Tag: Ridgewood Real estate

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>"one shot to get the Bond issue done. Funding at the state level is going to get worse not better. If we miss this we’re screwed".

>Go ahead and split the fields from the additions, upgrades and renovations. Cost for the fields is just under $5 million bucks. The State of NJ has agreed to pay $2.1 million specifically for the field upgrades. So for that portion of the project we are getting 42% of it paid for by the State and end up with up to par facilities that will require far less maintenance. My guess is when intelligent people look at the math and see they are getting significant upgrades to embarassingly bad facilities for less than 60 cents on the dollar they will find that attractive. Combine that with the sheer numbers of students, both boys and girls involved in athletics at RHS as well as the reality that one of the things that has been demonstrated time and time again in this town is that the sports groups raise significant amounts of money to support the athletic programs and they get things done. So my money says that part would get passed if it was on its own.

There is going to be one shot to get the Bond issue done. Funding at the state level is going to get worse not better. If we miss this we’re screwed. I know it is a lot of money, in fact it is a ridiculous amount of money. But, the reality is we have facilities that are old and getting older. We’ve had BOE after BOE who defered maintenance and capital projects and when the funding formula in Trenton changed (capping yearly budget increases) along with the Democratically controlled government mandating program after program with no funding we got caught in the perfect storm.

I was at back to school night last night also. There are definitely areas of that HS that aren’t perfect. Next time you see Jack Lorenz ask him about his maintenance and repair budget. Ask him about how long it takes to get someone over to fix something. Ask him about the broken cable in Gym I where the backboard is chained to the roof support so it doesn’t come down and kill someone. Ask him about having running water in the ceilings and walls before the repairs on the roof were started. Ask him what it is like to try and keep a building that size, that old, and filled with that many kids all day long clean and neat with a underpaid transient custodial and maintenance staff. It is a big old building and it costs money to upgrade and repair it. It is that simple.

The HS “Stadium” (what a joke) gets used maybe a dozen times a year between football and lacrosse. The track team doesn’t even have home track meets because the track is so substandard. The Ridgewood Relays (one of the top running events in the spring) are run at Ramsey HS!!!!! Think about that for a second. Our track teams host their signature event at Ramsey HS. Does Ramsey play their football games at Ridgewood? No, they have a beautiful field and track, as does; Lodi, Hasbrouck Heights and Lyndhurst, All towns we aspire to be. Our kids deserve the same.

Go to a meeting and listen to Dan and some of the BOE members outline the plans. Ask questions and learn. You may still not be in favor of it but at least you will understand it. Do not just look at $48 Million dollars (Which is really more like $35 million when the state money gets credited) and say it is too much money. It is a lot of money, no doubt about it, but it is money that is needed and it gets a lot of things fixed and upgraded, many of them things that should have been done gradually a long time ago but weren’t.

Apple iTunesshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=146261

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>$48 Million Dollar School Referendum : Using students to hand out literature to shill for this bond referendum is abhorrent.

>I was at RHS back to school last night. The condition of many rooms is deplorable. Some of the hallways show signs of years of neglect – giving a ‘lick and a promise’ instead of actual care and/or remediation. When our schools actually had janitors, the ongoing maintenance was part of their job description. Now, many of the schools have maintenance crews performing janitorial tasks but little else. So much for saving pennies while wasting dollars.

Using students to hand out literature to shill for this bond referendum is abhorrent.

1:19am – the BOE learned that trick from our Congress.

22 new classrooms? They come with 22 teachers. Do the math.

50 new students per year for 10 years – ballooning our student population to over 6000? Where are all these new families coming from? Real estate sales figures tell a different tale. Families wanting to leave can’t easily sell their house without taking quite a hit (and in some cases, bringing $$ to the closing). With sales down, less people are moving IN to Ridgewood. After all, with folks fleeing the state, who can still afford to ‘buy up’ into Ridgewood and start a family. We are already maxed out in population, so numbers much above 25k aren’t likely. So, 500 new students in 10 years is somewhat inconceivable.

Hey, I have an idea – the radical that I am – instead of building on all these new classrooms, maybe we should take back Glen School (which we already own) and redistrict?? You can’t say that the paltry rents we are collecting can enable us to add 22 new classrooms in our other buildings…otherwise, why the bond? We bus and ENTIRE neighborhood across Rt 17 while passing 3 K-6 facilities (Glen, Travell & Somerville). Is there something wrong here? Given the cost of transportation costs alone, we’d experience some long-term value in reclaiming Glen (while helping their neighborhood intact). It’s time for all the ancillary programs to find new quarters so we enjoy the value and convenience of using OUR OWN SCHOOLS for our children.

