Category: village of ridgewood

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Ridgewood Art Institute hosts their Annual Member’s Holiday Show and Sale

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November 13,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Art Institute is home to many talented artists. We welcome you to visit us and view our Annual Member’s Holiday Show and Sale, usually featuring over 150 pieces of beautiful artwork. In addition, this year we are also including a Small Works Fundraising Exhibit with pieces priced at $150, all proceeds benefit The Art Institute.
What better way to kick off the Holiday Season, than to meet our artists and other art enthusiasts in a festive setting? Please join us for our opening reception on Sunday, November 22, 2015 from 1-4 pm. Work will be on view daily from 11am-3pm till December 24th, 2015.
Art makes a unique gift that can be treasured for a lifetime. Also, your gift helps support this fine institution, which is a gift to so many.

Ridgewood Art Institute
Ridgewood Art Barn
12 E Glen Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450

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Concert in Ridgewood features violin and piano virtuosos

Michael Parloff

NOVEMBER 13, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Editor’s Note – The second event of Parlance Chamber Concerts’s ninth season will take place this coming Sunday afternoon, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. at West Side Presbyterian Church. Here Michael Parloff, the founder and director of the very popular classical music series gives our readers background to the concert.

I am very excited to introduce pianist Jeremy Denk and violinist Stefan Jackiw to our community. Jeremy is the winner of a 2013 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. He will team up with the scintillating young violinist Stefan Jackiw, widely recognized as one of his generation’s most captivating artists.

This noteworthy duo will perform cherished sonatas by Johannes Brahms and César Franck in counterpoint with rarely performed gems by the iconoclastic American master, Charles Ives. Jeremy will enrich the afternoon with his insightful, thought-provoking commentary.

https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/music/parlance-chamber-concert-presents-two-virtuosos-1.1454529

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4 Ridgewood Restaurants Now Offer Valet Parking

parking_CBD_theridgewoodblog
Restaurant mémoire, Fish Urban Dining, It’s Greek To Me and Gen Sushi in Ridgewood, NJ now offer Complimentary Valet Parking

Mémoire, a fine dining restaurant offering seasonal, American eclectic cuisine in a casual NYC-style atmosphere, announced that the restaurant, along with Fish Urban Dining, It’s Greek To Me and Gen Sushi will offer complimentary valet parking on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Mémoire Owner and Executive Chef, Tom Finnelli stated the following: “It was ten months in the making, but we are thrilled to finally be able to offer valet parking to our guests. It is definitely a win-win to have four restaurants included in one valet service because it’s not about the individual restaurants; it’s about the guest and providing a much needed accommodation on nights when parking is limited. Hopefully, this will evolve into valet for every restaurant in the town, which will help to further revive one of the best dining destinations in New Jersey.”

About the Valet Services: Valet services will be available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays beginning at 5 p.m. Valet stations will be conveniently located on the corners of Chestnut Street and East Ridgewood Avenue and Prospect Street and East Ridgewood Avenue.

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The Ridgewood Police Department is scheduled for an on-site assessment as part of a program to maintain accreditation by verifying it continues to meet professional standards.

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood Police Department
Public Notice

The Ridgewood Police Department is scheduled for an on-site assessment as part of a program to maintain accreditation by verifying it continues to meet professional standards.

Administered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (“CALEA”), the accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures; administration; operations; and support services.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00pm. The session will be conducted at the Ridgewood Municipal Court located at 131 N. Maple Avenue, 4th Floor, Ridgewood, NJ.

Agency employees and the public are also invited to offer comments by calling (201) 615-6977 on Tuesday, November 17 between the hours of 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Comments will be taken by the Assessment Team.

Telephone comments, as well as appearances at the public information session, are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Ridgewood Police Department, 131 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. The local contact is Capt. Jacqueline Luthcke at (201) 670-5594.

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Ridgewood Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (“CALEA”), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155.

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Ridgewood Mayor’s column was unbalanced

parking garage cbd

Ridgewood Mayor’s column was unbalanced

NOVEMBER 13, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Print

Newspaper column was ‘unbalanced’

To the Editor:

Well, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

In his recap of activities associated with the recent non-binding parking garage referendum (“A big day for Ridgewood,” The Ridgewood News, Friday, Nov. 6, page A6), Mayor Paul Aronsohn did not hesitate to heavily criticize the “anti-parking garage” mailer, but failed to even mention the brouhaha connected with a non-factual letter of endorsement written by the Historic Preservation Commission’s chairperson, Mr. Vincent Parrillo.

I can’t imagine why Mr. Aronsohn didn’t think an inaccurate letter of endorsement, allegedly written at the request of either himself or Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli, wasn’t worth mentioning in his summation of significant referendum related activities/issues. He devoted over 80 words of criticism to the mailer, but devoted not even one word to the bogus endorsement. This strikes me as being both an unbalanced and unjust report to your readers.

And why is the mayor so concerned about the mailer having been sent from Newark? Are there people working or living in Newark that we should be concerned about? Would it have made a difference to him if the mailer was postmarked from Ridgewood?

Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/ridgewood-news-letter-mayor-s-column-was-unbalanced-1.1454581

 

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Autism cases in U.S. jump to 1 in 45

CDC

By Ariana Eunjung Cha November 13 at 12:47 PM

The number of autism cases in the United States appeared to jump dramatically in 2014 according to new estimates released Friday, but researchers said that changes in the format of the questionnaire likely affected the numbers.

The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Center for Health Statistics shows that the prevalence of autism in children ages 3 to 17 went up nearly 80 percent from 2011-2013 to 2014. Instead of 1 in 68 children having autism — a number that has alarmed public health officials in recent years and strained state and school system resources —  researchers now estimate that the prevalence is now 1 in 45.

Lead author Benjamin Zablotsky,  an epidemiologist at the NCHS, and his colleagues said that in previous years some parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder likely reported it as a developmental disability instead of or in addition to autism because it was listed first. The new questionnaire flips the two categories, which researchers said made the autism estimates more similar to ones from other sources.

As might be expected from this change, the prevalence of other developmental disabilities declined significantly from 4.84 percent based on 2011-2013 data to 3.57 percent in 2014.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/11/13/autism-cases-in-u-s-rise-to-1-in-45-a-look-at-who-gets-the-diagnosis-in-8-simple-charts/

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Ridgewood Symphony in its 75th year

Ridgewood Symphony

NOVEMBER 13, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY AIMEE LA FOUNTAIN
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Music lovers will have a unique chance to hear an organist play with a full orchestra later this month.

The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra will present a performance on Nov. 20 at the West Side Presbyterian Church.

The concert will feature Juilliard student and organist Greg Zelek. The symphony orchestra will perform J.S. Bach’s “Toccata and fugue in d minor,” Bedrich Smetana’s “The Moldau,” Jean Sibelius’s “Finlandia Op. 26” and Camille Saint-Saens’s “Symphony No. 3.”

The chance to hear an organist play with a full orchestra is a rare occurrence.

“They have a phenomenal organ at the church, so it’s a great opportunity,” said musical director Diane Wittry.

https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/music/orchestra-delights-for-75-years-1.1454542

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Ridgewood Police Caution against “Phishing” identity scams

hacker-neo

Ridgewood Police Caution against “Phishing” identity scams

November 13th ,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police continue to caution against identity theft . On Saturday November 7, 2015 a Stevens Avenue resident reported a suspicious incident that occurred via the internet. He/she was notified via email that there was a problem with his/her credit card account leading them to a link requesting his/her account information.

Prior to providing his/her personal information the resident realized that the notification was in fact fraudulent. This is a common scheme for perpetrating identity theft crimes, do not provide your personal account information to anyone before positively verifying the identity of the entity requesting it. Fraudulent sites camouflage themselves in order to trick potential victims into believing that they are legitimate.

This is often called ; Phishing . Phishing is when internet fraudsters impersonate a business to trick you into giving out your personal information, it’s called phishing. Don’t reply to email, text, or pop-up messages that ask for your personal or financial information. Don’t click on links within them either – even if the message seems to be from an organization you trust. It isn’t. Legitimate businesses don’t ask you to send sensitive information through insecure channels.

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Ridgewood Police report a rash of Construction Equipment Stolen around Village

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file photo by Boyd Loving

November 13,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , the Ridgewood police report that on Wednesday November 4, 2015, a Newcomb Road resident reported that someone had entered the garage at his/her home that was under construction removing construction equipment, an aluminum breaker and aluminum scaffolding valued at $1,800. The stolen property belonged to the contractor working at the home. The detective bureau is investigating the matter.

Also on Thursday November 5, 2015 a Franklin Avenue business owner reported merchandise (a large wheeled metal serving cart with a tiled mosaic top) valued at $650. stolen from his/her store sometime between October 31, 2015 and November 2, 2015. The matter is being investigated by the detective bureau.,

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How can the Village Council put together Bond Ordnance before the final Parking Garage Design is Decided ?

Village_Manager_Roberta_Sonenfeld_theridgewoodblog
November 13,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , Prior to the Nov 3rd referendum, Mayor Aronsohn and Councilwoman Hauck were telling people “If you think we need more parking, vote yes. This is not the final design. We will get public input about the size, design, financials, etc before decisions are made.” It appears now that many people voted yes on the bond referendum, trusting those statements and that they would have input.

At the Nov 9th council meeting, during the manager’s report, Roberta spoke of the parking committee coming to the Dec 9th council meeting with their recommendations. She said the parking committee has taken input from residents. That seems to be news to a lot of people .Most residents were not aware of any meeting where the public was allowed to give their input on record. The informal “parking forums” that took place were not “on the record” . Residents expected there to be council meetings dedicated to the discussion of the parking garage. Members of the parking steering committee should be present to hear all comments. After public comments, the council should discuss in front of the public, their thoughts on the structure.

