Others point to the time change is actually is rooted in an agricultural society. The idea of “extending” daylight was meant to provide more time to work in the fields.Remember humanity spent most of its pre-Edison existence siting around in the dark .
The staff of the Ridgewood blog would like to put forth one more theory , and that is golf . As we have witnessed through US modern history a good game of golf can not be under estimated by any administration with extended daylight adding much to handicaps .
Most pollsters will tell you that the majority finds it more a nuisance rather than benefit but, they secretly take pleasure in their friends and coworkers who show up late or early the next day .
Ridgewood Police Encourage Safety first for Halloween
October 29,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, To help ensure a safe Halloween weekend we will have additional marked and unmarked police units deployed throughout the weekend. Once again Ridgewood Police Officers will be handing out Glow Sticks to Trick or Treaters tomorrow while on patrol. The Glow sticks help increase visibility of pedestrians. You can also stop by the Police Desk and pick up glow sticks. We would also like to thank Ridgewood PBA Local 20 for their donation of glow sticks to supplement our Halloween Safety Program
Here are some tips for helping keep young ones safe on Halloween:
Motorists
• Slowdown in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals. Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart into the street.
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. In dark costumes, they’ll be harder to see at night.
• Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
• Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
• Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
• Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and front porches.
Parents
• Ensure an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise children under age 12.
• Plan and discuss the route your
trick-or-treaters will follow.
• Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
• Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger’s home or garage.
• Establish a time for children to return home.
• Tell children not to eat any treats until they get home.
• Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
• Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and visible with retro-reflective material.
Trick-or-Treaters
• Be bright at night – wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and treat buckets to improve visibility to motorists and others.
• Wear disguises that don’t obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.
• Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.
• Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it face down in the treat bucket to free up one hand. Never shine it into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
• Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.
• If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
• Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
• Cross streets only at the corner, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
• Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.
• Tell your parents where you are going.
Tips courtesy of AAA
Contact your local AAA club for more tips and information about Halloween safety. br>
Public Hearing – Habernickel Park – November 4, 2015
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood will hold a Public Hearing on November 4, 2015 at a Special Public Meeting, during their regularly scheduled Work Session, which begins at 7:30 P.M. in the Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey for public comment on the following:
Changing the use of the house at 1057 Hillcrest Road, Block 1103, Lot 16.01, Ridgewood, NJ, located in the Irene Habernickel Family Park from a residential lease to an educational and recreational programing lease.
A public hearing is required pursuant to NJDEP Green Acres Rules N.J.A.C. 7:36-25-6 et. seq. for a change in purpose or use of funded or unfunded parkland.
Documents relating to the proposed development are available for examination by the public at the Village Manager’s Office of the Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oral comments and testimony will be heard at the public hearing. Written comments may be submitted before the date of the hearing or within two weeks from the date of the public hearing.
Written comments or inquiries should be directed to Nancy Lawrence, NJDEP Green Acres Program, Bureau of Legal Services & Stewardship, Mail Code 501-01, P.O. Box 420, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420 and Janet Fricke, Assistant to the Village Manager, Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07451 or by telephone at (201) 670-5500, Extension 204 or by email to: [email protected].
OCTOBER 30, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Schedler woods must be preserved
To the Editor:
When it comes to the Schedler property, we mustn’t be naughty and we can’t afford to be nice.
We mustn’t be naughty and remove a majority of the trees for a 90-foot athletic field, but likewise a “nice park” as many residents recommend won’t do either.
Ridgewood, Bergen County, America and the rest of the world is experiencing an environmental crisis of unprecedented proportions due to a dire lack of what we now call wildscapes: undeveloped land where our ecological system can flourish.
Because we have so few remaining acreages of woods and forests, the balance of plants and wildlife required to produce food, the quality of our air and water is seriously threatened.
There has always been a “necessary reason,” as it is phrased, for woods to be replaced by development.
