the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, residents who recieved their absentee ballots for June’s primary noticed former Mayor Paul Aronsohn’s name on the ballot as one of five out of five candidates running for Bergen County Democratic Committee. Some people will never lean ?
By Alyana Alfaro • 05/03/17 5:12pm
Kelly Langschultz, a Republican candidate for the state Senate in Bergen County, is calling on NJ Transit to slash its fares during the coming season of repairs and service outages at New York Penn Station.
“NJ Transit needs to reduce the cost of their ticket prices and start accommodating riders for the decline in service,” she said in a statement Wednesday. “We have plenty of people here who have already spent hundreds of dollars on monthly passes, and now we’re learning that there will be even further interruptions in service.”
Amtrak is conducting urgent track repairs this summer, planned for July 7 to July 25 and Aug. 4 to Aug. 28, according to a draft plan. At least five of Penn Station’s 21 tracks would be affected by the August repairs and NJ Transit riders are expected to face long delays and service outages. Amtrak, which owns and operates Penn Station, says it has no choice but to fix the tracks after two recent derailments at the station.
https://observer.com/2017/05/kelly-langschultz-calls-for-fare-reduction-nj-transit/
Local Resident to Serve as a Resource for Parents Seeking Alternative Childcare Options
Midland Park NJ, Responding to the increasing demand for quality live-in childcare, Cultural Care Au Pair has recently added Jeneca Parker to its growing number of local resources for the Bergen County area. As a Cultural Care Au Pair local childcare consultant (LCC), Parker will provide service and support to host families and their au pairs throughout the program year.
Parker is part of a nationwide network of more than 600 Cultural Care Au Pair local childcare consultants dedicated to promoting global understanding through intercultural exchange. Parker will advise area au pairs and their host families on educational opportunities, as well as organize fun activities for the entire extended Cultural Care Au Pair family to enjoy.
“Our hands-on local childcare consultants are a key part of the success of Cultural Care Au Pair, and one of many reasons why families come back to us year after year for flexible and affordable live-in childcare,” said Susan Robinson, Vice President of Communication for Cultural Care Au Pair. “Jeneca is a terrific and knowledgeable source for anyone in Bergen County who is interested in getting more information on hosting an au pair.”
Originally from Orlando, Fl, Jeneca Parker currently resides in Midland Park, NJ with her husband, Robbyn, son Harrison, and au pair, Tamara from Brazil. In addition to being a LCC, she works as an Assistant Principal of a high school in the south Bronx. She loves all things international and has a deeply rooted interest in cultural exchange and education. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Furman University in International Development Studies and studied abroad in over a dozen countries throughout Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe. She earned her first Master’s degree in Special Education, and her second Master’s in School Leadership from Bank Street College. Her background includes a variety of experiences that have uniquely prepared her for working with Cultural Care’s au pairs and host families.
Parker is currently interviewing families who are interested in hosting an au pair. As a community resource on alternative childcare and intercultural exchange, she can be reached at [email protected] to answer any questions. Interested families may also visit Cultural Care Au Pair online at www.jparker.aupairnews.com.
About Cultural Care Au Pair
Cultural Care Au Pair has provided au pair childcare to American families for over 25 years, and in that time has placed more than 100,000 au pairs in American homes. A division of EF Education and a U.S. Department of State regulated program, Cultural Care Au Pair is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with an extensive network of recruitment, screening and orientation offices worldwide. For more information about hosting an au pair, visit www.culturalcare.com or call 800-333-6056.
file photo
Mahwah Police Department; the Paramus Police Department; and the Lyndhurst Police Departments
April 11,2017
Paramus NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced today the issuance of a Directive to all county law enforcement agencies concerning the implementation of the “Heroin Addiction Recovery Team” or “HART” program in Bergen County. The program is designed to direct those suffering from the disease of addiction towards treatment options by offering recovery resources at municipal police departments. Pursuant to the Directive, participating departments will establish walk-in hours one day per week staffed by a law enforcement officer and a clinician. Those seeking help, who have personal use quantity of narcotics or drug paraphernalia on their person, will not be charged for having such contraband.
