the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the recent events at the Ridgewood Y are eerily reminiscent of Deputy Mayor Mike Sedon initial run for Ridgewood Council . Sedon was forced to resign from his then reporter job after he entered the council race. It was claimed the resignation occurred after an anonymous email was sent to Sedon’s employer . It became known as the Mike Sedon Email Incident , speculation ensued and Sedon was elected to the council.
Candidate Melanie Hooban, a member of the Ridgewood Planning Board was just dismissed from her job at the Y shortly after her candidacy became official for the Village of Ridgewood Council . Time will tell as to what the whole story is , but New Jersey politicians have used job threats for years to keep down the competition .
photo by Boyd Loving
Reader says ,”Don’t get me started on them. Aronsohn did so many questionable unethical things”
I believe Mr. Sedon actually quit his job, saying he would no longer work for a company that would consider his interest in being an elected official as a potential liability to them.
This sucks!
How can they do this to a single mom of five!
Unbelievable.
They may win an election in short term by putting this emotional and financial burden on her, but eventually they are going to get a place in hell for sure.
I think you should get the full story before speculating as to why she was terminated
I am so awed by Melanie for sticking to the race. She is totally committed to Ridgewood. Above and beyond
let’s connect the dots. . .MH collected signatures once before in a run for Council. . .yet mysteriously she was encouraged to drop out of the race. by whom??? hmmmm.
SK was re-elected.
then shortly thereafter MH was appointed to the PB by. . . SK! with what qualifications?
now another run. . .who is her backer?
hmmm.
Melanie is the best. She has my vote. We absolutely cannot let Vagianos get onto the Council. Please vote for Melanie.
Sorry but who is SK..?
You have your dots wrong. When she collected her signature and decided not to run, it was for BW, not for SK.
Now go connect the dots.
Connect again.
It was BW and RH she stepped aside for.
And Ever think it was actually for the betterment of that campaign and the town??
This whole thing is gross.
She’s done nothing but devote herself to ridgewood and behind the scenes silliness does this to her??
Who is BW…?
Will she be on unemployment while running for office? Nice look Ridgewood!
SK – Susan Knudsen
BW – Bernadette Walsh
Who is RH?
What qualifications does anyone have to be appointed to the planning board? I believe it is a willingness to apply the code and Master Plan as they were meant to be, do what is right for Ridgewood and listen to the PB attorney when they advise on legal issues. It’s not hard for someone with half a brain.
Actually it requires certification of some kind in municipal land use law.
And if it’s so insignificant than how and why would it impact her job in a totally unrelated field.
Beyond that, why aren’t there lines of residents asking to participate.
It’s alway the people giving of their time (agree with their decisions or not) who put themselves in the line of these attacks.
What is wrong with people.
The y should be ashamed. They needed more impact like her.
She should be careful. The Y is a large organization and they’ll go after her for slander if she doesn’t set the record straight. We’re all waiting on a statement from her. And yes running for council is a dirty business.
Can someone please explain the connection between the Y and the Village of RW. Why is the idea that she is running for a council spot a conflict for the Y? Is that why she was terminated? I don’t understand. By the way, that is a beautiful photo of Melanie.
Thoughts: I’m guessing this is correct intel. Honestly if it weren’t she’d be speaking.
Wait it out.
Next, she’s already a planning board member and has been.
Any conflict that would exist for council would certainly exist for PB.
RH – Ramon Hache
Unconfirmed word is Ernie Lamour, YMCA CEO, fired A single mother of 5 because she was running for Office. Does the YMCA have a stated policy prohibiting staff from seeking elected office?
Is there a link to there employee handbook? Mr. Lamour should clarify whether or not ms. Hoban was fired just because she was running for office. He has some ‘splaining to do. Aronsohn did this to Sedon. Who did this to a single mother of 5?
There is absolutely no conflict in her working for the Y and also serving on the village council. Of course there isn’t. She’s already serving on the planning board and the master plan committees. There is something going on behind the scenes that we are unaware of. I wouldn’t put it past the other candidate’s supporters to have somehow forced this issue. I’m not saying that happened, but it kind a looks like somebody wanted her off the ballot so that Vagianos could run uncontested. God bless Melanie for sticking it out and running. Ridgewood needs her more than ever
“Connect the dots” is totally disconnected 😂
Hooban was the first certified candidate in 2016. She stepped aside so her best friend Bernadette Walsh could run. It was Walsh who advanced Hooban’s appointment to the Planning Board .
Hooban was unanimously appointed to the Planning Board by the five member councils. Dont think one council member can just make appointments.
Knudsen elected in a 2014 and reelected in 2018. two years after Hooban’s appointment.
What are the requirements for planning board Hooban doesn’t have?
demand an answer from the Ymca
Lamour has used the pandemic to pack the Y with woke issues and woke personnel. He has made the long term members feel unwelcome, purged the elderly members and long term excellent instructors.
He seeks to turn the gym into an Equinox for po people. All while trying to turn the Y into a facility more akin to an inner city initiative than Ridgewood. He figures the wealthy parents will pay handsomely for a “Yequinox” so that he can use the money for political activism.
Terrible leadership on his watch.
Did she forfeit her constitutional rights when she accepted a job with the YMCA? Probably not.
Is there a clear policy stating YMCA staff cannot run? Probably not without a contractual agreement.
The YMCA promotes community involvement and empowerment in their mission statement.
