Category: village of ridgewood

Posted on by — Leave a comment

UNREAL® LAUNCHES A SUPER-NATURAL CANDY REVOLUTION AT SELECT WHOLE FOODS MARKET® STORES THIS HALLOWEEN

UNREAL Candy

Unjunked, Sustainably-Sourced Versions of America’s Favorite Candies Now Available at Whole Foods Market Ridgewood in Limited Edition, “Day of the Dead” 3-D Themed Packaging

October 8,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, UnReal®, the unjunked food company, announced today that it has partnered with Whole Foods Market® Ridgewood at 44 Godwin Avenue and other regional Whole Food Market stores this Halloween to offer its junk-free candies in limited edition, 3-D packaging with a “Day of the Dead” theme. Now, for the first time, kids and families in the neighborhood can treat themselves to unjunked versions of traditional candies like Reese’s® and M&M’s® that taste unbelievably delicious – no tricks, just 100% real treats. UnReal is reinventing America’s favorite candies by ethically sourcing the best-tasting, non-GMO ingredients without gluten, corn, or soy – and with up to 40% less sugar per serving. The brand’s limited edition seasonal product offerings include a 3-D Halloween Bucket with four varieties of treat size UnReal candies, as well as four different bags containing 10 treat size UnReal candies.

“Whole Foods customers want healthier options for their families without compromising taste and fun, so we’re offering them the Halloween candy they love – without the excess sugar and artificial ingredients that come with the typical trick-or-treat haul,” said UnReal CEO, Steve Konczal. “Halloween is a time when parents are conflicted, wanting their kids to enjoy candy, and yet mindful of the very real health issues. So, we’re launching a super-natural candy revolution alongside Whole Foods Market, and we’re aiming to reclaim Halloween by unjunking it. Together with fun packaging and in-store merchandising grounded in the true ethos of Halloween, we’re helping consumers make a better choice during the biggest candy-buying holiday of the year, when a staggering $3 billion of chocolate candy is purchased.“

Available now at Whole Foods Market Ridgewood, the limited edition UnReal Halloween Buckets feature innovative, 3-D designs with a colorful “Day of the Dead” theme created by renowned illustrator, Steve Simpson. The Halloween Bucket is a one-gallon “paint can” designed for trick-or-treating or for carrying to a party. It’s filled with 40 pieces of individually wrapped UnReal candy in four varieties — UnReal Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, UnReal Dark Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Cups, UnReal Candy Coated Milk Chocolates and UnReal Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Peanuts. Four varieties of bags are also available, each containing 10 individually wrapped UnReal candies. Suggested retail pricing is $19.99 for the Halloween Bucket, and $4.99 for each of the 10 piece bags. UnReal’s candy will be showcased with striking and imaginative displays, including painted skulls, all in the spirit of celebrating life and turning reality into unreality at Halloween.

Started by two teenager brothers after much of their Halloween candy was confiscated by their parents, UnReal is making America’s favorite candies better tasting, using the healthiest and most sustainable ingredients possible. While healthy confectionery has historically compromised on taste to deliver on better-for-you ingredients, UnReal puts flavor at the forefront. The team has explored over 1,000 recipes, searching the globe for the best tasting healthy, fair trade, organic, and sustainably-sourced ingredients for its unique recipes. To get your own UnReal Halloween treats, visit Whole Foods Market at 44 Godwin Avenue – or to purchase online, visit https://www.getunreal.com.

Posted on by — 19 Comments

Village of Ridgewood Feasibility Study for Hudson Street Garage Complete

Hudson Garage

photos by Boyd Loving 

2015 Walker Feasibility Study for Garage

Click Here to read the complete Walker Parking Garage Feasibility Study that was presented in the October 7, 2015 Village Council Public Work Session.

DSCF6398
Special Public Hearing – October 14, 2015

The Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood shall conduct a Public Hearing in the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room on the fourth floor of the Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 North Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ at its October 14, 2015 Regular Public Meeting, which meeting begins at 8:00 p.m.

