Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Professional Firefighters FMBA Local 47 invite you to join them for their annual Open House. Demonstrations, tours and light refreshments.
201 E Glen Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 444-4226
Open 24 Hours
https://fmbalocal47.org/
Here is my biggest concern with the proposed all day kindergarten. Although conceptually there are pluses, I question whether we can afford it. And I think one of the biggest reasons we won’t be able to afford it has to do with the hundreds of apartments that are being built downtown. These apartments will be marketed to those with two income earners and young families. Our schools are going to be one of the largest drivers of families to those units. I question whether we will be able to afford the influx of new elementary age students as it is, and that problem will be compounded if we have to double the number of kindergarten seats both for existing children and new children. I worry that we are going to need to construct new classrooms at our elementary schools – – and I am not sure that cost has been factored into the equation. I simply haven’t seen enough to convince me that the $110 tax increase is going to cover the costs of new residents from the multifamily housing units. Particularly if we have to build new classrooms to accommodate these new students, then the $110 number may be multiplied very quickly.
We keep proposing to add more and more to our town without thinking through how each addition takes away from the whole. Those pushing for all day kindergarten need to also get involved in other aspects of our town as well so they can view and work towards making sure things remain in balance. It may be a great idea, but does it fit with the needs and budget of the town as a whole? If we are going to keep adding hundreds of new residents, will we be able to afford ideas such as all day kindergarten and are we going to need to cut back on other Village and school services in order to balance our budget?
October 6,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, On Saturday, October 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Ridgewood Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 12th opportunity in six years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to the Ridgewood Police Desk at 131 North Maple Ave. (The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last April, Americans turned in 447 tons (over 893,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,400 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 11 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 6.4 million pounds—about 3,200 tons—of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 22 Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website or call the Ridgewood Police Department 201-652-3900.
October 4,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Public access to Hoboken Terminal for both customers and the news media remains restricted at this time due to safety concerns.
This restriction also includes a bar for all media outlets from filming or conducting interviews on the walkway to the Ferry Terminal, PATH, and Light Rail Station known as “Brick Alley” which can cause a safety hazard by restricting the movements of those using the pathway.
This is a narrow passageway intended for customer use and remains the only public egress point to access these facilities. As such there cannot be bottlenecks caused by interviews and filming for any reason. In addition, this is an active construction zone and pausing to film inside the open view to the station is a safety issue and an ongoing distraction to those performing dangerous work.
*** Reporters can access customers near the base of the Sloan Statue directly behind the Hoboken Land Building at the east side of Newark Street. Hand held cameras only – NO TRIPODS because of the limited space.***
Access to the Terminal and its environs will be granted to the media at such time as it is safe to do so. Failure to follow these restrictions will result in the immediate removal of the offending news personnel from the property.
One of two or three of the most important issues facing Ridgewood right now. The massive apartments that are about to be built will forever change the Village. They can be stopped. But in order for that to happen, we need answers and actions now from our Government. Go to the meeting. Write your council representatives.
Arohnson has left us a blight that needs to be remediated now. Go to the planning board meeting – – write the town council. But speak up today before the Aronson projects are approved and built. Do you really want to look at the cover of the Ridgewood news six months or a year from now and see a picture of Aronson’s smug face sneering at you as he stands in front of the “Aronson Arms Apartments” or whatever moniker the land speculators are going to give their new buildings in tribute to their friend who enabled them to build?
Dear Friend,
Please come tonight, 7:30pm at Village Hall, to help remind the Planning Board who they really represent.
If you cannot attend, please consider emailing the secretary of the Planning Board, Mike Cafarelli, ([email protected]) to share with the Planning Board that we need these questions formally investigated per the complaint filed on September 20th:
Why didn’t our former deputy mayor recuse himself from March 23rd’s vote on High Density Housing, when, as a member of the Planning Board, he had previously recused himself for the same issue?
Why was an unvetted/unsubstantiated letter from the Fair Share Housing Center written into the record as fact/evidence by the former Planning Board Attorney?
Lastly, on the same day a resident complaint was filed against the Planning Board, one of its members who was named as having a conflict of interest, should happen to resign. Is that just a coincidence?
These are questions that we as residents deserve answers to. According to their By Laws, the Planning Board has the right to stop the pending high density housing site plan review and investigate these matters. Let’s hold them to doing so.
Thanks for doing your part to protect Ridgewood.
Dana
NJ TRANSIT Service Plan for Tuesday Commute – Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Main/Bergen County/Pascack Valley/Port Jervis Lines Remain on Weekend Schedule
Ridgewood Nj, NJ TRANSIT has announced service plans for tomorrow, Tuesday October 4th, and until further notice, following the commuter train accident at Hoboken Terminal. All rail service into and out of Hoboken Terminal remains suspended. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service has been restored into and out of Hoboken and will continue to operate on a full weekday schedule.
Cross honoring with PATH, ferries, NJ TRANSIT bus and private carriers will continue until further notice.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Rail
View printable schedules HERE.
Customers may experience overcrowding and possible delays caused by congestion.
