Storm Notice – No leaves are to be placed in the street on Saturday, Sunday or Monday
This is a notice from the Village of Ridgewood Public Works Department concerning Hurricane Sandy which is headed up the East Coast and is expected to affect our area.
If you employ the services of a landscaper, effective immediately, please advise them that unless they remove leaves from your property no leaves are to be placed in the street on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. We encourage homeowners to also follow this same request. With heavy rain expected we must keep roadways and storm drains clear. The Village is requesting your assistance to help avoid unnecessary flooding to your property and your neighbors’.
Village crews will be working today to clear low lying areas. If you have a storm drain in front of your property, please assist Village staff with keeping it clear.
Updated information will be posted on the Village website www.ridgewoodnj.net and we encourage you to sign up for “E-Notice” for updates.
PSE&G Ramps Up Preparations for Hurricane Sandy
October 26, 2012
Provides safety tips for customers
(October 26, 2012 – Newark, NJ) – Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) Company, New Jersey’s largest electric and gas utility, is continuing to closely monitoring the track of Hurricane Sandy and is ramping up emergency preparations. Although the storm is now tracking further south, it is still expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and flooding to our service territory. At this time, Hurricane Sandy is expected to begin impacting New Jersey as early as late Sunday with the full brunt of the storm hitting the area Monday into Tuesday.
In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, PSE&G has requested more than 1,300 linemen and 600 tree contractors from utilities in other states to assist our highly skilled crews. The utility’s call center will be fully staffed to handle calls from customers. Other employees will assist with assessing storm damage, keeping the public away from any downed power lines and other functions that support restoration efforts.
Since Hurricane Irene and the October snowstorm in 2011, PSE&G has made additional investments in our electric delivery system to help withstand storms.
• Replaced older 26,000-volt lines with lines capable of carrying 69,000 volts. These lines provide greater protection against lightning strikes and can better withstand wind and rain.
• Spent about $28 million pruning trees away from power lines.
• Tightened coordination with county Offices of Emergency Management to ensure that public officials have the latest information on outages and restoration progress.
• Compiled a list of school administrators and superintendents to contact in case schools are affected by outages.
• Made some improvements to our automated call answering systems.
Just as the utility is preparing for Hurricane Sandy, we urge our customers to do the same. It’s wise to have an emergency kit on hand year round. Here are some things to include:
• A battery powered radio.
• A corded telephone (cordless phones will not work if the power is out)
• Flashlights and extra fresh batteries.
• A first-aid kit.
• Bottled water and an adequate supply of non-perishable food.
• A non-electric can opener.
• Extra blankets and sleeping bags.
• A list of emergency phone numbers, including PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG.
A storm like Hurricane Sandy has the potential to interrupt service. High winds might cause trees to brush up against power lines, and lightning could strike and damage trees or pole-top equipment. There also is the potential for trees to be uprooted.
Depending on the severity of the storm, response times for both electric and gas emergency services may be longer than usual. PSE&G asks for our customers’ patience and cooperation as we work to safely restore service as quickly as possible. As the storm gets closer, the utility will provide information about estimated restoration times.
To report downed wires or power outages, customers should call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG. PSE&G uses an automated system to handle customer calls as efficiently as possible. Customers who get an automated response when calling PSE&G are encouraged to use it, as it is designed to route their calls to the right destination quickly. The system also provides the option to speak directly to a customer service representative. If you have specific information regarding damage to wires, transformers or poles, we ask that you speak with a representative to provide that information.
Customers with a handheld device, or who are at an alternate location with power, can also report power outages and view the status of their outage by logging in to My Account at pseg.com. General outage activity throughout our service territory is available online at www.pseg.com/outagecenter and updates are posted on pseg.com during severe weather.
In addition, PSE&G will activate its Twitter page to keep the public informed about our restoration progress. Sign up as a follower at https://twitter.com/psegdelivers to monitor restoration progress.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
400 PM EDT THU OCT 25 2012
SOUTH SHORE BAYS FROM JONES INLET THROUGH SHINNECOCK BAY-
NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-NORTHERN NEW HAVEN-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX-
NORTHERN NEW LONDON-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN-
SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX-SOUTHERN NEW LONDON-WESTERN PASSAIC-
EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-EASTERN BERGEN-WESTERN ESSEX-
EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-EASTERN UNION-ORANGE-PUTNAM-ROCKLAND-
NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX-
RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-KINGS (BROOKLYN)-NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-
NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-
NORTHERN QUEENS-NORTHERN NASSAU-SOUTHERN QUEENS-SOUTHERN NASSAU-
400 PM EDT THU OCT 25 2012
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL
WATERS…SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT…NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST
NEW YORK.