We are told we need another shopping mall, a strip mall, another housing development, another parking lot, another athletic field. You name it and there is an excuse for trees to be chopped down.
But now the time has arrived where it is vital that to preserve every acre of remaining woodland.
Therefore, it would be irresponsible to develop Schedler to any degree whatsoever.
Let our 7 acres of Schedler become a beacon, a lodestar, perhaps even accruing the power of a meme, communicating that we in Ridgewood know that those wild woods left alone are of the utmost value.
Ridgewood NJ, The staff of The Ridgewood Blog has learned that on Thursday, 10/29, a Ridgewood Police department officer observed two (2) pieces of excavating equipment being operated on a Village street in violation of the NJ State Department of Motor Vehicle (NJDMV) regulation requiring vehicle registration and liability insurance.
The equipment was being operated by a contractor hired by the Village of Ridgewood to perform leaf removal services. Use of the equipment was suspended, at the request of Ridgewood PD, until such time that it complies with NJDMV requirements.
On Wednesday night October 28, Councilwoman Susan Knudsen asked that a letter which is posted on the Village of Ridgewood website be removed. This letter, supporting the Hudson Street Garage project, indicates that it comes from an entire committee, which it turns out is not the case. Councilwoman Knudsen’s polite request was summarily dismissed by you.
This leads me to ask: Who controls the Village of Ridgewood website? It is paid for by the taxpayers. I am not sure who asked and authorized that the letter (as well as another one supporting the Hudson Street Garage) be put on the VOR website in the first place, but all indications are that it was you, since you have been liberally quoting the letter as “another endorsement for our parking garage.” The VOR website is not your personal website (again, it is being paid for by taxpayers), so if you choose as Mayor to have a letter posted to support a project that you endorse, then another Council member has an equal right to have the letter removed. Last I checked, each councilperson has an equal say in matters of government and policy.
I personally do not believe that such letters have a place on the VOR website at all. But, since you clearly disagree with me, then I respectfully request that you post Councilwoman Knudsen’s letter, which appears in The Ridgewood News today, on the VOR website immediately. The entire community has a right to see all sides of the issue. As Councilman Sedon emphatically stated on Wednesday, people should vote any way they wish. Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli wrote similar sentiments in a published letter last week. Enthusiasm for, or against, any project in the Village is the right and responsibility of our elected officials. Overstepping the bounds of your one-vote authority is completely wrong.
For your convenience, I have pasted Councilwoman Knudsen’s letter below, and have also provided a hyperlink to it. Failure to either remove the “endorsement” letters from the VOR website, or to post Councilwoman Knudsen’s letter alongside them, will clearly indicate that you place your judgment, position, and “power” above that of another elected official.
Ridgewood News Letter: Be informed before you vote
October 30, 2015
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
To the editor:
Last Friday, readers of this newspaper may have been surprised to read a letter to the editor (“HPC supports parking garage”) from the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission stating that the HPC had endorsed a plan for a Hudson Street parking garage. Their instincts were correct: it’s not true.
In the letter, Vincent Parrillo asserted that the HPC “supports approval of the parking garage and encourages all residents to vote ‘yes’ for the Nov. 3 referendum.” Not so; in fact, Mr. Parrillo introduced the Oct. 8 HPC meeting (not Oct. 15, as the letter stated) as a “courtesy review” of garage drawings, stating the HPC does not vote on such approvals. I was there as council liaison.
The architectural firm selected by the council to prepare drawings showed components of a proposed design to HPC members, who asked questions and made suggestions. The meeting was entirely informational. HPC members did not approve the garage. At no time did the Village HPC discuss approval.
The letter, on official letterhead, has since been posted on the Village website. It was also published by The Ridgewood News in print and online. It’s been highlighted in the mayor’s communications, signed and sent by him through his personal email account, pressing voters to approve the garage.
Obtaining voter approval is the only reason for next Tuesday’s nonbinding referendum. Voters should therefore consider the following.
