APRIL 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
When a handful of residents resurrected the Ridgewood Arts Council (RAC) last year, there was little doubt cast that the group’s members would struggle to make their mark. Now, they’re preparing to leave a lasting legacy.
Members of the RAC along with their friends and other interested residents, some 20 in total, met Tuesday night to discuss the progress of the organization and its current initiatives while rallying support of the abundance of creativity in the village.
“We all know that Ridgewood has a thriving arts community, whether it’s in painting, singing, dancing, and culinary arts. There’s so much here,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn said during the evening’s welcome. “This is a great organization to bring it all together and make it available for everyone to see.”
In an effort to bring various art forms together, the RAC has launched a campaign to create “Ridgewood Art at Village Hall,” a permanent art display that would adorn the interior walls and halls of the municipal building. This week, the first eight art pieces donated for exhibit consideration were presented for viewing.
Ridgewood Police and the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police Department has been receiving numerous reports of tax returns being filed fraudulently. The Ridgewood Police will assist the victim with filing documentation of the incident. All incidents should be reported to the Internal Revenue Service Investigation Unit.
STOLEN IDENTITY REFUND FRAUD
ALERT: The IRS does not send unsolicited email, text messages or use social media to discuss your personal tax issue. If you receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be an IRS employee and demanding money, you should consult the IRS Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts webpage: https://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-Consumer-Alerts. If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) Enforcement
One of the Tax Division’s highest priorities is prosecuting people who use stolen identities to steal money from the United States Treasury by filing fake tax returns that claim tax refunds. Working to stop Stolen Identity Refund Fraud, or SIRF, is vital because these schemes threaten to disrupt the orderly administration of the income tax system for hundreds of thousands of law abiding taxpayers and to cost the United States Treasury billions of dollars.
SIRF crimes are complicated to prosecute because they are often perpetrated by large criminal enterprises with individuals at all stages of the scheme: those who steal the Social Security Numbers (SSN) and personal identifying information, those who file false returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), those who facilitate obtaining the refunds, and the masterminds who promote the schemes. These criminal enterprises are able to exploit the speed and relative anonymity of highly automated systems for storing personal information, preparing and filing tax returns electronically, and generating income tax refunds quickly—often in the form of electronic payments.
Identities used in SIRF crimes may be stolen from anywhere. SIRF criminals have used social security numbers stolen from institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, and public death lists, thereby exploiting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities—the elderly, the infirm, grieving families. However, everyone with a social security number is potentially vulnerable to having their identity stolen. According to the IRS, from 2008 through May of 2012, the Service has identified more than 550,000 taxpayers who have had their identities stolen for the purpose of claiming false refunds in their names.
Typically SIRF perpetrators file the false returns electronically, early in the tax filing season so that the IRS receives the false SIRF return before the legitimate holder of the social security number has time to file their return. The SIRF perpetrators arrange to have the refunds electronically transferred to debit cards or delivered to addresses where they can steal the refund out of the mail.
SIRF crimes cross state borders, and increasingly, national borders. Successfully prosecuting the wrongdoers requires a national strategy of information sharing and coordinated prosecution. The nation-wide reach of the Tax Division’s centralized criminal tax enforcement and its ability to coordinate closely with every United States Attorney’s Office, and through them local law enforcement and police, makes it possible for the Government to respond efficiently and forcefully to the explosion of SIRF crimes. Moreover, the Tax Division has created expedited procedures for working with the United States Attorneys’ Offices on SIRF crimes to ensure the quickest possible investigation and prosecution of these cases. Additionally, the Division works closely with the Internal Revenue Service to quickly share information obtained from our investigations and prosecutions of SIRF cases that the IRS can use to make it more difficult for the schemes to be successful by blocking the refunds from being paid in the first place.
