the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Arts Council (RAC) is placing a final call to all artists with a connection to Ridgewood to consider donating to a permanent art installation which will be housed throughout Ridgewood’s Village Hall. The intent of this installation, entitled Ridgewood Art at Village Hall, is to celebrate the wealth of talent among Ridgewood-related artists, past and present. We encourage contributors, 16 years and older, with a connection to
Ridgewood, to participate. Posthumous contributions from family members welcome. The process starts by artists e-mailing rac@ridgewoodnj.net for a short online submission form. Art can be in any medium and any size–fine art, photography, textile, mobile art and sculpture included. Deadline for submissions has been extended to August 1 so we urge all interested parties to submit ASAP. Once the installation is in place, we will be inviting our entire community to a gala launch event celebrating RAC and this new chapter of honoring the arts in Ridgewood!
JULY 26, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY ALICE GOMSTYN
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD |
THE RECORD
When Cindy Myer’s husband, Rob, died from a heart attack in 2005, she didn’t just have to worry about taking care of her family — she had a business to run, too.
Myer succeeded her husband as chief executive of Ridgewood Moving Services and turned the struggling company into a profitable venture, which last year had revenue of about $2.3 million.
Myer, who leads some 30 employees, said she’s proud of spearheading that turnaround as well as cementing her company’s strong community ties. She recently took time to reminisce about her journey from amateur business owner to CEO and also explained why her moving company is about more than just moving. (Edited for clarity and length.)
Q. When you and your husband originally bought Ridgewood Moving Services, what was the plan with respect to how the work would be divided between you?
Rob worked for Ridgewood Moving when he had gotten out of the military in the ’80s. We were married in 1985, when I was still in the fashion industry. In 1987, we bought the business. He ran it, and I was a vice president, just by title only.
And then in 1988 when I got pregnant and had my first daughter, I retired to raise a family. He ran the company from 1987 to 2005, when he passed away. He died of a heart attack. He was 47.
Ridgewood NJ, , Readers suggest the Ridgewood Public Library follow the same successful template as the RHS Learning Commons with a public private partnership to raise money for the desired public library renovations.
As many remember Learning Commons project organizers believed a state facilities grant, would supply the last additional needed funds for the community-driven project, even though grants had been awarded across the state, including $434,220 to Ridgewood to finance other work at the high school, the Learning Commons did not fall within the parameters of the grant requirements.
In September 2012 The Ridgewood High School (RHS) Home and School Association (HSA) launched an aggressive fall fundraising campaign to pay for the transformation of the RHS library into a space better suited for 21st century learners. At the time it was thought that the renovation would potentially cost $850,000.The new RHS Learning Commons was needed to replace a library that has not been renovated since it was originally designed in 1963. After a little debate the Village embraced the idea and the needed funds were raised .
The same principles could be applied to the Ridgewood Public Library to attain the desired result and would create a more inclusive comunity based solution.
Before anything is done they need to research this. This is not about wanting a light and airy library and it is not about the director wanting a renovation, this is taxpayer money. They have clubs meeting there and tutoring taking place. Is this what we want in the library or should the focus be on access to books and information?
Who are the current visitors to the library
How often do they visit
What do they use it for
For residents who do not go to the library
What do they want in a library
Is there something missing that keeps them from using the library
For all residents – how many times a week/month/year do they visit the library
Is the library serving the needs of all residents
JULY 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015, 1:14 PM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Park West Tavern Loft will host a special event for developmentally disabled people Friday night.
The event, titled “Club LOU ’15 Summer Blast,” will feature dancing and fun as the participants are taken out for a “night on the town.”
Life Opportunities Unlimited, a Ridgewood-based charity, is the driving force behind the occasion.
“Life Opportunities Unlimited is a human service agency that provides residential and day program services to adults that have developmental disabilities,” said Gail Tamirian-Mandeli, head of the organization.
The charity, founded in 1995, has a number of homes throughout area towns and a day program in Ridgewood.
People from all over will be coming to the event, giving the participants an opportunity to meet new friends.
“From living in our group and other agencies’ group homes, to living in the community with their parents, to living on their own in Orchard Commons in Allendale, people come from every place,” Tamirian-Mandeli said.
