>The question is: Are these papers being truly objective or are the articles an attempt to placate the Village Council and bring an end to the antagonism between it and the President of the Chamber of Commerce, who happens to be the son in law of the owner of the North Jersey Media Group? If the answer is the latter, then we can only look to the Blogs for any kind of truth about what goes on in the Village!
Ridgewood’s downtown voted Bergen’s best
Friday, January 29, 2010
BY DOLORES ALFIERI
The Ridgewood News
STAFF WRITER
Bergen County residents voted a host of village establishments as “The Best of Bergen.”
The annual poll, conducted by (201) magazine, asks readers to vote on a range of categories, from best florist to best steak, best museum to best tailor.
>OH MY GOD! I can not believe what I am hearing (or reading)! Did someone just say that if they bid it out then there will be more noisy garbage trucks driving through the town??? I think the NJ Transit buses make more noise but I guess because a good number of us have or still rely on them that’s not an issue huh? Besides, a noisy truck is not a valid reason for the BOE to be held hostage to the VC or vice-versa.
The bottom line is this: The Village Counsel AND the Board of Ed are BOTH FULL OF CRAP. The BOE should have NO dependence on the Village’s budget and nor should the Village be dependent on the BOE (to provide work for Village employees). Let the BOE bid it out. And let the Village do what they have to. Furthermore, since when has the idea of cutting back on employees in the worst economy since the Great Depression become such taboo? And can someone tell me when did running this town become a God Damn popularity contest? If it means saving money for the taxpayers than it should be done with no remorse.
Running this town is serious business, and it should be planned out and executed as such. And as much as it may effect one’s life, the truth is that this is nothing personal to those who may be let go, this is business. It was business to the millions of American’s who have been let go from their jobs since Sept of 2008 and it’s no different now. As soon as emotions intertwine with business is the very instant dumb comments and even dumber decisions are made. Tough times call for tough measures!
Now is a better time than ever that someone in Village Taj maHall needs to grow some damn balls and do something that will insulate the taxpayers and it’s retail establishments from any additional increases! And again, if it means loud garbage trucks on the road so be it because if that is someone’s biggest fear than I will show you someone who thinks elitism in the new black! When in reality, elitism is a sure sign of complete and total ignorance!
I can understand and respect the efforts and I know I don’t want to see anyone lose their job, but if that’s what it takes to slow the death spiral of this town’s debts THAN DO IT ALREADY. We don’t need to be Nostradamus to know that with a new Governor calling the shots who has already told us to be ready “to feel the pain” it is NOT going to get any better before it get’s worse.
So to Village Hall and the B.O.E. I say to you: EITHER STEP UP OR STEP THE HELL DOWN because the voters in this Village are sick of these cunning stunts that result in nothing but us tax payers getting screwed yet again! As Thomas Paine wrote in “The Crisis” (how fitting huh?) “The cunning of the fox is just as murderous as the violence of the wolf.”
> Tickets for the Jamboree 2010 production “And the Winner Is” are now on sale and available to you from the Jamboree website www.rhsjamboree.com
The shows are February 4th and 5th at 8:00 p.m. and February 6th at 7:00 p.m.
Celebrating its 64th year, Jamboree is a tremendous collaboration of Ridgewood H.S. parents,all volunteering to put together this wonderful production of “And the Winner Is”.
All proceeds from Jamboree go to the Jamboree Scholarship program. The scholarships are distributed in the spring to deserving RHS students who would not otherwise be able to realize their dreams of attending college.
For additional support, go to our web site and under “Kings Scholarship Card” click to download the card and proceeds from your purchases at King’s on Maple Ave. will go towards the fund.
>NJ Voters Reject Majority Of School Bond Referenda
The results from yesterday’s school bond referenda are encouraging for New Jersey taxpayers. Under consideration were 14 measures across 9 districts totaling approximately $293M. Among these, only two were approved by the voters.