.DAY ONE…THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
THERE IS INCREASING CONFIDENCE THAT THE TRI-STATE AREA WILL FEEL THE IMPACTS OF A DANGEROUS COASTAL STORM LATE THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS INCLUDES THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL
AND RESULTANT SIGNIFICANT URBAN…SMALL STREAM…AND RIVER
FLOODING…HIGH WINDS CAUSING WIDESPREAD DOWNING OF TREES AND
POWER LINES…AND SIGNIFICANT SHORELINE IMPACTS FROM COASTAL
FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION. THE SPECIFIC IMPACTS WILL ULTIMATELY
DEPEND ON THE EXACT TRACK AND EVOLUTION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE SANDY
AS IT INTERACTS WITH A DEEPENING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
APPROACHING THE EAST COAST.
PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR THE LATEST
FORECASTS ON SANDY…AND MONITOR THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE FORECASTS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
Ribbon cutting at renovated Ridgewood Community Center at the Village Hall
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2012, 10:54 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Unlike relentless flood waters that engulfed the first floor at Village Hall one year ago, the rain subsided just in time for last Friday’s grand reopening of the Ridgewood Community Center.
A subdued ribbon-cutting ceremony and the first program inside the renovated Annie Zusy Youth Center marked the official unveiling of the municipal building’s new main level.
Flooding during Hurricane Irene caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the entire first floor and temporarily displaced several village organizations that had regularly used the space.
“This area is the heart of the community in terms of activities. It was pretty devastating for the communities, especially for children and seniors, when the flooding destroyed this,” said Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “It’s nice that we can welcome them, and everyone, back here.”
An extensive, months-long rehabilitation project had been ongoing throughout the summer. The work included the installation of two types of waterproof concrete blocks inside the hallways and meeting rooms. Blocks were stacked more than 5 feet off the ground, exceeding the height of the former wallboards that were damaged during the flood.
The Village Council bonded $400,000 to cover the construction costs. This sum did not include the initial clean-up bill, which hovered around the $90,000 mark. Federal assistance from FEMA was expected to help fund the project.
Proving the wisdom of building things in flood zones N.J. Senators announce funding for flood-prone area buyout
U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, both D-NJ, announced Wednesday more than $3.3 million in federal funding for voluntary home buyouts for a flood-prone senior citizen housing complex in Monmouth County’s Ocean Township.
The funding, provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will be used to purchase and remove eight sections of a seniors apartment complex that has been repeatedly damaged by floods, according to a press release. Built in 1970, the housing complex will be entirely demolished and the area will be restored to its natural environment. (Bonamo, NJ.com)
Severe thunderstorms with Freak Tornado Warnings Wreck Havoc in North Jersey
September 9 2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ ,Rare tornado warnings were issued yesterday after severe weather hit the tri-state area on Saturday knocking down trees ,creating flooding and damaging power lines.
Tornado watches in this part of the country are fairly uncommon, but a tornado warning coupled with a more urgent advisory to seek shelter because of existing tornadic weather conditions is very unusual. There were no actual tornados reported in Northern Jersey, although several were reported elsewhere in the New York tri-state region.
Overcast sky’s , damaging rains and heavy winds were all in play here for much of the day and the fast moving line of storms packed a punch, though fortunately less than originally feared.
Over 10,000 PSE&G customers in New Jersey were left without power, with a concentration in Passaic, Essex and Bergen counties with the Village of Ridgewood among areas that sustained the most damage, with trees and wires down in a dozen locations.
NJ Transit reported that two trains were delayed just after 6 p.m. when a tree branch fell across a track in Glen Rock, with a handful of passengers on both east- and west-bound trains disembarking and boarded trains on an another track while workers spent about 45 minutes clearing away the tree.
The quick-changing weather also affected many outdoor events, forcing a storm delay in a college football game at MetLife Stadium and delaying the men’s semifinals and causing the women’s singles finals to be rescheduled for today at the U.S.
Many Factors at Play as the Council tries to remake Ridgewood
August 15,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , Not since the renovation of the Village Hall has the Village Council embarked on such an ambitious project .As long term resident and readers know the Village Hall renovation or “fiasco” as it is known was marred with lengthy delays and massive cost over runs . In the end the project failed to produce the results promised and some observers would say made the flooding problem in the Village is worse..
While no one was prosecuted to many the Jane Reilly “Taj” Hall marked the begging on the decline of the Village of Ridgewood. So now when a new Mayor Paul Aronsohn and his supporters pursue Paul’s “Xanadu” garage project for Ridgewood , the red flags are once again raised.
