August 11,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council approved the funding and the proposal from Epic Management, Inc., to move forward with the Hudson Street parking garage. This will provide additional parking in the Central Business District for shoppers, diners, commuters, and employees. The current timeline indicates that the garage should be completed by early spring 2020.
August 10,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood Blog
RIDGEWOOD NJ , Special Properties Real Estate Services, LLC, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, has welcomed Kathleen Lops to its Ridgewood, NJ office as a Realtor Associate. The addition of this former international sales and marketing expert is part of the agency’s ongoing growth and expansion throughout the region.
Kathleen brings more than 12 years of industry experience to Special Properties, along with a strong commitment to provide all clients with personalized real estate services. Prior to joining Special Properties, Kathleen practiced sales and marketing within the financial industry around the world, including Boston, New York City, and even Sydney, Australia. With both her corporate and real estate experience, along with her new affiliation with Special Properties, Kathleen is able to leverage the strength of Christie’s and Special Properties’ unparalleled marketing resources and superior customer service program to assist clients at all phases of the real estate process.
Kathleen is a passionate community volunteer. She is a member of the Board of the Social Services Association of Ridgewood and can often be found working closely with her children’s school on community outreach projects. She enjoys playing golf, walking her pet collie and cheering on her children during their Ridgewood High School lacrosse games. Kathleen also pays frequent visits to her hometown in Maine, where she relishes in her New England roots.
Kathleen is a graduate of Lafayette College with a degree in psychology, and has lived in Ridgewood for nearly two decades with her husband and children.
About Special Properties Real Estate Services
Special Properties Real Estate Services, LLC embraces the history and traditions of its flagship brokerage location in Saddle River, NJ, into an expanded, modern presence in Mahwah, Franklin Lakes, Ridgewood, Hoboken and Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. With a staff of accomplished real estate agents and brokers, its clients across northern New Jersey and southern New York are provided with customized, personalized services, backed by the luxury real estate brand of Christie’s International Real Estate. Special Properties provides local expertise with global connections. For more information, call 201-962-9552 or visit www.specialpropertiesres.com.
file photo by Boyd Loving
That’s got to be one of the stupidest laws that we ever heard of allowing people just don’t walk from the sidewalk and curb into the street where traffic is rolling down the road and a minimum of 25 mph. I don’t give a shit about what law, I teach my kids before you walk into a street anywhere in the world you look both ways it’s just common sense. I love it when you get these idiots will just walk into the street with their head down, And then they have their phone on listening to music looking up at the space you idiots. I blame the parents for not teaching your kids from right and wrong that more is wrong. If someone is driving down Ridgewood having you at 25 mph the law, and a fool just went into the street without looking are you kidding me. And what about these jaywalkers that walk out between garage and getting it put cameras put cameras all around the CBD and you’ll see the stupidity thank you-year-old friend.
August 10,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Road work is coming . Bergen county will be resurfacing Ridgewood Avenue from Paramus Road to Maple Avenue from Tuesday August 21-28.
August 10,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, according to the Village Manager Heather Mailander , many issued have be raised on social media about the Healthbarn lease at Habernickel Park .
During Wednesday night Mangers report Mailander said the number of visitors at Healthbarn does not exceed the fire code . The types and sizes of the buses are allowed under the lease , and Healthbarn reports quarterly on the number , size and number of people on the buses to the Village .
During the first quarter of 2018 there were 23 schools trips to Healthbarn , 95% used one small bus one field trip had 2 small buses and one field trip had 3 small buses with 10-12 students on each bus . Larger buses park at Graydon Pool parking lot , small vans can park at Habernickel .
Mailander went on to say that Healthbarn is not using space beyond the lease ,in fact part of the teaching garden has space for Ridgewood community gardens . No one sleeps at Healthbarn , if a vehicle is parked over night ,it means that the director of Healthbarn has taken mass transit home or to a conference . Three parking spaces are allocated to the tenant . The village does allow consumption of alcohol in public parks for various events with a one day liquor license . The Chef’s events at Healthbarn often involve the patrons bring there own booze .
Healthbarn is a sanctioned program under Ridgewood parks and recreation and is supervised by that department and also inspected by the Village Health Department . Healthbarn is sanctioned by Green Acres .
NOTICE: ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT SPECIAL MEETING
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Ridgewood Zoning Board of Adjustment will hold a special public meeting on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall Court Room, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ.
All meetings of the Ridgewood Zoning Board of Adjustment (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.
Jane Wondergem
Secretary to the Board
c: ZB Members
Ridgewood News
The Record
Village Manager
Village Clerk
August 10,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Newark NJ, At a briefing in Newark this morning, Governor Phil Murphy vowed to resolve cancellation problems plaguing NJ Transit, .Instead of offering any solutions Murphy spent the entire press conference focusing blame on the Christie Administration .
Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) issued the following statement following Gov. Phil Murphy’s press conference at NJ Transit:
“New Jerseyans are tough, fair-minded people but they need information every morning to plan their day. Commuters have not received that information as to the status of trains and train delays. Blaming Chris Christie seven months into the new governor’s term does not provide the needed information for our commuters.”
August 9,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, According to the final report Alexandra Harwin submitted to the NJ State Election Law Enforcement Commission, she spent $40,135 on her campaign.
Check out the listing of donors. Quite an eye opener.
Ridgewood residents who made cash donations identified on official reports were:
Halaby, Rurik – $800
Pollock, Michael – $396
Vagianos, Paul – $500
Weitz, Evan – $500
Wilday, Gabriella – $500
Winograd, Siobhan – $500
August 9,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Readers: What’s your opinion? Do the planters downtown on East Ridgewood Avenue adversely impact crosswalk/pedestrian safety? Let us know what you think. Thank you.