Referenda Passed
•Cumberland, NJ approved $9,960,123 in bonding to replace roof and install solar panels at high school. •Montague Township approved $395,125 in new bonding for partial roof replacement and repairs at elementary school. Referenda Rejected
The following are a few of the bond measures with the highest price tags that were rejected:
•Edison Township: $137,068,139 in bonding for renovations to 13 schools; $29,775,888 in bonding to build a new elementary school. •Pennsauken Township: $34,665,986 in bonding to demolish an elementary school and construct a new school •Wood Ridge: $14,922,540 in bonding for additions and renovations, including new classrooms and science labs, boilers, solar panels, and roof repairs; $10,388,543 in bonding for additions and renovations, including new classrooms, window replacement, electrical upgrades These results are a strong sign that New Jersey voters are no longer willing to tolerate more borrowing, debt and higher property taxes.
In contrast, in 2009 there were 81 school bond referenda and only 33 were voted down.
>A routine audit performed by management of the Village’s sanitation department revealed that the Village has provided refuse removal services – dumpster pick ups – free of charge to all Ridgewood schools, and the BOE offices on Cottage Place, for an as yet undetermined period of time (years, not days, weeks, or months though).
Village Council members, seeking to close monumental gaps in the municipal budget, have directed the BOE be charged for garbage pick ups beginning on or about July 1, 2010. Costs for these services are rumored to be in the neighborhood of $24K per month.
During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, Village Manager Kenneth A. Gabbert, PhD. publicly advised Council Members that Ridgewood Schools Superintendent Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. has formally requested the Council consider providing refuse removal services to BOE facilities on an on-going “no charge” basis.
Dr. Fishbein informed Dr. Gabbert that if Village Council members insisted on implementing a “charge for services rendered” policy, the BOE would be forced go out to bid for garbage collection services.
Additionally, it is rumored Fishbein suggested to Gabbert that if the BOE was forced to bear the costs associated with refuse removal, it could result in the layoff of two (2) teachers, and the Village Council would surely “take heat” for such an occurrence.
During Wednesday’s Village Council Work Session, Council members publicly directed Gabbert to proceed with plans to bill the BOE for any refuse removal services provided by Village sanitation employees. The Council members present were unanimous in their belief that despite Ridgewood taxpayers footing the expense for garbage removal regardless of who does it, services should be budgeted and paid for by the using organization.
Privately, some Council members were reportedly incensed by Fishbein’s suggestion that the BOE would try to pin blame for any teacher layoffs on the Village’s insistence that gratis dumpster pick ups must end. One Council member is rumored to have said that if the Council was forced to continue picking up BOE garbage for free, two (2) police officers would be laid off and the Council would blame the BOE.
>The roads were a sheet of ice this morning! Cars were sliding & fishtailing all over the place. At 9:00 there were cars stuck trying to go up the hill at Spring Ave near Van Dien. This was almost 2 hours after the first flakes and more than 1 hour after the first fenderbender. A little salt would have helped.
Maple Ave was a slow moving line of cars heading into Glen Rock. Cars doing 10 mphs were having problems stopping on small inclines. Didn’t anyone at Village Hall notice what was happening?
>N.J. Gov. Chris Christie nominates health commissioner, school construction chief Gov. Chris Christie continued to expand the management team for his 8-day-old administration today by nominating an insurance company’s medical director to lead the state Health Department and a federal prosecutor to run the controversial Schools Development Authority.
As he introduced Marc Larkins as the schools authority’s chief executive officer, Christie also declared he’s ended the agency’s free-spending days. The governor said that on Tuesday he stopped the authority from making a $1.2 million payment for a $28.7 million high school in Burlington City that already was nearly $17 million over budget. He nullified the authority’s approval by vetoing the minutes of the Jan. 6 meeting when the change order was approved. “You could practically build another school for what they are over budget,’’ Christie said incredulously yesterday. “This is exactly why the Schools Development Authority has continued to run through billions of dollars of taxpayer money — because of this kind of irresponsibility.’’ Christie said he intended to maintain the authority that members of his transition team said in a report last week will be insolvent by March. “The question is how it operates going forward,’’ he said. Christie, who was Larkins’ boss at the U.S. attorney’s office, said he hired the 35-year-old Irvington resident again for his “compassion and accountability. … He will bring extraordinary focus and personal experience to this position.’’
