Ridgewood safety committee suggests conditions for proposed housing developments
Thursday February 14, 2013, 5:31 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Concerned with four proposed housing developments for the Central Business District (CBD) area, the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee suggested to the Planning Board this week that developers agree to update the CBD’s current infrastructure issues as a “condition of their approval.”
According to the village’s traffic expert, John Jahr of Maser Consulting P.A., the developers have already agreed to improve aspects of the CBD’s current transportation infrastructure.
“They want to work together to improve the traffic conditions,” Jahr said. “They recognize they have an obligation.”
In a Feb. 5 letter addressed to Planning Board Chairman Charles Nalbantian, Councilwoman Bernie Walsh, the committee’s chairwoman, noted that in light of the proposals, several public safety concerns should be addressed in the CBD. The letter was read by Director of Public Works Chris Rutishauser, who is also a member of the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee, at Monday’s meeting.
Reader says Common sense dictates significant impact on the Village from 4 new developments in the CBD
It’s beyond odd. How can we weigh 4 projects individually when their collective impact has not been considered? Common sense dictates that parking will be more difficult, schools will get more crowded, traffic will be worse and infrastructure will have to be upgraded.
Yet the Mayor and his running mates seem fine with the developers’ assertions that there will be no negative impact brought on by any one of these projects. How can that be? Something smells funny.
The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.
Bergen freeholder questions last-minute resolutions
Monday February 11, 2013, 6:03 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Bergen County Freeholder Maura DeNicola complained Monday that too many resolutions – some for large dollar contracts – are coming before the board at the last minute.
DeNicola noted that at the board’s last work session on Feb. 6, there were 14 late items on the agenda that called for total spending of $1.4 million. The spending resolutions – most of which were approved by the board – paid for bills ranging from the printing of sample ballots to the purchase of emergency generators.
But getting those items right before the start of a 4:30 p.m. work session does not allow the board enough time to give them the fiscal scrutiny they deserve, DeNicola said. Too often non-emergency items are being rushed through as though they were an emergency, she said.
Super Science Saturday Hosts its 25th Science and Technology Event
Ridgewood NJ Super Science Saturday presents its 25th celebration of science and technology
on Saturday, March 9. This fascinating and entertaining event will be from 9 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. at Ridgewood High School, 627 East Ridgewood Avenue. Admission is free.
Started by a Ridgewood science teacher and a handful of parents and students in 1987,
Super Science Saturday has become Northern New Jersey’s largest science show for
both students and professional scientists.
To celebrate its 25th year, Super Science Saturday invites attendees to participate in a
25-foot egg drop contest. Participants will be supplied with kits, which they can use to
protect their eggs from breaking on impact. Village and school district officials will be
invited to compete with students in the egg drop contest.
Other highlights include a Franklin Institute show on “Life in Space,” hundreds of exhibits
and demonstrations, the “Great Paper Airplane Contest,” and model rocket launches on
the high school football field.
Students from any school system, as well as adult hobbyists and professional scientists,
are invited to share their love of science with the community. Super
Science Saturday is a non-competitive event designed for fun, understanding and
appreciation of science and technology in our daily lives.
Two long-standing village institutions, The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood’s not-for-profit
hospital, and Ridgewood Education Foundation, which provides grants to enhance and
support the quality of education in Ridgewood public schools, again are fully funding
Super Science Saturday.
For more information, including ideas for science presentations or to sign up to exhibit,
www.supersciencesaturday.org.
PAINESVILLE, Ohio — Mary Ann Froebe stood feet apart with knees slightly bent and aimed the .22-caliber Ruger semiautomatic.
“You’ve got some adrenaline running through you right now,” said Esther Beris, the coordinator of the northeastern Ohio chapter of A Girl and a Gun Women’s Shooting League. “It’s O.K., just relax.”
Ms. Froebe, 42, a small-business owner who described herself as a “virgin gun shooter,” concentrated and pulled the trigger. “It was awesome,” she said, her face flushed, after emptying the 10-round clip. “The sense of control, of being in charge of me.”
Sen. Robert Menendez at Ridgewood REORG photo by Boyd Loving
Sen. Robert Menendez and the mainstream media: Malfeasance?
Posted by Erik Wemple on February 7, 2013 at 3:46 pm
Matthew Boyle is standing by his story.
On Nov. 1, Boyle published a piece on the Daily Caller site titled “Women: Sen. Bob Menendez paid us for sex in the Dominican Republic [VIDEO]“. To sort of nail down the story, Boyle conducted an Internet-video interview with two Dominican women who attested to having been (under)paid to have sex with Menendez and to having been treated both affectionately and indifferently by him.
