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Reader asks Do you really think the Schedler house is worth saving?

Zabriskie Schedler house themridgewoodblog.net 322

Do you really think it is worth saving?  Very little of it is original.  Each add-on is either up a step or down a step.  I know Isabella has told me that an historic house does not have to be handicapped accessible.  If that is true, maybe it is savable but at what cost?  And for what use? To restore it for the idea of restoring it is really of no use to anyone.  And no one has ever seen that famous “Shedler bald eagle.”   The property does have an occasional turkey buzzard, does it qualify for special treatment?  If the town does put a smaller ball field and a park, it will have to put up barriers on the highway.  That would be the only way they could safely use the field or park

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The Former Administrations Financial Advisory Committee Continues to Undermine Mayor and push Garage for Developers

3 amigos

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood NJ, as this was done before During Mayor Killion’s tenure members of Paul Aronsohns Financial Advisory Committee or FAC continue to attempt to undermine the Ridgewood Police and Mayor Susan Knudsen.

“Unions don’t allow it because it’s good for taxpayers. The Mayor won’t propose it because she just inducted her sons into the Ridgewood Police Dept and she won’t favor taxpayers over the police. And the union lackeys will talk till they’re blue in the face about why is will jeopardize our safety. How well turn in to Paterson. It’s a total scam against taxpayers to rip us off through excessive OT and too many full time cops on the force with all of their extra benefits that follow.”

Stories like these continue to circulate the Village generating much talk on the parking committee? Why is the Ridgewood parking committee is not spending more time focusing on parking ? It seems the focus has also been on building a garage to bail out some developers .

I am sorry but might reconsider slamming our Mayor. If both her sons qualified to become police that means that both passed the Civil Service exam, ranked highly on the exam, the physical, and the personal interview. I am sure she will continue to support the rights of the citizens of Ridgewood over the incorrectly perceived favoritism for the police.

The same people are also implying ,”Well if you’re “sure” Anon, at least we have that going for us. No conflict of interest here? Perhaps you weren’t aware of changes in the college level education requirement? And when your pool of applicants must meet a Ridgewood residency requirement, are we really getting the best pool of applicants? Funny how most officers move out of the Village once they’re on the force?”

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Ridgewood Police Warn Residents of Latest “Craigslist ” Scam

craigslist

April 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police reminds you to always be safe when dealing with on-line based transactions. If you do decide to post or purchase items from Craigslist type sites, please be sure to read up on some safety precautions you can take so you don’t become a victim. Here is a link to craigslist’s “Avoiding Scam’s” page which will give you some tips on how to better protect yourself. https://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
Currently there is a scam e-mail that is being sent around claiming that it is from the FBI and that you are owed money. Please do not give any personal information or make any payments to anyone claiming to be from a government agency as they will not request that type of information via email.

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NJT: Expect 15-30 Minutes Delays for the Foreseeable Future

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog

file photo

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, ,Due to ongoing Amtrak track maintenance work and track inspections leading to speed restrictions, effective immediately and continuing until further notice, NJT customers traveling to and from New York Penn Station will experience estimated delays of 15 minutes on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends.

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Village Of Ridgewood Work Session Tonight , Parking, Pool ,Trees and Shrubs

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog

VILLAGE – COUNCIL WORK SESSION

THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA

APRIL 26, 2017

REVISED

1.         7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor

2.         Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act

Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin   board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission       to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and           time of this meeting.”

3.         Roll Call – Village Clerk

4.         Flag Salute/Moment of Silence

5.         Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)

6.         Discussion:

a. Ridgewood Water

Award Contract – Professional Engineering Services – Suez Corrosion Control

Water Conservation

b. Parking

1.   Parking Kiosk – RFP

2.   Train Station – New Parking

c. Budget

Fourth Quarter Financial Report

d. Policy

1. Graydon Pool – Designation of Historic Places

2.   Amend Chapter 260 – Trees and Shrubs

e. Operations

1.   Yardwaste Regulations – Factoids

7.         Manager’s Report

8.         Council Reports

9.         Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)

10.       Resolution to go into Closed Session

11.       Closed Session

a.   Legal – RCRD Litigation; COAH; Valley Hospital

12.       Adjournment a

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Time to Add the Ridgewood Train Station Parking Spaces

Ridgewood Trainstation_theridgewoodblog

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, as previously reported on this blog , Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser was asked to ascertain the feasibility of adding approximately 40 additional parking spaces at the Ridgewood train station.  Mayor Susan Knudsen suggested that additional parking spaces might be added by removing some of the large, grass & tree covered center island in the current parking lot.

While the Village Engineer has attempted to upgrade the project to include moving the bus station, the simple solution and cost effective solution would just be to stick with adding the new spaces to the train station .It would ad the most spaces quickly and effectively.

It amounts to a small sacrifice  of removing a few feet of grass with a net gain of anywhere from 28-40 spaces .

No it will not solve the whole problem but it will help out commuters , and generate more revenue for the Village with passes .

It will also shift commuters from taking up valuable spaces in front of merchants free ups spaces for shoppers.

 

 

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U.S. News and World Report Rankings Ridgewood High School 26th in the State

RHS

file photo by Boyd Loving

April 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  U.S. News and World Report released its annual ranking of America’s best high schools on Tuesday, and 25 New Jersey high schools made the top 500, including three schools in the top 100.

Schools with selective enrollment, including specialized high schools run by county vocational districts, typically rank ahead of many of the state’s traditional high schools.  Ridgewood High School came in an impressive 26th in the state and 583rd in the country.

U.S. News and World Report used state supplied numbers ;Total Students 1,714 , College Readiness (district average)53.6%,Proficient in English (district average)71%,Proficient in Mathematics (district average)56%.

