Ridgewood Real estate - Page 165 of 504

Posted on April 9, 2015April 8, 2018 by James — 13 Comments

Today is Founders day for the Ridgewood blog

James J Foytlin founder of the Ridgewood Blog

The Ridgewood blog was founded in March of 2006 by James J Foytlin aka PJ Blogger . Mr. Foytlin was born and raised in Ridgewood ,New Jersey and is a graduate of Ridgewood High School .

Ridgewood NJ, – Oct. 26, 2009 – RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — The Ridgewood blog ( https://theridgewoodblog.blogspot.com/ ) was founded in March of 2006 by James J Foytlin aka PJ Blogger .[1] Mr. Foytlin was born and raised in Ridgewood ,New Jersey and is a graduate of Ridgewood High School .[2] [3]

After many years living in New York City[4] Mr Foytlin returned to Ridgewood after a divorce and the tragic events of 9/11 . Once he settled in he noticed a lack of sufficient news coverage of local events . One day a friend from Brazil[5] showed him her home town on the internet and to Mr. Foytlin’s great surprise when he tried to reciprocate he was utterly dismayed at the absolute lake coverage of his home town. After all Ridgewood is only 18 miles from midtown Manhattan[6] the media capitol of world and there was not a single picture of Ridgewood to be found . How could this be? Ridgewood is a picturesque upper middle class village of around 25,000 located in Bergen county in northern New Jersey[7] . Founded by Dutch settlers before it became an English colony[8] . The town or village as its called is steeped in rich history and tradition .Known for a large amount of Victorian era housing , a quality school system and a family friendly atmosphere.

Though busy getting reacquainted with his home town the fact that the Village of Ridgewood was so under represented on the internet continued to disturb Mr. Foytlin. Mr. Foytlin had been writing news letters for his job in financial services since the mid 1990’s . The popular flip, off beat investment strategy news letters had become email blasts with the advent of readily accessible internet.[9] By 2004 the email blasts were converted into blog format for the One Small Voice blog (https://onesmallvoice.blogspot.com/ ). [10]

Around that time the Village of Ridgewood had finally completed it’s much anticipated and long delayed renovation of the Village hall which has been flooded out due to Hurricane Floyd.[11] The renovation was marred by huge cost over runs and lengthy delays. In 2005 it opened with great fan fare , was once again flooded with the very first rain . Mr. Foytlin was more shocked by the abject lack of responsibility taken by elected officials than the fact that the $9 million dollar renovation had to some extent been a failure . That was the breaking point and Mr. Foytlin had had enough so he decided to give , citizen journalism a go and created the Ridgewood blog in March of 2006. [12]

The birth of PJ Blogger .By this time Blogging its seems had become quite the rage and mainstream news anchors such as Dan Rather had questioned the validity of information from non professionals sitting around in their Pajama’s blogging.[13] Mr. Foytlin not a fan of Dan Rather or any of the mainstream media decided to blog under the name PJ Blogger as a play on words and to plant himself firmly in the camp of the new digital media.

Innovations by the Ridgewood blog to citizen journalism.

“The Fly” is a column on the Ridgewood blog the originates from the expression ,”I’d like to be a fly on the wall “ . The idea is that every citizen has both a unique perspective and experience and these two factors can be used to gather news and opinions about local issues. Originally only of handful of people in town participated but with time the Ridgewood blog can now count on 20–40 semi regular contributors. These post are both anonymous and signed and are largely opinion as well a breaking news.[14]

The Ridgewood blog brings a free market lassie fare point of view to local issues . Mr. Foytlin aka PJ Blogger has stated that for local issues there are only two kinds of people ;the ones who say spend what every you want because I will not be around to pay the bill and the second group which are more focused on the ,”be careful this is my money your spending” . The Ridgewood blog is dedicated to the interplay of there two groups.[15]

[1][12] the Ridgewood blog website https://theridgewoodblog.blogspot.com/
[2] Birth Certificate born in Valley Hospital , Ridgewood 04/09/1962
[3] Ridgewood High School Class 1980
[4] 444 East 86th street ,530 East 72nd
[5] Monica Rocha
[6] Mapquest
[7] United States 2000 Census, the village population was 24,936.
[8] https://www.americantowns.com/nj/ridgewood/organization/vi…
[9] Fahnestock & Co. now Oppenheimer & Co.
[10] https://onesmallvoice.blogspot.com/
[11] https://www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/localhistory/lh_vh_pease.htm
[13] https://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110005611
[14] [15] James J Foytlin

Posted on April 3, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 1 Comment

Addressing PARCC and Common Core

Addressing PARCC and Common Core

APRIL 3, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Addressing PARCC and Common Core

To the editor:

Over the course of the last eight months, there have been some letters to the editor demonizing the Common Core State Standards and PARCC tests. One such letter appeared last week.

