Ridgewood NJ, Emmanuel invites children of all ages to join in a one hour blanket making session on March 12th at 10:30am-11:30am in Heritage Hall as part of the Sunday School Christian Education program. No sewing is required. Children’s scissors are used in making the blankets. Contact the Church Office at 201-444-7300 or via email at [email protected] to sign up.
Leslie Maltz Taylor, a representative from Project Linus, will lead the one hour blanket making session during Sunday school at Emmanuel. Emmanuel will donate the completed blankets to Project Linus, a non-profit organization that provides homemade blankets to children in need.
Women of Emmanuel are supplying the soft plush material for the blanket making project. Marilyn Clark, head of Women of Emmanuel, stated, “We are excited to bring this blanket making session to Emmanuel. With the use of children’s scissors, it is easy to do. Anyone can do it.”
Emmanuel, founded in 1891, is celebrating its 125th Anniversary Year and maintains a tradition of community outreach. Emmanuel is located at 14 Hope Street, at the corner of Hope Street and East Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. The building is ADA accessible and all are invited to attend.
Updated February 18, 2017
Posted February 18, 2017
By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
With the Governor and the entire Legislature on the ballot this election year, New Jerseyans will likely hear numerous politicians promise to reduce their especially high property tax bills.
We pay among the highest property taxes in the nation. Last year, the average homeowner paid $8,500 per home, a 2.35 percent increase over 2015, according to the most recent state calculations.
Both the Christie administration and the Legislature agree the annual increases would have been worse had they not passed a 2 percent spending cap on most local expenses.
As unpleasant as it is to admit, there are several facts about the Garden State that make bringing down property taxes very difficult, according to Marc Pfeiffer, assistant director for the Bloustein Local Government Research Center at Rutgers Center. (He previously helped manage six municipalities in central and north Jersey, then more than a quarter-century at the state office overseeing local government spending.)
“New Jersey has had property tax problem for roughly 140 years. We have been talking about this forever,” Pfeiffer said. “If we could have solved it easily, it would have been done.”
In no particular order, here are 7 reasons why they’re so high.
Glen Rock NJ, We are seeking chorus members and principals ages 16+ for our upcoming musical production of the Gilbert & Sullivan classic, Patience! Whether you are professionally trained or plan to study theatre, OR you just enjoy choral singing for fun, we would love to have you join us! We have all types of singers in our casts. The show is in English, and will be performed both as concerts and as a full-scale production.
Thursday, February 23
7:30-9 p.m.*
Glen Rock Community Church
354 Rock Road
Glen Rock, NJ 07452
Stage Director: Milly Gonzalez
Musical Director: Paul Geidel
*Do not arrive later than 9, but we will hear people longer than 9 p.m. depending on turnout.
Drive to the back of the church, enter through the main door, and the audition room is the first door on the right.
Please prepare at least 32 bars of a song (if not the whole song) that shows off your voice. Singing a song from the show is perfectly acceptable, especially if auditioning for a certain role. An accompanist will be provided.
You may be asked to read from the script. There is no dance audition, though the show will be blocked. Bring a headshot and/or resume if you have them.
Rehearsals will mostly be on Mondays and Thursdays from 7:30-10 p.m in Glen Rock and Ridgewood (both down the street from train stations and bus stops for transportation to NYC). Most parts will be double cast due to our long performance season. Please check our website for our performance schedule and email [email protected] or Facebook message us with any questions.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Guild will be hosting a fund raiser for it’s Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival Oscar watching event.
Come walk the red carpet – Dress as your favorite movie star or movie character [optional] – DJ – Hollywood Trivia – Oscar Ballots – Prizes – Delicious Appetizers & Drinks! $50 Cash Bar or $65 for Open Bar. Join us at this Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival Fund Raiser!!!!
Join us on Friday, February 24 from 7:30 – 11:30pm at park West Loft (38 Oak St.) for an evening of fun on behalf of the Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival.
Imagine you are attending the Academy Awards – Ladies can wear a gown, men can wear a tuxedo (or a nice dress and suit, black tie NOT required). Or, if you’re feeling festive come dressed as a character from an Oscar-nominated movies from this year, or any past year.
There will be a red carpet with an interviewer and photographers. There will be Oscar trivia and gift certificates awarded for best costume and whoever picks the most winners on the Oscar ballot (The Academy Awards are only 48 hrs later).
Hot and cold appetizers will be served, and there will be a pasta station as well. We will also have dessert, coffee, tea and soft drinks.
There are 2 ticket options, $50 (if you opt for a cash bar) or $65 (premium shelf open bar until 10pm).
Tickets can be purchased by sending a check to The Ridgewood Guild, 41 N. Broad Street, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.
Please, come out and support arts in our community. You will get a lot of bang for your buck, and have a fun and memorable night with your friends and neighbors! We hope to see you there!
