Tag: Ridgewood residents

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Ridgewood Residents Rally to pull together as a village and help Kenny, the owner of La Bella Pizza rebuild!

Ridgewood's La Bella Pizza destroyed by Sunday Fire
photo by Boyd Loving
April 27,2016
the staff of the Rmidgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, La Bella Pizza which is located in Ridgewood New Jersey, burned down from an electrical fire on Sunday. The owner, Kenny, is such a wonderful man, he’s very nice to everyone who walks into La Bella . Please help Kenny rebuild and reopen his pizzaria with donation. Thank you so much.  https://www.gofundme.com/2tf6wq3w

“Hi Everyone. I ran into Kenny from LaBella Pizzaria outside the store a little while ago. He is devastated and still in shock over the electrical fire. He told me he lost his “baby” on Sunday. I told him that we are all praying for him and we miss him, and he has our love and support. He misses us and he wants everyone to know he loves you all and he will be back as soon as he can be. He is very grateful and thankful for our prayers and concern. Please continue to pray for Kenny, he has a long road ahead rebuilding. “
Dolores Miller Parks

“Anytime I have reched out to Kenny he has been more than helpful. For example , he was supposed to do the pizza for LaX Day this weekend…..30 pies at almost nothing…..every other place in town was way more $. And while insurance does cover, it will not cover everything. A few years back I had shoulder surgery…walked in and orderd about $50 worth of food to feed the family…..he looked at me and said feel better…this is on me! LEts keep in mind….bussiness cant help every need they are apporached with……they get hit up constantly by every school in the district. Im happy Dougie took this upon himself. He saw the need, and did what he thought was right. WHile there may be some who disagree, ther are many who agree and think this is a wonderful thing!”
Nancy Kennedy

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Ridgewood Needs a House Cleaning

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog
April 24,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, to some this will seem like old news that Paul was going to make a statement at the mic at the close of the League of Womens Voter Candidate Night and was shut down by the moderator . However many may be unaware Mayor Aronsohn was going to make a totally inappropriate statement regarding how wonderful Roberta Sonenfeld was as the Village Manager and then he was going to ask all six candidates if they would support keeping her on.
The league knew he was planning to say something and we were confident that the moderator would allow questions only and might have intervened anyway but the moderator was adhering to the format and when Mayor Aronsohn came to the mic, she closed public comment to move on to closing statements.
After the May 10th election the Village needs a massive house cleaning ,to clear the Village of all personnel who are paid by the taxpayers of Ridgewood who harbor under some confused notion that they work for some one else . If you work for the Village of Ridgewood   you work for the Residents of Ridgewood period, you do not work for Valley Hospital, you do not work for the Hudson County Democratic Political machine , you do not work for the mayor, developers  or any other special interest group . It is time for many to focus on their resume and move on .
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PSE&G REMINDER – FOR SAFETY – RIDGEWOOD RESIDENTS DIAL BEFORE YOU DIG!

PSEG Gas leak

file photo courtesy of Boyd Loving

PSE&G Reminds Everyone to Dial Before Digging

April is National Safe Digging Month

Ridgewood NJ, April is National Safe Digging Month and Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest utility, reminds customers, contractors and excavators to call 811 to request a mark-out before digging to avoid hitting underground pipelines, conduits, wires and cables. The service is free, and absolutely critical to avoiding injuries and disruptions to vital utility services.

Nationwide, every six minutes, someone damages an underground utility line when digging without first calling 811, according to the Common Ground Alliance, the national association that promotes safe digging practices. In 2015, PSE&G responded to more than 360,000 utility mark-out requests called into the New Jersey 811 call center. Despite the high number of mark-out requests, almost 30 percent of damages to PSE&G facilities were the result of people digging without first calling 811.

PSE&G has more than 8,200 circuit miles of underground electric lines, and about 35,000 miles of buried natural gas distribution lines. Striking an underground electric or natural gas pipe can cause serious injury and service interruptions, resulting in repair costs and fines. Every digging project, even a small project like planting a tree or building a deck with hand tools, requires a call to 811.