Unfortunately, it contained some misinformation, and also expressed some opinions which, in our view, are unfounded. So let’s be clear about the facts.

The implementation of Common Core State Standards and PARCC testing resulted in little if any incremental spending in the district. Curriculum upgrades and revisions take place routinely and systematically over a five-year cycle. Since New Jersey adopted the Common Core State Standards in 2010, alignment to the Common Core was taken, in stride, as part of that cycle.

No technology upgrades were necessary to implement the PARCC assessment. Technology improvements were already imbedded in the district’s technology plan, and were not undertaken to support PARCC.

Technology’s purpose in education is to take advantage of the best tools and software designed to augment instruction. The introduction of Chromebooks and Google-docs software has been enthusiastically welcomed by both teachers and students. They are recognized for their value in providing for collaborative study and student-teacher interaction and many other innovations.

The Board of Education, administrators, and teachers have a solemn duty to provide our students with the best opportunity to succeed in college and careers. College students constantly use their computers in their residences, the student union, and almost everywhere else. This applies to students of the liberal arts as well as the sciences.

Computer use is not incompatible to fostering a love of learning and development of critical thinking skills. It is a tool that enhances those qualities. We cannot be satisfied with preparing our students to live in some “technology-lite” society that no longer exists. If we want our students to compete globally, we need to prepare them for that reality.

Our media centers have not been converted to “test prep centers.” We have not diminished our excellent social studies, science or arts curriculum to focus on these assessments. Our students are not “watching lots of movies” because “their teachers are too busy to teach as much as they used to.” Movies are used for educational purposes and yes, at times, for rewards, but never because teachers are too busy to teach.

We have not devoted “endless hours” practicing for the PARCC tests. We did expose students to the assessment experience they were going to encounter just as some parents choose to expose their children to SAT, AP and ACT assessment.

Regarding “corporate greed,” we have textbooks and equipment with company logos throughout our schools. We use competitive pricing for all our purchases. Is a private sector company making a profit by serving the district somehow unethical? In our free enterprise system, which we teach to our students, opportunity to profit stimulates entrepreneurship, innovation, product development and efficiency. Success breeds job creation, prosperity and economic growth. This is a virtuous circle, not a “stench.”

These views are ours individually, not on behalf of the Board of Education.

Sheila Brogan and Vincent Loncto

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-addressing-parcc-and-common-core-1.1302076

Posted on March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

North Jersey home prices rise, still less than national average

MARCH 31, 2015, 11:49 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015, 12:12 PM
BY KATHLEEN LYNN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Home prices in the region ticked up 2.1 percent in the New York metropolitan area, including North Jersey, in the 12 months ended in January, the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index reported Tuesday. That was less than half the national increase of 4.5 percent.

The numbers point to a housing market that is still slowly recovering from the worst downturn since World War II. Home values are no higher than they were in 2004, both nationally and in the region. Single-family prices in the area are almost 19 percent below their peaks in mid-2006, while national values are about 17 percent below their peaks.

“Despite price gains, the housing market faces some difficulties,” said David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “Home prices [nationwide] are rising roughly twice as fast as wages, putting pressure on potential homebuyers and heightening the risk that any uptick in interest rates could be a major setback. Moreover, the new home sector is weak; residential construction is still below its pre-crisis peak.”

In Bergen County, the median price of a single-family home dropped 8.6 percent in January from a year earlier, to $425,000. In Passaic County, the median dropped 1.8 percent, to $275,000. Those numbers are from the New Jersey Realtors and reflect the mix of properties sold in the month; Case-Shiller does not track prices on a county-by-county basis.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/north-jersey-home-prices-rise-still-less-than-national-average-1.1299472

Posted on March 29, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 1 Comment

Readers challenge idea of a private corporation abridging students first amendment rights

Readers challenge idea of a private corporation abridging students first amendment rights

“The Ridgewood Public Schools guards our data and only shares with state and federal officials the information that is required by law. We make every effort to teach our students about good digital citizenship and with the beginning next school year, we will teach it more formally through a Digital Citizenship Curriculum, from kindergarten through Grade 12.”DANIEL FISHBEIN

Students in New Jersey were told repeatedly that they had no choice about taking a test(PARCC) which then resulted in their private information being given to Pearson and also restricted their first amendment rights.