While the Prosecutor’s Directive takes effect immediately, the HART program is being rolled out as a pilot program and only the following Bergen County law enforcement agencies are authorized to participate at this time: the Mahwah Police Department; the Paramus Police Department; and the Lyndhurst Police Department. In the future, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office anticipates authorizing additional agencies to participate in the program. In the meantime, however, these three pilot programs will allow for recovery resources to be available in the northern, middle, and southern part of Bergen County. In the weeks to come, each agency will be announcing its HART day and hours, as well as information concerning the recovery care providers with whom they are partnering.
“Heroin and opioid overdoses continue to rise across our country and across our state, including in Bergen County,” stated Prosecutor Grewal. “This increase is attributable to both an overall rise in the number of individuals abusing heroin and opioids and to an increase in the potency of the heroin being sold in our state, which is often mixed or substituted with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. To combat this growing epidemic, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office has implemented a three-prong approach, which focuses on (1) innovative criminal enforcement, (2) treatment options for addicts, and (3) educational programming to prevent individuals from becoming addicted to opioids and heroin.” Grewal further stated, “The HART program is a natural extension of the BCPO’s efforts to offer treatment options to addicts. It is designed to reduce the impact of heroin and opioid abuse in Bergen County by encouraging those suffering from the disease of addiction to seek help and experience recovery.”
Prosecutor Grewal would like to thank Joseph Masciandaro, the President and Chief Executive Officer of CarePlus New Jersey, and Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg of the Paramus Police Department, for leading the efforts to implement the HART program in Bergen County. In addition, Prosecutor Grewal would like to thank Chief James Batelli of the Mahwah Police Department and Chief James O’Conner of the Lyndhurst Police Department for all of their efforts to battle the County’s heroin and opioid epidemic and for agreeing to participate in this pilot program.
no its not the town garage in Ridgewood
BY S.P. SULLIVAN | NJ ADVANCE MEDIA
New Jersey has more places under the federal Superfund program, which prioritizes cleanups of dangerous contaminated sites, than any other state.
Many have histories more colorful than an oil slick: A massive chemical fire at a mob-controlled waste storage facility. Agent Orange in the Passaic River. Local wildlife turned green. And the only site ever to be put on the Superfund list twice.
While many of those sites have been cleaned up, they require longterm treatment and monitoring. With the EPA’s budget on the chopping block under President Donald Trump’s administration, advocates worry things will backslide for the Superfund, which has already been near-broke for decades.
“Just think about it: We’ve got over a hundred Superfund sites in this state. We’ve got 21 counties,” former Gov. Jim Florio, who wrote the Superfund law when he was in Congress in the early 1980s, said recently. “Nobody lives very far from these sites.”
BERGEN COUNTY
Garfield Groundwater Contamination
The former E.C. Electroplating company’s activity at this Garfield site spilled and leaked cancer-causing chromium into the ground, creating a plume of groundwater contamination at least a half a mile wide. One of New Jersey’s orphan sites, the EPA hasn’t identified a funding source for a cleanup, and says there’s “insufficient data” to measure the risk it poses to the surrounding community.
The city’s mayor appeared in front of a U.S. Senate hearing to plead for federal dollars for the site in 2014, but the cleanup still lacks funds.
Curcio Scrap Metal, Inc.
This active scrap metal yard in Saddle Brook saw a spill of oil containing PCBs in the 1980s and a major cleanup project in the 90s. Because of the nature of the work done there, it was also contaminated with heavy metals and volatile organic compounds, according to the EPA. Soil cleanup was completed long ago but groundwater cleanup is ongoing.
Fair Lawn Well Field
This site includes three municipal drinking water wells in the Bergen County borough. Volatile organic compounds were detected in the water in the late 1970s and traced to a nearby industrial park. Monitoring is ongoing, but the EPA says it has “insufficient data” to determine the site’s threat to human health.
(EPA)
Maywood Chemical Co.
The Maywood Chemical Works processed radioactive thorium ore from 1916 to 1955. The work generated chemical and radioactive waste.
The site is being cleaned up by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the company deemed responsible for the contamination. Cleanup of radioactive soil is “underway” and the rest of the plan is “in development,” according to EPA.