The Tax Division has had considerable success in SIRF prosecutions, which have generated long sentences for those convicted of SIRF crimes. This page contains links to articles, websites, and press releases with information on how the Justice Department and IRS are dealing with SIRF crimes, guidance for citizens whose identities have been stolen and used to file false tax returns, and efforts of the Justice Department to prosecute these crimes.
– Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division
Potential class-action lawsuit filed against the maker of TurboTax
the Ridgewood PD and the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, Ridgewood Police report on April 18, 2015 at 6:55 PM Ptl Anthony Mormino responded to a hit and run motor vehicle accident on East Saddle River Road. Ptl Keith Killion located the vehicle that left the scene on Wall Street. While investigating the incident it was determined that the driver and a passenger were attempting to hide the vehicle in a garage.
The driver Arnella E. Migirov 21 of Elmwood Park was arrested and charged with DWI, DWI in a School Zone, Unsafe Vehicle, Failure to Exhibit Documents, Failure to Install Interlock Device, Reckless Driving, Following to Closely, Leaving the scene of an accident wit Injury, and Failure to Report an Accident with Injury. The accused was released pending an appearance in Ridgewood Municipal Court.All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
We haven’t been in communications via E-Notice for a while! And I was actually hesitating sending this note out as there may be little if any impact on you as a result of our new Amnesty Program but decided on balance it would be good to communicate on this topic. I have attached a copy of the Permit Amnesty Program that the Building Department is offering for residential work that has been previously completed without having the required permits. This program is based on the review of more than 650 pending applications as well as discussions with residents. This program runs through August 21, 2015.
Two other topics that I would like to mention while I have your ear. First of all potholes: over the last several weeks we have received calls from about 450 residents, others have used our website application, resulting in the filling of over 2,000 potholes around town. Please keep that input coming – although our staff is also on the lookout for potholes, our best source of information is you.
I know that there has been news stories about animal sightings, sometimes the animals – mainly raccoons and coyotes- are rabid. If an animal looks like they are intoxicated or displaying weird behavior, you are encouraged to call the Police Department. I would also suggest that if you see a coyote, rabid or otherwise, please phone the Police Department……if we get several sightings I will put out an E-Notice. Unfortunately we cannot as yet target an E-Notice to a geographic area within the Village but we will indicate in the notice where the sightings have occurred.
You do not need to receive an E-Notice to communicate with me – please always feel free to share your observations and feedback. I had my April Meet the Manager session last evening and my next one will be on Saturday, May 23rd from 9 – noon.
Click Here
Have a great spring, Roberta
Best regards,
Roberta
Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203
file photo by Boyd Loving
APRIL 24, 2015, 10:20 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015, 10:25 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Village property owners would pay 1.2 percent more in taxes over the next year, under a $47.1 million 2015 municipal budget introduced by officials this week.
Ridgewood’s operating budget raises expenses and revenues overall by 1.8 percent, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said during the council’s Wednesday night meeting.
The tax increase is the first in the village in two years and would result in a $46.72 increase for owners of the average home, assessed at $690,672.
Second quarter property taxes are due May 1, 2015. There is a 10 day grace period for property tax payments. Since the 10th falls on a Sunday, all payments must be received in this office by Monday, May 11, 2015 to avoid a penalty. Postmark is not accepted.
Please allow ample time for mail delivery. If you are using online checking, confirm with your banking institution that payments will arrive on time and be sure to include your block and lot number in the memo. We cannot make exceptions for payments still en route on May 11th . All payments received after the May 11th deadline will accrue interest from May 1, 2015. Payments may also be dropped off in the yellow Village mail box at the rear main entrance.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHAEL PARLOFF Paquito D’Rivera is a world-class musician who composes and plays both the saxophone and clarinet. Stefon Harris plays the vibraphone and marimba and is one of today’s top jazz artists
APRIL 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY SUBMITTED BY MICHAEL PARLOFF
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Editor’s note – Michael Parloff of Ridgewood is presenting the final event of the 2014-15 season of his very popular Parlance Chamber Concerts this coming Sunday afternoon, April 26, at 3 p.m. at West Side Presbyterian Church. Here he offers our readers some background on the world class performers.
