Ridgewood NJ, readers responded with sarcastic wit at the possibility of using the ParkWise parking space locator App to quickly find down town parking availability. Some laughed ,” Not much of an advantage for Ridgewoodites. There will be plenty of open spots in the new parking structure.”
Other’s said “This idea makes great sense. Which is why, of course, the council and Roberta will not have anything to do with it.”
Many have learned over the years that with the Village of Ridgewood the MOST EXPENSIVE SOLUTION is always the best. Whether this is building and over priced ramp at Graydon Pool that nobody uses instead of the far better but cheaper alternative of the “mobi chair” .
Why should taxpayers spend nothing when we could spend millions needlessly? Thank you Paul, Albert, and Gwenn. is the question that rolls of readers tongue ?
Some still not really seeing the parking issue and said , “or they could drive around the block twice and find a spot.”
Other’s offered us a glimpse into the criminal mind as demonstrated in the past when Parking Meter improvement suggestion were being made, the suggestions were always attacked . Since then we have all learned that certain employees had a vested interest in carting out the lose change , ” That’s Boston…This is Ridgewood. Get over yourself’s Boston you are NOT.what a complete waste of time and effort.”
Regardless of where you stand on development in Ridgewood, one thing we can all agree on is that our Village Council must be held to the highest of standards when it comes to their voting practices and in their commitment to fulfilling their votes.
With this reasoning, on January 6th, our council must table any vote on the parking garage until the comprehensive traffic study is completed.
Let me explain:
On September 30th, the Village Council voted (4-1) in favor of doing 4 comprehensive studies regarding the high density housing issue.
Clerk Mailander’s vote call: “Amended version that we just read: multiple studies, traffic and infrastructure study, financial study, and a school impact study. It’s a comprehensive traffic study as outlined by Councilwoman Knudsen, CBD, surrounding neighborhoods, entire village. OK.”
Regarding what Councilwoman Knudsen specifically “outlined”:
“There has never been a comprehensive traffic study done of the CBD proper or the adjacent communities as a whole. It becomes incredibly relevant when we consider that there are four large parcels being considered for high density development with the north walnut redevelopment zone assisted living facility …… and coupled with the fact that we are engaging in ….a parking garage that would add over 300 vehicles to an already narrow, difficult, congested intersection of Broad Street and Hudson. When you take all of these collectively it really becomes imperative that we do our due diligence and ….get this right….so I think to that question, “What traffic studies have been done?” I think “not enough.”
Seeking clarification on December 9th, I asked Councilwoman Knudsen if it was her “intent” on September 30th that the parking garage be included in this traffic study before the parking garage was to be built.
Her response:
“My intention was that it was under the assumption that it had not been built…I was clear with that intention..Each of these very large projects combined had the potential impact and needed to be studied before we moved forward.”
Based on Councilwoman Knudsen’s original outline of the traffic part of the vote from September 30th and substantiated by the above statement on December 9th, the Village Council has no further recourse but to table any voting or other steps toward choosing a parking garage size, applying for a bond, etc, until the traffic study is first completed.
Having a few extra months of study with regard to the parking garage will only improve the traffic/parking situation and pave the way for perhaps even smarter solutions. For example, resident Rick Boesch observed that the parking app could be GPS enabled to show the available parking spaces at any given moment,thereby helping the situation immensely.
It is only of benefit to Ridgewood that our Village Council follows through with their vote on September 30thin regards to the proposed parking garage, so as to ensure that development in our CBD is handled in a smarter, less expensive and less piecemeal fashion.
December 18,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog and Readers
Editors note this article was complied with both staff and reader input
Ridgewood NJ, well Paul, how is this working out for you? Can you say BACKFIRE? You have FECES all over your face with this pitiful attempt to discredit the upstanding Councilwoman. I would suggest that you go to hell, but hell is too good for you.
Yet again our Council majority reaches new depths of hypocrisy. For any of them to talk about conflicts of interest is just laughable. They continue to hold others to standards that they have not come close to reaching themselves.
This story in the Ridgewood News attacking Susan Kundsan is pathetic. Another shining example of pathetic vindictiveness.
Just remember posters Paul Aronsohn could not do this or any thing without the help and votes from Big Al and The Valley Girl. So just remember next year when you vote all three must go. They are all Complicit in these acts. Don’t be fooled by the big words from Al or the cookies the Gwen bakes.