The U.S. News and World Report summarized , “Ridgewood High School is ranked 26th within New Jersey. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® course work and exams. The AP® participation rate at Ridgewood High School is 60 percent. The student body makeup is 49 percent male and 51 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 30 percent”

U.S. News’ ranking attempts to identify the best high schools in the country, using a school’s graduation rate, performance on state math and English tests and scores and level of participation on Advanced Placement exams are the primary factors in the U.S. News ranking. Schools with the highest ranking demonstrated strong performance among all students, including minority and low-income students.

The list is based it’s analysis on more than 28,000 public schools, according to U.S. News. The 25 New Jersey schools ranked in the top 500 each earned a gold medal from U.S. News, meaning their students have the highest level of college readiness.

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Reader says You wanted to make the village into your vision of a “Montclair light “. You lost

Ridgewood 3 amigos

The carpetbaggers came to town, they hedged their bets, bought some real estate,.they had confidence their puppet council would accommodate their demands so they can build build build , pocket the profits, and leave while sticking the taxpayers with the tab for a garage to enhance their bets, You made a bet. You wanted to make the village into your vision of a “Montclair light “. You lost. Now do us all a favor and go home, back to your real home which isn’t 07450

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Reader lists Primary Crossing Guard Responsibilities

Ridgewood crossing guards 2

file photo by Boyd Loving

PRIMARY CROSSING GUARD RESPONSIBILITIES  :
The prime duty of school crossing guards is to assist children in
crossing the street at assigned times and locations. The first concern of
crossing guards is the safety of the students.
• Crossing Guards should provide safe crossings of the roadways.
• Crossing guards should model appropriate street skills and
behavior for child pedestrians.
The duties of crossing guards in New Jersey are limited by the
following:
• Crossing guards shall not have the right to bear firearms or the
power of arrest unless the crossing guard is also a member of
the police department or force (N.J.S.A. 40A:9-154.1).
• Crossing guards shall not direct traffic, but rather, they shall
choose opportune times to create sufficient gaps in the traffic
flow. At these times, they shall stand in the roadway to indicate
that pedestrians are about to use or are using the crosswalk,
and that all vehicular traffic must stop (FHWA MUTCD 7D.05).

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A Parking Garage in Ridgewood Will Not Solve this Problem

A Parking Garage in Ridgewood Will Not Solve this Problem

photo courtesy of DT

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, pulled this picture off of Facebook , it would limply the problems in Ridgewood run far deeper that building a parking garage . Perhaps a picture is really worth a thousand words. .

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RIDGEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TAKING BACK UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS APRIL 29th AT THE RIDGEWOOD POLICE STATION

prescription-drugs

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, On Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Ridgewood Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 13th opportunity in 7 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the police station at 131 north maple ave. (The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last October, Americans turned in 366 tons (over 730,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 12 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 7.1 million pounds—more than 3,500 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

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VALLEY HOSPITAL AND RIDGEWOOD EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WILL CONDUCT SAFETY DRILLS

valleyEmergency_theridgewoodblog

VALLEY HOSPITAL AND LOCAL EMERGENCY SAFETY DRILLS – APRI 26, 2017

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Today Wednesday, April 26, from 7:30 am to 1 pm, The Valley Hospital and local emergency personnel will be conducting a safety drill.  During this time, you may see unusual activity at the hospital such as the presence of police cars and fire trucks. Please keep in mind that this is only a drill and there is no reason to be alarmed.

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SENATE BUDGET CHAIRMAN SEEKS TO REVISIT HOSPITAL PROPERTY-TAX EXEMPTIONS

valley_hospital_theridgewoodblog

LILO H. STAINTON | APRIL 24, 2017

Dozens of municipalities have challenged hospitals and their current tax-exempt status

Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen)

A leading Senate Democrat is crafting a plan to revise a century-old law that permits the vast majority of New Jersey hospitals to avoid paying property taxes, a situation that has already prompted dozens of lawsuits in municipalities seeking to change this status quo.

Budget Chairman Paul Sarlo, (D-Bergen), said he is working on a bill that would require hospitals to pay regular fees, based on the number of beds or a similar mechanism, to their host communities to help fund local roads, first responders, and other costs now covered largely by municipal property taxes.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/04/24/senate-budget-chairman-seeks-to-revisit-hospital-property-tax-exemptions/?utm_campaign=new-jersey-politics&utm_content=2017-25-04-9463353&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

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New Jersey School To Host ‘Transgender Symposium’

rau paul drag race

What are the rules when it comes to transgender students and New Jersey’s schools? Find out what some experts have to say.

By Eric Kiefer (Patch Staff) – April 24, 2017 11:16 am ET

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — If you’re a New Jersey student who was born a female but who identifies as a male, are you allowed to use the boys’ bathroom? Or if you were born a male but identify as a female, can you play girls’ softball? These are some of the questions that a North Jersey school community hopes to address at an upcoming public forum.

Bloomfield public school administrators plan to host a “Transgender Symposium” at the high school on Wednesday, May 3. According to administrators, the free, public forum will help the community understand the changes that will come with the rollout of the district’s official transgender policy, which the Board of Education adopted last year.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/montclair/new-jersey-school-host-transgender-symposium

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Davidoff Cigar Tasting & Seminar – May 3 at Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood

bikeattheCigarshop theridgewoodblog.net 1

April 25,2017

the staff of the Ridgeood blog

Ridgewood NJ , the Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood  will be hosting a Davidoff Cigar Tasting & Seminar on May 3 .Exploring the Davidoff Flavor Experience : Soil and Seed ,featuring Brand Ambassador Jeffery Stone.
It is $20 per person limited seating available call today !

The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood. & Davidoff Lounge. 10 Chestnut Street • Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450 • 201-447-2204. Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00AM