Ridgewood NJ , October is Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month . This campaign is designed to not only promote awareness of pedestrian safety measures (pedestrian signals, crosswalks, etc.) and associated safe behaviors, but also stimulate knowledge utilized by the two target audiences, as well as all other public and private sector audiences. The primary goal is to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities. This can be accomplished by focusing on raising awareness and changing behavior through education, enforcement and engineering. This campaign strives to:
Motivate drivers to look for and stop for pedestrians.
Motivate pedestrians to use crosswalks and designated crossing locations.
Educate pedestrians about, and encourage the proper use of, pedestrian signals.
Encourage pedestrians to make themselves more visible in the dark, by wearing reflective clothing or carrying a flashlight.
The coach of the women’s softball team at a Christian college in Rockland County tried to turn his players into porn stars by offering to help them get jobs in the adult entertainment industry — and even invited well-known skin-flick actress Allie Haze to a practice so she could deliver “life counseling sessions,’’ bombshell lawsuits state.
Kurt Ludwigsen, 44, was arrested in April for improper sexual conduct with his Nyack College players. Lawsuits filed Friday by three of them charge he would routinely slap their butts, grab their breasts and make them sit on his lap.
“I am going to ear f–k you. This is your punishment. You are going to stand here and take it,” Ludwigsen told a pitcher after she lost a game in March 2015, according to her Manhattan federal court lawsuit. “Ludwigsen then began to lick [her] ear. When [she] tried to pull away, Ludwigsen held her tighter and said, ‘Stop moving. I told you that you are going to stand here and take it.’ ”
The suits also accuse Ludwigsen of “inviting Haze to practice and directing students to life counselling sessions with her.”
We have former Mayor and now appointed local judge Pfund to thank. Without Ordinance 3066, passed purposely in July 2007 when many residents were down the shore, applications to amend the Master Plan would never have even been considered. Then the developers used an old anchoring by applying for 50 units, only to say they’d “comprised” down to 35. The anchor number used should have been the 12 in the Master Plan, and they should have comprised at 18-24, reflecting current Village densities. Development is surely need in the CBD – it’s an eyesore with too much dead space and decaying remnants of the past – but Ordinance 3066 and the 50 number should have never happened in the first place. That’s Pfund’s folly…. These wheels have been in motion since 2007
I had little hope going into last night’s meeting. I am so proud of everyone who came and stood up for our village. Bottom line, we have to repeal ordinance 3066. Also, say no to ordinances requesting our Master Planner. Our Master Plan should be treated with the respect it deserves. It has been in place for decades, protecting our village from the potential high density developments that are on the table now. Should development occur, yes, but within the safeguards of the master plan. Developers: get a variance and if appropriate for Ridgewood it will pass. If the densities are to low for your project and potential profits, to bad, come to the table with something else. But don’t threaten residents with statements “if you don’t give us this, we’ll do something you really won’t like”. That is not neighborly or nice.
We should have been signing petitions to repeal Ordinance 3066 five years ago or more. I agree that 35 units is too high, but that’s because developers are allowed to submit proposals to amend the Master Plan under Ordinance 3066 (passed by then Mayor Pfund under cover of July summer vacations in 2007 to help out his pals at Valley), and its easy to anchor the debate initially at 50 units and then say you’ve “compromised down to 35 units even though the initial anchoring of the discussion should have been at 12 units as per the existing Master Plan.
OCTOBER 4, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2015, 12:29 AM
BY NICHOLAS PUGLIESE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
NEW YORK — In the five years since Tyler Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge, concerns about online bullying and harassment have only increased as daily interactions are mediated more and more by technology.
Victims of online abuse — in the form of threats, personal data breaches or “revenge pornography” — often feel powerless to hold aggressors accountable, given the anonymity that the Internet provides and an opaque regulatory environment that lags advances in technology.
On Saturday, the New York Law School launched the Tyler Clementi Institute for Internet Safety, the country’s first pro bono clinic at a law school that represents victims of what is commonly known as cyberbullying. The institute, started in coordination with the Tyler Clementi Foundation and run by Celementi’s parents, aims to make lawyers available in all 50 states who will advocate on behalf of victims in schools, corporate settings and courts.
“It’s very encouraging,” said Clementi’s father, Joseph. “The Internet now allows people to make comments, post photographs, do all kinds of things that are in cyberspace forever and can be constantly referred to by anyone who chooses to look at it. The humiliation is amplified.
Parent ‘offended’ by REA president’s recent comments
To the Editor:
I take personal exception to Mr. Michael Yannone’s letter to the editor of The Ridgewood News dated Sept. 25. In its own letter, the Board of Education’s president, vice president and two trustees clearly outlined where Mr. Yannone went wrong in his belief that the Board of Education is disrespecting our teachers.