The legendary sax and clarinet virtuoso Paquito D’Rivera, the reigning master of Latin jazz, will team up with special guest Stefon Harris, the blazing young star of the vibraphone and the marimba.
They will be joined by Paquito’s all-star Quintet, which includes the Argentinian trumpeter/trombonist Diego Urcola, the Peruvian bassist Oscar Stagnaro, and the American pianist Alex Brown and drummer/percussionist Eric Doob. Together, this stellar ensemble was awarded the Grammy award for best Latin Jazz Album of 2001.
RIDGEWOOD, N.J., As part of an innovative program aimed at reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital stays, teams comprised of a paramedic, critical care nurse and EMT have begun making house calls on heart patients soon after their discharge from The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ.
April 21,2015
Ridgewood NJ, We have received a few reports of random daytime sightings of raccoons. We have no reason to believe they are rabid. Usually raccoons are nocturnal but during this time of the year they are breeding and are often looking for food or drink for themselves and their babies from dumpsters, garbage cans, pools or other water sources.
Tyco, our Animal Control expert, suggests that there should only be concerns if an animal looks like they are drunk or intoxicated; if they are lying around and not responding to loud noises; attack inanimate objects (trees/rocks); or other types of weird behavior. In these cases you are encouraged to call the Police Department who will contact the animal control service.
We recommend that you do not feed feral animals or leave food out or stagnant water for them.
Big Foot https://theridgewoodblog.net/ridgewood-blog-to-promote-night-out-for-big-foot-for-earth-day/
Ridgewood NJ, Willard School has received a report from parents of a possible coyote sighting near the school. Patrol has checked the area and no coyotes have been found. The Police Department has not received a direct complaint from any residents of a coyote sighting. The school has taken the precaution of alerting parents to the possible sighting. If you see a coyote near the school please contact the Ridgewood Police Department at 201-652-3900.
For more information about Coyotes in New Jersey visit the Division of Fish and Wildlife Web Site
Ridgewood NJ, In Ridgewood ,there seemed to be far less accidents involving pedestrians and automobiles this past year? I do not know the numbers .
So we asked Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward if we did have decrease what in your mind was particularly effective in mitigating pedestrian incidents. If we had an increase what policy can the Village , the Schools or the Ridgewood PD do to increase awareness of public safety and make our streets safer ?
The Chief took time out to respond , “We did have a decrease in pedestrian related accidents in 2014. I can say we have experienced a significant decrease in the level of injury to pedestrians. That being said in December (2014) we did have several but again still well below last year. As far as why, I can say we have increased our efforts in the areas of education and enforcement as well as the efforts in the area of engineering to enhance safety. As you know there are too many variables to attribute a causal nexus between our efforts and the reductions in pedestrian crashes , but one could argue that there appears to be a correlation.
While according to the Record there has been an increase state wide , the Chiefs efforts in Village suggest that simply “awareness ” from both drivers , walkers and cyclist may be the key .
N.J. pedestrian deaths rise; police look for reasons
APRIL 21, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015, 6:47 AM
BY JOHN CICHOWSKI
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD
Sad to say, each time you read your favorite newspaper, there’s a good chance you’ll learn about someone like Anila Lluka or Lisa Borsellino or Donna Marie Wine, whose lives were cut short at the rate of one every other day in New Jersey — twice a month in Bergen County.
These deaths happen so routinely that we often barely recognize their significance because the victims were doing something as common as crossing River Street in Hackensack, where Borsellino was struck down last October, or Paramus Road in Paramus, where Lluka was killed last November.
Tragically, such passings have become much more frequent lately, according to updated figures recently released by the New Jersey State Police fatal accident unit.
