HUDSON STREET PARKING GARAGE UPDATE Important Message from Mayor Susan Knudsen
February 20,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, there will be a SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING – FEBRUARY 21 – 7PM: Village Council will be interviewing the four companies who responded to the RFP for the Hudson Street Parking Garage on February 21, 2018, beginning at 7:00 pm in the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room on the fourth floor of Village Hall. The meeting will be televised on Cablevision 77, Verizon 34, and YouTube livestream.
Each company will summarize their proposals and will present their concept plan(s).
Last fall the Village Council and Village Planning Board identified the Hudson Street Parking Lot as an Area in Need of Redevelopment. A resolution was adopted unanimously by on October 11, 2017. Doing this placed the Village in the best possible negotiating position allowing for direct negotiations with potential garage developers to achieve the best possible outcome on behalf of Ridgewood taxpayers.
Financial Analysis and Parking Allocation studies are expected before February 28 and the results will be discussed during the February 28th Work Session meeting.
I hope you will join us at Wednesday’s (2/21) meeting to learn more about the various proposals, designs, and build cost. Council members will have an opportunity to ask questions during each of the four presentations. Two Public comment periods are scheduled, one at the beginning and one at the end of the meeting. Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment at this time.
The process has been open and transparent every step of the way.
Ridgewood NJ, So what exactly did the Zabriskie-Schedler House actually look like? Like this! Thought that might help the discussion. And best part is it’s all still right there. This is from a photo taken yesterday. the early and mid-20th C. additions have been stripped away — porches, dormer etc., to reveal the original structure. Chimneys “repaired”. Cedar shake siding that was likely done in the ’30’s removed to reveal the clapboard, corner boards and water board still almost certainly underneath. What you see is a classic farmhouse in the Federal style, popular between 1780-1830 or so. But built in the Dutch manner. in that regard very different from the dutch stone houses of the area. Federal style was typified by a simple clean approach, with broad, plain surfaces and “attenuated” detail — modest and clean. All reflecting the mood of the early republic. So modest details, minimal facia/soffits and overhang, and simple entry with plain transom. But that’s not to say this was a house of modest means! At a time when most houses in the area were a single story with a garret up above, a full second story would have been for someone of affluence. The simplicity is more a reflection of the style of the day. Historian @peggynorris in her great foundational work on this house shows that Mr. Zabriskie bought the land from the church in 1825, and that’s exactly when I would have placed this based on physical evidence. I suspect he began construction that year. But there’s a puzzle! we know the tree is about 230 years old — there since the republic’s founding in 1787! But that’s 35 years before the house. The architects who surveyed the property noted that the smaller wing may actually be earlier. I agree, and think the tree’s age, and this cleaned up image support that view. Simple, one-room houses were common for area tenant farmers. I think the wing is late 18th C., pre-dates the main house (and even Mr. Zabriskie’s ownership) and possibly as old as the tree. To the right there’s a fenced-in corn field across The West Saddle River Rd., and a period hay barrack back in the North Field. There are two liberties taken here: the Tree is it’s present size tho of course it should be much smaller. and the well and well-sweep are in the front year when in fact the remains of the well are in the same approx. position but behind the house. But here’s the thing — this is all present today. Relatively simple to return this house to it’s period correct appearance. I know cause I’ve done it myself.
Ridgewood NJ,Separated at Birth? Well, actually, yeah. The Zabriskie-Schedler House is a text-book example of the inspiration behind one of the most enduring American Vernacular Architectural styles, born right here in Bergen County — The Dutch Colonial. An example that needs to be preserved so we can tell this story and all the others that go with it. Right now you’re looking at the house on the left, and saying, “I know that house. I think it’s on Spring….or maybe Pleasant, or was it up on Monroe? Trust me, folks in just about every town in the United States would say the same thing. The “Dutch Colonial” became an iconic style as part of the “Colonial Revival” that swept the country from the centennial well in to the 1930’s, when most of these were built, and endures even today. Most of us know the Dutch “stone” houses that dot the region. But it’s actually the frame examples like Zabriskie-Schedler that provided the true inspiration. And because they were not made of stone, far fewer endure today. The style is our gift to the nation; the Zabriskie-Schedler a monument to that style that needs to be preserved for the future
Curtain Up Studios registration is currently open for our Spring production of The Addam’s Family Musical.
