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When does Passover 2017 end, how do you say happy Passover in Hebrew and how is the Jewish festival celebrated?

passover

This year the event started on Tuesday April 11 and will last until Monday April 17

By Becky Pemberton
12th April 2017, 8:30 am

Updated: 12th April 2017, 8:34 am

THE JEWISH Passover festival started this week and observing Jews will be taking time to enjoy the celebrations.

But what does the event celebrate and what happens during the festival?

What is Passover?

Passover is a festival in spring that Jews celebrate to remember the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt.

It is celebrated with friends and family who eat ceremonial meals such as Seders and cook traditional foods.

There is also a focus on helping the needy, with many communal Seders being held in public halls or synagogues.

Some Jews opt to take holidays during Passover, and some Jewish businesses may close or have reduced service during the period.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/3149569/passover-2017-jewish-festival-dates/

https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/3149569/passover-2017-jewish-festival-dates/

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Millennials Rate New Jersey 11th Worst State to Live

millenials

April 12,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, With millennials today making up the largest generation in the U.S. workforce yet earning 20 percent less than Baby Boomers did at the same age, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2017’s Best & Worst States for Millennials.

Overall Rank  40

State  New Jersey

Total Score  40.72

‘Affordability’ Rank  45

‘Education & Health’ Rank 23

‘Quality of Life’ Rank  39

‘Economic Health’ Rank 29

In order to determine the most livable places for this generation, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 24 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of millennials to average monthly earnings for millennials to millennial unemployment rate.

Best States for Millennials Worst States for Millennials
1 North Dakota 42 Florida
2 Minnesota 43 Georgia
3 South Dakota 44 Nevada
4 Iowa 45 Louisiana
5 District of Columbia 46 Arkansas
6 Utah 47 Arizona
7 Wyoming 48 New Mexico
8 Wisconsin 49 Alabama
9 Colorado 50 Mississippi
10 Nebraska 51 West Virginia

Best vs. Worst

North Dakota has the lowest share of millennials living with their parents, 15.57 percent, which is 2.9 times lower than in New Jersey, registering the highest at 44.95 percent.

Minnesota has the highest millennial homeownership rate, 49.72 percent, which is 2.1 times higher than in the District of Columbia, registering the lowest at 23.48 percent.

The District of Columbia has the highest share of millennials, 35.17 percent, which is 1.8 times higher than in Maine, registering the lowest at 19.91 percent.

Vermont has the lowest share of millennials in fair or poor health, 5.2 percent, which is 2.7 times lower than in Nevada, registering the highest at 14.2 percent.

The District of Columbia has the highest average monthly earnings for millennials, $5,119, which is 2.1 times higher than in Idaho, registering the lowest at $2,478.

North Dakota has the lowest millennial unemployment rate, 3.94 percent, which is 4.1 times lower than in Mississippi, registering the highest at 16.13 percent.

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Ridgewood’s Ali Stroker Honored at NYU Alumni Association Awards Luncheon on April 21

ali

Martin Lipton, John Patrick Shanley, also to be Honored at Luncheon 

April 12,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

New York NY, New York University President Andrew Hamilton and the NYU Alumni Association (NYUAA) will honor three exceptional members of the NYU community at its annual Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 21 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
Honorees include attorney Martin Lipton (LAW ‘55), Academy Award winner John Patrick Shanley (STEINHARDT ’77, HON ’09), and actress Ali Stroker (TSOA ’09).

“These honorees are visionaries in their fields, leaders in their communities, and tremendous representatives of the University. We are extremely proud of all they have accomplished,” said Heather Cannady (CAS ’04), president, NYUAA.

“I am so excited and honored to be receiving the Alumni Award from NYU,” said Stroker. “This award represents determination and hard work and I am thrilled to be honored along side John Patrick Shanley, a playwright who I respect and admire so much.”

Each year, the NYUAA invites alumni to celebrate distinguished members of the University who demonstrate extraordinary achievement and service to their professional, vocational, social, and cultural endeavors. This year, the NYUAA is pleased to honor the following alumni for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields and society:

Martin Lipton (LAW ‘55) is a founding partner of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and specializes in advising major corporations on mergers and acquisitions and matters affecting corporate policy and strategy. Throughout his illustrious career, Lipton has been instrumental in the continued growth of NYU and has used his talents to navigate New York City through a financial crisis, act as special counsel to the Department of Energy, help initiate NYU Law School’s faculty research program, and contribute to leading law journals. He served as chairman of the NYU School of Law Board of Trustees from 1988 to1998, and as chairman of the NYU Board of Trustees from 1998–2015. Lipton will receive the Eugene J. Keogh Award for Distinguished Public Service.