Pedestrian deaths totaled 169 statewide last year, including that of Ms. Wine, a beautician who was standing with others on Grand Avenue at an outdoor market in Hawthorne last August when a truck plowed into her. In Bergen, walking deaths peaked at 24 last year. Victims included Stephen Petruzzello, a 22-year-old Cliffside Park police officer who was run down crossing Walker Street two days after Christmas while on the job with his partner.
With Bergen now accounting for more pedestrian fatalities by far than any other county in the state, traffic cops in many of its 70 municipalities have begun digging into their files to find better ways to prevent such deaths.
Editors Note : several erroneous statements in this letter must be addressed , italics is mine PJ Blogger Founder of the Ridgewood blog and King of the Anonymous bloggers
to the editor:
While watching the council meeting last Wednesday, I was appalled by the rancor and allegations of harassment.
Our councilmen and councilwomen donate an inordinate amount of time and energy for the betterment of Ridgewood. There is a growing tendency on the part of our citizens to vilify some of our council because of disagreement with their positions on public policy and local law. This has got to stop.
Actually it is three members of the council who continue to attack and vilify the opposition ,
Anonymous blogging is an especially onerous method of this, seeing that a forum already exists at every council meeting by going to the podium and stating your name and address. Criticize the ideas if you must, or add constructive ideas regarding the dialogue or issue at hand, but do it openly and expose your views to public debate.
This is a perfect example of the previous statement , you are responsible for your own behavior , poor manners and an ill temper are no ones fault but your own
During the heated discussion of the residency requirement, it has come to light that one of the two dissenters on the council has a personal stake in the eventual outcome that was not previously made known. I find that there are few coincidences in life, and it appears that the catalyst for one of the dissenting votes bears this out. If you have three sons on the current village list with aspirations to pursue careers with the police force, a dissenting vote on this issue of civilian hires can be seriously construed as another dissenting vote down the road on uniformed employees, and a potential conflict of interest.
To our knowledge Public safety employee hiring was not effected by the “residency ” rule change making the hole conflict issue specious.
Regarding this question of residency preference, Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli summarized it best in voting against continuing the preference: The people of Ridgewood are best served by hiring the most qualified candidate for village jobs, whether they are residents of Ridgewood or not. The village does not need to fill civil service positions as a way of providing work for residents which could become a recipe for patronage and nepotism.
No one would argue that hiring the best for the Village , but it seems the change in the law will open the floodgates for importing more partisan hacks in in attempt to destroy the Village ie welcome to Hudson County .
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.
Tim Cronin and Nancy Bigos of the Dept. of Parks & Rec have posted the Graydon schedule on the Graydon page of the Village calendar as follows (asterisks have been added):
2015 SEASON
Early Season – Saturday, June 6 to Thursday, June 18
Weekends, 10 am to 7:30 pm
Weekdays, ***12 noon*** to 7:30 pm
Regular Season – Friday, June 19 to Sunday, August 16
Daily, 10 am to 7:30 pm
July 4th – Holiday hours, 10 am to 4 pm
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
1. Graydon will open two hours late (at noon) on the first 9 weekdays in June following theJune 6-7 opening weekend (that is, June 8-12 and 15-18). Full opening hours (10 AM to 7:30 PM) will begin on Friday, June 19, the day after the last day of school. Late opening resumes for 10 weekdays in late August (Aug. 17-21 and 24-28).
Total of short days: 19 = 38 lost hours of beach time.
Note: Crestwood Lake in Allendale will open two full weeks earlier, on May 23. Weekday hours until school is out will be 1-5 PM throughout that period.
2. Graydon will be CLOSED for the entire 5 days before Labor Day weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 4). Rationale: lifeguards will not be available because they’ll be in school, with Ridgewood and some other schools opening before Labor Day (Sept. 7)–but none as early as Aug. 31, and Ridgewood with a half-day on Wed. 9/9 and only 2 full days of school, why close all week?
The other part of the argument is that pool managers will be unavailable because they are teachers.
So maybe hire a couple who aren’t teachers? There’s still time.