As a non-profit, the YMCA organization can’t be involved in election, political activities or endorsements. I doubt this applies to individual employees. Labor lawyers?
I’m pretty sure the labor lawyers are already weighing in where we don’t see them. And good.
This is why there are so many rich attorneys in Ridgewood. Lawsuits like this just dropping into their laps.
Dirty Ridgewood Slimebag Politics… I’m pretty sure getting fired for participating in Local Politics would result in a huge enployment lawsuit…
Or she was fired for any other of a multitude of reasons (perhaps her very vocal opposition to following covid protocols at local schools?🤔) and her side is starting this rumor to gain sympathy and bad mouth the other side. That’s just as, if not more, plausible.
Wht would the Y, an organization that promotes community involvement, NOT want a member of their staff on town council? If anything that would help them.
This theory makes no sense. Let the candidates run their campaigns and lay off the juvenile and obviously biased mudslinging.
Boris – you have nailed it !
Great job describing what’s going on over there. My subscription ends in 2-months and I’m going to renew at the Wyckoff Y.
The Y can’t speak about an employment issue. Only Melanie can so why doesn’t she speak up. Sounds like Roberta Sonenfeld all over again.
Run Melanie!!! … There are a lot of votes to support your win… Your skills will get you another on with higher pay and better benefits!
Can we just stopped talking about this? Until Ms. Hooban makes it a public issue, we should leave her private life alone. Remember that there are 4 young children still at home and they don’t need people debating about why/why not their mother was let go from her job. I’m sure they are ALL worried about how they will survive without a steady paycheck; why stress these little ones even more with innuendo and fodder?
Most village council members over the years have had day jobs. It’s not like being the mayor of New York City, where you must be available 24/7. The pay is slightly different, too–it barely covers the gas to drive to meetings.
Working at the Y is a conflict? More like symbiosis. How about a recent council member’s law practice specializing in real estate as the town was being built up and up if you want to talk about potential conflicts of interest. Ridiculously obvious and may her attorney have a field day…as Mike Sedon’s could have, if he had stuck to his guns and refused to resign–should have done so. Has not held a job since.
Parents who pull their children from Y programs and others who join a different Y due to management issues or this incident can make something good come out of their dissatisfaction by sending a signed letter to that effect to the Y director with a copy to Ms. Hooban to give to her attorneys in case she pursues this legally. Two sentences would do it. No I am not Ms. Hooban or a friend–just watching this whole thing with deja vu and disgust. Ridgewood Council seats must not be allowed to become political appointments so that residents can be used. No sir.
Not sure I want an unemployed single mother on council.
“Not sure I want an unemployed single mother on council.”
But you were OK with two Council members who were having sex with each other while married to others? Wake up, shit happens in Ridgewood, big time!
“Not sure I want an unemployed single mother..”
How are things in your home? Because if you’re like most people in this town, there’s a whole lot more going on behind closed doors than you want out there.
Maybe your husband/wife just doesn’t have the sense to leave you? Or you them? Maybe you’ll sit there in your unhappy marriage because the financial side effects of divorce scare you. Didn’t seem to scare her. In fact, it’s another example of her DOING something about a bad situation or a situation she didn’t like, while most people aren’t.
Maybe your husband/wife avoids the title “unemployed” by calling it “stay at home” nice for you. Or is it…
Either way. Chill out in your glass house.
She’s probably doing things a lot more steadily in her set up than you are. She’s a divorced parent who has maintained a long history of both working and civic engagement and raised kids.
Actually, maybe take a lesson.
You know she’s a domestic violence survivor? Not some single mother from teen mom and even if she were who cares? ….you sit there In judgement? And the Y suddenly sees a conflict with the exact type of person they claim to support and represent??Some of you are really unbelievable.
I’m not sure how often she speaks about it, but she should. Because it takes some serious bravery, strength and smarts to leave a situation like that.
AND to endure the non stop gossiping, bullying stories and lies her bored lazy neighbor has been selling? Please get real.
So pass judgement all you want, she’s exactly who I want to represent me.
Unbelievable to hear someone doesn’t want an unemployed single mother on the council. sickening sexist
Sedon was an unemployed single father recently got a job from the dems
Hache was an unemployed single father when he was elected I’m sure
Haick and Aronsohn we’re sleeping together while on council and married to other people
I’ll vote Hooban
“Not sure I want an unemployed single mother on the council.” What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know the circumstances behind her divorce? Maybe her husband was abusive? Maybe he was cheating? Maybe she was? Who the hell knows bit it is none of our business. Leave this woman and her family alone.
The only question we should have is if she will make a good councilperson regardless of marital status. End of conversation.
Aren’t Sedon and Hache both happily married and employed? I think so. Stop spreading hurtful rumors.
How political ambitions change people. Hache is now supporting those who filed ELEC complaints against him!
Hache was single when he first got elected. Sedon is now divorced.
Sedon is a divorced father of one who was unemployed and is now employed. When first elected Hache was a divorced unemployed father of three.
“Don’t backdown Hooban!” Remember it takes a Village!
Hooban is the wise choice.
This town is full of pathetic losers. Let her and her opponent run on their merits
And Sedon and Hache also changed their tune and lied to our faces to get our support and to get my vote. So who cares about them
Everyone on this message board thinks Ridgewood is like House of Cards, but really it’s more like Parks and Recreation