Ridgewood NJ, recent letter to the editor of the Ridgewood news causes a furor on social media. Initially, the letter suggested among other things that the former “breath of fresh air ” Village manager was fired when in fact she resigned.
The misinformation in the letter was later edited out by the Ridgewood News but not before the damage was done.
The staff of the Ridgewood blog had noticed the letter but felt it was what we call a “put up job” where a local special interest, usually a supporter of the former mayor and his schemes puts up a relative or friend to promote garagezilla and to attack the current council.
The push for garagezilla now being framed as the end all to be all solution in Ridgewood guaranteed to solve all problems in town.
The killer line in the letter for us was,”there are plenty of empty lots in the central business district perfect for a parking garage “.The key words being “empty lots”.
Jacqueline Hone called out the Ridgewood News on Facebook claiming, “RIDGEWOOD FAKE NEWS OUTLET ⁉️ Why didn’t the Ridgewood News fact check? Why would someone write this, lie and stir up faux outrage? “
Even going as far as to post the resignation letter in the comment section, “Below, in comments, our previous Village Manager’s resignation letter. It’s proof our Mayor DID NOT fire her. This letter, Ridgewood News turning into a PR platform…Sad State of Affairs INDEED.”
Which came as a surprise to us after all, with the election Paul Aronsohn both the Ridgewood News and Bergen Record seemed to amount to nothing more than PR for the former mayor and his grandiose plans for the Village of Ridgewood.
Ridgewood NJ, Reader pointed out that the owner, Ridgewood 120, LLC , the owner of the “Town Garage ” is either owned or represented by a Burton Dorfman, ESQ. Coincidentally, he was in the new four days ago.
Rockland lawyer Burton Dorfman gets prison for lying to investigators
Steve Lieberman , [email protected] 2:58 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2017 | Updated 5:04 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2017
Federal judge sentences Rockland attorney Burton Dorfman to six months in prison
A Rockland attorney was sentenced Monday to six months in federal prison for lying to federal Labor Department investigators looking into accusations he stole money from a profit-sharing plan at his former law firm.
Burton Dorfman, once a prominent development and investment lawyer, also must repay the fund $212.429, pay a $25,000 fine and $100 court fee under the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Seibel at the White Plains federal courthouse.
It sure sounds as though it might pay to rent out that extra bedroom.
Airbnb announced that New Jersey’s 6,100 active hosts earned over $50 million dollars in supplemental income in 2016 by welcoming approximately 257,000 visitors to the Garden State. This figure represents a 100 percent year-over-year increase in inbound guest arrivals, according to the company.
The company says a typical host in New Jersey earns $6,200 annually. The typical listing is occupied 44 nights per year and the average length of stay is 4.2 nights.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood PD personnel quickly apprehended an adult male resident of Waldwick who allegedly shoplifted several items from the Stop & Shop Supermarket located at 175 Franklin Avenue, Ridgewood on Friday afternoon, 02/17. The suspect was captured in the rear of 30 Cottage Place, Ridgewood following a short foot chase that began at the Stop & Shop. He was handcuffed and transported to Ridgewood PD headquarters for processing. All items reportedly taken from the store were recovered.
27 February 2017 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
WHERE:
Ridgewood Public Library
125 N Maple Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
USA
COST:
Free
CONTACT:
201-670-5600
GSBC MEETINGS
Ridgwood NJ, The Genealogical Society of Bergen County (GSBC) will welcome CNBC host, Bill Griffeth, who will speak on his latest book The Stranger in My Genes.
With almost 30 years experience in business television, Bill Griffeth is one of the most respected financial journalists in the country. Best known for his quick wit and his ability to think on his feet, he brings an extensive knowledge of the markets and market history to CNBC’s programming.
Griffeth has written four books, “The Stranger in My Genes,” in 2016; “By Faith Alone: One Family’s Epic Journey Through 400 Years of American Protestantism,” in 2007; “Bill Griffeth’s Ten Steps to Financial Prosperity,” published in 1994; and “The Mutual Fund Masters,” in 1995
In the summer of 2012, Griffeth, longtime genealogy buff, took a DNA test that had an unexpected outcome: “If the results were correct, it meant that the family I had spent years documenting was not my own.”
In this book, Bill undertakes a quest to solve the mystery of his origins—a quest which will shake his sense of identity. As he takes us on his journey, we learn about choices made by his ancestors, parents, and others–and we see Bill measure and weigh his own difficult choices as he confronts the past.
Ridgewood NJ, reader questions the ownership status of the “Town Garage” , “Last I heard an LLC or such owned it. Did they manage to pass it off to the town w/o cleaning it? The Village would be nuts to have bought it in an “as is” condition. The owner of the Town Garage property was bought out by the LLC (?) with little or no warning. I assume he sold “as is” because he really had not planned on selling it. I hope they didn’t make a tidy profit by selling it “as is” to the town. Or worse, the Village cleaning it up for the present owners with a deal to then buy it at a reasonable price.”