John Patrick Shanley (STEINHARDT ’77, HON ’09) graduated as valedictorian with a degree in educational theatre. Shanley is a Pulitzer Prize-, Academy Award-, and Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and theatre and film director. He has 23 plays and nine films to his credit, including his award-winning play Doubt: A Parable and its film adaptation and Academy Award-winning film, Moonstruck. His theatrical work is performed extensively across the United States and around the world. Shanley will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Ali Stroker (TSOA ‘09) was the first actress in a wheelchair to graduate from the NYU Tisch drama department. A groundbreaking performer, she made history as the first actress in a wheelchair to appear on a Broadway stage, as the role of Anna in Deaf West’s 2015 revival of Spring Awakening. She will be appearing in the upcoming ABC drama Ten Days in the Valley, which premieres in a few months. A humanitarian and advocate, Stroker is a co-chair of Women Who Care, which supports United Cerebral Palsy of NYC; and is a founding member of Be More Heroic, an anti-bullying campaign. Stroker will receive the Distinguished Young Alumna Award.

The Awards Luncheon will take place on Friday, April 21, 2017, from 12:00p.m. – 2:00p.m. at Gotham Hall in New York City. For more information or to register for this event, visit nyualumni.com/awards.

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Valley Hospital of Ridgewood Scores a Top Grade in Hospital Safety

valley_hospital_theridgewoodblog

April 12,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Valley Hospital of Ridgewood scored an A grade making it one of the safest hospitals in the area . Valley scored an over all .75 on MRSA infections with the average hospital scoring .862 . Hackensack University Medical Center scored a B at its main campus as well as its Pascack Valley campus . St Joseph’s scored a C in Wayne and Paterson while Englewood and Holy Name scored A’s respectively.

Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades (formerly known as Hospital Safety Scores) are assigned to more than 2,600 general acute-care hospitals across the nation twice annually. The Safety Grade is becoming the gold standard measure of patient safety, cited in MSNBC, The New York Times, and AARP The Magazine.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses national performance measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey and Health Information Technology Supplement.

Taken together, those performance measures produce a single letter grade representing a hospital’s overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors. The Safety Grade includes 30 measures, all currently in use by national measurement and reporting programs. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade methodology has been peer reviewed and published in the Journal of Patient Safety.

Leapfrog works under the guidance of the seven-member Blue Ribbon Expert Panel to select appropriate measures and develop a scoring methodology. The Expert Panel is made up of patient safety experts from across the country:

Arnold Milstein, M.D., M.P.H., Stanford University
Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., F.C.C.M, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Patrick Romano, M.D., M.P.H., University of California, Davis
Sara Singer, Ph.D., Harvard University
Tim Vogus, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
Matthew D McHugh, Ph.D., J.D., M.P.H., R.N., C.R.N.P., F.A.A.N., University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Jennifer Daley, M.D., F.A.C.P.

This Blue Ribbon Expert Panel selected 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data, analyzed the data and determined the weight of each measure based on evidence, opportunity forimprovement and impact. Information from secondary sources supplemented any missing data to give hospitals as much credit as possible toward their Safety Grade.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade places each measure into one of two domains: (1) Process/Structural Measures or (2) Outcome Measures, each accounting for 50 percent of the overall score.

Process Measures represent how often a hospital gives patients recommended treatment for a given medical condition or procedure. For example, “Responsiveness of hospital staff” looks at patients’ feedback on how long it takes for a staff member to respond when they request help. Structural Measures represent the environment in which patients receive care. For example, “Doctors order medications through a computer” represents whether a hospital uses a special computerized system to prevent errors when prescribing medications.
Outcome Measures represent what happens to a patient while receiving care. For example, “Dangerous object left in patient’s body” measures how many times a patient undergoing surgery had a dangerous foreign object, like a sponge or tool, left in his or her body.

A hospital must have enough safety data available for our experts to issue them a letter grade. Hospitals missing more than nine process measures or more than five outcome measures are not graded. All hospitals are encouraged to voluntarily report additional safety data through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, but they are not required to do so to receive a Safety Grade.

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How the estate tax exemption works

old paramus reformed church

By Karin Price Mueller | NJMoneyHelp.com for NJ.com
on April 11, 2017 at 8:49 AM, updated April 11, 2017 at 10:58 AM

Q. If one has an estate that exceeds the exemption limit, is the tax on the amount above the limit or on the entire estate? I’m confused.
— Trying to get it

A. The estate tax can certainly be confusing.

A federal estate tax is imposed only on that portion of the estate’s value that exceeds the exemption amount, said Shirley Whitenack, an estate planning attorney with Schenck, Price, Smith & King in Florham Park.

