Ridgewood NJ - Page 561 of 982 - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

Posted on February 13, 2016February 13, 2016 by James — 26 Comments

Councilwomen Gwen Hauck Announces her re-election bid for Ridgewood Village Council

February 13,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Councilwomen Gwen Hauck has announced her re-election bid for Ridgewood Village Council. On her email she lists village hall as the mailing address for her campaign?Maybe that is ok in NJ, but it does seem odd. Maybe she should also have add. ” Or visit my Field Office located at The Valley Hospital Campus in Ridgewood.

Gwen’s term on the Village council has been marred by controversy . In 2012 when she ran Gwen promised a return to a more “healthy dialogue” in the Village , results have been anything but. Gwen’s is part of the triumvirate known in the Village as the “3 Amigos” which includes Mayor Paul Aronsohn ,Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli and Gwen Hauck . The 3 Amigos are led by Mayor Paul Aronsohn and vote as a block on all issues .

Gwen known for her cookie baking for senior citizens had her tenure on the Village Council marked by massive conflicts on interest with Valley Hospital , the over reliance of electronic devices during council meetings, her absence during a key reorg vote, the use of a taxpayer funded newsletter to self promote ,the constant documented attacks from the dais on Village residents , and now the revelation of her implication in the whole sale murder of “wood turtles” at Irene Habernickel Family Park a “Threatened Species” and most recently totally ignoring and some suggest covering up of an alleged assault at a Village council meeting on a Ridgewood resident.

Dear Friends,

I am very excited to announce that I will be running for re-election on May 10, 2016.

Over the next five months I will be hosting focus groups in many of your neighborhoods to explain what I have accomplished and what I believe in. Most importantly, I will be listening to what residents have to say.

Ridgewood deserves diligent, centered leadership. Ridgewood deserves someone who works to find common ground; someone who works for all citizens, a practical problem solver who considers economic, political AND administrative details. My goal is to be that leader for you.

I have created a website, GwennHauck.com, which will highlight current council issues and my thoughts on them. I hope you will find this to be a place you come to understand my views on the current events that are affecting Ridgewood.

Find something interesting? Email me directly after you read an article to share your views. Want to join the discussion? Sign up to host a focus group where residents can learn more about me, and I can learn more about the issues that concern them.

Let’s work together to make us all proud of Ridgewood.

Sincerely,
Gwenn Hauck
Copyright © 2016 Gwenn Hauck – Village of Ridgewood Council, All rights reserved.
You indicated you were interested in hearing my thoughts.

Our mailing address is:
Gwenn Hauck – Village of Ridgewood Council
131 N. Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Posted on February 13, 2016February 13, 2016 by James — 11 Comments

Ridgewood Water isn’t good enough for some Village employees to drink

February 13,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A recent OPERA request turned up the Village was buying bottled water .I guess Ridgewood Water isn’t good enough for some employees. Maybe it’s the lead.

Village eblast January 5th 2015 , “The water supplied by Ridgewood Water does not have lead in it. A small number of homes in the Ridgewood Water service territory have plumbing materials that can leach lead into the water which caused an exceedance of the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for lead during routine testing in 2012. Regulatory agencies require that water utilities test for lead by setting up “worst‐case‐ scenarios” at locations at increased risk such as those known to have lead service lines. Additionally, the samples taken for testing must be water that has been undisturbed and in contact with the household plumbing for at least 6 hours. These samples are usually taken in the morning before any water has been used including the flushing of toilets. Therefore, samples are usually collected by residents. Each participating resident received the test results for their specific location. Additionally, virtually every faucet has brass components that contain a percentage of lead. This is why it is prudent to let a faucet run for several seconds before using the water for cooking and drinking, especially if the faucet has not been used for several hours. If your service line is made of lead, run the water for a longer period to clear all of the water from the service line. Please call 201‐ 670‐3372 if you are unsure of your service line material. Ridgewood Water will start using a phosphate‐based additive later this year that will also address this issue by coating the lines and faucets effectively stopping the leaching of lead into the water”

Posted on February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 by James — 3 Comments

Ridgewood Knights of Columbus to Host Annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance

February 12,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Knights of Columbus are once again proud to be sponsoring their annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance on Saturday, March 19^th, beginning at7:00 p.m. in the Mount Carmel gymnasium at 52 Passaic Street in Ridgewood.

