Tag: Ridgewood residents

Posted on

Facebook Water Filter Ad Rattles Ridgewood Residents

Ridgewood Water ads

 

December 6,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ad’s targeting Ridgewood Water on Facebook has some residents rattled . A resident recently asked ,”Is it ‘over the top’ / ‘misleading’ or our kids who drink unfiltered water at school are really at risk?”

While the risks of Chromium 6 have been well documented .Chromium 6 is the same suspected carcinogen that made Erin Brockovich famous and was found in Ridgewood Water. The levels, however are well within EPA, guidelines.

Some residents are concerned whiles others think the current risk is overblown and the Brockovich comparison is without merit at this time.

from Ridgewood Waters website:

Chromium 6

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released a report raising concerns about the presence of chromium 6 – also known as hexavalent chromium – in public water supplies.  Hexavalent chromium, a suspected carcinogen, is the contaminant made famous by the 2000 movie “Erin Brockovich.”

Ridgewood Water shares the EWG’s concern for water quality and public health protection. Water utilities currently monitor for “total” chromium, of which hexavalent chromium is a component. Most public water utilities, including Ridgewood Water, are in compliance with the existing standard.

The Safe Drinking Water Act, which was established to protect the quality of drinking water, requires a rigorous scientific approach for evaluating contaminants for regulation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been looking at health effects data on hexavalent chromium. Ridgewood Water has been testing for this substance as part of the unregulated contaminant sampling program which provides data to EPA for scientific evaluation.

It’s important to remember that detecting a substance in water does not always imply a health risk. The key question that researchers seek to answer is whether the substance presents health concerns at the level it is detected. That’s why the federal regulatory process requires EPA to examine potential health impacts of the substance, paths of exposure and occurrence data. A thorough evaluation of all this data increases the likelihood that new regulations will offer meaningful risk reduction.  Ridgewood Water is committed to meeting all regulatory standards for public water supplies including any new requirements for hexavalent chromium that may be instituted.

For more information on chromium in drinking water, please refer to the following links:

Chromium by the numbers

https://www.epa.gov/dwstandardsregulations/chromium-drinking-water

https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/chromium/en/

https://www.awwa.org/legislation-regulation/regulations/contaminants/hexavalent-chromium.aspx#3329298-recent-research

Posted on

Ridgewood residents felt the post-election let down

van_nest_square_theridgewoodblog

November 10,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Many Ridgewood residents felt the post-election let down yesterday . Months of acrimonious campaigning has left people feeling blue if they came out on the short end of the vote yesterday . Some wore black to symbolize a funeral . Another Ridgewood resident even offered free hugs to those who were in inconsolable pain .

Ridgewood like much of Bergen County was split about 60/40 in favor of the loser Hillary Clinton and in many ways Ridgewood is the stereotypical Clinton supporting town.

One reader emailed the Ridgewood blog,   “I know you must be elated over the election results. I am happy for you but as a progressive and a woman, I am so sad.  I think you are doing our town a great service with The Blog”

GOP President-elect Donald Trump pulled off one of the biggest electoral upset in decades Tuesday evening, causing Hillary Clinton supporters around the country and in Ridgewood to cry.

It seems that many of Clinton’s supporters may have shared the feeling Clinton expressed in late September when she wondered aloud why she wasn’t ahead of Trump by 50 percent.

As for the staff of the Ridgewood blog we enjoyed a quite afternoon.

5031 1173485101931 4896545 n 1

Posted on

Ridgewood Residents Targeted with Identity Fraud

prevent-online-identity-theft

August 22,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, once again Ridgewood Police report incidence of “Identity Fraud . On 8/9/16 a Woodside Avenue resident responded to headquarters to report an incident of fraud in the past. The victim reported an unknown person made a purchase using the victim’s PNC debit card in the amount of $1910.76 in Flushing, N.Y. The victim reported PNC Debit Card Fraud department was notified and investigating the incident.

A Hawthorne Place resident reported a theft of impersonation on 8/12/16. The resident reported an unknown person utilized his personal identity to submit a tax return. The resident contacted the IRS and made notification of the fraud.

According to the US Department of Justice these are the most common ways to commit identity theft or fraud;

Many people do not realize how easily criminals can obtain our personal data without having to break into our homes. In public places, for example, criminals may engage in “shoulder surfing” ­ watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card number or credit card number ­ or listen in on your conversation if you give your credit-card number over the telephone to a hotel or rental car company.

