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Former Speaker of the House & New York Times Bestselling Author, NEWT GINGRICH, will sign his new book: Understanding Trump at Bookends In Ridgewood

NEWT GINGRICH

June 10,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Former Speaker of the House & New York Times Bestselling Author, NEWT GINGRICH, will sign his new book: Understanding Trump ($27.00).

*Each person attending must purchase a copy of the book*
*Books must be purchased from Bookends Bookstore*

Tuesday June 13th at 7 PM – 8 PM

Bookends Bookstore
211 E Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450

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

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Ridgewood Guild’s 2017 Movies in the Park!

Ridgewood Guild's 2017 Movies in the Park!
June 10,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Guild has release the schedule for their 7th season of Movies in the Park! This is a free program that takes place in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square every other Wednesday during the months of June, July & August! The movie begins when the sun goes down (approximately 9pm in June & July, and 8:45pm in August). If the weather doesn’t look good, please be sure to check our Facebook page, and come back here to our website to see the scheduled rain date!

Bring a blanket and/or chair, and enjoy a movie under the stars!

June 14 – A Place in the Sun

June 28 – Singin’ in the Rain

July 12 – Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

July 26 – Bye, Bye, Birdie*

August 9 – Moonstruck (30th Anniversary)

August 23 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

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Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association Championship Saturday June 10th

RBSA

June 10,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association Championship Saturday schedule for Baseball and Softball Teams – June 10th.

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Main/Bergen and Port Jervis Lines Serving Ridgewood Spared Much of the Summer Track Work Mayhem

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog
June 10,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  In advance of the upcoming Amtrak track work at Penn Station New York (PSNY) during July and August, NJ TRANSIT has published new weekday rail schedules to assist customers in navigating the service changes and making their travel plans.

“More than 80 percent of NJ TRANSIT customers travel over a portion of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor at some point during their trip, so in essence, they are customers of Amtrak as well,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Steven H. Santoro. “In developing this service plan, the safety of every customer was the top priority. Not only is this plan the safest, but it maintains the maximum number of seats across the rail system.
Main/Bergen, Port Jervis Lines Serving Ridgewood and Pascack Valley will operate on regular weekday schedules, however, connecting PATH trains at Hoboken Terminal may be different.

Printable versions of the timetables can be found at a new dedicated information portal at njtransit.com/theupdate after 12 p.m. June 9, 2017. Weekend service will not be impacted.

To accommodate Amtrak’s track repairs in July and August at PSNY, NJ TRANSIT must implement service changes weekdays only between Monday, July 10th and Friday, September 1st.

NJ TRANSIT is strongly advising customers on all modes of transportation to remain aware of the status of the system by signing up for My Transit alerts, monitoring Twitter (@NJTRANSIT) and the website njtransit.com/theupdate.

Beginning at 7:00 a.m. through 10:00 a.m., NY Waterway Ferry will operate special service from Hoboken Terminal to W. 39th St. in Midtown Manhattan every 15 minutes. This special service will also operate in the afternoon peak hours between 4:00 p.m. (W. 39th St. Manhattan) and 8:00 p.m. All of these trips will accept NJ TRANSIT tickets and passes to/from Hoboken.

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Move over, millennials: NJ businesses looking at undefined ‘Generation Z’

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file photo RHS

By Dino Flammia June 8, 2017 2:23 AM

Centennials. iGen. The Founders.

Any name you choose, the generation following millennials remains a mystery to those who will end up being their bosses.

But the oldest segment of Generation Z — somewhere in the age range of 17 to 21 years old — is hitting the workforce in the fashion of full-time employment and internships. Businesses and trend followers hope to get a better feel for what they’re all about.

“We don’t fully know their generational essence,” said James Hughes, an economist and demographer at Rutgers University. “We don’t have a good handle on them yet because we don’t have much experience dealing with them.”

Hughes said the post-millennial generation has been examined in several marketing studies, but they have not been the subject of true academic research.

“You can say they’re a connected generation. More than any other generation, their smartphone is their tie to everything else. They’re certainly technologically savvy, even more so than millennials,” Hughes said.