When you call 811, you are automatically connected to the New Jersey one-call center, which collects information about your digging project. The one-call center then provides the information to the utility companies, who send representatives to mark the locations of underground lines in the immediate vicinity of the planned work location with flags, paint or both. Once lines have been properly marked and your request becomes valid, you are free to carefully dig around the marked areas.

In New Jersey, the marks are valid for 45 business days. The call must be made whether you are hiring a professional or planning to do the job yourself.

Important information to consider:

Call 811 at least three full business days before each job to have underground pipes, wires and equipment located. Utility workers will respond and place markers where utility lines are buried, free of charge.

If you hired a contractor, confirm that a call to 811 has been made. Do not allow work to begin if the lines are not marked.

Property owners must maintain and respect the marks. Always hand dig within two feet of marked lines.

Various colors are used when marking lines. To learn what each color represents and for more information go to www.pseg.com/call811.

If you accidentally damage gas piping or smell gas when excavating, call 911 immediately from a safe area. Call before you dig is more than a good idea — it’s the law.

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Ways to Ridgewood Residents can Show Gratitude on Four Military Appreciation Days This May

flagpole theridgewoodblog.net 2

April 18,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  May is National Military Appreciation Month, making it a great time to show appreciation to active duty military members and veterans. There are over 2 million active duty members of the military and reserves, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau there are over 19 million veterans in the country. There are millions of those who have served our nation, deserving the appreciation this May, and numerous ways to show it.

“The strength of our great nation comes from our military strength and the dedication of the men and women that serve, making it crucial that we do everything we can to show our support and gratitude,” explains Nicole Motsek, executive director of the EOD Warrior Foundation. “We should show our gratitude everyday and May is a great month to make added efforts to support our active duty personnel and our veterans.”

Some of the recognition days this month include:

May 1, 2016 – Loyalty Day (affirming loyalty to the country)
May 6, 2016 – Military Spouse Appreciation Day
May 13, 2016 — Children of Fallen Patriots Day
May 21, 2016 – Armed Forces Day

Here are 7 ways to show appreciation to active duty military members and veterans this May:

  1. Support and Donate to a charity. Choose a charity to support, such as the EOD Warrior Foundation, which helps EOD veterans and military families. There are a lot of military and veteran charities that fill important gaps that are government does not and none can accomplish their mission without the financial support of the public.
  2. Donating a few hours per week or month helps takes the stress off of smaller organizations and allow them to accomplish more without outlaying salaries. Volunteering also often gives you a great feeling of pride.
  3. Host a fundraiser. Find a specific cause that you care about, such as helping ensure children of fallen EOD Warriors have opportunities for higher education, host a fundraiser to support the EODWF scholarship program. There are several innovative ways to fundraise from community garage sales, pie baking cook-off, or other such events.
  4. Hire a veteran. Many veterans have a difficult time transitioning back into civilian life. You can help make it easier by giving them an opportunity for a job. Veterans are well disciplined employees with great work ethic and commitment to mission success.
  5. Support veteran-owned businesses. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 9 percent of businesses are veteran-owned. Seek out local ones in your community are and share the news with others.
  6. Visit the VA hospital. If you have a VA hospital near you, stop in and visit the patients. There may be things you can do to brighten their day, such as reading to them, playing board games, or delivering some fresh-baked snacks.
  7. Help a veteran or active duty family. Many active duty military servicemen and women away from home, there are families in need of help. Find a family in your community, and offer to deliver a home-cooked meal, make small home repairs, mow the lawn, or run errands.

“There are many things that we can do to help show our appreciation and support to those who help keep our country safe and free,” added Motsek. “If everyone just does one thing this month to help active duty members or veterans it would add up and make a big difference.”

The EOD Warrior Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps military EOD personnel and veterans and their families. There are around 7,000 EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) technicians on active duty, performing the most dangerous job in the military as they disarm explosive devices on the battlefields. Many EOD personnel come home with debilitating injuries, including lost limbs, blindness, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), burns, and the invisible wounds of war, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

For more information about the EOD Warrior Foundation or to host a fundraiser or learn about volunteer opportunities in support of their mission, visit the site at: https://www.eodwarriorfoundation.org/take-action.