For 2017, the federal amount exempted from death taxes is $5.49 million, and the top federal estate tax rate is 40 percent, she said.

The answer is more complicated for New Jersey’s estate tax.

https://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2017/04/how_the_estate_tax_exemption_works_biz_brain.html#incart_river_home

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NJ VOTERS SUPPORT TAX HIKE FOR MILLIONAIRES, CPAS SAY IT COULD PROPEL RICH TO LEAVE

for sale Ridgewood_Real_Estate_theRodgewopodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

JOHN REITMEYER | APRIL 12, 2017

Majority of New Jerseyans back tax hike on the rich — if revenue is used for education and public pensions

A recent public opinion poll revealed an overwhelming number of New Jersey voters would support hiking taxes on those with incomes over $1 million if the new revenue is used to boost education aid or increase public-employee pension payments, two areas the state has been underfunding by billions of dollars in recent years.

But the results of a new survey of New Jersey’s certified public accountants raised concerns that such a change in tax policy could ultimately deliver a bad outcome for the state budget, especially if it chases wealthy residents and small-business owners out of New Jersey to other states with lower tax rates.

The rekindling of the debate over just how much New Jersey should be taxing its wealthiest residents comes just as lawmakers are evaluating Gov. Chris Christie’s latest state budget proposal. Christie’s $35.5 billion spending plan for the new fiscal year that begins in July holds the line on taxes, which has drawn praise from Republicans, but also continues the practice of underfunding the state’s school aid and pension contributions, which is something many Democrats have criticized.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/04/11/nj-voters-support-millionaire-tax-hike-cpas-say-it-could-propel-rich-to-leave/

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Ridgewood Top 5 Biggest Drops in Housing Inventory in New Jersey

ridgewood real-estate

The 5 most competitive places to buy a home in New Jersey

By Carla Astudillo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 11, 2017 at 7:20 AM, updated April 11, 2017 at 4:39 PM

New Jersey buyers beware – it’s a competitive time to search for your dream home.

Housing inventory data for nearly 500 New Jersey zip codes from Realtor.com provided by the Associated Press shows that 77 percent of them saw a plunge in the number of homes on the market in February of this year, compared to the same time last year.

That means it’s mostly a seller’s market in the state.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/five_of_the_worse_places_to_buy_a_home_in_new_jers.html#incart_river_home

LOCALITY
COUNTY
ZIP CODE
PERCENT CHANGE SINCE LAST YEAR
MEDIAN LISTING PRICE
1 Buena Atlantic 08310 -59.1%

$219,900
2 Ridgefield Park Bergen 07660 -55.4%

$298,500
3 Glen Ridge Essex 07028 -53.6%

$558,300
4 Ridgewood Bergen 07450 -48.0%

$899,000
5 Township of Washington Bergen 07676 -45.5%

$574,500
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Reader asks Will the constant leaf blower noise soon require us all to carry ear protectors?

yard work theridgewoodblog.net

Leaf blowers should have a much more limited decibel range (and that is a legal action that can be taken). You note that all users are wearing sound proof ear protectors. Unfortunately, the student walking home from school or the passenger waiting for a bus, or just kids playing in their own homes or yards have no such protection. In much of Europe during WWII, people were required to have their gas masks with them at all times. Will the constant leaf blower noise soon require us all to carry ear protectors?

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Reader says The NJ State Supreme court has ruled on the issue of affordable housing and EVERY municipality must comply

CBD high density housing

Why would a private developer build 100% low and moderate income income housing if their cost to build exceeds their projected revenue from the project.? The NJ State Supreme court has ruled on the issue of affordable housing and EVERY municipality must comply, so the choice for the Village is to either build it themselves in which case the existing taxpayers end up footing the entire bill or they can offer an incentive to private developers via a reasonable “set-aside” for an affordable housing component in their proposed development. So the choice is simple, the residents can either pay for the whole thing themselves or they can partially subsidize someone who will. DUH !!

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VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING, Bogart ,Cambridge ,and Pomander Walk

village-hall-theridgewoodblog

VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING

APRIL 12, 2017

8:00 P.M.