During the managers report on Nov 9th, Roberta also suggested putting together the bond ordinance for the garage at the Dec 9th council meeting. This clearly sounds to us that things are being done backwards yet again. How exactly can you have a dollar figure for a bond when the design has not been decided? How can the design be decided before you have had a formal public meeting where everybody can express there opinions?  Why is money being wasted asking the architects for different renderings, when you haven’t heard the public yet? Maybe someone will have ideas that should be incorporated into the new designs and should be heard before the architects are asked to come back with multiple designs?

Once again it seems that the residents  are feeling their voices are not being listened to again regarding the many significant issues facing the village: high density housing, parking  Schedler, and Habernickel.

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Parking Vote and the Renege

fly-on-wall_theridgewoodblog

…the fly has learned that many residents voted in favor of the parking garage , giving the council the benefit of the doubt as a result of the Village Council agreement to do in depth studies on the High Density Housing proposed for the central business district at the September 30th Council meeting in addition to the assurances that residents would have input into design etc. It now appears that the council majority is attempting to renege on that deal …

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Neighbors question Ridgewood’s proposed use of Gate House

Habernickel Park Gate House

NOVEMBER 13, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

A change in use for the Gate House at the Irene Habernickel Family Park has prompted the concerns of residents on Hillcrest Road and its neighboring streets as it raises several quality of life issues for them.

An ordinance and a resolution to authorize the lease and its execution were approved on Sept. 30; however, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld announced last week the village had not yet signed the lease.

A public hearing was held last Wednesday at which neighborhood residents brought forth their own issues on the subject, which included misgivings about traffic, excess parking on streets and the use of a residential area for a business.

Green Acres, which reimbursed the village for the purchase of Habernickel Park, required the hearing for the purpose of public information and the planned recreational and educational use for the Gate House has already been deemed approvable, according to Sonenfeld.

The anticipated lessee of the Gate House is Health Barn USA, which offers year-round educational programs for children, ages 3 to 15 years. Programs are attended by 10 to 15 kids per class and the summer camp has a maximum of 25 attendees, said owner Stacey Antine. For typical programs, children are dropped off and picked up by their parents. Health Barn only receives buses for school field trips, which take place during the day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and for special needs children, said Antine.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/neighbors-question-use-of-gate-house-1.1454555

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Planning Board continues reexam of Ridgewood master plan

clock_cbd_theridgewoodblog

NOVEMBER 12, 2015    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015, 12:48 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The village’s Planning Board forged on with its reexamination of Ridgewood’s master plan last Tuesday with a discussion that focused on its circulation and community facilities plan.

With an early February deadline to submit a complete master plan reexamination, the board voted unanimously to include the village planner’s recommendations in the draft version of the report with final determination to be made prior to adoption.

One of the recommendations made by Village Planner Blais Brancheau was the establishment of a Transportation Improvement District (TID) in Ridgewood, which would allow the village to allocate the cost of roadway improvements to areas of development in town based on the property’s use. The board also asked for the Complete Streets program previously adopted by the Village Council to be included in the report.

In discussing the current circulation and community facilities plan with the board, Brancheau said he was “struck” by how outdated they are and said both are in need of a major overhaul.

Brancheau suggested the board could decide to do away with the respective elements altogether as they are not mandated by the state and some municipalities have no such elements in their master plan.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/planners-continue-master-plan-reexam-1.1454175

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Christie is a believer in the ‘Ferguson effect’

Chris Christie

Maddie Hanna, Inquirer Trenton Bureau

Last updated: Monday, November 9, 2015, 11:59 PM

The FBI director has been seen as giving it credence. So has the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. And Gov. Christie made his views clear last week, saying in a Fox News interview that “I absolutely believe it’s real.”

The subject of debate: the “Ferguson effect,” a theory that officers are responding to backlash by pulling back from proactive policing, potentially resulting in increased crime.

Christie, making a pro-law enforcement pitch in his Republican presidential campaign, has endorsed the theory, which detractors – including President Obama – say isn’t grounded in evidence.

Obama’s “rhetoric has not been supportive at all of the men and women in uniform around this country,” Christie said Monday at Camden County Police Headquarters. “And it’s his own FBI director who has said this type of conduct has made a chill wind go through law enforcement across this country.

Read more at https://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20151109_Considering_Ferguson_s_impact.html#8dlVKgbaZIrT8LvM.99

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Runaway Van Crashes on North Maple Ave in Ridgewood

Runaway Van
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page
Runaway Van Crashes on North Maple Ave in Ridgewood
November 11,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, An employee of a Cliffside Park based construction company was seriously injured on Wednesday evening, 11/11, after he unsuccessfully attempted to stop a runaway van and was struck after he jumped into the driver’s seat and then fell out of the moving vehicle. The incident occurred in front of 472 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood at approximately 5:15 PM. The victim had been part of a crew performing maintenance/repair work on the home of noted author Harlan Coben. An ambulance transported the victim to Hackensack University Medical Center with the assistance of a paramedic unit from The Valley Hospital. The van was removed from the scene by a tow truck. Ridgewood Police are conducting an investigation. It is not know whether Mr. Coben, or his wife Anne Armstrong-Coben, were at home when the incident occurred.