Tag: Ridgewood Water

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PSE&G Preparing for Sizzling Temperatures

PSEG

file photo by Boyd Loving

July 22,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, While PSE&G expects to have no trouble delivering additional power during the forecasted heat wave, we are closely monitoring weather conditions and have additional personnel scheduled to handle any power interruptions should they occur.  Our call centers will also have extra personnel on duty to speak with customers and appliance service technicians are ready to quickly respond to an expected influx of air conditioning repair calls.

Stay connected:

•To report power outages call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG (7734), or log in to My Account at pseg.com to report an outage or view outage status.

•You can also report an outage by texting “OUT” to 4PSEG.

•Sign up for MyAlerts for 2-way text or email notifications about the status of power outages in your area.

•View our Outage Map that is updated every 15 minutes and displays the location and status of power outages in PSE&G’s service area.

Tips to help you save energy and stay cool as temperatures rise:

•Turn off everything you’re not using: lights, computers, etc. Use dimmers, timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.

•Close blinds and shades facing the sun to keep the sun’s heat out and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently.

•Close doors leading to uncooled areas. With central air, close off vents to unused rooms.

•Consider setting air conditioners to 78 degrees.

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Village CFO Responds to Ridgewood Water Decision

village-hall-theridgewoodblog

Dear Amazing Staff of the Ridgewood blog ,

Village of Ridgewood response to the 7/20/17 ruling: In the matter of Township of Wyckoff, Boroughs of Glen Rock and Midland Park v. Village of Ridgewood (Water Rate Litigation) Docket NO.BER-L-5651-12

Ridgewood Water and the Village of Ridgewood are pleased with Judge Friscia’s decision and see the ruling as fair and thoughtful. Invalidating the three ordinances of 2010, 2011 and 2012 will allow the current Village Council to recalculate prior rate increases based on input from qualified experts. Further, the decision affords the Village the right to take the statutorily permitted surplus not taken in previous years, if appropriate. We believe Judge Friscia took a balanced approach based on plaintiff’s failure to prove damages and the court did not award the plaintiffs litigation costs or attorney fees. Ridgewood Water joins in the effort of the court’s decision to halt additional costs to the rate payers.

In the absence of a plaintiff appeal, the Village looks forward to a quick and reasonable resolution of this matter.

Ridgewood Water will continue to deliver a safe and reliable water supply at reasonable rates, and looks forward to the continued implementation of capital improvements.

Robert G Rooney
Acting Village Manager/CFO
201/670-5500

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Ridgewood Water Takes the Hit , loses Rate Case

RidgewoodWaterLogo_061912_rn_tif_

July 22,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, as expected Superior Court Judge Lisa Perez Friscia has found in favor of three municipalities that sued the village of Ridgewood over 31 percent increased water rates for the years 2010-2012.

Despite the confidence of the prior Aronsohn Administration many long time critics of the Water Department including this blog saw the writing on the wall .

Judge Friscia agreed with the plaintiffs on Thursday and determined that Ridgewood had enacted rate increases for Ridgewood Water customers that were “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable” and must recalculate the rates and refund its customers.

The plaintiffs, Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff,all serviced by Ridgewood Water, a water utility owned and operated by the Village of Ridgewood. These municipalities claimed in their lawsuit that Ridgewood had overcharged customers millions of dollars through rate hikes  to offset village of Ridgewood operating expenses.

Perez Friscia ordered three Ridgewood water-rate ordinances be invalidated. She further ordered that the matter be remanded to the village of Ridgewood for a hearing to recalculate water rates within 120 days. Refunds will be calculated based on the difference between what was charged and the actual costs as determined by the recalculation.

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Graydon Pool offers Day Passes !

Ridgewood Graydon Pool

 

July 20,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, its hot out and The Graydon Pool is open for the summer season opened.  You can purchase a day pass or a season pass by credit card, cash or  check.  Details are on the Graydon Pool website. Easy parking, no traffic and no sharks or jelly fish.

AMENITIES at Graydon Pool : Accessibile ramp for entry into the pool, Spray fountains, Adirondack chairs & Shade systems; Volleyball & Basketball Courts; Recreational Games of Shuffle Board, Four Square, Hop Scotch and Ping-Pong; Picnic Tables and Charcoal Grills; Shaded Playground and Sitting areas for Parents with young ones; The Water’s Edge Cafe – Open daily Noon to 7PM.

PROGRAM OFFERINGS: Instructiojnal Swim/Fitness for children and adults; Competitive Graydon Swim Team , ages 8 – 17; Stand Up Paddleboard, Beach Yoga, Kayaking Introduction; Storytime Under the Pavilion; Movies on the Beach; Live Concerts Monthly.