I love how all the NJ DOE apologists are glossing right over the fact that our schools were being asked by a private corporation to discipline a student. What’s next? If a kid tweets that the school lunch is disgusting, will the school punish him on behalf of Aramark??

Posted on March 29, 2015March 28, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Open Houses for March 29th

$1,275,000 – 5 Maynard Ct, Ridgewood NJ

$349,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509831
301 E Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Pam Christian, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
10

$425,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1507656
140 Bellair Rd, Unit N, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
2 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Condo
Donna Dever, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$449,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508924
259 W Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, C/C
Stacy S. Kiernan, Sales Associate
Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
11

$499,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1437935
347 Franklin Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Karen Boyle, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
24

$519,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1505967
345 Corona Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, Ranch
Marisa Traverso, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
15

$519,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508045
176 W Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Tisha Ramge, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
24

$539,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509690
621 Doris Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Esther Axelrod, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Franklin Lakes
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
12

$549,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509389
228 E Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Monis Young, Broker
Exclusive Properties Realty, LLC
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
22

$549,999 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509152
216 Canterbury Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Ranch
Qizhan Yao, Broker Owner
Realmart Realty, LLC
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
6

$629,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509754
429 Sterling Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Eleanor Collins, Sales Associate
Terrie O’Connor Realtors/Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
23

$659,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1510228
170 Walthery Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Maribeth Germinario, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
16

$729,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1500976
154 Claremont Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Gina Fierro, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
20

$769,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1510329
615 Grove St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Pam Christian, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
14

$799,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1506818
25 Lenox Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Barbara Masarky, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$800,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509470
132 Hamilton Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Christine Gubb, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
24

$829,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509652
249 Lockwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Tisha Ramge, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
24

$930,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508158
114 Hamilton Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Christine McKinley, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$948,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1510044
900 Glenview Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Katherine Montgomery, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
18

$995,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509199
216 California St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$999,500 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1510028
410 Bedford Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Jacqueline Lang, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Valley Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$1,089,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509505
218 Brookside Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Laura Gill, Sales Associate
Amy C. DeVincentis, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$1,195,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509792
204 Avondale Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Pamela Chmiel, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$1,249,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508484
395 Knollwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Laurin Steiger, Sales Associate
Terrie O’Connor Realtors/SdlRv
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$1,249,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509771
852 Morningside Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Lori Lettieri, Sales Associate
Selina Hillenmayer, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
24

$1,275,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509637
5 Maynard Ct, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Marilyn Nuber, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
24

$1,299,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508087
365 Heights Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Caren White, Sales Associate
Marron Gildea Realty, Inc.
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/29
17

$1,395,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1510070
194 Beechwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Suzanne Lenihan, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$1,430,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1500415
215 Beechwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Barbara Masarky, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$1,739,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1510354
427 Spring Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Jane Certo, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

$1,875,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509151
746 Fernwood Ct, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 5 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Joanne Delaney, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/29
25

Posted on March 28, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — Leave a comment

Colleges getting out of health insurance business

Colleges getting out of health insurance business

March 28, 2015, 11:13 AM Last updated: Saturday, March 28, 2015, 11:15 AM
By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP
Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — The federal health care overhaul is leading some colleges and universities to get out of the health insurance business.

Experts are divided on whether this change will be good or bad for students. Some call it an inevitable result of health care reform and a money-saver for students since insurance in the marketplace is usually cheaper than the college plans. Others worry that more students will go without health insurance since their premiums won’t be folded into the lump sum they pay for school, and they say college health plans offer more coverage for the money than other options.

The main driver of colleges getting out of the insurance business is a provision in the Affordable Care Act that prevents students from using premium tax subsidies to purchase insurance from their college or university, according to Steven M. Bloom, director of federal relations for the American Council on Education, a Washington, D.C., group representing the presidents of U.S. colleges and universities.

Add to that the provision that allows young people to stay on their parent’s health insurance plans until age 26, plus the expansion of Medicaid in some states and the rising cost of student insurance. The result is cheaper health insurance available for students off campus.

