Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Police report that on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 an East side resident reported receiving a suspicious telephone call from a person claiming to be from the United States Internal Revenue Service who said that he/she owed back taxes. The caller requested the resident deposit the money in a Wells Fargo Bank account that they provided an account number for or risk arrest by the police.
While threatening with arrest, the caller also claimed to be from the Ridgewood Police Department. The caller was able to mimic real phone numbers for both the IRS and the Ridgewood Police Department. Fortunately the caller was suspicious and determined that the call was fraudulent.
These types of scams are on the rise and frequently target the elderly. Please be suspicious of calls or internet contacts requesting money and lookout for friends or neighbors who may be targeted by similar scams. Neither the IRS nor the Ridgewood Police Department would be contacting you by phone to request money.All defendants are considered to be innocent until found guilty by a court of law.
AUGUST 20, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015, 2:40 PM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The village has been experiencing some seriously hot weather recently, with temperatures venturing past 90 degrees.
Though it had yet to be officially declared a heat wave by Tuesday, the temperatures were still scorching, necessitating the use of “cooling stations” around Ridgewood.
These locations offer an overheated individual the opportunity to rest and take a respite from the heat until they are feeling back to normal. Two such locations are the Ridgewood Public Library and the Community Center at Village Hall.
Nancy Greene, director of the library, said the doors “are open seven days a week throughout the year, except for major holidays.”
“We are one of the few libraries in Bergen County that maintains Sunday hours all summer – and we find that summer is our busiest time,” she said. “Hundreds of adults and children arrive every day and often stay for hours.”
These amenities make the library a desirable destination for those looking to cool off.
Here is a comment written by Al Pucciarelli when he was running for council regarding when you should recuse. After reading it, both Pucciarielli (his law firm does work with the developers of the Dayton and he is friends with the owners of the property) and Aronsohn (his wife works in one of the zones and benefits financially) need to recuse themselves.
It also shows Hauck (personal involvement that would impair her objectivity) and Pucciarelli (business and financial involvement) should recuse themselves from any discussions on the Valley issue
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Albert J. Pucciarelli May 06, 2012 at 09:43 AM
The very first time I spoke publicly about my candidacy – February 13, 2012 – I acknowledged my conflict regarding Valley. At Monday’s debate I said that because of the conflict I was uniquely suited to play a roll in bringing the hospital and the neighbors together in what I hope will be a meaningful dialogue. Only two days ago did I read for the first time that candidate Forenza’s wife works for Valley and he too has a conflict that would prevent him from voting. Finally now – two days before the election – I am seeing for the first time the candidate himself acknowledge this. I concluded that I have a conflict (and checked it with a lawyer in my firm who is an expert on such matters) because the state law on the matter is quite clear. I am surprised that for the past two months I have been asked about the conflict of interest frequently while Mr. Forenza, who may have enjoyed support of the Valley proponents, only now – just days before the May 8 election – is mentioned in connection with a possible conflict. Mr. Forenza, a non-lawyer, is not sure he has a conflict. Here is the relevant state law: “No local government officer or employee shall act in his official capacity in any matter where he, a member of his immediate family, or a business organization in which he has an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment.” Albert Pucciarelli
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Ridgewood NJ, for the Second time in as many weeks the Ridgewood police report that on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 the owner of a business in the central business district reported that a customer passed a counterfeit $100 bill at the store.
Earlier in the month on Thursday August 6, 2015 Stop & Shop store security reported a male actor attempted to purchase gift cards valued at $300. utilizing counterfeit $100. bills on August 4 at 11:57 am. When the cashier discovered that the bills were counterfeit the actor fled the store. The actor who was described as a black male in his early to mid 30’s wearing a New York Islanders baseball cap left the area in a silver two door vehicle (unknown New York registration) accompanied by a black female in her late 20’s wearing dark glasses and a kerchief on her head. Both matters are under investigation by the detective bureau.
Recently its been reported that counterfeiters apparently used a technique that involves bleaching legitimate money and altering the bills to look like $100 notes,giving them the feel of real bills . Many businesses use special pens to detect counterfeit currency, however the pens cannot give a definitive confirmation about suspected altered currency, and they are not sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury.