Aronsohn thinks he is playing with the big political boys by playing big-time political tricks, but he is the small-time type and also quite stupid. He forced his “reelection” as mayor by making Ms Hauck vote remotely from her family safari to impress dumb people such as Record reporters. He knows how to act sincere but he stares without listening and is probably the most pigheaded individual ever to sit on our dais. Once he decides something, he will move heaven and earth to make it happen. He is a classic opportunist without a single sincere bone in his carpetbagger’s body. His long series of efforts to defame sitting council members who refuse to kowtow to his every whim is an embarrassment to himself and his position and has tarnished the council for years. I would gladly throw him under a commuter train.
Unfair hit piece on Susan.From what I remember, the vote was to change the residency requirement for positions other than Police & Fire.
If the vote was to change the residency requirement for Police & Fire, then she may have a conflict.Do you wonder why people are hesitant to participate in local government? (https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-wrestles-over-whether-councilwoman-s-employee-residency-vote-was-a-conflict-of-interest-1.1474652)
However Aronsohn did attempt to delay former Mayor Keith Killion’s son from being appointed to the police department now his pulling the same nonsence with Susan Knudsen’s sons.
“Well first Paul Aronsohn had Chris Harris now he has Steve JANOSK from the Record He has the new reporter from the Ridgewood News and the Daily Voice is doing a pretty good job of keeping his smiling face and the parking garage on the front page these last couple of week.
DECEMBER 17, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2015, 1:44 PM
BY BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
As the winter solstice approaches, village trees are now nearly barren and another leaf collection season will draw to a conclusion.
The village is winding down its annual No Leaf Left Behind initiative in which leaves are collected from in front of residences by workers raking them into a pile and hauling them away.
It had been a particularly heavy leaf season during the past couple of months with 31,544 cubic yards of leaves already collected through Dec. 1. At that time last year, only 20,567 cubic yards had been collected, an increase of approximately 50 percent. The final round of leaf collection has begun with the final week occurring in Area D on Dec. 18 through Dec. 23.
Ridgewood has been described as a “very leafy town” with an annual collection of 32,000 to 35,000 yards of leaves on 95 miles of road.
This year’s biggest challenge was the amount of leaves that fell after a particularly heavy rainstorm in mid-November. Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said it caused a shift in the schedule.
“I remember walking out of my house and thinking ‘I can’t believe all of the leaves that are out here,'” said Sonenfeld.
In an e-notice sent out to residents, Sonenfeld did note the unusually heavy fall of leaves early in the season. A significant amount of leaves fell in that two- to three-day period after the storm causing some delays, but also made for an easier time of collecting leaves toward the end of the season.
CANCELLED: DECEMBER 22, 2015 and December 29, 2015
In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT public meetings for TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015 and TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2015, in the VILLAGE HALL COURT ROOM, 4th Floor, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning at 7:30 p.m. have been cancelled.
The next regular meeting will be held on January 12, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Hall Courtroom, 4th Floor, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ.
All meetings of the Ridgewood Board of Adjustment (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public
DECEMBER 16, 2015, 5:43 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015, 6:49 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
RIDGEWOOD — A question about whether a village councilwoman with sons on a police-hiring waiting list should vote on police matters has left village officials wrestling with a gray area of state law regarding conflicts of interest by municipal officials.
The issue first arose after a 2014 Village Council review of its residency requirement ordinance related to hiring municipal employees. The council voted to broaden residency requirements for civilian hires, but maintain hometown residency for public safety titles, specifically, police and firefighters.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen has three sons ranked highly on the waiting list of Police Department candidates. In the August 2014 council action, the vote by Knudsen and her colleagues maintained hometown residency requirements for public safety officers — without Knudsen telling the rest of the council or the public about her sons, all village residents.
And that has raised concerns that she may have voted despite a personal conflict of interest, said Mayor Paul Aronsohn. Aronsohn said the Village Council and administration learned about Knudsen’s sons only when she told them in a February closed-session meeting. But the public, he said, “had a right to know the details of the situation” before the vote. “None of us were made aware that any such conflict may have existed,” he said in an email.
State law is clear on conflicts of interest: No government officer or employee, it says, “shall act in his official capacity in any matter where he, a member of his immediate family, or a business organization in which he has an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment.”
Ridgewood NJ, if the new parking lot goes through as designed, they will reverse the traffic patterns on Hudson ad Passaic streets. But more importantly (and this was never mentioned in the impact studies), is that they also plan to remove on-street parking. This will be devastating to Mount Carmel Church and Knights of Columbus .
