>13th Annual Junior Woman’s Club of Ridgewood Spring House Tour
Thursday, May 13, 2010
9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Tickets $40 (tax deductible)
Available for sale at Mango Jam, Town & Country Pharmacy, Karma Organic Spa and at The Women’s Clubhouse/215 West Ridgewood Avenue
>Interesting how the one female candidate is continually treated in such a disrespectful manner. All the digs about her being a house wife/girl scout leader/club luncheon lady/not educated enough/out of her league/part-time/work from home…. Come on people!! These comments made about her are despicable, shameful and totally inappropriate. Ironically, she’s the only one to have the courage to say where she stands on each issue and back it up with thoughtful, reasonable answers. She does this knowing she will lose votes to the RPP group. In the same blog I hear complaints about how the PG group is smearing the Cronks. Are you kidding? They are defending Graydon due to the constant SMEAR of Graydon the RPP has lead for years. How hypocritical! As opposed to the bullying campaign tactics run by the Cronk/Dowd team Bernadette has led a clean, honest & respectable campaign. Win or lose Bernie, you should be proud of yourself as we are.
>Take one look at the financial crisis that envelops our state,county and our Village and reason would suggest that “fiscal restraint” is the new order of the day.
When our most prominent local citizen David Bolger warns that now is not the time for spending adventurism,we take him very seriously.
With this in mind the Ridgewood blog endorses Tom Riche and Bernie Walsh for Village Council . They appear far more suited to this “new era of fiscal restraint” and this would indeed be a “change” we can all live with.
The Cronk and Dowd team seem competent enough but there is just too much of a link to the “water park” crusaders and enough of a connection to the New Jersey Democratic Machine to make us uncomfortable.
Good luck to everyone tomorrow and don’t forget to get out and VOTE!
the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
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Speak Your Mind ……………………..
>Executive summary for Tuesday, May 11
* Line 1: Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh
Line 2: [ignore]
Line 3: [ignore]
* Line 4: Thomas M. Riche
We endorse Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh and Thomas M. Riche for Council. They proudly display “Keep Graydon Natural” signs on their front lawns. Only if they are elected will Graydon as we know it be likely to survive.
We explained more in our last message. https://www.preservegraydon.org/newsletters/6may2010
The polls will be open from 6 AM to 8 PM. That’s 14 hours—no excuses, please.
What else you can do: Call as many people as you can ON MONDAY to discuss the issues and ask them to vote for Walsh and Riche (pronounced RICH-ee). One-on-one conversations are the best way to encourage participation.
Talking points:
The other two candidates would form a three-vote majority with Councilman Paul Aronsohn. The Council should consist of five independent thinkers.
Village Council elections often have low turnout and are close. Everyone’s vote will count. Ask the people you call to make sure every registered voter in the household gets to the polls.
Encourage them to “make it viral” and call others. Time is tight; e-mail is better than nothing.
A democracy gets precisely what it deserves. Deserve the best. Vote for Tom and Bernie on TUESDAY, MAY 11.
Swimmingly,
Marcia Ringel and Suzanne Kelly, Co-Chairs
The Preserve Graydon Coalition, Inc., a nonprofit corporation
“It’s clear—we love Graydon!”
[email protected]
https://www.preservegraydon.org/
>
>Ok I have heard enough lying about Mr Riche ,the FACT is when Riche left the Village council he and the rest of the Village Council only signed off at $4.7 million for the renovation of the Village hall at Jane Reilly’s urging. The public was told it would be $2 million and six months but Jane wanted to spend $5 million. So 5 years and $9 million later the “TAJ” as it is called was born a monument to the egomania and incompetence of Jane Reilly end of story!
The finally tally was over $9 million ,for that piece of junk that virtually floods every time it rains ! The job was so badly handled that the drainage pipes under verts field were never even touched,which was the whole point of the renovation to begin with!
The “TAJ” was a criminal misuse of public funds by Jane ,she should have been indicted but instead because she made nice nice to the BOE during the last budget vote down remember when that dope tried to sell Benjamin Franklin School to Valley Hospital behind everyone’s back ,she got a make work job at taxpayers expense from Dr. Porter as her reward.
Tom Riche did not screw everyone with the Village “TAJ” Hall Jane Reilly did and every time it rains she does it over and over and over.
one more for the road
>
>Open Letter to Jane Morales, Co-Chair The Ridgewood Pool Project
I have not received any financial contributions in my campaign from anyone other than my husband. I take offense to your RPP letter that states otherwise.
Please stop spreading rumors throughout the Village. I have handled myself respectfully in this campaign would appreciate you and your co-chair doing the same.
Bernadette Walsh
>THE RPP IS AT IT AGAIN!!
