Readers says ” This whole process has been at best a joke at worst a fraud.”
If Valley had made anything approaching a reasonable modernization plan when they first pushed for their “Renewal” (remember way back when it was called a “Renewal”? That was like 3 PR campaigns ago) construction would be finished by now. Instead, they continue to push for this monstrosity of a project that’s no good for anyone but Valley and their plants on the Planning Board and Village Council.
The court asked for a compromise and the compromise is the addition of a 5 story parking garage along Linwood and the elimination of some underground space. Residents have not been engaged in the revised plan. This whole process has been at best a joke at worst a fraud. Residents should take to the streets . Village officials and Valley have been stringing us along.
” This whole process has been at best a joke at worst a fraud.” Of all the statements made above, this one really hits the nail on the head ! How embarrassing to the residents of this town.
Reader says The town desperately needs alternative legal advice–YESTERDAY
In My Humble (Honest) Opinion, The town desperately needs alternative legal advice–YESTERDAY.
In particular, the planning board must have an accurate assessment of their range of options in providing a final response to Valley Hospital’s expansion plan.
We simply can’t accept an after-the-fact justification of rubber-stamping Valley’s expansion plan that goes something like this: “We had no choice. If we had said no, Valley would have sued the town and won.” We’ve been down that road before. Thankfully, it led to a last-minute (miraculous?) vindication of the village’s interests by the Village Council in November 2011. (Read the related newspaper article at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-council-opposes-valley-hospital-renewal-plan-1.243368 )
“We had no choice, we had to say yes” is a lame excuse. Fortunately, as a legal theory, it also doesn’t actually hold water.
I sometimes wonder about attorneys who advise municipal governing bodies (Rogers) and planning boards (Price). On the one hand, none of the individual councilmembers, board members, or the mayor can lay claim to having that attorney as their personal lawyer, because strictly speaking, the latter’s client is the municipality. This means no elected or appointed official can legitimately bend the town attorney’s efforts toward their own personal gain or aggrandizement. This is a good thing, of course!
On the other hand, though, non-citizen third party entities like Valley seem to be quite willing and able to spend enormous sums to employ brash mouthpieces to twist municipal law, articulate one-sided theories of liability, and put whatever village attorney is in front of them into some kind of a deer-in-the-headlights trance. The goal, of course, is to get him or her to lose focus his client’s best interests and unwittingly begin promoting those of the third party. Ms. Price’s unnecessarily accommodative behavior in response to the condescending approach of Valley’s lawyer in abruptly and rudely interrupting concerned village residents trying to speak at many recent public planning board meetings this past winter is evidence to show that Valley Hospital’s strategy of relentless pressure and shameless and unapologetic advocacy can eventually bear fruit, particularly when the targeted municipality regularly fails to stick up for itself.
New Jersey municipalities are not just in the business of avoiding lawsuits! They should be about exercising firm but appropriate control on development in the interests of residents and the municipal entity, riding herd on their hired attorneys to ensure they are accurately apprised of the full range of acceptable action in response to third party petitions/applications, and actively discouraging the latter from developing and acting upon one-sided legal theories that bully elected and appointed officials by magnifying out of all proportion the true risk of litigation. Town attorneys who fail to paint a full and appropriately nuanced legal picture for their client risk looking like patsies when sophisticated, deep-pocket entities like Valley Hospital are inexplicably allowed to win major battles, and even entire wars over the course of months or years of wrangling over proposed changes to Ridgewood’s master plan and municipal law without having to fire a single ‘litigation’ shot.
FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT LATE THIS EVENING AND TOMORROW AM
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
406 AM EDT SAT MAR 29 2014
…HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT INTO
SUNDAY…
…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING…
THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR
* PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT…NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND
SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS…IN SOUTHERN
CONNECTICUT…NORTHERN FAIRFIELD…NORTHERN MIDDLESEX…NORTHERN
NEW HAVEN…NORTHERN NEW LONDON… SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD…SOUTHERN
MIDDLESEX…SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN AND SOUTHERN NEW LONDON. IN
NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…EASTERN BERGEN…EASTERN ESSEX…EASTERN
PASSAIC…EASTERN UNION… WESTERN BERGEN…WESTERN
ESSEX…WESTERN PASSAIC AND WESTERN UNION. IN SOUTHEAST NEW
YORK…NORTHERN WESTCHESTER…ORANGE… PUTNAM…ROCKLAND AND
SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER.
* FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING
* AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS FROM THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY AND INTO
THE MID ATLANTIC STATES BY THIS EVENING…STEADY RAIN WILL
DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON. THE RAIN SHOULD THEN BECOME HEAVY AT
TIMES TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.
* RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES AND LOCALLY UP TO 4 INCHES
COULD CA– USE FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS…AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT
URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO
FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING
DEVELOP.
Ridgewood News Editorial: Coin caper calls for change
MARCH 28, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2014, 12:32 AM
A former public works inspector’s admission to the brazen theft of approximately 1.8 million quarters is troubling on many fronts. As The Record detailed last week, the effort to make off with what amounted to more than $460,000 in coins is astounding.
By Carol Morello and Karen DeYoung, Published: March 23 | Updated: Monday, March 24, 4:25 AME-mail the writers
SIMFEROPOL, Crimea — U.S. and Ukrainian officials warned Sunday that Russia may be poised to expand its territorial conquest into eastern Ukraine and beyond, with a senior NATO official saying that Moscow might even order its troops to cross Ukraine to reach Moldova.
The warnings came as Russia was finalizing its takeover of Ukrainian military bases in Crimea, the peninsula it occupied at the start of March and subsequently annexed.
The White House began to notify Congress of the new deployments as they began Sunday night.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya, appearing on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” said the prospect of war with Russia is growing.
“We don’t know what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has in his mind and what would be his decision,” Deshchytsya said. “That’s why this situation is becoming even more explosive than it used to be a week ago.”
Flimsy regulation, outdated drug education, irresponsible prescribing practices and myriad barriers to treatment have enabled and exacerbated a growing crisis of heroin and opiate addiction among New Jersey youth, according to an ambitious — and long-delayed — state task force report released Tuesday.
The 88-page report, the result of two years of research, public hearings and official review, offers a wide range of policy recommendations, from public awareness campaigns and strengthened oversight of doctors to insurance reform and expanded treatment programs. It also firmly places New Jersey among a group of northeastern states, from Pennsylvania to Maine, grappling with an alarming surge of heroin addiction.
“The skyrocketing use of heroin and other opiates has become the number one health care crisis confronting New Jersey,” the report says. And the numbers are stark: Nearly two-thirds of the state’s 1,294 drug-related deaths in 2012 involved opiates, including heroin. In 2012, there were more than 8,300 admissions to state-certified substance abuse treatment programs for prescription drug abuse — an increase of nearly 700 percent over the past decade.
The Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse received the report Tuesday and posted it on the council website later in the day. But despite enthusiasm among lawmakers and officials, it remains to be seen whether the proposed reforms will gain traction.
The report and its 18 recommendations do not differ substantively from a confidential October draft of the report obtained and written about by The Record in December: at the time, the council and Governor Christie’s office exchanged blame for its delayed release.
New Jersey’s task force report appears to be the first of its kind and scope, but other states across the Northeast have raised alarms about the rise in heroin addiction. (O’Brien/The Record)
Charge of the Light Brigade, an engagement that took place on October 25, 1854, during the Battle of Balaklava in the Crimean War
Russian Troops Mass at Border With Ukraine
By STEVEN LEE MYERS and ALISON SMALEMARCH 13, 2014
MOSCOW — With a referendum on secession looming in Crimea, Russia massed troops and armored vehicles in at least three regions along Ukraine’s eastern border on Thursday, alarming the interim Ukraine government about a possible invasion and significantly escalating tensions in the crisis between the Kremlin and the West.
The announcement of the troop buildup by Russia’s Defense Ministry was met with an unusually sharp rebuke from Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who warned that the Russian government must abandon what she called the politics of the 19th and 20th centuries or face diplomatic and economic retaliation from a united Europe.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if Russia continues on its course of the past weeks, it will not only be a catastrophe for Ukraine,” she said in a speech to the German Parliament. “We, also as neighbors of Russia, would not only see it as a threat. And it would not only change the European Union’s relationship with Russia. No, this would also cause massive damage to Russia, economically and politically.”
Is US losing new cold war?
By Kristina Wong and Jeremy Herb
If there is a new cold war with Russia, many observers believe the U.S. is losing it.
