Tag: Ridgewood NJ

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Pros of multifamily housing outweigh cons

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Pros of multifamily housing outweigh cons

NOVEMBER 14, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Downtown housing: pros outweigh cons

To the Editor:

Like many other passionate residents of Ridgewood, I’ve been closely following the discussions around the proposals for new multifamily housing in downtown and I believe the benefits will outweigh any negative impacts.

While I wouldn’t live anywhere else, I have the uneasy feeling that Ridgewood is kind of idling. The vacant storefronts, the empty car dealership lots, give me, and others, a sense that Ridgewood is stuck, with no plan for the future.

So along comes a group of developers with proposals to do something – and it’s up to all of us to figure out if it’s a good idea, given any number of inevitable alternatives. I think it is.

As we and our neighbors age, new downtown housing will give all of us the opportunity to downsize one day into a modern apartment without having to leave the town we love. And who knows – maybe our young adult kids will move back into town with other young professionals, who aren’t ready to buy a house yet and want an easy commute.

Stores and restaurants will also benefit by having patrons not just on the busy weekends, but on the off-days too – shopping and dining without the need for a car.

But most importantly, I’ve learned our schools would see minimal impact. According to the Board of Education, 277 non-garden style apartments in town yield a mere 17 public school children.

The use of non-garden apartment data is the most accurate predictive measure of school age children in this case, since the proposals fit this category of housing. And besides, how many families with kids would rent a luxury apartment when they can already rent a house in town with a backyard for the same price?

The schools superintendent also says that some schools do have capacity, such as Orchard, which would be fed by The Dayton, for instance. Using the data above, The Dayton would yield very few children, certainly at a level that could be absorbed across K-12th grade classrooms.

So when looking at the full picture, I believe the Planning Board and Village Council must act to bring some degree of new housing, and progress, to Ridgewood.

Louis J. Reynolds

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-pros-of-multifamily-housing-outweigh-cons-1.1133324

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Bergen County’s suburbs embrace a touch of the city 

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Bergen County’s suburbs embrace a touch of the city 

NOVEMBER 16, 2014    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2014, 12:48 AM
BY JOAN VERDON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Robert Weiner, co-owner of the Bruce the Bed King mattress and furniture store on Hackensack’s Main Street, last week took his 96-year-old father to see a first in the 60 years since his family opened its store — a 222-unit apartment building rising on State Street, a block from downtown.

That project and two others that will put an additional 700 apartments on Main Street are the result of zoning revisions that Hackensack put in place two years ago and the first signs of a policy shift that could produce the biggest transformation of North Jersey’s downtowns since the arrival of the malls pulled shoppers away from town centers in the 1960s and 1970s.

A growing number of North Jersey municipalities, like Hackensack, believe that adding rental apartments in their downtowns is the key to revitalizing their Main Streets. Not everyone, though, is convinced that downtowns and residential apartments are a perfect fit.

North Jersey, and particularly Bergen County, was an example of suburban prosperity in the latter part of the 20th century, typified by single-family homes and shopping centers along highways. But now North Jersey’s suburbs are responding to a 21st-century sensibility of millennials — those between the ages of 18 and 33 — who want to live in urban environments such as Hoboken or Brooklyn, as well as aging suburbanites who want to downsize without leaving their hometowns.

Demand for rental apartments, especially near train stations, is driving the change. “People want to live in places where they have that downtown, where they can live close to things that they’re going to eat and things that they’re going to buy, and the market is following,” said Maggie Peters, director of the Bergen County Economic Development Corp. Developers, she said, have known this already “and now municipalities are starting to react.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-s-suburbs-embrace-a-touch-of-the-city-1.1134517

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Ridgewood Council must follow meetings protocol

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file photo Boyd Loving

Ridgewood Council must follow meetings protocol

To the Editor:

In response to concerns voiced by several residents regarding Village Council members’ adherence to provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act, the council unanimously adopted Resolution 13-87, “Village Council Meetings and Communications Protocol,” in April of 2013. This document, which was developed by the council with the very best of intentions, is a list of “dos and don’ts” for the five elected council members to follow when discussing, investigating, or preparing for deliberation of municipal business.

Item No. 4 in this list reads as follows: “Telephonic or electronic communication between or among Council members or between a Council member and a member of the public during public meetings is prohibited.” In the 2013 public work sessions at which this document was edited, the clause prohibiting contact with members of the public was specifically inserted.