Finally, I just love the lame-a$$ excuse the BOE is giving about bonding – if we don’t act now, we will lose nearly $10 million of state funding. What BS! WE STILL HAVE TO SPEND ANOTHER $40 MILLION. Nothing like peeing through another $40 mil while residents of this village are hurting during these recessionary times.

Bond only for what we need – nothing else. Develop better capital expenditure plans, because if you’ve allowed the regular maintenance and lack of roof repairs go for so long, then you have been derelict in your duty to serve the citizens of Ridgewood.

Apple iTunesshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=146261

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>Scott Garrett: The Other Public Option

>The Other Public Option
September 24, 2009

In 1993, Congressional Democrats worked with newly sworn-in President Bill Clinton to create the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, a student loan public option meant to compete with private student loan issuers. “We are not taking a free enterprise system and federalizing it,” then-Deputy Education Secretary Madeleine Kunin said. “We are…improving the entrepreneurial and competitive possibilities.” Sound familiar?

Fast forward sixteen years and the new Congressional majority is again working with a newly installed President on a public option, this time a public option for health care insurance. President Obama’s chief ally in the Senate, Dick Durbin, said on Meet The Press last Sunday that this public option is a way to make sure there’s competition for these private health insurance companies. The President himself has said that the public option will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest.

The student loan public option should serve as a cautionary and instructional tale for Congress and the American people as we continue to discuss ways to reform the health care system. Right now, over 80% of student loans issues are federally guaranteed – about two-thirds of those are issued through private lenders, while the remaining third are secured directly through the public option. Though both public lenders and federally guaranteed private lenders offer relatively similar interest rates and payment plans, more than twice as many students and parents choose private options because of universities’ preference and superior customer service.

On Thursday, the House passed a bill (H.R. 3221) that will, if signed into law, eliminate private loans with federal guarantees, replacing such loans entirely with the government’s Direct Loan program – in other words, removing the optionality of the public option – at a cost of $1 trillion over the next ten years. In addition to crowding private capital out of the industry, this bill gives the public student loan programs advantages the private sector will be unable to match. For example, the bill gives federal loans a variable interest rate when rates are on the decline and a cap when rates go back up. The plan also locks in low fixed-interest rates on certain loans. Once the Federal Reserve’s spending spree results in unavoidable inflation, the Treasury will likely be paying to lend this money. All of these provisions lead to an unsustainable plan described by the Wall Street Journal as a kind of heads-borrowers-win, tails-taxpayers-lose offer [that] will be difficult for a private company to match.

Since 1965, private loans carrying a federal guarantee have been the most common means of borrowing to finance a college education. It took less than two decades for the public option to crowd out private student loan providers, leaving students, parents, and universities with an “option” that they have rejected by a two-to-one margin.

The idea that government can compete with private health insurance – while setting its own rules for competition – and remain optional defies both history and basic economic principles. I support real health care reform that is portable, affordable, sustainable, effective, and innovative. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this issue with my office at 202-225-4465.

Sincerely,

Scott Garrett
Member of Congress

Bookmark and Share

Apple iTunesshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=146261

Posted on by — Leave a comment

December $48 Million School Referendum

>Dear Parents,
On December 8, 2009 Ridgewood voters will be asked to vote on a bond referendum. Before going to the polls we want voters to have the facts in order to make an informed decision. Our school buildings, built between 1919 and 1966, are in need of capital improvements. We also need additional instructional space to keep pace with enrollment increases for our general education and special education programs.

The cost of the bond referendum is $48 million and will allow us to complete needed repairs and capital projects at all of our schools and to add classrooms to GW Middle School, Hawes, Ridge, and Willard. It also includes building a 400-meter track at BF Middle School and installing synthetic turf on Stevens and the RHS Stadium fields.

New Jersey approves our construction needs & offers money to help offset costs.

