Reader says the Council Only Loves Free Speech when you agree with them
Oh, this is hilarious. Je suis Paulie, Je suis Pooch, Je suis the Hawk. Yeah, they all advocate free speech unless the person at the microphone is saying something they do not want to hear. Then that person is interrupted or yelled at or given the brush off. Remember the woman who was so determined about Graydon and they started screaming at her? Remember when the hotheaded DM went nuts on Ellie Gruber? You are not allowed to ask any direct questions of any member of the council, yep this is free speech.
Je suis Paulie. Whoever coined that deserves and award.<br
Group fills in details as Ridgewood shade tree policy takes root
JANUARY 13, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015, 10:34 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
While cultivating its new policy, the Shade Tree Commission is also sprouting an informative webpage on the village website for residents interested in planting shade trees in their grassy medians in fall 2015.
According to Councilman Michael Sedon, the commission will have a better sense of the specifics of its now-bare policy after its next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. (appropriately) in Village Hall’s Garden Room. Sedon serves as the council’s liaison to the commission.
JANUARY 8, 2015, 7:29 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015, 7:33 PM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
An appeals court Thursday ordered a new trial in a wrongful-death case in which the Village of Ridgewood was hit with a multimillion-dollar verdict after a jury found negligent supervision at Graydon Pool led to a 13-year-old boy’s drowning in 2008.
Soo Hyeon Park, his sister and parents had just arrived from South Korea and were visiting with friends in Ridgewood when they decided to go to the pool on July 15, 2008. While swimming out to a dock in the deep end with the two sons of his host, the boy began struggling to stay afloat and went under. None of the nine lifeguards on the stands around the pool that day saw the boy while he was in distress.
The jury found the village was negligent in its supervision and scanning of the patrons in the water and that the negligence contributed to Soo’s death. It awarded $10 million in damages: $4 million for the pain and suffering the boy endured as he drowned, $5 million to his parents and sister for their emotional distress and $1 million on the wrongful death claim as compensation for his parents’ and sister’s loss of Soo’s guidance, support and services, the appellate decision said.
In a post-verdict ruling, the trial judge accepted Ridgewood’s argument that the family was not entitled to damages for their pain and suffering because they failed to meet a medical expenses threshold of $3,600 under the Tort Claims Act, and the judge vacated the jury’s $5-million award on the emotional-distress claims.
Bergen Record Newspaper reporter, MIKE KELLY, will sign his new book: THE BUS ON JAFFA ROAD at Bookends this Saturday
Reporter for The Record Newspaper, MIKE KELLY, will sign his new book: THE BUS ON JAFFA ROAD ($26.95). at Bookends at 1pm ,November 9,2014.
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings. Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable. While we try to insure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely. Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
Habernickel horse barn renovation scrapped for now – prefab building maybe October 22,2014 Boyd A. Loving 12:45 AM
Ridgewood NJ, Based on the recommendation of Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld, Village Council members have seemingly nixed plans to undertake an expensive renovation of the Irene Habernickel Family Park’s horse barn. The renovation project was being considered to satisfy a need for permanent restrooms and shelter from inclement weather at the expansive park located on Hillcrest Road.
Sonenfeld suggested that a prefabricated restroom may be a less expensive alternative, with preliminary estimates in the $60K – $90K price range. A $60K grant may help offset costs.
Many of you may remember that the restroom project at Vets Field wound up costing taxpayers almost $400K, and those commodes were constructed in an existing building.
Overnight Milling Project at Garber Square October 21,2104 Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood NJ, Garber Square, Ridgewood was closed in both directions (eastbound and westbound) to all vehicular traffic from 2000 hours on Monday, 10/20/2014, through 0600 hours on Tuesday, 10/21/2014 to allow for milling of the road surface in preparation for paving. This work was performed in connection with a major streetscape project approved by the Ridgewood Village Council. In addition to paving, the project will include the addition of bike lanes in both directions, the reduction of traffic lanes from two lanes to one lane, and a median island.
Ridgewood News editorial: Parking plan needs more input
OCTOBER 10, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014, 12:31 AM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS Print
Officials took notice of public outcries over the Garber Square project this summer and PSE&G’s utility pole installation in 2013, and they learned that everyone should have a say when an impactful undertaking moves toward the horizon.
Ridgewood’s Valley Hospital sues over rejection of expansion project
OCTOBER 3, 2014, 11:53 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 11:56 PM BY MARY JO LAYTON STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
The Valley Hospital filed suit Friday against the Ridgewood Planning Board for rejecting its proposal to nearly double in size, arguing the board illegally sided with neighborhood opponents rather than permitting an upgrade for “an inherently beneficial regional hospital.”
For Valley, the lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in Hackensack is an attempt to end a protracted and costly stalemate with the village — its expansion plans have been defeated two times in the last four years.
Parking Meter Scandal : he could not have acted alone
Readers continue to speculate on parking meter security issues and continue to come up with one resounding conclusion ,he could not have acted alone .
Even a $41 million renovation of the Ridgewood Train station did not change the out dated parking meter system .
While ,Village officials said a forensic accounting firm has been retained to examine how a former employee managed to steal $460,000 in quarters from parking meters.
Although I’m not convinced that all meters would need to be replaced in order to implement a closed container/collection system, I’ll give the Village Manager the benefit of the doubt.