August 9,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division on Civil Rights announced today that a New Jersey trucking company must pay an ex-employee with sleep apnea $30,000 to resolve allegations it fired the man despite repeated medical examinations certifying him as fit for duty.
P. Judge & Sons, Inc., a trucking company located in Essex County, must pay former employee R.B. $15,000 to cover lost wages and another $15,000 for alleged pain and suffering. R.B. – the ex-employee’s name is being withheld to protect his medical privacy – worked as a yard switcher at the P. Judge & Sons facility in Port Newark. Among other duties, he conducted vehicle inspections, maintained the yard and emptied containers and trailers from the yard to the loading docks.
“This case should serve as a reminder to employers across New Jersey that our Law Against Discrimination prevents disability discrimination, and we are committed to ensuring those rights are protected,” said Attorney General Grewal. “In the face of repeated certifications of fitness for duty by licensed medical professionals, employers simply do not have authority to impose their own, uninformed biases and terminate a person with a disability.”
In March 2015, R.B. underwent a physical exam required periodically for workers in his job by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The exam resulted in a diagnosis of sleep apnea, and R.B. was placed on medical leave. R.B. then began treatment for his apnea and later underwent a physical examination at Concentra Medical Center – the company’s medical provider – in Newark. As a result of the physical, R.B. was issued a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC) clearing him to return to his job. The MEC was valid for one month, and R.B. was instructed to continue treatment for his apnea after resuming work.
Despite the MEC clearing him to return, R.B. was denied reinstatement. Allegedly, his supervisor told R.B. that he needed an MEC valid for at least three months. However, after R.B. underwent a subsequent physical examination and obtained an MEC valid for three months, he was again denied reinstatement.
After seven months of being out of work – and repeated denials of reinstatement despite two MECs declaring him fit – R.B. filed a formal Complaint with the Division on Civil Rights.
During an investigation by the Division, one company official at P. Judge & Sons told investigators that R.B. was not permitted to resume work because he was continuing to receive treatment for his sleep apnea, and the company is “under no obligation to employ individuals whose health is non-compliant.”
Another company official argued that R.B. technically was not terminated. Rather, the official said, R.B. never contacted the company again after being denied reinstatement the last time. The same official contended that reinstating R.B. was a potential liability, because an employee afflicted with sleep apnea “can go to work… three months goes by, then he’s off, has to go to the doctor, and we’re getting charged by Concentra for the medical treatment.”
Division Director Sashihara noted that a Division investigation found nothing in DOT regulations, or in P. Judge & Sons’ own internal policies, to support the suggestion that the company was barred from reinstating R.B. once he presented either the one-month or three-month MEC.
“We know from our investigation that the company has, in the past, returned employees to work on the basis of a one-month MEC. We know that because company officials who we interviewed told us so,” said Director Sashihara. “Again, the law is the law, and ignorance of it – or disagreement with it – is no excuse. No matter the opinions or intentions behind it, employers and managers with no medical training cannot simply decide to terminate a worker based solely on assumptions, internet articles and the anecdotal experiences related by people they know, which is what we allege took place here.”
In addition to paying R.B. $30,000, P. Judge & Sons is required under the settlement announced today to adopt a variety of workplace policy and training reforms. The company also must submit to State monitoring of its treatment of employees and job applicants with disabilities for the next two years.
August 9,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Bookends will be hosting Gary Busey on Tuesday, Sept 4th at 6:00pm. Busey is prolific character actor in The Buddy Holly Story, Lethal Weapon, The Firm, etc, Gary Busey will sign his new book: Buseyisms .
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.
While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
photo Mayor Laforet
August 9,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Mahwah NJ, On July 11th, Mahwah Township Clerk Kathy Coviello, who serves as the Recall Election Official, notified the Recall Committee and Mayor Laforet that verification of the Recall Petition was complete and there were sufficient valid signatures to proceed to the next step in the process.
On July 25th, the mayor filed an objection to the Recall with Ms. Coviello.Yesterday, August 6th, Ms. Coviello responded to the mayor’s objections. In short, Ms. Coviello stands by her prior determination that the Recall Petition is compliant with statutory requirements and has the necessary number of signers.
If the mayor chooses to challenge the determination of the Recall Election Official, he has 10 days to file for relief in New Jersey Superior Court.
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Village Hall (Garden Room – First floor) – 8:30am
1. CBD Landlords Roundtable
2. Next CBD Community Forum
Painting over the green bicycle lanes and arrows is essential, but not enough. Two lanes in each direction on the west side of Franklin Ave. underpass MUST BE REINSTATED. They were needed when it was built a zillion years ago and far more now and even more in the future. Rip out the new wider median with the lampposts (a narrower one can be safe if built a little higher; it worked fine for decades) and put back the four lanes NOW or we are DOOMED. Waste of money? Yep. Shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Everybody warned that it would be a disaster. Aronsohn pushed it through. He’d be even more thrilled if it were replaced–more construction contracts. Nevertheless, gotta happen, and if they wait until the construction is in high gear it will be impossible to close that area for the time needed to fix it. PUH-LEASE, Council, just DO it. Send the bill to Aronsohn and Pucciarelli.
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page
August 9,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Wyckoff NJ, A 4-door BMW sedan crashed through the front wall of a home on Harding Road, Wyckoff early Wednesday afternoon, 08/08, and became completely wedged in a first floor room of the structure. Wyckoff Police, Wyckoff Fire Department, and Wyckoff EMS responded to the scene. A flatbed tow truck winched the vehicle out of the structure and up onto the truck’s tow bed. At least one (1) person was reported to have been injured in the crash; no word from police at the scene as to whether the injured party was an occupant of the vehicle involved, or an occupant of the home. A representative from the Township of Wyckoff’s Building Department was also on scene.