As a parent in this district and as just one of the countless parent volunteers who has worked tirelessly to improve our schools and help our excellent teachers in and out of the classroom, I am very offended by Mr. Yannone’s words and tone. Perhaps he should take the time to go on a field trip or enjoy a parent provided meal with his teachers. Maybe he should visit an elementary school and see behind the scenes as parents and teachers work hand in hand to create amazing moments. Maybe he should attend an HSA and Board of Education meeting to hear the support of parents for their teachers. I can provide countless suggestions.
Ridgewood is a charming New Jersey town whose residents often return to their roots to raise their own children. This village attracts families from the city, such as myself, not just because of its charm or the ease of transportation, but because of the schools.
Our schools are ranked as some of the best in the state and country, yes, because of our excellent teachers but also because of how well run they are by our school board both fiscally and academically. Parents in this community constantly are concerned not only with keeping the bar high academically but in also helping teachers in any way they can to insure our children are provided the best education. Parents work hard to guarantee teachers are given the resources to achieve that goal.
Is Mr. Yannone suggesting updated books, modern technology, refurbished classrooms are not necessary for our teachers? What about our children? I understand Mr. Yannone is the advocate for our teachers, but what is education ultimately about if it is not about the education of our students?
It seems to me that our Board of Education (all volunteers by the way) does an amazing job by balancing the different interests that create our top notch school system. I know their priority is and has always been about educating our children and thereby insuring more people will be returning to Ridgewood or discovering the district’s commitment to educational excellence.
I also know that parents will be there every step of the way with our teachers and administrators to lend a hand.
The time of the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Regular Public Meeting on Monday, October 5, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.
The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting will be aired live on FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77. Or it may be viewed live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Link in Live” tab.
Click here to view the agenda for the October 5, 2015 Regular Public Meeting.
Ridgewood NJ, One (1) adult male was taken into custody by Ridgewood PD officers following an altercation at a 2-family home on Ethelbert Place during which one (1) tenant of the house held a knife to the throat of another tenant.
The victim and alleged perpetrator are not related. The individual taken into custody was transported to Ridgewood PD headquarters for processing.All defendants are considered innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
Ridgewood NJ, PSE&G is making preparations for a possible landfall of Hurricane Joaquin. We are also closely monitoring the expected heavy rains and high winds over the next several days.
While it is too early to know with any certainty when and where Joaquin will make landfall – and the strength of the storm when it does – we take every storm with the potential for outages seriously. We are activating our emergency protocol and personnel, and performing system checks on critical transmission and distribution equipment. Also, we are requesting mutual aid from other utilities, securing additional tree crews and ensuring the availability of materials and supplies.
What can you do?
Generator Usage:
• If your facility has a generator, now is a good time to ensure the generator is in good working order and there is sufficient fuel for your operating needs.
• Review generator safety information found on our EnergeLink website.
Communicating with PSE&G:
• Register for our free MyAlerts service ahead of time to receive email or text notifications about an outage at pseg.com/myalerts.
• Sign up for My Account at pseg.com and bookmark the mobile-friendly homepage on your smart phone to report outages and check restoration progress.
• Compile a list of emergency phone numbers, including PSE&G’s dedicated, toll-free Business Solutions Center line at 1-855-249-7734 (1-855-BIZ-PSEG). “Like” PSEG on Facebook and follow PSEG on Twitter @PSEGdelivers for tips and information about storm progress.
• Be ready to report and track outages on PSE&G’s “Outage Center” at pseg.com/outagecenter.
Additional preparedness information can be found at www.ready.gov.
OCTOBER 2, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015, 12:24 AM
BY JEAN RIMBACH AND JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
The day after a tumultuous county freeholder meeting attended by critics seeking the ouster of Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli, Freeholder Chairwoman Joan Voss said those concerns should be taken to the state.
“If they have an issue, they should go to the attorney general,” Voss said Thursday, noting the attorney general oversees all county prosecutors.
“The Freeholder Board can’t do anything,” she added. “It’s the prerogative of the attorney general.”
Bill Brennan — a former firefighter who runs a Facebook page critical of Molinelli — and several others attended Wednesday’s meeting to call on the board to pass a resolution requesting the attorney general take over the Prosecutor’s Office due to a crisis in public confidence. Brennan said Thursday that state law would allow it; Voss said she has not had a chance to talk with the board attorney.
