Those supporting it on Facebook probably are surprised that there are few coming forward against it. I am not gong to argue with anyone on Facebook and I am voting NO.
I admire Martin Walker for clearly articulating his views on issues. I agree with him 100% about full day K. I just can’t be bothered arguing with neighbors about this. There is a middle school teacher posting about this all the time. How would you like to go on record against full day K and then get her for a teacher?
JOB POSTING – HR PROFESSIONAL P/T
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD is seeking an individual to fill the Civil Service position of P/T Assistant Personnel Technician. The Professional will assist in reviewing and making recommendations for establishment and improvement of HR policies, procedures and practices; must have exp. as HR professional in public sector as well as knowledge of Civil Service; a SPHR or PHR certification is pref’d. Send detailed cover letter and resume to: Heather Mailander, Acting Village Manager, Village of Ridgewood, 131 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450. Application deadline: 11/14/16. Village of Ridgewood is EOE.
JOB POSTING – ASSISTANT WATER SUPERINTENT
The Village of Ridgewood is seeking an Assistant Water Superintendent for the Water Distribution Facility. Qualified individual must minimally have current NJDEP W-2, and the ability to advance to W-3 or higher licenses in the future. Strong leadership skills required, as well as at least 5 years’ experience in water distribution maintenance, repair, upkeep, and operation, and at least 2 years’ supervisory experience. Please send resume and salary requirements to Sharyn Matthews, HR Director, 131 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450 [email protected]
JOB POSTING – ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Administrative Assistant to Director of Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch, located in Ridgewood, NJ. Perform fiscal responsibilities including payroll, purchasing, processing invoices, bank statement reconciliation, and budgeting. Experience with QuickBooks preferred. Provides clerical and administrative support including preparing mailings, entering data, preparing routine documents, correspondence, spreadsheets, and reports, creating and maintaining personnel files, maintaining office supply inventory. Must possess excellent communication skills (both verbally and in writing), strong interpersonal skills, maintain confidentiality, be well organized, and able to handle several projects simultaneously. Thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel required, as well as excellent keyboarding skills. Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch is EOE. Send resume and cover letter, to Heather Mailander, Acting Village Manager, Village of Ridgewood, 131 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450 by 11/10/16.
JOB POSTING – DISPATCH CENTER DIRECTOR
The Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch in Ridgewood, NJ, is searching for a Dispatch Center Director. Manage operations and administration of the communications center serving Ridgewood and Glen Rock, as well as other public safety jurisdictions.
Responsible for employee hiring, training, evaluation and disciplinary issues. Oversees all operational features of the Dispatch Center, including maintenance of equipment and records; develops and oversees center’s annual budget.
Minimum of a B.S. in Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Electronic Engineering, or other related field. 2 years prior experience in public safety dispatching, valid CPR cert., Emergency Medical Dispatcher Cert. and Basic Telecommunicator Cert. required. Previous supervisory experience required.
Ridgewood and Glen Rock are both EOE Employers
Send cover letter and resume, including salary requirements to:
Heather Mailander, Acting Village Manager/Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07451
file photo by Boyd Loving
Planning and accident prevention are not brain surgery, yet we just can’t do it. Here’s hoping you will approach the council, BOE, Parks-Rec-Conservation Board, Streets Dept head, and anyone else who can control this before winter sets in and it becomes increasingly difficult for tree work to be done. They can always find money for their pet projects. For my increasing number of tax dollars I’d much rather have had an arborist identify potential problems and have the town pay to deal with it, even if it involved bringing in temporary workers, than lighting up Van Neste, say. Do we always have to wait until someone is hurt? Or a BMW?