Guests will first be greeted by bagpipers. The Best of Everything will cater a full-course of traditional Irish fare including corned beef and cabbage. The Celtic Cross Band will be playing Irish classics and great dance music, along with a special appearance by the Irish Step Dancers from the McLoughlin Dance School. There will also be a grand prize raffle drawing for a trip to Ireland.

Tickets are $55 per person. Payment can be mailed to:

Ted Bragg

471 Heights Road

Ridgewood, NJ 07450

(201) 421-7209

Come enjoy this annual celebration as the Knights of Columbus continue the tradition that the People of Ireland started over a thousand years ago. And what better way to celebrate the life of Saint Patrick then to gather with friends and family, enjoy a fine meal, and dance to great music!

Come out and celebrate St. Patrick’s with the Ridgewood Knights !

Posted on February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 by James — 14 Comments

Ridgewood Council postpones vote on HealthBarn USA

file photo by Boyd loving

FEBRUARY 12, 2016 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD – Ridgewood’s Village Council members discussed the proposed addition of HealthBarn USA to the Irene Habernickel Family Park at the Feb. 3 meeting.

“I feel very strongly that it makes sense to have HealthBarn there,” said Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “I’m not just supportive of this program, I’m excited about it.”

The final decision on whether to approve HealthBarn moving onto the property was postponed to a later date during the Feb. 10 meeting, due to some of the council members wanting to see the business’ lease before deciding on anything.

The current plan is to have HealthBarn USA, a company that offers various outdoor activities to children, take up partial residence in the house on the Habernickel property, in exchange for payment to the village.

This does not sit well with local resident Margene Rubin, who said at the Feb. 3 meeting she feels the addition of HealthBarn to the property would make the area a less-enjoyable place to live.

“Everyone in that area that faces that field does not want (HealthBarn),” Rubin said, adding that HealthBarn founder Stacey Antine can “go someplace else” and not disrupt the neighborhood.

“It’s very upsetting,” said Rubin. “I really do encourage you to think about how many people this is upsetting,”

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/town-government/council-postpones-vote-on-healthbarn-usa-1.1510824

Posted on February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 by James — 6 Comments

VILLAGE HALL CLOSED – FEB 12TH AND FEB 15TH

February 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Village Hall and all Village Departments will be closed on February 12th and February 15th in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday and Presidents’ Day. There will be no garbage or recycling pickups on these days, and the Recycling Center will be closed. The Recycling Center will be open on Saturday, February 13th. All Village offices and Departments will re-open on February 16th.

Posted on February 11, 2016February 10, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

UNREAL® LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION UNREAL LOVE VALENTINE’S DAY TINS WITH RIDGEWOOD WHOLE FOODS MARKET®

UnReal answers consumer trend to give chocolates that are delicious and all-natural, made without unhealthy ingredients or excess sugar, as a show of real love

February 10,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, UnReal announced today that it has partnered with Whole Foods Ridgewood at 44 Godwin Ave and other regional Whole Foods Market stores to offer two of its all-natural chocolate candies in limited edition tins and bags for Valentine’s Day. Available in stores, and online through UnReal, the limited edition tins and bags feature unique artwork designed by world-renowned illustrator Steve Simpson and are fun for all types of Valentines – friends, family, co-workers, and lovers, alike.

Ridgewood families to purchase at the Whole Foods Market store located at 44 Godwin Ave. UnReal, the unjunked food company, has partnered exclusively with Whole Foods Market stores to offer better-for-you alternatives to share with all types of Valentine’s this season – with 40% less sugar and no artificial ingredients. Whole Foods Ridgewood is also offering a free bag of candy coated milk chocolate gems with any e-store order placed by Friday, February 12th.

“The reason for giving Valentine’s Day chocolates is to celebrate those we love in a sweet way. The chocolates we give reflect our own values, so more of us want to give something that tastes delicious, but is not made with unhealthy ingredients or mass-produced. UnReal shows our real love by giving chocolates that taste unreal and are made without artificial ingredients, preservatives, GMO’s, or excess sugar,” said UnReal’s 18-year-old founder, Nicky Bronner.