1.   Call to Order – Mayor

2.   Statement of Compliance with the Open Public       Meetings Act

3.   Roll Call – Village Clerk

4.   Flag Salute and Moment of Silence

5.   Acceptance of Financial Reports

6.   Approval of Minutes

7.   Proclamations

  1. Proclaim April as Tree Planting Month and   April 28, 2017 as Arbor Day
  2. Proclaim April 29, 2017 LAX Day in Ridgewood
  3. Proclaim May 7-13, 2017 National Drinking    Water Week
  4. Proclaim May as Building Safety Month

    8.   Presentation by Bradford Fritts, Owner of Jersey     Mike’s Subs – Donation for Restoration of Bell      Tower at Ridgewood High School

     

    9. Comments from the Public (Not to exceed 3 minutes    per person – 40 minutes in total)

    10.  Village Manager’s Report

    11.  Village Council Reports

    12.  ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION – RIDGEWOOD WATER

    NONE

    13.  ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING – RIDGEWOOD WATER

    3588 – Amend Chapter 269 – Water Irrigation Schedule      and Water Emergencies

    14.  RESOLUTIONS – RIDGEWOOD WATER

    THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 17-87 THROUGH 17-92 ARE TO BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL. THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE EACH RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. EACH RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY:

    17-87     Title 59 Approval – Approves the plans and              specifications for Tree Maintenance Services,         prepared by the Ridgewood Water Department,              pursuant to Title 59

    17-88      Award Contract – Tree Maintenance Services –              Awards a contract to the sole responsible              bidder, Downes Tree Service, 65 Royal Avenue,           Hawthorne, NJ on a per item basis

    17-89     Award Contract – Water Main Replacements at               Stream Crossings ($998,500) –Awards a                    contract to the lowest responsible bidder,            Fred Devens Construction, 403 Stonetown Road,          Ringwood, NJ

    17-90      Award Contract Under State Contract –                    Materials and Supplies – Water Main Repairs –      Awards a contract under State Contract to             Stone Industries, Inc., P.O. Box 8310,                    Haledon, NJ

    17-91      Authorize Change Order – Rehabilitation of              Glen Avenue Tank ($29,766) –Authorizes a                change order for this project, to the                    original contractor, Brave Industrial Paint,              LLC, 177 Elmwood Avenue, Long Branch, NJ.                This change order was necessary due to the                fact that additional work, beyond the                    original contract scope, is necessary.

    17-92      Authorize Change Order – Furnish and Install            Control Valves at Various Locations ($26,960)           – Authorizes a change order for this project,        to the original contractor, CFM Construction,       Inc., 5 Bay Street, Stirling, NJ. This change        order was necessary due to the fact that           additional work, not anticipated at the time              of award, is necessary.  

    15.  ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION

    3592 – Establish a CAP Bank

    3593 – General Capital Ordinance

    3594 – Water Utility Capital Ordinance

    3595 – Parking Utility Capital Ordinance

    3596 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic –             Parking Restrictions – Bogert Avenue and              Cambridge Road – Prohibits parking at all times            on the east side of Bogert Avenue within 25-feet     of the 90 degree inside corner in the road north      of Glen Avenue and on the west side of Cambridge     Road within 25-feet of the 90 degree inside         corner in the road north of East Glen Avenue.         In addition, prohibits parking in other sections  of Bogert Avenue and Cambridge Road from 8:00      a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.      Monday through Friday, September 1st through June      30th.

    3597 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic –             Parking Restrictions – Pomander Walk –Prohibits  parking on the South/West side of Pomander Walk         8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on all days and restricts  parking to two hours on the North/East side of          Pomander Walk from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on all     days except Sundays and Holidays

    3598 – Amend Chapter 260 – Trees and Shrubs – The goals  of this ordinance are: preservation of the           Village’s native tree stock on both public and      private lands; advocating for the removal of          invasive and non-indigenous tree and shrub            species; replacement of trees removed on both          public and private properties; maintain the          number of trees in the Village

    16.  ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING

    3589 – Establish Rules and Regulations for Rental of            Rooms in The Stable

    3590 – Amend Chapter 145 – Fees – Establish Rental Fees     – The Stable

    3591 – Repeal Chapter 29, Historic Preservation             Commission, Amend Chapter 190, Land Use and        Development, and Repeal Chapter 251, Swimming        Pools

    17.  2017 BUDGET INTRODUCTION

    A.   Budget Message

     

    B.   RESOLUTION

     

         17-93      Approve 2017 Municipal Budget and Set                May 10, 2017 as the Date for the Public                    Hearing Thereon

    18.  RESOLUTIONS

    THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 17-94 THROUGH

    17-118 ARE TO BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL. THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE EACH RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. EACH RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY:

