I am very concerned that newly formed committees/boards/councils etc. (arts, access, more) will consider part of their mandate to come up with countless expensive projects to propose to the council, who should bravely but firmly deflect like mad and say NO to all of them. We do NOT need a performing arts center, etc.–like many things, that was another Aronsohn plan to get his picture in the paper. It didn’t happen in time for that, so let’s scrap it. Even if partial grants can be applied for, such things always involve big bucks from property taxes. We have to stop working so hard to attract more people to visit and move here, because that just creates more problems. We cannot absorb more traffic, for one thing.
Ridgewood Water Consumer Forum Tuesday, August 2 at 7:00 pm in
the Youth Center of Ridgewood Village Hall. Village Hall is located at 131 N. Maple Ave.,
Ridgewood. Space is limited, so please register by contacting Donna Omelianuk,
Ridgewood Water, at 201-670-5500 ext. 271 or by email at domelianuk@ridgewoodnj.net
Water Questions!
by Linda McNamara
After talking to many people and watching council meetings when the issues of Ridgewood Water have been discussed ( planning to attend tomorrow night’s meeting!) I was wondering if a card could go out to all the residents in the village as well as to the other towns who use Ridgewood Water with a list of things a home owner can/ should do in order to achieve the best quality of water for home use. I have talked to the water department directly and have received good in formation but a lot of us are still uncertain about what we should be doing. The following are concerns/ questions that have been brought to my attention:
1. How do I find out if my pipes are in need of replacement? I have heard that
there are still many houses with intake pipes that are targeted for replacement
but many of these people are unaware of this. Who pays for this?
2. Better advertisement of how you can get your water tested and the ability to
buy a kit at Village Hall with directions about how to complete the process.
3. I have read in the paper that charcoal filters are recommended for everyone
and if this is the case, what does that involve and what is it removing?
4. How long are we supposed to run our water before use? I have heard
any where from 30 seconds up to 20 minutes. An employee at the water
department suggested filling one’s bath tub and turning on the outside
faucet for several minutes.
5. Many residents are purchasing reverse osmosis units. Is this recommended
and what is this protecting us from?
6. Many residents are concerned about the high levels of chlorine in the water.
Can this be explained and is it permanent?
My biggest concern is that while the town is good about getting information out, unless it is sent to every resident and user of Ridgewood Water, there are many who will never see this information. I have heard concerns from people who actually are the most informed and they are unsure. Quality water is so important to every individual and a simple fact sheet( possibly something we could put on our refrigerator door!) would be of great service to all users of Ridgewood Water. Thank you so much for your attention to this important matter.
A common theme I keep hearing from my neighbors who call to question a policy or problem with the town departments is that when they question a policy which creates a hardship for issues like overnight parking code enforcement on several large home expansions the Village depts employees often say that it’s the neighbors are grinding old axes against other neighbors complaining about barking dogs,cars In the streets…unkept lots..this nanny nation mentality further foster the local government to create so many rules and codes on simple issues of common sense..if a hedge or a new addition to a back or side yard create a hazard the town should talk to them and seek a compromise rather than those codes and expanding mandates that take away too many rights like parking a legally owned car in front of the taxpayers House if expanded family number of cars exceeds the capacity of their garages and small driveways..common sense..overnight call in to the police if limited when you have no options and your children drive to school or work from their home too .A simple residents pass on back window would take care of this entire issue.I want the police doing other important things at night for the town and their administration than parking monitoring.
The village is becoming a flip model of graduations then For Sales signs as TAXES ,financial pressure ON JOB holders and families impacted by corporate downsizing and then college costs ,drive midlife families and seniors who have paid dearly for decades .We all loose unless we work to change this Tax and Spend model.Cost of money finding can only go up from current low interest rate and low energy costs environment ..more risks ahead..taxes likely to rise to meet
Inflation and general funding requirements.FEEL GOOD PROJECTS SHOULD BE derailed.Health Barn,full day Kindergarden. Ideas about performing arts and other build outs should be shelved.Ridgewood is worth the Fight. Versus the moving truck solution..
Too much regulation steals our freedoms in Ridgewood.