UnReal is re-inventing America’s favorite candy using sustainably sourced, fair trade, non-GMO ingredients, and less sugar than their traditional counterparts. This Valentine’s Day, the company created two limited edition UNREAL LOVE tins. One features 16 ounces of red candy coated milk chocolate gems, made with organic cacao and dairy, without any artificial ingredients, and naturally colored with beetroot juice. The second tin features 16 rich, dark chocolate peanut butter cups. The price of each limited edition, UNREAL LOVE tin is $9.99. UnReal is also offering an 8-ounce bag of its red candy coated milk chocolate gems for $4.99. Both tins and the bags are available at all Whole Foods Markets in NY, NJ, CT, MA, NH, RI and ME.

Whole Foods Market Ridgewood and other NJ locations are also offering a free bag of candy coated milk chocolate gems with any e-store order placed by Friday, February 12th, including any of the floral offerings.

“UnReal has once again outdone themselves this holiday, creating an exciting and unique gift option for Valentine’s Day,” said Kimberley Rose, Vice President of Purchasing for Whole Foods Market’s North Atlantic region. “Between the beautiful, limited edition packaging and the delicious, high quality chocolates, what’s not to love? Pairing it with our double dozen roses is about as easy and fail-proof as Valentine’s gift giving can get!”

To get your own UnReal chocolate candies, visit Whole Foods Market Ridgewood at 44 Godwin Ave- or to purchase online, visit https://www.getunreal.com.

Posted on February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 by James — 14 Comments

Referendum petition to repeal the BCIA Funding ordinance Circulating in Ridgewood

Hi James,
As expected, the council voted 3-2 on ordinance 3519, which allows them to enter into a lease purchase agreement with the BCIA for the Hudson Street parking garage.

There are a group of residents that started a referendum petition to repeal the ordinance. We need to get about 1000 signatures in 20 days. Then a binding referendum question would go on the May ballot asking if the ordinance should be adopted?

People can go to [email protected] to find out where they can go to sign the petition.

Thanks

Posted on February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 by James — 7 Comments

Ridgewood Town Garage Site vs. Hudson Street Garage

Dear Village Officials, I understand ” the train has left the station ” on the Garage at the Hudson Street site but I would like to state a brief case as to why this is not the best scenario for Ridgewood at the present time.

We have a contaminated site at the Town Garage site and the village owned properties abutting it. Hydrolic and diesel fuel from old underground tanks is seeping into the ground and could be affecting our ground water in the area. I know that it is being monitored and that the DEP targeted this area for remediation at least 10 years ago. In 2002, a village conducted study saw the Town Garage site as a better fit for a municipal garage than Hudson Street for various reasons.

I believe the village tried to gain the property via eminent domain in 2009 but that failed. I understand that you have asked our village attorney to look into the Abandoned Property ordinance. The owners of that site are up to date on taxes but the property continues to be a threat to the environment. I believe that this property should be acquired by the village, the site cleaned up and responsible development of the property including a garage should take place.

You are voting on an ordinance this evening to bond 12.3 million dollars through the BCIA. Our first priority should be the acquisition of the Town Garage site and the remediation of that property as soon as possible. If a garage is built there, it would be used by employees, diners sand shoppers as well as commuters as it is more centrally located. The Hudson Street area could be repaved and reconfigured to maximize parking spaces and also for minimal costs made more aesthetically pleasing. I want what is best for the village and right now it is to clean up the toxic site in our downtown area.

Sincerely,

Linda Mc Namara

Posted on February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 by James — 1 Comment

Break in at the Water’s Edge Café at Graydon pool in Ridgewood

February 10,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Police report that on Thursday, February 4, patrol responded to an alarm at the Water’s Edge Café at Graydon pool. Upon investigating the alarm it was determined that someone had broken the lock off the building. Several items inside were damaged and thrown around. The matter is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

Posted on February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 by James — 4 Comments

Talks under way in Trenton to avoid tax battle between hospitals, N.J. towns like Ridgewood

FEBRUARY 9, 2016, 6:37 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016, 6:38 PM

BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN AND LINDY WASHBURN

STAFF WRITERS |

THE RECORD

Talks are under way to avert a potentially protracted tax battle between non-profit hospitals and the communities that host them, said the prime sponsor of a bill that tried unsuccessfully last month to work out a solution.

Assemblyman John Burzichelli said Tuesday that talks are underway between the New Jersey Hospital Association and the New Jersey League of Municipalities with the aim of helping redraft legislation in the wake of a landmark Tax Court ruling that called into question the property tax exemption of non-profit hospitals.

