Buzzer sounds on Izod Center: Arena expected to close after years of decline
JANUARY 14, 2015, 2:55 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015, 1:27 AM
BY JOHN BRENNAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Christie administration wants to close the Izod Center, which has been a key component of the Meadowlands Sports Complex for 34 years, perhaps as soon as the end of this month.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority board will be asked at its monthly meeting Thursday to approve a plan that would shutter the 18,000-seat arena by the end of March. The date would be moved up if acts booked there for February and March can be relocated to the Prudential Center in Newark.
Two influential Bergen County Democrats — state Sens. Paul Sarlo and Loretta Weinberg — were harshly critical of the proposal.
The facility, which since 2007 has borne the name of the clothing maker Izod, lost its sports tenants – the Devils of the NHL, Seton Hall University basketball and the Nets NBA franchise – between 2007 and 2010. Only a handful of concerts have been held at the arena in the past two years, although three dozen schools held graduation ceremonies there last spring and the arena still attracts family oriented holiday shows.
Wayne Hasenbalg, the president of the sports authority, said the decision, though difficult, was a matter of economics and the ongoing transformation of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, highlighted by the American Dream entertainment and retail project.
“Just about everyone in New Jersey and the region has great memories of big-name concerts, basketball or hockey games or other family entertainment at the arena,” said Hasenbalg, who grew up in Oakland.
JANUARY 15, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — One developer proclaimed his firm’s apartment building would have “no amenities” for children. Another said some people will pay more for high-end luxury housing in the village. And a third allowed his proposal to speak for itself.
The three developers, who want to bring high-density multifamily housing complexes to Ridgewood, were given the opportunity to testify this week before the Planning Board, which is considering a master plan amendment that would allow such buildings.
Only one developer declined to address the board, saying he didn’t want to be redundant.
Scott Loventhal, the director of development for Garden Commercial Properties in Short Hills, said the development proposals would “fill a void” in Ridgewood’s housing market and help “make the downtown even more vibrant.”
For nearly five years now, the Planning Board has been considering the amendment to allow such projects in three distinct zones in the village. Four developers initially requested the amendment change; since then, one of the projects has been withdrawn.
The Union-Driven Crisis That Could Be Coming to a City Near You
Stephen Moore / @StephenMoore / January 11, 2015
For “Outrageous Government Scam of 2014,” it’s hard to compete with the news of the supersized public employee pensions in California. If you haven’t already heard: In 2013, an assistant fire chief in Southern California collected a $983,319 pension. A police captain in Los Angeles received nearly $753,861.
Talk about a golden parachute. And the report on Golden State government pensions contains a list of hundreds of “public servants” who have hit the jackpot with annual pensions of a half million dollars a year. It’s like they’re playing the game “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” with taxpayer money.
By some estimates, the unfunded public-sector pension liabilities in California have eclipsed $750 billion, which means in a few years residents will be paying their already-highest-in-the-nation income and sales taxes not for roads, bridges, schools and public safety, but for retired employees living like Daddy Warbucks.
This same scandal – only on a slightly smaller scale – is happening in most states. The crisis dates back 20 to 30 years ago, when public employee unions negotiated fat pension deals with state and local politicians that were like ticking time bombs in municipal budgets. The politicians who bought union votes didn’t care much. They’d be long gone when these grenades detonated, and the fiscal carnage began.
Americans know instinctively that this is no way to run a city or state, and that the enormous pensions border on larceny from public treasuries. This will eventually cause rip roaring problems for state and local budgets. But now we have a story from middle America of what happens when the crisis hits a financial boiling point. Look no further than Scranton, Pa.
Scranton is a middle-class, blue-collar town of 76,000 with severe financial problems. The city recently raised its property taxes for 2014 by more than 50 percent, and those taxes are expected to rise by another 20 percent in 2015. The city had to also raise various fees, such as the charge for garbage collection, by two-thirds. It’s becoming a tax hell.
These taxpayer costs are skyrocketing because the city’s auditors calculate that the police and fire pension funds will be completely depleted in three to five years. The local Times-Tribune newspaper reported last week that “pensions increased by as much as 80 percent” after a court order in 2011 awarded millions of dollars of added pensions to firefighters and police officers.
This is a town that has already been struggling for years to pay its bills. The Times-Tribune reports: “The increased pensions come at a time when Scranton, in distressed status since 1992, is struggling to survive [and faces] a $20 million deficit.” City officials admit that to pay these lucrative pensions will mean less money for school children, public safety and infrastructure needs.