The cost of maintaining this over regulation is boundless.example
Overnight parking limitations call in requirement is another freedom taken away
from homeowners of small houses.Kids have cars now to get to colleges and jobs.a simple VOR car rear window sticker would solve the concerns of police on identifying any loiterers or stalkers late at nights.
Meantime the large houses on the heights have endless driveways.
There has to be a point where homeowners taxpayers say enough is enough,12 13000 dollars a year taxes for a postage stamp house in the average ridgewood home district like Somerville or BF DISTRICTS is too much already ..111 per year will be 10000 dollars more in Ten years.
Is not 102 million a year plus taxes for schools and pensions enough..have you no ends to the reaching into my bank accounts ..red flag ..enough is enough,Private options are available for those who look for me and you to pay for
an additional three to four hours of K afternoon class and lunch time,While parents are at yoga or starbucks with errands or at Daddy or Mommy time .
A friendly village with coffee and ice cream hangouts, a bustling downtown with great restaurants that is a cycling and a tourist destination. Sounds like Nyack — but that description also fits Ridgewood, NJ, too. Nyack native and recent NHS graduate Peter Henry offers this ‘compare & contrast’ of these two suburban NYC villages.
by Peter Henry
Nyack is special. Or, at least, so I think. I’ve grown up in Nyack, and ever since I can remember – perhaps because of some combination of the village’s diversity, its proximity to New York City, and its vibrant arts scene – Nyack has felt sui generis. Recently, though, I’ve been wondering whether Nyack is one of a kind, or if, perhaps, there are other towns and villages, far or near, that offer a similar package, and to which residents have similar feelings. So, I went to Ridgewood, a quaint, charming village in Bergen County, New Jersey.
I was first introduced to Ridgewood three years ago by Kelly, a friend who lives there. Recently, she took me around again.
Ridgewood NJ , Amanda Literati, a 12th grader at Ridgewood High School, is organizing a Community Services Blood Drive on Wednesday, August 3 from 3 to 8 pm at the Upper Ridgewood Community Church (35 Fairmount Rd., Ridgewood, NJ) Walk-ins are welcome but you can email Amanda at amandaliterati12@gmail.com to set up a specific appointment time or ask a question. Please share this with all your neighbors . Amanda hopes to get at least 25 donors! All donors get a Dunkin Donuts Gift Card as a Thank You.
SEEKING RIDGEWOOD RESIDENTS AND OTHER PERSONS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON THE FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
July 31,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the Financial Advisory Committee and the Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC).
The Financial Advisory Committee assists in the review and understanding of the financial considerations necessary to the operation of the Village and the Village’s preparation of the Annual and Capital Budgets; provides review, advice and recommendations to the Village Council on Village financial and budgetary matters; and prepares an annual report for the Village Council to assist the Councilmembers in their budget preparation. Members will preferably have strong finance, accounting, government and/or business backgrounds.
The Central Business District Advisory Committee (CBDAC) will work with the Village Council, business owners and residents to evaluate and initiate enhancements to improve the viability of the CBD, including traffic flow and patterns, parking, pedestrian safety and the balance of commercial uses; while maintaining and refining the historic and aesthetic elements to create a more desirable, vibrant and memorable destination for all visitors. The CBDAC is made up of one representative from the Chamber of Commerce; one representative from the Ridgewood Guild; five Ridgewood residents (one of whom shall be a member of the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee); and three business owners, one of whom is a property owner in the CBD.
All interested residents and others wishing to serve on these committees should send the following:
A cover letter indicating on which committee(s)the person wishes to serve
A Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website under forms)
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Board of Education Answers Questions on Full-Day Kindergarten Program. Full-Day Kindergarten will run 8:30am -3pm, the average tax increase is $111 per home and there will be 22 students per class.
FAQ: Shifting to a Full-Day Kindergarten Program in Ridgewood
● Why is the District considering a full-day program after years of a successful half-day program? ○ The definition of success has shifted with the times, and although Ridgewood has a high-quality Kindergarten program, it is rushed and lacks adequate time for structured socialization and free play. Students who encounter more structured play around learning will better internalize that learning because at this age, play is how children learn. Additionally, social skills such as executive functioning and self-regulation of behavior are learned through play, often which is unstructured. A half-day program does not allow time for these essential learning opportunities for our students.