Well, well, well, the Ridgewood Pool Project is at it again. I just received an email signed by only Jane Morales. This is the first time I have ever received a letter from the RPP that was not signed by both its co-chairs, Jane Morales and Melinda Cronk. Melinda most likely wrote the letter but was probably advised by her lawyer not to sign it.
Why would her lawyer advise such a thing? The RPP is a 501c3 organization. This means they are not to engage in any political activity. If they do so they are violating federal tax law. The Preserve Graydon Coalition is not a 501c3 organization. That decision was made deliberately because the co-chairs of this group knew that Graydon would become a political issue and knew that they needed to have the freedom to engage in political activity. In other words, the Preserve Graydon co-chairs, Suzanne Kelly and Marcia Ringel, made a decision to play by the rules.
Once again the RPP continues to ignore the rules. This letter tells their supporters that they are not allowed to endorse political candidates because they are a 501c3 organization, and then they go ahead and endorse political candidates. They instruct their supporters to vote for the two candidates that share their views about Graydon. As a lame attempt to sound apolitical, the letter doesn’t refer to any candidate by name, but the message is loud and clear. The letter reads:
“The Preserve Graydon Coalition has endorsed 2 candidates” “There are four candidates running. ” Find out their positions on Graydon and vote for the candidate that you feel best represents your view”
Isn’t this a blatant disregard to abide by federal law? Haven’t the leaders of this group proven time and time again to be manipulative and dishonest? How can the leaders of this group be trusted when they say that they have no pre-conceived ideas about what to do with Graydon? How could they be trusted when they tell their constituents that the concrete pool will not cost the Village taxpayer a dime? How can they be trusted when they say that the Cronk/Dowd campaign has nothing to do with the Ridgewood Pool Project’s mission? Are these the people whom you will place your trust in for the future of Ridgewood?
Will they will stop at nothing to get want they want…. not even abiding by the law?
>Dear Fellow Ridgewoodians:
As our little village heads into what has turned into a very important election next Tuesday, I can no longer sit and read this blog without pointing out a few issues of concern.
Although the Village Counsel Election is a non-partisian election, it has been twisted into something worse. A opportunity by the Preserve Graydon Committee to fire off one cheap shot after another at Mr. Dowd and basically the entire Cronk family. If there is anything that I have learned from this bullshit behavior by the “Swimmingly Sisters” is that Mr. Cronk and Mr. Dowd are indeed the better people here. Because if someone EVER made up such straight lies and childish comments to the public media toward my wife or myself, I would be wallpapering this Village with Gag Orders and Orders of Protection against the PGC and for good measure anyone with those unsightly signs on their lawns. Let’s call it like it is… only fair, because correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t that what the Swimmingly Folks did, or attempt to do with Mr. Bolger?
But luckily for us and the common good of the many good people of Ridgewood, Messrs. Cronk and Dowd have chosen to do the right thing and turn the other cheek to the b.s. that is being thrown out there about them, and in doing so they have won my vote on Tuesday.
You have to ask yourselves, do you want a past POLITICIAN who approved the $10 MILLION renovation to Village Hall without addressing the fact it is in a flood zone, or someone who seems to be running just to counteract the concerns of preserving Graydon or do you want to vote for two gentlemen that have given more thought and in doing so seem to have a logical and more efficient approach to the big picture that lays beyond Graydon.
On that note: Graydon had just celebrated it’s 100 birthday. Now let’s take that fact and mix in a good amount of REALITY.
Say you purchased a Ford Model T in 1908 when they were first produced. If the engineers had subscribed to the same mentality of those wishing to preserve Graydon we all would be driving highly unreliable and inefficient cars with wood rims and no heat, no a/c, no seat-belts, no airbags, and no antilock brakes. Unfortunately for Graydon, change is almost impossible to stop.
What I am trying to say here is that us Americans have been thinking in the “box” for way too long now and it has lead us to cold reality that the price of the Disney Dollar holds more value than the U.S. Dollar, the highest property taxes in the country, school budgets getting slashed and teachers being made the villains because they make too much in some people’s opinions.
I am not up at this hour of the morning typing a political ad for Mr Dowd and Mr. Cronk. I am writing to the people of Ridgewood; my neighbors and friends to BEG of you to go vote on Tuesday, and when you do, do so with the BIG PICTURE in mind and not a patch of property at the corner of Linwood and North Maple.
Finally, I feel compelled to note that this election is not a vote FOR or AGAINST the renovation of Graydon, but for many other issues much more important to our Village.
Respectfully,
Craig S. Hueneke
>Come on. Everyone knows teaching in NJ is a racket. Work half a year, make $100K — more with summer work — pay nothing into healthcare except for a 10 dollar copay and then retire with 80% of pay as a pension.
This year we’ve seen just how greedy teachers and the unions are.
While many of us have taken 10-20% pay cuts, have not gotten raises in 2 years, or have been unemployed for months, the teachers are so greedy, they wouldn’t accept a pay freeze for just one year!!!
