Paul,
It has been a while since this group has communicated – I hope everyone is doing well. I received your email below and wanted to respond.
I respect Roberta. I think she has done a great job overall managing this Village. It’s not an easy job by any means. I personally know Roberta…she is a good neighbor and I like to consider her as a friend. She is smart, quick, effective – I respect her and admire her and from what I have heard she has done a better job of executing than previous VMs. However, I was shocked to see the full page ad in the news. I was even more shocked when I read your email and was targeted with a mass email chain from someone in my neighborhood (how she got my personal email is quite a mystery). I guess I am confused…why are we making this election about her or any village staff? Shouldn’t the election be about the issues at hand – high density housing, doubling the size of Valley hospital in the middle of a residential area? When did we turn this election into village hall staffing? You work for a corporation so you know very well that a new boss is entitled to evaluate the existing talent pool. So why is this even a concern? No company will hesitate to bring in the right boss for fear of cleaning up the existing talent pool. We shouldn’t either.
We have to remember, this election isn’t about any Village Hall staff. It’s about whether we trust the people we elect to represent the town fairly and responsibly. It’s about where they stand on the issues that we each find important to our families, to our property values, to our future, to our way of life.
It saddens me that you are trying to turn this campaign around and divert the attention away from the true issues. Not to mention make up deceitful lies. Not one candidate has made any statement about Roberta and her role. It’s simply not part of this election, nor should it be. It’s a non issue. It saddens me that we are not able to campaign with dignity and respect for one another. I hope that changes.
Respectfully,
Bonita Shimpfky
———- Forwarded message ———
From: Paul Aronsohn <paul@paularonsohn.com>
Date: Fri, May 6, 2016, 9:04 PM
Subject: Vote for Brooks, Weitz and Willett
To: <paul@paularonsohn.com>
Dear Neighbor,
Last week, I endorsed council candidates Rich Brooks, Evan Weitz and Janice Willett in a letter-to-the-editor, noting that they have solid experience, uncompromising integrity/ethics and a proven commitment to Ridgewood. I also noted that they are right on issues important to me, such as the budget, the parking deck, the special needs community and the Village Manager.
This week, several additional community leaders – past and present – have also endorsed Rich, Evan and Janice – community leaders who have helped shape Ridgewood’s traditions, while moving Ridgewood forward. And importantly, a group of residents took out a full-page ad in the Ridgewood News today, noting that “only 3 candidates are committed to keeping Roberta Sonenfeld as Village Manager – Rich Brooks, Evan Weitz and Janice Willett.”
Please see the attached list of endorsements and the full-page ad.
Needless to say, many of us believe that this year’s election is especially important, and as explained by the Ridgewood News Editorial Board, every vote matters. Remember, in 2012, there was a difference of only 15 votes between the 3rd and 4th placed candidates.
If you have any questions, about this year’s election, please feel free to email me. If you want to learn more about Rich, Evan and Janice — and their positive, inclusive vision for Ridgewood — please visit their website – www.Ridgewood2020.com.
Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for voting on Tuesday.
Best,
Paul