    17-94      Approve Temporary Emergency Capital Budget

    17-95      Approve Temporary Emergency Budget                        Appropriations

    17-96     Title 59 Approval – Conduit Installation for              Traffic Signals – Approves the plans and              specifications for Conduit Installation for              Traffic Signals in the Village of Ridgewood                prepared by the Engineering Division,                    pursuant to Title 59

    17-97      Award Contract – Conduit Installation for              Traffic Signals (NTE $25,325) –Awards a              contract to the lowest quote, ConQuest                    Construction Corporation, 20 Carver Avenue,           Westwood, NJ

    17-98      Award Contract – Disposal of Recyclable                 Materials – Authorizes a contract for                  disposal of the Village’s recyclable                    materials for the first year of a two-year               contract to Atlantic Coast Fibers, LLC, 101               Seventh Street, Passaic, NJ

    17-99     Title 59 Approval – Gate House Sloped Entry –           Irene Habernickel Family Park –Approves the            plans and specifications for Gatehouse Sloped           Entry at the Irene Habernickel Family Park             prepared by the Engineering Division,                pursuant to Title 59

    17-100    Award Contract – Gate House Sloped Entry –           Irene Habernickel Family Park (NTE $67,735) –         Awards a contract to the lowest responsible             bidder, Onque Technologies, Inc., 297-146             Kinderkamack Road, Suite 101, Oradell, NJ

    17-101    Title 59 Approval – Furnishing, Delivering,             and Maintenance of Emergency Equipment and            Other Patrol Equipment – Approves the plans                and specifications for Furnishing,                        Delivering, and Maintenance of Emergency           Equipment, Radios, Vehicle Computer Systems,             and Other Listed Patrol Equipment for the             Ridgewood Police Department, July 1, 2017             through June 30, 2018, inclusive prepared by               the Engineering Division, pursuant to Title              59

    17-102    Award Contract – Furnishing, Delivering, and              Maintenance of Emergency Equipment, Vehicle            Computer Systems, and Other Patrol Equipment              – Police Department –Awards the second year           of a two-year contract to the lowest                 responsible bidder, Regional Communications,               Inc., 64 East Midland Avenue, Paramus, NJ at             the unit prices stated in the contract

    17-103    Title 59 Approval – Paving – Approves the           plans and specifications for 2017 Road                  Resurfacing and Repair of Various Village               Streets in the Village of Ridgewood prepared                by the Engineering Division, pursuant to               Title 59

    17-104    Award Contract – Paving ($1,000,000) – Awards          a partial award of a contract to the lowest              responsible bidder, J.A. Alexander, 13-158                John F. Kennedy Drive North, Bloomfield, NJ

    17-105    Award Professional Services Contract –                    Traffic Engineering Services – West Side              Study Area ($14,945) – Awards a Professional               Services contract to the lowest proposal by              Petry Traffic and Transportation Engineering,        155 Passaic Avenue, Fairfield, NJ

    17-106    Authorize Shared Services Agreement – Police           Pistol Range (Wood-Ridge $150 per                         officer/retired officer) – Authorizes a                  Shared Services Agreement between the Village      of Ridgewood and the Borough of Wood-Ridge so         that the Ridgewood Police Department may use             the Police Pistol Range in Wood-Ridge to                conduct their annual firearms qualifications

    17-107    Reject Bids – School Bus Transportation –              Summer Day Camp – Rejects the sole bid by           First Student, Inc. of Englewood, NJ due to                the fact that the bid received exceeds the              available funding

    17-108    Declare Police Vehicles Surplus Property –            Declares a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria and a           2009 Ford Crown Victoria Police vehicles                surplus property and authorizes the Village              Manager to dispose of these vehicles

    17-109    Declare Radar Systems Surplus and Authorize               Donation to Englewood Cliffs Police                   Department – Declares three radar systems             surplus and authorizes the Village Manager to       dispose of and transfer them to the Borough              of Englewood Cliffs for use by their Police               Department. No warranties or guarantees of            the condition or usefulness of the equipment           are offered by the Village of Ridgewood.

    17-110    Accept Partial Donations – Portable Fuel Cell      Trailer – Parks and Recreation – Accepts                donations from Maroons Soccer Association            ($1,600), Ridgewood Soccer Association                   ($850), and Ridgewood Jr. Football                         Association ($600), toward the purchase of a            Portable Fuel Cell Trailer which costs $5,478

    17-111    Accept Donation – Restoration of Sally Port –         Ridgewood Police Department – Accepts a                donation valued at $3,800 from the owner of           Five Star Painting, 38 East Ridgewood Avenue,        Ridgewood, NJ to paint the walls and floors              of the Sallyport. The owner of the company,               Christian Cruz, has volunteered to donate the       labor and supplies to the Village of                    Ridgewood. He currently has no applications               before any Village Boards or Committees nor                does he have any pending business with the                Village.

