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Ridgewood dodges Worst of Noreaster Weather

Tree falls in Ridgewood
January 24,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, despite prophecies of doom from the national weather service, Ridgewood like much of Bergen County got through the Noreaster relatively unscathed.  Reports of high winds are always a danger in the Village with so many older trees.
PSE&G even sent out a reminder courtesy of the Village Website, “that it was preparing for the approaching storm system that could bring heavy rain and gale-force winds. ”

Fortunately for residents, while winds were high and rain was heavy little damage is being reported this morning.
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Reader says the reason NYC or Los Angeles are against Air B&B is because it kills hotel tax revenues

teepees

I thought the Facebook comments about renting a house for a golf tournament or Super Bowl type event were also illuminating.

The reason NYC or Los Angeles are against Air B&B is because it kills hotel tax revenues. They lose millions yet even they cant actually ban short term rentals. There is no way this law holds up but it will cost some homeowner and all of us taxpayers to work it through the system.

These knee jerk reactions to public comment has to be tempered. The mess with that parking near Whole Foods is a similar situation (from the past council). It is great to listen to the public and to try to find solutions but elected officials cannot just react. They are elected to be a deliberative body that analyzes both sides of an issue and finds solutions. These mistakes are costly in time and tax payer money.

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Reader says Arohnson sold the Village of Ridgewood out to the developers

3 amigos in action Ridgewood NJ

Those who attended the hearings could easily reach the opinion that Arohnson sold the Village out to the developers. He pushed for a a formula where the Village allowed land speculators and developers to build 85 regular market units for every 15 coah compliant units. Do the math – – under the Aronson Plan, if the Village was ordered by the Courts to build 150 units, then the developers would be allowed to build 1000 apartments in town. And because the Village may need to build as many as 500 coah units (or even 1,000 according to some attorneys) then under the Arohnson formula, the town would have to let the developers build 5,000 to 10,000 units in total. Think about it, that’s 5,000 to 10,000 new families moving into town. The developers were licking their chops over the stupidity of the Aronson formula and the opportunity to start to apply it to properties throughout the town.

The new council quickly moved to kill some of the enabling legislation behind the Aronson plan. But, frankly, its not clear they have done enough to prevent developers from continuing to buy up property and make the argument that they need to build, build, build in order to enable Ridgewood to meet its coah requirements. Our Council needs to take bold action to meet coah requirements while not allowing developers to re-make the Village.

A lot needs to be done and the process needs to be started quickly. The Council cannot ignore this issue. They need to starting acting now.

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Employee parking lots near Town Garage extremely underutilized in Ridgewood

Employee parking lots near Town Garage

January 24,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Monday 10.45 employee parking lots aside Town Garage extremely underutilized. These same spots held train pass holders who were moved into center crowded area of this same lot.

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New Jersey Places 6th Worst State to Retire In

old-hippies

Janaury 24,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, With 31 percent of all nonretired adults having no retirement savings or pension because many simply cannot afford to contribute to any type of plan, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis identifying 2017’s Best & Worst States to Retire.

Over the past year and a half, the group Age-Friendly Ridgewood has taken steps to learn what the village can do to better serve its oldest population. Those 65 and older make up 12.5 percent of the village’s population, according to the 2010 census.

To help retirees find a retirement- and wallet-friendly place to call home, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 key metrics. The data set ranges from “adjusted cost of living” to “weather” to “quality of public hospitals.”

Best States to Retire Worst States to Retire
1 Florida 42 Arkansas
2 Wyoming 43 Kentucky
3 South Dakota 44 Vermont
4 Iowa 45 New Mexico
5 Colorado 46 New Jersey
6 Idaho 47 Hawaii
7 South Carolina 48 Connecticut
8 Nevada 49 District of Columbia
9 Delaware 50 Alaska
10 Wisconsin 51 Rhode Island

Some of the finding included :

  • Mississippi has the lowest adjusted cost-of-living index for retirees, 85.6, which is 1.9 times lower than in Hawaii, where it is highest at 165.3.
  • Louisiana has the lowest annual cost of in-home services, $34,892, which is 1.8 times lower than in North Dakota, where it is highest at $63,972.
  • Alaska has the highest share of the population aged 65 and older working, 22.34 percent, which is 1.8 times higher than in West Virginia, where it is lowest at 12.32 percent.
  • Florida has the highest share of the population aged 65 and older, 18.6 percent, which is 2.1 times higher than in Alaska, where it is lowest at 9.0 percent.
  • Vermont has the lowest property-crime rate per 1,000 residents, 14.07, which is 3.3 times lower than in the District of Columbia, where it is highest at 46.76.