“Their stubborn refusal to act is myopic,” said Brennan. “They must know they have this authority and if they didn’t know there’s ample opportunity to investigate it. I want them to act in accordance with the law.”
Even though it’s probably important to update the code, I shudder at who is doing it. They know nothing–any of them–including and especially Rogers. And I do not trust their motivations whatsoever. With any luck they’ll be too busy to do very much, and then the project can continue after the next council has replaced Rogers and Sonenfeld.
Past bad acts are still past bad acts on behalf of the village manager and council. This does not absolve them from their sins.
“In order to complete the project without an astronomical cost to the village, it was announced by Sonenfeld last week that Rogers would be doing the work free of charge.
“The cost for this would be significant,” said the attorney. “I just felt it was something that should be done, needs to be done and I wanted to get it done. The only way to do it was to donate the time.”
I wonder how much this complete overhaul will cost? I can see some very large bills from outside counsel coming as I don’t expect any of our in-house legal beagles to be up to the task.
Robertas letter to the editor last week: “..when we find an issue or a problem or an ordinance that is outdated, we don’t ignore it – we fix it.”
CORRECTION: when we find an issue or a problem or an ordinance that is outdated, WE IGNORE IT, do whatever the hell we want, and then when Knudsen, Sedon, or a member of the public pints this out we decide to fix it after the fact.
Roberta has done this multiple times in she short train wreck of a tenure with us
OCTOBER 1, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2015, 5:23 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Plans to take a final vote on the ordinances that would rezone four parcels of land in downtown Ridgewood for multifamily housing were put on hold as the council decided to commission more studies on the impact of the potential resulting projects.
Wednesday was set to be the final public hearing on the five ordinances and hundreds of residents turned out to hear the council’s decision. Those packed into the council chambers displayed signs and often erupted in applause after a speaker voiced opposition to the amendments. Reaction was similar in the crowded overflow rooms on the first floor where the public watched via live stream on projectors.
Deep into the evening, members of the council intervened to request more studies and analysis, echoing the call of many speakers who believed the governing body had not done its due diligence.
Between speakers, the council broke off into a discussion about possibly continuing the public hearing at another meeting since it was already past 11 p.m. and many residents were still on line waiting to speak.
The discussion resulted in Councilman Michael Sedon officially putting forth a motion to have a financial study on the impact of the new developments in the Central Business District, particularly in regards to the effects new apartment buildings would have on the tax base.
Councilwoman Susan Knudsen seconded the motion, asking Sedon to amend the motion to allow for a traffic study along with an impact study on the downtown area as a whole, to which Sedon agreed. As the discussion ensued further, infrastructure and school impact studies were also included in the motion.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn and Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck joined Sedon and Knudsen, voting in favor of having the studies done and continuing the public hearings to Monday, Nov. 9.
As many of you may know by now, Governor Chris Christie issued a State of Emergency this morning, alerting the public to be ready if Hurricane Joaquin’s trajectory brings it to N.J.
I am writing to you to let you know that we have been and will be on top of this situation. Your Village staff began preparations earlier this week, and we met this morning to continue our monitoring of this situation. Police, Fire and Emergency Services are all prepped and ready to go as is our DPW, Sewer & Water staff.
Currently one of Joaquin’s possible trajectories has it arriving Monday evening into Tuesday. We will keep you informed as more is known. So please take any storm preparedness steps that you normally would. Our Office of Emergency Management has a website page for tips and planning for hurricanes. Here is the link.
Hopefully the hurricane will take another track and we will not be impacted.
Our primary concern over the next couple of days is the possibility of high winds and significant rainfall possibly resulting in flooding and tree damage. The risk of tree damage has increased due to the drought conditions that we have been experiencing. The timeframe for this weather appears to be Friday evening through Saturday. We have staff and contractors on call in the event of downed trees or other emergency situations.
If you or anyone in your neighborhood has tree damage that results in a compromised street situation, please call (201) 652-3900: appropriate resources will be identified and deployed.
If your power goes out, please call PSE&G directly – 1(800) 436-PSEG; this will result in the most effective servicing.
Sign-ups for E-Notices as well as telephone notifications can be done on our website (www.ridgewoodnj.net). Please reach out to your neighbors who may not receive E-Notices or reverse 911 calls.
For anyone with special needs/disability related requirements, please email jkleiman@ridgewoodnj.net.
Best regards,
Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203
-PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS-
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015, 11:13 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Questions have arisen in recent weeks over the process by which the Village Council submitted its application to Bergen County for its Open Space grant, prompting officials to respond in a public forum.
During a recent council meeting, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld dedicated a portion of her manager’s report to address questions that had been brought up both that evening and in past meetings.