Finances are so tight in this town that, late last year, the city auditor put out an advisory memo to city agencies: “Only in the event of an extreme emergency can a purchase be made. … This is a serious matter and your cooperation is expected.”
So, now, homeowners are getting squeezed on basic city services as they pay ever escalating property taxes. What a deal. Don’t be surprised as more leave Scranton, further depleting the tax base. And who would want to move there now?
When the mayor requested that the unions help keep the city afloat by renegotiating these soaring pension costs, the answer from these militant “public service” union leaders was, Hell no.
One option is for Scranton to take the Detroit route and declare bankruptcy. This is also what several California cities – such San Bernardino and Stockton – have had to do.
The California Policy Center notes that this option has the virtue of “forcing the unions to renegotiate and take a haircut.” If that doesn’t happen, cities like Scranton, and many more working-class towns, will continue to raise taxes at a time when families are already walking a financial tight rope.
The Left loves to talk about “fairness” and “inequality,” but where the inequities really exist are in towns like Scranton. Middle-class private-sector workers pay higher and higher taxes to fund public-sector pensions that, as the Manhattan Institute has shown, are often twice as generous as what most workers will receive themselves. The money for supersized pensions isn’t going to come from millionaires and billionaires like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. It is coming right out of the paychecks of working-class America.
The crisis isn’t going away. Nationwide, public employee pensions are running $1 trillion to $5 trillion in the red, depending on the rate of return expected on stocks and bonds. This could be the next housing bubble to burst. Some states like Utah have smartly moved to head off this crisis by closing down open-ended pensions and putting public sector union members in 401(k) plans that won’t bankrupt the state or municipalities. The unions are fighting this reform everywhere.
If something isn’t done quickly, the crisis in Scranton will soon be coming to a town near you.
Originally appeared in the Orange County Register.
Where are the lowest property taxes in Bergen County?
BY MICHAEL SHETLER
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Village Square Realty 0569304
January 07, 2015 04:59 AM
Bergen County property tax info released for 2014-15.
The state of New Jersey has just released tax rates for every municipality in the state. Before you look at the chart below, can you guess which Bergen County towns have the highest and lowest property taxes?
Ok, now you can look. If you guessed “Paramus” has the lowest, you would be partially right. While it’s eighth on the list, it qualifies as the lowest taxed borough with affordable home prices. Alpine, Saddle River, Englewood Cliffs, Rockleigh, Edgewater and Franklin Lakes all have an average list price above $1 million. (Teterboro essentially has no single family homes.) In Paramus, the average list is in the $600k range.
On the other end of the spectrum with an effective tax rate more than five times higher than Alpine’s isBogota. The general tax rate in Bogota is 3.630 and and its effective tax rate is 3.222.
What’s the difference between the two rates?
The general tax rate doesn’t take into account that your home’s assessed value is not equal to its market value. If your tax rate is high but your assessed value ratio is low, your taxes aren’t as high as you think they are – you’re not being taxed on the full value of your home!
So if you’re comparing tax rates between towns, use the effective tax rate.
The equalization ratio in the chart is simply an average of the area’s assessed value divided by the market value. The general tax rate is multiplied by the equalization ratio to get the effective tax rate. (Also see this video on comparing tax rates.)
For tax rate info on other counties in New Jersey, click here.
If you’re thinking of buying in Bergen County, call me for a consultation. I’ll give you an overview on how taxes and other factors such as quality of schools, commuting options and population density should figure into your buying decision.
Michael Shetler
Keller Williams Realty
201-421-0506 cell
201-445-4300 office
Ridgewood Wrestling riding momentum from solid finish in counties
January 9, 2015 Last updated: Friday, January 9, 2015, 12:31 AM
By Matthew Birchenough
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
The Ridgewood News
The Ridgewood High School wrestling team passed an early-season test with a strong performance at last week’s George Jockish Bergen County Coaches Association (BCCA) Holiday Tournament, giving the squad some early-season momentum heading into its dual-match schedule.
The Maroons scored a team total of 78.5 points, which was good enough for 12th place overall in the tournament held Dec. 29-30 at Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y., and second among Group 4 schools, finishing only behind Old Tappan (seventh, 87 points).
“We were fortunate enough to come out with five medal-winners, which is the second-highest total we’ve ever had,” RHS coach Torre Watson said earlier this week. “We were really very happy about how we did.”