Summer Sidewalk Sale Days
Thu, August 06, 2015 – Sat, August 08, 2015
Time: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: Downtown Ridgewood, E Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Event Description
Participating Stores:
Alex and Ani 134 E. Ridgewood Ave
Anik 119 E. Ridgewood Ave
Beauty Plus Salon 25 E. Ridgewood Ave
Bookends 211 E. Ridgewood Ave
Brain Balance Allendale
B Witching 130 1/2 E. Ridgewood Ave
DoubleTake Consignment 189 E. Ridgewood Ave
Duxiana 63 E. Ridgewood Ave
Femmebot 203 E. Ridgewood Ave
Fusion Academy Englewood-In front of the Park
Goldfish Swim School
Gypsy Warrior 125 E. Ridgewood Ave
Huntington Learning Center- In front of Park
Just Our Shoes/Mephisto 16 N. Walnut St
kate spade 202 E. Ridgewood Ave
Learning Express 111 E. Ridgewood Ave
Loft 41 Jewelry Studio 41 E. Ridgewood Ave
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt 171 E. Ridgewood Ave
Panico Salon & Spa 144 E. Ridgewood Ave
P. Smith & Co. 65 E. Ridgewood Ave
Park West Tavern
Pink Bungalow 185 E. Ridgewood Ave
RACEFASTER 211 E. Ridgewood Ave
Red Velvet Luxe 59 E Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood Bootery 200 E. Ridgewood Ave
Storm Guard Restoration
Town & Country Apothecary 60 E. Ridgewood Ave
VINYASA YOGA BY EQUINOX
Equinox Paramus, the leaders in luxury fitness, bring you Vinyasa yoga with one of our renowned instructors before you hit the Ridgewood Sidewalk Sale. Participate in a more athletic approach to yoga characterized by flowing poses and sequences that are linked to the breath. Mats will be provided and all levels are welcome.
Van Neste Square
August 8
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
RSVP to Melissa.Silva@equinox.com
For more details, please call us at 201-445-2600 or email info@ridgewoodchamber.com www.experienceridgewood.com
file photo by Boyd Loving
There are two questions. 1. Was an HR director necessary when the Village Manager is supposed to manage this function as part of her $150K salary? 2. Did the Village Council violate the Village Code by hiring Matthews prior to creating the position.
The answer to (1) is open for debate. Some agree. Others don’t.
The answer to (2) is unequivocal – the code was violated, and the VC was well aware that they barreled ahead without following the letter of the law.
Yes, Paul, the system is broken. And you deliberately broke it.
The question is WHY? What was the big hurry? Why not get things straight before hiring someone? Why all the subterfuge?
Thank you Mike Sedon and Susan Knudsen for standing up to your law-breaking colleagues on the Council. At least we can be proud that 40% of our elected officials follow the laws they were hired to observe.
“The intent of the ordinance,” Sonenfeld said, was to clean up the language in the code “to reflect what is and has been reality.”
What a load of BS. Clean up the lanugage in the code? Come on, Roberta, do you think that we concerned citizens of this town are stupid? You hired for a position that did not exist. The Council knew you were doing this, and two objected. You did not care, because you had the vote of the threesome in your pocket, so you knew that the hiring would go through. Your “clean up” statement is clearly intended to imply that this was along-standing discrepancy, instead of a very recent discrepancy that you intentionally created in order to hire Ms. Matthews.
Paul – The system is not broken, I agree with you on this.. The system is fine. You and your buddies bent the rules, broke them in half. But the system that is in place is fine. If only you and Albert and Gwenn and Roberta had respect for the law.
JULY 24, 2015, 4:42 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015, 4:51 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The village library’s interior is being studied for a makeover that could cost an estimated $5 million.
The Ridgewood Library’s Board of Trustees has met with three architects this month to discuss potential upgrades to the high-traffic facility, according to the library’s director, Nancy Greene.
“We hope to make the library building more bright and welcoming in the busy central circulation area,” Greene said.
Any plans would “open up more inviting areas throughout the library, especially for teens and adult reading, study group projects and discussions,” she said.
The board also wants to expand the teen center at the library, and provide additional “reader seats with natural light,” Green said.
The Ridgewood Library’s trustees hope to have initial designs for the interior update this fall, along with concrete cost projections.
A recent estimate put the project’s potential cost at $5 million, to be paid for with a mix of private and public funding.
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD RESIDENTIAL PERMIT AMNESTY PROGRAM – Ends August 21, 2015
PERMIT AMNESTY PROGRAM
The Building Department is offering an amnesty program for residential work that has been previously completed without the required permits from the Village of Ridgewood.
The purpose of the amnesty program is to ensure that any work that was completed without permits does not cause a safety hazard to our residents. The program will also give Village homeowners the opportunity to apply for these permits before they are subject to administrative action.
Construction permits are required for, but not limited to, decks, interior renovations, pools, mechanical equipment installations, generators, fire/burglar systems, electrical services and subpanels, additional light fixtures or receptacles and water and gas piping. The program requires that homeowners apply for all permits and securing all the necessary inspections during the amnesty period. A comprehensive list of permitted items can be found on the Village’s website at www.ridgewoodnj.net under The Department of Community Services.
To participate in the amnesty program, you must apply for the proper permits prior to any discovery by our inspectors. Violations will not be issued to any owner occupied dwelling provided the homeowner takes advantage of the amnesty program while the program is in effect from April 20, 2015 until the close of business on August 21, 2015.