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Healthbarn Controversy Raises Eyebrows with Sport Groups and Residents

Healthbarn USA ridgewood
photo courtesy of Take Back Ridgewood Facebook page
April 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, Healthbarn USA Inc. business continues to raise concerns in the neighborhood . First the amount of people using the parking lot during the day as well as the new lights which seem completely unnecessary as well as detrimental to the natural habitat.

This is land Habernickel Family Park was set aside for conservation purposes but sprinklers are now being installed for a garden by Ridgewood Water?  This seems antithetical to the purpose of conservation.

Once again the soccer and baseball games have begun and the parking situation has become dangerous.  Simple issues like No Parking signs and a crosswalk have still not been addressed by the Village even though they proceeded Healthbarn and have been problems for years .

Soccer and baseball are already seeing the effect of Healthbarn being given 12 parking spots. Loss of the lot have pushed Ridgewood tax payers and the teams they are hosting for sports into the street for parking.  There are no designated spots for Healthbarn, therefore their private clients are and will continue to utilize the entire lot to the exclusion of Ridgewood residents.

Neighbors are very concerned about the effect all this commotion 25 plus kids in a small home and 25 plus cars an hour will do to the natural green acres habitat the park is suppose to protect.

What Village has addressed immediately however are sprinklers and lights for a business in a residential zone ?  Once again the needs of a private business are outweighing the benefit to the public good.

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What can Valley Hospital do to improve its “bad neighbor” image with Ridgewood residents?

valley construction

 

photo by Dana Glazer

April 8,2016

Council Candidate Jeff Voigt

Ridgewood Nj, Based on the 2016 H zone Master Plan amendment being passed by the planning board – where does this leave Valley in the view of the Village residents? Many view Valley as a very bad neighbor – it pays no property taxes, doesn’t tell us its long term intentions, and filed a lawsuit against the planning boardand town council in order to achieve its expansion aims. Valley certainly has a public relations problem which it needs to address. So what can Valley do to improve its image and commitment to the Village of Ridgewood?

Here are some suggestions:

 In a recent conversation I had with Jim Griffith, Village resident, Jim suggested that Valley should start investing more $$$ in the Village. This could be done potentially with the new NJ requirement for Valley to pay property taxes (even though they are a non-profit). However,rather than just giving the Village the tax dollars, Valley should make known to all residents its financial commitment to issues important to the Village such as Parks and Recreation. While Ipartially agree with Jim, I would also content that Valley is a very profitable non-profit hospital (see their December 31, 2014 financials on line; Baker Tilly, auditor’s report). Therefore as a“good neighbor” Valley should pay their fair share of property taxes. This would have amounted to $4.5 million based on their 15.5 acre campus (based on the Village tax assessor estimates). Recent suits in NJ have opened the door for non-profits to pay their fair share of taxes; as perabove. It would also be nice however, if Valley would become more involved in the Village’s interests, above and beyond paying its fair share of taxes.

 Valley might consider having a Village resident on its board of Trustees (ideally a voting member), who in turn could report back to the Village on Valley. There are several committed Village residents who would do a really good job at this. This person(s) would serve the interests of the Village and help in building a partnership with Valley.

 Valley should have a Village resident intimately involved in the planning and implementation of the hospital expansion/construction. Again there are several people in our Village, living near Valley, who would be great candidates for this.

 Valley could develop a series of educational programs such as “good health programs” for the schools and teach them. These might include nutrition, healthy living/lifestyles, exercise programs, etc.

The key for Valley in all of this is to become a better neighbor and; to demonstrate its commitment to the Village by working with its residents.

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Ridgewood Water to Host Municipal Information Forum for Ridgewood Residents

ridgewoodwaterlogo-061912-rn-tif

Dear Resident,

I am writing to inform you of a Municipal Information Forum that we will be hosting for Ridgewood residents regarding Ridgewood Water.

