JULY 21, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2015, 9:35 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Public Library will likely get a makeover in the near future.
Earlier this month, the library’s Board of Trustees discussed potential interior changes to the building and listened to renovation ideas pitched by architects.
Nancy Greene, the library’s director, said there are three major needs for the new library. The first, she said, is a more efficient use of the floor space.
“A lot of the space is used by book stacks, and we want to condense the stacks and turn the space where they are into open public space,” she said. “We don’t have enough tables for people to study.”
The added floor space will allow the library to expand its children’s and teen sections, Greene said, noting that the library “doesn’t have a great facility for them” in the existing space. Additional space will also open the opportunity to create more meeting rooms.
“People come in to meet, and the library doesn’t have enough to offer them,” she said.
The library’s second need is improved natural light.
“Nowadays, people don’t come take out a book and go home. They stay in the library,” Greene said, explaining the need for “welcoming” light.
Third, she said the board needs “to identify the cost once they identify the architect,” giving them an estimate of how much the whole project will cost.
Once they find out which plan is best for the community, the board can request municipal funding from the council.
PARKING GARAGE -We are so excited -the Parking Garage got the needed 4 Votes.
Thank you so much!
The Ridgewood Chamber now invites you to a”call to action” meeting to put the facts on paper why this garage will not:
cost the residents more taxes,why it will save their “downtown town”.All businesses have a vested interest in this parking garage.
Ridgewood NEEDS to bring the infrastructure of its business district up-to-date -NOW IS THE TIME.
This topic has been talked about for over 88 years -NOW IS THE TIME.
Ridgewood Parking Garage Facts
Yes No
Parking Garage Needed X
Developer Interest X
Land Study X
Zero Cost to tax payer X
Vote X
First “call to action” meeting…
Thursday, July 30, 2015 9am – Chamber office.
many more meetings to follow.
Please call 201-445-2600,
if you are attending.
Ridgewood NJ, Members of a Village of Ridgewood sanitation crew escaped injury on Monday afternoon, 07/20 after the female driver of a white Mercedes SL 450 failed to stop in time and rear ended the truck they were working from. The Mercedes driver was also uninjured in the crash, but her vehicle sustained heavy front end damage and was removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. The garbage truck was not damaged. No summonses were issued at the time of the crash, which occurred on Avondale Road near its intersection with Heights Road in Ridgewood.
Summer weather can pose certain dangers for your pets. The American Red Cross has some steps people can take to keep the family pet safe and healthy this summer.
The first step is to know what is normal for your pet – their gum color, heart/pulse rate, body temperature and breathing rate – so you can recognize when something is wrong.
Heat stroke is a problem for pets in the warmer weather and is more common in the early summer because pets are not yet acclimated to the warm weather. Dogs with short noses or snouts, like the boxer or bulldog, are prone to heat stroke. This is also true for any obese pet, a pet with an extremely thick fur coat or any pet with upper respiratory problems.
Some signs your pet may be developing heat stroke include heavy panting and being unable to calm down, even when lying down. Their gum color may be brick red, their pulse rate may be fast, or they may not be able to get up. If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, take their temperature rectally. If the temperature is above 105 degrees cool the animal down. The easiest way to do this is by using the water hose. Stop cooling the animal when the temperature reaches 103 degrees. Bring your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible as heat stroke can lead to severe organ dysfunction and damage.
As the weather gets nicer, many pet owners take their pets in the car with them. Do not leave your pet in the car, even for a few minutes. The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees.
Pet owners also need to be aware that animals may try to get out a window or door, which are more likely to be open as the weather warms. And some plants in your garden can be hazardous to animals. For instance, many lilies are very poisonous to cats. Visit the ASPCA Poison Control information to find out which plants and flowers are poisonous to animals.
You can download the Red Cross Pet First Aid app to have veterinary advice in the palm of your hand. The app features first aid steps for more than 25 common pet situations and identifies common substances that are toxic to animals.
The American Red Cross North Jersey Region has announced it will be placing its Ridgewood location at 74 Godwin Avenue on the market in the upcoming weeks. The move comes as part of the organization’s 2017 planning strategy is the utilization optimization of Red Cross facilities.
Currently, the Red Cross North Jersey Region operates out of 13 facilities, some of which are under-utilized and others that are in need of significant repair. The North Jersey Region is in the process of reviewing its real estate footprint taking into account its service delivery, volunteer operations, training locations and storage needs.
The vast majority of Red Cross program and services in Ridgewood and across the region are performed out in the community and not at the organization’s brick and mortar locations, the organization wrote in a statement. The Red Cross remains committed to ensuring residents in all of our communities, including Ridgewood, continue to receive Red Cross services.