20151007 110128 resized1

DSCF6403

DSCF64261

The purpose of this Public Hearing is for the Village Council to receive comments and suggestions from the public for the Village of Ridgewood’s 2015 Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund Municipal Park Improvement and Development Grant application. The Village has applied for this grant for Phase 1 work on the Schedler Park property, located at 460 West Saddle River Road, Ridgewood, NJ. Phase 1 would encompass basic infrastructure improvements to include: installation of underground utilities (water, electric, sewer); demolition of two-car garage, small shed; capping of inoperable well; selective removal of down, dead, diseased trees; site clean-up; and cut in proposed parking lot driveway entrance.

Heather A. Mailander

Village Clerk

Posted on by — 21 Comments

Proposed Parking Garage falls far Short for Ridgewood Central Business District

hudson parking garage

“File photo by Boyd Loving”

October 8,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Did you watch the UStream from the Village Council meeting last night about the parking garage?

The plan is one of the most bizarre I’ve ever heard of.

Here’s why:

1) No net gain of spaces due to loss of at least 1, if not more private lots because of high density housing (Brogan), and the loss of 17 on street spaces on Hudson Street (Mt. Carmel church goers get screwed, as we expected they would).

2) Garage must be full, yes full, in order for it to pay for itself.  They will fill with commuters during day, including out of towners.  They will also push all valeted cars into lot at night.   Expect them to change zoning to prohibit valeted cars from being parked on private property.  Also expect them to push all employee parking (now at Ken Smith) into lot.  In short, there will be no room in lot for shoppers/restaurant users during the day.

3)  On street metered parking will soon begin at 9AM and end at 9PM.  “Premium” on street spots will now cost $1.00 per hour and escalate each year.  Rates in surface lots will also increase at the rate of 25 cents per year beginning at 75 cents per hour.  Expect parking charges to be incurred on Sundays if money is tight.

4)  No mention whatsoever of how much it will cost to park in the garage, but there was talk about making it a 24/7 pay to park facility.

5) Enforcement will escalate to bring in more revenue.  More parking enforcement agents?

6) No answer provided to the question of whether parking utility revenues now allocated to fund Village operations will need to be funneled to pay for the garage, leaving tax payers the burden of replacing the funds – increased property taxes maybe?

7) After hearing all of this, Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck had nothing to say other than “I’m all about aesthetics,” at which point she then proceeded to lambaste the garage design firm about the exterior appearance of the facility.  Can you believe that one?

In short, this entire parking garage will be the biggest boondoggle Village taxpayers will experience in decades, if not the last century.

VOTE “NO” ON NOVEMBER 3 IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMON SENSE.

Posted on by — 10 Comments

Lamp Post on Dangerous Ridgewood Conner Still Missing Since December

CBD exxon station

Let’s Play Where’s Roberta

October 08,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the above Picture is taken near the Exxon station which we know would have been an ideal spot for a parking garage.
Confirmed the station is closing next week.

So, this picture shows; Street light near La Bocca is on 24 hours a day. ( Also one down the block)
Small traffic cone across from the barber shop. That used to be a lamp post. Older gentleman hit it in December. When someone complained to the town it looked like it was falling down, lamp post was removed. 10 months and not replaced? Surprised no one has stolen the cone.
Traffic sign near the Woof-Furry, completely bent. Street sign pole to the right of that, leaning precariously.

So, how do we get these fixed??

Posted on by — 21 Comments

Residents Flip Over Outrageous Ridgewood Water Bills

ridgewood water bill

October 07,2015
Jane Shinozuka

Ridgewood NJ, I know people have been concerned about their “re-calculated” Ridgewood Water bills, but the mismanagement is worse than I thought. I’ve paid my bills, and while they do talk about them being “estimated” – this is just ridiculous! If it is not illegal it is surely unethical! Has anyone pursued this issue?