The intent of this forum is to educate the public on how water is delivered to your faucet.  We will deal with current issues in the news as well as discussing the quality of our water, sustaining water for the future, budget and capital investments and our short-term and long-term strategies.

Our decision to hold this forum emanated from several sources.  One clearly is the amount of interest that residents have expressed in learning more about Ridgewood Water; this has definitely been heightened by stories in the news.  Secondly, we have held two sessions such as these at both our 2016 budget reviews as well as at a Glen Rock Council meeting.  These were two-way dialogues that were well received and I believe went a long way in a better mutual understanding of how the water we consume is delivered to our homes.

We are planning on conducting this forum on two separate dates.  The first is Thursday April 21st from 9-11 AM.  The other is Monday April 25th from 7:30-9:30PM.

Please let us know if you intend on joining us by responding to this e-notice.

Look forward to seeing you.

Best,

Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203

 

Public Notice- Click HERE
State Certified Water Testing Laboratories- Click HERE

NJDEP Lead FAQ- Click HERE
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Ridgewood Residents Can Voice their Concerns For New landing Approach to Teterboro Airport

trumpjet

FAA PROPOSED TETERBORO RUNWAY 19 ROUTE

March 30,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridewood NJ, On April 4th the visual approach for airplane landing at Teterboro  will change.  If residents want to communicate their concern about this change, they can call the hotline 201/288-8828 to register a complaint.  All comments will be reviewed by Teterboro Airport Noise Office staff who will follow up with residents.  Complaint statistics will be shared with the FAA.

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Ridgewood News, Patch, and Daily Voice missing when Ridgewood Residents need them most

3 amigos in action Ridgewood NJ

file photo by Boyd Loving

March 16,2016

by Saurabh Dani

Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council has planned a public hearing and possibly a vote on March 23rd on High Density Housing Issue. It’s widely expected the three outgoing council members are going to vote to increase the residential density in some downtown lots from the current 12 units per acre to 36 units per acre, while the residents have asked them to consider 20-24 units per acre.

 
This is a big change for Ridgewood, which will probably alter our village  forever. The local newspapers have so far reported from the press releases issued by the village administration or from the commentary of what happened at the meetings. Proactive journalism on this issue has been missing so far.
 
Residents have asked the reporters:
 
1. When are they going to cover the conflict of interest on the garage vote by Tony and Jim at HPC?
2. When will they be talking to taxpayers ahead of the 3/23 vote to measure opinions?
3.  When will they be asking the candidates for VC office to state their positions on the 3/23 vote?
4. When will they talk to the superintendent about class sizes at the middle schools and high school which were not covered by the studies?
5. When will they ask Orchard and Ridge School principals if they can accept the increased class sized?
6. When will they ask the consultants (Ross Haber Associates) on how did he reach to a conclusion of 63 new kids from 4 new developments, while similar sized apartments in the village and the number of school aged children from those apartments suggest that it can be close to 225 new children in the Ridgewood schools?
7. When will they ask and report on the question of ‘what happens to all the 1 acre or more lots that are available in Ridgewood downtown and are waiting for these first four to be approved”?
8. What are the financial impacts to the taxpayer (police coverage, etc.?)?

If you would like our local reporting to question our village government on these very important questions, before next Wednesday’s March 23rd VOTE, see below for contact information.

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Ridgewood Water to Host Municipal Information Forum for Residents

RidgewoodWaterLogo_061912_rn_tif_

Dear Resident,

I am writing to inform you of a Municipal Information Forum that we will be hosting for Ridgewood residents regarding Ridgewood Water.

The intent of this forum is to educate the public on how water is delivered to your faucet.  We will deal with current issues in the news as well as discussing the quality of our water, sustaining water for the future, budget and capital investments and our short-term and long-term strategies.