Residents doing work without a permit and who do not take advantage of this program will be subjected to the normal administrative procedures mandated by the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code. Please note that if your property has zoning non-conformities, you will be required to obtain the proper zoning approval. This is an opportunity to ensure that should you consider selling your home, all the necessary paperwork will be in order and you will avoid any last minute delays.
The amnesty program does not exempt any zoning, engineering or any other required prior approval issues which must be satisfied prior to the issuance of any permits. Also, some work may have an impact on your property taxes.
Contractors and commercial properties are not eligible for the amnesty program.
Should you have any questions, please contact the Construction Department at 201-670-5500 extension 506.
JULY 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015, 12:30 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Print
Process for HR position ‘broken’
To the Editor:
At a recent council meeting, Councilman Mike Sedon was chastised for saying that he was misled in the budget process because he had not received any information regarding a part-time HR position becoming a full-time one and that it was not brought to the council level for discussion and/or a vote as required by our own village code. Now we find that the title of this newly instituted position is confidential secretary.
Disregarding the notion that this sounds like a job right out of “Mad Men,” it seems that this title was a way to circumvent the Civil Service guidelines. Confidential secretary is not a competitive position and therefore need not be appropriately advertised, applicants tested and rated accordingly.
Two members of the council have further questioned the process and have publicly said that they had no opportunity to debate or to vote on this hiring. If 40 percent of our council was left out of the loop on purpose or inadvertently, then the process is broken as has been charged. Rather than an acknowledgement of this scenario from the village manager and/or the mayor, Mr. Sedon and Councilwoman Susan Knudsen have been treated with disrespect for voicing their concerns.
It now appears that the entire HR hiring was not in accordance with current village code, hence all the resolutions to change it (notably after the fact).
Some will say, “What’s the big deal, we needed an HR director.” The big deal is that this will be a permanent position with a salary of approximately $100,000. Council members vote on vehicle purchases, upgrades, etc., but not a newly created department head?
Also, we didn’t get an HR director, we got a confidential secretary.
Guidelines are in effect to protect the process and the people involved. They were not followed and now there is doubt about the integrity of our village hiring practices. This did not have to happen.
JULY 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
HR director job should be posted with Civil Service
To the Editor:
I attended the Ridgewood Council meeting on July 15, 2015, to hear the discussion regarding the changes in village government. I was most interested in the newly formed HR director position.
I am in agreement that an HR position is warranted. I am in disagreement with the process of hiring the current HR assistant and elevating her to a director without a change in job description. No one on the Village Council, as well as the village manager, could explain how this position goes from an assistant – actual title per Civil Service “Confidential Secretary to the Village Manager” — to a director without a change in the responsibilities. It is also being elevated to a full-time position with an enormous salary increase plus benefits.
The job was posted as an assistant position, which limited the pool of applicants looking for full-time work and with the credentials of director. If this position is now going to be a full-time director position, it should be reposted through Civil Service for all eligible applicants throughout the state to apply.
JULY 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
An ordinance to reflect structural changes made within the village government’s organization was passed last week, though not without dissenting opinions of some members of the council and public.
The alterations were adopted by a 3-2 vote and reflect internal changes being implemented by the village, including the establishment of standalone departments for Health and Building and Inspections. Previously, these departments were under the supervision of the Department of Community Services, which no longer exists.
The village has also added a Division of Assessments under the supervision of the Department of Finance and a secretary to the Department of Planning to perform various administrative functions. The new mandate also lists additional duties for the Division of Parking and Traffic.
However, much of the discussion on this ordinance in the past month has been centered on the establishment of a Human Resources Department and the appointment of its director, Sharyn Matthews, and that was the case again during last week’s public hearing.
Resident Anne Loving commented that she did not understand why the ordinance was being changed after decisions relating to the creation of new departments had been made.
“There’s some sort of salary and benefits package which will be recurring every single year,” Loving said. “That job used to be managed under the village manager, so I personally feel like the taxpayers are getting shafted on this.”
JULY 23, 2015, 5:58 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015, 6:01 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The council’s decision to appoint a human resources director was challenged last week by residents who suggested the hiring might have violated village ordinance.
Ridgewood’s council voted 3-2 on July 15 to update the ordinance that lays out the village’s organizational structure. The move formally establishes a human resources department and creates a director’s position for that department.
Roberta Sonenfeld, the village’s manager, said at last week’s council meeting that the ordinance was being updated to reflect operations in Village Hall.
Sharyn Matthews, director of the village’s new human resources department, was hired in the fall as a senior personnel assistant, earning $92,000. Matthews, whose pay will remain the same, holds degrees in labor relations and human resources from Cornell University and Mercy College and is certified as a senior human resources professional.
The changes approved by the council last week effectively eradicated the Department of Community Services, Sonenfeld said, while moving some of its subdivisions to other departments and adding some new positions.
“The intent of the ordinance,” Sonenfeld said, was to clean up the language in the code “to reflect what is and has been reality.”
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