What’s wrong with that picture?
And the ultimate in greed — they tell us unless we vote for a 5% tax hike to pay for a 3% raise, our children’s education will suffer.
Shame on you, you greedy pigs.
If our children’s education suffer it is directly correlated with your own greed. Some teachers will need to be fired so that others can get their 3% raise.
Shame on you. You are a greedy bunch.
>Don’t you see that Dowd/Cronk haven’t said one thing about what they want to do other than “cut waste” blah blah blah. Typical p.c. politician-speak.
Walsh has taken a stand on the issues that a lot of people care about.
Cronk is a puppet of his wife Melinda. I’m sure she is having Doug run to help her real estate business and also to push here Graydon initiative through.
Funny how she tried to shut her mouth the last couple months while her husband has been running. Also funny how she hasn’t showed up for any Pool Project meetings claiming to be too busy. I’m sure that will change if her husband is elected.
And Dowd has not said one thing other than regurgitate whatever Cronk has said.
The school budget vote was a referendum on the out of control spending that Cronk supported — he was a big proponent of the school bond. The Cronks believe that “you” can afford the taxes if you live here. Don’t tell me why I moved here what I should be spending my money on.
If you think you will get original leadership from these guys that won’t involve spending great sums of money (yeah, really original), think again.
-Thed.
>I have overheard people saying that it’s just the new people in town, the ones that just move here, that are putting up the Cronk/Dowd signs. I’ve lived here my whole life and I am seeing friends I grew up with moving back to Ridgewood and starting families. I also see Cronk/Dowd signs on their front yards. I wish them luck. It’s nice to see some of the Natives move back to the, “WOOD,” and want to raise their children in the town they grew up in, but also nice to see that they support some fresh ideas coming to the table too.
Tom Riche, is a been there done that candidate. The Village Hall bares his name, from the last time he was in office, and your wallet bares the cost ($14,000,000). Yup that’s six zeros following two numbers. You can also add him to the blame of the central business district’s failure. He sits on the Historic Preservation Commission. This committee has stopped and slowed many businesses from opening up in town. Don’t believe me, go take a look at the corner of Broad Street and Ridgewood Ave. A new Restaurant called, “Blue Fish,” just opened up. The Historic Preservation Commission told the owner that he could only place one sign with the restaurants name on it, because it’s located on the corner. Go take a look, and while your there, turn around and look at The Stable Restaurant. You’ll notice that The Stable is located on a corner also, but they have two signs. Has this commission been fair? The new restaurants owner had to come back to them with his new design, one that clearly isn’t fair. This is just one example of how the Historic Preservation Commission has slowed down an opening. There are tons, don’t believe me, go ask any business that has recently opened up in the last five years. The owners will the tell you tales of stories about Red Tape that this Commission creates. I read in the Bergen record today that he also owns EXTEL Communications Inc. in North Haledon. This company, I believe is a vendor or has been a vendor, to the Village at one time or another, and we all know how Jersey politics and bidding seem to play out down the road. I’ll admit I voted for Tom once, but as the old saying goes. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. This time I’m sorry to say, but I can’t, and will not not support your bid for office.
As for Bernadette Walsh, I really don’t know anything about you, besides what little bios I read in the local rags. I understand you seem to have the support of the, “Save Graydon,” peeps. Graydon has being dieing. It died with the fish kill. I was born and raised in this town and spent every summer living at the pool. I love it and it has a special place it my heart, but it’s only open for two months and it’s been losing money hand over fist. This season it’s being opened, yet Village employees are facing losing their job. It doesn’t seem right, does it? I can’t vote for you this time around based on what little knowledge I have of you. Enjoy your Summer at Graydon 🙂 Maybe next time around I’ll give you a shot.
Tuesday May 11th, can’t come soon enough. I can’t wait to vote for Ridgewood’s future, because this Native is tired of living in the past, and looking for a rebirth.
As for Doug Cronk and Brian Dowd you have promised that you will resolve some long standing issues. I’m giving you a shot, and holding you to it. If you win, I hope I’m happy with some of the results.
Good Luck to everyone, and make your vote be heard!
>I didn’t realize that there is nothing as important in this town as some made up projected view of Graydon. Not education cuts, not other wasteful spending (like that done under Riche’s first term as Councilman), not property taxes.
Just Graydon – something that has been losing money despite Riche’s boondoggle there, despite Walsh’s silence on what should be done to stem the loss of money going forward.
What about all of the other very important issues facing this Village? Is one issue that doesn’t even register as a top ten issue for most residents supposed to trump the other very real issues going on and facing this Village?
Get real–
let’s look for real comprehensive and responsible leadership. Not “one issue” blinders that ignore most of the Village.
Vote for real leaders with real ideas, not ones endorsed by single issue groups that ignore everything that is important to everyone else in the Village.