At both the Oct. 22 and Nov. 5, 2014, Village Council meetings, it was revealed that some members have their telephones and/or tablets on during meetings, and receive and reply to messages from family members. Resolution 13-87.4 does not allow for any exceptions to the prohibition, and family members are certainly members of the public. Both Mayor Aronsohn and Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli have clearly indicated that they have no problem breaking this rule in order to communicate with their families. As one resident stated on Nov. 5, this does not meet the high standards they set for themselves.

Our Village Council members put in long hours conducting business for Ridgewood, so one can imagine their temptation to be in touch with family during an evening meeting. Unfortunately, when their own rule is being broken, with private communications occurring during public meetings, members of the community are left with no way of knowing whether electronic exchanges might be taking place regarding substantive matters on the council agenda. If such interactions were to take place, this would seem to contradict the principles of the Open Public Meetings Act.

It is my hope that, moving forward, the Village Council will start following this document to the letter of their own law. Having telephones and tablets turned off and out of reach during these public meetings would completely eliminate any hint of impropriety.

Anne LaGrange Loving

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-ridgewood-council-must-follow-meetings-protocol-1.1133521

 

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Ridgewood Police Department : Resident Vehicle Identification stickers

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Ridgewood Police Department : Resident Vehicle Identification stickers 

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police Department would like to thank Ridgewood PBA Local 20 for their continued support of our crime prevention efforts. Once again PBA Local 20 has supplied and will be distributing Resident Vehicle Identification stickers in their annual mailing. These stickers assist in identification of resident and non-resident vehicles during proactive/directed patrols and in response to emergent incidents.


Additional stickers will be available at the police desk with proof of residence.

Esurance

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Crash propels vehicle onto lawn in Ridgewood

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Crash propels vehicle onto lawn in Ridgewood
November 
Boyd A. Loving
9:48 AM

Ridgewood NJ, The driver of a silver colored 4-door Toyota Corolla sustained a minor injury after her vehicle collided with a Ford pickup truck at the intersection of Godwin and South Murray Avenues in Ridgewood on Thursday morning, 11/13.  The crash impact sent the Toyota up onto a short retaining wall associated with the lawn of a nearby home.  Both vehicles were towed from the scene.  The injured driver refused medical assistance.  Ridgewood PD, EMS, and FD responded.

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

Esurance

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Ridgewood ‘s, Libby Geist Named to the Hollywood Reporter’s 21st annual definitive list of the industry’s top execs, 35 and under

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Ridgewood ‘s, Libby Geist Named to the Hollywood Reporter’s 21st annual definitive list of the industry’s top execs, 35 and under


 Libby Geist, 34Senior Director of Development, ESPN Films

For three years, Geist has run development for ESPN Films’ influential 30 for 30 documentary series, finding stories and filmmakers that have ranged from Michael Rapaport to Alex Gibney. In 2013, the married mother of two (her husband,Kevin Wildes, oversees ESPN2’s Olbermann and Bill Simmons’ recently launched The Grantland Basketball Houron ESPN) also spearheaded the Nine for IX series. The latter marked the 40th anniversary of Title IX and featured nine films — all directed by women — recounting milestone stories about such barrier-breakers as Venus Williams and Pat Summitt. Unlike her father (veteran CBS News correspondent Bill Geist) and brother (Today anchor Willie Geist), the University of Wisconsin grad has no aspirations of appearing in front of the camera. “Growing up, it wasn’t unusual for my brother and I to walk into the kitchen and stumble into a full crew and TV setup,” she says. “But I’ve always loved documentaries, so being behind the camera was the only place to be.”

MY BIG BREAK
“I had just started working in PR — I was awful — when the president of the company [Dan Klores] announced he was leaving to start a production company [Shoot the Moon Productions]. He needed a right-hand man, and I dove at the chance.”

FAVORITE MOVIE
“Searching for Sugar Man”

I CAN’T GET THROUGH THE WORKDAY WITHOUT
“Adding to my Netflix documentary queue.”

WHEN I’M NOT AT WORK, YOU’LL FIND ME
“Chasing my dog and little boys at the Great Lawn in Central Park.”

MY INDULGENCE
“Oreos, usually just after working out.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/person/libby-geist-34

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Former Rep. Marge Roukema dies at 85

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Former Rep. Marge Roukema dies at 85

NOVEMBER 12, 2014, 11:26 AM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2014, 11:48 AM
BY HERB JACKSON AND JAY LEVIN
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

Former Rep. Marge Roukema, who was the longest-serving woman in Congress when she announced her retirement in 2002 after 11 terms, died at Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff. She was 85.

The cause of death was not immediately available, but Roukema had Alzheimer’s disease.