Ridgewood NJ, Some of us are having trouble understanding what appear to be a contradiction in the actions and statements of Mayor Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli, and Councilwoman Hauck. For the record, I pointed this out twice at public meetings (which did not result in an explanation of the discrepancy), and recently wrote to each of them for clarification (none replied).
In January of 2014, all three of them seemed pretty adamant that they did not want to violate the Village Code by hiring anyone into a position that did not exist (in that case, it was police officer positions in excess of the stated limit). Quotes from the Minutes of the 01/29/2014 meeting include the following:
Mayor Aronsohn pointed out that the most important question to be answered is whether the Village is now in violation of what is permitted by the ordinance as far as police hires are concerned. Mayor Aronsohn commented that the concerns are twofold: one is that the Village would not be in compliance with its own law, leading to the question of how to remedy that situation;
Councilwoman Hauck sees the current problem as an administrative problem and how it would appear if the ordinance were changed to facilitate an administrative error. She suggested that it might be better to wait until the next round of Police Academy candidates graduate, and hire new police officers in July. That would avoid being in violation of Village Code. Councilwoman Hauck said she feels uneasy about amending the current ordinance in order to bring people in prematurely.
Councilman Pucciarelli said that….for him, the issue is law enforcement, and the Village must obey its own laws.
How, then, do these statements fit in with their more recent actions regarding the hiring of a Human Resources Director (or Confidential Secretary, Senior Personnel Assistant, Senior Human Resources Professional or whatever the job title turned out to be) prior to the creation of this position and its official inclusion in the Village Code? It seemed that in January of 2014 they were determined to follow the letter of the law, whereas in the this situation they decided it was acceptable to completely disregard the Village Code, and then re-write it after doing so.
Certainly the creation of an HR position was not an emergency, and due process could have been followed to first create the position and have it officially entered into the Village Code, and then to advertise the job and hire the appropriate person. Our elected officials are put into office with a clear expectation that they will uphold the laws of our Village, in addition to their other duties. It strikes me that in the case of this Human Resources position, they openly disregarded their own law, even when such was being pointed out to them by Councilman Sedon, Councilwoman Knudsen, and various members of the public. No matter how badly they wanted a Human Resources person, the end does not justify the means. We have a set of laws and procedures, and we expect our elected officials to follow them.
Until the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Councilwoman Hauck clearly state why they acted one way in one instance, and quite the opposite in this instance, we taxpayers will be left feeling very uneasy.
JULY 20, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JULY 20, 2015, 10:58 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Enhancing financial reports for village officials and establishing an audit committee were among the recommendations given to the Ridgewood Council earlier this month by the Financial Advisory Committee (FAC).
During its annual report to the governing body, the group of Ridgewood volunteers tasked with providing the village additional financial oversight presented its submission and fielded questions from council members.
FAC Chairwoman Nancy Johansen suggested that financial reports given to council members and management have a “profit and loss” section similar to what might be seen in a corporate environment. This would help the council track its budgetary expenditures throughout the year to see if the village is trending above or below its budget.
Johansen added the FAC would work with new Chief Financial Officer Bob Rooney on this particular project.
PSE&G is monitoring weather conditions and has additional personnel on hand to handle any power interruptions as a result of the high heat and humidity. Our call centers also have extra personnel on duty to speak with customers.
PJM, the regional grid operator, expects to have sufficient power supplies available to meet the increased demand for electricity as a result of the hot and humid weather. We also have made substantial investments in our transmission and distribution system to maintain reliability and safely meet the increased demand for electricity. We expect today’s electric demand to reach 9,656 megawatts.
Here are some easy ways you can save energy and money throughout the summer:
• Turn off everything you’re not using: lights, TVs, computers, etc. Use dimmers, timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.
• Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun to keep the sun’s heat out and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently.
• Close doors leading to uncooled parts of your home. With central air, close off vents to unused rooms.
• Delay heat-producing tasks such as washing and drying laundry or dishes until later in the day, and wait until load is full.
• Refrain from using nonessential appliances. Unplug or use only when necessary an extra refrigerator in your garage. Also, consider setting air conditioners to 78 degrees, health permitting.
If you experience a power outage, please call PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG. If you are registered for My Account, you can also report power outages online. To do so, log in now or register. To report power outages via text message, and receive outage updates by text and email, sign up for MyAlerts.
URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
329 AM EDT MON JUL 20 2015
…HOT AND HUMID WEATHER TODAY…
…HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A HEAT
ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING.
* LOCATIONS…EASTERN PASSAIC…HUDSON…BERGEN…ESSEX AND UNION
COUNTIES IN NEW JERSEY.
* HAZARDS…HEAT.
* HEAT INDEX VALUES…AROUND 100.
* TIMING…TODAY.
