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Water experts share conservation tips at Ridgewood forum

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Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_Krulish8:54 a.m. ET March 31, 2017

RIDGEWOOD – In preparation for the potential adoption of permanent two-day-per-week water restrictions, the village’s environmental committee hosted a forum on water conservation Wednesday evening.

An ordinance introduced on March 9 would limit use of automatic irrigation systems to twice per week, from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., for residential and commercial properties. Exceptions are made for hand-held hoses and drip irrigation systems.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ridgewood/2017/03/31/water-experts-share-conservation-tips-ridgewood-forum/99821984/

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Cub Scouts Make Food Delivery’s from Ridgewood Train Station Social Services Food bank

ridgewood Train Station food bank

April 1,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Good deeds food delivery to Ridgewood Train Station Social Services Food bank via SUV and two youngsters on Tuesday march 28 2016 615 pm. They were NJ Cub Scouts not sure what PACK NUMBER More came later with moms and dads.

Since 1903, the volunteers of the  Social Service Association of Ridgewood and Vicinity have been dedicated to helping our local communities.  Social Service Association’s mission is to provide food, emergency rent, utility assistance and support services to our neighbors in need. With the goal of being a community resource and family service agency helping to preserve the dignity and stability of the individual. It makes every effort to restore the confidence of the individual and to provide ongoing support for adults and children who are in need. It is our goal to empower individuals in seeking solutions in order to expand their opportunities.

SSA is a not-for-profit, private agency funded primarily through the generous contributions of individuals who live and work in Northern Bergen County.  Additional funding comes from the Unity Way of Bergen County, area businesses, religious and civic organizations as well as local municipalities.

The agency is comprised of 45 volunteer board members who work actively throughout the year.  Approximately 20 associate board members provide additional support.  The Executive Director oversees the administrative functions and provides direct client services to the agency.  The Office Manager provides administrative support and client assistance. Eligibility is determined on a case by case basis.

In 1909, The Relief Society of Ridgewood and Vicinity was organized by a group of church representatives from Ridgewood and neighboring communities. Their intention was to consolidate their efforts in “support of the public good.” In 1913, the name was changed to Social Service Association of Ridgewood and Vicinity, Inc. Since then, SSA has served thousands of families and individuals in the area and has continued to meet the needs of a growing client population. In 1988, SSA moved to its’ current location in the former baggage quarters of the Ridgewood Railroad Station.

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LAX: Championship rematch: No. 7 Summit and No. 1 Ridgewood to face off Saturday after memorable T of C final

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file photo

By Evan Slavit | For NJ Advance
on March 31, 2017 4:12 PM, updated March 31, 2017 6:53 PM

Last year’s Tournament of Champions final was as good as it gets.

Both Summit, No 7 in the NJ.com Top 20, and No. 1 Ridgewood had improbable comebacks late in the game, and it took to double overtime to decide a winner after the two New Jersey powers battled to a one-goal game earlier in the season.

Summit ultimately prevailed by an 11-10 score, winning its first Tournament of Champions title and keeping Ridgewood from winning its third and first since 2011, thanks to a three-goal comeback late in the second half. Ridgewood’s heroics was a goal from Lillie Kloak, who tied the game with 18 seconds left after Summit took the lead in the final few minutes.

Now, with the rain unlikely to postpone Saturday’s noon contest, the two are set up for another classic.

It’s not exactly the same cast of characters, with Summit losing one of the more talented senior classes that included NJ.com Player of the Year Sara Syznal, as well as Catherine Cordrey, Julia Persche, Callie Humphrey, Maggie Moriarty and Teia Ross.

There’ll still be plenty of firepower on both sides, though.

https://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-8704601164900982147/championship-rematch-no-6-summit-and-no-1-ridgewood-face-off-after-a-memorable-toc-final/

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Ridgewood Police Announce Distracted Driving Enforcement and Education Campaign

ridgewood police

file photo by Boyd Loving

UDrive. UText. UPay.
April 1 – April 21, 2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police will be cracking down on distracted drivers during April as part of New Jersey’s UDrive. UText. UPay. enforcement campaign.

Beginning April 1 and running through April 21, the high visibility law enforcement initiative will target motorists who engage in dangerous distracted driving behaviors such as talking on hand-held cell phones and sending text messages while driving.

“Distracted driving is a serious issue on our roadways,” said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2014 alone, 3,179 people were killed in distracted driving crashes and an estimated 431,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.”