They assured us they are owed the full amount billed – it not being THEIR fault that they didn’t have the manpower to do anything but estimates for 6 or 7 years! Customers not changing their phone systems for better monitoring to suit Water’s purposes is not an excuse. Where is the genuine attempt at a public awareness campaign? This is outrageous. I’d also like to know if this new calculation is based on current rates. Have those rates been the same for the last 7 or 8 years? At which rate is the catch up bill measured? With each re-calculated bill should come a full reconciliation of each account from when it was first considered underpaid. They insisted they are indeed entitled to the whole amount and offered us a 24 installment payment plan. I’ve since heard from someone else that had a similar problem that he too called to raise the issue and was offered a 15% discount over 5 years… I’d love to know who rates a sweet deal and who doesn’t!

If anyone has an opinion or has dealt with this, please enlighten me. I am always very supportive of all things Ridgewood, even when I’ve had to give the benefit of the doubt – but this is Not Right! Even if every re-calculation turned out to be correct – this is no way to run a business!! Who is “minding the store” ?!

Posted on by — 6 Comments

Ridgewood Water Lifts all Water Restrictions

saddle river low tide

Effective Thursday, October 8, 2015, all water restrictions will be lifted.  Even though rainfall in our area remains below normal, lower temperatures and the onset of autumn are expected to limit the peaks in demand for water that severely stressed the distribution system this summer.  The combination of Stage 4 restrictions and stricter enforcement resulted in a successful outcome – we thank our residents who did comply with Stage 4 restrictions and encourage all to make water conservation a permanent part of their lifestyles.  Ridgewood Water will be investigating ways to encourage efficient water use and will be seeking the input of residents from all of the communities we serve.

In the last couple of days we did have a chlorine incident that I would like to explain to you.  Just a couple of facts regarding the chlorine agent that we use:

Liquid sodium hypochlorite is standard in the industry for almost 100 years
Its use is mandatory in order to control viruses and bacteria
It is measured in parts per million
Our wells are set to shut down at 3.5 parts per million
Chlorine begins to impact taste and smell at 2 parts per million
DEP guidelines set 4 parts per million as the maximum residual
EPA guidelines require notification to consumers within 30 days

Ridgewood’s water was running at a high of 5 parts per million at some point during Monday-Tuesday of this week. It was a direct result of two issues at the Twinney Water Treatment Facility and impacted those homes served by that facility. The first issue was that a pump failed and the second was that the automatic notification and shut down the well was also not operational.  Since it is impractical to identify the exact limits of the affected area, the entire Village community was notified as a precaution.

Ridgewood Water followed all necessary DEP and EPA protocol including notifications and the DEP indicated that it was our decision to flush the system and that this was not a violation.  The system was flushed and Twinney was again operational by 5:00 yesterday.

There is nothing that suggests that there was a hazardous public health issue…….however, what I believe could have been done better is a customer service issue and that is more effective communication with our residents.  Although technically and legally communications were handled well within guidelines, we should be better than that.  And I apologize for that.  We did conduct a post mortem this morning with all staff involved and have identified steps in the communication process that can be strengthened including making sure that the correct Ridgewood employee is conducting the communications and that we are quicker to notify the public.

If you did not receive a reverse call about this incident please click here to sign up for future calls.

One more important notification
System Flushing:

Ridgewood Water will be performing system maintenance beginning on October 19, 2015.  This work will include the operation of fire hydrants at high velocity which may stir up minerals that have previously precipitated out of the water.  This may temporarily discolor the water.  The operation of the hydrants will be conducted late at night to minimize effects on consumers.  There are no health concerns associated with the minerals that get stirred up, but residents are urged to avoid laundering clothing during the work.  Ridgewood Water will notify residents in specific areas of impending work using the Swiftreach calling system.  You may register to receive these calls by clicking on the SwiftH2O link on our website homepage at water.ridgewoodnj.net.  Maps showing the active work zones will be posted on the website and will be provided to local officials.  You may call our Operating Center with questions at 201-670-5524.  We thank you for your patience during this temporary inconvenience as we work to improve your customer experience.

