Dear Great Friends at the Ridgewood blog , ROAD ADVISORY FOR WEST GLEN AVENUE – WEEKS OF 3/26/17 AND 4/2/17
The PSE&G work on West Glen Avenue has been completed, and the long-awaited milling and paving of West Glen Avenue will take place over the next couple of weeks, weather permitting, as follows:
Week of 3/26/17: Beginning March 28th, milling will take place on West Glen Avenue, from North Maple Avenue through at least the far side of Upper Boulevard. On that day, the street area by the underpass, next to the Ridgewood Art Institute, will be closed. On March 29th and March 30th milling will continue until it is completed.
Week of 4/2/17: On April 3rd and 4th, paving will take place on West Glen Avenue. The street area by the underpass will be closed again, when that area is being paved.
There will be long detours in place during the milling and paving, and Police Officers will be able to help guide motorists, as needed. The Police Officers will also assist residents on West Glen Avenue in traveling to and from their homes during this work.
Please plan alternate routes during these two weeks. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Become a Sponsor and Take Home a Beautiful Original Framed Painting. Every Sponsor goes home with a painting.
Reception: Sunday, April 9th, 2017 2-4pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, April 7th- Friday, May 5th, 2017
Gala Drawing: Friday, May 5th, 2017 8pm
Ridgewood NJ, The Sponsor Show is our most popular annual event at the Ridgewood Art Institute, providing sponsors an opportunity to acquire a beautifully framed original painting, from the collection donated by our outstanding artists and instructors. In addition to wonderful landscapes and still lifes, several of our professional artists offer the chance to commission a portrait or pet painting. On the night of the Gala Drawing, the name of each sponsor is randomly called to choose their favorite painting. For only $275, become a sponsor and begin creating your painting “wish list” at our Opening Reception, or anytime during the exhibition dates. Proceeds from the show go directly toward the Institute’s efforts to promote fine arts in our community.
Once again we are offering gift certificates. You can become a sponsor yourself, and you can purchase a gift certificate for a friend or family member to join you as a sponsor. A personally selected painting is a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, weddings, or any special occasion.
A limited number of sponsorships are sold each year, so don’t miss out on this exciting event! Sponsorships can be purchased on line at www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org.
For more information , visit our website www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org and click “Art Exhibits”.
Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, 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 the large, grass & tree covered center island in the current parking lot.
The fact is Ridgewood commuters need the parking, and this is a small price to pay along with perhaps a smaller far less ambitious parking facility on Hudson street.
The reality is that on weekends and during large events ,such as the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce car show there is not enough parking.
After extensive observations the Ridgewood blog concludes it is going to take a multi-pronged effort to create viable solutions for the Village . The fact is everyone is going to have to give something.
1) First we need to get as many commuters off the Street of the central business district as possible . Parking for Commuters needs to be a minimum of 12 hours . This can be done by creating more parking at the train station and the bus station but also by using more carpooling , uber etc..and dare we say a massive increase in bicycle parking to get people to their point of departure.
2) Employees in the central business district MUST park in the allocated employee parking spaces . Lack of use of the designated spaces is egregious . We suggest a carefully coordinated ticket blitz to encourage compliance .
3) Instead of increasing fees for parking meter rates , increase meter hours so that restaurant patrons can relieve some of the burden from merchants .
4) The Valet parking seems to cause more trouble than its worth unless the cars are parked clearly offsite ,like Graydon pool lot in the evenings.
5) For their part the Ridgewood blog would suggest merchants pick some night during the week to stay open late so someone who actually has a competitive job could consider shopping in the central business district . We are convinced that the only stores that can thrive and survive in the current climate are those that make them selves destination retailers.
6) Finally access to the central business district which no one is talking about is a far bigger issue than parking . The traffic easing project under the train trestle has vitally cut off the West side of town from the East side. Not to mention the danger imposed by slowing response time for emergency vehicles .
The garage on Hudson will create major traffic congestion , while Linwood Ave and Ridgewood Ave remain the only viable way to get in and out of town. Approaches from the west side ,Godwin and West Ridgewood Ave are now all most impassable , however the approach from Prospect Street seems very under utilized.