For over a year, the Board of Education’s Facilities Committee performed an in-depth review of every building. The committee consulted principals, reviewed the District’s five-year facilities plan and RHS engineering study, studied energy conservation opportunities and worked with our architects to prioritize needs. Last winter, we applied to the state for construction grant money, and the state approved our request, validating our needs assessment and awarding Ridgewood $9.8 million in direct grant aid towards the building projects and $2.1 million in debt service aid for the track at BF and for improvements on Stevens and RHS stadium fields. This state aid will lessen the burden on taxpayers and reduce the amount the district will have to borrow. With this state aid commitment, the total bond amount will be $38 million, and the tax impact on the average Ridgewood home valued at $802,107 would be $300.55 a year on a 25-year bond assuming a 4.75% borrowing rate.

Our continued growth: 50 new students every year…for 10 years.

The enclosed Fact Sheet outlines the carefully considered repair/capital improvement and energy conservation projects included in the bond referendum. In addition, proposed additions at GW, Hawes, Ridge and Willard address our need for more instructional space. With enrollment having grown by 500 students over the last 10 years, space limitations have resulted in instruction currently happening in school hallways, in subdivided classrooms and in principals’ offices.

It’s imperative that our facilities meet the educational needs of our students.

In recent years, our number of special education students has increased to 14.3% or a little over 800 students. Our special education students who require individualized programs have moved from school to school, as space is available. As we build new classrooms at Ridge, Willard, and Hawes, we will be able to minimize the moving of our special education classes and allow these students to remain in the same school for all of their elementary years. At the same time, classroom space will be freed-up at Somerville, Travell, and Orchard, eliminating the need to redistrict. New instructional space will also include new library/media centers at Willard and GW and a new full-size gymnasium at GW with enough bleacher seating for the entire student body.

Improving our wellness & athletic facilities.

Currently the Ridgewood High School fields are not appropriately sized nor resilient enough to allow use by multiple athletic teams. In addition, the RHS track is too small for our track team to hold competitive meets. For these reasons, the Stadium field often sits empty, contributing to the District-wide and Village-wide field shortage as identified in the Village’s Recreation Master Plan. It is time to address these deficiencies.

Our plan allows for construction of a regulation 400-meter natural grass-center track at BF and installation of a synthetic surface on the RHS Stadium and Stevens fields. At the Stadium, a smaller track will remain for PE classes and community use. These improved fields will enable girls and boys to play soccer and lacrosse, in addition to football, on site at the high school, and will add needed outside teaching stations for physical education and Project Adventure. Detailed plans for these synthetic fields have been submitted to the NJ DEP for review and approval.

As the community has seen the merits of the synthetic field at Maple Park, the addition of synthetic fields at RHS will further reduce the wear and tear on our grass fields, will bring high school sports back to the high school campus, and will provide our student athletes and youth rec sports players with additional quality playing surfaces.

Know the facts. Get your questions answered.

Please familiarize yourself with information about our proposed projects. All of the school and field plans are posted on the district web site at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us under the Board of Education link. Soon, information sessions will be held at each school and in homes throughout the Village, providing opportunities to hear more and ask questions. Guided tours of our schools will be scheduled and open to the public.

On December 8th make an informed decision about the Ridgewood Public Schools’ bond referendum.

Sincerely,

Joseph Vallerini
Robert Hutton
Sheila Brogan
Michele Lenhard
Laurie Goodman

P.S. Questions are welcome! We want you to have the facts in order to make an informed decision on Election Day. Please email [email protected] or call 201-670-2700 ext. 10530 with any questions.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>New Jersey Governors Race: People Continue to Flee the State

>
“Consider the high taxes and the rest of it, this really shouldn’t be a surprise. But, nearly 59 percent of Mayflower’s moves over the first nine months of 2009 in New Jersey were to relocate residents out of the state. The only three states that surpassed New Jersey were Michigan (66 percent), Maine (59.2 percent) and Nebraska (62.5 percent). “For the last four years, we have been ranked among the highest in the percentage of outbound moves,” said Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz. “There are reasons for that, starting with taxes and jobs. Unfortunately, we have too many of the former and not enough of the latter. And with the governor saying he will not rule out further tax increases, the trend for more people leaving the state will continue.”

https://blogs.app.com/politicspatrol/

any comment from the Candidates?

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday it would no longer include ACORN in its volunteer tax assistance program.

>IRS severs ties with ACORN over scandal

https://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9AT86L00&show_article=1

WASHINGTON (AP) – The IRS says it is severing ties with ACORN, the community activist group involved in a scandal after employees were caught on video giving advice to a couple posing as a prostitute and pimp.