But Bloom worries more schools will decide to drop insurance coverage..

https://www.northjersey.com/news/colleges-getting-out-of-health-insurance-business-1.1298154

Posted on March 26, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 9 Comments

Graydon Pool may have revenue shortfall due to early school opening

file photo by ArtChick Photography

Graydon Pool may have revenue shortfall due to early school opening
March 26,2015
Boyd A. Loving

Just when you though you’d heard everything –

Ridgewood NJ, It appears as though the scheduled September 2, 2015 opening of the Ridgewood Public Schools may seriously impact Graydon Pool revenues this summer. Graydon Pool is currently scheduled to remain open until Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2015.

Village Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck, liaison to the Parks, Recreation & Conservation Board, stated that the last operating week of Graydon Pool (just prior to and including Labor Day) traditionally generates a significant amount of revenue. If the Pool is forced to change its schedule and close earlier in the season than Labor Day [due to the unavailability of lifeguards (students) and supervisory staff (teachers)], the Pool may experience a significant revenue loss.

Posted on March 25, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 2 Comments

RHS Latin Teams Excel

Quo Vadis 1951

RHS Latin Teams Excel

March 19,2015

Ridgewood Nj, On Tuesday, March 17, Latin academic teams from 30 New Jersey schools traveled to Princeton to compete in Latin language, Roman life, Roman history and Greco-Roman mythology.

The Novice team fought hard and scored well in its first competition. The Advanced team finished in first place and will advance to play for the State championship on April 25 against Ridge High School and PACTA, the second and third place teams.

Advanced Team members were Poyani Bavishi, Ben Bechtold, Charlotte Kahan, Elizabeth O’Keefe, James Psathas, Peter Psathas, Sophie Simpson,Anthony Tokarz and Chelsea Trattner. Novice team members with media permission to be named were Desiree Bottigliero, Joe O’Keefe and Tommy Carver. The Latin Club advisor is Catherine Venturini.

Posted on March 25, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 2 Comments

Community colleges to use controversial PARCC tests for student placement

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Community colleges to use controversial PARCC tests for student placement

MARCH 24, 2015, 2:03 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2015, 10:00 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

In New Jersey’s march to roll out new academic standards and testing in public schools, some of the strongest and most vocal support has come from the state’s colleges and universities.

Now, in the latest measure of faith in the exams, the council of 19 community college presidents announced that they plan to use scores on the new tests for student placement next year. It will be the first time the tests have consequences for students.

“These scores will be a valuable tool for colleges in our work to help high school students avoid remediation and begin study in college-level courses,” the New Jersey Council of County Colleges said in a joint statement Monday.

By embracing the tests — which are designed to measure students’ knowledge of the more rigorous standards — college officials are at odds with many parents who have protested their use in schools and kept their children out of the exams. But higher education officials say the new system will better prepare students for college and prevent many of them from having to take remedial classes.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/community-colleges-to-use-controversial-parcc-tests-for-student-placement-1.1294635

Posted on March 24, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 7 Comments

ReCap of Planning Board Meeting

ReCap of Planning Board Meeting
from Citizens for a Better Ridgewood ( CBR)

Hello CBR Friends and Neighbors,

On March 17, the Planning Board met to deliberate the proposed Master Plan amendment that would allow for high density housing in our Central Business District. After several hours of discussion, Planning Board Chairman Nalbantian asked Village Planner Blais Brancheau to come to the next meeting prepared to address the concerns mentioned by board members, including density, height, parking and affordable housing. Please see below for a recap of last week’s meeting and please join us at the next meeting on April 7.

Planning Board Meeting: Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30 pm at Village Hall

Agenda: The Planning Board will continue deliberating

CBR’s recap of 3/17/15 Planning Board Meeting

CBR Note: The first condition of this amendment, aside from density and height issues, is changing the usage in the zones from commercial to residential. Keep in mind that when the planning board members state that they support the usage change, that does not necessarily indicate that they approve the densities that are proposed. Changing the zoning in an area of our CBD from commercial to residential is a big step in itself, as presumably once residential is built, there is no turning back to commercial usage on that site.