The Daily Caller story introduced some terms now referenced frequently in hard-nosed coverage on the Democratic New Jersey senator. The romps, it reported, took place around Easter 2012 at Casa de Campo, a pricey Dominican resort. It noted that Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor and campaign donor to Menendez, had a place at Casa de Campo. Also: Melgen’s plane around Easter 2012 took a trip from Florida to the Dominican Republic, with a detour through a private New Jersey airport near Menendez’s home. The senator recently had to reimburse Melgen $58,500 for free trips he’d taken on the aircraft, and a Senate ethics inquiry is homing in on the case.
To the readers of the Daily Caller, the prostitutes are anonymous, with video-fuzzing technology masking their faces. “Both asked that their identities remain obscured for fear of reprisals in the Dominican Republic,” says the piece.
That very anonymity is the reason why other news outlets, including the Associated Press, have called the prostitution allegations against the Democratic New Jersey senator “unsubstantiated.”
Unsubstantiated to other outlets doesn’t mean unsubstantiated to Boyle. “I talked to two of the prostitutes, I saw their faces, I heard their voices…and I know their names,” says Boyle, who has jumped to Breitbart.com since the Menendez story. “I’m not going to release [the names] because given the violent and dangerous nature of the business down there, these women are in jeopardy.”
Frostbite: Damage to body tissue caused by that tissue being frozen. Warning signs include loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, Get medical help immediately ! If you must wait for help, Slowly re-warm affected areas. If the person is also showing signs of hypothermia, warm the body core before the extremities.
Hypothermia: Low body temperature. Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. If a person’s body temperature is below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, Immediately seek medical attention.
IF MEDICAL CARE IS NOT AVAILABLE:
•Begin warming the person slowly, warm the body core first. If needed use your own body heat to help.
•Get the person into dry clothing and wrap them in a warm blanket covering them completely, including the head and neck.
•Do not give the person alcohol, drugs, coffee, or any hot beverage or food; warm broth is better.
•Do not warm extremities (arms & legs) first! This drives the cold blood toward the heart and can lead to heart failure.
Strain from the cold and hard labor may cause a heart attack.
•Avoid overexertion, such as shoveling heavy snow, pushing a car, or walking in deep snows, especially if you are not in peak physical condition.
•If you must shovel snow, take it slow and lift small amounts, especially when removing heavy snow, slush or ice.
Food & Drink Food provides the body with energy for producing its own heat. Keep the body replenished with fluids (water and juice; limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol) to prevent dehydration.
How to be prepared at home:
• Keep a battery powered radio and extra batteries for news and official broadcasts.
• Store food that can be prepared without an electric or gas stove.
• Stock emergency water and cooking supplies
• Have flashlights, battery-powered lams and extra batteries in case of a power outage. Candles and matches can be a fire hazard
• If you have a wood stove or fireplace store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood.
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure your family knows how to use them and knows fire prevention rules
• Keep in touch with elderly neighbors or family
Be prepared if you go out:
• Wear layers of thin clothing instead of single layers of thick clothing
• Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart. If you add unaccustomed exercise, such as shoveling snow or pushing a car, you may risk heart attack or stroke.
• Mittens are warmer than gloves.
• Wear a hat; most body heat is lost through the top of the head.
• Cover you mouth with scarves to protect your lungs from directly inhaling the extremely cold air.
Winter driving tips:
• If you must travel, take public transportation whenever possible. If you must use a car, take winter driving seriously. Travel by daylight, and keep others informed of your schedule. Drive with extreme caution; never try to save time by driving fast or using back-road shortcuts.
• Make sure you car has fuel, and is equipped with chains or snow tires
• Keep you car “winterized” with antifreeze. Carry a “winter car kit” that includes a windshield scaper, flashlight, tow chain or rope, shovel, tire chains, a blanket, a bag of sand or salt, a fluorescent distress flag and an emergency flare in case you are trapped in a winter storm. Keep extra outerwear and pre-packaged food in the car. Make sure you windshield wipers are working properly and there is windshield washer fluid in the car.
If a blizzard traps you in your car:
• Pull off the highway; stay calm and remain in your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you.
• Turn on your emergency flashers and hang a distress flag fro the radio aerial or window.
• Do not set out on foot unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter. Be careful; distances are distorted by blowing snow. A building may seem close but be too far to walk in deep snow.
• If you run the engine to keep warm, open a window slightly for ventilation. This will protect you from possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Periodically clear away snow from the exhaust pipe.
• Exercise to maintain body heat (by clapping and moving around) but avoid over exertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers and floor mats for insulation. Huddle with passengers and use your coat as a blanket.
• Never let everyone in the car sleep at one time. One person should look out for the rescue crews.