If you receive applications for “pre-approved” credit cards in the mail, but discard them without tearing up the enclosed materials, criminals may retrieve them and try to activate the cards for their use without your knowledge. (Some credit card companies, when sending credit cards, have adopted security measures that allow a card recipient to activate the card only from his or her home telephone number but this is not yet a universal practice.) Also, if your mail is delivered to a place where others have ready access to it, criminals may simply intercept and redirect your mail to another location.

In recent years, the Internet has become an appealing place for criminals to obtain identifying data, such as passwords or even banking information. In their haste to explore the exciting features of the Internet, many people respond to “spam” ­ unsolicited E-mail ­ that promises them some benefit but requests identifying data, without realizing that in many cases, the requester has no intention of keeping his promise. In some cases, criminals reportedly have used computer technology to obtain large amounts of personal data.

With enough identifying information about an individual, a criminal can take over that individual’s identity to conduct a wide range of crimes: for example, false applications for loans and credit cards, fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts, fraudulent use of telephone calling cards, or obtaining other goods or privileges which the criminal might be denied if he were to use his real name. If the criminal takes steps to ensure that bills for the falsely obtained credit cards, or bank statements showing the unauthorized withdrawals, are sent to an address other than the victim’s, the victim may not become aware of what is happening until the criminal has already inflicted substantial damage on the victim’s assets, credit, and reputation.

Posted on

Residents Balk on Ridgewood Water Interest fees

ridgewoodwaterlogo-061912-rn-tif
August 14,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, readers are asking residents to check your water bill. Many have noticed that they were charged a small “interest”  fee on there bill. The reader insisted they were an “on time payer” and had a zero balance after the last payment.
From the Facebook group it takes a Ridgewood Village  a writer commented , “I called  water today and said I have never paid my bill late and she said she will “look into it”. I am paying bills today and that was not acceptable. It is only .84 cents but it’s the principle, I am not paying for something that I do not owe.”Check your water bills very carefully to see if you were charged interest. If there is a computer glitch, they need to be held accountable for fixing it.

Reader have as in the past debated the accuracy of their water bills  and the ability of consumers to test and monitor their own water usage .
Posted on

Two More Ridgewood Residents Report Identity Theft Incidents

Nigerian scam michael-scott-
July 27,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  Ridgewood Police Department would like to remind citizens of the increased amount of scams. Always investigate communications made through postal mail, telephone, and/or the internet to prevent fraud and deceptive activity. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Ridgewood Police Department to ensure you’re not becoming a victim of these scams.

A Unadilla Road resident responded to headquarters on 7/20/16 to report identity theft in the past. The victim reported an unknown person utilized his personal identity to open a Comcast account in the state of Maryland between 10/07/15 and 12/31/15. The victim reported Comcast is in the process of clearing the victim’s name from balance of $2777.44.

A Hamilton Road resident responded to police headquarters on 7/23/16 to report a fraud in the past. The victim reported an unknown person utilized his personal identification to open Verizon Wireless account without authorization. The victim reported he began receiving letters from a collection agency in reference to the fraudulent account. Verizon was notified and advised the victim the situation is being taken care of.

Posted on

Ridgewood Residents : Stay Safe During the Heat

Garydon Pool Ridgewood

Stay Safe During the Heat

The Red Cross recommends taking these steps to stay safe during the heat:

Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for critical updates from the National Weather Service
Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles
Eat small meals and eat more often
Avoid extreme temperature changes
Limit intake of alcoholic beverages
Drink plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty, and avoid drinks with caffeine.
Stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine if air conditioning is not available
Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing
Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day
Use a buddy system when working in excessive heat
Take frequent breaks if working outdoors
Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat
Check on animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat, and ensure they have water and a shady place to rest

Posted on

Many Ridgewood Residents Feel they are Being Harassed by the Village over Sidewalk Repairs

shade_trees_theridgewoodblog
July 14,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, for the second year in a row residents report being harassed by the Village of Ridgewood about their sidewalks. This is less than one year the requested repairs were already made.

While some residents contend the Village is just looking for the permit fee others like Barb Ehret Crowe on the “It takes a Village of Ridgewood Facebook page ,”The thing that is crazy to me is in most cases damage is caused by trees planted and maintained by the village yet the cost for the damage they create becomes the burden of the homeowner. Makes no sense”

Amended 9-16-2015 by Ord. No. 3498

A.
It shall be the duty of any owner of real property abutting any public street or sidewalk in the Village of Ridgewood, at the owner’s sole cost and expense, to install, construct, repair, alter, relay, reconstruct and maintain the sidewalks in front of or abutting such property whenever such sidewalks are required as hereinafter provided or, being already installed, shall be in such state of deterioration or disrepair as to constitute a hazard to the general public using said sidewalks unless they are repaired, altered, relaid or reconstructed. In addition to the foregoing, it shall also be the duty of the owner, at the owner’s sole cost and expense, to install, construct, repair, alter, relay, or reconstruct curbs where the deterioration or damage to the same has been caused by the actions of such owner.
B.
It shall be the duty of any owner of real property abutting any public street or sidewalk in the Village of Ridgewood, at the owner’s sole cost and expense, to maintain the interior of the tree wells located in/on the sidewalk in front of or abutting such property each year by weeding, removing debris and maintain the overall clean appearance of the tree wells and the interior of same.