Once usage is addressed, the next issue is how much residential do you allow? Currently, most residential properties in the CBD have commercial usage on the first floor. Under this amendment, commercial usage on the first floor is no longer required. Allowing housing in our downtown at density higher than the 12 units per acre that is currently permitted makes sense, and anything over 12 units an acre constitutes “higher density.” Considering that the average density that currently exists in our downtown now is actually 22-24 units per acre, CBR would be quite comfortable with setting 22 or 24 units per acre as the new limit for density. We feel that doubling those numbers is too much, and that 35-40 units an acre and beyond would significantly alter the character of our Village. It is very important that our planning board finds the right balance in this amendment.

CBR ReCap: We took notes on each of the Planning Board member’s comments and would like to share them here. Our notes are not direct quotes.

Absent from this meeting was Nancy Bigos. She has yet to weigh in.

Charles Nalbantian, the Chairman of the Planning Board, agrees that the usage (housing rather than commercial) is good, but said the “devil is in the details.” He expressed reservations about the height and RSIS (state mandated parking requirements), and indicated that he is not sure yet about the density.

Richard Joel, the Vice Chairman of the Planning Board, agrees with the usage (housing in our CBD) and believes it will promote the general welfare. He feels that we need to develop these under-utilized sites and there is a need for a variety of housing. He said that he doesn’t know what the right balance between height and density should be.

Kevin Riley, supports the use of housing in our downtown but is concerned with height and density. He said he would like to see the density reduced from what is currently put forth in the amendment.

Wendy Dockray, thinks concept of multifamily housing is a good one but has her “yellow flags” or reservations. She is not sure this is actually what seniors are looking for in terms of space and affordability. She is concerned that the height and scale will negatively impact the historical character of Ridgewood. She said going from 12 units per acre to 40-50 is a “huge jump” and she is not sure if building 40 – 50 units an acre is necessary or appropriate to achieve housing. She is also concerned with the fiscal impact and noted that our schools are “at capacity.”

David Thurston, supports the amendment AS IS. He doesn’t want to “play chicken” with developers by giving them less than what they want. He said this is his business and if the Planning Board comes back with less than the amendment, it may not be “economically sound” for the developers. He is in favor of the 40 – 50 units in our CBD and is worried about what our town will look like in 40 years if we don’t allow the developers to build.

Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, not in favor of the amendment as it is written. She is concerned with the density, height, impact of adding more pedestrians that will impede traffic, open space and the changing character of Ridgewood. She said the she would like to see developers move forward with something, but would like to see a balance.

Mayor Paul Aronsohn, feels this is an opportunity for Ridgewood. He feels like we have enough information to make a decision and we should move forward soon. He said that people who don’t want their big houses could move to these apartments, but we need to strike the right balance. His stated that his issues are 1) density, 2) amenities (he would like to find a way to incentivize the developers to build high end apartments), 3) housing for special needs residents, 4) parking (he wondered if developers not providing sufficient parking could be forced to pay money into a fund to use for public parking), and 5) can separate amendments be crafted to address each zone individually?

Michele Peters, concerned about the density. Not in favor of the current amendment. She questioned whether the parking that was being considered as part of the proposals in the redevelopment zone on N. Walnut would alleviate some of the parking deficit in Ridgewood, but was told the deficit is beyond what could be added in the redevelopment zone.

Isabella Altano, (1st alternate on PB) wants to see more consideration given to the impacts. She feels we need a lower density. She asked about the potential costs to our infrastructure, if projected school enrollment could be provided that included approval of 400+ new apartments and what could be done to address our open space deficiency.

Khidir Abdalla, (2nd alternate on PB) said that we shouldn’t be afraid of change and supports the amendment. He is not concerned with the density and scale and feels that this type of housing fits in well to an URBAN downtown. He feels we need increased density in order to get pedestrian traffic that is needed to revitalize our downtown.

Click on this link to read the recap from the Ridgewood News

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-planning-board-members-weigh-in-on-housing-proposals-1.1292462?page=all

Thank you for your support!

Citizens for a Better Ridgewood
[email protected]

Posted on March 22, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 1 Comment

David Mamet: Why I Am No Longer a ‘Brain-Dead Liberal’

David Mamet: Why I Am No Longer a ‘Brain-Dead Liberal’

An election-season essay

By David Mamet Tuesday, Mar 11 2008

See also that most magnificent of schools, the jury system, where, again, each brings nothing into the room save his or her own prejudices, and, through the course of deliberation, comes not to a perfect solution, but a solution acceptable to the community—a solution the community can live with.