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Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodrigues at Bookends on July 25th

Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodrigues

July 21,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood

Ridgewood NJ, Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodrigues ,will sign his new book Tuesday, July 25th @ 7:00pm  at Bookends in Ridgewood .

Rodrigues, played with six organizations but entered the Hall Fame as Ranger. He signed with the Rangers in 1988, made his debut with them in 1991 at the age of 19 and was with them for 12 years before leaving as a free agent.

Ivan Rodrigues will sign his new book: They Call Me Pudge: My Life Playing the Game I Love

Each person attending must purchase one or more books

Due to the popularity of our events, many of which sell out, we require that you preorder your books ahead of time by visiting our website https://mkt.com/bookends or calling the store at (201)445-0726.
As always, Books for our events MUST be purchased from Bookends Bookstore.
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Senior Bus To Kasschau Shell Concert

Kasschau_Band_Shell_theridgewoodblog

Tue, July 25, 2017
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: Veteran’s Field, 131 N Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Ridgewood NJ, The Village of Ridgewood and Age Friendly Ridgewood invite senior citizens to the Kasschau Shell Concerts at 8:30 on Tuesday July 18 (McVey family singing Broadway hits) and Tuesday July 25 (North Jersey Concert Band). Admission is free. To reserve a seat on the Ridgewood Senior Bus please call 201-670-5500 x203. Chairs and bug spray will be provided for seniors with reservations to travel to the concerts on the Ridgewood senior bus.

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Ridgewood Water Celebrates Smart Irrigation Month

ridgewood water

July 21,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, July is Smart Irrigation Month! Ridgewood Water is celebrating Smart Irrigation Month through a public
awareness campaign to promote efficient water use. Smart Irrigation Month is an initiative of the
Irrigation Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting efficient irrigation. Focused on
July, traditionally the month of peak demand for outdoor water use, the campaign highlights simple
conservation practices and innovative technologies.
July has been proclaimed Smart Irrigation Month in New Jersey!
Show your support for smart irrigation and consult the following links for conservation ideas and tips:
• Consumer Resources provided by the Irrigation Association
• The Homeowner’s Guide to Landscape Irrigation.
• Improving Irrigation Efficiency in the Landscape Industry
• Ridgewood Water’s Conservation Tips:
o How to be Exempt from Water Restrictions
o Your Yard: The Water Wonder
o Irrigation Systems Pay for Themselves
• Install a smart controller and submit an Exemption Application to Ridgewood Water.

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Reader says Ridgewood is going through growing pains

Pike Parking Garage Presentation for Ridgewood

I agree with the sentiment of the post. Those who say it is “in decline” are just looking for things to complain about. If you are looking for things to complain about, in any situation, you will find them.

Ridgewood is going through growing pains. Many recent stories in the news point to the trend that people, of all ages, want to live in mini-cities. They want a walkable town, transportation to a nearby city, shopping restaurants and cultural events. That is where Ridgewood is heading. Not many towns in Bergen county are ready.

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The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood : Citizens for Swimming needs your help!

Citizens for Swimming needs your help!

Since 1968, Citizens for Swimming has hosted summer day campers from Paterson for 9 days of swim lessons and fun in the water.

2017 will be our 50th year at the pool!

Ridgewood NJ, The children we host have little access to swimming.  C4S provides them with a few weeks respite from the summer heat, and swimming lessons that build water safety skills. Swimming is not just fun in the sun, it is a practical skill that many of these kids have limited access to. African American children ages 5-19 drown at rates more than 5 times higher than their white counterparts. YMCA swim instructors provide Citizens for Swimming kids with skills and experiences that will serve them for a lifetime.

We spend $110 per child for our 9-day swim program.  This includes bus transportation to and from Paterson (by far our biggest expense), discounted Graydon Pool admission, and supplies like bathing suits and beach towels. Some of our kids arrive the first day wearing shorts instead of a bathing suit and carrying one of their mom’s good bath towels.  We provide a bathing suit and a beach towel to every child who needs one

Here’s how you can help:
Make a monetary donation: https://www.youcaring.com/citizensforswimming-850455

Donate supplies! Check out our Amazon Wish List.

Like our Facebook page, and share it with your friends!
Thank you for your support!

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NJT Weighs Disciplinary action against “No Show” Train Engineers

Ridgewood Train Station

photo by ArtChick

July 20,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  New Jersey Transit is weighing whether it can pursue disciplinary action against train engineers after a manpower shortage forced dozens of ride cancellations causing further commuter uproar this week amid the “summer of Hell” track work at New York’s Penn Station.