One of the more effective tools on the Ridgewood blog is the “timeline ” it continues to roll and record the ups and downs of the Village of Ridgewood. Will a little search we found comments from March 1st, 2007 discussing the ownership of the Town Garage.
The Town Garage, 120 Franklin Avenue; the eye of the storm . . .
>
The current hot discussion topic among those who monitor Village Hall happenings is how an out of town firm was able purchase the Town Garage property from right out under the noses of Village Council members. Village ownership of the subject property (see posted photo) is seen as key to the successful construction of a municipal parking garage.
Reportedly, Village officials had offered previous owner Richard Agnello more than the $1.265 million sale price. However, it is being reported that Mr. Agnello refused to sell until the Village found a suitable location nearby for him to relocate his motor vehicle repair facility.
So the fly would like to know: 1) How was the Wells partnership able to buy the property for less than what Village officials had offered Mr. Agnello? 2) Will Mr. Agnello be closing up shop, or has the Wells partnership found a location for him to move his operation to? And, 3) What prompted the Wells partnership to purchase a piece of property destined for involvement in eminent domain proceedings?
And in May of 2007 we asked if the Town Garage was for sale yet again.
Is the former Town Garage property for sale, again?
Village Council members met behind closed doors on Wednesday evening to
discuss possible options for acquiring 120 Franklin Avenue, formerly home of
the Town Garage. Acquisition of this property is key to the planned
construction of a municipal parking garage at the northwest corner of North
Walnut Street and Franklin Avenue.
It is now rumored that Ridgewood 120 LLC, the site’s current owners, have
offered the property for sale to Village officials at a price much higher
than the $1.265 million paid in November of 2006. Scuttlebutt is that
Ridgewood 120 LLC’s asking price is at least $1.865 million, and possibly as
high as $2.265 million. The current owners have made no improvements to the
property since purchasing it from the Agnello family late last year.
Council members must decide whether to: 1) pay the asking price, or 2) enact
the right of eminent domain, or 3) revise parking garage building plans to
eliminate the need for that parcel. Still unanswered is the question: “How
did Village Council members manage to get themselves in such an expensive
jam? In other words, how was a real estate investment group able to acquire
the Town Garage property from right under the Council’s noses?”
Spanish mayor urged to call in exorcist over town hall haunting
The mayor of a small town outside Granada is facing calls to bring in an exorcist after workers became convinced that the council offices were haunted – and the ghost was even caught on camera.
The Worst and Best States to Be a Homeowner in 2017
February 16,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood
Ridgewoood NJ, for many buying a home is one of the biggest investments of your life, according to Craig Casazza at the consumer site ValuePenguin it’s ideal to buy within a state where housing is relatively affordable and the value of your home is likely to appreciate strongly over time. It’s also desirable to avoid paying more than you can manage in ongoing costs, from taxes to insurance to damage from major storms. Finally, it’s best, of course, if the state where you’re buying boasts low rates of property crime, good schools, and a healthy proportion of homeowners compared with renters.
Casazza rolled together ten key metrics that quantify those factors, and ranked states on how successfully (or not) they offer the optimal factors for home ownership while skirting the attributes you’d want to avoid.
Here is the list of the 10 worst homeowner states and the homeowner scores assigned to them:
The 10 worst states to be a homeowner have some combination of a weak housing market, a heavy burden of costs to maintain a home, and a propensity for calamity and crime. The three worst states are in the south, and specifically from the Gulf region, where yearly storms batter homes and can cause millions of dollars in property damage:
Louisiana 20.97
Mississippi 29.32
Tennessee 29.59
New Mexico 34.69
Alabama 35.04
Missouri 36.64
Texas 39.21
New Jersey 39.54
California 39.97
Georgia 41.53
The 10 best states to own a home generally are less urban overall, with a higher proportion of homes in rural areas, where costs and crime can be lower. Our highest-ranked state for homeownership is Iowa, where it’s very affordable to own a home. With low insurance rates, low mortgage rates, and few calamities that cause insurance claims, South Dakota is another notably inexpensive state in which to own a home.
Iowa 82.60
South Dakota 81.38
Wyoming 79.49
Nebraska 78.17
Maine 77.44
Minnesota 75.37
West Virginia 76.03
Michigan 75.74
New Hampshire 72.28
Wisconsin 71.25
Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_Krulish6:02 p.m. ET Feb. 15, 2017
There will be a few more places residents on the west side of Ridgewood cannot park if an introduced ordinance is passed next month.
Brought to the table at the Feb. 8 council meeting, the ordinance would prohibit parking at several points along the northern side of Sherman Place – most notably near the corner the curb line of westbound Godwin Avenue, an intersection at which a man and his 10-year-old child were struck last September.