Best,

Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Elections Have Consequences Make Sure You Register to Vote

3 amigos

October 13 – Last Day to Register to Vote in Nov. 3 Election

On Tuesday, October 13 from 8:30am to 4:30pm, voter registration forms are available in the Village Clerk’s Office on the 5th Floor of Village Hall.

On October 13 from 4:30pm to 9:00pm the Village Clerk will be in the Ridgewood Library Lobby with forms to assist residents with voter registration.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Village of Ridgewood 2015 LEAF PICK UP SCHEDULE

20141125_143210_resized

2015 LEAF PICK UP SCHEDULE

NOTICE CONCERNING LEAF REMOVAL FOR 2015

Last year the Village of Ridgewood implemented a pilot program to outsource a portion of our leaf removal service. After reviewing and evaluating input that was provided by you regarding the success of this change, we again will be using the services of a third party contractor in Area B. The combined effort of the Village staff and this contractor will enforce our continuing commitment to improve your Village services.

In accordance with last years’ schedule, residents in Area B will remain the same with the exception of the following streets which will now be considered “Area D” for leaf season only.

Beechwood Rd. Unadilla Rd.

Carlton Terr. Valley View Ave.

Elm Ct. Waiku Rd.

Kemah Rd. Wastena Terr.

N. Monroe St. (house #108 – 412) Windsor Terr.

Palmer Ct. Woodland Ave. (house #116 – #223)

Sheridan Terr.

2015 DATES for collection are as follows:

Area A Area B Area C Area D

Oct. 19 – 22 Oct. 21 – 27 Oct. 23 – 28 Oct. 29 – Nov. 4

Nov. 5 – 10 Nov. 9 – 13 Nov. 12 – 18 Nov. 19 – 25

Nov. 30 – Dec. 3 Nov. 30 – Dec. 4 Dec. 7 – 11 Dec. 14 – 18

Dec. 14 – 18

Leaves must be placed directly in the street no more than 7 days prior to your scheduled pick up date. Please have your leaves in the street on the first day scheduled for collection. If you employ the services of a landscaper communicate these dates to them. No brush will be collected during leaf season. You may continue to bring leaves as well as brush to the Recycling Center. The hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Leaves can also be placed in paper biodegradable bags. Bags will be available at the Recycling Center on a first come, first serve basis. When using bags please place them on the curb area and they will be collected separately.

The most vocal comment heard from residents last year was on properties who did not comply with the schedule. Therefore enforcement will be vital to the Village’s success to improve this service. An enforcement agent will issue a summons to those that violate these guidelines.

As weather is a key component to this operation, if changes become necessary it will be posted on the Village of Ridgewood website. In addition you are encouraged to sign up for e-mail notifications via the Village website and to share this information with your neighbors. As a reminder, use caution when our leaf removal crews are on your block. When possible please take an alternate route to ensure the safety of all. Should you have any questions, please call the Street Division at (201) 670-5585.

Our motto is – “Leave” no leaf behind!

Thank you for your continued cooperation.

Posted on by — 5 Comments

Ridgewood Water Reports Elevated Levels of Chlorine

RidgewoodWaterLogo_061912_rn_tif_

IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM RIDGEWOOD WATER 10/6

Ridgewood Water has received a number of inquiries about chlorine in the water supply. Equipment that feeds chlorine as the water leaves the
Twinny Treatment Facility pumped a higher amount than usual resulting in concentrations as high as 5 parts per million where 4 parts per million
is the maximum allowed by regulation.

The Twinny Facility was shut down when the problem was found early this morning. Crews have been flushing  the system in areas surrounding this site to reduce these concentrations to the normal level.

