Open. Public. Records. Act. Designed to shine a light on the individual agendas of elected officials such as yourself Mr. Voigt. Remember you are a public SERVANT meaning you work for us. Not the other way around. I have never regretted a vote in any election as much as I regret the one I cast for you.
DARRYL G. GREER | JUNE 2, 2017
A significant decline in the number of NJ high school graduates who will be seeking college degrees should be a major concern for the next governor and other leaders
Daryl G. Greer
New Jersey will experience about a 20 percent decline in the number of high school graduates through 2030, according to a recent report, “Knocking at the College Door,” by the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE.) That will mean a drop to 90,000 from a current high of about 111,000 graduates annually, and more of these students will be from lower- income families and less-prepared academically for college.
That has important economic consequences for colleges, students, businesses, and the state — which need to be considered, now.
Historically, 70 percent to 80 percent of New Jersey high school graduates enroll in college. Obviously, fewer students paying tuition places stress on colleges’ financial operations. This is especially true, because about 70 percent of public colleges’ revenue comes from student tuition and fees. Add to this increasing competition for New Jersey students from surrounding states, such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Massachusetts, which also face declining enrollments. Pile on another dilemma in a no-growth environment: New Jersey already leads the nation as the number one net exporter of college-bound students. We lose about 30,000 students annually to other states. Regional competition for well-prepared New Jersey students who are able to pay for college will be at an all-time high. Not every university in the state can compete effectively for students in this environment.
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/06/01/op-ed-new-jersey-s-coming-college-enrollment-crisis/
June 4,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, With the primary this week and all the articles about the massive amounts of money being spent on New Jersey Political races the one thing we have noticed is no one seems to really be paying any attention. Perhaps it graduation month or the reality of New Jersey coming demise , the constant calls for cutting taxes and fixing school funding all of which ring hollow or just the fact that no matter who you vote for ;criminality is rampant, corruption is king ,the state is run by Unions and special interests ,taxes will go up and all the problems will get much worse .
The well funded state Democrats have all tried to out bid each other for who can get the biggest and best tax increase, protect illegals with free stuff, harbor and promote terrorism , chase out the last bit of “free enterprise” ,further deplete the tax base and pay off all their special interest supporters
While the Ridgewood blog is still unsure if the New Jersey GOP is actually trying win or not a couple of upstarts have caught our eye.
First a 31-year-old Indian-American entrepreneur Harsh Vardhan Singh entered the governor’s race with little political background and a promise to cut property taxes and make New Jersey a national technology leader. Singh seems to be getting his feet wet for further political ambition ,but he comes off a bit naive to New Jersey’s down and dirty political landscape . He is some to keep an eye on for the future.
So that leaves us Joseph Rudy Rullo. If you say who ,you obviously don’t use social media much. Rullo an actor and small business owner who has run an off beat campaign patterned after the Trump campaign.
He has waged a one man crusade against the New Jersey establishment . Even going as far as to channel Trump’s drain the swamp line and apply it to Trenton . Rullo has managed to get into screaming matches with political opponents, tap into New Jersey Trump voters anger, use social media very effectively and offer some common sense ideas to fix some on New Jersey’s most pressing issues.
In his own words ,”As Governor I will reduce property taxes, repeal the $.23 gas tax, dissolve the transportation SLUSH fund, Veto all tax increases, cut billions in political earmarked jobs and contracts, eliminate state income taxes on pensions for retirees and add 1 billion in new revenue sources to further lower taxes. I Will dissolve the Transportation Trust Fund and consolidate all highway authorities eliminating redundant high level management positions, eliminate high cost earmark & specialty contracts tied to contributors.. It will produce millions in savings with shared services and purchases.
I will eliminate tolls and repeal the gas tax with the savings from the new efficient transparent highway entity. I will also eliminate 1.3 billion in pension fees to NYC politically connected brokerage houses and replace with licensed brokers in the state investors division to pay towards pension payment.