Open to kids ages 8-16
Rehearsals will be in Glen Rock
Please visit www.curtainupstudios.com or send an e-mail for more information to [email protected]
Diana Roth-Fili and Paula Hegyi have both been successfully directing school musicals together since 2010. In addition to school productions, they run children’s theatre summer camps & workshops, and a touring Youth Performance group. Paula & Diana also direct main stage community theatre productions which include adults as well as children with full piece orchestras.
Curtain Up Studios’ mission has always been to introduce and nurture the love of theatre arts to our students. Although we hold high standards for our productions, what we value most is that the children have a fun, positive and educational experience. Whether the student participates on stage, or behind the scenes, we consider this a team effort. Each part and position is vitally important to a successful production.
Paula Hegyi; Founder & Artistic Director, is both a Director and Choreographer. She studied acting and dance in Los Angeles for over 15 years. Worked in New York as a Television Producer for 10 years. For the last 7 years she has instructed dance classes at Glen Rock’s Central School Dance program teaching ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap & Broadway styles. Starting in 2010 Paula began collaborating with Diana Roth-Fili on musical productions at an Elementary and Middle School level. Paula also choreographed main stage productions with an adult company at St. Catherine’s of Bologna in Ringwood, NJ. This summer marks their seventh year running musical theatre camp together.
Diana Roth-Fili; Founder & Artistic Director, is both a Director and Musical Director. She is a classically trained pianist and vocalist. Diana has over 30 years of experience as a private voice and piano teacher, and has directed main stage theater productions for community theaters in the tri-state area as well as children’s theatre groups and regional high school productions for over 17 years. Diana has been Director and Musical Director for Glen Rock Central Elementary School’s yearly musical production for the past 7 years. Most recently directed Annie Jr. for St. Elizabeth’s Middle School production in Wyckoff, NJ. Diana continues to direct musical theatre camps and workshops throughout the year with her partner Paula Hegyi.
Ridgewood NJ, West Bergen’s Social Discovery Program is pleased to announce that it is again sponsoring the SOAR Experience, a program for children and teens, ages 6-17, with solid verbal skills who experience the social communication and social skills challenges seen in Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder (formerly known as Asperger’s Syndrome, HFA and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities) and related disorders such as Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder. The SOAR Experience, a therapeutic social skills program in a day camp-like environment, will be held at the Center for Children and Youth, One Cherry Lane in Ramsey. The SOAR Counselor In Training (CIT) Program offers teens and young adults (14-24 years old) with the same diagnostic criteria listed above, vocational training and an opportunity to develop various work and social skills.
This is the tenth summer that West Bergen is able to provide these unique services. The SOAR Experience is a small, nurturing program, specifically designed to help children with social challenges thrive and succeed in a supportive environment.
The Program is held Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The six-week program is from July 9 to August 17, 2018. The three-week programs are from July 9 to July 27 and from July 30 to August 17. Other highlights include: social skills training; weekly themes; field trips and fun filled activities.
Under the direction of West Bergen’s professional staff, participants will expand their skills in a number of important areas including: building relationships; increasing flexibility; resolving conflicts; successful transitions; improving social scanning; decreasing anxiety; experiencing newness and change and coping with sensory issues.
Contact Richard Miller, LPC, NCC, Director of The Social Discovery Program, for additional information at 201.934.1160 x7234 or [email protected].
Free information sessions on the SOAR Experience and the Counselor In Training Program will be held on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 7:00 to 7:40 PM; Thursday, April 19, 6:30 to 7:10 PM and Monday, May 14, 7:00 to 7:40 PM at the Center for Children and Youth, One Cherry Lane, Ramsey, NJ. SOAR Counselor In Training (CIT) Program Information Sessions will be the same dates immediately following the general information sessions for 45 minutes. Reserve a spot by calling (201) 934-1160, Ext. 7200.
Ridgewood NJ, here are some reminders on Village of Ridgewood protocol on snow and ice events :
REMINDER ABOUT GARBAGE PICKUP DURING SNOW AND ICE EVENTS
As a reminder, if it is snowing when you leave your home in the morning or if it is icy, please place your garbage cans at the end of your driveway for collection. The Village will resume rear yard garbage collection as quickly as possible after the snowstorm, but please continue to put your garbage cans at the end of your driveway until you have a clear path to them. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our Village employees safe.