Small business owners need to be aware of the many ways to detect counterfeit money. The Secret Service offers the below methods to detect counterfeit bills:
Hold a bill up to a light and look for a holograph of the face image on the bill. Both images should match. If the $100 bill has been bleached, the hologram will display an image of Abraham Lincoln, who appears on the $5 bills, instead of Benjamin Franklin.
Looking at the bill through a light will also reveal a thin vertical strip containing text that spells out the bill’s denomination.
I’d also like to pass on some tips from the U.S. Treasury:
Color-shifting ink: If you hold the new series bill (except the $5 note) and tilt it back and forth, please observe the numeral in the lower right hand corner as its color shifts from green to black and back.
Watermark: Hold the bill up to a light to view the watermark in an unprinted space to the right of the portrait. The watermark can be seen from both sides of the bill since it is not printed on the bill but is imbedded in the paper.
Security Thread: Hold he bill a light to view the security thread. You will see a thin imbedded strip running from top to bottom on the face of a banknote. In the $10 and $50 the security strip is located to the right of the portrait, and in the $5, $20 and $100, it is located just to the left of the portrait.
Ultraviolet Glow: If the bill is held up to an ultraviolet light, the $5 bill glows blue; the $10 bill glows orange, the $20 bill glows green, the $50 bill glows yellow, and the $100 bill glows red – if they are authentic!
Microprinting: There are minute microprinting on the security threads: the $5 bill has “USA FIVE” written on the thread; the $10 bill has “USA TEN” written on the thread; the $20 bill has “USA TWENTY” written on the thread; the $50 bill has “USA 50” written on the thread; and the $100 bill has the words “USA 100” written on the security thread. Microprinting can be found around the portrait as well as on the security threads.
Fine Line Printing Patterns: Very fine lines have been added behind the portrait and on the reverse side scene to make it harder to reproduce.
Comparison: Compare the feel and texture of the paper with other bills you know are authentic.
If you believe you have received a counterfeit bill, the U.S. Treasury advises you to do the following:
Do not put yourself in danger.
Do not return the bill to the passer.
Delay the passer with some excuse, if possible.
Observe the passer’s description – and their companions’ descriptions – and write down their vehicle license plate numbers if you can.
Contact your local police department or call your local Secret Service office.
Write your initials and date in the white border area of the suspected counterfeit note.
Do not handle the counterfeit note. Place it inside a protective cover, a plastic bag, or envelope to protect it until you place it in the hands of an identified Secret Service Special Agent. You can also mail it to your nearest Secret Service office.
Remember, if you are passed a counterfeit bill, you own it. So when accepting cash, it pays to be knowledgeable about the crime of counterfeiting.
Ridgewood Nj, Ridgewood Police report that on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 Patrolman Michael McDermott stopped a motor vehicle bearing Maryland registration on South Broad Street after observing several motor vehicle violations.
Subsequent to the stop the operator, Santos German Vasquez (37) of Ridgewood was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, 2C:39-5d as well as several motor vehicle summons. Mr. Vasquez was released on $2000 bail pending a court appearance.
All defendants are considered to be innocent until found guilty by a court of law.
AUGUST 20, 2015, 1:18 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015, 11:08 PM
BY SALVADOR RIZZO
STATE HOUSE BUREAU |
THE RECORD
On a cloudy day in 2009, a mother of four left her youngest child, a 19-month-old girl, sleeping in a locked car and went into a Dollar Tree store in South Plainfield.
By the time she returned to her vehicle, security guards had called the police. The mother was arrested. And what started as a five- to 10-minute stop to buy party supplies on a 55-degree day turned into a legal battle that has not yet ended six years later.
The state Supreme Court took the mother’s side in a unanimous decision issued Thursday. Leaving a young child unattended in a car is legal in some cases if the parent or caretaker takes precautionary measures, the court indicated.
As a result, the mother will get a chance to clear her record at a fact-finding hearing she has sought for years. The decision extends to other parents and guardians as well, ending the state’s ability to enroll them automatically in its registry of child abusers for leaving children in unattended vehicles. If those children are unharmed, the state must let their guardians plead their case at a hearing, the court said.
The mother has been granted anonymity by the courts, and is referenced only by her initials, E.D.-O.