Metro North Service for Pascack Valley Line and Port Jervis Customers
Bus
Light Rail
Essential to understand that everything proposed and pushed for under the Aronsohn regime, including his years on the council before becoming mayor, and no doubt before he ran in the first place shortly after moving here, was a Lego block in his long game to power. All along he was advised by paid marketing professionals who cared nothing for the populace but were paid to further one person’s career (sound like the Bridgegate trials?).The connections, machinations, and deals could fill a book. It’s left to us to disentangle what happened and to rescind and nullify any progress made in that direction, because it never corresponded with what was best for our village.
Friends and Neighbors,
Why didn’t our former deputy mayor recuse himself from March 23rd’s vote on High Density Housing, when, as a member of the Planning Board, he had previously recused himself for the same issue?
Why was an unvetted/unsubstantiated letter from the Fair Share Housing Center written into the record as fact/evidence by the former Planning Board Attorney?
Is it coincidence that on the same day a resident complaint was filed against the Planning Board, one of its members who was named as having a conflict of interest, should happen to resign?
These are questions that we as residents deserve answers to. According to their By Laws, the Planning Board has the right to stop the pending site plan high density housing review and investigate these matters.
Please join me on Tuesday, October 4th, 7:30pm at Village Hall to help remind the Planning Board who they really represent.
If you cannot attend, please consider emailing the secretary of the Planning Board, Mike Cafarelli, ([email protected]) to share with the Planning Board that we need these questions formally addressed.
Thanks for doing your part to protect Ridgewood.
Dana
October 3,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The National Transportation Safety Board issued an investigative update Saturday October 1st about its investigation of Thursday’s crash of NJ Transit Pascack Valley Line train #1614 into the platform of the Hoboken Terminal.
Updated information includes the following:
Investigators interviewed the accident train engineer. No interview summaries will be provided until interviews are completed.
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MLS # 1630837 4 W Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, House Rose Hueneke, Broker Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1639391 653 Robert St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C Jane Certo, Broker Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1621787 379 S Pleasant Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, C/C Jee E. Chang, Sales Associate Weichert Realtors, Fort Lee
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MLS # 1634331 640 Linwood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Theresa Jung, Sales Associate Realty 7, LLC
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MLS # 1639297 327 Upper Blvd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, Col Laura Gill, Sales Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1626209 4 W Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Rose Hueneke, Broker Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1635454 546 Laurel Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, Col Joan Marie Monton, Broker Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1639577 223 Burnside Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, S/L Robert L Levinthal, Sales Associate Vira Manus, Sales Associate RE/MAX Fortune Properties
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MLS # 1622744 300 Van Emburgh Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C Glenn Hefferan, Sales Associate Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
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MLS # 1639089 468 Stevens Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Christine Aderhold, Broker Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1639325 626 Kenwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Beth Freed, Broker Associate Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Ridgewood
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MLS # 1639759 250 Standish Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, C/C Jennifer Casper, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1639467 620 Albert Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Jeff Vander Molen, Sales Associate Terrie O’Connor Realtors-Wyckoff
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MLS # 1638631 412 Upper Blvd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Carol Keating, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1630138 143 Kenilworth Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Angele Ekert, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1636121 32 Chelsea Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Beth Freed, Broker Associate Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Ridgewood
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MLS # 1614612 676 Terhune Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, Ranch Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1638830 176 Cottage Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1629185 1090 Hillcrest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
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MLS # 1638900 355 Crest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 2 Half Bath, Col Jennifer Springer, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1636404 344 Grandview Cir, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Megan Zangrilli, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1615483 200 Claremont Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 2 Half Bath, Col Till Horkenbach, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1620561 309 Beechwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Linda Aktar, Broker Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1628304 123 Woodland Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 2 Half Bath, Col Jennifer M. Parsekian, Broker Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1639675 668 Wall St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 6 Bedroom, 6 Full Bath, Col Antoinette Gangi, Sales Associate Rita Nulman, Sales Associate Keller Williams Valley Realty
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MLS # 1639438 285 Manor Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, 2 Half Bath, Ranch Christine Gubb, Sales Associate Keller Williams Village Square Realty
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MLS # 1638134 318 West End Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 5 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Cathy Bossolina, Sales Associate Kimberly Ford, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1639585 380 Shelbourne Ter, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 6 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, 2 Half Bath, Col Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate Tarvin Realtors
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MLS # 1629427 305 West End Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 5 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Victoria Wilkinson, Sales Associate Solutions Realty, LLC
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MLS # 1639318 359 Linwood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, 1 Half Bath, Col Jennifer McSherry, Sales Associate Marron Gildea Realty, Inc. Ridgewood
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RE: October 4th,the Ridgewood Planning Board will be discussing the Conflict of Interest complaint
Get out and speak up. No, get out and shout. If the Aronsohn projects go through, our downtown may never recover and the Aronsohn blight will spread through town over the next decade. We’ve all spent a lot of tax dollars to maintain this town, let’s not give it up to a handful of land speculators who have to be laughing gleefully at the stupidity of the Aronsohn council majority.