REMINDERS ABOUT SNOW/ICE REMOVAL
All sidewalks in residential districts must be cleared within 24 hours of the snow falling. Please do not place snow into the street; instead, place it back onto your own property. In addition, if you have a fire hydrant on your property, please clear it of any snow accumulation.
Please stop. It was Aronsohn. Everyone knows it was Aronsohn calling Sedon’s employer. Didn’t Knudsen acknowledge it was Aronsohn?
There was no “investigation” because aronsohn wasn’t going to investigate himself. Hauck Puviarelli and sonenfeld were not going to “investigate” aronsohn.. The “investigation” was a sham and a slap in the face to Ridgewood residents.
Not the only election process they interfered with. They have an established pattern of behavior. Petition interference and sonenfeld and aronsohn guilty of ethics violations.
Candidate Harwin is forever linked to Aronsohn and his ilk.
WASHINGTON DC, Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, headlining the annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams for the 2016 filing season, the Internal Revenue Service announced today.
The IRS has seen a surge of these phone scams as scam artists threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other things. The IRS reminds taxpayers to guard against all sorts of con games that arise during any filing season.
“Taxpayers across the nation face a deluge of these aggressive phone scams. Don’t be fooled by callers pretending to be from the IRS in an attempt to steal your money,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “We continue to say if you are surprised to be hearing from us, then you’re not hearing from us.”
“There are many variations. The caller may threaten you with arrest or court action to trick you into making a payment,” Koskinen added. “Some schemes may say you’re entitled to a huge refund. These all add up to trouble. Some simple tips can help protect you.”
The Dirty Dozen is compiled annually by the IRS and lists a variety of common scams taxpayers may encounter any time during the year. Many of these con games peak during filing season as people prepare their tax returns or hire someone to do so.
This January, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) announced they have received reports of roughly 896,000 contacts since October 2013 and have become aware of over 5,000 victims who have collectively paid over $26.5 million as a result of the scam.
“The IRS continues working to warn taxpayers about phone scams and other schemes,” Koskinen said. “We especially want to thank the law-enforcement community, tax professionals, consumer advocates, the states, other government agencies and particularly the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for helping us in this battle against these persistent phone scams.”
Protect Yourself
Scammers make unsolicited calls claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via a phishing email.
Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.
Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.
Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam.
The IRS will never:
Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:
Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” webpage. You can also call 800-366-4484.
Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax:
Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.
Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.
Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.
Mr. Halaby seems to have conveniently forgotten that the dirtiest campaign trick of all was put into play by his side during the 2014 Village Council race –
An unnamed person telephoned Mike Sedon’s employer (the Staten Island Advance), spoke directly to Mr. Sedon’s supervisor, and suggested that the Advance force Mr. Sedon to drop his candidacy for Ridgewood Village Council, or be terminated from his position at the Advance. When told of the telephone call by his supervisor, Mr. Sedon chose to resign from his position rather than to continue working for a company willing to violate a NY State law that prohibits employers from retaliating against an employee’s desire to serve as a public official. The name of the person who called Mr. Sedon’s employer was never publicly revealed, but many of Mr. Halaby’s cohorts know who did it.
Mutual aid is very commendable as an action IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. If it is seen as a permanent backup by another town which regularly cannot send out their own force, that means that the sending town is coming “for free” to do a job that should be done alone by the town requesting aid or with mutual aid if the incident requires more help than the aided town can supply. Mutual aid means “mutual”. It means another town will come to your aid if it’s bigger than you can handle. Mutual aid does not mean that the town that needs aid sends no one from their town to the scene. That type of aid should be paid for, especially when the sending town’s citizens have to pay for the same service.
Ridgewood NJ, the National Weather Service has posted a Winter Storm Watch New York City, Southern Connecticut, Northeast New
Jersey, Long Island, and Rockland as well as Westchester Counties in New York.
…WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING
THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING…
* WHAT…Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 7
inches are possible.
* WHERE…New York City, Southern Connecticut, Northeast New
Jersey, Long Island, and Rockland as well as Westchester
Counties in New York.
* WHEN…From Saturday evening through early Sunday morning.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Plan on difficult travel conditions.
Significant reductions in visibility are possible.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Winter Storm Watch means there is potential for significant
snow, sleet or ice accumulations that may impact travel. Continue
to monitor the latest forecasts.