The governor said he picked Poonam Alaigh, 45, of Warren Township, to lead the state Department of Health and Senior Services because of her versatile experience as a physician and as manager in the health care and pharmaceutical industries. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the largest health insurer in the state, hired Alaigh 10 months ago as its executive medical director for Quality and Care Management. She previously had been the medical director for the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. She is also a practicing physician, specializing in vascular diseases. Alaigh told reporters at a Statehouse press conference yesterday her first priority is to help the governor “balance the budget,” which Christie has said is hobbled by a $1.3 billion deficit. But the economic pressure on the Health Department is always intense, particularly from the troubled hospital industry, hobbled in recent years by bankruptcies and closures and dependent on government subsidies to treat uninsured, elderly and poor people. (Livio, Star Ledger)
>JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Severely injured veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will visit Whitefish, Montana to learn to ski and snowboard using adaptive equipment. This is the second year in a row that the Whitefish Mountain Resort and the community of Whitefish have welcomed Wounded Warrior Project alumni. “We hosted our first group of wounded warriors in 2009, and it was a transformative experience for everyone involved,” said Whitefish Mountain Resort Public Relations Manager Donnie Clap. “Our staff and volunteers can’t wait to meet this year’s warriors.”
Following the success of last year’s event and thanks to the generous support of the Whitefish Mountain Resort and the Whitefish community, wounded warriors from around the United States will spend five days in Northwest Montana receiving professional, adapted instruction on how to ski. A grant from OritaniBank Charitable Foundation of New Jersey is making it possible for several New Jersey area warriors to attend the event.
“We are extremely grateful for the service and sacrifices our veterans have made and are making every day,” said Kevin J. Lynch, CEO and Chairman of Oritani Bank. “This year we devoted a large part of the Foundation’s efforts to veteran’s causes. We were honored to support the Wounded Warrior Project.” The bank’s grant serves to honor the memory of Marine Sergeant Mathew Fenton of Little Ferry, NJ, the son of a longtime bank employee, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2006.
Warriors at the event will also have the opportunity to participate in other winter activities such as dog sledding and snowmobiling. “We do everything we can to help our men and women in uniform get out on the slopes, from lift ticket discounts to free equipment rentals,” said Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO Dan Graves. “The Wounded Warrior Project is a natural extension of that, and we’re proud to host them.” Warriors will also be hosted by various area restaurants and community residents for meals and will be participating in the annual Winter Carnival parade and penguin plunge.
Organized by local Whitefish businesses, veterans, residents and the Wounded Warrior Project, this event promotes healing for the warriors through physical activity and camaraderie which aid in their rehabilitation and successful transition to civilian life.
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service members, to help severely injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, apolitical organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
About Oritani Bank
Oritani Bank is a 99 year old community bank with over $2 billion in assets, based in the Township of Washington, New Jersey. Oritani Bank is a publicly held Mutual Holding Company trading on the NASDAQ with the trading symbol “ORIT.” Oritani Bank has 21 branches throughout Bergen, Hudson and Passaic Counties, and offers a full line of deposit and loan services to both retail and commercial customers. For more information, call 888-ORITANI, or visit their website, www.oritani.com.
The OritaniBank Charitable Foundation was established in 2007 to assist not-for-profit organizations that help to improve the quality of life for residents in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic counties. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated close to a million dollars to local charitable organizations, primarily in support of education, health & human services, youth programs, and affordable housing.