He said there have been no talks thus far with the administration on the issue, nor does he expect any while Christie is pursuing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Christie vetoed the earlier bill in January at the end of the last legislative session.

Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, the chair of the Assembly’s appropriations committee, said he and three other co-sponsors recently resubmitted the bill, but added that the document likely will serve as a “place holder” until a revised bill can be worked out.

“Everybody’s regrouped coming out of the hectic last session,” Burzicelli said of the informal talks.

But he warned if no agreement can be reached, “it’ll be a field day for the tax attorneys.”

The bill stemmed from a state Tax Court decision last summer in which a judge invalidated the non-profit Morristown Medical Center’s property tax exemption. The hospital’s parent company agreed to pay $15.5 million to satisfy back taxes and interest plus make annual payment of about $1 million as tax on the for-profit component of its operations.

The Record Read more

Posted on February 10, 2016February 9, 2016 by James — 12 Comments

People Shop in Ridgewood for the charm and the “Destination Stores”

Fmr. Giant Lawrence Taylor r with Gary and Barbara at The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood. & Davidoff Lounge

February 10,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, We call them “Destination Stores ” if you have a special spot with a unique product people will find parking . The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood. & Davidoff Lounge is an example .Its called common sense! I know, it’s an old fashioned idea but something that is severely lacking nowadays.

Stores that have a commodity or service that is backed by good business have continued to prosper here in Ridgewood. Hillman, Country Curtains, Jekyl & Hyde, The Art Spot and Panico are examples of a few. Been in business a long time and continue to attract new customers. Mango use to be a good option but the last few years it’s grown stale, not a decline in business because of lack of parking but because the goods are pretty much the same stuff as 5 years ago. A place like Pazzazzed is stealing Mango’s thunder, better, more interesting goods.

If you offer a strong commodity or service, people will find parking, it’s worth the effort to walk a block or two. If it’s mediocre or lost its appeal, you won’t last.

Some business owners think because it’s Ridgewood, they are guaranteed to make money. As many have learned, that’s not the case. The owners of Novo tried the salad place, it didn’t work, now they have a restaurant that is currently successful. Did the salad place not work because there was no parking garage? No, because status quo with parking and now its success.

People like coming to the Village because it’s charming and for many their own towns don’t have a CBD. The worst thing this village could do would be to jam 4 or 5 massive high density building and an ugly, doesn’t fit on the lot garage. If they build that crap, I hope the 3 amigos have a huge plaque with their names and faces on it so all the people who see it and think “what the hell happened to Ridgewood” they can point to those plaques and go “right there, a very dark period in the Village’s history when the door was opened and a no good politician and his cohorts hijacked the place”.

Posted on February 9, 2016February 9, 2016 by James — 2 Comments

Multi State Task force Arrests Alleged Ridgewood Carjack and kidnappers

file photo by Boyd Loving

February 9,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , back in December the Ridgewood Police department investigated an alleged kidnapping and carjacking that was reported early Saturday morning.

At the time the Ridgewood Police said that the “vehicle in question” has been located near the Thruway in Bergen County, N.J, and an investigation is ongoing. .The victim has also been recovered suffering only minor injuries.At the time the Ridgewood Police withheld further information about the incident .And we were told New York State Police are also working with police in Ridgewood, N.J.

Today it is being reported that two men wanted in connection with this carjacking, kidnapping and robbery were arrested by members of a task force comprised of federal, state, county and local authorities. Including FBI and ICE, investigators from the New Jersey State Police, New York State Police and Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and members of the Ridgewood, Mahwah, Hawthorne and Waldwick Police departments .

Jostin Vidal Reyes of Waldwick and Wilbur J. Barhona of Ridgewood, both 20, were taken into custody Monday following more than a month and a half of intensive work.

Authorities and other sources said Reyes and Barhona got into a cab in Paterson around in the early a.m. hours of Dec. 26 for a ride to Waldwick. Sources say the two decided to rob the cabby and kidnap him once they reached Ridgewood and as previously reported ditched him on the New York Thruway.

The pair now face various counts of robbery, aggravated assault, cajacking, kidnapping ,weapons offenses and are being held pending $400,000 bail each in the Bergen County Jail.