Superintendents and business administrators need to be reduced drastically. Instead of having one superintendent and business administrator per school district, we need to cut the number to one per county. By consolidating superintendents & business administrators, we can save $50 million per year by eliminating superintendents alone. And will work to also eliminate municipal tax assessors to one per county. I will fire hundreds of high-salary patronage jobs like indicted Port Authority’s David Wildstein, as an example, saving hundreds of millions of dollars to cut taxes. ”
Rullo is : Pro life , Pro Second Amendment and supports marijuana legalization. He wants to make NJ Veterans a priority . On school funding and education he has a lot to say ,”The Abott school districts need to be held accountable for wasteful spending and all districts need to work together to reduce cost. This will reduce the impact of inevitable changes in funding formulas with state aid. After all school districts cut wasteful spending, we need to implement fair funding formulas for property tax relief. One example is all school districts can drastically reduce costs by combined purchasing power. Another example is drastically reducing the number of Superintendents and redundant assistant Superintendents. High cost business administrators should also be reduced.
Since the start of No Child Left Behind and continued under Race to the Top, NJ parents and students have been saddled with the Common Core Standards. Parents feel like they can’t help their children with their homework because it is something they have never learned before and the children are left floundering in schools with too many children and not enough teachers to explain things to them. The State then decided to force the PARCC (Partnership for Readiness for College and Careers) test on our children. This has resulted in schools and teachers focusing their teaching efforts, not on learning, but on test results. This is wrong and only hurts our children who deserve a comprehensive learning program not a regimen of tests.
As Governor I will end PARCC testing completely and direct the Department of Education to draw up new, independent education standards that will return NJ to the top of the best educated Students in the Country.
I support school choice and home schooling.
Students come out of High School and don’t know how to balance a checkbook, write a resume or know anything about personal credit. Common Core needs to become Common Sense. Teachers need to be allowed to teach and not recite facts mandated from Washington, or some Corporation making money from our tax dollars. We need to provide better opportunities for students who decide to enter the workforce directly from high school with expanded vocational schools. The future of New Jersey depends on it! ”
On illegal immigration Rullo says the “police are overburdened with hands virtually tied because NJ is a sanctuary state. Out of state license plates and DMV fraud are the law of the land. As Governor I will implement E- Verify for all employees working in New Jersey and work with President Donald Trump to eliminate sanctuary cities across NJ. Everyone must follow the same rules in business and follow the law. Our veterans will of NJ will be first priority in NJ hospitals not illegal immigrants.”
On the Heroin epidemic Rullo wants stricter sentencing for drug dealers , “to make it a living hell for heroin dealers in NJ. With that being said they should be charged for attempt of murder for distribution and automatic manslaughter if someone dies from their distribution. ”
Rullo suports Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi efforts on Forced Overdevelopment in Bergen County, and is the one candidate for that has promised to dissolve COAH altogether while other candidates have only spoken in vague generalities or ignored the subject all together.
And finally the pervasive pension mess, Rullo says Eliminate 700 million in pension fees to NYC politically connected brokerage houses and replace with licensed brokers in the state investors division to pay savings towards pension payment. The pension fees went from 125M to 700M per year in the last 7 years.
*Open up state employee health insurance bids across America to create competition to lower premiums and get better coverage for employees.
* Dedicate a portion of recreational marijuana revenues to pay towards pension payment.
* Open up a formal investigation and audit the pension fund for the last several decades to hold politicians in both parties accountable for their actions.
June 4,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Councilmen Voigt continues his attack of Village residents over the weekend with more posts on who is making legal OPRA requests .Voigt and his cronies on the Financial Advisory Committee clearly prefer to operate in a vale of secrecy .
While this is clearly an attempt to pressure residents , from exercising their legal rights and limit and restrict public access to information in the Village .
Councilmen Voigt continues to attempt to squash OPRA requests by pushing the idea of a vast Mayoral conspiracy against him. However years of running this blog would suggest that sunlight is still the best political sanitizer.
So what is OPRA:
SECTION 1 – OPRA DEFINED What is the Open Public Records Act (OPRA)? OPRA is the State statute that replaces the old “Right to Know Law” which governs thepublic’s access to government records in New Jersey. The law is compiled in the statutes as N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
In accordance with the Open Public Records Act, Village offices, officials and departments have to make available public records through formal requests. Requests may be submitted in writing by submitting a “records request form” by completing the online form below.