More importantly, the conflict issue raised by these citizens calls out to all of us. Is this how we want our local government to be run? If these allegations are true, we need to put that truth into the light of fay and take appropriate action. If we don’t, what message do we tell the next generation? Just as importantly,, what message do we send to the next round of land speculators who want to take over another section of town for their own profit? Do we want that message to be: “Sure, get some friends placed on our planning board and walk all over us.”
So,email or call your planning board representatives. Show up at the meeting. Write tot he town council, especially those we just elected and tell them you want action.
Please also consider sending the following note to the Planning Board and our Mayor via email:
Dear Mayor Knudsen, Chairman Joel and Planning Board Members,
I am aware that a group of concerned residents delivered a Motion of Complaint to the Ridgewood Planning Board, under By Law Sections 2.13 and 7.21, dated September 16th. Their motion brings to light a series of conflicts of interest and unacceptable mistakes that impacted the high density housing votes. It spotlights the truly defective process by which these highly unpopular ordinances (3489, 3490, 3491 and 3493) were passed. It is not right for Ridgewood residents to have such important decisions made, and the future of our village impacted, by a forum influenced by potential personal conflicts and/or mistakes. Preventing such actions is clearly the intent of the Planning Board’s own By Laws.
Therefore, I fully support the motion made by these residents. I ask that the Board stop all current high density site plan reviews and promptly begin a complete review of the residents’ complaints. Should any conflicts or mistakes be found, the Ordinance votes and Ordinances themselves should be rescinded and reevaluated via a proper and untainted process.
Secretary Cafarelli, please forward/print this email to all Planning Board members.
Thanks for considering this request.
EMAIL TO:
Mayor Susan Knudsen, Mayor ([email protected]) Michael Cafarelli, Planning Board Secretary ([email protected])
My email address: ([email protected])
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The illegal dumping of large amounts of concrete, asphalt millings, brick, and home renovation items at the Village’s compost facility on Lakeview Drive remains unsolved more than 14 months after the debris was initially discovered there by NJDEP Inspector Kenneth Cadematori.
The staff of The Ridgewood Blog remains perplexed as to how several tons of illegal materials were transported into a gated and locked facility, dumped, and then concealed with wood chips by someone using a bucket loader – all of this done without anyone seeing anything out of the ordinary?
This is what NJDEP Inspector Cadematori wrote in his official reports about the dumping:
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Report dated 7/14/2015 (Note: Mr. Cadematori had previously inspected the site on 6/4/2015 and found no violations):
During a routine compliance inspection, noticed a large amount of concrete, asphalt millings, brick, and home renovation items illegally dumped over a berm on the site. The four (4) spots where these materials were illegally deposited were along a river. I noticed these four (4) areas of illegal dumping when I saw that these four (4) spots on the berm had a bucket loader of woodchips and tire marks leading up to it. Once I stood onto of the berm I saw the 4 spots of illegal dumping.
I called the site supervisor to meet me at the site because the Superintendent was not in the office. While I was waiting a Town of Ridgewood worker pulled in and then drove off when I was attempting to flag them down about the illegal dumping, I was wearing my bright neon safety vest and white safety helmet and waving my papers while the worker was only 30 yards away from me. The supervisor was shocked and unhappy that someone would do this at their site. We reached out to the Superintendent who is filing a police report with the Town of Ridgewood.
The facility is arranging to get equipment to assist with the job. The facility needs to deconstruct the berm which was previously made up of asphalt millings/chunks, concrete, and dirt so the contaminants in these material don’t run-off into the river directly below the berm. Also, the facility needs to take out all C&D material in the woods, put materials into roll-off containers, and then bring to a recycling center and get receipts for the amount of material and show proof of correctly disposing of illegally dumped materials on their property.
Report dated 7/17/2015:
Met with Ridgewood Village Superintendent and engineer about the illegal dumping that happened on the site. The Superintendent has filed a police report with the town of Ridgewood and an investigation is underway. During the on-site meeting we discussed appropriate actions on removing illegally dumped material in the woods and removing a section of berm which is made up of concrete, asphalt millings and some dirt. The run-off from these berms are going into the river below.
Superintendent is waiting on appropriate equipment and roll off containers top put debris in so the Department and town can understand the amount of material that was illegally dumped.
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In the hope of solving this “crime of the Century,” the staff of The Ridgewood Blog is now considering starting a GO FUND ME page to raise money in order that a CASH reward can be provided to the individual(s) who provides information that leads to the arrest AND successful conviction of the person or persons responsible for this as yet unsolved act.
Stay tuned folks.
In my humble opinion, it always appeared that Aronsohn sold us out to developers and other profiteers with whom he wished to curry favor. Its shameful Yes, we have parking issues. They were never addressed by the Aronsohn administration because his focus was on those who seemed to want to profit from government largess and not Village residents. Distribution is probably our main “problem” – – and its good to see the new council recognizing that and attempting to address that issue before spending millions on a new garage. Yes, we may need a new garage, but let’s see what some of the other solutions are first. I thought Voght laid it out very nicely a meeting or two ago. Yes, let’s spend a few thousand on signs, parking and street re-alignment and then see if we need the garage. Keep up the good work!!