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MLS # 1630837 4 W Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, House Rose Hueneke, Broker Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1642968 255 N Walnut St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Ranch Janis Fuhrman, Sales Associate Terrie O’Connor Realtors-Ridgewood
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MLS # 1621787 379 S Pleasant Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, C/C Jee E. Chang, Sales Associate Weichert Realtors, Fort Lee
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MLS # 1634331 640 Linwood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Theresa Jung, Sales Associate Realty 7, LLC
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MLS # 1626209 4 W Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Rose Hueneke, Broker Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1641999 645 Witthill Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Christine Gubb, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1614612 676 Terhune Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, Ranch Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1643207 313 Woodside Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Margaret A. Marino, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1641284 355 Crest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 2 Half Bath, Col Jennifer Springer, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1636404 344 Grandview Cir, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Megan Zangrilli, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1620561 309 Beechwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Linda Aktar, Broker Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1643140 109 Heights Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 6 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 2 Half Bath, Col Pam Christian, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1630138 143 Kenilworth Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Angele Ekert, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1639285 650 Wall St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, Col Anne C. Ryoo, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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October 30,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the big local question for Ridgewood voters on November 8th will be to expand to a full-day kindergarten .
Detractors of the idea feel it’s nothing more than socialized babysitting at taxpayers expense , with little or no long-term benefit for students ,particularly in a town like Ridgewood where there are so many activities for young people and what many perceive as a need for more family time .
Proponents feel the current half day Kindergarten is more like a 1/4 of a day , and it is far too short to accomplish much of anything and even the proposed full-day kindergarten is still a short day leaving plenty of time for family activities . Proponents also feel a change in the current inconvenient hours
The reality seems to be somewhere in the middle ,with a change in current inconvenient hours lessening the financial pressure on families , balanced by a healthy skepticism over the idea of children spending far too much time with one point of view and not nurturing them with a diversity of experiences .
Funny because a neighbor to habernickel has emailed over and over again about a dead tree that needs to be removed before someone is seriously hurt and the date she was given was 12/27. Crazy yet our children play fall ball there and marroons soccer. But 12/27 is acceptable???
Yet the village managed to add commercial lighting to the parking lot within a month of a private non profit sharing business start date to allow this business to hold late night restaurant style living but cannot remove a dead tree that may injure a child until 4 months after tha fact. Crazy!!! Why can an excess of village tax payers dollars be used to assist a private business , but cannot be allocated until December to remove a tree that could seriously hurt someone?
October 30,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Emergency Services Volunteers will be out in the Village starting at 530 PM on Halloween distributing 600 Glow Sticks to Village Ghosts and Goblins.
file photo by Boyd Loving
The bike lane benefits few. There are a handful of hardy souls who bike to the train. No one is biking to town to shop or for dinner. When do you see kids bike into town? I doubt the bike path is for them and I would not want to see teens trying to navigate the mean streets of Ridgewood.
A bike lane through the town is a crazy pipe dream. If anything a bike lane should skirt the town not go through it.
Downtown Ridgewood is a dangerous place for pedestrians. Add in bike lanes and you have a recipe for disaster.
Hello to all,
Melanie McWilliams
October 28,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, It’s that time of year again when beleaguered parents constantly remind disobedient children that it’s more important than ever to do the right thing.
Otherwise, they could end up on Santa’s notorious naughty list – the one specially reserved for kids who fight with siblings, refuse to do their homework, throw temper tantrums and don’t eat their vegetables.
While banishment to the naughty list has long been a handy tool in the disciplinary arsenal, any responsible parent wants their children to be good the rest of the year, too, when the threat of empty stockings holds less sway over those impressionable minds.
“I suspect most children deep down want to do the right thing, but they struggle with temptation,” says K.J. Hales, author of It’s Hard to Be Good, the first volume in the Ellie the Wienerdog (www.elliethewienerdog.com) series of educational picture books for children.
“A lot of it comes down to self-control – being able to control both your emotions and your actions when things don’t go your way or you don’t get what you want.”
Hales, who creates teachers’ guides and educational activities to go along with the lessons in her books, says the earlier parents start teaching children to do the right thing, the better.
She says some of the ways they can reinforce good behavior and discourage bad behavior include:
• Be generous with praise. Don’t underestimate the importance of your words. It’s easy to notice when children do the wrong thing and to chastise them about it. But take note when they do the right thing, too, and praise their good choices or good behavior. “Everyone loves words of approval and children will want to please you as a result,” Hales says.