According to the Citizen’s Guide to the Open Public Records Act – State of New Jersey ; OPRA provides overriding public policies in the legislative findings (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1) which must be considered during the handling of all OPRA requests for access to government records. Those public policies are:
Government records must be readily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination by its citizens, with certain exceptions, for the protection of the public interest.
Any limitations on the right of access to government records must be interpreted in favor of the public’s right of access.
A public agency has a responsibility and an obligation to protect a citizen’s personal information that is in the possession of a public agency when disclosure of that information would violate the citizen’s reasonable expectation of privacy.”
In fact, in Burnett v. County of Bergen, 198 N.J. 408 (2009), the Court held without ambiguity, that the privacy provision “is neither a preface nor a preamble.” Rather, “the very language expressed in the privacy clause reveals its substantive nature; it does not offer reasons why OPRA was adopted, as preambles typically do; instead, it focuses on the law’s implementation.” “Specifically, it imposes an obligation on public agencies to protect against disclosure of personal information which would run contrary to reasonable privacy interests.”
If you want to exercise your legal right to access records under the Open Public Records Act this is how you do it in Ridgewood :
How to Request Government Records?
1. All government records are subject to public access under the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), unless specifically exempt.
2. A request for access to a government record under OPRA must be in writing, hand-delivered, mailed, transmitted electronically, or otherwise conveyed to the appropriate custodian. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.g. The seven (7) business day response time does not commence until the records custodian receives the request form. If you submit the request form to any other officer or employee of the Village of Ridgewood, that officer or employee must either forward the request to the appropriate custodian, or direct you to the appropriate custodian. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.h.
3. Requestors may submit requests anonymously. If you elect not to provide a name, address, or telephone number, or other means of contact, the custodian is not required to respond until you reappear before the custodian seeking a response to the original request.
4. The fees for duplication of a government record in printed form are listed on the front of this form. We will notify you of any special service charges or other additional charges authorized by State law or regulation before processing your request. Payment shall be made by cash, check or money order payable to the Village of Ridgewood.
5. You may be charged a 50% or other deposit when a request for copies exceeds $25. The Village of Ridgewood custodian will contact you and advise you of any deposit requirements. You agree to pay the balance due upon delivery of the records. Anonymous requests in excess of $5.00 require a deposit of 100% of estimated fees.
6. Under OPRA, a custodian must deny access to a person who has been convicted of an indictable offense in New Jersey, any other state, or the United States, and who is seeking government records containing personal information pertaining to the person’s victim or the victim’s family. This includes anonymous requests for said information.
7. By law, the Village of Ridgewood must notify you that it grants or denies a request for access to government records within seven (7) business days after the agency custodian of records receives the request. If the record requested is not currently available or is in storage, the custodian will advise you within seven (7) business days after receipt of the request when the record can be made available and the estimated cost for reproduction.
8. You may be denied access to a government record if your request would substantially disrupt agency operations and the custodian is unable to reach a reasonable solution with you.
9. If the Village of Ridgewood is unable to comply with your request for access to a government record, the custodian will indicate the reasons for denial on the request form or other written correspondence and send you a signed and dated copy.
10. Except as otherwise provided by law or by agreement with the requester, if the agency custodian of records fails to respond to you within seven (7) business days of receiving a request, the failure to respond is a deemed denial of your request.
11. If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the decision by the Village of Ridgewood to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (“GRC”) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at PO Box 819, Trenton, NJ, 08625, by e-mail at grc@dca.state.nj.us, or at their web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The Council can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
12. Information provided on this form may be subject to disclosure under the Open Public Records Act.
Click here to download OPRA Request Form
photos by Boyd Loving
June 4,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, so it was opening day at Graydon 2017 and it could have been a bit warmer, but otherwise an almost picture perfect opening day.
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page
June 4,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood PD, FD, and Emergency Services personnel responded to a “tree into house” incident at 58 Phelps Road, Ridgewood on Saturday morning, 06/03. No injuries were reported; all occupants of the home safely evacuated prior to the arrival of PD & FD personnel. Damage to the single family home was assessed as light to moderate. Electric service to at least two (2) homes in the area was interrupted.