Dear Parents/Guardians, On February 28th, Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman will be presenting “Developing Grit, Self-Control, and a Positive Mindset: The Keys to Success.” This program will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the George Washington Middle School auditorium. Dr. Baruch-Feldman is the author of The Grit Guide for Teens: A Workbook to Help You Build Perseverance, Self-Control, and a Growth Mindset. She is a clinical and school psychologist who believes in inspiring a growth mindset. Dr. Baruch-Feldman uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help children and adults with depression, anxiety, stress, ADHD, and weight loss. She is an expert in coducting psycho-educational evaluations for children experiencing school-related difficulties and has trained hundreds of teachers, parents, children and health care professionals by giving workshops and lectures through the country.
IRS will Review Christie Executive Order
Feb 15, 2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
WASHINGTON D.C. , U.S. Representatives Leonard Lance (NJ-07) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) hosted a meeting on Capitol Hill Thursday with Acting IRS Commissioner David J. Kautter. The IRS previously issued a ruling stating it would allow the deductibility of 2018 property taxes paid in 2017 only if the property taxes had been assessed in 2017. Lance and Gottheimer urged that the deduction should be expanded to include all 2018 property taxes paid in 2017, regardless of the date of assessment.
“Our meeting was productive. Over $300 million dollars in property tax prepayments were made by my constituents in late 2017 and I will continue to make the case that all 2018 property tax prepayments be fully deductible on 2017 tax returns. These payments were made in good faith and some payments were made before the IRS issued its unfair ruling. I also raised the important issue of comity between federal and state governments. The day the IRS issued its ruling, Governor Christie issued an executive order directing municipalities to accept property tax prepayments for all of 2018. I gave the Commissioner a copy of Governor Christie’s executive order to review,” said Lance, who was the first lawmaker to address the prepayment issue.
“New Jersey needs lower taxes for residents and for businesses of all sizes, especially after Tax Hike Bill gutted the State and Local Tax Deduction. Today, Rep. Leonard Lance and I sent the IRS Commissioner a clear, bipartisan message: don’t change the rules mid-game on New Jersey taxpayers. Allow the full deduction of all 2018 property tax prepayments. While I was encouraged by today’s meeting, I will continue to hold the IRS’s feet to the fire and fight for tax relief for North Jersey,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).
Earlier this year, Lance wrote to Kautter and requested the Agency reconsider IRS Advisory IR-2017-210 issued on December 27, 2017 regarding the tax deductibility of prepaid state and local property taxes. That ruling stated the IRS would allow the deductibility of 2018 property taxes paid in 2017 only if the property taxes had been assessed in 2017. Lance suggested the deduction should be expanded to all 2018 property taxes regardless of the date of assessment and introduced H.R. 4803, which would mandate it. Gottheimer is a cosponsor of H.R. 4803.
President Trump signed the Tax Act into law on December 22, 2017. The law clearly prohibits individuals from deducting the prepayment of future state and local income taxes, but does not mention whether or not the prepayment of state and local property taxes would be deductible. This led many individuals to prepay their entire 2018 property tax liability prior to the issuance of the IRS Advisory, believing that it would be deductible on their 2017 tax returns. Governor Christie issued an executive order on December 27, 2017, mandating that all municipalities in the State accept the prepayment of property taxes for the entirety of 2018. This action caused many more New Jersey residents to prepay their 2018 property tax bill than would otherwise have been the case.
“I will continue to seek either a bipartisan legislative solution or an IRS ruling fixing this problem. I thank Commissioner Kautter for his time and interest. I will continue to press the issue in Congress and with the IRS,” concluded Lance.
Ridgewood NJ, Let us not forget that Ms. Alexandra Harwin, reported to soon be seeking election to the Ridgewood Village Council, is being backed by two (2) individuals (former Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn and former Ridgewood Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld) who have both been fined by the State of NJ in connection with ethics violations related to misuse of public funds.
Furthermore, photographs and witnesses accounts indicate that Ms. Sonenfeld, while serving in her former official capacity of Ridgewood Village Manager, attempted to interfere with the constitutional rights of citizens to assemble in a public place (Van Neste Memorial Park) for purposes of collecting signatures in support of a referendum ballot; a ballot that Ms. Sonenfeld was opposed to.
The Ridgewood Blog suggests Ms. Harwin heed to George Washington’s famous words: “It is better to be alone than in bad company.”
Clearly, Mr. Aronsohn and Ms. Sonenfeld are considered by most Ridgewood taxpayers as being bad company.