To view the full report your state or the District’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-to-retire/18592/

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Porsche SUV was totaled when it smashed into a utility pole in Ridgewood

Porsche SUV was totaled when it smashed into a utility pole in Ridgewood

photo courtesy of Boyd Loings Facebook

January 24,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A Porsche SUV was totaled when its adult female driver smashed into a utility pole in front of 239 Lakeview Drive, Ridgewood on Monday evening, 01/23. The driver was uninjured in the mishap. Utility service in the neighborhood was unaffected by the crash, but damage to the pole warrants its replacement. A flatbed tow truck removed the damaged Porsche from the scene. One (1) summons was issued by Ridgewood PD in connection with the incident. Midland Park PD assisted at the scene.

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Ridgewood Public Schools Board of Education Meets Tonight at 7:30 pm

BOE_theridgewoodblog

Board of Education Meets Tonight
January 23, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
The Education Center
49 Cottage Place, Ridgewood

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting tonight, Monday, January 23, 2017. The Board meets at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3 at 7:30 p.m.

The public is welcome to attend the meeting, or to watch from home on FiOS channel 33 or Optimum channel 77. Meetings are also streamed via the “Link in Live” tab on the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.

Meeting webcasts are immediately available on the district website.

Click here to view the agenda as a PDF document.
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The hidden benefits of reading aloud — even for older kids

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Educator Jim Trelease explains why reading aloud to your child, no matter what her age, is the magic bullet for creating a lifelong reader.

by: Connie Matthiessen | January 14, 2016

Jim Trelease is the author of the respected, Read-Aloud Handbook, which some parents have called the “read aloud Bible.” The book is packed with information — from what really makes kids love reading, to tips for luring kids away from electronics and onto the page, to hundreds of read aloud titles. The Handbook’s seventh edition will be published in the spring of 2013 and, at 71 years old, Trelease says it will be his last. We reached Trelease recently in his home in Connecticut and asked him to explain why reading aloud is essential for kids of all ages.

Can you explain the link between reading aloud and school success?

It’s long established in science and research: the child who comes to school with a large vocabulary does better than the child who comes to school with little familiarity with words and a low vocabulary.

Why is that? If you think about it, in the early years of school, almost all instruction is oral. In kindergarten through second and third grades, kids aren’t reading yet, or are just starting, so it’s all about the teacher talking to the kids. This isn’t just true in reading but in all subjects; the teacher isn’t telling kids to open their textbooks and read chapter three. The teaching is oral and the kids with the largest vocabularies have an advantage because they understand most of what the teacher is saying. The kids with small vocabularies don’t get what is going on from the start, and they’re likely to fall further and further behind as time goes on.

How does a child develop a large vocabulary even before school starts? Children who are spoken to and read to most often are the ones with the largest vocabularies. If you think about it, you can’t get a word out of the child’s mouth unless he has heard it before. For example, the word “complicated.” A child isn’t going to say the word unless he has heard it before — and in fact to remember it, a child probably has to hear it multiple times. (That’s not true with swear words, of course. If a child hears his parent swear he’ll remember it the first time, and happily repeat it whenever he gets the chance.) But kids have to hear most words multiple times, so it’s important that their parents talk to and around them from the time they are very young, because that’s how they learn words.

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/read-aloud-to-children/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=topstory

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Readers defend AirBnb in Ridgewood

streetscape_theridgwoodblog

I have had many airbnb visitors, all very decent professionals, staying for various reasons, TI Pros working 1-2 or 3 month contracts, people that had construction going on because of a fire-damaged to their home and were sick of staying a hotel, CEO”s come in for 3 days , but mostly guests visiting family members for a few days coming to see newborns of there kids having kids from the UK.,Israel, Denmark, Japan.
I have never had a problem with anyone of these guests. And this has helped me out tremendously since I lost a love one that contributed to my loving home financially, a home I don’t wish to lose…..