Despite the fact that using a hand held cell phone or texting while driving is illegal in New Jersey, the practice appears to be widespread. In a recent survey conducted by the FDU PublicMind Poll for the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, 67% of respondents said they “very often” see people driving and talking on a hand held cell phone. 42% of respondents said they “very often” see driver’s texting.

The campaign is being carried out during the month of April, which the National Safety Council has designated as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The New Jersey campaign is modeled after similar successful high visibility enforcement programs such as Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

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Smoking Vehicle Backs Up Traffic Westbound on Ridgewood Ave

Ridgewood Fire department Smoking Vehicle

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

April 1,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A smoking vehicle that was involved in a rear end crash on East Ridgewood Avenue near Kenilworth Road resulted in the precautionary dispatch of Ridgewood FD units on Friday afternoon, 03/31. Steam leaking from a smashed radiator was determined to be the actual culprit and FD units packed up and returned to their headquarters right after disconnecting the vehicle’s battery. Ridgewood PD issued one (1) summons in connection with the crash and a flatbed tow truck removed the wrecked vehicle from the roadway. Traffic on westbound East Ridgewood Avenue was detoured for about 30 minutes due to the crash. No injuries were reported in the incident.

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RIDGEWOOD PARKING TICKET EMAIL SCAM ALERT

parking_ticket_Ridgewood_theridgewoodblog
nope not this guy!
April 1,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood police say scammers are sending out emails to motorists claiming they’ve received a bogus parking ticket.�Fraudsters are using this sample of an email below:

28-182 – Loading zones and handicapped parking Required to appear in court�Parking ticket number information: PDN7319091 Check parking fine
To pay your parking fine, download your fine and choose one of 2 convenient ways: 1. Online (Link)�Pay online by Visa or Mastercard, $2 processing fee.�2. By phone (automated system) Pay by Visa or Mastercard at (866)561-9742
Best regards,�Police Department.�Parking Citation Revenue The criterion appropriateness is $68. Some ($17.50 championing m abuses , and $12.50 championing unlisted violations) goes to agreement and county costs and the butt end ($45.50) goes to the city\’s accustomed function to recompense championing animated town aids, adding policemen and pom-pom. There are additional parceling elsewhere championing fix-it awards and incapacitated parking violations.Late costs typically artifact the charge of a parking ticket. To disposition alone abeyant disciplining, we committed to get your expenditure within 21 days of the day- after-day the appropriateness was issued, or 14 days from the day-after-day of the first overdue notice.

The Ridgewood Police Department would like to remind the public that at no time would we or the Parking Enforcement Unit issue a summons or make notifications through email.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Ridgewood Police Department to ensure you’re not becoming a victim of these scams.  Call (201) 652-3900

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Ridgewood Fire Department battled a 3-alarm house fire on Van Emburgh Avenue Thursday Evening

Ridgewood Fire Department battled a 3-alarm house fire on Van Emburgh Ave

photos courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook

March 31,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood FD personnel battled a 3-alarm house fire on Van Emburgh Avenue early Thursday evening, 03/30. The fire reportedly started in wood burning stove’s vent pipe. No injuries were reported and damage to the home appeared to have been light to moderate. Firefighters from Glen Rock and Waldwick assisted Ridgewood FD at the scene. A portion of Van Emburgh Avenue remained closed for an extended period while emergency responders worked.

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FINE PRINT: LONG-SOUGHT COMPROMISE WILL INCREASE NJ PROPERTY-TAX TRANSPARENCY

Ridgewood_Real_estate_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

JOHN REITMEYER | MARCH 31, 2017

An investigation originally undertaken by NJ Spotlight pays off as new property tax data will be posted on state’s governmental services website

What is going on: High property taxes have long been a top complaint of New Jersey homeowners, and a new law enacted by Gov. Chris Christie earlier this month following a compromise with lawmakers aims to help residents gain a better understanding of how their bills come together — and how state property-tax relief programs may help to offset them.

Thanks to the compromise, information about the state’s most popular property-tax relief program, as well as others, will be added to the comparative property-tax figures that are published each year on the website of the state Division of Local Government Services.

How we got here: The origins of the bill that was signed into law by Christie following an initial conditional veto go back to 2014, when lawmakers grew upset that Christie’s administration decided to remove a column from the DLGS website that depicted “average net-property taxes” being paid by homeowners in every town in New Jersey. The change was made as Christie, a second-term Republican, was preparing to run for president, and as he faced criticism for not doing enough to combat the property-tax burden, especially for low-income homeowners and seniors and the disabled.