Read More: Move over, millennials: NJ businesses looking at undefined ‘Generation Z’ | https://nj1015.com/move-over-millennials-nj-businesses-looking-at-undefined-generation-z/?trackback=tsmclip

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Reader says ANY Garagzilla project needs to INCLUDE FUNDING to rip out the idiotic Bike Lane

suicide bike lane

“However, we believe the actual reason is that grant money was used to construct the bike lane to nowhere and rules associated with the use of grant funds would require the Village to give the money used back if the project were removed.”
..
At the time, we were told that (a wondrous) grant would pay for (most?) of the fabulous Bike Lane and it would be a win for everyone and that the grant money must be used for this purpose (traffic easing – aka stealth population control to force a socialist agenda driven by the master plan known as “Agenda 21” – look it up). It’s a big F U sugar coated in feel good language and yes, we are stuck with it.
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I think that ANY Garagzilla project needs to INCLUDE FUNDING to rip out the idiotic Bike Lane to nowhere AND INCLUDE FUNDS TO PAY BACK THE GRANT – otherwise no garage gets built.

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New Jersey DOT Examines Glenwood Road Rail Road Crossing

Ridgewood's Glenwood Road to become one way street east of Upper Boulevard

file photos by Boyd Loving

June 9,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood  NJ,  the New Jersey Department of Transportation will again weigh options on the Glenwood Road Rail Road Crossing at the Ho Ho Kus Train Station .

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MEMORANDUM OF RECORD

Click Here for Memorandum of Record DOT Docket No. 06-2017CM;  Ho-Ho-Kus Train Station Pedestrian Crossing DOT Docket No 1702016 CM

Click Here for Memorandum of Record DOT Docket No. 06-2017CM  Warren Ave (Brookside Avenue)

Click Here for Memorandum of Record Ho-Ho-Kus Train Station Pedestrian Crossing

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Village Engineer tells Council that bike lane to nowhere can’t be removed

Bike Lane Traffic Easing Ridgewood

June 8,2017
By Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ, Surprise, surprise, surprise – apparently, Ridgewood taxpayers were once again lied to by a Village official.

During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, Village Engineer Christoper Rutishauser told Council members that it would NOT be possible alter the current pavement/road conditions of Garber Square/Franklin Avenue approaching and underneath the NJ Transit train trestle to permit two (2) lanes of traffic to flow freely in both directions (again).

Many of us remember when former Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld promised that if things didn’t work out with the bike lane to nowhere, we could “go back to what we had before.”  Well, that ain’t happening folks.

Rutishauser told Council members that the size of NJ Transit’s buses (a required turning radius) is what’s preventing a return to sanity.  However, we believe the actual reason is that grant money was used to construct the bike lane to nowhere and rules associated with the use of grant funds would require the Village to give the money used back if the project were removed.  So, we’ve been lied to twice?  Wow.

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Speaking of Ridgewood Bathrooms The Stable Rest Rooms finally opened for use

stable

June 8th 2017
by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood NJ, Lower level bathroom facilities at The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, will be accessible from 6:30 AM through 10:00 PM daily during Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons as per Ridgewood Village Manager Heather Mailander. This is the same schedule applicable to bathroom facilities on Vets Field.

Taxpayers had previously been informed that renovations to The Stable were required due to the need for new bathroom facilities. But more than 1 year after the renovations were completed, the new bathrooms were still not made accessible from the lower level’s outer door. Blame had been cast to the Village’s Network IT administrator, who reportedly failed to install the software and hardware necessary to automatically open & lock the outer door on a scheduled basis. All seems to be in order now, thankfully.

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Golden Toilet Take 2: Village Council poised to spend at least $200k on bathroom renovations

"Golden Toilet" by Maurizio Cattelan retrospective at the Guggenheim

June 8,2017

by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood NJ, Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser told Council members at last night’s meeting that suggested renovations to bathrooms at Graydon Pool would likely cost $180k-$240k, not including architectural fees.

Deputy Mayor Mike Sedon voiced concern about signing off on another “golden toilet “.

Hold onto your wallets folks because you know what typically happens to Rutishauser’s estimates – they double.

Another set of $400k bathrooms soon on the way.

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Ridgewood Stop & Shop Recalls Spicy Chicken Strips

stopandshop theridgewoodblog.net

file photo by Boyd Loving

PRODUCT RECALL: Own Brands Spicy Chicken Strips

Recall Date: Jun 07, 2017

Own Brands Spicy Chicken Strips – 10 OZ
UPC: 68826712615
Codes: ALL Date Codes

Customers may return impacted product for a full refund. Only product with dates 3/24/2018, 3/27/2018 and 3/28/2018 are impact, but out of an abundance of caution, ALL Date Codes are pulled.