Quanta Resources Corporation
This site saw nearly a century of coal tar, paving and roofing material production along what was once an industrial wasteland along the Hudson River. Now surrounded by booming waterfront development, the EPA is overseeing cleanup of PCBs and other contaminants, but says it has “insufficient data” to determine the site’s threat to human health.
Berry’s Creek Study Area
A small chunk of the Meadowlands in Bergen County is home to three distinct Superfund sites along Berry’s Creek, a six-mile tributary of the Hackensack River. The area includes the Scientific Chemical site in Carlstadt, Universal Oil Products site in East Rutherford and the Ventron/Velsicol site, which spans Wood-Ridge and Carlstadt.
All three sites are laden with PCBs and Berry’s Creek is considered among the most mercury-laden locations in the country. Only the Scientific Chemical site is listed as “under control.”
Steve Janoski , Staff Writer, @SteveJanoskiPublished 4:26 p.m. ET March 28, 2017 | Updated 4:53 p.m. ET March 30, 2017
Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III unveiled on Wednesday his 2017 budget, a $522 million spending plan that will increase county taxes by $8 on the average county home assessed at $465,962.
A nearly $413 million tax levy — an increase of 1.89 percent — will support the budget, despite Tedesco’s plan being about $20 million smaller than last year’s budget.
March 28,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, according to the Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital On February 14, 2017, the New York City Department of Health announced three human cases of Leptospirosis, two with pulmonary hemorrhage and one fatal as a result of infection. Recently there have also been outbreaks in Chicago and Arizona, where dozens of dogs have been infected. Now, there have been reports of 6 cases in New Jersey, including 5 dogs in Bergen County.
NBC explained , ‘Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection dogs can catch from wildlife like squirrels and rats. The disease passes through urine, which pets may lick up when drinking from puddles or other standing water.’
The Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital the symptoms in dogs may be any of these: lethargy, loss of appetite, depression, fever, dehydration, weakness, diarrhea, and vomiting. Leptospirosis can become life threatening in a very short period of time.
The best protection is prevention, and there is a canine vaccine for Leptospirosis. While cats can also be infected, there is no vaccine for cats at this time.
If you are not certain if your dog is protected, you can see your dog’s vaccination status through Pet Portals on our website: www.ridgewoodvet.com. If you are not registered, you can register there as well.
If your dog has never been vaccinated against Leptospirosis, or is overdue, please call our office to be scheduled immediately. If overdue, only one vaccination is required. If never vaccinated, a series of two is required.
If your dog is due within the next 60 days, we recommend giving the vaccine now to insure maximum antibody protection during this increased risk period as opposed to minimal protection possible at the end of the vaccine period.
Please call our office now to schedule an appointment if your dog is overdue, never had, or due within 60 days for the Leptospirosis Vaccine.
March 19,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, According to Backgroundchecks.org Ridgewood came in ,in the top 50 safest places to live in New Jersey .Ranking number 47,and scoring a top 10 in Bergen County and Passaic County . Ridgewoood scored well despite have a larger population than many of the top place towns, a larger school district , a local hospital and easier commuter access with a train , bus station and highway park and ride .
Rounding out the Bergen County and Passaic County list were :
#2 Saddle Brook
#6 Mahwah
#14 Wanaque
#21 Tenafly
#27 River Edge
#30 Ringwood
#31 Hasbrouck Heights
#33 Wyckoff
#38 Franklin Lakes
#45 Hawthorne
#47 Ridgewood
#49 Rutherford
#50 Westwood
The Backgroundchecks.org list was compiled based on FBI violent crime stats and proprietary BackgroundChecks.org research data. Rates are normalized per 100,000 residents with the state average being 261 for violent crime and 1,734 for property crime. This is calculated by taking (# of crimes/population) * 100,000.
The website described #47 Ridgewood in glowing terms , “Located in Bergen County, Ridgewood is a village that is home to 24,900 residents. Just 20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan, Ridgewood is considered a suburban bedroom community and was included on Money’s list of Best Places to Live in the U.S. The violent crime rate here is 43.6, and residents of Ridgewood have a 1% chance of being affected by property crime.”
https://backgroundchecks.org/50-safest-cities-in-new-jersey-2016.html
March 13,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, With the impending winter storm expected to be the biggest we have seen this year, I have declared a county-wide State of Emergency,” said County Executive Tedesco. “I have instructed the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management to take every necessary step to implement our winter storm plan that protects residents and infrastructure.