A moderate Republican whose independent streak occasionally riled the more conservative members of her party, Roukema was the sponsor and leading advocate in the House for requiring employers to provide 12 weeks of unpaid family leave for employees. The bill was vetoed twice by President George H.W. Bush before it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

She also sponsored a law making it a federal crime to not pay child support, and was a leading advocate for Bush’s elementary and secondary school reform, though she was instrumental in deleting provisions for vouchers to private and parochial schools.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/former-rep-marge-roukema-dies-at-85-1.1131845

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Thanking America’s Heroes on Veterans Day

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Rep Garrett with two vets at the Glen Rock street fair 

Dear Friend,
 
Today, our nation pauses to remember the sacrifices that have been made by our veterans—every man and woman who proudly defended our country. To a brave few, duty and service are more than words, they are a way of life. 
 
As Americans, our freedoms and liberties have been secured because of our veterans.  From the Continental Armies of the American Revolution to those returning home today from places abroad, our veterans have proven, time and again, to be among our greatest national treasures.

As President John F. Kennedy—himself an American war hero—once said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”  Today, and every day, please join me in remembering and honoring our veterans.

Sincerely,


Rep. Scott Garrett

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Got Freedom? Thank a Veteran

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Got Freedom? Thank a Veteran
NJ Tea Party Coalition

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations came into effect. On November 11, 1919, Armistice Day was commemorated for the first time.

In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed the day should be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory”. There were plans for parades, public meetings and a brief suspension of business activities at 11am.

In 1926, the United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I and declared that the anniversary of the armistice should be commemorated with prayer and thanksgiving. The Congress also requested that the president should “issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.”

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) was approved on May 13, 1938, which made November 11 in each year a legal holiday, known as Armistice Day. This day was originally intended to honor veterans of World War I.

 A few years later, World War II required the largest mobilization of service men in the history of the United States and the American forces fought in Korea. In 1954, the veterans service organizations urged Congress to change the word “Armistice” to “Veterans”.

Congress approved this change and on June 1, 1954,

November 11 became a day to honor all American veterans, where ever and whenever they had served.

The following is a list of Veterans Day discounts on restaurants, goods, services and events for 2014.

https://www.military.com/veterans-day/veterans-day-military-discounts.html

Eight Ways to Express Appreciation on Veterans Day:

https://www.military.com/veterans-day/8-ways-to-express-appreciation-on-veterans-day.html?comp=7000023121580&rank=3

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Friends, family fighting for Ridgewood’s ‘Strong Mom’

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Friends, family fighting for Ridgewood’s ‘Strong Mom’

NOVEMBER 10, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014, 1:04 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

“I love you, too.”

In the past, Ridgewood resident Glenn Prettitore, like anyone, would not have thought much of hearing his wife Kerrie say this.

But in the past six months of showering Kerrie at her bedside with utterances of “I love you,” Glenn has only heard her say “I love you, too” twice.

Since a fight for her life began in the spring, 42-year-old Kerrie, a mother of three young children, is now barely verbal, after emerging from a recent coma.

Besides “I love you, too,” Kerrie – a graphic designer who loved ones described as a quietly strong, kind, and nonjudgmental neighbor, wife, friend, and avid snowboader – can just say “what,” “yes,” “no” and “OK,” and make occasional undistinguishable sounds.

“These things come out, she says them. Deep down, they’re there. In my mind, these connections are there… [but] I say it probably 100 times when I’m there, and I’ve heard it twice,” he said during a recent phone call before going to Kerrie’s bedside at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange.

This state of minimal consciousness is the result of a single administration in mid-March of the chemotherapy drug fluorouracil: Kerrie’s body was unable to break the drug down, since Kerrie, who was receiving the preventative chemotherapy after recovering from colon cancer surgery, also had a previously undiagnosed genetic disorder called DPD deficiency.

Before entering a coma, Kerrie had a severe and painful reaction to the chemotherapy, because, according to cancer researchers, the DPD enzyme is needed to break down the chemotherapy drugs fluorouracil and capecitabin.

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/loved-ones-fighting-for-strong-mom-1.1130476

 

https://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/care-for-kerrie/160228

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Ridgewood addresses parking crunch

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood addresses parking crunch

NOVEMBER 7, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Parking in the village may have gotten a little easier this week, depending on where you live.

Considerable debate regarding Ridgewood’s parking dearth — and how best to address it — resulted in determined action Wednesday night, as the council approved several ordinances and a resolution updating the village’s various parking standards.

The council’s focus in recent months has turned toward improving parking for Ridgewood’s residents and village visitors.

Recently, the council adopted regulations permitting valet parking at certain businesses, and orchestrated a deal securing space at the former Ken Smith Motors site on Franklin Avenue for parking by employees of village businesses.