Lawmakers took action after NJ Spotlight first reported on the change. Earlier reporting also tracked increases in average net-property taxes that occurred during Christie’s tenure.

The issue with average net property taxes: The state for years had calculated average net-property taxes by subtracting the average property-tax rebate provided through the state’s popular Homestead benefit program from the average property-tax bill that was paid on an annual basis by homeowners in every town. The information was released for each year on the DLGS website along with reams of other data, including detailed tax rates and property valuations broken down by county and town.

But Christie’s administration argued that the average net-property tax category was based on faulty math, since not every homeowner in every community qualifies for the Homestead benefit, which was converted from a rebate into a direct credit on property taxes shortly after Christie took office in 2010. The net property-tax bill was also determined using the average property-tax bill for all homeowners in a given town, and not using an “apples-to-apples” comparison of just the average property taxes paid by recipients of the Homestead program.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/03/30/fine-print-long-sought-compromise-will-increase-nj-property-tax-transparency/

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Ask Away: Why Are New Jersey Property Taxes So High?

ridgewood real-estate

3-30-17

By Michael Aron
Chief Political Correspondent

New Jersey is famous for saddling its homeowners with high tax bills. That prompted Paul Waters from Brigantine to ask, “Why are New Jersey property taxes some of the highest in the nation?”

There is not one answer.

Most obvious is that New Jersey has 565 municipalities, down from 567 — that’s 565 mayors, councils, town governments.

New Jersey also has more than 600 school districts, 586 of which are operational, each with its own superintendent and administrative structure.

Then there are the 21 county governments and their bureaucracies.

Public worker salaries and benefits are relatively high in New Jersey thanks to aggressive public sector unions.

Throw in the generally high cost of goods and services in the New York-Philadelphia region and you begin to see why our property taxes have been the highest in the nation for years.

https://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/ask-away-new-jersey-property-taxes-high/

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Register Early and Save 2017 Graydon Pool membership begins on this Saturday, April 1

graydon-pool-kiddie-area-june-16-2011-www-preservegraydon-org
March 31,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Early registration for 2017 Graydon Pool membership begins on this Saturday, April 1, with a discount offered to Ridgewood residents who register during April.

Placemats for children to color can be found now at The Daily Treat, The Country Pancake House, Renato’s, Baumgart’s, and elsewhere. They were designed by Councilman Ramon Hache!

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Purchase Graydon Pool memberships beginning April 1st.
SAVE – Residents can enjoy a 10% discount on adult and child badges through April 30th.
Visa/MasterCard accepted.

CONTACTS
Pool Manager’s Office – 201-670-5500, ext 7002 (in season)
Badge Office – 201-670-5500, ext 7003 (in season only)
Recreation Office at The Stable- 201-670-5560
[email protected]

Parks, open space, facilities, year round recreational activities to meet the needs of all residents. All Village parks and recreational facilities are now smoke free.GRAYDON MEMBERSHIP RATES – On sale beginning April 1st

RESIDENT GRAYDON POOL MEMBERSHIPS
Village priced memberships are available to Ridgewood residents, non-residents who pay local property taxes to the Village of Ridgewood, and employees of the Village of Ridgewood and Board of Education.  Proof is required.
ADULT – $120.00     Purchase between April 1 and April 30 and save 10%
CHILD – (ages 2-15, under 2 free) $110.00     Purchase between April 1 and April 30 and save 10%
SENIOR – $30.00 (62 and older)
PERMANENT DISABLED – $30.00
LATE SEASON ADULT MEMBERSHIP – $60.00  (available August 1st)
LATE SEASON CHILD MEMBERSHIP – $55.00 (available August 1st)
DAILY PASS – $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00

NON-RESIDENT GRAYDON POOL MEMBERSHIPS
The Village Council and the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to invite all families in the surrounding area to join the Graydon Pool facility for the 2017 summer season.
ADULT (ages 16 and up) – $200.00
CHILD (ages 2-15) – $175.00
GUEST PASSES (must be accompanied by 2017 season member)- $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00

TENNIS BADGES
RESIDENT ADULT – $35.00
RESIDENT CHILD – $30.00
NON-RESIDENT ADULT – $45.00
NON-RESIDENT CHILD – $40.00
DAILY PASS – $5.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00

Tennis Rules/Regulations and Badge Memberships

Purchase all badges from the comfort of home via CommunityPass (Visa and Mastercard accepted).  In person assistance is available daily at the Graydon Badge Office, on site at the pool facility.  Hours vary by season dates.