Residents are encouraged to make sure they have enough food, water, as well as batteries, gasoline or diesel for personal generators. We encourage all residents to stay off the roads, as travel will be extremely dangerous. Please be safe and use good judgment.
file photo by Boyd Loving
Should you buy or rent? A county-by-county list for NJ
By Dino Flammia March 10, 2017 2:57 AM
Should you buy or rent your next home? It’s a major decision for many.
To make that decision a bit easier, real estate database ATTOM Data Solutions has released a report that breaks down the math in New Jersey’s housing markets and determines whether it’s more affordable to rent a three-bedroom home or buy one in each of them.
The report analyzed nearly all of New Jersey’s counties — all but Salem — using 2017 fair market rent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and 2016 public record sales deed data.
Based on monthly payments alone, ATTOM found it’s more affordable to rent than buy in 55 percent of New Jersey’s markets, or 11 counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, Union, Morris, Burlington, Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren and Cape May.
Read More: Should you buy or rent? A county-by-county list for NJ | https://nj1015.com/should-you-buy-or-rent-a-county-by-county-list-for-nj/?trackback=tsmclip
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that “ – Martin Luther King, Jr
March 3,3017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Glen Rock NJ, Last week’s hate crime killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and shooting of Alok Madasani, and Ian Grillot, has shaken everyone. This in addition to the over hundred bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers, desecration of hundreds of headstones at Jewish cemeteries, and hate crimes against Black, LGBTQI, Muslim, Immigrants, and various groups of all backgrounds has left a lot of communities in anger, pain and seeking answers.
To stand up against hate, and unite in a demonstration of solidarity, strength, and community, residents of Glen Rock and neighboring towns invite everyone to a candlelight vigil for peace and unity at Boro Hall in Glen Rock, NJ.
This is a non-partisan event to showcase the strength of our community and that we are all bound to each other by our humanity.
Mr. Gurbir S. Grewal, Bergen County Prosecutor will discuss hate crimes in Bergen County, and their investigation by the BC Prosecutor’s office. Faith leaders will lead a conversation on peace, unity and creating safe spaces for everyone. Community leaders from various faiths, and organizations will be available for dialogue after the Program.
Program:
• Welcome Message by Sanjiv Ohri, Member of Religious Communities of Glen Rock and Glen Rock Indian Community
• The Star-Spangled Banner – National Anthem
• Brief Message from Bruce Packer, Mayor of Glen Rock
• Speech by Gurbir S. Grewal, Bergen County Prosecutor
• Remarks by Father Mark Collins
• Remarks and Prayer by Rabbi Jennifer Schlosberg
• Song of Peace – Let There Be Peace on Earth
When:
Saturday, March 4th, 7:00pm
Where:
Please meet us near the steps of the Borough Hall (1 Harding Plaza) in Glen Rock, NJ
Who Can Attend:
Anyone and everyone. This rally is open to everyone in all towns and bring your family.
Please invite everyone you know, and register on the EventBrite or Facebook Event, so that we can get an accurate head count.
This is a peaceful, non-partisan and non-denominational gathering.
Please dress warmly in layers
Lyrics to the National Anthem
Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Lyrics to Let There Be Peace on Earth
Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me.
Let There Be Peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be!
With Earth as our Mother, we are family.
Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me. Let this be the moment now.
With every breath I take, let this be my solemn vow;
To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally!
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.
Please register through Eventbrite under “Tickets” so that there is an accurate head count
By GUS PENARANDA
In the era of Trump, not much attention is being paid to the NJ Gubernatorial race right now, but for those who understand what happened last November with the Presidential election, where thousands of New Jersians who rarely voted and democrats who were tired of back-room deals and politics as usual, came out and voted for Donald Trump. This should give New Jersey residents some pause when considering options for the Democratic primary race. When Gov. Christie ran for his second term, he took NJ 60.3% to 38.2%. One of the arguments from the Democratic candidate was that the power boss/es did not come out for her for whatever reasons.