Senior Nick Saglimbeni (152 pounds) and junior 182-pounder Kyle Inlander — Ridgewood’s captains — both earned third in their respective weight classes after falling in the semifinals to the eventual champion.
Ridgewood Boys Basketball upshifts, downshifts during six-game win streak
January 9, 2015 Last updated: Friday, January 9, 2015, 12:31 AM
By Greg Tartaglia
SPORTS EDITOR |
The Ridgewood News
MIDLAND PARK — Jon Davila went from being a passenger in a Ferrari to being the driver of a Volkswagen in a 24-hour span.
On Tuesday, the Ridgewood High School senior was one of five Maroons to score in double digits in a quadruple-overtime, 89-87 win at Indian Hills.
“We were trying to tell kids about the game in school [Wednesday], and I couldn’t remember one thing that happened after the third quarter,” Davila said with a chuckle. “The game was going way too fast.”
Such was not the case later that day, when the 6-foot guard was Ridgewood’s top scorer with nine points in a 45-33, non-conference victory at Midland Park.
“Last night was full-court man-to-man, both teams, virtually the whole game,” RHS head coach Mike Troy said Wednesday. “This one was, they [Midland Park] sat in a zone and made us work the ball side-to-side. The complexion and the strategy of the games were far different.”
Reader says The Village Council and the Planning Board need to step up and make decisions that are in the best interest of a vibrant and healthy village.
The Citizens For a Better Ridgewood (CBR) website states that the group:
-Favors economic growth for our downtown
-Favors new housing that is appropriate in scale
-Favors new housing designated for empty nesters and special needs residents, where there is an established need
-Favors new parking solutions that support commerce
-Favors more open space and athletic fields for our youth sports
That all sounds good. But, their public actions suggest different agendas, at least for some of the founders. Specifically, they have opposed ALL new multi-family housing projects in Ridgewood, regardless of “scale”. Clearly, we don’t need all three of the proposed developments in town. But, it is also clear that one or two of the proposed housing projects would benefit economic growth in the CBD and would help advance the parking solution in town. It is also clear that the most desirable projects would be those that are moderate in overall size, with high-end units that cater to young professional couples or empty nesters, who wish to downsize. Such projects would have less impact on our infrastructure and schools than when families with children move into existing homes in Ridgewood as empty nesters leave town each year, when their children graduate from RHS.
So, why doesn’t the CBR come out and publicly endorse one of the proposed projects? Or, if they support a specific project, but would like to see minor modifications, why don’t they tell us which project and what modifications they recommend?
The reason is that they don’t really want ANY new multi-family housing! Why? Two reasons… which the Ridgewood News has been remiss in reporting and the CBR has failed to disclose.
1) Amy Bourque is one of the founders of the CBR and is its most vocal advocate. Her family is the long-standing owner an existing multi-family housing development that would be most adversely impacted by ANY new multi-family housing in Ridgewood. This is a major conflict of interest that she should have disclosed long ago. Her failure to do so openly raises serious questions about her motivations.
2) Several CBR supporters have repeatedly and publicly expressed concern that new multi-family housing will attract more foreign families to Ridgewood, who wish to take advantage of our school system for a few years, potentially with an inappropriate number of family members or more than one family in a single unit. This concern was clearly expressed at a recent public meeting. However, the press inexplicably glossed over the comment.
The debate over multi-family housing projects has gone on for far too long in Ridgewood. We need SOMETHING. The Village Council and the Planning Board need to step up and make decisions that are in the best interest of a vibrant and healthy village. Perhaps a little honesty from those who have been stalling the debate out would help residents understand the CBR’s real motivations and allow the Village to move forward.
January 5, 2015 Last updated: Monday, January 5, 2015, 9:45 AM
By Darius Amos
Staff Writer |
The Ridgewood News
In October 2011, developers publicly detailed an application to rezone a prominent Ridgewood property to allow for an extensive multifamily apartment complex. Originally presented as an individual proposal dubbed The Dayton, those plans today make up a portion of a larger request from multiple developers.
That request has been the source of controversy and debate throughout the past 12 months, pitting neighbor against neighbor, resident versus developer, and past against the future.
For those reasons, the ongoing public hearing on the master plan amendment to rezone parts of the Central Business District (CBD), thus permitting high-density multifamily housing, is The Ridgewood News’ 2014 story of the year.
How to make the most out of the parent-teacher relationship
JANUARY 5, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY TOBY SORGE
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD |
THE RECORD
Beginning today, Raise Your Hand will appear every other Monday, focusing on issues that face students, teachers and parents. If you have questions, email them to: [email protected] and write “Raise Your Hand” in the subject line.