Also many current Merchants on Broad Street and nearby are going to get hammered all around both before during and after. Many small shops will barely survive in durring the construction and later in the shadow of a garage.
DECEMBER 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Any solutions should benefit entire village
To the Editor:
The “Officials face open space shortage” article on the Schedler property (The Ridgewood News, Dec. 4, page A1), exposes the perennial “zero sum” thinking that plagues village politics. It concludes: “…an unpopular decision in the eyes of one [or the other] group of people will have to be made.” The absence of a community-wide vision for our village perpetuates endless acrimonious interpersonal and intergroup relationships. Rather than focusing on special interest groups’ differences, we need a holistic approach that compares our community to surrounding ones, to North Jersey, and to our nation as a whole.
The obvious characteristics of our town are stark and too often ignored: 1) As this article states, we have the largest school system in Bergen County; 2) Ridgewood is one of the wealthiest communities in New Jersey with the one of the highest tax burdens; 3) We are universally [yes, the Internet] seen as a schooling magnet community so families move here; and 4) We have zero public policies designed to retain empty nesters, zero availability of over-55 housing, and zero assisted living facilities in the Central Business District.
We may want to believe we are “Lake Wobegon … where the men are strong, the women good-looking, and that all our children are above average,” but our denial of aging results in social engineering that ignores life stages and destroys a multigenerational family community.
Saying Ridgewood is exclusively a nuclear family-child raising community, lacks both a historical perspective and a desire to imagine the future. Well into the 1930s, smaller New England towns practiced “home relief” where aging homeowners unable to support themselves in retirement were maintained at the town’s expense, and when they died the sale of their homes reimbursed the town’s costs. Into the 21st century, Ridgewood is a powerful draw for upper middle class families from world cultures in which multigenerational families are the norm. Furthermore, a slower growth economy means all of our children will carry elder care obligations which are outside the range of what Social Security or Medicare can provide.
The Open Space worries reported here pale in the face of wider community concerns. Where 2,000 youths get to play baseball in a community of 25,000 is a valid special interest concern. Saving a complete forest as a barrier between a quiet neighborhood and Route 17 is also a valid special interest concern.
In reality, all the wooded areas closer to residential properties could be preserved while limited commercial development could take place preserving older growth trees. Taking up opportunities for commercial development that bring down taxes for all residents and help reverse the “aged cleansing” social engineering practice that characterize our town is the right thing to do for the majority of Ridgewood families. This is what leadership in a democracy should be all about.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood blog is the lone independent voice of headline news in North Jersey . While much larger competitors have
come and gone the Ridgewood blog has persevered with your help. The Ridgewood blog is a unique social experiment were readers have the ability to create and determine what news matters most to them. With your support the blog has been mindbogglingly successful and its because of reader participation that has made it so .It is a unique interaction experiment in community dialogue .
We appreciate and are grateful for all the contributions made by readers and from the suggestion of several readers would like to
extend readers an opportunity to become patrons . The patron program is open to all . For as little as $25 you can become a patron .Patrons
will be listed d on the side bar or like always chose to remain anonymous. Contributions of $250 or more receive a special gift ,which
will be sent out in January . Every little bit helps , from contributions to content.
The response to our recent email was very gratifying !
or if you prefer checks can be sent James Foytlin PO Box 227 Ridgewood NJ 07451
The funds will be used to offset IT services which have been a bit
staggering the last couple of years .
Founders Day : the History of the Ridgewood blog
the History of the Ridgewood blog
Monday, October 26, 2009
The Ridgewood blog ( https://theridgewoodblog.blogspot.com/ ) was founded in March of 2006 by James J Foytlin aka PJ Blogger .[1] Mr.
Foytlin was born and raised in Ridgewood ,New Jersey and is a graduate of Ridgewood High School .[2] [3]
After many years living in New York City[4] Mr Foytlin returned to Ridgewood after a divorce and the tragic events of 9/11 . Once he
settled in he noticed a lack of sufficient news coverage of local events . One day a friend from Brazil[5] showed him her home town on
the internet and to Mr. Foytlin’s great surprise when he tried to reciprocate he was utterly dismayed at the absolute lack of coverage
of his home town. After all Ridgewood is only 18 miles from midtown Manhattan[6] the media capital of world and there was not a single
picture of Ridgewood to be found . How could this be? Ridgewood is a picturesque upper middle class village of around 25,000 located in
Bergen county in northern New Jersey[7] . Founded by Dutch settlers before it became an English colony[8] . The town or village as its
called is steeped in rich history and tradition .Known for a large amount of Victorian era housing , a quality school system and a family
friendly atmosphere.