Many residents claim to have already done the repairs .

Maggie Borkowski Neilson ,”It takes a Village of Ridgewood Facebook page,” I replaced last year were due to-their trees. Now they’re back saying they see another. No trees near it, no different than last year. Wasn’t a problem then but is now. Guess they missed it last year while marking up the rest of my sidewalks.”

She went on to say , “We are on Fairfield. Our entire street was done last year this time. I’m angry because I fixed all the ones they marked, plus an extra just to be sure, and now they’re coming back looking for more! Trying to double dip on the permit fees when they haven’t even completed the rest of the town once yet.”

Many felt a call to Village manager Roberta Sonenfeld would end up hearing 30 minutes lecture that how everything she has been doing is great with zero defect rate and ‘you’ the resident must be wrong?

Maggie Borkowski Neilson said after a visit to the engineering department claimed ,” They are blaming the fact that they used temps last year as to why they didn’t catch this one slab. Also said yes, my contractor had a blanket permit to do work but didn’t notify them that they worked at my specific address so that is why they are back at my property one year later.”

Many long time readers remember that following a citizen complaint registered with the Village, all sidewalks on South Irving Street were inspected in late 2010 or early 2011.  Notices of violation were subsequently mailed to many property owners and several contractors began work on repairs in the summer of 2011.

 

Posted on

Ridgewood Residents Express a Time for Change for Dogs in Parks rules

4th of july 2little dog theridgewoodblog.net

july 7th 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, and idea who’s time has come for Ridgewood ? A lot of resident dog walkers think so .Anne LaGrange Loving said on Facebook the , “Twice I asked the former mayor whether the council might consider changing the ordinance that prohibits dogs from being in our parks. In conjunction with that, I suggested that “poopie bags” could be provided at each park.

13590346 10206877103588581 76996475275985688 n

Loving goes on to say ,”It is my observation that the garbage in our parks comes from careless humans – soda cans, water bottles, etc. Most dog owners I know are very careful about picking up after their pets. Of course there are some exceptions, just as there are some people who litter. The fact is that dogs are brought to parks all the time in Ridgewood in spite of the law – as they should be! So why not rescind this ordinance and at the same time provide these bags. I had even suggested a trial run on this – see how it goes. If the parks become filled with dog waste, well then the experiment is considered a failure and we can go back to prohibiting dogs. But it is worth a try.”
Saurabh Dani suggests that there could be certain instances when dogs would have to be prohibited, such as during the fireworks. But overall Loving asks ,”why can’t Paul Smith or Susanne Ziskis or Anne LaGrange Loving sit in the park with their dogs and enjoy a cup of coffee or a chat with a friend? It will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the former mayor that my suggestion, which I posed twice at public meetings, was met with dead silence. His style was to never answer questions from members of the public. Thankfully we now have a new mayor and new council members and we are all so happy that open dialog on matters small (like this one) and great (like HDH, Valley, parking, etc) will be the norm between elected officials and the public.”
Posted on

Ridgewood Residents Targeted with “IRS Investigator” Scams

phone-scam
June 29,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood police report a number of IRS Investigator scams , first a South Pleasant Avenue resident reported on 6/27/16 he received a suspicious phone call from a person who identified himself as an IRS Investigator. The caller advised the resident he owed back taxes and requested payment immediately. The resident became suspicious and contacted his accountant who informed him this was a scam and to call the police to report the incident. The resident reported he never provided personal information or banking information to the caller and requested a report as a matter of record.

On 6/24/16 a Fairway Road resident responded to headquarters to report a Fraud. The victim reported he began receiving phone calls from a person who identified himself as a Tax Agent advising the victim he had committed tax fraud. The caller persuaded the victim into purchasing and transferring $2000 in Apple Gift Cards.

The Ridgewood Police also report a victim of identity fraud; a South Irving Street resident responded to headquarters on 6/20/16 to report his personal information was used to open a fraudulent Verizon account. The victim reported the fraudulent account was opened by Verizon Wireless of New York. Verizon reported the account was opened at a Verizon Wireless store by someone utilizing his name, Social Security number, and home address. The victim’s account was not charged and Verizon Wireless is investigating.