For Westsiders if you add the current issues on Glenwood road , it far faster and easier to go to Midland Park, Wyckoff , Allendale and other towns north to shop than head to down town Ridgewood.
The Ridgewood blogs observations have concluded that not only is their not enough parking during peak hours ,but changes in vehicular traffic are literal choking off commerce to the Central Business District .
Editors Note : the cry of “cyberbullying ” can not be used to suppress speech you disagree with . In fact according to the very definition ,claiming cyberbulling with the intent to stifle speech on a forum could infact be considered “cyberbullying”.
By Justin Zaremba | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on January 08, 2017 at 8:00 AM, updated January 08, 2017 at 8:53 AM
Two recent cyber harassment cases in the Garden State have had many readers wondering what falls under the umbrella of cyberbullying.
In Sussex County, three middle school students were recently charged with cyber harassment after they allegedly posted a picture of Andover schools “along with alarming comments toward students.”
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police , Fire Department, and Emergency Services personnel responded to a medevac helicopter landing at Vets Field, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, on Friday evening, 03/24. An outbound patient from The Valley Hospital was transported by the chopper to an undisclosed medical facility.
Ridgewood NJ, in a Bloomberg report on America’s 100 Richest Places ,cities and towns with ties to Wall Street and the Silicon Valley, and a smattering of communities in between, boasted the highest U.S. household incomes in 2015, according to a Bloomberg analysis of census data. Ridgewood came in 67th on the list with and avage household income of $219,566 .
Atherton, California, in the technology corridor between San Francisco and San Jose, topped the list as America’s wealthiest town, while more than one-third of the nation’s 100 richest households were located within 50 miles of New York City.
Here are some of the top 100 from New Jersey
19. Upper Saddle River, $276,982
34. North Caldwell, $251,248;
41. Franklin Lakes, $243,441;
43. Rumson, $242,158;
49. Upper Montclair, $236,382;
56. Glen Ridge, $227,198;
61. Tenafly, $222,633;
67. Ridgewood, $219,566;
70. Summit (Union), $215,515;
72. Chatham (Morris), $213,408;
73. Woodcliff Lake, $211,473;
79. Bernardsville (Somerset), $206,277;
92. Glen Rock, $197,914.
Ridgewood NJ, You could write to the New York Times, I suppose, or you could ask the experts right in your own backyard at the Ridgewood Public Library. Check out our Bookmatch service https://buff.ly/2niypNH. Simply email us a few books you loved and a few books you hated and we will give you a personalized list of suggestions.
125 N Maple Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450 (201) 670-5600
www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/localhistory/
Library · Government Organization
Opens at 9:00am 9:00AM – 6:00PM
Pasquale Taddei , “It is with regret that I am forced to reply to this slanderous tale of a supposed event that occurred last evening after the open discussion forum of the Village Council Meeting. While this article may be presented as “news” it is nothing more than an attempt at intimidation to silence those most strongly opposed to the recently enacted parking ordinance on Bogert and Cambridge.
The encounter between Mrs. Taddei and Mrs. McWilliams contained no yelling or obscenities as erroneously stated in the comments above. It is also factually incorrect to state that I in anyway restrained or physically dragged my wife down the hallway. Any suggestion that I would act in such a brutish way towards the person most important to me is further evidence of this slanted commentary.
Finally for those readers who were not present at the Council Meeting and are reading this please note that I, Pasquale Taddei take full and public ownership of the contents of this response and juxtapose that with the owner of the previous comments who was unwilling to provide a full name. What are you hiding “James”?”
Ridgewood NJ, at the Village Council meeting the Financial Advisory Committee seemed to be caught with”alternative facts” .
The FAC presented a report still talking about a 350-space garage, which is no longer on the table. This sunk their entire report and made it’s over zealous estimates flawed from the git-go.
The next problem was the allocation tables that would have to change since more personnel resources would be expended toward managing the garage, so any surplus from the parking authority would most likely be less.
And finally, the $500,000 surplus that they seemed to think would be an annual surplus was a one-time amount, in large part because of insurance payment for the pilfered quarters; there was no evidence given that this surplus would ever reach this level again.
The FAC did not have the FACTS so their report was a complete waste of time.
Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, 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 the large, grass & tree covered center island in the current parking lot.