Prior to the midterm elections, my rabbi was taking a lot of flack. The congregation is exclusively liberal, he is a self-described independent (read “conservative”), and he was driving the flock wild. Why? Because a) he never discussed politics; and b) he taught that the quality of political discourse must be addressed first—that Jewish law teaches that it is incumbent upon each person to hear the other fellow out.

And so I, like many of the liberal congregation, began, teeth grinding, to attempt to do so. And in doing so, I recognized that I held those two views of America (politics, government, corporations, the military). One was of a state where everything was magically wrong and must be immediately corrected at any cost; and the other—the world in which I actually functioned day to day—was made up of people, most of whom were reasonably trying to maximize their comfort by getting along with each other (in the workplace, the marketplace, the jury room, on the freeway, even at the school-board meeting).

And I realized that the time had come for me to avow my participation in that America in which I chose to live, and that that country was not a schoolroom teaching values, but a marketplace.

https://www.villagevoice.com/2008-03-11/news/why-i-am-no-longer-a-brain-dead-liberal/3/

Posted on March 22, 2015January 20, 2019 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Open Houses March 22,2015

$1,080,000 in Ridgewood

$425,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1443545
1103 E Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, C/C
Jane L. McGuire, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
4

$499,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508723
752 Newcomb Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Arun Thomas, Broker Owner
ATP Realty Inc.
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
17

$529,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1444440
345 Vesta Ct, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Edward Ditroia, Broker Associate
RE/MAX Elite Associates
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
25

$548,777 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1507471
425 Prospect St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Paula Clark, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Hillsdale
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
25

$549,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508843
735 Howard Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, S/L
Ann Ewell, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/22
20

$549,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509389
228 E Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Monis Young, Broker
Exclusive Properties Realty, LLC
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22

$598,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508151
212 Walthery Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22

$599,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509383
265 Edwards St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Kurt Hedden, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
25

$615,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508212
201 Walthery Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col
Joanne W. Cheng, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
19

$690,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508298
757 Hillcrest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Jennifer M. Parsekian, Broker
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
24

$699,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1506057
428 Sterling Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Robert Stemple, Sales Associate
RE/MAX Properties-Saddle River
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
15

$739,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509016
520 Upper Blvd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Linda Aktar, Broker Associate
Pamela Chmiel, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/22
20

$829,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509194
153 Jeffer Ct, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Mary Tarvin Passaro, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/22
24

$975,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508158
114 Hamilton Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, Col
Christine McKinley, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/22
25

$999,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1508697
225 Sollas Ct, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Peggy Jung, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
25

$1,079,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1509199
216 California St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, Col
Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 3/22

$1,080,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1507630
449 Meadowbrook Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Col
Jolanta Krygier, Sales Associate
Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Saddle River
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 3/22
23

Posted on March 20, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 1 Comment

STORM MESSAGE: EARLY DISMISSAL FRIDAY, MARCH 20

STORM MESSAGE: EARLY DISMISSAL FRIDAY, MARCH 20

Due to the winter storm forecast, the Ridgewood Public Schools will have an EARLY DISMISSAL / EMERGENCY MINIMUM DAY on Friday, March 20. Cafeterias will not operate and lunches will not be provided. Students will attend school as follows:RED Program: 9-11 a.m.

Kindergarten AM Classes: 8:45-11:20 a.m.

Kindergarten PM Classes: canceled

Grades 1-5: 8:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Grades 6-8: 8:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Grades 9-12: 7:47 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Posted on March 19, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 3 Comments

Tweets, FaceBook, Instagram and other social media being tracked! Not only by the NSA, but by Pearson Education and the NJ Department of Education!!

Tweets, FaceBook, Instagram and other social media being tracked! Not only by the NSA, but by Pearson Education and the NJ Department of Education!!
MicheleNJTPC

CRITICAL UPDATE – COMMON CORE

We recently wrote about this story that appeared last week concerning the PARCC tests. This is a follow up with more troubling news.

Bob Braun, former Star Ledger education reporter, reported about the surveillance of students’ social media following their taking of the PARCC test at Watchung Regional HS, and the superintendent’s reaction. Pearson asked, through the NJ Department of Education, that the students be disciplined, on account of their tweets concerning the test. The NJDOE contacted the school district and forwarded Pearson’s request to the district. One student was suspended as a result, but the superintendent’s e-mail to her colleagues has also been posted, expressing concern about the compromise of student privacy.