• Be careful not to use up battery power. Balance electrical energy needs — the use of lights, heat and radio — with supply.
• At night, turn on the inside dome light, so work crews can spot you.
AFP – A stock market slide, escalated conflict between Japan and China and more Gangnam-styled success for South Korean singer Psy will shape the incoming Year of the Snake, say Asian soothsayers.
Those who make predictions according to the study of feng shui — or literally “wind-water” — are influential in many parts of Asia, where people adjust their lives or renovate houses and offices based on the advice.
As they bid farewell to the Year of the Dragon, the fortune tellers warn that the “black water snake” that emerges to replace it on February 10 — the first day of the Lunar New Year — could be a venomous one that brings disaster.
A Whole Lotta Nothing: Kenneth Gabbert will remain village manager in Ridgewood
Thursday February 7, 2013, 1:28 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — Kenneth Gabbert will remain the village manager for at least the next few months, according to a statement from Mayor Paul Aronsohn.
The statement — composed by the entire council — says that the governing body “has agreed to work toward a common goal and is establishing an evaluation process for the village manager and will closely monitor it over the next few months.”
Earlier this week, administration sources contended the embattled village manager would be asked Wednesday night by a contingent of three council members to resign.
It is not clear if Gabbert was actually asked to step down during the closed session.
Readers say Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli needs to apologize and resign
Let’s see, Councilwomen Walsh complained that she improperly received a ticket in light of the fact that she had a valid permit. She paid the ticket anyway, but HOW DARE SHE BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE POLICE AND OTHERS. WHAT AN OUTRAGE!
Are these people serious? She did not ask for a favor or a quid pro quo. She did not threaten the police or try to use her position to get out of paying a valid ticket.
This is a pure attempt by Mayor Arrogant and his “partner in crime” Puke to distract us from what they did.
““You are the one who sent us down this dark road,” Pucciarelli said. Is this like Hamas saying that Israel has “opened the gates of hell”. How exactly does he plan to retaliate? Maybe he will just talk over her at every council meetying just to drive her crazy.
He needs to apologize or resign. I prefer that he resign.
Walsh, misleading? No thank god, this town has her as our watchdog, She’s doing the checks and balances for the others dirty politics! Thank You, Bernie! Going around the full council system with meetings with the developers, two by two, to make it just legal? Dirty, Dirty, Dirty. BTW: We are paying the town lawyer many dollars for these meetings
Someone explain why Riche and Walsh are being shunned from these developers meetings? We all thought this town council was divided 3-2 ! Now it’s been proven, in a very public manner. Horrific, pathetic actions against Walsh about a parking ticket and permits. She’s pointing out a problem that’s not just hers and due to her council position they claim she went about it in the wrong way? Paul you would have done the same-hypocrite. Pretty lame and I worry for this town. Can you smell Valley lurking again here or did Pascack Valley make them truly go away?
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 12 INCHES…ALONG
WITH UP TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF ICE.
* WINDS…NORTH 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.
* TEMPERATURES…IN THE LOWER 30S.
* VISIBILITIES…ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.
* TIMING…FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
* IMPACTS…HEAVY SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN WILL MAKE FOR DANGEROUS
DRIVING CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION…THE HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG
WINDS COULD RESULT IN NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS…BRING DOWN SOME
TREE LIMBS…AND CA– USE SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
Assistant Superintendent Angelo DeSimone gives a status report on the 2014 Budget
Volume 9, Number 13
February 5, 2013
Ridgewood NJ, 2014 budget preparations. Most recently, the Board was given all details on contractual salaries, benefits and out-of-district tuition, bringing the total information to 75%. The remainder of budget information will be sent to the Board this week. Once the budget is prepared, the Board will host a series of public information workshops.
April 16 Annual School Election business:
The Board approved Wednesday, March 6 at 3:30 p.m. as the date and time to hold the drawing of candidate names for ballot position in the annual School Election. The drawing will take place at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, in the office of the Assistant Superintendent for Business/Board Secretary.
The Board approved the list of the polling locations and hours for the April 16 Annual School Election, listed below. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
POLLING LOCATIONS FOR THE ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION DATE: TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 HOURS: 7:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M.
DISTRICT LOCATION
1 Willard School, Auditorium, 601 Morningside Road
2 Willard School, Auditorium, 601 Morningside Road
3 Willard School, Auditorium, 601 Morningside Road
4 George Washington Middle School, Gym, 155 Washington Place
5 Orchard School, Cafetorium, 230 Demarest Street
6 Orchard School, Cafetorium, 230 Demarest Street
7 George Washington Middle School, Gym, 155 Washington Place
8 Travell School, Small Multi-purpose Room, 340 Bogert Avenue
9 The Ridgewood Public Library, Auditorium, 125 N. Maple Avenue
10 Orchard School, Cafetorium, 230 Demarest Street
11 Travell School, Small Multi-purpose Room, 340 Bogert Avenue
12 Ridgewood High School, Gym #1, 627 E. Ridgewood Avenue
13 Ridgewood High School, Gym #1, 627 E. Ridgewood Avenue
14 Glen School, Multi-purpose Room, 865 E. Glen Avenue
15 Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Auditorium, 335 N. Van Dien Ave.