The proposed garage would occupy the entire 100-by-300-foot corner of Hudson Street, becoming the largest building in the Central Business District. At 50 to 66 feet high, it would tower over adjacent 25-foot buildings, meeting or exceeding the height of proposed multifamily housing that has been publicly repudiated as out of place in our historic downtown.
All existing on-street parking on Hudson would be eliminated, as would some spaces on South Broad. Traffic patterns on Hudson and nearby roads would be reversed. The garage would be cantilevered over 300 feet of the Hudson Street sidewalk with an additional two feet extending over the street. An additional 300-plus vehicles will be added to the already congested intersection.
To subsidize the project, the Village would increase meter rates throughout town and extend meter hours to 9 p.m. where they now end at 6 p.m. If Parking Utility revenues fell short, Ridgewood taxpayers would be held responsible for the bond and be sole guarantors of the principal and interest.
Voting “yes” would mean: “We 26,000 residents agree to pay lots more for parking, $15 million for a garage plus likely cost overruns, and maintenance and repairs forever.”
Voters harboring doubts about the wisdom of this project should consider carefully how they vote on Nov. 3. This is not a vote “for parking” but a choice about the height and mass of the proposed structure and whether Ridgewood taxpayers accept responsibility for being sole guarantors of a $15 million bond.
Be informed and vote.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen
Village of Ridgewood
Dear Roberta,
Please immediately remove the Historic Preservation Commission letter, dated 10/23/15, from the Village website. (reference:https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2015HPCPGLStatement.pdf)
The letter does not accurately reflect the Historic Preservation Commission meeting held on October 8, 2015. Minutes and audio are available from Michael Cafarelli or I can send a direct link to access.
Thank you,
Susan
Dear Susan,
As you know from the email we received today at 2:57 PM, Vince Parrillo stands by the letter and has affirmed through polling all of the HPC members today (one could not be reached) that they all agree that the letter truly reflects the HPC position.
Thanks, Roberta
Best regards,
Roberta
Roberta Sonenfeld Village Manager 201-670-5500, ext. 203
Ridgewood NJ , Mysterious fliers appeared in residents mail boxes this Friday afternoon urging residents to vote NO on the central business district garage project.
The sender was not relieved. Perhaps the persons who sent the mailing are fearful of reprisal and don’t want to say who they are.
According to disclosure rules if you spend less then $2100 ( I think) you don’t have to disclosed to anyone who contributed. Looks like a few people put up big buck to do this. I guess they were tired of the 3 Amigos using the Village web site to post their spin on the garage.
OCTOBER 30, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
How do you raise a child with diabetes?While every story is different, for village resident Charlotte Pillow the recipe would include one part education and one part inspiration, mixed with creativity, philanthropy and a never-give-up attitude.
There’s no doubt that Pillow, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at an early age, is aware of the negative aspects of the disease. But with a decade of experience dealing with diabetes, it has actually become a positive change in her life, and she has spent her more recent years raising awareness of the disease and counseling those who were in the same position as she once was during her elementary school days.
In medical terms, Type 1 Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce a hormone called insulin, which helps get glucose, used by the body for energy, from the bloodstream into the cells of the body. About 5 percent of people with diabetes have this form of the disease.
But in the world of a third grade girl at Hawes Elementary School, it manifested itself in the form of a voracious thirst and appetite and frequent trips to the bathroom.
OCTOBER 28, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015, 9:30 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
American Legion Post 53 hosted a dinner at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (OLMC) Church two Fridays ago in honor of Blue Star families.
Such families have at least one member currently in the military. They can be distinguished by a Blue Star Banner placed on the front of their house, with the number of stars on the banner representing the number of family members currently in the military. These banners are restricted to immediate family only.
“All veteran organizations give a Blue Star Banner to families who have a member … serving in the military,” said Robert Paoli, commander of Post 53. “The banner is displayed in the window of the home or perhaps hanging on the front door.”