Rutishauser was also tasked with determining the possibility of creating more parking spaces along the east side of Wilsey Square, just south of the train station’s parking lot. Grass & trees currently occupy this area as well.
No date was given as to when the results of the Village Engineer’s study would be available for Village Council review.
Ridgewood NJ, the MOMS Club of Ridgewood is delighted to announce its first ever Preschool Preparedness Series. This series is designed to provide a guiding hand to the parents of preschoolers and expected preschoolers as their children explore the world around them and embark on their first school experiences.
The first event, Preschoolers and Lead: What You Need to Know, will take place on Thursday, March 30th from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Ridgewood Village Hall Youth Center followed by a Preschool Information Fair on Saturday, April 1st from 11: 00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Ridgewood Public Library. The Preschool Information Fair will have information about starting preschool as well as kindergarten and summer camp options.
Both events are free and open to members of the public.
Go visit the street. It’s a known safety issue. This issue has been created by one lady who doesn’t like the person who asked for the ordinance. It’s just kind of funny because everyone in the neighborhood knows that is the deal.
Hey. As long as the one lady gets vengeance who cares if kids are in danger right??
Some of the rest of us in this neighborhood are able to see the actual danger and would like the nonsense to stop.
Not every street in town is the same. Parking can’t be uniform throughout the village.
When something dangerous rears its head it needs to have a venue to be addressed. Won’t Betty rubble coming out of the woodwork to create a dramatic situation.
The door knockers of today aren’t the Fuller brush salesman or Avon lady of friendly days past that everbody knew who they were and trusted. Instead, times of today unleash an array of strangers we don’t know, some are from commercial named companies marketing door to door with seasonal help, to get your business for window replacements, lawn pesticides, house pesticides, home improvements, painters, driveway sealers, and much more. Some may not be known companies, and may just be drive thru’s looking to pick up a buck or scam you. Some ring the bell, then bang away on the door! We all read plenty of those scam artists warnings.
..We get plenty of mail marketing that advertises almost everything a homeowner might need. Easy access to online has made it more convenient to choose companies and request estimates by appointment and its sensible. We need to change with the times. No more door knockers.
Ridgewood NJ, as public comment broke up at tonight’s council meeting all but 3 Bogert Cambridge residents actually stayed for the public hearing . One resident who was most strenuously opposed to the parking ordinance on Bogert and Cambridge, approached the woman who has championed the ordinance as she was with her young children in the hallway, and began screaming obscenities in her face.
Mrs. McWilliams simply continued to try to dress her children to leave and the resident who identified herself at comment as Erin Taddei, began yelling that she was going to sue Mrs. McWilliams sprinkled with many many obscenities not often heard at a council meeting and not appropriate for children’s ears.
She needed to be physically restrained from approaching Mrs. McWilliams and she was physically dragged down the hallway by her husband as she continued to scream obscenities and threats of lawsuit at the mother, who simply walked away, and back in to the courtroom.
It has been reported that a police report has been made . This is not what we accept at meetings. If you are angry about a parking situation, have a discussion or lively debate. No one should resort to threats and obscenities. The woman could be bared from council meetings as she does not seem to understand the decorum required.
Cars frequently fail to slow to a safe speed when heading north from Glen onto Bogert or Cambridge, or when heading south along Cambridge or Bogert toward the common intersection with Glen. Those same drivers also often recklessly careen across to the wrong side of the road rather than reduce their speed and stay in their lane while negotiating the two relatively tight S-curves that connect with the common intersection. This must be the safety issue that led to the current change. Pedestrians do not have the benefit of sidewalks to negotiate those same S-turns so they are forced to share the roadway with the cars. The pedestrians are sometimes forced to jump up on the curb or onto the adjacent lawns to avoid being struck. Draconian parking regulations won’t change the behavior of these reckless drivers. The best answer is probably to install short lengths of sidewalk paving along the s-turns on Bogert and Cambridge and extend the same to the Glen Avenue sidewalks at the common intersection. There is already a short length of sidewalk on the west side of the common intersection extending north from Glen and terminating at the beginning of the the S-turn on the Bogert side. That sidewalk should be extended entirely along that same S-turn and terminate just north of it. That would improve safety much better than any parking regulation could.