Ex-Ridgewood man accused of molesting college softball players due in court next week
AUGUST 20, 2015, 7:22 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015, 9:21 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Kurt Ludwigsen, the former Ridgewood resident accused of molesting seven of the college softball players he was coaching, will be back in court next week following the postponement of a hearing that was scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Ludwigsen, 44, the former Nyack College softball coach, has been indicted on 197 counts of first-degree felony coercion, forcible touching, sexual abuse, and harassment.
AUGUST 21, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Fate of Schedler property requires compromise
To the Editor:
“Oh what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive” is a Shakespeare quote from the 16th century. This aptly describes current activities of the Village Council regarding the Schedler property.
Friends of Schedler were charged to find a use for the historic Zabriskie-Schedler house and to secure funding for its maintenance. This was accomplished and their report was given at the Aug. 5 council meeting in the form of a resolution request. The mayor appeared so flummoxed that all he could think of to stop the proceedings was to introduce another resolution to be voted on the following week that would in effect disregard the Friends of Schedler’s resolution. No discussion or vote was taken. If this sounds confusing that is because it is! On Aug. 12, the council voted 3-2 to accept a resolution that would move forward on the controversial 90-foot baseball diamond at the property in question leaving many people dazed and confused. It took a bit of time to realize that the council, in its efforts to dismiss the Schedler plan to save the house, had actually done the opposite. The council left the door open by its own actions, and advocates for Schedler can go for forward with procuring matching grant opportunities to support the house.
Will we trust them again? I think not. The amount of work on the part of many to raise funds and to advocate for a balanced plan for the property that would save the house, eliminate the need to remove four acres of trees and allow for a smaller field is huge. Had the process been more transparent and members of the council more honest in their deliberations with the Schedler group, much emotional upheaval and hours of time invested could have been avoided. Friends of Schedler want the property to be treated as the Habernickel property was treated. Neighbors were part of the process, treated with respect and compromises were made. The end result satisfied the majority, and now Habernickel Park is considered an asset to the village. This can be the future of the Schedler property. How wonderful for everyone if Ridgewood has a nationally recognized historic home used as a library by the Bergen County Historical Society in addition to an appropriate-size grass playing field and the trees that are so important to the environment.
We are running out of open space at the local, state and national levels. We must make good use of what we have left. Compromise is not a dirty word, it is how we best meet the needs of a diverse constituency. It is how a civil society operates when we are not dictated by emergencies.
Readers say Graydon Pool is a wonderful facility. Poor/incompetent management is the facility’s major problem.
Wasn’t there an instance many years ago in which Graydon either opened a week early, or closed a week later due to a major heat wave? Now, the management just doesn’t seem to give a damn about satisfying the public. By the way, what ever happen to the Wibit?
I love Graydon; have been going for many years; Wibit is too large’ crowds out swimming room. Since you can no longer swim past ropes; the swimming area is too small now in deep end. It used to be fun swimming from one area to another.
In Allendale you can still cross sections.
Graydon should have swimmers and guests sign swimming level when they first come in and have green dot on badge to show permission to swim in deep area and cross over to other sections
Excuses, excuses, excuses; nothing but lame excuses. The lifeguard issue could be easily resolved if management wanted it resolved. Memorial Pool in Fair Lawn is a sand bottom pool – same issue with lifeguard training & staffing. Look at their posted hours of operation:
Open Thursday, June 25 to Monday, September 7, 2014
10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (7 Days a Week) (weather permitting)
NOTE: The Pool will be temporarily closed from Monday, August 31 to Friday, September 4
All pools have to manage the schedules of young lifeguards. This is not unique to Ridgewood. Have other towns cut hours or os ot just a Ridgewood problem?
Who is the person from Parks n Rec responsible for staffing? Someone has some ‘explaining to do.
I have been there three times this week and there were plenty of patrons, including at 7:20 one evening.
Crestwood Lake in Allendale, also a sand bottom. Open 1/2 hour longer than Graydon.
Crestwood Lake Hours
Early Season
May 23 through June 19
Monday – Friday 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Weekends/Holidays: 10:00am – 7:00pm
Regular Season
June 20 through August 14
Monday – Friday 11:00am – 8:00pm
Weekends/Holidays: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Late Season*
August 15 through September 7
Monday – Friday 11:00am – 7:00pm
Weekends/Holidays: 10:00am – 7:00pm
It is “empty” because a 12 noon start time is not good for parents of children who are up early and ready to nap by 1 PM. Check out Glen Rock’s hours:
AUGUST 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015, 9:58 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Village of Ridgewood has a new director of Operations on board with the hiring of Rich Calbi, a longtime municipal engineer with a background in running public utilities.