* IMPACTS…PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY COULD
RESULT IN HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A HEAT ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND
HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 100 TO
104 DEGREES FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE HOURS.
TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS
IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY
HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE
IS AN EMERGENCY…CALL 9 1 1.
JULY 17, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Camp Sunshine, held each summer at the Duck Pond on East Ridgewood Avenue, is a great place for children and young adults with special needs to spend time. The well-organized camp, under the direction of Cathy Telerico, gives participants the opportunity to experience the kind of fun and freedom that other young people enjoy.
The camp features a variety of activities for its attendees, including swimming in the facility’s pool, playing in the field, doing arts and crafts, and helping to make lunch, among other things. Camp Sunshine also has themed days in order to keep things lively. A recent one, for example, was Italian Day, when that country’s food was served.
While the camp is structured in a way to keep the participants safe, it is also a relatively free environment where the campers are encouraged to enjoy themselves during their time away from school.
“I think it’s important that the campers have a break, because in school, everything is so structured, and we do have some structure here, but it’s a little bit more limited,” Telerico said. “I mean, they’re kids too … they want to come here and have some fun, and that’s what we’re all about.
JULY 17, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY EILEEN LA FORGIA
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Adult student artists are showing off at the Stable’s gallery this month what they have learned from Sandi Chanoch in her acrylic painting class that has been meeting on Tuesday afternoons for the past 15 years. Their exhibit is aptly named, “Every Tuesday at 1 o’clock.
Chanoch, whom her students call “Mrs. C,” finds it gratifying working with adults in addition to the classes she has for children. Some of the adult students have been with her for the entire 15 years.
“We work in a relaxed atmosphere, each artist at his or her own pace and style. Over the years they have become an ‘artistic family’ – supportive, caring, friendly and there for each other whether it’s to lend a brush, a new paint color or to listen to a concern and be supportive. As their talents have been refined over the years so have their relationships,” she noted.
Digital presentations often do not reflect true identities.
Post published by Jamie Krenn Ph.D. on Jul 10, 2015 in Screen Time
During 4th of July weekend, my husband and I took our toddler daughter to a park. We often go to the same one overlooking the Hudson River because she likes to climb the curvy ladders as well as play hide and seek within the slides. It was a day similar to others in that we werelaughing, and smiling and trying to keep her hydrated. Parents who frequent parks without a hint of a shady tree understand this challenge. It was like any other playground adventure except for one thing…
Across the field, I noticed a mom angry with her jumpy, unhappy kids. She yelled and tugged at them by the arms to come closer. I heard several times “Come here!” or “Move over here!” “Fix your face… Smile, now!” Apparently, she was not letting up until she got a “fantastic, happy” snapshot complete with river background, ear-to-ear smiles, and cuddling. After several digital captures, the mom and kids parted ways. Quickly. She next spent several minutes on a bench, rapidly swiping and clicking her hand-held “happy family” image producer unaware of her children’s location. I noticed one traveled very far down to the river to throw rocks. Contrived bliss for the digital masses.
The “Facebook-self” and a true-self comparison study published recently focused on the adverse effects of incongruence between these two identities as well as some of the psychological predictors of this behavior (Gil-Or, Levi-Belz & Turel, 2015). Incongruity between the real-self and an ideal-self as Rogers (1959) coined, is not an uncommon act among those trying to escape their current existence or create a fictitious sense of pleasant family life. Often the Facebook-self appears to be more “socially acceptable” or “attractive” with families and individuals (Gil-Or, Levi-Belz & Turel, 2015). In other words, users want to put on a good show. Presentations such as these do not cause concern for seeing one enter an arena of psychological dysfunction. However, some of the tenants can potentially affect a family dynamic in negative ways. Clearly, rough, forced actions with children do not build lasting family bonds.
Ridgewood NJj, During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Meeting, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld disclosed that the Civil Service title for our new HR Director is actually “Confidential Secretary to the Village Manager.”
Huh? Is this person a Secretary or a Director? Quite a difference in job responsibilities, isn’t there?
I believe Ms. Sonenfeld indicated that “secretarial” title was chosen in order to “circumvent” certain NJ Civil Service Requirements. I am not clear on exactly what requirements were being “circumvented,” but I now am left wondering exaclty why the Village can’t play by the rules and what liablity taxpayers are being faced with as a result of this little game.
Also, what is the Civil Service title being held by Beth Spinato, who is Ms. Sonenfeld’s “Confidential Secretary?” Is it legit that the Administrator of a muncipality with only 25,000 residents have two (2) “Confidential Secretaries?”
I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit concerned over the apparent total disregard of Civil Service guidelines in this case, and I wonder what other shenanigans they’re playing at Village Hall and how much taxpayers will wind up paying in fines once the State gets wind of this nonsense.
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