• Make good choices a fun activity. One way to encourage good decisions could be to set aside one week in which each day you ask your children to write or draw about a good decision they made or they saw someone else make. Hales says this is an activity she suggests for classroom teachers, but it can work in the home as well. Be sure to discuss those good decisions with the children.
• Reward them. Discipline so often focuses on punishments for bad behavior, but children should also be rewarded for good behavior. This doesn’t have to be anything elaborate or expensive. A reward could be a picnic in the park or a favorite dessert after dinner.
“I’m sure every parent wants their child to gain independence, grow emotionally and learn to make good decisions about their own behavior,” Hales says. “And this is important 365 days a year, not just in the weeks before Santa Claus comes to town.”
About K.J. Hales
K.J. Hales (www.ellietheweinerdog.com) is author of the Ellie the Wienerdog series of educational children’s books for children. The first volume in the series is It’s Hard to Be Good. The Ellie character is based on Hales’ own dachshund also named Ellie.
In addition to the four semifinalists, 25 students have been identified as Commended Students in the most recent competition.
Readers say , “No one missed Rurik. No one. And we had plenty of insanity without him being there. Chris Rutishauser (he of the ghetto palms) and Jeanne Johnson (she of the ridiculous bike lanes) provided ample idiocy for one evening.
The dynamic duo of Chris and Jeanne should take their show on the road showing people how to accomplish nothing while antagonizing everyone. Also, the Bike Lane To No Where is hazardous to bikers as well as drivers. In stead of calming traffic, it makes us all annoyed and irritated!
Miss Jeanne actually said that the bike lanes would only be for experienced bikers (ie dangerous). Oh hell yes, this makes sense. Let’s put bike lanes that are dangerous for all but the most experienced bikers. Ummmm what happens when an inexperienced driver comes alongside an experienced biker. This whole thing is a disaster waiting to happen. Thank God it probably will not happen.
Jeanne Johnson was out of control ridiculous. And Rutishauser too. Who the hell do they think they are trying to pressure the council to sign off on a grant application when they have not seen the plans. Memo to Ruishauser: Aronsohn and Sonenfeld sent out grant applications that were filled with lies. This council does not play that way.”
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page
October 28,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A voluminous spill of hydraulic fluid at 205 East Glen Avenue, Ridgewood (Village of Ridgewood Recycling Center) required the response of trained personnel from Ridgewood FD and the Bergen County Department of Health Services Hazmat team on Thursday afternoon, 10/27. No injuries were reported in the mishap. Ridgewood PD also responded.
October 27,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Each year, parents send their sons and daughters off to college with high hopes that in four years – give or take – they will earn a degree and embark on successful careers.
But while moms and dads may fret most about grades and study habits, they can give their offspring a real boost if they also insist the students carry some of the financial burden for college, says Matt Stewart, an entrepreneur and co-founder of College Works Painting (www.collegeworks.com/about), an internship program that provides practical business experience for college students.
That means getting a job – either during the school year or over the summer break, or both.
“College students are much more invested in the experience if they have to help pay for college, rather than have mom and dad take care of everything for them,” Stewart says. “There’s a natural tendency to work a little harder on classwork when at least a part of the tuition or dorm room costs come out of your own pocket.”
But beyond that personal-responsibility aspect, it’s worth noting that businesses are seeking job candidates with real-world work experience.
“Those on-the-job lessons are invaluable,” Stewart says.
For example, interns with College Works Painting operate their own house-painting business with hands-on guidance from mentors.
The benefits for students of working their way through college include:
• A regular paycheck. The rising cost of higher education has put paying the full price of college out of reach for many parents, and scholarships and grants often provide only a small percentage of the costs. The more students can pay themselves, the lower their student-loan debt will be when they enter the workforce.
• Practical experience. Nothing prepares you for work like work, Stewart says. A classroom can train students on certain skills necessary for their career choice, but on-the-job experience is just as valuable. Even if a part-time job is unrelated to career aspirations, a student might learn such skills as collaboration, time management and customer relations.