Our decision to hold this forum emanated from several sources.  One clearly is the amount of interest that residents have expressed in learning more about Ridgewood Water; this has definitely been heightened by stories in the news.  Secondly, we have held two sessions such as these at both our 2016 budget reviews as well as at a Glen Rock Council meeting.  These were two-way dialogues that were well received and I believe went a long way in a better mutual understanding of how the water we consume is delivered to our homes.

We are planning on conducting this forum on two separate dates.  The first isThursday April 21st from 9-11 AM.  The other is Monday April 25th from 7:30-9:30PM.

Please let us know if you intend on joining us by responding to this e-notice.

Look forward to seeing you.

Best,

Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203

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Ridgewood Residents are starting to think the Village has ” lost its Luster “

Clock CBD
January 31st 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Sorry but the consensus is just that. The Village of Ridgewood is losing its allure. It’s a shame, so many people talking about moving because the town falling apart, crappy horrible water issues, not listening to its high tax paying residents, teacher issues, high density issues, parking issues.
The negatives of high taxes used to always be balanced out by great schools and a community that offered a lot of opportunities.

But with and increasing hostile council majority dead set in many residents opinions of destroying the very nature of the Village , with massive over development  residents are left to wonder what happened to their town. The village has simply turned into everything many residents were trying to get away from .

It’s a constant theme heard all around the Village , at cocktail parties, student activities and other social gatherings ; the Village has lost its luster. From harsh notices on an outstanding summons for “failure to comply with leaf removal requirements.”

 Residents expresse frustration with a political process that ignores voters wishes as well as common sense .

Residents also feel harnessed and  ask themselves ,”What the hell is going on with all these tickets lately? 600 or so so we have been told . No comfort when the notice threatens to arrest you and revoke oury license if you dont respond with guilty and pay the $85, or not guilty and go to court.

New residents say , “our experience so far has us feeling an awful lot like generating revenue is more important than making sure we’re safe.”

To many the excessive use of ticketing sounds like a scam or typical New Jersey .Many residents complain that despite following the rules they were ticked anyway with no reasonable recourse . Contrary to the Deputy Mayor other people have jobs as well.

“Sorry to hear all those troubles, welcome to Ridgewood” is the now the new greeting in town.
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Heads Up for Ridgewood Residents Linwood Ave in Paramus to be closed from 1/11-1/14 from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM for utility work

Linwood Ave Closed
January 10,2016

 

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, Linwood Ave to be closed from 1/11-1/14 from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM for utility work. Expect delays; Follow posted detour.

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Linwood Avenue to be closed from 1/11/2016 to 1/14/2016 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm due to utility work. Traffic will be directed by detour signs. Expect heavy traffic delays during detour

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Reverend Jan Philips accuses Ridgewood residents who were about to speak as GRANDSTANDING

Village Council Meeting

file photo by Boyd Loving Ridgewood Residents Grandstanding 

What was shocking to me was when Reverend Jan Philips at the beginning of the public comment session accused the Ridgewood residents who were about to speak as GRANDSTANDING.

My God, Reverend Philips, And you head the Civility Meetings.

The residents who attended and spoke had heartfelt concerns. They love Ridgewood and have a vision for Ridgewood and wanted to make that vision known.

They want to preserve the charming character of Ridgewood. So they took time out of their busy lives to stand in line for hours for the opportunity to express themselves. For the allotted time of FIVE MINUTES.

Jan Philips you accused the residents of not engaging in diaglogue. Please tell me Reverened what you meant by that. Residents are given five minutes to pour their heart out.

What should they do? Tell me. Tell me. Knock on the doors of the council people’s homes and demand a long discussion.

Jan Philips you are a disgrace to organized religion. You make people WANT TO leave the church. And they do.

But believe me MS. Philips, we still believe in God, and the love and tolerance God wants us to have for our fellow beings, the civility that God wants us to show to our neighbors. In spite of you.