As an inexperienced teacher early in my career, I noticed that engaging with parents was often tricky. Giving feedback or suggestions to a parent could be nerve-racking.
Trying to work through this, I realized that the relationship between student and teacher is critical. Unfortunately, sometimes the connection between parent and teacher is overlooked. For students to succeed, parents and teachers must have a working relationship that emphasizes student growth. Many times, teachers ask students to work collaboratively; it’s only natural that parents and teachers do the same.
There are a few simple ways to foster a successful relationship and some values to keep in mind when trying to engage teachers:
The Reorganization/Regular Public Meeting of the Ridgewood Board of Education will be held on Monday, January 5, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting will be aired live on FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77. Or it may be viewed live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Link in Live” tab.
Click here to view the agenda for the January 5, 2015 Reorganization/Regular Public Meeting.
BOE members Brogan and Lenhard oppose certain cell sites, but not at RHS?
Sheila Brogan opposed the placement of cellphone antennas near the Ridgewood Historical Society’s building and Michele Lenhard is fighting the installation of cell antennas in her neighborhood. So how can it be that the BOE would allow the placement of cell antennas on the top of Ridgewood High School?
Shades of The Valley Hospital – Did Verizon Wireless make a huge donation to the school district and/or Ridgewood Education Foundation?
Ridgewood will pay the price if zoning changes are approved
January 2, 2015
Village stands to pay the price
To the Editor:
If the Ridgewood Planning Board grants the proposed zoning changes to allow for higher density buildings in the Central Business District, that would be a financial bonanza. But for whom?
If one answered the developers, he/she is correct. More allowed units per property increases scale and return on capital. With the approval, even before the developers dig an ounce of dirt, the land they own will be worth quite a bit more. The developers could even flip the plots for a profit.
In the world of commerce, one of few things could happen when there is financial windfall. The best case is the virtuous win-win. If what the developers build, on net, benefits the town in terms of life and finances, that would be win-win.
Another possibility, the darker alternative, is that the case becomes a zero-sum game. In such an instance, there will be a clear winner and the winnings are transferred from a losing counterparty.
By allowing for higher density buildings in downtown, Ridgewood risks increased traffic congestion and fewer available public parking per resident. Moreover, Ridgewood faces potential crowding at its schools, which impacts the quality of education and drains the town’s budget. As for benefits, there is none convincing as any increased tax revenues are unlikely to be enough to pay for additional infrastructure and resources necessary to accommodate the gap up in the number of residents.
If the Planning Board passes the zoning changes, there will be a clear winner: the developers. On the flip side, Ridgewood will be the loser as it will have to pay the price to enrich the few developers whose core objective is to exploit attractive rental cap rates at historically favorable funding. So why does the Planning Board think the proposed zoning change is a good idea? Why are select members of the board open to granting a financial bonanza to the developers at the town’s expense?
Ridgewood NJ, The RHS Department of Fine & Applied Arts is hosting the tenth annual Alumni Art Show, of work created after graduating from RHS. The show is mounted in the Carroll Art Gallery, Room 137, through January 9, 2015. An artists’ reception wil be held on Thursday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m. All students, alumni, friends, family and staff are invited to the reception as well as to view the exhibition during school hours.
Questions may be directed to the Department of Fine & Applied Arts at 201-670-2800, ext. 20542, or email the department in care of [email protected].
Event information and other news is continually updated on the Arts at Ridgewood Public Schools’ Twitter profile: @Arts_at_RPS and Facebook account page, www.facebook.com/TheArtsatRPS.
Ridgewood schools continue Community Outreach series
JANUARY 2, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Public Schools will partner with the Ridgewood Public Library to present the next program in its Community Outreach Program series. The program, a panel discussion on “Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Gender Issues,” will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 in the Benjamin Franklin Middle School Auditorium.
The program is free and open to the adult public.
The panelists will discuss the social pressures and challenges that impact the behavior of boys and girls, and the distinction between problematic and “normal” teen behavior.
Panelists include professionals Jamie Ciofalo, owner/founder of Power Educational Consultants; Maggie DiPasquale, founder of Modern Mentor Program, Emme Endeavors; Kate MacHugh, expert on girl bullying, author and professional speaker; and Andrew Yeager, certified school psychologist and founding member/coordinator of the Bergen County Association of Student Assistance Professionals.
The Community Outreach Program was developed for parents and guardians by the district’s Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.