The Village of Ridgewood has applied for a Bergen County Open Space matching grant that will cover preliminary work needed at the Schedler property to allow for the construction of any passive or active recreational purposes on the site, said Sonenfeld.
The grant will fund the removal of the garage and shed, the capping of a well and the removal of dead, diseased or downed trees and stumps. Bidding for this work will go out in October or November pending the approval of another resolution by the council.
During public comment, resident Frank Delvecchio asked if the village is providing any funding for the project as the open space application indicated $100,000 in capital funds will be used in order to apply.
Sonenfeld said the $100,000 amount is a gift coming from the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association (RBSA), which would be accepted through the village’s gift ordinance and could then be deposited into a special trust fund for the park before moving it into a municipal capital fund account.
Every household will be receiving a flyer in the mail with 2015 leaf collection information. If you would like to print the flyer for your reference Click Here
LEAF COLLECTION BEGINS October 19, 2015.
Last year the Village of Ridgewood implemented a pilot program to outsource a portion of our leaf removal service. After reviewing and evaluating input that was provided by you regarding the success of this change, we again will be using the services of a third party contractor in Area B. The combined effort of the Village staff and this contractor will enforce our continuing commitment to improve your Village services.
In accordance with last years’ schedule, residents in Area B will remain the same with the exception of the following streets which will now be considered “Area D” for leaf season only.
Leaves must be placed directly in the street no more than 7 days prior to your scheduled pick up date. Please have your leaves in the street on the first day scheduled for collection. If you employ the services of a landscaper communicate these dates to them. No brush will be collected during leaf season. You may continue to bring leaves as well as brush to the Recycling Center. The hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Leaves can also be placed in paper biodegradable bags. Bags will be available at the Recycling Center on a first come, first serve basis. When using bags please place them on the curb area and they will be collected separately.
The most vocal comment heard from residents last year was on properties who did not comply with the schedule. Therefore enforcement will be vital to the Village’s success to improve this service. An enforcement agent will issue a summons to those that violate these guidelines.
As weather is a key component to this operation, if changes become necessary it will be posted on the Village of Ridgewood website. In addition you are encouraged to sign up for e-mail notifications via the Village website and to share this information with your neighbors. As a reminder, use caution when our leaf removal crews are on your block. When possible please take an alternate route to ensure the safety of all. Should you have any questions, please call the Street Division at (201) 670-5585.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015, 11:51 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Village professionals are undertaking an arduous review of Ridgewood’s entire code book and the ordinances it contains.
The intent of the project is to review each chapter, article and ordinance in the code book to determine its relevancy. Ordinances deemed to be out of date will be presented to the council for a review and discussion of any possible amendments.
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said at the Sept. 16 council meeting that the final product would be an up-to-date code that is consistent with current and best practices to avoid having to amend ordinances as issues reveal themselves.
“It has always been in this spirit that we have done that, and not as a ‘gotcha’ moment,” Sonenfeld said. “But that does cause some discomfort and I am aware of that.”
An example is the ordinance that was recently discussed by the council involving hiring employees at a higher pay rate than the lowest end of the salary range on a case-by-case basis. As Sonenfeld and Village Attorney Matthew Rogers were discussing the idea of reviewing the entire code book, it became apparent that holding off on introducing such a change would be a better way to go.
The ordinance would have been introduced this month, but Sonenfeld had it pulled from the agenda in order to review the entire Civil Service section of the code book as part of the project.
Ridgewood NJ , A huge turn out filled the the courtroom last night with some estimates saying there was another 300 people in the rooms downstairs watching it on the TV’s.It seems the people were finally heard. The council voted 4-1 (Al Pucciarelli the only no vote) to continue the hearings and conduct impact studies on the fiscal impacts, traffic (a comprehensive study that would include all off the proposed buildings as well as the 2 parking garages and the 98 unit assisted living facility), and schools.
The resistance to the over development and urbanization was spearheaded by the Citizens for a Better Ridgewood . The group is non-profit with a mission to make sure development is achieved within the character of Ridgewood.
They are in favor of development that compliments our existing CBD. “Our town has been reacting for far too long. It is time for a shared vision, a comprehensive plan that allows for extensive community input and can move us forward.”
The council has postponed the vote on the ordinances to increase the density from 12 to 35 until those studies have been done. The next meeting will be held Monday, November 9th. Many people left because it just ran too late so If you want your chance to speak Nov 9th, you will be able to.
Reader said , “Partial victory tonight… tabled the vote! However the real solution here is to roll back the “Valley Hospital inspired” master plan changes which allowed these ordinances even be proposed in the first place.”