Has Ridgewood really learned anything form the Village Hall fiasco ? We are not so sure : Construction over runs are part of life , especially given the rule of giving the “lowest bidder” the job, which is immediately followed by revision after revision in cost estimates once the project is awarded. The recent $400,000 golden toilet episode at Vets field is a stark reminder as to the reality of the lowest bid system at work.
Next is the problem with congestion , can current Village merchants really sustain another couple of years of constant construction ? Was not the Train station project enough of a problem ? Some suggest these type of projects contribute to so many stores staying vacant,
Then there is the wisdom of the project it self . The main promoters of this project is the Village Chamber of Commerce which seems to have a rather checkered past with promoting the Village . These are the same guys after all who came up with the idea of banning banks ifrom downtown Ridgewood , thinking it would leave room for other merchants .
And as resident on Grove street keep pointing out ,what about the Villages seemly inability to ever finish a job, What ever happened to the landscaping on the island on Grove Street?
Finally there is the “Ed Sullivan ‘ factoror Urbanization noting against Ed but do residents really want Ridgewood to be like Hoboken or some might suggest Irvington .
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 535 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
. NEW JERSEY COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE
ATLANTIC BERGEN BURLINGTON
CAMDEN CAPE MAY CUMBERLAND
ESSEX GLOUCESTER HUDSON
HUNTERDON MERCER MIDDLESEX
MONMOUTH MORRIS OCEAN
PASSAIC SALEM SOMERSET
SUSSEX UNION WARREN
Flash Flood Warning FLASH FLOOD WARNING
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
240 PM EDT SAT JUL 28 2012
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON NY HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR…
PASSAIC COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…
WESTCHESTER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…
NORTHERN BERGEN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…
ROCKLAND COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…
PUTNAM COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…
SOUTHEASTERN ORANGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…
* UNTIL 545 PM EDT…
* AT 235 PM EDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
FLASH FLOODING FROM AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WARNED AREA.
RAINFALL RATES OF OVER TWO INCHES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
ACTIVITY…RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WARNED
AREA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.
Ridgewood officials expected to award funds for watershed protection work
Tuesday July 17, 2012, 9:01 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Bids for the cleanup project along Ridgewood’s natural bodies of water came in higher than officials anticipated, but the Village Council is expected to award the project contract at Wednesday’s meeting.
Earlier this spring, the governing body appropriated about $568,000 for watershed protection work at the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River; however, village officials said the lowest responsible bid was $115,000 more than they anticipated. Of the three bids that Ridgewood received, the lowest was $683,000, said Village Manager Kenneth Gabbert.
Gabbert previously told The Ridgewood News that the scope of the project includes rehabilitation work to reduce flooding at the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River. Contractors are expected to remove sandbars, gravel bars and other debris, such as tree stumps and large branches that have exacerbated flooding over the years.
5PM HEAT UPDATE: The Bergen Record is reporting that 4 ambulances responded to treat family members who passed out due to the high temperatures in Bruins Stadium in Braddock Park. Several other schools have moved their graduation indoors due to the heat including Palisades Park Junior/Senior High School which will hold its graduation in the school’s auditorium Wednesday evening, Teaneck High School’s Thursday graduation has been moved to the Rothman Center at Fairleigh Dickinson University, River Dell High School’s graduation ceremony remained scheduled for Thursday; but members of the public will be able to view a live broadcast of the ceremony in the air conditioned rooms of the high school’s auditorium, library and cafeteria.
Heat: No plans to move Graduation Day Ceremony from RHS Stadium Field
June 20,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ Thursday just may just be the hottest day of the year ,with temperatures expected to reach just south of 100 degrees weather conditions not exactly ideal for a high school graduation on a turf field.
Near record temperatures have not deterred School officials and according to Superintendent Daniel Fishbein there are no plans for last minute changes.
In an email Superintendent Daniel Fishbein detailed the steps being taken to prepare for the extreme heat assuring all that there will be plenty water available for the graduates and invited guests.(https://ridgewood.patch.com/articles/ridgewood-preparing-for-extreme-heat-on-graduation-day)
Among the common sense suggestions and information are : make sure you stay hydrated and bring water.,carefully decide whether to bring elderly and health impaired relatives or friends to the ceremony.,dress appropriately for the heat, there will be tented areas for graduates who feel they need to get out of the sun, and the Village is prepared with emergency services .
We all remember the flash flooding, last year so ably handled by the former RHS principle Lorenz .