Council members have also been working with county officials to secure funding to build a parking garage downtown.

But this week’s moves by the council standardized meters throughout Ridgewood, changing 12-hour meters to three-hour meters, with meters in effect from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The council also amended its parking permitting process.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-addresses-parking-crunch-1.1128839

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Village of Ridgewood Boards and Council Meetings

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file photo Boyd Loving
Village of Ridgewood Boards and Council Meetings

11/11/147:30PMBoard of Adjustment Regular Public Meeting
11/12/148:00PMVillage Council Public Meeting
11/17/147:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting – RHS Student Center
11/18/147:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting – Rescheduled to 11/17
11/25/147:30PMBoard of Adjustment Regular Public Meeting
12/02/147:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting
12/03/147:30PMVillage Council Public Work Session

Give thanks, send smiles! Save $10 on Flowers & Gifts purchase of $59.99 & up for Thanksgiving at 1800flowers.com. Use Promo Code THNKTEN at checkout. (Offer Ends 11/27/2014)show?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=216823

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Magic by Marco

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Magic by Marco

Great program for Ages 2 and Up

Magic by Marco” at the Community Center The Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to offer an interactive show filled with amazing magic with a comedic twist. It’s a fun mystical show you won’t want to miss! “Magic by Marco” will be held on Friday, November 7th, 1 p.m., at the Anne Zusy Youth Lounge, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood. Admission is $5.00, ages 2 and up. Tickets may be purchased in advance online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass or in person at the Recreation Office at the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, weekdays between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. For additional information or if special accommodations are needed you may contact the Recreation office at 201-670-5560.

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Defending searches, security director says ‘every school has drugs in it’

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Defending searches, security director says ‘every school has drugs in it’

November 3, 2014

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Charlie Brown, security director for West Michigan’s Rockford school district, believes “every school had drugs in it.”

That’s why Rockford schools and numerous others in the area employ the services of Interquest Detection Canines of Michigan, Inc. – to search out illegal substances in school, such as drugs, weapons and other prohibited items, Mlive.com reports.

And the dogs are quite effective.

Records obtained by the news site through public information requests shows Interquest has discovered more than 86 prohibited substances or items in area schools since 2011. The finds are mostly alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, but the dogs have also discovered other prohibited items like cap guns and fireworks, Mlive.com reports.

The Interquest dogs, Golden Retrievers, have even found marijuana pipes made of fruit, and alcohol sealed in plastic food containers.

“It’s not about busting them, it’s about them not having it,” Byron Center High School Principal Scott Joseph told the news site.

And students in some schools have more things they’re not supposed to than others.

Searches at Forest Hills high and middle schools revealed 28 student code violations, while searches at nearby Grandville schools netted 26 violations. Searches at Kentwood schools turned up 22 violations, and those at Byron Center produced 10 violations. The dogs only found two violations at Rockford schools, and came up empty pawed at East Grand Rapids, Mlive.com reports.

https://eagnews.org/defending-searches-security-director-says-every-school-has-drugs-in-it/

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No Warrant, No Problem: Students’ Lockers Searched at Random By Drug Dogs

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No Warrant, No Problem: Students’ Lockers Searched at Random By Drug Dogs

Robby Soave|Nov. 3, 2014 9:10 am

Students at various public schools in West Michigan are subjected to random searches performed by a specialty canine unit that uncovers dangerous contraband in kids’ lockers. Really scary stuff, like hunting gear, pocketknives, fire crackers, prescription medication. Maybe a gun-shaped Pop-Tart or two.

According to mlive.com:

The dogs, which are trained to find drugs, alcohol, gun powder-based products, tobacco and medications, also are used locally in Grandville, Forest Hills, East Kentwood and Byron Center schools among 46 districts across the state. East Grand Rapids uses the city’s public safety department to conduct regular searches on its high school campus.

Records obtained by MLive and the Grand Rapids Press under the Freedom of Information Act show the findings by dogs at area schools are relatively low compared to overall student population, but educators believe the more vigilant they are, the better for students.

The public records request showed the discovery of more than 86 prohibited substances or items at the area schools that have used Interquest since 2011. Alcohol, tobacco and marijuana or drug paraphernalia were the most common finds, but dogs also alerted to fireworks and a toy cap gun among other items banned from school property.

The searches are performed at random, meaning that no single student is ever the target. Administrators hold this up as good and fair—we are trampling your rights, but it’s not personal!—but the ACLU is skeptical.

https://reason.com/blog/2014/11/03/no-warrant-no-problem-students-lockers-s