This story has now exploded across NJ and the nation, as other reports of Pearson snooping into student social media accounts have surfaced. Now, in addition to the Watchung Regional School District. Two high schools in the HANOVER PARK REGIONAL HS District (three blocks from my house), and COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL in Maplewood HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR CASES OF PEARSON’S SNOOPING.

Worse – Pearson has confirmed their interests in maintaining test security through monitoring of student social media, and a call this morning to the NJ Department of Education defended the practice as not violating student privacy, because it was obtained not through the school district, but through information posted “publicly” on social media, by the students themselves.
PLEASE, PLEASE – read Bob Braun’s entire blog, for which the link appears above. He indicates that his story has NOT been covered by the Star Ledger, for which he used to work!!!

As a result of this news, NJ Commissioner of Education, David Hespe, and Pearson have been called before the NJ Assembly Education Committeethis Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in Trenton to answer questions.

PLEASE CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING. UNLESS PARENTS AND THE PUBLIC ACT DECISIVELY, THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS UNIMAGINABLE AND OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOR, MONITORING OF STUDENT DATA AND ABRIDGEMENT OF EVERYONE’S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH WILL CONTINUE!!!.

PEOPLE GET THE GOVERNMENT THEY DESERVE!!! FAILURE TO ACT WILL ASSURE THAT THIS MONITORING WILL CONTINUE !!!

Here is an excerpt from Braun’s FaceBook blog:

Bob Braun’s Ledger

March 15, 2015
The Brave New World of testing expands

Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterEmail this to someoneShare on LinkedInShare on Google+Share on StumbleUpon

BLOG: HANOVER – Two other New Jersey school districts-Hanover Park Regional in East Hanover and South Orange-Maplewood-were notified by state officials that “monitoring”-spying?- Twitter traffic revealed students had used social media accounts to post a forbidden messages regarding the PARCC tests. No surprise, really-it’s happening everywhere, including Maryland where a state official said he gets daily reports from Pearson, the publisher of the standardized tests. on what students are saying about testing on their internet accounts.

“PARCC has a very sophisticated system that closely monitors social media for pretty much everything (comments like the one you shared, test item questions that students use cell phones cameras and take),” said Henry Johnson, the state assistant education commissioner in Maryland. The state, like New Jersey, has a contract with Pearson.

“We get those reports daily.”

Let’s run that one by you again:

“PARCC has a very sophisticated system that closely monitors social media for pretty much everything….”

The phrase “pretty much everything” aptly describes the broad reach of how this brave new world of testing and cooperation with government works. Pearson will say-as it told the Washington Post-that it is doing it for “security” reasons.

But security is itself a broad term. Here is what the State of New Jersey and Pearson agreed encompassed the idea of security and its possible breach-it’s codified in the testing manual developed by the state and sent out to all the districts:

“Revealing or discussing passages or test items with anyone, including students and school staff, through verbal exchange, email, social media, or any other form of communication.”

Another opportunity for repetition for emphasis here-discussing? Any other form of communication?

So, if children come home from school and their parents ask-“How was your day, sweetheart?” and the children talk about a really dumb question on the PARCC, they will be violating the rules and be subject to whatever punishment is meted out for cheating-as a blogger did who learned from a child who hadn’t taken the test that there was a passage on it about The Wizard of Oz.

In addition, research into Pearson has shown that by students logging on to take the test, their district-held “personal” information is forwarded on to Pearson, then to Amazon Cloud servers – where the only remaining protection is a “promise” that whatever companies it is then shared with will have and honor a privacy policy. Pretty risky, given the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent to promote Common Core.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Read the entire Braun blog, and FORWARD THIS ON TO EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST!!!! To do this, please use the “forward” buttons at the top and bottom of this e-mail, rather than using your own server to forward, as you may unwittingly “unsubscribe” yourself from our e-mails if someone you sent it to “unsubscribes”.
2. Let’s show up in Trenton on Thursday. Three other bills are on the agenda, in addition to Hespe and Pearson being called to testify. I am told that testimony must be on the bills, not on the privacy issue alone. Therefore, I would suggest that you address your remarks to A4268, that establishes a PARCC task force (deja vu all over again!). Click here for a link to the text of the bill. You will see it looks a whole lot like the bill proposed last spring and ultimately voted on and passed, almost unanimously by the Assembly. This is like tying your child to the train track as the train approaches, but telling him to relax, you’re going to study how fast it is coming, how far it will go, how many people are on board, whether you CAN stop it, etc.!!!
3. Call and/or e-mail all of the contacts for Senate and Assembly Ed committees, and the Governor’s office.
4. Call and/or e-mail your own 2 assembly representatives and your state senator.