Although this impacts only a portion of Ridgewood residents, we are notifying all Ridgewood residents. It is anticipated that the system
will be back to normal by 5 pm today. Please flush your pipes by running your faucets and flushing your toilets. Further
updates will be posted to the Ridgewood Water website at water.ridgewoodnj.net.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Landscape expert stresses lawn alternatives in Ridgewood

maple+field1-300x19911

OCTOBER 6, 2015    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015, 10:02 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Losing your lawn for the greater good was the theme at an event organized by the Bergen Passaic Native Plant Chapter and the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC).

The event featured a speaker who specializes in landscaping that aligns nature with function and design.

Christina Chrobokowa, a noted landscape architect, gave a presentation regarding alternative ground covers, which require less maintenance and resources in addition to being more environmentally-friendly.

Additionally, ground covers often use less water, which made the presentation timely as the village is currently under Stage 4 water restrictions. Ironically, the event was held on Tuesday, which was the first rainy night in weeks.

In the United States, there is almost 50,000 square miles of lawn, said Chrobokowa, almost three times more than the space occupied by corn. Lawns are still considered a coveted aspect of homeownership, even by millennials, she said, reporting that 83 percent in that age group said having a yard is important.

With the desire for a lawn still high, the aim is to strike a balance between meeting the needs of homeowners and the natural environment. While lawns serve as a place for active and passive recreation, relaxation and a place for pets to play, what currently exists on many properties is often not necessary.

“It’s not an easy road to travel when it comes to changing perspectives and a mindset that has been ingrained in people for many generations,” said Chrobokowa, referring to the lawn as “America’s most wanted and useless crop.”

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/speaker-time-to-lose-lawns-1.1426299

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Reader says the Village Council had Tinkered with Ordinance 3066

clock_cbd_theridgewoodblog

May 2015, the Village Council tinkered with it and sent it to the Planning Board for comment, the Planning Board liked the tinkering. I don’t know whether the Village Council adopted the changes yet or not.

“Board member David Thurston asked if the new language opened up the board to a charge of making an arbitrary decision if it decides not to move forward with an application.
Village Planner Blais Brancheau said it should not be a problem in obvious cases,…..”

I am sure anyone who makes an application, particularly a big developer, will not regard their application as one that should obviously be turned down. We need to do what other towns do, not have such an ordinance.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/changes-in-store-for-controversial-village-ordinance-1.1335079?page=all

https://www.northjersey.com/news/plannerson-board-with-new-changes-1.1340532

 

 

 

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Ridgewood Supports Sanitation Worker In Aftermath Of His Son’s Death

0003897420-01-1_20150721

October 4,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Mike White,is a truck driver for our Sanitation Department and has been employed by the Village of Ridgewood for about  21 years. He is considered  incredibly professional, very kind and extremely friendly . many residents in tyhe Village are familiar with him .

Last week we all learned that Mike’s son, Michael White, who had also worked directly with him as a seasonal employee, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in July. Michael was 25 years old and leaves behind a 22-month-old daughter, Breelyn Mikynlee.

Many in the Village were heartbroken to hear of Mike’s loss and recognize.how difficult it must be for Mike and his wife Cheryl as they try to function in their  while working through their grief.

Mike and his wife Cheryl are now also helping to support their beautiful granddaughter. As we all know, diapers and toddler’s needs are expensive, and a little bit goes a long way.

If you would like to donate to help Mike and Cheryl during this difficult time,

Obituary https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/northjersey/obituary.aspx?pid=175308603

A Go Fund me  Campaign has been set up In Loving Memory of Michael White.  Here is the link:https://www.gofundme.com/an5b3hxs

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Residents can plant daffodil bulbs

spring_time_Daffodil theridgewoodblog

file photo by ArtChick

OCTOBER 2, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015, 8:52 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

A daffodil for every resident

To the Editor:

The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands is looking forward to spring! We are pleased to announce our 2015 campaign: “25,000 Village Residents = 25,000 Daffodils.” Our goal is to plant one daffodil bulb for each village resident.