June 3,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Renowned artist Kenn Backhaus will be giving a nocturne demonstration following our Annual Members Meeting on Sunday, June 11th at 2pm.
“The Evocative Light of the Night”
Kenn has always stated that, “everything under the sun and moon is fair game” when it applies to the creative arts.
Kenn will lecture on and show through a demonstrating examining the principals of the nocturne subject.
For decades artists have been enthralled by the effects of the evening light upon the landscape. Understanding that color usually becomes a minimal consideration in a nocturne, the explanation of the importance of developing a strong design pattern within the composition is critical.
Kenn will explain that your creativity is revealed through your own experiences and the use of your knowledge comes the developed skill to create something that may not be revealed in your reference. He will use a reference of a day lite subject and convert the effect to a nocturne atmosphere.
Click Here for more information
Ridgewood Art Institute
12 East Glen Avenue
Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
June 3,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Tickets are available on community pass for the 4th annual Michael Feeney’s Best Day Ever event June 10th 2017 from 10am to 3pm at BF Middle School. Proceeds to Benefit Tackle Kids for Cancer, Go 4 the Goal, JDRF and the Ridgewood Jr.Police Academy. It’s a great day of family fun for a good cause.
To Michael, everything was a “the best ever”…Come celebrate this brave young man at the 4th Annual Michael Feeney’s BEST DAY EVER! Saturday, June 10th at Ben Franklin Middle School Field – Zip Line, Color run @ 10am, Canrival Games, Face Paintiing, Food & Drink, Dunk Tank, BDE Band Fest, DJ , and more….
file photo by ArtChick
“Glen Rock Makes the List of 19 hottest real estate markets in N.J.”
https://theridgewoodblog.net/glen-rock-makes-the-list-of-19-hottest-real-estate-markets-in-n-j/
Quote : A common thread? Trains
The most easily identifiable trend among NJ’s hottest towns is clear — access to transit. Each of the towns are within minutes of an NJ Transit station, which despite the transit service’s recent woes, remains a tremendous draw for prospective home buyers.
Developers in RIDGEWOOD are trying to crack the safe in RIDGEWOOD, With build sell cut and run tactics leaving behind Traffic,Garagezillas, Water and service impacts to Homeowners.wake up property owners
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook
June 3,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A three (3) vehicle Friday evening, 06/02, crash on Route 17 northbound in Ridgewood caused injuries requiring ambulance transport to one (1) of the drivers. One (1) of the cars involved had an operating dash camera, the output of which was reviewed by investigating officers. A flatbed tow truck was called to remove a 4-door Ford Fusion, which wound up off the highway facing the opposite direction. Ridgewood PD and EMS responded. Traffic on Route 17 northbound was temporarily slowed while emergency responders worked at the scene.
June 3,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Local Author , Professional Golfer and Ridgewood High School Alum Debbie O’Connell will discuss and sign her new book at Bookends in Ridgewood , Monday, June 26th @ 6:00pm .
Golf Positive!
Live Positive!
On Facebook O’Connell said “Hey Ridgewood Alumni! I’m excited to share that I’m doing a book signing at Bookends on Monday June 26 starting at 6pm. I’d love to see you! “I’m so proud to host this signing in my hometown!!”
AWARDS :Golf Digest Magazine – Top 50 Best Women Teachers in America (2010 & 2012) ,
LPGA”s Top 50 Best Teachers (2008 & 2009),Inaugural recipient of the Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award (2007),
LPGA National Professional of the Year (2002),and the SE Section Professional of the Year (2002).
Debbie’s Mission is to enhance the lives of individuals through positive learning experiences while enhancing golf skills and knowledge. Golf-Positive will use the game of golf as a tool to influence positive results in many facets of life. Experience and enjoy the positive spirit and energy Golf-Positive will illuminate. Join Debbie in her journey as she strives to reach her full potential by helping you to reach yours!