Recall information: This product is being recalled due to an undeclared milk allergen. This product is located in the Frozen Snacks & Appetizers Set

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N.J. targets nepotism, high salaries at schools for the disabled

Glen_bridgeovertroubledwaters_theridgewoodblog

Updated on June 7, 2017 at 8:31 PMPosted on June 7, 2017 at 5:46 PM

BY ADAM CLARK

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

TRENTON — New Jersey is clamping down on private schools that serve disabled students four years after a Star-Ledger investigation revealed numerous cases of nepotism and questionable spending paid for by taxpayers.

The state Board of Education on Wednesday approved new restrictions that freeze maximum salaries, lower the maximum spending cap on administrative costs and require schools to disclose business transactions with relatives, among other changes.

The move comes despite heavy opposition from the schools, which charge steep tuition from public schools to teach severely disabled students traditional schools can’t serve. Dozens of parents from the more than 150 affected schools packed earlier state board meetings out of fear that any changes at the schools could have negative consequences for students.

https://www.nj.com/education/2017/06/nj_targets_nepotism_high_salaries_at_schools_for_t.html

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Sunlight is the best Disinfectant in Ridgewood Politics or Anywhere

village-hall-theridgewoodblog
June 8,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, in a recent letter to the editor (Letter: Ridgewood Council politics extends to residents
https://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/06/07/letter-ridgewood-council-politics-extends-residents/375448001/ ) Evan Weitz Chairmen of the Financial Advisory Committee voiced his concerns over some of his emails being caught up in the recent so called Village OPRA -gate.

In the letter Mr Weitz once again demonstrated the lack of professionalism that permeates the Financial Advisory Committee or FAC. If Mr Weitz or any other members of the FAC had ever had a job in Finance he would understand that every single communication is monitored by corporate compliance department.

In the late 90’s I was working for a firm called Dean Witter and in the coarse of business each week you would make hundreds of phone calls . One month I was called into compliance who promptly showed me a printout of phone numbers I had called that month ,yes everyone and singled out a certain number I had called once everyday . The number was my grandmother’s who was dying and I would just check in on her. The compliance officer  simply apologized and added  the number to the OK to call list .

Mr Weitz goes on to say ,”Shortly thereafter, the Deputy Mayor filed an open record request for any email Voigt received that contained my last name. Even more disturbing, several private individuals filed open records requests for any emails sent from my private email address to Voigt.”

Mr.Weitz that statement alone disqualifies you from serving on any financial board or being involved in any Municipal business . Any professional would know that there is no such thing as “private emails” in finance and no such thing as private emails doing the peoples business in politics .
OPRA requests are a legitimate part of Municipal operations. Questioning OPRA’s leaves many to question validity of committees like the FAC and raises further questions as to the motivations of certain politicians.
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Ridgewood Mayor Swears In Two Career Firefighters Including the First Female in Bergen County

ridgewood firedepartment

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

June 8,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , Recently hired Ridgewood FD Career Firefighters Dane Knudsen and Shelby Taylor were sworn in by Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen during a ceremony held at Ridgewood Village Hall on Wednesday evening, 06/07.

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Firefighter Taylor, a former member of the United States Marine Corps, is the first female Career Firefighter in the Department’s history, and is also believed to be the first full-time, paid female firefighter to serve a Bergen County municipality.

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USUALLY RIGHT: New Jersey’s local tax problems

for sale Ridgewood_Real_Estate_theRodgewopodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

Jun 6, 2017

We have just held a primary election for governor in New Jersey, as well as for many legislative, county and local seats.

This is a time to reflect upon the property tax problems of the state of New Jersey, and I felt it would be a good time to write about some of my thoughts in this area.

I have my own view of what makes government so expensive in New Jersey versus other states from the bottom up.

I’ve had the opportunity to look extensively at municipal government services and costs, as well as those of county government. I’ve had the opportunity also to compare municipalities and counties here in New Jersey against those in other states in a benchmarking sense.

I preface these comments with the reminder that about 70 percent or 75 percent of your local property taxes are school taxes. I do not have significant experience in this area, so my comments are focused on municipal and county government structures and costs.

If you think about it, property taxes are by their very nature an anachronism. Most persons living on a piece of land today do not produce revenue from the land itself, as we did when we were an agrarian society in the 1600s and 1700s, when this system was created. Yes, it is that old. In fact, I think feudal societies worked similarly as well.

https://www.newjerseyhills.com/print_only/columns/usually-right-new-jersey-s-local-tax-problems/article_837b6fd1-52a0-51ca-8297-14243107f1e8.html