    17-112    Support Responsible Pet Ownership –                   Delineates actions to be taken by the Village      to support responsible pet ownership,                    including: enforcing rabies control statutes;        impounding stray dogs and cats; educating all      residents about responsibilities for pet             ownership; increasing the percentage of                  licensed dogs and cats through ease of                    licensing and licensing enforcement;                  identifying and implementing best practices           for spaying and neutering animals;                        identifying alternatives to euthanasia of            adoptable companion animals; assisting in              identifying resources to      improve the                   condition and increasing the capacity of              animal shelters

    17-113    Authorize Mayor’s Pledge for Age Friendly              Ridgewood Initiatives – Authorizes the Mayor                to sign a Mayor’s Pledge to take steps to            adopt some policies widely recognized as            being advantageous for older adults

    17-114    Authorize Release of Cash Security Bond –               Sludge Hauling Contract – Authorizes the             release of a cash security bond for Ridgewood       Green RME, LLC for sludge hauling from the               Village’s Water Pollution Control Facility,              due to the fact that Ridgewood Green RME, LLC       is no longer the Village’s vendor for this               service

    17-115    Authorize Partial Release of Cash Bond – J.P.      Development – 143 & 147 West Glen Avenue –                The project is substantially complete,                  according to the Village Engineer, so the              majority of the cash bond will be refunded,             with the balance being refunded at the                 completion of the project

    17-116    Authorize Cleaning of Kings Pond Park by             Ridgewood      Wildscape and Partners –Authorizes          a cleanup of the Kings Pond area by Ridgewood        Wildscape and their partners on April 30,           2017. The Village will provide assistance by               providing chest waders, gloves and other           protective equipment to handle the debris,               rakes and hand tools, and pickup and disposal      of the debris. This cleanup has been reviewed       by the Village Engineer, pursuant to Title              59.

    17-117    Authorize Installation of Bus Shelter – North      Monroe Street and West Glen Avenue –                 Authorizes the installation of an IKEA                    Paramus, NJ model bus shelter on North Monroe        Street, just north of West Glen Avenue and            authorizes the Village Manager to execute the      necessary agreements

    17-118    Rescind Resolution #15-257 on Schedler Park –      Determination of Uses for Schedler Park                 Property – Rescinds Resolution #15-257 which            laid out the uses of the Schedler Park                     property, to include active and passive                   recreational areas, as well as a 90-foot             baseball diamond

    19.  Comments from the Public (Not to Exceed 5 minutes    per person)

    20.  Resolution to go into Closed Session

    21.  Closed Session

  1. Personnel/Contract Negotiations – Blue    Collar, White Collar and Supervisory Union   Negotiations
  2. Contract Negotiations – Consideration of Purchase of Properties

    22.  Adjournment

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Enact a moratorium on affordable litigation through December 31, 2017

Projects_theridgewoodblog

Support A-4666/S-3080 and A-4667/S-3081, Affordable Housing
11 Tuesday Apr 2017

Update:  Click here to ask your State Legislators to support these bills.

The League supports both A-4666/S-3080 and A-4667/S-3081.   Both bills are a response to the current affordable housing impasses in the State and lack of a statewide housing policy and guidance for municipalities.

Because the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) has been unable to adopt valid regulations since 1999, the New Jersey Supreme Court transferred jurisdiction over municipal compliance to the Courts.   As a result, in July 2015 over 300 municipalities sought to voluntarily comply by seeking declaratory judgement from the Court.     To date approximately 100 municipalities have reached settlements and some other municipalities are no longer under the Court’s jurisdiction.  We estimate that approximately 150 municipalities are either in or awaiting trial to determine their respective affordable housing obligation.     Each Court vicinage is proceeding independently, with different judges and different appointed experts making independent determinations.    The result has been a costly and disjointed process, which does not serve the interests of taxpayers or low income families.

Specifically A-4666 and S-3080 enact a moratorium on affordable litigation through December 31, 2017.   The bill would not impact any judgement or settlement issued or agreed to before the effective date of the Act.   Current litigation would be stayed until the moratorium expires.