NJ Transit Executive Director Steve Santoro said at a joint Assembly-Senate oversight committee that there were 40 total cancellations Sunday and Monday and that he will meet later this week with union leaders.

The union contract spells out the process for discipline, Santoro said after the Democrat-led hearing. “If it’s appropriate, disciplinary action will occur consistent with the contract,” he said.

At this point it is still unclear how many of the cancellations stemmed from engineers exercising a contract provision that allows them to take two days to report for work when schedule changes are made. But vacations and the summer track work also may have been a factor, Santoro said.

James Brown, chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen disputed the claim that the engineers do  not want to come to work.

Republican state Sen. Joe Kyrillos got into a heated exchange, at one point asking Santoro whether it was true they were “screwing” NJ Transit customers by not working earlier this week.

Once again the hearings have made it all the more abundantly clear that Trenton has not clue what the commute is like to New York City  every day and would explain the media ,obsession with “the bidgegate ” faux traffic delays.
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Reader says Major and Secondary Road Surfaces in Ridgewood are in Shambles

road work Ridgewood police

Major and secondary Road surfaces are a shambles even before the recent PSEG new tunneling projects on RIdgewood avenue and aside the Train station.No plan to fix our roads outside of the inadequate pothole patch and scratch crews.N.PLEASANT and Fairway are a disgrace,RIDGEWOOD Avenue won’t make it through the fall despite PSEG repave process
which we know doesn’t return the street to a normal operating surface.People are moving out.

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Ridgewood Water eyes Elks Lodge for new headquarters at cost of $1.6 million

ridgewood elks

file photo by Boyd Loving

Nicholas Katzban, Staff Writer, @NicholasKatzban

RIDGEWOOD — Last week the Village Council passed the first reading of an ordinance that would permit the appropriation of $1.6 million from the water utility capital fund for the purchase of the former Elks Lodge on Maple Avenue.

The ordinance would allow Ridgewood Water to use funds from its existing capital budget for engineering, architect fees and “modernization costs,” associated with a proposed project to develop a single administrative and operational headquarters for the utility.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ridgewood/2017/07/19/ridgewood-water-eyes-elks-lodge-new-headquarters-cost-1-6-million/489249001/

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Reader says The “demand for parking” in Ridgewood is a myth put forward by the previous Council majority

3 amigos

file photo by Boyd Loving

The “demand for parking” in Ridgewood is a myth put forward by the previous Council majority. I drove past the site where they wanted to build a 5 story parking garage at 8:00 pm on a Saturday night and the lot was about 75% full. Plenty of parking available. For those of us that work in the CBD, we know that there are certain hours of the WEEK that are difficult to find parking but overall there are plenty of spots available.

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Reader says I don’t think Ridgewood is in decline and in some ways is better now than ever

duckpond_theridgewoodblog

I have only lived in the village for 40 years so maybe I lack the long term perspective. but if you net it all out I don’t think Ridgewood is in decline and in some ways is better now than ever.

1. CBD has changed–no hardware stores or cute boutiques–many more coffee shops and restaurants. I would say its about a wash.
2. Parking is if anything a bit better than it was in years past. I do not see this as a major problem as CBD has thrived for many decades without a major parking facility.
3. Major Valley Hospital expansion was thwarted–a victory for residents and a validation of grassroots democracy in action.
4. Schools generally remain solid. People move here for the schools–Do you really think they are all “deluded fools buying into over-rated hype”. I don’t think so.
5. Ridgewood is not more congested now. Population has been stable since Lawns were developed. Not a fan of the new high density housing–it was a bad decision but it won’t fundamentally alter the character of the Village as many claim.
6. Graydon is not as popular. that’s because kids today have so many more options. I still enjoy driving past it.
7. There has always been political maneuvering in the village but the Aronsohn crowd seems to have lowered the level of civility and tolerance. Maybe that’s gone forever. in Trump’s America.
8. The Duck Pond bike path, the Library, the Band Shell and Van Neste park, The beautiful tree-lined streets and homes, The many nice people–new and old. These are things that endure and I continue to be grateful for them. I will leave someday for a warmer climate but for now I’m in no hurry.

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Reader asks why No Passive Park Space in Ridgewood ?

Habernickel Family Park

I have driven by there many times and have seen even the passive field being used for sports. Why can’t there ever be a place that is passive around here. I feel for those folks who live there. Soccer, baseball, lacrosse on the passive side all the while a for profit business with camps, fueled trips and busses!!! I had to pass a chartered bus once parked hillcrest rd!! These folks don’t get a break. Why can’t there be a place for us seniors or childless people to sit in a park and relax. I thought passive meant passive. Especially when there are sport fields 100 feet away. Wake up Ridgewood. That’s why us seniors are moving away!!!!