The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday it would no longer include ACORN in its volunteer tax assistance program. The program offered free tax advice to about 3 million low- and moderate-income tax filers this spring.

The IRS said ACORN, which is short for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, provided help on about 25,000 returns.

The House and Senate voted earlier this month to sever federal funding to ACORN. And the Census Bureau severed its ties with the group for the 2010 national head-count.

https://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9AT86L00&show_article=1

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>The Ridgewood News feels that this is the price of progress?

>What do you think now that the Ridgewood News has come out and whole heartily endorsed the Valley Hospital “Renewal Plan” ?

After all according to the Paper ,” Valley is right around the corner.” and “Ridgewood residents should not fall behind in receiving world-class care in their backyard”

Frankly I am not so sure ,while modernization is noble indeed I was unaware that the “Renewed Valley” was going to have the trauma center that would make it being,”right around the corner” of real value ?

Don’t get me wrong I always liked Valley after all I was born there and that oughta count for something . The fact of the matter however is that the “Renewed Valley” necessary or not is simply to big for the property .

And then there were all those small but annoying details ,like using the Village council to squelch Free Speech with the now infamous ‘No Sign Ordinance” or perhaps it was the appearance of trying to bury the actual size of the “Renewal” deep in the blue prints. It might have been the plans to widen the Linwood Avenue, or a sneaky attempt to buy the Benjamin Franklin Field .Maybe it was the perceived conflict of interest with some of the Village Council members or even the fact that Valley has been a rather bad neighbor ,not keep its word in the past. The 2 million bucks to keep Pascack closed and out of the clutches of Valley’s arch enemy Hackensack Medical Center certainly could have been better played.

As for me I am keeping my eyes wide open on this one still hoping for some kind of reconciliation, I like Valley but I don’t want it to become part of the destruction process that seems to be stealing the very essence of the Village of Ridgewood from Ridgewood. I also think much of the organized opposition has presented some very reasonable objections that have routinely been ignored and pushed a side.

So at this time I wait and wait; still looking for that “Right” “price of progress”.

PJ Blogger

1-800-FLOWERS.COMshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=100462

Bookmark and Share

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>Seniors in Medicare’s managed care plans would see reduced benefits under Obamacare

>Budget chief contradicts Obama on Medicare costs
By ERICA WERNER (AP) – 16 hours ago

https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJK9ly3ovzfflxGjV-dxk2sLILKgD9ASKCQG2

WASHINGTON — Congress’ chief budget officer is contradicting President Barack Obama’s oft-stated claim that seniors wouldn’t see their Medicare benefits cut under a health care overhaul.

The head of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf, told senators Tuesday that seniors in Medicare’s managed care plans would see reduced benefits under a bill in the Finance Committee.

The bill would cut payments to the Medicare Advantage plans by more than $100 billion over 10 years.

Elmendorf said the changes would reduce the extra benefits that would be made available to beneficiaries.

Critics say the plans are overpaid, while supporters say they work well.

Obama says cuts to Medicare providers won’t reduce seniors’ benefits.

https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJK9ly3ovzfflxGjV-dxk2sLILKgD9ASKCQG2

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>New Jersey Governors Race :New Jersey’s State/Local Tax Burden Highest in Nation!

>New Jersey’s State/Local Tax Burden Highest in Nation
Estimated at 11.8% of income, New Jersey’s state/local tax burden percentage is the highest in the country, well above the national average of 9.7%. New Jersey taxpayers pay $6,610 per capita in state and local taxes.

any comments from the candidates?

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>New Jersey Governors Race :New Jersey and New York are the worst of the 50 states for business because of their tax burdens

>
N.J., N.Y. ranked worst for taxes

WASHINGTON — New Jersey and New York are the worst of the 50 states for business because of their tax burdens, a study by the Tax Foundation says.

The two ranked 50th and 49th, respectively, in the analysis of state personal, corporate, sales, property and unemployment-insurance taxes in the year that ended June 30. The study, released Tuesday by the institute, said South Dakota and Wyoming, which have no corporate or individual income taxes, have the best business climates.

— Bloomberg News

any comments from the candidates?

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>Bombace: We have an antiquated system of public education

>BY MARK BOMBACE
COMMENTARY

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/commentary/bombace-we-have-an-antiquated-system-of-public-education

All across the state, children are heading back to school to continue their education. President Obama recently gave a speech to our youngsters urging them to stay in school, and work hard at their studies, so that they may have a bright future. Our President’s message encourages and provides hope that education and hard work are the major ingredients to success in life. I truly wish that was true. Instead, today we have an antiquated system of public education. A system that perpetuates a continuing substandard level of quality that fails to challenge the majority of students to be the best student they can be.