A-4667 and S-3081 establishes the Affordable housing Obligation Study Commission.   This Commission would consist of 7 members, including:

  • the Executive Director of the Housing Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA), ex officio;
  • an appointee of the Senate President;
  • an appointee of the Senate Minority Leader;
  • an appointee of the Speaker of the Assembly;
  • an appointee of the Assembly Minority Leader;
  • an appointee of the Governor, from a list submitted by the League of Municipalities; and,
  • an appointee of the Governor, from a list submitted by the Fair Share Housing Center.

The Commission will do the following:

(1)   Examine and study the history of affordable housing in New Jersey and how past practices at the State and local level have resulted in the State’s current legal framework.

(2)   Analyze past guidance from State agencies and advocacy groups to municipalities with respect to methods of satisfying existing and future affordable housing obligations to determine whether such guidance has been effective.

(3)   Analyze the actual and projected population increases in the State, the number of affordable housing units actually needed to serve the needs of residents.

(4)   Hold such public hearings and other activities as may be desirable, at the discretion of the commission, to ensure adequate public input into the preparation of a report.

(5)   Gather and disseminate such information on housing needs and strategies as may be useful for the work of the commission and informative to the public.

(6)   Prepare, adopt, and publish a report, not later than the 365th day next following the organization of the commission, that provides recommendations to municipalities regarding strategies which could be utilized to meet affordable housing obligations, and to State agencies on how best to assist municipalities in meeting affordable housing obligations.

Considering the extensive and ongoing expenditures of public financial resources in the Courts, passage of these common sense bills is critical.     The Legislature needs to step in and establish a reasonable and rational path forward for local governments, for taxpayers and for families in need of affordable housing.    These bills create the opportunity to do so in a timely fashion.

A-4666 and A-4667 are referenced to the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.   S-3080 and S-3081 are referenced to the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee.

Click here to ask your State Legislators to support these bills.

Contact:

Michael F. Cerra, Assistant Executive Director,  [email protected], 609-695-3481 x120.

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Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce presents “Easter in Ridgewood”

Happy_Easter_artchich__theridgewoodblog

file photo by ArtChick

Easter In The Park
Sat, April 15, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, E Ridgewood Ave and Oak St

Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce presents
“Easter in Ridgewood”
Saturday, April 15, 2017 – 11am-2pm
at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square
and get a map to visit at the stores and restaurants that will be participating in the fun.

Sponsored by:

Ben & Jerry’s Easter Egg Hunt -4-7years
and DJ Music so you can hippidy-hop in the Park

ConnectOne Bank and Precision Orthodontics
“Meet the Easter Bunny”. Bring your camera to take pictures

Pinot’s Palette will have
Art and Painting in the Park.

Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church will
have games and treats for the children.

Weather permitting
************************************************************
There will be lots of fun things to do around the park along with stores that will be offering
art & crafts, games, sales, surprises all through the business district. Fun for the entire family.

Details: [email protected]
201-445-2600
See you soon!

In the Park with fun thing to do-
weather permitting

Brainstorm Tutoring
Sweet & Sassy
Goldfish Swim School
Distinct Vacations
Huntington Learning Center
Ridgewood YMCA
YWCA of Bergen County
Taekwondo all in – demo
SHARE
Ridgewood Bootery
Boiling Springs
Racefaster
HoffmaniousLife
Corefire
CHASE BANK

In-the-store activities-more fun…
get your map and walk Ridgewood’s business district – weather permitting

Art of Motion-fun classes
Yoga 9am-10am, Ballet 10am-11:30am

Arthur Groom-find the gem stones
Learning Express-Bunny Buffet Tattoo’s
Femmebot Clothing – tattoo’s
ConnectOne Bank-activities
Lucky Brand-fun and a sale
Beauty Plus Salon – sale on products
The Ridgewood Man salon-a surprise with candy.
Red Velvet-Peeps
DPARZ Shoes-Easter Goodie or Gag 12-4pm
LaPiccolo Bistro-fresh cookies
Pink Bungalow
Loft 41
Alex and Ani
Shoe Inn-Coloring
Ridgewood Bootery-Egg Hunt-Coupons
Kilwins Ridgewood-samplings of treats
Eat Your Spinach-$20 Sale rack
Hocus Pocus Gift Shop-special treats-sales
Racefaster-Easter treats
CHASE BANK

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Demand for housing in New Jersey on the rise — It’s a seller’s market

ridgewood real-estate

By David Matthau April 11, 2017 3:53 AM

The New Jersey housing market, which has been depressed since the Great Recession, is showing signs of firing up.

According to Rob Dekanski, a Realtor with RE/MAX 1st Advantage, inventory levels in the Garden State are now lower than they’ve been in the past 18 years, which is very good news for people selling their homes.