Three years ago, the conservancy began the fall bulb planting project. To date, 14,000 bulbs were purchased and planted by residents, including Boys and Girls Scout troops, the Ridgewood Public School System and several local social service agencies.

Please join us on Sunday, Oct. 18 at the Stable between the hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help us kick off this exciting event. As we keep working on our various park improvement projects, we also look forward to celebrating our Third Annual Daffodil Festival on Sunday, April 17, 2016.

Please visit our conservancy website at cfrpl.org for ways to participate, and for additional information. We thank our community for their continued support.

Cynthia Halaby

President

Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands

 

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/ridgewood-news-letter-residents-can-plant-daffodil-bulbs-1.1423990

Posted on by — 8 Comments

Reader ask ,The only resident in town with a day job ?

Al day job

I dislike our deputy mayor as much as the rest of you but I think you are “burying the lede.” I do not think he meant, or even said, that he was the only RIDGEWOOD RESIDENT with a full-time job. I believe he was talking about the COUNCIL–thereby outing the mayor, who has claimed to have a job for years but clearly does not. The two councilwomen are not employed outside the home. The third male councilman LOST HIS JOB PARTLY BECAUSE THE MAYOR DROPPED A DIME and told his Staten Island boss that his running for council IN ANOTHER STATE would be a conflict of interest. Even the guy’s own legal team disagreed, but by then the councilman had left. This issue must never be allowed to die. Somebody, preferably a federal investigator, needs to get the mayor in a small room, shine a light on his shiny head, look him in the eye, and ask what happened. I would give a lot to be that investigator. Even in an elevator. He would not be able to look straight back.

From what I hear, many SUV’s in town will soon be sporting posters of Albert Pucciarelli with bold letters stating that he is the only person in town with a full time job. This will be cause for fender benders as people all over town crack up laughing.

The only one in town? in the world? He can’t have meant that even if he said it–especially considering that speaker after speaker had been stating “I’m a lawyer” and “I’m in advertising” and “I’m in real estate” and so on, and, well, an entire town can’t be unemployed at the same time. I believe that whatever he said, what he meant (he was flustered, for a change, and grasping for words) had to be that he was the only council member with a day job. Well, a mystery.

Note: I was at the meeting and I counted every speaker and wrote down their names. Some names I could not hear because the speakers were placed so their backs were to the audience, making it very hard to hear their names. After they stated their names, then they got bolder and you could hear their messages LOUD AND CLEAR.

Anyway for the record, I logged 84 people speaking OPPOSED to the high density housing, and one who simply questioned Mr. Aronsohn about accepting a bribe (I mean donation) from a developer. I counted five who were in favor, one of whom was a developer with a plan on the table and one of whom was his attorney. Those two don’t really count, do they?

If you count the two developer guys, that is 89 people (84 plus five, not counting the bribe-questioner who did not weigh in pro or con), with only 5.6% in favor.

If you delete the two developer guys, that is 86 people with only 3.5% in favor.

Now of course my math might be wrong because I don’t have a full time job. But, I guess that puts me in the majority since only one person in the room has a full time job.

 

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Second Annual Kelly Creegan Golf Outing is October 5

Ridgewood_Golf_theridgewoodblog

On Monday, October 5 the Kelly Creegan Memorial Fund will host its second annual golf outing at Apple Ridge Country Club in Mahwah. Founded in 2012, the Kelly Elisabeth Creegan Memorial Fund seeks to share the memory, life and spirit of Kelly Creegan through community philanthropy. Last year’s event funded two scholarships for the Ridgewood High School class of 2015. This year the hope is to continue and expand that mission.

Registration is at 8 a.m. with shotgun start at 10:30 a.m.  Golfers will enjoy a full breakfast and lunch with auction along with their round of golf. Price is $200 per golfer. For further information and sponsorship opportunities please visit our Facebook page, Kelly Creegan Memorial Fund, or email [email protected].