The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
photos by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood blog has reported on questions of the quality of the fill used at the Schedler property .
Continue reading The “Soprano State” and Quality Fill at the Schedler Property in Ridgewood
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Illegal dumping: we’ve all seen it, whether we’re strolling down the sidewalk or driving down the highway. The sight of abandoned furniture, old mattresses, and washing machines just waiting to become someone else’s problem. But while we can all agree it’s a blight on our hometowns and green spaces, how many of us are actually guilty of doing it ourselves?
Continue reading Trashy Behavior: 12% of New Jerseyans admit to illegal dumping
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Peaslee Wildlife Management Area , according to NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife back In October, Fish and Wildlife’s Bureau of Law Enforcement Lt. Craig James, Detective Todd Vazquez, and Conservation Officer Keith Fox began an investigation on a large solid waste dump site in the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area in Cumberland County.
The pile was over 50 cu. yards and was mostly construction debris. It was suspected that the person responsible might return, so a surveillance camera was placed in the area.
Continue reading NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Fines Illegal Dumper
July 25,2017
the staff of The Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, An anonymous tipster alleges that the Village’s tree crews are illegally dumping wood chips too close to the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, on a walking path connecting Maple Field to the Graydon Pool parking lot.
Several years ago, NJDEP formally cited PSE&G for doing the same thing, only PS was dumping the chips on their right of way, which adjoins the Brook between Spring Avenue and Grove Street.
We assume the Village will plead ignorance to the law?
January 1,2017
by Boyd Loving
Ridgewood NJ, As I was leaving the Ridge School playground area with my grandchildren this morning, I noticed that the school’s large trash dumpster was overflowing with materials despite the school having been closed during the past week.
Upon closer examination, it became apparent that the materials dumped within were not generated by school employees – several empty liquor/wine boxes, household trash, a cardboard crate from an electric wine cooler, black plastic trash bags containing ?, and a box from a medical supply company.
So the question is: What individual and/or company is using the Ridge School dumpster (paid for by Ridgewood’s taxpayers) as their personal garbage disposal area, and are they dumping materials.
Has anyone who lives in the area of Ridge seen anyone backing a car or truck into the dumpster area recently?
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The illegal dumping of large amounts of concrete, asphalt millings, brick, and home renovation items at the Village’s compost facility on Lakeview Drive remains unsolved more than 14 months after the debris was initially discovered there by NJDEP Inspector Kenneth Cadematori.
The staff of The Ridgewood Blog remains perplexed as to how several tons of illegal materials were transported into a gated and locked facility, dumped, and then concealed with wood chips by someone using a bucket loader – all of this done without anyone seeing anything out of the ordinary?
This is what NJDEP Inspector Cadematori wrote in his official reports about the dumping:
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Report dated 7/14/2015 (Note: Mr. Cadematori had previously inspected the site on 6/4/2015 and found no violations):
During a routine compliance inspection, noticed a large amount of concrete, asphalt millings, brick, and home renovation items illegally dumped over a berm on the site. The four (4) spots where these materials were illegally deposited were along a river. I noticed these four (4) areas of illegal dumping when I saw that these four (4) spots on the berm had a bucket loader of woodchips and tire marks leading up to it. Once I stood onto of the berm I saw the 4 spots of illegal dumping.
I called the site supervisor to meet me at the site because the Superintendent was not in the office. While I was waiting a Town of Ridgewood worker pulled in and then drove off when I was attempting to flag them down about the illegal dumping, I was wearing my bright neon safety vest and white safety helmet and waving my papers while the worker was only 30 yards away from me. The supervisor was shocked and unhappy that someone would do this at their site. We reached out to the Superintendent who is filing a police report with the Town of Ridgewood.
The facility is arranging to get equipment to assist with the job. The facility needs to deconstruct the berm which was previously made up of asphalt millings/chunks, concrete, and dirt so the contaminants in these material don’t run-off into the river directly below the berm. Also, the facility needs to take out all C&D material in the woods, put materials into roll-off containers, and then bring to a recycling center and get receipts for the amount of material and show proof of correctly disposing of illegally dumped materials on their property.
Report dated 7/17/2015:
Met with Ridgewood Village Superintendent and engineer about the illegal dumping that happened on the site. The Superintendent has filed a police report with the town of Ridgewood and an investigation is underway. During the on-site meeting we discussed appropriate actions on removing illegally dumped material in the woods and removing a section of berm which is made up of concrete, asphalt millings and some dirt. The run-off from these berms are going into the river below.
Superintendent is waiting on appropriate equipment and roll off containers top put debris in so the Department and town can understand the amount of material that was illegally dumped.
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In the hope of solving this “crime of the Century,” the staff of The Ridgewood Blog is now considering starting a GO FUND ME page to raise money in order that a CASH reward can be provided to the individual(s) who provides information that leads to the arrest AND successful conviction of the person or persons responsible for this as yet unsolved act.
Stay tuned folks.
Ridgewood NJ, As reported on this blog, Village Officials confirmed this month that an illegal dumping of construction materials took place behind Ridgewood’s composting facility on Lakeview Drive.
This is going to be the new COLD CASE for the Village of Rdgewood. The person or persons responsible will be name only when the statues of limitations are up for this crime or they are retired and collecting a pension. Either the Police Department Management is inept or the Village Manger is holding back. If the person responsible was a village employee or ” worker bee” they would be gone by now.