Total of lost hours that week: 47.5 (9.5/day x 5 days)
Total lost beach time: 38 hours (late opening) + 47.5 hours (week before Labor Day weekend) = 85.5 hours
That’s the equivalent of 9 full lost days (9.5 x 9).
Full hours all season would include 893 hours. Since the first Saturday in June is late this year (June 6), the season is already short. From the first Saturday in June through Labor Day runs 13 weeks 3 days, or (13 x 7) + 3 = 94 days; that’s 9.5 hours/day x 94 = 893 hours. Removing 85.5 hours constitutes a 10.44% reduction. An additional 3.5 hours of closing occur on July 4, when Graydon is closed at 4 PM as a “drop zone” for fireworks.
WHY IS IT NECESSARY to demonstrate to the council every year that people still care about Graydon? I don’t know, but it is.
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE if people show up at a council meeting to express their views/displeasure? I don’t know, but it often helps. And the less familiar their faces are, the better–also odd but true.
I am not attempting to convene a rally. However, next Wednesday’s council meeting is our last shot at trying to get this year’s proposed reduced hours rolled back. THE COUNCIL MUST STILL VOTE ON IT, although it would have slid through this important step if I hadn’t noticed the web page announcement and yawped at them at the April 8 council meeting. There was no meeting this week; Graydon, I’m told, will be on the agenda for next week. (The agenda has not been posted yet; https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/agenda.cfm/)
If you care about this, please make your voice heard.
The council is tired of hearing my voice and so am I. It has been amply demonstrated that a show of strength and interest at a council meeting makes an impression on elected officials. It may not help, but it can’t hurt. And there is always next year and beyond for the council to consider and plan for.
Village Council
Public Work Session
Wednesday, April 22, 7:30 PM
Village Hall courtroom, 4th floor
Public comment is likely to begin shortly after 7:30, after the Pledge of Allegiance. Please consider stating briefly why the opening hours matter to you and why you believe our council and staff should make whatever effort is required to keep Graydon open for full summer hours–a situation that was assumed and unquestioned for decades.
Be specific, if possible: morning swim fan; work schedule prevents going when it’s open; want to invite guests or take children/grandchildren when a late opening is now scheduled; like to take vacation days from work to go swimming, but want to arrive before noon; council claims to care about seniors; school-aged children do not comprise Graydon’s only constituency; unnecessary to shut down for the entire week before Labor Day, even considering school schedules; why not at least open from 3 to 7:30 on those days?
If you can’t come, please consider contacting the council to express your views. Their email addresses will pop up in an email form through this link:
https://www.preservegraydon.org/write-council
And then we’ll see! Thanks.
Swimmingly,
Marcia
===========================================
Marcia Ringel, Co-Chair
The Preserve Graydon Coalition, Inc., a nonprofit corporation
“It’s clear—we love Graydon!”
www.PreserveGraydon.org
APRIL 16, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015, 3:38 PM
BY BY TIFFANY KATEHAKIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
With this year’s dreary winter weather officially a memory, Ridgewood is gearing up for a blossoming spring season with its Daffodil Festival and Earth Day celebration set for Sunday
This year for the first time, the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands (CRPL) and the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC) have teamed up to create a joint event.
The theme of the event is “Ridgewood Grows Green and Yellow.” Attendees are encouraged to wear green and yellow attire to the event.
CRPL organized last year’s first ever Daffodil Festival; REAC organizes the village’s annual Earth Day celebration.
“The yellow symbolizes the daffodils and the green symbolizes trees for Earth Day,” said Councilman Michael Sedon.
The two organizations have similar environmentally conscious initiatives in the village and when they held meetings to discuss the potential combination the two events, “It seemed like a natural partnership, combining the family fun of the Daffodil Festival with the environmentally conscious mind of Earth Day,” said Angela Leemans, REAC chair. “The message is to focus on the environment and making Ridgewood a more beautiful community.”
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