Barbara Eames
973-538-8226

ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE:

Patrick J. Diegnan, Chair (D-18) – 908-757-1677 — [email protected]
Troy Singleton, Vice Chair (D-7) – 856-234-2790 –[email protected]
Ralph R. Caputo (D-28) 973-450-0484 — [email protected]
Angel Fuentes (D-5) 856-547-4800 — [email protected]
Mila M. Jasey (D-27) 973-762-1886 — [email protected]
Angelica Jimenez (D-32) 201-223-4247 — [email protected]
David P. Rible (R-30) 732-974-1719 — [email protected]
Donna M. Simon (R-16) 908-968-3304 — [email protected]
Adam Taliaferro (D-3) 973-339-0808 — [email protected]
David W. Wolfe (R-10) 732-840-9028 — [email protected]

Aides:

Democratic majority = Martin Sumners (609) 847-3500

Republican minority = Natalie Ghaul (609) 847-3400

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE:

Teresa M. Ruiz, Chair (D-29) …… 973-484-1000 — [email protected]
Shirley K. Turner, Vice Chair (D-15) 609-323-7239 — [email protected]
Diane Bl Allen (R-7).. 856-314-8835 — [email protected]
James Beach (D-6) …. 856-429-1572 — [email protected]
Michael Doherty (R-23) 908-835-0552 — [email protected]

Aides:

Democratic majority = Liz Mahn ……….. (609) 847-3700

Republican minority = Christopher Emigholz (609) 847-3600

GOVERNOR:

Chris Christie … 609-292-6000 or (609) 777-2500
— web contact form = https://www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/

(scroll down to select topic = Education, Subtopic = K-12)

Posted on March 15, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — Leave a comment

Teens & Broadway Stars Sing for Covenant House

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Teens & Broadway Stars Sing for Covenant House

Support Covenant House for Homeless Teens Teens and Broadway Stars Sing for Homeless Kids– March 24 Local Voice Teacher Prepares Covenant House Youth to Perform in Ridgewood, NJ On March 24, a very exciting musical event – A Night of FUTURE Broadway Stars – will be bursting out of the windows of Ben Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood beginning at 7:00 pm.

Shining stars from high schools around Bergen County will be performing show stopping tunes alongside Broadway Stars John Treacy Egan (The Producers, Nice Work), Sally Ann Skoric (Jekyll and Hyde, Victor Victoria), Richard Todd Adams, (Phantom, Les Miserables) and David Elder (Curtains, 42nd Street) to benefit Covenant House New Jersey. “One of my favorite days of the year is the day I go down to Covenant House in Newark and meet the young person who will be singing at our show with my students,” says Susan McBrayer. “Wait until everyone hears David. He is so talented, and such a joy!” Students from Stage Right, Art of Motion, McBrayer Vocal Studio, and Ridgewood High School will also be there sharing their talents and their passions to help homeless youth. “This will be my 5th year to perform at A Night of FUTURE Broadway Stars and I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” exclaimed Sally Ann Skoric, a Broadway performer and Ridgewood mother. “My students at Art of Motion are busy rehearsing their big number! And I heard today that Hollywood Anderson, a beautiful Covenant House youth who made it all the way to Hollywood this year on American Idol will be with us too! How fun is that going to be?” Several young men and women from Covenant House will share their inspirational stories and be singing in the finale. “Each of our homeless kids comes to us with their own story, and we don’t turn any away. We are so grateful to all of these performers – close to 100 Bergen County students – and volunteers who are making it possible for us to keep our doors open for the young people who need us”, says Marcia Mann,

Development Director for Covenant House New Jersey. Covenant House New Jersey serves homeless young men and women between the ages of 18 and 21 at crisis centers and transitional housing in Newark, Montclair, Elizabeth, and Atlantic City. A Night of FUTURE Broadway Stars, March 24, 7:00 pm at Ben Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, NJ. Tickets are $25, $20 for Students and Seniors, and can purchased on-line at chnj.booktix.com, and at the door. For more information, contact Marcia Mann at [email protected].

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