The Ridgewood Police Department would like to remind citizens of the increased amount of scams. Always investigate communications made through postal mail, telephone, and/or the internet to prevent fraud and deceptive activity. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Ridgewood Police Department to ensure you’re not becoming a victim of these scams.

Posted on

PSE&G Offers Money-Saving Hot Weather Tips

PSEG Gas leak

file photo by Boyd Loving

10 Easy and Inexpensive Ways for Village Residents to Save on Electric Bills

June 20,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  On the first official day of summer, Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest utility, reminds customers that higher temperatures can also lead to more usage and higher electric bills. Customers can save energy and money this summer by following a few easy and inexpensive tips.

Seal holes and cracks around doors and windows with insulation or weather-stripping.
Don’t cool an empty house. Set your thermostat higher when you are away.
Don’t cool unused rooms. Close the vents and shut the door.
Ceiling fans cool fast and cost less than air conditioning.
Operate appliances in the morning or evening when it is cooler outside.
When washing dishes or clothes, run full loads.
Wash laundry in cold water.
Close blinds and draperies facing the sun to keep out the sun’s heat.
Replace air filters monthly. Dirty filters make your air conditioner work harder.
Use a microwave or crockpot instead of the oven. They won’t heat the house.

Prepared for Additional Power Demand
PSE&G expects to have no problem delivering the additional power required during the hot-weather months, but utility crews will be ready to respond to service interruptions should they occur. PSE&G’s rigorous, year-round preparedness program for summer includes conducting employee training; developing emergency summer operating plans; performing summer peak reliability analysis; helicopter and climbing inspections of transmission circuits; infrared inspections for “hot-spots” on transmission lines; and system reinforcements and transmission line work.

Payment Assistance Available
If your energy bills become unmanageable, a number of payment assistance programs are available for low and moderate income customers, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities. Also, PSE&G offers customers the option of setting up a no-cost, equal payment plan. More information on these programs can be found atwww.pseg.com/help.

How to Report an Outage and Stay Informed
To report downed wires or power outages, call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG.  Also, customers can report outages online by logging into My Account at pseg.com or by texting “OUT” to 4PSEG (47734). The utility’s mobile-friendly website includes an “Outage Map” that is updated every 15 minutes and displays the location and status of power outages in PSE&G’s service area.

Posted on

Reader says , The way the Council Majority have disrespected the church and ALL Ridgewood residents is shameful

Ridgewood 3 amigos

file photo by Boyd Loving

I don’t understand how supporters of the majority council don’t have a problem that these 3, plus Roberta lied to residents to get that November vote. That is telling and shameful- all residents whether you want a garage or not should have no tolerance for such trickery.

Telling residents nothing has been decided with respect to design when indeed, the design has been decided, and we are not disclosing that our chosen design is 12 feet in the street was wrong and horrible leadership. Contracts to begin specs for design A were signed on October 28th – before the vote!!! It was deceitful and despicable, with no accountability and cost taxpayers $120,000 in change orders.

I can understand and be sympathetic to mistakes but not deliberate and deceitful plotting and scheming to get what you want. The current design is still too big. It is 5 feet in the street and 60’10” tall…not 46′ that they keep saying -which is frickin ridiculous they don’t count the towers when discussing height. Mt. Carmel (FYI is 50′ tall) will be here a lot longer than any restaurant or business. The way these people have disrespected the church and ALL residents is shameful, and to defend that behavior or turn a blind eye because you want a garage….what? Why?

Posted on

BREAKING : Ridgewood Residents file lawsuit against Village

Village of Ridgewood

June 15, 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, A group of Ridgewood residents filed a lawsuit in Superior Court today, challenging a decision by the Bergen County town to place a political propaganda video and written propaganda on the municipal website “expressly advocating a “yes” vote on a bond referendum to finance a parking deck, which is slated to go before Ridgewood voters on June 21, 2016, and have urged voters to view this one-sided presentation. This action is brought to redress these violations of law.”

The filing comes less than a week after Ridgewood officials began distributing an 11-minute political video and four-page parking referendum guide, via the Village of Ridgewood website, urging voters to support an $11.5 million bond issue to build a parking deck on Hudson Street. The town’s mayor, manager, CFO, and engineer, along with the architect and contractor hired to design the garage. All appear in the video.

Ridgewood voters will go to the polls on June 21 to decide whether or not to adopt an ordinance that would allow Ridgewood to bond 11.5 million for a parking garage at Hudson Street. The $11.5 million is associated with what is known as Design D- 325 spaces, 4 stories, 5 levels, 5 ft over the footprint of the existing lot.