So to the ignorant person that has threatened to call the IRS on your neighbor, you are a despicable neighbor that “ASSUMES” we don’t pay our taxes , with no proof what so ever !!!! So please call them and rear your ugly head out to all of us. Think of us when your having your $500 spa day and stuff your face with tartare. and getting your manicure and hair colored, god it’s been so long for me Maybe you should try getting a job so you wouldn’t have so much time on your hands to judge everyone around you. Make no mistake about, YOU ARE the person people talk about in town behind your back, and rightfully so you play the role so eloquently, ponder that the next time your gossiping, we all see right through those people, they are the black sheep in our community’s !!!!!!!

Unlike the bloviators here, I actually spent the time to do some research regarding my concerns about liability coverage and Air bnb provides coverage. I doubt the ban will stand and if it does, you’ll have neighbors spying on each other and calling the cops when a stranger parks in a driveway or goes into a house. Kind of echoes some activities from 80 odd years ago… maybe we’ll have to carry our “resident” papers too…

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Shoveling Snow in Ridgewood this Winter Best to Becarefull

shoveling snow

January 23,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, according to George Becker, M.D., Director, Emergency Department, The Valley Hospital  although most people are not in any danger from shoveling snow,(https://toyourhealth.valleyhealth.com/blogs/valleyblogs/january-2017/shoveling-snow-winter-chore-or-health-hazard) Doctor Becker tells us that the American Heart Association (AHA) still shares useful tips for anyone shoveling snow in the winter. To begin with, the AHA recommends that those who don’t exercise on a regular basis, those that have a medical condition, or those that are middle age or older consult with a doctor before shoveling.
The AHA also has the following general tips for staying safe while shoveling:

Take frequent rest breaks during shoveling.
Don’t eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling.
Use a small shovel or consider a snow thrower.
Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling.
Be aware of the dangers of hypothermia.
Learn the heart attack warning signs and listen to your body.

Some signs that you might be having a heart attack are pain in the chest, arm(s), back, neck, jaw or stomach. You might also break out in a cold sweat, feel short of breath, nauseated, lightheaded, or uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness in the center of your chest.

If you are concerned that you may be having a heart attack, Doctor Becker says you should not hesitate about seeking medical treatment—every minute is crucial when experiencing a heart attack. Call 911 immediately or head directly to the closest emergency room.

Valley Hospital Emergency Department, located at 223 N. Van Dien Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ is open 24/7, 365 days a year and is staffed with physicians who are board certified in emergency medicine

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2016-2017 Community Outreach Program Series bestselling author Jessica Lahey, “The Gift of Failure,”

Jessica Lahey, “The Gift of Failure,”

January 22,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Wellbeing Series tackles the importance of failure on Feb. 1

The district’s free Wellbeing Series for parents, guardians and the general adult continues next month with bestselling author Jessica Lahey on Wednesday, February 1.

Ms. Lahey’s program, “The Gift of Failure,” will focus on the importance of self-motivation to academic success and how parents can best support their children to stay motivated over the long term. The presentation will take place at George Washington Middle School Auditorium, 155 Washington Place, Ridgewood, from 7-9 p.m.

Ms. Lahey is author of the bestselling book The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed. A writer and teacher on education, parenting and child welfare, Ms. Lahey’s work appears in several publications, including The New York Times and The Atlantic.

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RIDGEWOOD’S EMMANUEL BAPTIST OFFERS NEW PARENTING SUPPORT GROUP

011115CrazyMomZM013975

January 22,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Emmanuel Baptist Church will be offering a new parenting support group, “The Parenting Village,” with the first session starting on Wednesday, February 8th at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the Peace Lounge. Parents with children of all ages are invited to attend. The group will begin by studying Dr. Gordon Neufeld and Dr. Gabor Mate’s book, “Hold On to Your Kids” (2006). Childcare will be provided free of charge at Emmanuel. Light refreshments will be served.

Emmanuel will be purchasing the reference material for this first group meeting. In order to determine how many books to be ordered, please RSVP to the Church office at 201-444-7300 or on the Facebook event link at www.facebook.com/EBCRidgewood/. If you are unable to reach the church office, please contact facilitator, Heidi Ehman, at [email protected].

The purpose of the parenting support group is to create a supportive, loving community for parents to discuss fears and challenges they are facing as parents, help parents maintain connection with their children, and to establish a strong network for parents to call upon to help and guide each other. Possible topics of discussion include living in the moment with children, modern day challenges of parenting, limiting technology, and how to maintain positive connections with children in a world that pulls them away.