About Whitefish Mountain Resort
For more than 60 years, Whitefish Mountain Resort has been America’s favorite destination for good times, great people, and deep snow. Boasting more than 3,000 acres of bowls, chutes, and glades, and more than 300 inches of Rocky Mountain snow on average, Whitefish’s Big Mountain is the quintessential skier’s mountain. Ranked #19 in SKI Magazine’s annual reader survey, #6 for Scenery and #7 for Value, it is just as well known for a pleasant lack of lift lines as it is for friendly people, deep powder, and wallet-friendly pricing. Call 877-SKI-FISH or visit skiwhitefish.com for more details.
I am the primary organizer of this event in conjunction with the Wounded Warrior Project. My primary residence is in Ridgewood and my second home is in Whitefish, Montana. I am pleased to report that this year’s event will include at least four disabled veterans from New Jersey. Please follow this link for more information
>I’ve loved the CBD for years and now I know why: small retailers that had personality and identified with Ridgewood residents. Now, how can they pay the rents and where do we park? Biggest stress in shopping in Ridgewood is hoping to find a parking space!! I now plan my trips for slower times in the day which I can do because I work in Ridgewood. But even then it’s a challenge! I hope we can find some solutions to revive Ridgewood!
I also have a comment about the Cheese Shop. I really enjoyed shopping there because of Rich’s knowledge and his willingness to take time with you (and I was never a big spender). Also I’m a female senior and never felt slighted by Rich or his employees. I feel fortunate that he’s still here in town with his Cheese Shop located inside Super Cellars on Broad St. I can park there anytime and didn’t even have a problem during the holidays. Plus now I can do “one stop shopping” and buy my wine there too. My suggestion is to loosen up, be nice, appreciate the knowledge and expertise, understand the demands of a busy proprietor and enjoy the cheese!
Ridgewood High School and A Mano Recognize Special Students Through its “Hand-in-Hand” Program
Ridgewood’s Authentic Neapolitan Trattoria Hosts Pizza-Making and Lunch for Teacher-Selected Students and Principal Each Month
(Ridgewood, NJ: January 26, 2010) Since October 2009, A Mano, Ridgewood’s authentic Neapolitan Pizzeria has provided more than delicious pies to its customers. Each month, Ridgewood High School Principal Jack Lorenz participates in a hands-on Neapolitan pizza making workshop and lunch with seven teacher-selected students in the joint Hand-in-Hand program. Designed to recognize students for their community service efforts, the Hand-in-Hand program gives students a chance to connect with each other and their principal while learning an age old culinary craft. “The Hand-in-Hand program at A Mano is a rich opportunity for me to recognize students at Ridgewood High School who may fly under the radar,” said Principal Jack Lorenz. “These are good kids who work hard to serve their community and each other, and it is clear why their teachers have chosen them to participate in this program.”
“We are proud to partake in such a valuable experience for Ridgewood High School students and their principal,” says Fred Mortati, co-owner of A Mano. “With this program, we can give back to the community that supports us and expose kids closely to the art of artisanal pizza making and our menu of hand-made, on premise-prepared Neapolitan offerings.” After the workshop and lunch, each student receives a certificate of Neapolitan pizza making completion.
About A Mano
A Mano, meaning “by hand,” is focused on presenting the ultimate combination of authentic ingredients, technique, and methods to create an unmatched Neapolitan experience.
A Mano is one of only three U.S. pizza restaurants to receive prestigious certifications from both the Verace Pizza Napoletana and Associazone Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, the recognized authorities of Naples, Italy on traditional Neapolitan Pizza. The exacting standards are what stand A Mano apart from the rest, from the expertise of the pizzaiolo (the specially-trained pizza chef) to the use of ingredients imported from Naples (from all natural Caputo flour to the San Marzano tomatoes, grown in the foothills of Mt Vesuvio). Add-in fresh mozzarella, made on-site, by hand along with outrageous homemade gelato and desserts, and the true concept of artisan foods are revealed.