• Resume enhancement. One of the weaknesses recent college graduates sometimes have is their resumes can be skimpy. A few summer jobs can help tremendously, Stewart says, giving managers who might consider hiring you more confidence that you have experience beyond listening to professorial lectures and cramming for final exams.
• Additional references. Hiring managers want to talk with people who know your work habits, and while it’s nice that a favorite professor or a high school football coach is willing to say good things, it’s even better to have references who can discuss relevant job skills.
“Having any job can be beneficial, but if you can you should try to land an especially challenging job or internship,” Stewart says. “When you graduate, you’re going to face stiff competition in the job market. The more you’ve been able to stretch yourself past your comfort zone and develop new skills, the greater the odds are that you’ll be the one picked out of all the applications that come pouring in.”
About Matt Stewart
Matt Stewart is co-founder of College Works Painting (www.collegeworks.com/about), which provides business experience for thousands of college students each year. The award-winning program also offers high-quality house-painting services for homeowners.
photos by Boyd Loving
October 27,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Wednesday night’s Village Council Meeting led off with a moment of silence in honor of the missing Rurik Halaby . Mo, Larry and Curly a Peter,Paul and Mary cover band sang , “I am leaving on a jet plane”. Women wore black and wept openly during the pledge .
Now a brief rundown of last night’s council meeting. Congratulations to Ramon Hache on the birth of his son on October 15th.
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League of Women Voters President Anne Walsh read a resolution on the Pilgrim Pipeline which stated its negative effects if built on our environment, infrastructure and water.
Later in the evening after comments from Rich Calbi and council members ,it was approved 4 – 0 with councilwomen Walsh recusing herself.
Resident Martin Walker came to the mic in support of the TAP grant which needs to be submitted by November 10th. A discussion on TAP occurred later in the evening.
A presentation from Uber was next. The two women representatives came to the table and discussed a public/ private partnership opportunity for Ridgewood. They were quite professional and friendly. They referenced their relationship with Summit, New Jersey which from all accounts is working well. A pilot program could be introduced rather quickly if they got council approval. Ramon Hache commented that the use of Uber was essentially like building a virtual garage. Estimated arrival times from when the call is first made averages around 5 minutes.There are background checks on all approved drivers and their cars must also pass muster. Uber carries commercial insurance of 1.5 million dollars on every drive which is higher than what is standard for licensed taxis. The council appeared positive in their responses and will be considered after additional information is gathered.
Next was the discussion of the TAP ( Transportation Alternative Program). The dynamic duo if Chris Rutishauser and Jeanne Johnson made a presentation and it became clear that in the last two weeks the council never received copies of the grant or background information that they had requested in order to make a decision. There was no explanation of why this happened. While everyone agreed that pedestrian safety is a top priority, no decision could be made without the requested materials.The mayor asked if they could have it on Thursday but Chris said he was busy with a trial and therefore Friday or Monday would be the earliest he could send it .
Later in the evening,Boyd Loving commented on the absurdity of a paid employee of the village not fulfilling his duties and seemingly getting away with it.
Richard Calbi of the Water Department was on board to speak of the drought conditions in New Jersey due to a long hot summer, little rain and overuse by consumers for lawn and shrub watering/ irrigation. New Jersey relies on winter rain to recover. We will stay in stage 2 water restrictions indefinitely and will looking at additional water conservation methods to introduce to our residents through forums, entices and other forms of communication. A discussion ensued as to whether Ridgewood should privatize the water utility in total, in parts or not at all. I believe Richard Calbi’s preference would be to retain ownership as it is a huge asset and we would have local control which has served us well for the most part. November 1st , is also the water trial begins which is the law suit filed by Glen Rock, Wyckoff and Midland Park against Ridgewood for years of overcharging.
In a discussion amongst council members, two great ideas came up and seemingly got full support from the 5. One was the possible hiring of a grant writer and Mike Sedon’s suggestion that they take a second look at a town garage proposal on the Hudson Street site which actually fit the footprint keeping sidewalks and on street parking. Mike had all the information and will make a presentation at Ramon Hache’s CB meeting next week.So far there has been no hard decision on the parking garage ,just more studies and information gathering.