● How will the curriculum of a full-day program differ from that of the half-day program? ○ A full-time program will include more time for learning centers, which are essentially structured play experiences designed to reinforce conceptual learning. Additionally, more time will be dedicated to free-play centers, in which students make up rules to self-created games and make-believe. This free-play socialization will be supervised by, not structured by, adults. Another change to the day is that students will remain in school for lunch and will have snack and extended time for key content such as shared reading and writing.
● What would be the daily schedule and hours of a full-day program? ○ Kindergarten will run on the same schedule as the other grades in the school (8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.). A daily schedule is currently under development with the goal of sharing it with the public at an upcoming Board of Education meeting.
● How many other districts still have half-day Kindergarten programs? ○ Ridgewood is the only half-day program left in Bergen County. There are very few districts left in the state with a half-day program. The most common Kindergarten programs offer five full-days of school.
■ Those districts which were half-day have mostly moved to full-day programs in the last five years.
● In 2014, 73% of programs statewide were full-day. The percentage was even higher in Bergen County, where 65 out of 72 districts (about 90%) offered full day programs. Since 2014, Glen Rock, Fairlawn, Rutherford, Mahwah, Waldwick and Midland Park have moved to full-day.
● Currently, Ramsey offers a kindergarten enrichment extended day program and both Allendale and Wyckoff offer a modified half/full day program with two half-days in combination with three full days, but this model is also not very popular. ● Would parents be required to enroll their children for the entire day if Ridgewood moved to full-day Kindergarten? ○ Yes, if the Ridgewood Public School district shifts to a full-day Kindergarten program, all enrolled students will be registered for 5 full days each week.
● Where will Kindergarten children eat lunch? ○ This will be a building-by-building decision, based on space and what the principal deems best for the program in their building.
● Will Kindergarten students have recess with all other students and how will their recess be supervised? ○ Kindergarten students would have more than one “recess” play time in their schedule. The schedule, location, and supervision of that recess would depend on individual building schedules. However, in all buildings the recess/lunch period of 45 minutes would be extended to one hour for Kindergarten students. Classroom teachers would supervise the additional 15 minutes at the end of recess to settle students down and prepare them for afternoon learning sessions.
● What are the anticipated class sizes for a full-day program? ○ The Ridgewood Board of Education guidelines for Kindergarten are 22 children per classroom.
● How will the decision be made to move to full-day Kindergarten in Ridgewood? ○ On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, Ridgewood voters will be asked to approve full-day K in the District. This vote will be done in the form of a “second question” on the ballot. All residents who are registered voters may participate. Voter registration forms may be found at on the Bergen Count website at https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/1224.
● What is the purpose of a second question on a ballot? ○ A second question can only be placed on the ballot when a school district is asking for something new, such as full-day Kindergarten or a new program. Since the costs of these additional services and associated personnel can exceed the state-imposed 2% cap on budget increases, the public must vote on them.
● What would be the tax impact on a “yes” vote for the second question on full-day Kindergarten? ○ The average Village assessed home of $693,904 would have taxes increase by approximately $111 if FDK were passed.
● Is there any possibility that the State will require Districts to provide full-day Kindergarten? ○ This is not known at this time.
● Where can I go for more information on Full-Day K in Ridgewood? ○ Full-Day K information may be found on the Curriculum page of the District website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
file photo by Boyd Loving
FLOOD WATCH: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
456 AM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016
...HEAVY RAIN COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING TODAY...
NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-WESTERN PASSAIC-
EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-EASTERN BERGEN-
WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-EASTERN UNION-ORANGE-
PUTNAM-ROCKLAND-NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-
NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-
KINGS (BROOKLYN)-NORTHERN QUEENS-NORTHERN NASSAU-SOUTHERN QUEENS-
SOUTHERN NASSAU-
456 AM EDT SUN JUL 31 2016
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT...
NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK...INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING AREAS...IN SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT...NORTHERN FAIRFIELD
AND SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD. IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY...EASTERN
BERGEN...EASTERN ESSEX...EASTERN PASSAIC...EASTERN UNION...