Down to the tiles and equipment, from floor to ceiling the restaurant’s makeup is imported from Italy. Its twin domed ovens with round chimneys, hand-built on site by Neapolitan Artisans using stones and volcanic soil imported from Naples, are the centerpiece of the restaurant, stretching to the ceiling of the two-story dining room. The architecture of these wood-fired ovens allows them to reach temperatures of 1,000 degrees, creating beautifully blistering, bubbling pizza in less than two minutes. A Mano has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality and authenticity of the craft of traditional Neapolitan foods, with results that speak mouthwatering volumes in every bite. The restaurant is open Monday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m. A Mano is located at 24 Franklin Avenue (at the corner of Chestnut Street), Ridgewood, NJ 07450. For more information, please call 201-493-2000 or visit www.amanopizza.com. # # #
>Restaurant Week 2010 Sponsored by The Valley Hospital Mon, January 18, 2010 – Thu, January 21, 2010 Location: See details for participating restaurants
Event Description
From January 18 – January 28, on Mondays through Thursdays, experience fine dining in Ridgewood for only $20.10.
For these eight days, participating restaurants are offering you the chance to experience dining in Ridgewood like never before.
Each chef is preparing a tantalizing 3-course, prix-fixe menu for your dining pleasure. Choose from 3 appetizers, 3 entrees and 3 desserts for only $20.10.
Monday – Thursday, January 18-21 Monday – Thursday, January 25-28
Reserve a table at these participating restaurants:
A Mano Neapolitan – 201-493-2000 Baumgart’s Cafe – 201-612-6888 Blend – 201-447-4343 Dim Sum Dynasty – 201-652-0686 Gen Sushi & Hibachi – 201-493-1988 It’s Greek To Me – 201-612-2600 La Piazza Bistro Italiano – 201-447-5111 Latour, French-American (LUNCH ONLY) – 201-445-5056 Marcello’s Ristorante – 201-652-2120 Mediterraneo Restaurant – 201-447-0022 Natalie’s of Ridgewood – 201-444-7887 The Office Beer Bar & Grill – 201-652-1070 Puzo’s Family Restaurant – 201-445-3332 Sakura Bana Japanese Restaurant – 201-447-6525 The Stable – 201-444-1199 Tabboule Lebanese Cuisine – 201-444-7034 Tre Voci – 201-857-3494 Wild Ginger – 201-857-3830 Winberie’s Bar & Restaurant – 201-444-3700
Beverages, tax and tips not included. Regular menu will also be available.
And, to make your meal more special, Super Cellars & Cheese Shop Artisanal Marketplace, 201-444-0012, is offering a selection of fine wines for $20.10.
For more information, contact the Chamber at (201) 445-2600 or email [email protected].
Ridgewood Restaurants and Retailers are both ‘sizzling’ for your business! Beginning this week, and continuing through January 28th, 19 Ridgewood Restaurants will be participating in Restaurant week – offering prix fix meals for $20.10! To make this offer even more appetizing, when you pay your dinner tab at these participating restaurants, you will be given a Coupon good for 20% OFF your purchases at 19 different Retail Shops – offering everything from books, lights, shoes, bedding, furniture, clothing and jewelry! The 20% Off Coupon is good from January 21st through January 28th and keep in mind that many shops are open late on Thursday night. Come for dinner, stroll our streets and shop Ridgewood!!
List of participating stores:
Araya Rebirth Backyard Living Biltmore Tuxedo Bookends Boutique Unique B. Witching Bath Company Duxiana Ecco Shoes Gardiner & Co. Hallmark Floors Hillmann Electric Hot Jewelry Box Just Our Shoes Leapin’ Lizards Mephisto Shoes Paris Jewelers Saavy Chic Consignment Boutique The Grazi Collection Village Tannery Yansi Fugel
As President Obama prepares for his State of the Union address, unemployment remains at record highs for Americans. The White House claims their stimulus bill “has already created or saved up to 2 million jobs,” but the table below compares the White House’s recent claims of state-by-state job creation with the actual change in state payroll employment through December 2009, using data announced on Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor. According to the data, 49 States have lost jobs since stimulus was enacted in February 2009. Only North Dakota and the District of Columbia have seen net job creation, and even those levels fall short of White House claims