The village has a large Blue Star family population, according to Paoli.
“Ridgewood has currently 25 (Blue Star) families,” he said. “I have given out over 100 banners in my tenure in the legion in the last several years.”
The annual dinner, which was invite only, took place in the OLMC parish center, and was catered by Mangiamo Restaurant & Pizza in Paramus.
Thank you Marcia. Great letter. Last night our mayor went after Ms. Jacqueline Hone in this matter, deliberately and nastily. She was great, she calmly came right back at him and stated that she has emails from Robert Abbatomarco stating all of this, she held up a notebook with all the information she has carefully collected and collated. Aronsohn said he talked to Robert Abbatomarco and everything Ms. Hone said was completely untrue. He called a concerned resident a liar. REALLY? This is how you conduct business? Instead of meeting with Ms. Hone, as she has requested on numerous occasions, and going over the facts together, he just calmly “says” that her information is wrong.
Ms. Hone was not the only resident they went after last night. Clearly their nerves are frayed.
I am writing to speak with you about our early experiences this leaf season.
As you know last year we introduced the “No Leaf Left Behind” initiative and introduced changes to the leaf pick-up process. This year, we held our second leaf summit with all of our staff engaged in the leaf process to review post-mortem results from last year as well as to think through new enhancements to the processing of leaves. For example, we are introducing a new piece of equipment to our tool box, a claw, that we think will add value. If we see a significant improvement we will buy another claw for next year. We also rebid the leaf removal process for Section B – we have a new contractor this year based on lowest bid requirements.
Importantly, we heard you last year about the need for strict enforcement of the leaf schedule, particularly the issue that some residents and/or their contractors were placing their leaves in the street right after a collection cycle thereby causing many leaves left on the streets for weeks. In our recent letter that was mailed to all residents with the leaf schedule, we also indicated that we would strictly enforce the leaf schedule and that summonses would be issued. Unfortunately I can report to you that we did compliance monitoring on various streets within Area A after leaf pick up was concluded on October 22nd and we had a very large number of violators. Over two days, we had over 40 summonses to be written – this was also a limited review…. we could have documented many more and this is not acceptable for our community.
I want to explain to you why I decided not to issue summonses in these cases – instead we are issuing warnings. It turns out that violating the leaf ordinance, even the first time, requires a court appearance by the resident; fines begin at $50. It was this court appearance that resulted in the decision that warnings would be issued for the first week of leaf collection in each Leaf Area. Summonses will begin the second week in each Area. Please remember that the homeowner is responsible for his/her landscaper. We have been in contact with registered landscapers and shared the schedule with them as part of our communications strategy.
A couple of other points to share with you. First, we did get a bit of an early start in Area A this year which caused some confusion for residents. Our intent was always to loop back to those streets that we started early but I apologize for any confusion that this may have caused. Secondly, as we did last year we will add collection dates to the schedule if they are needed. Since the leaves seem to be falling slowly this year, I anticipate that this will be the case. Please check our website (www.ridgewoodnj.net) for updates, and I will send E-Notices when needed.
Our staff is reminding all residents to not place recycling barrels or basketball hoops in the roadway during leaf collection as these objects cause a safety issue and unnecessary maneuvering of our vehicles. Additionally, leaf piles in the street cause potentially dangerous conditions by narrowing the street for vehicles, so residents should avoid parking close to leaf piles or driving over them.
Effective collection of leaves is an effort that requires the Village and its residents to be collaborative and mutually supportive. As a result, I would like to request again that you let us know how we can perform better and be more sensitive to your requirements. We are breaking in a new contractor as well as new equipment and we will closely monitor this but you are our eyes and ears and therefore we are reliant on you to help make this process more effective.
Today the leaves are not quite brown but the skies are grey – Ridgewood dreamin’ on such a Autumn’s day……
Best,
Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203
OCTOBER 28, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015, 12:10 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A resolution has not yet been reached in the matter of the façade color of East Ridgewood Avenue restaurant Tito’s Burritos.