AUGUST 25, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015, 9:36 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Village Council took action this month to pass a resolution settling a long-standing matter between Ridgewood Water and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) dealing with a contested permit violation.
The settlement requires the village to withdraw its request for a hearing regarding the contested violation with the NJDEP Commissioner and administrative courts and pay $55,000, which will come from water utility revenues.
At the end of the Aug. 12 public meeting, Village Attorney Matthew Rogers explained the decision came down to how much money the matter would cost to litigate versus what the potential result might be of an administrative process involving the NJDEP. More than $120,000 in penalties were sought by the NJDEP.
“After probably two full years of trying to work with DEP and then litigating with DEP, we came to the conclusion this is the best way to approach it and to resolve the matter where we know there’s an outcome and resolve it to the point where we can rely now on newly issued permits that take into consideration what those exceedances were before and hopefully cover us in the future,” Rogers said.
file photo by Boyd Loving
How hard can this investigation be. The gate is locked during none operating hour. There is no way for large trucks to get in because of the berms and trees. Here is a start.
1 Inspect the concrete for any indication of where it came from such cut off street sign post, concrete stamps, paint
2 Interview all people that have the keys to the gate
3 interview all contractors doing concrete work in the Village
4 interview resident on Lakeview Drive to see if they saw anything ( name on trucks)
5 Apply Definition of OCCAM’S RAZOR
: a scientific and philosophic rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities
file photo by Boyd Loving
What Colors Are This Dress? Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber And A Bajillion Other Celebs Weigh In
by gaby wilson 2/27/2015
In the last 24 hours, a dress divided the world as we know it. Do you see white and gold? Or black and blue? Lines have been drawn. Where do you fall? And do Kim Kardashian, Kanye West,Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and a bajillion other celebs who were also tormented by #TheDress agree with you? Read on to find out!
Sides mixed on Ridgewood restaurant’s exterior paint color
AUGUST 10, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2015, 11:26 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Planning Board’s meeting last Tuesday included a long discussion on a shade of paint at Tito’s Burritos restaurant.
The painting was done, without the town’s permission, accidentally, according to David Rutherford, attorney for Tito’s co-owner Mike Caldarella.
The co-owner of Tito’s had just finished overseeing the painting of a restaurant in another town, and decided to use the leftover paint in Ridgewood, not knowing he was violating any rules, according to Caldarella.
“The painter finished early, and my business partner sent him to Ridgewood, unbeknownst to myself, thinking he was doing something really good,” said Caldarella.
“Our biggest mistake was not going immediately to the village and saying, ‘This is what we did, how can we put it right?'” Caldarella said. “Instead, we decided that we should wait it out and see what happens.”
Mayor Paul Aronsohn, a member of the Planning Board, said it is “unfortunate that approvals were not sought and obtained prior to the work being done. As the applicant’s lawyer acknowledged, that was the wrong approach.”
https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/sides-mixed-on-paint-color-s-impact-1.1389902
August 6,2015
Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood NJ , Ridgewood Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld has officially confirmed that illegally dumped materials were recently discovered at the Village’s Lakeview Drive compost site during a routine inspection conducted by a NJDEP employee. Sonenfeld’s confirmation came in the form of a statement read during the Village Council’s August 5 public Work Session.
According to Ms. Sonenfeld, the illegally dumped material consisted of asphalt and concrete block and was located at the site’s south end, dumped over a protective berm. It is believed the materials were dumped during the months of June or July, this according to Sonenfeld. Heavy equipment and an operator(s) from the Bergen County Mosquito Control Commission are now being deployed to assist in removing the debris.
The Village Manager concluded her remarks by emphatically stating that an “active investigation” is still underway regarding the incident. No date was mentioned regarding the availability of a final investigative report via the OPRA.
Many taxpayers are anxiously awaiting the outcome of this “active investigation” so we can learn exactly how the dumping was accomplished, who was responsible, who will be held accountable (if anyone) and what monetary liability, if any, taxpayers will be on the hook for.
photo by Boyd Loving
July 30,2015
Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood NJ, A police investigation of reported illegal dumping at the Village’s Compost Facility on Lakeview Drive is continuing according to several sources of The Ridgewood Blog. It is reported that a detective from the Ridgewood Police Department conducted additional interviews with Village employees during the past week.
The investigation is focused on determining when and how an as yet undetermined number of concrete blocks were dumped at the facility, and if any Village employee(s) had knowledge of the dumping prior to their recent discovery. Additional illegally dumped material is said to have been unearthed within the past several days.
Although previous reports received by The Ridgewood Blog indicated that a NJDEP inspector had uncovered the dumped material, no notice of such action currently appears on the NJDEP Enforcement & Compliance Division’s web page.
https://datamine2.state.nj.us/DEP_OPRA/OpraMain/categories?category=Enforcement%20Blotters
July 18,2015
Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood NJ, I have received word from several sources that an NJDEP inspector recently uncovered evidence of illegal dumping at the Village’s compost site on Lakeview Drive.
The illegally dumped materials were reported to be composed of concrete; word on the street is that they might be old sidewalks and curbing dumped there by a contractor who worked in the past for the Village.
Further word is that a Village employee MAY have knowingly authorized the disposal of these materials there; this has not been confirmed as yet though.
Let’s wait and see if anyone’s head rolls as a result of the huge fine sure to be levied by NJDEP, and paid for, of course, by taxpayers.