According to Dr. Fishbein ,”This year it will be heat. All part of the graduation experience people will talk about for years.”(https://ridgewood.patch.com/articles/ridgewood-preparing-for-extreme-heat-on-graduation-day)
The ceremony begins at 5 p.m. this Thursday at Ridgewood High School Stadium Field .
Superintendent Daniel Fishbein Promises RHS Bridge will be open for Graduation
June 18,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The long delayed opening of the RHS/Stevens field bridge may finally be at hand . Ridgewood Schools Superintendent Daniel Fishbein said at Monday night’s BOE meeting that the bridge will be open in time for the Ridgewood High School graduation ceremony on Thursday, June 21.
file photos of RHS Bridge
The bridge connects Stevens Field to the main RHS campus and RHS Stadium . The bridge was found to be structurally damaged in late 2009. In November of 2011 the bridge was finally shut down to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Repairs cost the BOE approximately $85,000 .
The RHS bridge has been closed since November due to serious structural problems. Years of flooding, wear and tear and old age had finally taken its toll.. Repairs began in May , and as work proceeded it became apparent that the bridge needed far more work than originally anticipated. Bad weather and construction related delays have also pushed back the project.
FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2012
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Behind The Stable on North Maple Avenue, beside the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, there was once an aging headstone.
It wasn’t for a mother, father, daughter or son.
It was for a dog whose name – Friskie – was spelled out in pebbles pushed into the stone’s drying cement.
While the headstone may not be visible today, likely buried in the dirt after years of disturbance from construction and flooding, it was once a piece of Ridgewood history. According to a former Ridgewood resident who wrote a new book on The Stable’s history, Friskie used to belong to the man who owned the last working farm in Ridgewood – as well as the stable that eventually became the town’s community center.
This and other facts about The Stable’s more than 100-year-old history are explained and revealed in “Mr. Lester’s Farm,” a 32-page children’s book written by Joe Grasso.
Ridgewood PD forced to park on the top of Maple do to flooding at the Village Hall
Reauthorize and Reform the Flood Insurance Program
By David John
June 11, 2012
Congress should reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The failure of Congress to pass a longer term reauthorization since the last one expired in September 2008 has delayed necessary reforms. In addition, since there are no private providers of general flood insurance coverage in the United States, all such policies come through the NFIP. The lack of reauthorization is increasing risk to both flood-prone properties and the NFIP itself.
One of the goals of the pending reauthorization is to ensure that all owners pay the appropriate actuarial premium rather than subsidized rates. This would be a first step toward encouraging private insurance companies to enter the market and would set the stage for an eventual move of the entire program to the private sector.
First-floor repair work at Ridgewood Village Hall on schedule
THURSDAY JUNE 14, 2012, 12:01 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Work to refurbish Village Hall’s flood-damaged first floor is progressing according to schedule and should be completed by September, Ridgewood officials said.
Concrete blocks were installed last week as part of a repair project to the first floor of Village Hall, which was damage by flooding during last year’s Hurricane Irene.
New concrete blocks were installed by contractors and settled into place last week, marking the first step of the construction phase to protect the interior of the municipal building from future water damage. The first level of the five-story complex, which is located in the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook floodplain, was decimated last year by several feet of flood water that rushed inside as a result of Hurricane Irene.
The bill for the clean-up effort alone was approximately $90,000. Ridgefield-based contractor Adamo Brothers won the construction portion of the job with a $275,000 bid in March and will complete the interior work, according to Village Engineer Chris Rutishauser.
The Village of Ridgewood Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River repair project expected to go well into 2013
June 7,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , According to Village Manager Ken Gabbert, the work to repair and mend the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River will likely begin during the late summer or early fall. The two waterways have experienced massive flooding and sustained significant amounts of erosion during last year’s record rainstorms.The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook in particular was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irene last summer. Gabbert told the Ridgewood News “Since Hurricane Floyd in 1999, there has been only spot work done in the brook,”
After a significant increase the village is looking to reduce localized flooding. The work will include the removal of sand bars, trees and other debris that have collected in the waterways after years of neglect and server storms.The scope of the work will span the entire length of the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook in Ridgewood, with only minor work performed along the Saddle River.
The Village council introduced an ordinance last month to appropriate $155,000 for the second phase of watershed protective measures. This includes $128,000 in grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and approximately $27,000 from Ridgewood’s capital fund account.In April, the Village Council moved more than $343,000 in grants and another $78,000 from the capital fund balance to support the first phase of the project.
Village Manager Ken Gabber told the Ridgewood News that the project completion date will depend on the state Department of Environmental Protection’s requirements, the contractor’s schedules and any “surprises” that arise after work begins.
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