The matter before the Planning Board has been carried to the first meeting in December.
The applicant, Sonic Wave ll, LLC seeks a minor site plan application to keep the restaurant’s blue exterior, which the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) contends is at odds with the guidelines set forth in the village code that aims to preserve the village’s historic downtown area.
David L. Rutherford, the attorney for Tito’s Burritos, said his client had met with the village’s Historic Preservation Commission in September, but noted that “consensus was not reached” at that meeting.
Owner Michael Caldarella said the issue boils down to “visibility” for Tito’s Burritos. The restaurant’s façade is somewhat obscured by the set of stairs that sit on the western side of the building. The navy blue exterior allows the business to stand out and draw customers in, he said.
As I stated during the public comment period at the end of the October 14 council meeting, the process for completing grant applications leaves much to be desired. I particularly noted the casual ease with which the checkbox indicating that the Ridgewood population at large desires whatever is being applied for is checked. This happened with the grant for the Graydon wheelchair ramp, which after two full seasons, as I predicted for the three years in which I fought it, has never been used for its intended purpose. It was also done in the grant to level Schedler.
Let’s put it this way. We know what three of you have been doing and it is unlawful and unacceptable.
Today I learned that Bergen County Open Space official Robert Abbatomarco had written to Village employees noting numerous discrepancies and missing information related to the Schedler grant application. The county considers the October 14, 2015, public hearing on the grant application to be the only official meeting of record regarding the development of Schedler. Once again the Council has “put the cart before the horse” and proceeded as a few insistent people wished before inviting public comment in the proper way.
The county now demands a new resolution that incorporates and represents the public comments made on October 14. Reports and public comments from 2012 and earlier shall not apply. We all know what happened on October 14. I got home from that meeting at 2:45 AM. (In the future, for everyone’s sake, it would be most helpful for topics of wide general interest to be given discrete meetings and not be crammed into general meeting agendas. Trying to exhaust people into not speaking obviously does not work.)
An honest summary of the comments made that night would reveal without question that the neighbors of Schedler and many of their fellow Village residents living elsewhere in town are adamantly opposed to a 90-foot field and other issues, such as clear-cutting the trees that are their only defense against the noise, traffic, and pollution of nearby Route 17.
It is clear from the county’s notification that the pending council resolution was passed in violation of Open Space guidelines and must be revoked and revisited. I hope that will happen tonight, to clear your names.
Inexplicably and unforgivably, although the county’s notification was sent to the Village last month, Village staff clearly ignored it and proceeded to present resolutions and schematic drawings in spite of it. The public was shamefully disinformed. All staff members involved should be reprimanded and ideally terminated.
Please revoke Resolution 15-257 this evening and START OVER.
OCTOBER 27, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015, 5:39 PM
BY RICHARD NEWMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The teller-less bank branch has arrived in Bergen County.
Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank has opened its first New Jersey branch with no teller counter and no tellers in downtown Ridgewood, where Sealfons furniture store used to be.
The 1,315-square-foot storefront has a staff of two and a “discovery table” where customers can sit and peruse an iPad or plug in their own laptops or tablets. It also offers a pair of ATMs that allow customers not only to withdraw cash and deposit checks but cash checks as well.
“We call them Batman and Robin,” said branch manager Angela Isaacs.
Banking officials say it may be the first teller-less branch in New Jersey, but it almost certainly won’t be the last, reflecting the industry’s changing direction in branch building – as well as an increased focus on cross selling banking services.
“The trend for branches is fewer of them, and, generally speaking, they are smaller in size,” said John McWeeney, president of the New Jersey Bankers Association, who added the PNC’s teller-less branch in Ridgewood is the first one that he has heard of in the state.
“Teller transaction activity is dropping significantly, McWeeney said. “It’s a trend we will see more of.”