A native of Lyndhurst, Calbi has his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s degree in environmental engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also has a professional engineering license and professional planning license. Calbi is also a certified public works manager and municipal engineer.
Calbi takes over for Frank Moritz, who retired from the post at the end of June.
Aside from serving as the head of Ridgewood Water, Calbi also takes over the director of Operations role, which includes oversight of departments such as recycling, fleet and sanitation.
The announcements of Calbi’s hiring and Moritz’s retirement took place on the same evening, May 27. Calbi started working for the village a few days before Moritz left to ensure a smooth transition during the changeover in personnel.
Calbi began his career working for the Army Corps of Engineers, specifically on the Passaic River Flood Tunnel project, which never came to fruition. He spent five-and-a-half years in the private sector doing flood abatement, storm water management and system design before going to work for local governments.
He started in the public sector in Clifton as the assistant township engineer before becoming the engineer in Maplewood Township in Essex County. Most recently, Calbi was the township engineer in Livingston, where he was also in charge of the Division of Public Works and Water Utility.
Ridgewood NJ, Duh? Couldn’t someone at Village Hall and/or The Stable have figured out how to have capitalized on this heat wave? The “not enough lifeguards” excuse is just kind of lame.
Late Season – Monday, August 17 to Sunday, August 30th
Weekends, 10 am to 7:30 pm
Weekdays, 12 noon to 7:30 pm
POOL CLOSED – Monday, August 31 through Friday, September 4
Labor Day Weekend – Saturday, Sept 5 through Monday, Sept 7
Daily, 10 am to 7:30 pm
The Ridgewood Guild will feature a complimentary movie for your enjoyment! Pack a picnic basket, bring your family and pull up some turf in Van Neste Park. Movies start when the sun goes down…about 8pm. August 19th – Harry Potter (Special Event)
Join us in for family fun and entertainment. We show films great for the whole family on a 25 foot screen and professional sound system. Bring snacks, a picnic blanket, and get ready for a great evening with your community.
2015 Movies in the Park Schedule
All movies are on Wednesdays and start at sundown (approximately 9pm in June and July and 8:30pm in August). In case of rain movies will be shown the following day (Thursday). Follow-us on Facebook for the latest information.
June 10: Star Wars
June 24: Citizen Kane
July 8: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
July 22: Momma Mia!*
August 5: Murder on the Orient Express
August 19: Harry Potter and the Sorcer’s Stone*
AUGUST 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015, 9:54 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
In an effort to supply the governing body with more financial and budgetary information on a regular basis, the village conducted the first of what will be a quarterly review of Ridgewood’s finances earlier this month.
Village Chief Financial Officer Bob Rooney, in keeping with his goal of providing timely financial information to the council, was on hand at the Aug. 5 council meeting to update the dais on the municipality’s financial state.
In the future, such financial reviews will be given on a quarterly basis, Rooney said.
“Part of the goal is to give you a balance sheet and statement of income on a quarterly basis by fund and, at least annually, give you an update as to our fixed assets – the flow, the acquisition, the disposition – providing you as much as possible,” Rooney said. “Since it is a work in progress, I’m going to ask for your input. Whenever you see there’s something you want or you feel is important, by all means reach out to me.”
Rooney said village officials had already met with some departments, such as the police, building and fleet, to get a better understanding of their needs going forward and had planned meetings with other departments in the near future.
For this report, the financial team looked at line items with deviations that were higher than expected, said Rooney. Charges were evaluated against prior history and known budget requests by the department. Explanations from department heads, where applicable, were also provided.
AUGUST 18, 2015, 3:36 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015, 3:36 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The village and its Zoning Board of Adjustment are named in a lawsuit filed earlier this month by the owners of the Exxon Mobil station on Route 17.
The suit, filed in Bergen County’s Superior Court, seeks a court order “restraining” the development of a nearby parcel of land.
The land being developed is now the site of a Shell filling station, but the owners want to raze the property and install updated gas pumps and construct a 2,000 square-foot 7-Eleven convenience store.
Those plans received approval from the Zoning Board of Adjustment seven months ago. The suit seeks to reverse the board’s decision.