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
June 3,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, its coming ,the modified Service Plan Due to Amtrak’s Summer Track Repair Work in Effect Monday, July 10 through Friday, September 1, 2017
NJ TRANSIT rail customers have been forced to deal with delays, derailments and unreliable service because Amtrak, which owns the tracks our service relies upon, has neglected the maintenance of its critical infrastructure for years. For three-quarters of NJ TRANSIT rail customers travel patterns will not be modified, including the Trenton to New York Northeast Corridor Line. However, delays on all rail lines, except for the Atlantic City Rail line, are inevitable.
Long overdue Amtrak track repair work will significantly disrupt travel this summer for customers who normally travel on the Morris & Essex Midtown Direct service to and from Penn Station New York. As a result, for their inconvenience, Morris & Essex Lines customers will receive about a 50 percent discount off the regular Hoboken ticket cost, in addition to cross-honoring with ferry and PATH service at Hoboken Terminal.
Below is the overall rail service plan for customers who will be traveling into Penn Station New York and Hoboken Terminal this summer.
NJ TRANSIT Service Plan for July 10th – September 1st
The following weekday rail service plan will be in place continuously from July 10th through September 1st.
Midtown Direct trains on the Morristown Line will be diverted to Hoboken.
Midtown Direct trains on the Gladstone Branch will be diverted to Hoboken.
All Midtown Direct trains on the Montclair-Boonton Line will operate on regular weekday schedules with minor time changes to/from PSNY.
All Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains will operate on regular weekday schedules with minor time changes to/from PSNY.
Raritan Valley Line will operate on regular weekday schedules with adjustments to PSNY schedules.
Main/Bergen, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis Lines will operate on regular weekday schedules however customers may need to adjust their connections to New York at Secaucus.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing will be held for the purpose of receiving comments on a Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund Historic Preservation application. The Village of Ridgewood desires to obtain funds in order to restore interior operating systems, new doors & windows and listing n the National Historic Register for the Zabriskie-Schedler House, located at 460 West Saddle River Road, Ridgewood, NJ and identified as Block 4704, Lots 10 & 11.
The Public Hearing will be held at the Village Council’s Public Meeting on June 14, 2017 which begins at 8:00pm and will be held in the Village Hall Court Room, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. All persons who may be interested in giving public comment will have an opportunity to be heard at that time.
One reader sums it up perfectly , “There are many like me who do not really care about what people do in their bedrooms. Someone getting gay-married does nothing to my marriage so I couldn’t care less. We work with gay coworkers, have gay friends and really do not give any more thought to someone being gay than we do to someone being straight.
However, I only want the American flag flying on the Village Hall – not a rainbow flag, not a vegan flag, not a muslim flag, not a Black Lives Matter flag, and a Lenape flag and not the Confederate flag.
But it appears that if I as much as mention the same, I am going to be harassed and bullied for being a ‘bigot.’ How I lead my life, how I interact with people, how I do not discriminate at all between someone gay and someone straight in my real life does not matter. I am either screaming out my support for flying the rainbow flag or I am a bigot. I am suddenly no different from the people tossing gays off buildings.
This is nothing by extremism. And it is detrimental to the movement itself. Harassing and publicly bullying people may shut them down but the feelings of resentment will not disappear. This appears to be more of an attempt to ‘plant a flag’ and rub it in everyone’s face, rather than support for tolerance or anything.”
June 1,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Opening day for the Graydon Pool season is Saturday, June 3rd! You will be able to purchase a day pass or a season pass by credit card, cash or check. Details are on the Graydon Pool website.
AMENITIES at Graydon Pool : Accessibile ramp for entry into the pool, Spray fountains, Adirondack chairs & Shade systems; Volleyball & Basketball Courts; Recreational Games of Shuffle Board, Four Square, Hop Scotch and Ping-Pong; Picnic Tables and Charcoal Grills; Shaded Playground and Sitting areas for Parents with young ones; The Water’s Edge Cafe – Open daily Noon to 7PM.
PROGRAM OFFERINGS: Instructiojnal Swim/Fitness for children and adults; Competitive Graydon Swim Team , ages 8 – 17; Stand Up Paddleboard, Beach Yoga, Kayaking Introduction; Storytime Under the Pavilion; Movies on the Beach; Live Concerts Monthly.
COME ENJOY THE FUN!