16 Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Auditorium, 335 N. Van Dien Ave.
17 Somerville School, Gym, 45 S. Pleasant Avenue
18 Somerville School, Gym, 45 S. Pleasant Avenue
19 Hawes School, Cafetorium, 531 Stevens Avenue
February 6, 2013 7:41 AM
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ– The U.S. Postal Service has announced that it will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week under a plan aimed at saving about $2 billion, the financially struggling agency says. Saturday mail cutback would not begin until August.
The move allows the USPS to focus on package delivery which has increased by 14% since 2010, At the same time technology which aids in package delivery has caught up with the delivery of letters and other mail declining significantly with the ever increasing use of email and other Internet based technologies. .
Under the new plan, mail would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. and Post offices now open on Saturdays would remain open on Saturdays.
The Postal Service for some time has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages . The US Postal Service is an independent agency that gets no tax dollars for its day-to-day operations but is subject to congressional control.
The agency would need congressional approval to make the change and It was not immediately if that would be forth coming or even necessary.
Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general , says Postal Service market research and other research has indicated that nearly 7 in 10 Americans support the switch to five-day delivery as a way for the Postal Service to reduce costs.
The PD manpower is very low, there are several employees eligable to retire at anytime. Minimum manpower on patrol is down to 4 patrol man and 1 supervisor to cover the entire town, that’s from Goffle and rock north to goffle and lake st all the way to the Paramus and Washington twp border near immaculate heart.and down into the lawns by Hawes school including the easternmost area east of Van Emburg. Pretty thin don’t you think? 1 domestic dispute and your down to one person on the road and do not be bamboozeled by the response “you got lots of inside people” they aren’t there any more,they have been eliminated through attrition, retirements, and a firing. 4 men assigned to the bureau, who don’t work 24/7 . The town needs to hire police officers now.
That depends on who does the staffing plan. People with no law enforcement experience, bean counters who work in the corporate world have no business dictating or recommending police staffing levels, there are actual facts, the state police ucr staffing report, which recommends 56 officers for Ridgewood the matrix report which say 44 officers as a minimum staffing level, and that came from a company that was hired by a previous coucil, also the department roster level of the rest of the PD’s in Bergen county, last check had Ridgewood at the lowest officer per resident rate in Bergen. The collective bargaining agreement has already been modified thru PBA cooperation to reduce starting salaries, and lower longevity payment, and lower capped sick time accumulation for new hires, yet the town has failed to take action and rehire. Who is the tiger tean and what are their qualifications to make recommendations as to how many police are necessary to protect the village.
If that is correct, it will be confirmed when a long-term staffing evaluation/plan is done. Right now, we have no actual facts to support whether we are under-staffed or over-staffed in a particular department. By creating efficiencies through other ideas proposed in the report, we may find that historical staffing needs no longer apply. We should get this comprehensive evaluation completed quickly to understand our actual staffing needs in the future. When employees retire, we definitely need to proceed with caution before deciding to hire a replacement.
Last i looked the village had 44 police officers, what do they all do?
The police department may be properly staffed. The staffing plan that the tiger team recommended does not appear to be about reducing staffing arbitrarily. From what I read, they recommended getting an understanding of pending retirements and what the necessary staffing levels in all departments should be. I don’t think they are suggesting that they should perform that evaluation. It stands to reason that any evaluation would need to involve input from appropriate personnel from the each department, who understand the needs. Of course, in the case of the police, the state UCR report is probably not the definitive reference for staffing needs in Ridgewood. I think it offers more of a guideline based on historical practices, which may or may not reflect the specific needs in Ridgewood. Nor does it take into account the long term cost of its staffing guidelines in a particular municipality, which is the most important consideration. It is quite possible that existing contracts can create a cost structure that limits potential staffing options.
The bottom line is that there are about 275 employees in town and the police are only 16% of them. Rather than laying off newer employees (as Gabbert’s budget proposes) to cut expenses, the Village should try to take advantage of normal attrition (retirement) to reduce costs according to a thoughtful plan. If a department is properly staffed or understaffed, then such a plan should have no impact or may even point to increased staffing in that department. Accordingly, this is something that employees should encourage, not resist.