Heidi Ehman, founder and facilitator of “The Parenting Village” support group, stated, “In response to the fervent need of virtually every parent we meet, we have decided to provide a safe space for them to ask any question and share their experience.”

Ms. Ehman, a life-long Hawthorne resident, has served on Emmanuel’s Education Board and believes strongly in the philosophy of Attachment Parenting. She is a decorative painter who homeschools her daughter in the Waldorf Method. Recently, she has been pursuing a teacher’s certificate in handwork.

Emmanuel, founded in 1891, is celebrating its 125th Anniversary Year and continues to maintain a tradition of outreach to the community. 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. For more information, visit www.emmanuelridgewood.org.

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Ridgewood Open Houses for January 22,2017

for sale Ridgewood_Real_Estate_theRodgewopodblog
file photo by Boyd Loving

1700031.1 MLS # 1700031
27 High St, Unit Floor 2, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
1 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 2Family
Kevin Errico, Sales Associate
RE/MAX Properties-Saddle River

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
2

1700029.1 MLS # 1700029
27 High St, Unit Floor 1, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 2Family
Kevin Errico, Sales Associate
RE/MAX Properties-Saddle River

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
3

1645719.1 MLS # 1645719
220 Canterbury Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Ranch
Maryanne Connaughton, Sales Associate
Terrie O’Connor Realtors-Ridgewood

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
21

1647270.1 MLS # 1647270
322 Marshall St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
2 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, Col
Maria Lewie, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Clifton

  • Open House: 12:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
13

1700070.1 MLS # 1700070
27 High St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 2Fam
Kevin Errico, Sales Associate
RE/MAX Properties-Saddle River

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
4

1702387.1 MLS # 1702387
220 N Pleasant Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Paula Clark, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Hillsdale

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
25

1701041.1 MLS # 1701041
114 Avondale Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate
Erin Pruitt, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 1/22
24

1700005.1 MLS # 1700005
168 Kemah Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Phyllis Lasser, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes

  • Open House: 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
25

1700674.1 MLS # 1700674
31 Walthery Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Elaine Van Gorp, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
25

1646964.1 MLS # 1646964
138 Claremont Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Carole Lynn Brescia, Broker Associate
Coldwell Banker, Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
25

1645061.1 MLS # 1645061
442 Van Buren St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
James Collins, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Alpine/Closter

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
25

1700257.1 MLS # 1700257
650 Wall St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, Col
Marie E. Griggs-O’Connor, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
23

1639675.1 MLS # 1639675
668 Wall St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 6 Full Bath, Col
Antoinette Gangi, Sales Associate
Rita Nulman, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Valley Realty

  • Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 1/22
25
Open Houses for Wed 1/25

1700519.1 MLS # 1700519
474 Sheffield Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, House
Sergio Sciortino, Broker Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty – Wyckoff

  • Open House: 5:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Wed. 1/25
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Ridgewood age-friendly group seeks options for seniors

old-hippies

Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_KrulishPublished 12:35 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2017 | Updated 12:38 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2017

In coming years, there will be a rapid growth in the population aged 65 and over as the Baby Boomer generation heads into retirement.

While the national trend may not reflect the reality of every single municipality in the country, a group of Ridgewood residents is looking to make a difference in its own community, to make the village a better place for residents to grow old.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ridgewood/2017/01/20/village-age-friendly-group-seeks-options-seniors/96672392/

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Reader says developers should be targeted for negative aspects of Build and Run

Projects_theridgewoodblog

Excellent but what is the next set of actions to ensure some real actions
Are taken before events and the Developers decend on Ridgewood ,Ho HoKus Glen Rock and other Bergen county communities.?

The developers should be targeted for negative aspects of Build and Run with the Cash tactics..what banks are financing these ruinous Multi family Neighborhood and School taxes blockbusters.Banks they to project community good citizens profiles but they are awash with cheap money for the Fed and lack of interest payments to the savers for a Decade now

“I implore our Senate President and Assembly Speaker to do everything in their power to move forward with bi-partisan legislation addressing this issue. The court rules on what is constitutional, not aggressively ruling what it thinks is best for the state. We cannot let the court legislate what is best for individual communities.”