Posted on February 9, 2016February 9, 2016 by James — 16 Comments

Ignoring the Economic flaws in the BCIA Financed Hudson Garage in Ridgewood does not mean they do not exist

February 9,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, We continue to hear this argument time and time again from the Mayors friends , “Those who are opposed to the garage should make a fact filled and compelling financial study of the project on their own to support the notion that it should not be built. No one has done this so far and hence a level of confusion exists that the people who are against it have not presented any concrete data to support their position that it will be bad for the village and will not sustain itself. Show me that data so all can make a rational and informed decision, My hunch is the data does not exist. In all likelihood the garage will loose some money during the first and possibly the second year of operation and then it will get up to full capacity and from there on will earn far above its projected break-even point. The demand clearly exists, there is not a lot you can do to screw it up so it should make a lot of money for the Village. Clearly if we adopted some of the earlier proposals the garages proposed would now be all paid off and we would be swimming in profits of a huge magnitude. Remember when the cost / space was calculated to be $1500/space. for a 580 car garage over Ken Smith. if only that were build we would be swimming in money today…..and all of our taxes would be far lower due to the huge cash flow thrown off from that project. Do not defame the garage project. It could turn out to be a real winner.!!.”

Nice dream….

In reality , “love an optimist! But, we have gone through the numbers and questioned the council numerous times. Read the Walker Report, which can be found on the Village Website. It says, perhaps on page 2, that the garage will not be self-funding. It will, as has always been the plan, be funded by increased meter rates all throughout downtown. That exact scheme has been asked for by Mr. Sedon and others, but nothing concrete has been said. Walker mentions eventually raising rates to !.00, increased hours until 9pm, increasing enforcement, not allowing meters to carry over, etc The council will be taking away some of their tools by saying they won’t raise rates saturday night (so as not to punish 5:30 Mass at Mt. Carmel) and now with BCIA you can’t charge commuters more than Ridgewood residents.”

“Furthermore, the actual bonding through BCIA is more expensive than Ridgewood bonding ourselves, and many in municipal finance question the assumptions used. Also, the building will go over budget as Albert promised himself. Lastly, there is demand for parking but currently you can always – always- find parking on street in that area of town. (in front of NY SPorts, up prospect etc.). The garage is not that much closer and it is a shame businesses were never able to convince their employees to park over there as that is what really takes street parking.”

Of coarse there is also the county politics and perhaps the real story;

“The answer is simple if we step back and look from a higher level. The garage will be built near the old Cadillac dealership to provide parking for the apartments that will be built there. The village mayor needs the support of those developers to fund his political aspirations and to do so needs to get the garage built as big as possible in that location to show his compliance and ensure donations for his next office run.

The apartments will be built as soon as the lawsuits begin, COHA judgements line up, and the remaining council fall in place. Makes some sense”

Posted on February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 by James — 1 Comment

Join Club Kidville in Ridgewood

Join Club Kidville!

Choose the monthly plan that fits your schedule…

Single Class Membership:
$99 Per Month
includes one class per week and
unlimited playspace access

Double Class Membership:
SAVINGS OF $50/month
$149 Per Month
includes two classes per week and
UNLIMITED playspace access

Unlimited Class Membership:
THE BEST OFFER
$199 Per Month
includes UNLIMITED classes per week and
UNLIMITED playspace access

Add a Sibling:
Only $50 more per month to add an additional child to your membership!

FEBRUARY CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Join us at these upcoming events & activities for Kidville families and new friends!

FREE Trial Class Week
week of February 8th
Enjoy a complimentary trial class (new members) and a surprise after class to show how much we love our Kidville family!
RSVP via Eventbrite – CLICK HERE.

Valentine’s Day Party
Save the Date: Friday February 12th
Join us for our annual Valentine’s Day celebration. Your family will enjoy Mini Photo Sessions, Take-Home Art Project, Open Gym and Yummy Snacks.
RSVP via Eventbrite – CLICK HERE.

President’s Day: Kidville is OPEN for Classes
+
Special Open Play from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Monday, February 15th
Children are invited to join us for a special all-day open play*!
Please call 201-493-1234 to be put on the open play list.
Playspace is limited to 30 children at a time for safety. Admission is on a first-come/first serve basis.

Kidville Ridgewood | 38 Oak Street | Ridgewood | NJ | 07450

Posted on February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

New DUE location in Ridgewood looking to be Open Next Week

February 8,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, DUE has left its old location for a new, much bigger, more comfortable location just four doors down the street at the former “Natalie’s” location!

They hope to open next week, so stay tuned for information about the grand re-opening of DUE!

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