Though busy getting reacquainted with his home town the fact that the Village of Ridgewood was so under represented on the internet
continued to disturb Mr. Foytlin. Mr. Foytlin had been writing news letters for his job in financial services since the mid 1990’s . The
popular flip, off beat investment strategy news letters had become email blasts with the advent of readily accessible internet.[9] By
2004 the email blasts were converted into blog format for the One Small Voice blog ( https://onesmallvoice.blogspot.com/ ). [10]
Around that time the Village of Ridgewood had finally completed it’s much anticipated and long delayed renovation of the Village hall which
has been flooded out due to Hurricane Floyd.[11] The renovation was marred by huge cost over runs and lengthy delays. In 2005 it opened
with great fan fare , was once again flooded with the very first rain . Mr. Foytlin was more shocked by the abject lack of responsibilitytaken by elected officials than the fact that the $9 million dollar renovation had to some extent been a failure . That was the breaking
point and Mr. Foytlin had had enough so he decided to give , citizen journalism a go and created the Ridgewood blog in March of 2006. [12]
The birth of PJ Blogger .By this time Blogging its seems had become quite the rage and mainstream news anchors such as Dan Rather had
questioned the validity of information from non professionals sitting around in their Pajama’s blogging.[13] Mr. Foytlin not a fan of Dan
Rather or any of the mainstream media decided to blog under the name PJ Blogger as a play on words and to plant himself firmly in the camp
of the new digital media.
Innovations by the Ridgewood blog to citizen journalism.
“The Fly” is a column on the Ridgewood blog the originates from the expression ,”I’d like to be a fly on the wall “ . The idea is that
every citizen has both a unique perspective and experience and these two factors can be used to gather news and opinions about local
issues. Originally only of handful of people in town participated but with time the Ridgewood blog can now count on 20–40 semi regular
contributors. These post are both anonymous and signed and are largely opinion as well a breaking news.[14]
The Ridgewood blog brings a free market lassie fare point of view to local issues . Mr. Foytlin aka PJ Blogger has stated that for local
issues there are only two kinds of people ;the ones who say spend what every you want because I will not be around to pay the bill and the
second group which are more focused on the ,”be careful this is my money your spending” . The Ridgewood blog is dedicated to the
interplay of there two groups.[15]
[1][12] the Ridgewood blog website https://theridgewoodblog.blogspot.com/
[2] Birth Certificate born in Valley Hospital , Ridgewood 04/09/1962
[3] Ridgewood High School Class 1980
[4] 444 East 86th street ,530 East 72nd
[5] Monica Rocha
[6] Mapquest
[7] United States 2000 Census, the village population was 24,936.
[8] https://www.americantowns.com/nj/ridgewood/organization/village-of-ridgewood
[9] Fahnestock & Co. now Oppenheimer & Co.
[10] https://onesmallvoice.blogspot.com/
[11] https://www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/localhistory/lh_vh_pease.htm
[13] https://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110005611
[14] [15] James J Foytlin
DECEMBER 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Editor’s Note – The third event of Parlance Chamber Concerts’ ninth season will take place this coming Sunday afternoon, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m. at West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood. Here concert founder Michael Parloff gives us some background to the musicians and the program.
The concert will feature three spectacular virtuosi, violinist Kristin Lee, pianist Gilles Vonsattel (both winners of the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant) and the celebrated cellist Paul Watkins of the Emerson String Quartet.
In honor of Beethoven’s 245th birthday next Wednesday, Sunday afternoon’s concert will be devoted to three highlights of his chamber repertoire: the heroic A-major violin sonata (“Kreutzer”), the intimate cello sonata in C, and the ever-popular D-major piano trio (“The Ghost”).