But, at a minimum, they should deep six those open white paint buckets/pickle containers and have all collectors use the carts depicted here:
https://www.pom.com/collectionsystems.htm
Continuing to use those buckets is a huge security risk, for the individual collecting monies (holdup/robbery) and for taxpayers (shrinkage).
It is actually very funny that we can’t afford to secure the Villages’s cash. I’m sure there is a solution out there that costs less than $460,000.
They made a deal and I’m hoping the whole story will come out eventually. Who in the police dept. is/are being protected?
Yet again, taxpayers getting screwed to protect some mob/union crony(ies) in Village Hall and/or the PD. Put in smart meters like NYC and let people use credit cards… how are we doing on Tommy Boy’s restitution ? Is he paying us back every week? The guy is obviously a wise guy, and refused to rat out his minders in Village Hall.
AUGUST 15, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014, 12:31 AM
Few believed a pedestrian plaza in Times Square would work, let alone become a permanent fixture in the middle of New York City’s Crossroads of the World. Both happened
In 2008, the American Planning Association bestowed its Great Public Spaces honor to the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, Vt. There, pedestrians freely walk on store-lined Church Street in an outdoor mall setting.
Ridgewood council weighs costs of turf versus grass
AUGUST 14, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014, 3:48 PM BY LAURA HERZOG STAFF WRITER
Artificial turf appears to cost less to maintain than grass, at least on Maple Field.
According to Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld, an estimated $121,500 was spent maintaining the turf on Maple Field during an eight-year period from 2006 to 2014.
Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits
TAKEN FROM THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG (Archived ) You should read the whole article.
From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs
Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits
Moments ago, after a long day at work I sat down to review my personal emails, check school info and sports emails, kids schedule, etc. In the mix was an email from Brian Abdoo who I know from a number of sports programs my kids are involved in. I began reading the Abdoo’s endorsement of candidates, Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarelli. The more I read the sicker I became. Abdoo has thoroughly disgusted me with his hypocritical rhetoric.
From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs.
Now, this same Brian Abdoo wants to express concern over taxes? He attempts to peddle Paul Aronsohn’s gimmicky zero based budgeting. Even my 6th grader understands built-in inherent cost increases. Abdoo states he wants more transparency and Village Council should “open the books”. The fact that Brian Abdoo is ignorant should not persuade anyone to his argument. Brian, the books are open. They are a matter of public record and are available for anyone to review. Brian, feel free to visit APP DataUniverse if there is anything you need to know. However, Mr. Abdoo, while doing your research you likely will not find the value of your candidate Aronsohn’s health care costs, at village taxpayer expense, for the past four years. Mr. Abdoo, while Mr. Aronsohn is busy telling you he wants to help Ridgewood Taxpayers, he has been busy helping himself for four years . Brian Abdoo proceeds to attack our police and firemen, attacking their salary and benefits. If this is such a concern why on earth would he support Aronsohn who voted for each and every raise, and contract , pertaining to the police & fire department. Maybe he prefers regionalized police and fire departments like Hauck and Puciarelli. Hauck announced the savings for each village taxpayer during the debate: a whopping $ 285 each! For that money I will sleep better at night with Village police and firemen.
Abdoo professes the revitalization of Ridgewood downtown and how committed each of his threesome is to this goal. Mr. Abdoo, Paul Aronsohn is the Council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce. What has he been doing for the past four years? Shopping at the mall? And Hauck and Puciarelli prefer a more urbanized Ridgewood. If they want urbanization let them move to Hoboken.
Best for last, Abdoo states each of these candidates is committed to helping Valley and residents to negotiate a compromise to allow for expansion. For goodness sake, Brian, where has Al Puciarelli been? He has been a member of the planning board forever. Hauck didn’t speak of compromise when she endorsed the massive expansion, as is, over and over again. Valley Hospital is not interested in compromise. The only time that was suggested by Valley was at the last Village Council hearing. Audrey Meyers, seeing the writing on the wall, begged council to hold off their vote so Valley could develop a compromise. Seriously, where was the compromise for six years?
Mr. Abdoo, reconsider and bullet for Killion and Shinizuka before we are in another turf-like drowning mess attributable to the likes of you.
Reader says it only fair that the Sports Groups step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation of the turf fields
If the sports clubs have gotten so much value out of the fields, I would think it only fair that they step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation. It shouldn’t always be the VC or BOE (the rest of us). Given that maintenance seems to be running about $100K year and depreciation another $200K for $1.5M to replace the carpets after a flood-shortened 7 year life, the sports clubs should be contributing on the order of $100K.
Raise dues if you have to — it’s part of the true cost of doing business.
And did they ever contribute everything they had promised for the lights?
Maple Park flooded over into Meadowbrook on Aug. 1.
Police had to direct traffic. I was part of the directed traffic on my way home from the library. It was scary and dangerous driving through the flooded street. That’s why the police had to be called out.
I was coming home from the library where my shoes and socks and pants had gotten soaking wet as I had to wade to my car, in leg deep water. Note: Not ankle deep; leg deep, above the ankles.
Before Maple Field was turned artificial, REAC had done a report stating that artificial turf is safe for Maple field and good for the environment.
If the rains had continued the new village hall and new library would have been flooded.
Flooding was not supposed to occur there. Supposedly Ridgewood engineering experts had designed the buildings to prevent flooding.
You know what, the members of REAC should pay to have the artificial truf (grass) removed from Maple Field and real, mother nature’s grass replanted.
Trust me as they say: The kids will profit by playing on real grass.