“There’s less to choose from and buyers are fighting over less inventory, enabling the sellers to ask for a little bit more money,” he said.

He estimated that depending on the specific town and the quality of the school district, homes are selling for 2 to 10 percent more than they were a year ago at this time

Read More: Demand for housing in New Jersey on the rise — It’s a seller’s market | https://nj1015.com/demand-for-housing-in-new-jersey-on-the-rise-its-a-sellers-market/?trackback=tsmclip

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Reader says home security systems signs violate Village sign ordinances

adt

A clear violation of Village Code 190-122. Read it and weep .

Required permits and approvals. No sign shall be constructed or displayed unless a sign permit shall have been issued in accordance with the provisions of § 190-97C. No permanent freestanding sign shall be permitted until a site plan for the sign is approved by the Planning Board. Notwithstanding the above, the following signs are exempt from the requirement to obtain permits or site plan approval, but such signs shall comply with the regulations in Subsection H below:

(1) Signs for residential uses permitted by § 190-122C(1).

C. Signs in the residential zone districts. In all residential zones, the following signs shall be permitted, except as may be provided otherwise by this chapter: [Amended 4-13-2005 by Ord. No. 2933; 2-8-2012 by Ord. No. 3327; 3-23-2016 by Ord. No. 3493]
(1) On premises used for residential purposes, a sign or signs identifying the residence, the resident or residents or the street address, or any combination there of. No such sign shall have an area of more than two square feet, nor shall the aggregate square footage of such signs, if there is more than one, exceed three square feet in area.
(2) (Reserved)
(3) On premises used for a permitted institutional use, a sign or signs identifying the use and activities conducted on the premises, which shall comply with the following:
(a) One freestanding sign and one sign affixed to each principal or accessory building shall be permitted.
(b) The maximum area of any sign shall be 30 square feet.
(c) Freestanding signs shall be located at least five feet from any property line and shall be located so as to not interfere with safe sight distance at intersections of roadways and driveways.
(d) Freestanding signs shall not exceed a height of 10 feet.

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Reader mostly agree The settlement isn’t designed to address low income housing availability. It is designed as a club developers can hold over the heads of affluent communities

Paul_Aronsohn_dunking_theridgewoodblog

Seven low income housing units are planned for the Chestnut Avenue development that was just approved. How the heck does Ridgewood make any sort of real dent in its preposterous court-imposed low income housing deficit, seven units at a time?

Judicial fiat in any area of life over a time span measured in decades is utter lunacy. In this case it constitutes a naked denial to New Jersey citizens of their right under the U.S. Constitution to a republican (small ‘r’) form of government. The Municipal Law course at Rutgers Newark offered at the turn of the millenium featured a hands-upturned, shoulders-shrugged admission of all of the above by the part-time prof and active municipal law practitioner (who, of course, supported the system despite its unconstitutionality, but why? Because the prof was a reliablly progressive statist drone who agreed with the POLICY!).

The issue of affordable housing is based on a NJ Supreme Court decision over 10 years ago that requires EVERY municipality in the state to provide affordable housing in their community. The towns then essentially passed that burden along to developers who wished to build new housing units in their community by requiring that a percentage of the new units be dedicated to affordable housing. Nonetheless the legal obligation to provide affordable housing ultimately rests with the municipality and not developers..

It doesn’t. The way the ‘settlement’ has been structured, it never will.The settlement isn’t designed to address low income housing availability. It is designed as a club developers can hold over the heads of affluent communities. No prizes for guessing who the driving force behind the settlement was.

If they REALLY cared about affordable housing, they would insist that developers build 100% affordable housing, instead of giving ‘credit’ for a few units in a giant multifamily building. But there the $$$$$ are just not there for developing pure affordable housing, you see!

The part I can’t understand is that to get the seven we have to get a lot more of the “non-low-income” kind, thereby increasing the proportion of those. At that rate, the more affordable units we build, the farther behind we’ll get. By the way, Aronsohn promised the disabled community that he would make sure appropriate housing became available. Why isn’t his name invoked when complaints are made that Ridgewood needs this? No–instead, he’s thanked.

That was the fallacy and lunacy of the Mayor Arohnson approach – – the last council approved close to 400 new family units downtown with only a small percentage addressing our coah requirements. But, the new council does not seem any more intent on doing what we need to do in a rationale manner. Now we have these new units going forward, our schools and other village services will be innundated with new people and we still have the problem we had before — where do we put hundreds of new coah units??

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