Ever since a 1953 ruling issued by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice and New Jersey Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, it has been illegal for local governments in New Jersey to use public resources to influence voters on a local election. While towns are allowed to send evenhanded factual material to voters, the ruling says it is “outside the pale” and “not lawful” for towns to spend money on political materials urging voters to pass or reject referendums.

According to the lawsuit, the video and the 4 page parking referendum guide on the village website, are “propaganda” that contains a “one-sided, slanted and unjust presentation” of the parking vote. Using “extravagant and dramatic language,” the ads argue in favor of the referendum’s passage, while disparaging the referendum’s opponents.

“The use of Ridgewood’s municipal funds to pay for political marketing is unconscionable,” said resident Gail McCarthy..

The lawsuit comes two days after Ridgewood’s mayor, Paul Aronsohn and village manager, Roberta Sonenfeld, were accused, by the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government, of state ethics law violations for their roles in the political video.“Aronsohn and Sonenfeld are certainly entitled to their own opinions about the referendum, but they are not entitled to use taxpayer dollars to aggressively promote a one sided opinion to the public,” added resident Lorraine Reynolds.

The lawsuit asks for an injunction declaring the advertising illegal, and asks for a formal accounting of all public money and time spent promoting the referendum. If the referendum succeeds, the suit also serves notice that the voters will seek to have the election set aside as being based on “payments and expenditures that are contrary to law, and not authorized by the election or other laws” of the State.

Posted on

Teachers Union and Supporters Continue to Attack Ridgewood Residents

REA, ridgewoood teachers

Teacher supporter claims :

Average private sector wage increases for 2015 were above 3%. Pay raises for people with college degrees are fairing even better than that. Are there people who aren’t seeing wage increases? Yes. But perhaps that says something about the person or the job rather than the economy.
Teachers have been taking home less money each year for a number of years.
Teachers will never get bonuses, no matter how good the economy gets.
Teachers will never get company cars, club memberships, or any other perks that are seen in the private sector.
Teachers will NEVER get anything more than a mediocre pay raise because of the 2% cap.
So when teachers fight for the scraps from the table it shouldn’t be a surprise.

Do you really want to devalue the profession to the point that nobody will ever want to be a teacher? There is already a teacher shortage, which will only get worse.

But keep up with the lies about teachers who don’t care. Teachers who earn $200,000 a year. Teachers who won’t write recommendations. Teachers who only work 181 days a year. Teachers who only care about taking from taxpayers while doing nothing. Keep up with these lies and tell the potential future teachers that it is not the best career path. Why would anyone subject themselves to such outright lies and hatred?

Reader responds …..What planet are you on???? Private sector wage increases above 3%??? Please provide your source because no one I know got more 3%. I got 1.5% after 4 years of 0%. My wife got 2% after getting .5% last year and 0% fand additional 4 years. Really, name your source. Everyone is taking home less and bonuses have shrunken. There are no company car, club memberships, expensive meals, expense accounts, perks. Keep lying dear teacher. There is no teacher shortage in Ridgewood; I can assure you that you can be replaced on a moments notice.

Perks? I guess if you define 12-14 hour days 12 months a year, putting hours on the weekend, long commutes, conference calls with other parts of the world at 2am, being “penalized for taking sick or personal time, skyhigh contributions to marginal healthcare perks, then I am lucky.

Posted on

Ridgewood Residents : Neighboring towns Experiencing High End Auto Thefts

car theft Ridgewood

Criminal Activity Alert – Auto Thefts & Burglaries – S.R. & Neighboring Towns – Remove Key FOB’s and Lock Vehicles

Saddle River and several neighboring jurisdictions have been experiencing high end auto thefts and auto burglaries. Another vehicle was stolen from the Burning Hollow section of town last night. Earlier in the week a vehicle was stolen from the north east section of Saddle River. That vehicle was recovered in Newark. If everyone removes the keys and key FOB’s from their vehicles these thefts will stop. We had an attempt but the criminals were unsuccessful because the key FOB was removed from the vehicle. Locking your vehicle when its in the driveway prevents car burglaries from occurring and deters criminals from our area. These criminals will continue to come to our town if they are successful stealing cars that have the keys or FOB’s left in them.

Address/Location
Saddle River NJ Police
83 E Allendale Rd
Saddle River, NJ 07458

Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 201-327-5300

Capt. Jason Cosgriff
Saddle River Police Dept.
jcosgriff@saddleriverpd.com
201-327-5300