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PSE&G Offers Ridgewood Residents Tips to Stay Warm, Control Energy Costs

cold-weather_medium

January 5,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

 

Ridgewood NJ,  Frigid weather is here, and heating systems are working extra hard. With three months of bill credits this winter, PSE&G residential customers will pay about 30 percent less for gas this season. But there are simple ways to lower bills even more:

Lower your thermostat by just one degree, which may reduce your heating bill by up to 3 percent. Save even more by lowering your thermostat 2 degrees during the day when you are home, and 5 to 10 degrees when you are away and at bedtime, if health conditions permit.
Close fireplace dampers when not in use.
Close and latch your windows.
Set your hot water heater to no more than 120 degrees.
Move furniture and drapes away from heating registers, radiators, and baseboard element covers. Open any register or baseboard dampers.
Remove or cover window air conditioners to reduce drafts. Install insulated or lined drapes on your windows.
Open your curtains and blinds that face the sun on sunny days to warm your home, and close them at night to keep the warm air inside.
Use weather stripping or caulk to seal up cracks and prevent drafts in windows and doorframes. Beneath doors, install draft guards available at hardware stores.
Use a shrink film insulation kit, commonly available at home improvement centers, on drafty windows or make one yourself from plastic sheeting and double-faced tape.
Seal wall switches and electrical outlets on exterior walls of your home with small foam gaskets available from home improvement centers and hardware stores. Remove the cover plate, insert the gasket, and screw the cover plate back in place.
 Keep your garage door closed if the garage is attached to the house.
 If your budget permits, install (or have installed) a programmable thermostat that you can set to automatically lower room temperatures when rooms are not in use and at bedtime, if health conditions permit.
Check for sufficient water levels in the sight glass for steam heating systems to ensure maximum efficiency. Clean or replace the furnace filter on hot air heating systems.
Visit PSE&G’s Home Energy Toolkit at www.pseg.com/toolkit. You can calculate the energy efficiency of your home and find out how to save energy and money on appliances and heating systems.

When making home improvements, always wear the appropriate safety equipment such as eye protection, gloves and a mask to protect against dust; and remember to check your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors for proper operation and replace their batteries at least once every year.

More energy saving tips and tools are available at www.pseg.com/saveenergy.

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Citizens for a Better Ridgewood Says 5pm Special Public Meeting Substantially eliminates the ability of most Residents from being able to attend

village council meeting

file photo by Boyd Loving

SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING – MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING

There will be a Village Council Special Public Meeting held on Friday, January 8, 2016 @ 5PM in the Court Room at Village Hall.  Various Consultants will be presenting proposals for the 4 Multi-Family Housing Studies covering; fiscal impact, traffic, education & municipal infrastructure

Dear Councilwoman Knudsen, Village Council and Village Manager:

On behalf of the Supporters of Citizens for a Better Ridgewood (CBR), I request that the Village Council promptly review and change the date of the Multifamily Housing Impact Study Presentations, which are apparently set for Friday, January 8th at 5pm.  This meeting MUST be scheduled at a time that will encourage Resident input and attendance… after all it is called a “Special PUBLIC Meeting.”  The current scheduling has the direct and true effect of substantially eliminating the ability of many (or most)  Residents from being able to attend.  We recognize you are working hard to expedite these presentations, but nevertheless, the serious public attendance issues with a Friday 1/8, 5pm timeslot should have been evident and understood as a given before making this problematic change.  This issue and this meeting are too important to your Resdients.  Beyond the fact that Fridays are generally an inopportune time for such events, the 5pm timing eliminates most Residents with school age children (as this is their dinnertime), as well as the majority of our workers and commuters, who will not be home in time to attend.  Given this, who then, is this “Public” meeting planned for?

While I am sure this was not intended, leaving the meeting set for such a difficult time, creates the divisive appearance that the Village Council is seeking to bypass or avoid public attendance and input.  That is most certainly not what our Council, or our Village needs at this time.  Our Mayor has been a vocal advocate of finding ways to improve the tenor of public discourse.  Providing an “inaccessible” meeting time, for such an important event, will raise the level of frustration, Resident-exclusion and act as a setback to those noble intents.

The timing of this meeting is wrong for Ridgewood.  Please reschedule at a time that encourages public attendance.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,

Dave Slomin