In this year’s Democratic primary, we have several candidates but some corrupt party bosses are crowning their favorite, even before a single “public” vote has been cast. If the residents of New Jersey do not stand up and fight for their right to select the candidate they want to represent them, then the only vote that counts and that has already been cast, is that of the Democratic Chairman for Passaic County. To better understand how control is maintained, we must understand that this chairman controls all the County agencies including the Board of Elections and Freeholders, Passaic County Technical Institute, Sheriff’s Department and Passaic County Community College just off the top of my head. Now to be fair, the departments are run by different staff and professionals but the key elected positions and in some cases executive jobs are mostly the result of political deals made by the Democratic chair. This was not done overnight. It took years for such a process to work, but now that all county and state elected officials are controlled by the Passaic County Democratic Chair, with the exception of Congressman Bill Pascrell who is focused influencing Trenton, have selected a candidate with no governing experience at all but with deep pockets to fund other candidates the chairman has in mind.
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/paterson/articles/only-one-vote-of-approval-will-select-new-jersey
Posted by Matt Rooney On January 25, 2017
If you missed last week’s affordable housing decision from the N.J. Supreme Court, Save Jerseyans, then get caught up ASAP right here.
The bottom line?
New Jersey communities face NEW property tax-busting affordable housing requirements, as many as 150,000 unit state-wide; the numbers are being fought-out in a number of trial level venues as we speak.
Some of you have asked me what this could look like on a town-by-town basis.
Not pretty, that’s for damn sure, but our friend Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi (R-39) shared one pro-affordable housing organization’s projections via social media this morning to illustrate the challenge ahead for New Jersey’s municipalities.
Brace yourselves:
https://savejersey.com/2017/01/affordable-housing-units-bergen-county-new-jersey/
Ridgewood NJ, Gannett owner of the Bergen Record is issuing layoff notices to 141 employees in a second major round of job cuts since it purchased North Jersey Media group.
Many long-time readers of the Ridgewood blog know there was not much love loss between this blog and the former owners of the Bergen Record, the Borgs. The Ridgewood blog was frequently the target of their ire.
The Record like most of New Jersey’s local media worked in collusion with the far left and seemed to support every new tax, and regulation chasing every business out of the state along with most retirees and high earning tax payers.
While we hate to see people lose their job, we know the same consideration would not be given to us.
The company said Monday the cuts will take place across its North Jersey Media Group, which includes The Record, the Herald News of Passaic County and NorthJersey.com
The McLean, Virginia-based Gannett Co. Inc. has previously eliminated over 100 jobs at the newspaper group right after purchasing the papers last summer.
The company says North Jersey Media Group is reorganizing to meet the growing digital demands of its readers and advertisers.
“This news article, about the increased number of storefront vacancies in an “upscale” Bergen County downtown, may be of interest to many of you, particularly since Joseph A. Banks Clothiers shut their store on East Ridgewood Avenue last week.” Boyd Loving
Editors note : “I am a Joseph A. Banks customer , yet I never set foot in that store , always shop on line ” PJ blogger
By Fausto Giovanny Pinto | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on January 22, 2017 at 7:30 AM, updated January 22, 2017 at 7:32 AM
ENGLEWOOD — Signs that advertise available space are prominent on the windows of empty storefronts along Palisades Avenue in the heart of Englewood’s downtown shopping district.
A man walks by two empty storefronts on Palisade Avenue in downtown Englewood.Fausto Giovanny Pinto
Officials and realtors say the changing landscape of retail shopping has affected this area, filled with ritzy boutiques, chain stores and a host of eateries.
“Englewood is not the only one with empty stores,” said Carol Rauscher, president of the Englewood Chamber of Commerce. “Two things have contributed to the decline, online shopping and off-price stores, and that’s something we don’t have and won’t get.”
Recent departures from downtown include Victoria’s Secret, Chico’s, Nine West and Wendy’s. The downtown currently has a 5 percent vacancy rate, according to recent survey by the city’s Economic Development Corp.