First under President George W. Bush and now under President Obama, the U.S. and Vladimir Putin’s Russia have engaged in a series of foreign policy battles — and Putin has repeatedly got his way.
The Russian president’s objective is clear. He wants to reassert Russia’s influence in Eastern Europe while preventing NATO’s further expansion toward Russia, said Erik Brattberg, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council.
Editors note : History has shown us the problem is the Village simply has “ZERO” credibility in its ability to plan ,manage and implement large projects and too many seem to have their vision clouded by personal gain.
No one wants to see empty lots in the CBD , nor do most want to live in the “next, next ” Hoboken .
Like the Train Station renovation before , there is a way for everyone to get something positive, add housing , improve infrastructure , take into account schools and of coarse parking.
Whats lacking is a vision for the future of the Village. A vision uniquely by Ridewood ,for Ridgewood. Not about people getting elected or speculators getting rich off government connections .
This Vision must include Valley Hospital, CBD housing ,retail and parking , traffic and the Ridgewood School district.
The Village with its excellent schools , parks ,CBD, cultural institutions and easy access to transportation offers a very unique opportunity .
If we chose to destroy the character of the town , the very character that has attracted so many to the Village over the years , we will lose the very thing that makes us who we are….
The people advocating for high density buildings (and for Valley Hospital over expansion for that matter) do not care about our town. They care about making money. Once they make their money, if they don’t like what the town is like they will be able to leave. There is no middle ground we can get to right now because they want maximum $$. They will first try for maximum $$ via high density, and only if we defeat them will they come down a notch and try for slightly less (see Valley Hospital). Maybe after several defeats we might get to a middle ground, but even that will be temporary. People like this do not give up. 10 years after we reach a middle ground solution (if we do) they will be right back at it (or their children will take the helm) seeking to make $$ by ruining our Village…..
I think that is what has to be discussed. But to right away jump to conclusion and think over night or even years Ridgewood would turn into any of your examples is foolish and not forward thinking.
You think modernization and growth and you assume that means higher crime, noise, traffic and every negative thing you can imagine… But it doesn’t have to be that way if you develop a sustainable plan for growth through a thoughtful process.
The contextual makeup of Ridgewood is not sustainable. Look every town around us…. Minus glen rock… We are a old folks home… And it’s sad because we have an opportunity to be an example of a modern town that still remains true to its roots.
It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing deal. What i am really saying is that we are going to expand… No way around it it will happen eventually, just being honest. I rather the people that do care about this towns and it’s history be the ones making the plans and not the (as number one stated) money Hungary investors that can up and leave if it fails.
What rather you have?…..
We don’t want to follow the path of Hoboken, Paterson, Hackensack or NYC. Is there a suitable model out there?….
By Dave Boyer and Ashish Kumar Sen
The Washington Times
Monday, March 3, 2014President Obama warned Russia on Monday of possible U.S. sanctions over its military land grab in Ukraine, but Moscow brushed aside international threats, tightening its stranglehold on Crimea and calling audaciously for a national unity government in Kiev.In Washington, Mr. Obama said the world is “largely united” against Russia’s military action and he is considering economic and diplomatic steps that would gradually isolate Russia. He criticized the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin for being “on the wrong side of history.”
“What cannot be done is for Russia with impunity to put its soldiers on the ground and violate basic principles that are recognized around the world,” Mr. Obama said. “Over time, this will be a costly proposition for Russia.”
But the U.S. and European Union floundered for solutions — while global markets panicked over the prospect of violent upheaval in the heart of Europe. Fears grew that the Kremlin might carry out more land grabs in pro-Russian eastern Ukraine, or elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, adding urgency to Western efforts to defuse the crisis.
SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
326 AM EST MON MAR 3 2014
WESTERN PASSAIC-EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-
EASTERN BERGEN-WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-
EASTERN UNION-
326 AM EST MON MAR 3 2014
.NOW…
LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 6 AM. VISIBILITY MAY
OCCASIONALLY DROP TO AROUND ONE MILE IN HEAVIER POCKETS.
ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO A HALF INCH CAN BE EXPECTED.
NJ TRANSIT TO CROSS-HONOR TICKETS AND PASSES ON MONDAY, MARCH 3
February 28, 2014
NEWARK, NJ —NJ TRANSIT is mobilizing its operations, customer service and police personnel to ensure a ready response to the impending winter storm. For up-to-the-minute service information, all customers are strongly advised to check njtransit.com before starting their trip.
Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Effect on Monday, March 3: To give customers additional travel options during the anticipated winter weather conditions, NJ TRANSIT will offer full systemwide cross-honoring on Monday, March 3 enabling customers to use their NJ TRANSIT ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, light rail or bus—including private bus carriers.
For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their NJ TRANSIT bus pass or ticket on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station. Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic City Rail Line instead at no additional charge. Customers using their NJ TRANSIT tickets or passes to travel to a destination other than the destination printed on their original ticket will be subject to the appropriate additional fare if applicable.
Access Link Paratransit Service: On Monday, March 3, Access Link service is suspended statewide except for Region 3 (Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and So. Ocean Counties) as well as all transfer trips. Access Link Customers can call 800-955-2321 for periodic updates.
Customers are advised that possible storm-related delays and/or service disruptions may result from the impending weather system, particularly for the Monday morning commute. NJ TRANSIT strongly encourages customers to afford themselves ample time to get to their final destinations throughout the course of this winter weather event.
The corporation is preparing to minimize storm-related disruptions and delays to the extent possible. Bus, rail and light rail crews have begun inspections of equipment and critical infrastructure. These inspections and further storm-related preparations will continue over the course of the weekend.
RHS boys indoor track sets county record for 4-x-800
Sunday, February 16, 2014
The Record
Ridgewood sets mark
NEW YORK — The indoor track state Group championships were postponed this weekend, but that didn’t stop the Ridgewood boys 4-x-800 team from a record-setting performance at the Millrose Games Eastern 4-x-800 meter race Saturday.
The team of Michael Thurston (1:58.4), David Frering (1:56.1), Brian Collins (1:59.6) and Luke Dublirer (1:54.7) combined for 7:48.82, breaking the 42-year-old Bergen County record by more than two seconds (7:51.2), leading the race for most of the way before getting caught by Averill Park (Va.) and State College (Pa.) in the final 100 meters. Ridgewood finished third.
“All four guys raced hard and I’m so proud of them,” said coach Josh Saladino after the Maroons broke the 7:51.2 mark set by Bergen Catholic in 1972. “It’s amazing that we finished under 7:50 and only took third.” Averill Park ran 7:47.02 and State College was second in 7:47.75.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/sports/245721221_H_S__boys_indoor_track__Ridgewood_4-x-800_team_sets_county_mark.html#sthash.j9Yobn4z.dpuf
Under snow, roofs cave in across Bergen, Passaic counties
Friday, February 14, 2014 Last updated: Saturday February 15, 2014, 12:39 AM
BY MATTHEW MCGRATH AND SCOTT FALLON
STAFF WRITERS
The Record
First came a pair of storms last week that dumped more than a foot of wet snow on the region. A week of subfreezing temperatures followed, creating a dense ice pack that began to stress roofs across North Jersey.
But it wasn’t until the nor’easter on Thursday pounded the region with 12 to 16 inches of snow, rain and ice that roofs began to be brought down under the weight of this winter’s unrelenting misery.
An elementary school in Wallington, a department store in Woodland Park and a sports complex in Waldwick were among at least a dozen buildings that partially collapsed on Friday. A ShopRite in New Milford was closed after the ceiling buckled. No major injuries were reported in any of the incidents.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/hillsdale/Roof_collapsing_in_North_Jersey_under_weight_of_snow.html#sthash.VQrR78Ec.dpuf
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving Ridgewood firefighters work to free hydrants from deep, hard packed snow
Febuary 15th 2014
Boyd A. Loving
1:29 PM
Ridgewood NJ, Fire departments throughout Bergen County have dispatched firefighters with shovels to free fire hydrants from the mounds of deep, hard packed snow created when snowplows cleared main road and side streets. Here, a team of Ridgewood firefighters assigned to Engine Company #35 free up a hydrant located near the corner of Spring Avenue and Hope Street at the start of Saturday’s snow storm.
New coffee stand will brew at Ridgewood train station
Tuesday February 4, 2014, 10:03 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The Village of Ridgewood is now accepting bids from vendors who are interested in leasing and operating a new coffee stand at the Ridgewood train station, which has been without that particular service since 2009.
The deadline to submit proposals is 11 a.m. Feb. 20, when all public bids will be opened.