GRAYDON POOL AMENITIES

Pool features include a shaded playground, water play fountains, shade kites, Adirondack chairs, a picnic area with charcoal grills, a sheltered pavilion, and the Water’s Edge Cafe.  Additional amenities include volleyball, basketball, ping-pong, shuffleboard, four-squares, hop-scotch, backgammon, a lending library and for the little ones, “Storytime” under the Graydon pavilion.

SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Applications are being sought for the many summer positions available with the Parks and Recreation Department including Day Camp Administrators, Day Camp Counselors, Graydon Pool Lifeguards, Security Attendants, and Badge Sale Attendants. Concession Attendant applications will be shared with the Water’s Edge vendor. NOTE: Day Camp staff attendance is mandatory for the full six week program, June 26 to August 4, 2017.
Applications will be considered for experience, interests, and accomplishments.

Mail completed applications to The Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.
2017 Seasonal Employment Application
2017 Waterfront Lifeguard Employment Application for Graydon Pool

WATERFRONT LIFEGUARD TRAINING – NEW AND RECERT

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Waterfront lifeguard training for a sand-bottom facility will be offered at Graydon Pool – both new and bridge/recertification classes available.  Registration form/details in the link below:

Waterfront Lifeguard Training – New and Recertification/Bridging 2017

Register online via CommunityPass (under Graydon Pool) or in person/by mail to the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood NJ  07450 beginning April 1st.

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Ridgewood deals with aftermath of parking changes

parking_theridgewoodblog

Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_Krulish6:45 p.m. ET March 30, 2017

RIDGEWOOD — After months of discussion and comments from the public regarding two ordinances that restricted parking on certain residential streets, the Village Council will have ordinances prepared at next month’s public meeting to ease some of those limitations.

One ordinance, adopted in June, banned parking on Pomander Walk from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. . Another disallowed parking from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Sept. 1 through June 30, on Bogert Avenue and Cambridge Road 500 feet from their intersections with East Glen Avenue. Those were passed in December and took effect in January. In both cases, safety concerns for pedestrians and residents in the area were the main driver of the changes.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ridgewood/2017/03/30/ridgewood-deals-aftermath-parking-changes/99788794/

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911 Call Leads to Unconscious Male Found at South Maple in Ridgewood

ridgewood police Unconscious Male

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

March 31,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A 911 telephone caller that reported observing an adult male laying unconscious behind a group of bushes on South Maple Avenue near Walton Street, Ridgewood resulted in an immediate response from Ridgewood PD, FD, and EMS personnel on Thursday afternoon, 03/30. The first arriving Ridgewood PD officers determined that the individual was conscious and breathing, but highly intoxicated. He was transported by ambulance to Bergen Regional Medical Center for treatment as per requirements of the NJ State Alcohol Treatment and Rehabilitation Act.

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Ridgewood Train Station : Green Space ?

Ridgewood Train station green space

photo by Charles Bozian

March 31,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,  Charles Bozian  asks ,”This is the “green” space everyone is getting hot and bothered about, the grass around the cement path….. really???”

RIDGEWOOD TRAFFIC ALERT theridgewoodblog.net 300x2251

funny how no one ever said a thing about the portopoty that was station at the train station for over 3 months ?

 

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Two Head for Valley Hospital after Thursday Morning Crash at the Intersection of East Glen and North Maple Avenues

Ridgewood Police  Morning Crash

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

March 31,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A two (2) vehicle crash at the intersection of East Glen and North Maple Avenues in Ridgewood resulted in ambulance transport to The Valley Hospital for two (2) victims on Thursday morning, 03/30. Ridgewood PD, FD, and EMS responded to the incident. Both vehicles were heavily damaged and removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck.

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AirBnb: Protect Home Sharing in New Jersey

AirBnb

By Josh Meltzer • 03/29/17 3:15pm

Fresh off of their victory in the Battle of Trenton, the Continental Army led by George Washington, encamped in Morristown for the winter of 1780. For the months that the army rested, a widow named Theodosia Ford opened up her home to General Washington, his family and his aides, who used her home as military headquarters until the war could resume.

Mrs. Ford’s decision to share her home was not unusual at the time. In fact, from the time of the Revolution and the growth of summer vacation rentals on the Jersey Shore in the 20th century to Portuguese immigrants helping one another find a home and build a community in 21st century Newark, home sharing has a long and storied history in the Garden State.

https://observer.com/2017/03/protect-home-sharing-new-jersey-airbnb/