Parlance Chamber Concerts
All Beethoven Program – Sunday, December 13 at 3pm – West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 S. Monroe Street, Ridgewood Free parking and Childcare Tickets at the Door – Adults $40; Seniors $30; Young Adults $20; Students $10
DUI the culprit in Route 17 South Bound Crash early Sunday Morning in Ridgewood
December 13,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , The adult female driver of a 4-door Ford Taurus was charged with driving under the influence in connection with a crash on Route 17 southbound in Ridgewood early Sunday morning. The crash occurred just prior to the Linwood Avenue overpass and shut down two (2) lanes of traffic on Route 17 southbound, plus an on ramp to the highway southbound from Linwood Avenue, for almost one (1) hour beginning at approximately 1 AM. No injuries were reported in the incident. HoHoKus and Paramus PD units assisted Ridgewood PD officers at the scene; Ridgewood FD personnel attended to a crash related fluid spill. A flatbed tow truck removed the Taurus from the roadway. The incident reportedly involved two (2) vehicles. One (1) of the vehicles was said to have fled the scene and was later involved in another crash on Route 4 westbound near the Garden State Parkway in Paramus. No word as to whether the driver of that vehicle was charged in connection with the Ridgewood incident.
DECEMBER 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Conservancy to continue work
To the Editor:
This time of year gives us a chance to reflect on the recent past. The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands is extremely grateful for the community support we have received. Without this, we never would have been able to accomplish all that we have in 2015. Our tasks have been numerous, from continuing the plantings at North Broad Street, running a Second Annual Daffodil Festival in conjunction with the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, placing a large decorative planter at the train station plaza, planting 5,000 more daffodil bulbs towards our ultimate goal of one for each resident, to organizing a cleanup at Twinney Pond Park with the Ridgewood Wildscape Association.
Twinney Pond Park is a unique ecological gem, a kettle pond dating back to the ice age. Ridgewood native and Rutgers ecologist Jean Epiphan has completed a thorough report on the vegetation. It has been determined that by removing the worst of the invasives and replanting with natives in the spring, that we will be able to help preserve this extraordinary park. We are making this project an ongoing educational opportunity for our Ridgewood students. Our Dec. 6 cleanup was a huge success and brought in countless community volunteers of all ages.
Our goal is to keep working on projects throughout the village, to enhance and improve our wonderful and varied parks. As we embark on our Annual Membership Drive, we urge you to look at our website to find out more information on our projects and to sign up to help: cfrpl.org.
Our sincere thanks for your support and our best wishes for the holiday season.
Time: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, E Ridgewood Ave and Oak St
Meet Santa at his house in Memorial Park at Van Neste Park Weather Permitting
Art of Motion is offering Teacher Holiday gift cards
Art of Motion is offering Teacher Holiday gift cards, $10.00 for a Pilates/Yoga, Dance or Conditioning Class in lieu of $20.00 drop in or two classes for $20.00.
Art of Motion
Chestnust St
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
DUXIANA Holiday Offer
DUXIANA is giving 20% off all down pillows and comforters through 12/31/15
Graham Elliot Saturday, December 12th @ 12:00 Noon
Star from the television show Master Chef and Junior Master Chef, Graham Elliot, will sign his new book:
Cooking Like a Master Chef
Richard Multi Saturday, December 12th @ 2:00pm
Former Mayor of Ramsey,
Richard Multi,will sign his new book: Sinatra at 100
Cookbook Launch Party Hoover Sunday, December 13th @ 2-4pm
Come celebrate the release of ALWAYS ADD LOVE: Real Food for Picky Eaters, written by Ridgewood author (and mom) Deidre Goehnert
This rich tapestry of family recipes offer clear, straightforward kid-freindly recipies and makes a great holiday gift.
A Merry Happy Noel
Music Launch Event
Sunday, December 13th 4-6pm
Come meet the artists, pick up a copy of the new CD, and have a cup of cheer
A new holiday (CD) album featuring:
Kristen Plumley, Soprano
Patricia Lazzara, Flute
Michael Caldwell, Piano
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.
While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
Ridgewood News Letter: Will parking deck pay for itself?
DECEMBER 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Will parking deck pay for itself?
To the Editor:
The results of the recent election have indicated that there is a need for a parking garage. The village website provided inadequate information. Of the three designs only one was shown.
The consultants have stated that the bond can be retired from the projected revenues. However, there is no evidence of the reliability of these projections.
The design that is favored by many is one that has brick panels. It is pleasing aesthetically. The design is more expensive to build and more expensive to maintain in this climate. No financial considerations appear to have figured in this design. In addition, there is only a small building in the vicinity that has some brick exterior. If the construction bids come too high, will the architect redesign the project at no additional fee?
The revenue projections are based on increased meter fees. When fees are raised, occupancy tends to go down. The financial report cites one case where this happened. If sufficient revenues are not generated, the town residents will be left holding the bag. The consultants and the council members will be long gone.
There is no urgency to build a large deck given the uncertainty of revenue projections. I therefore suggest that the project be built in two phases.