We, as a nation, lack a standard measure of educational success commiserate with our ideals and needs of our children. One size fits all educational standards like No Child Left Behind are misguided and are destroying the last vestiges of a once progressive public policy that propelled the United States to its status as a world power. We are living on borrowed time because we have failed to move education forward into the 21st century.

A true measure of educational success must be one that measures success of one student at a time based on their unique individual potential.
Providing every children with a high quality education can be the silver bullet to helping us deal with so many of New Jersey’s and our nation’s problems. Educational dollars are the largest expenditure of any municipality and in New Jersey; therefore, we must reevaluate how effective the allocation of these tax dollars has been. Here once again we have an antiquated standard of measure to identify appropriate spending levels. I challenge anyone to justify whether we are spending too much or not enough money on education.

I have written an educational policy paper that establishes a standard that can measure proper levels of funding by linking it to student growth potential. By establishing a real standard of educational success and a standard for educational costs we can restore parental confidence in our public school system. More than that, imagine the vast implications of getting education right and treating our students with individuality and respect. Then we can boldly move into the future with hope and confidence. Our children are national treasures; as such we must secure their future and ours by fixing the antiquated system called public education.

Mark Bombace is a former President of the Ridgewood Board of Education and a current candidate for the State Assembly in New Jersey’s 40th District. You can learn more about his education policy at www.40thDistrict.com/issues/education.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 September 2009 06:33 )

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/commentary/bombace-we-have-an-antiquated-system-of-public-education

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>Preparing 21st Century Learners : Ridgewood Schools

>Ridgewood Public School Program
“Preparing 21st Century learners – How and Why Their Schooling is Different for Ours” In the Ben Franklin Middle School Auditorium on Thursday, October 22 from 7:30PM to 9:30PM. Alan November, Internationally recognized education leader will discuss how and why technology enhances our children’s schooling. Program is free and open to the public. For information contact Maureen Rusnak, 201/670-2700 x10531

GigaGolf, Inc.show?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=60066

Posted on by — Leave a comment

>Ridgewood Community Access Network ADA Weekend – October 2,3,4

>Ridgewood – The Ridgewood Community Access Network (CAN) will be presenting a 3-day disability awareness program October 2-4. Click Here

Entitled “Access Ridgewood”, the program will seek to generate awareness about “our abilities, disabilities, special gifts and special needs.” The program will consist of the following five elements:

– Students – Each of Ridgewood’s public schools will participate in the program. New Jersey Department of Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez will lead a discussion at Ridgewood High School. The movie, “Autism: The Musical”, will be shown at Benjamin Franklin Middle School and George Washington Middle School, and Linda Walder Fiddle, Executive Director of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, will lead a discussion. And theme-based activities will be held at Village elementary schools.

– Seniors – An event – “Seniors…Able Body, Able Minds” – will be held at the Village’s Community Center. The program will include comments from New Jersey Director of Aging and Community Service Greg Papazian, New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Field Representative Traci Burton, and presentations from the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation, Valley Hospital, and the Ridgewood YMCA.

– Community Fair – There will be an event showcasing the talents and abilities of several children and young adults with disabilities. Bergen County Disability Director Jim Thebery will emcee the event. Local organizations will also be on hand to share their disability-related work, services and programs. Several New Jersey political leaders will be on hand, including Lt. Governor nominee Loretta Weinberg, Assemblyman Dave Russo, Assemblyman Scott Rumana, and Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney,

– “Forrest Gump” Showing – The local Clearview theater will be showing – free of charge – the much-acclaimed production of “Forrest Gump”, a movie that underscores the capacity of anyone to accomplish great things.

– Interfaith Service – Ridgewood’s religious community will come together in a very special service that will focus on the need to embrace everyone, regardless of a person’s “abilities, disabilities, special gifts, and special needs.” Captioning available for those with hearing impairments.

This entire program is being co-sponsored by the following companies and organizations: Clearview Cinema, North Jersey Community Bank, Ridgewood News, Ridgewood Press, Suburban News, TD Bank, TotalCaption, and the Village of Ridgewood’s Learning Services Home & School Association.