HUDSON...WESTERN BERGEN...WESTERN ESSEX...WESTERN PASSAIC AND
WESTERN UNION. IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK...BRONX...KINGS
(BROOKLYN)...NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)...NORTHERN NASSAU...NORTHERN
QUEENS...NORTHERN WESTCHESTER...ORANGE...PUTNAM...RICHMOND
(STATEN ISLAND)...ROCKLAND...SOUTHERN NASSAU...SOUTHERN QUEENS
AND SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER.
* THROUGH THIS EVENING
* THE LOCAL AREA WILL LIE JUST NORTH OF A WARM FRONT TODAY IN A
MOISTURE LADEN AIRMASS. SHOWERS DEVELOPING OVER THE AREA THIS
MORNING COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES WITH SOME EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER...INCREASING INSTABILITY IN COMBINATION
WITH COPIOUS MOISTURE AND A BOUNDARY NEARBY THIS AFTERNOON HAS
THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO
DEVELOP AND TRACK OVER THE SAME AREA WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLASH
FLOODING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
Ridgewood NJ , before you plant better get the facts Ridgewood has some strict controls over planting trees and shrubs near sidewalks and roadways, especially at intersections .
§ 260-1Responsibility of owner or tenant; notice.
A.
Pursuant to the authority contained in N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.26 et seq., the owner or tenant of any land or premises within the Village, wherever necessary and expedient for the preservation of the public safety, shall keep all brush, hedges and other plant life growing within 10 feet of any roadway and within 25 feet of the intersection of two roadways cut to a height of not more than 2 1/2 feet, within 10 days after written notice sent to the last known post office address of such owner or tenant, by registered mail, to cut the same.
B.
The aforesaid notice shall be sent by the Director of Department of Building and Inspections, his agent or deputy and shall require the cutting of all such brush, hedges or other plant life and shall set forth the reasons therefor and provide an opportunity to such owner or tenant, within five days of the receipt of such notice, to show cause before the officer sending such notice why the demands therein should not be complied with.
§ 260-2Failure to comply with notice.
A.
In case any owner or tenant fails or neglects to show cause why such cutting should not be done after proper notice as hereinabove set forth or cut the same within 10 days as therein provided, the Director of the Department of Building and Inspections, his agent or deputy may, on behalf of the Village, cause such brush, hedges and other plant life to be cut.
B.
In every case in which, by force of § 260-1 and this section, the cutting of the foregoing by reason of the refusal or neglect of the tenant or owner to cut the same is done under the direction of the Director of the Department of Building and Inspections, his agent or deputy, the cost thereof shall be certified to the Village Council, which Council shall examine the certificate of cost and, if found correct, shall cause the same, as shown thereon, to be charged against said lands or, in the event that such cost is excessive, shall cause the reasonable cost thereof to be charged against such lands, and the amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien upon such lands and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lands, the same to bear interest at the same rate as other taxes and to be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.
1 Alpine W. Glen Phelps
1 Bogert #3 Meadowbrook E. Glen
1 Brookside #2 Spring E.R.A.
1 Elaine Van Emburgh Dead End
1 Foster Watlington Prospect
1 Gardner Mountain Lincoln
1 Grandview #1 Highland McKinley
1 Grandview #2 McKinley West End
1 Heights #5 W. Glen California
1 Highwood N. Broad High-Town Line
1 Hillcrest #5 Morningside N. Monroe
1 Hope #2 Spring E. Ridgewood
1 Kenilworth #1 Grove Laurel
1 Kenilworth #2 Laurel Spring
1 Kenilworth #3 Spring E.R.A.
1 Lawrence Heights Dead End
1 Linwood #1 Oak N. Maple
1 Manor Knollwood Lincoln
1 Morningside #2 N. Monroe Avondale
1 Morningside #3 Avondale Hillcrest
1 Morningside #4 Hillcrest Glenview
1 Old Stone N. Monroe End
1 Park Slope Madison Monte Vista
1 Richards #1 Norman Parsons
1 S. Monroe Godwin W. Ridgewood
1 Smith Townline N. Monroe
1 Sterling E. Glen Kensington
1 Terhune W. Saddle River East End
1 Theyken Van Emburgh Court
1 Van Dyke Midland Park Line Farview
1 Waiku #2 N. Monroe Wastena
1 Wellington N. Monroe Shelbourne
1 Wickham Arrow Westbrook
1 Wood Hollow Eastgate Rd Court
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