Tag: Ridgewood Water

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Let Us Resolve to be Good Neighbors in 2017

CBD Ridgewood by ArtChick

file photo by ArtChick

December 31,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, Doug Bunza, a 22-year-old village resident who set up a go fund me page to help when his favorite Pizza place La Bella Pizza when it burned down. Doug’s actions inspired us to call for 2017 to be the year of the neighbor and a return to neighborliness.

While disagreements and passion are sure to remain strong in the Village we hope 2017 will usher in a new found respect to neighborliness. A simple smile and a “good morning” at the train station are all it would take. Ridgewood like most of the USA suffers often from a disease know as “the rules only apply to everyone else” syndrome.  This “holier than thou” attitude has brought public discourse to a close. So for 2017 let’s all try to treat people with respect, the same respect we all feel we are entitled too, however you can be sure there are those in town who will continue to feel smug in their own superiorness and for them the Ridgewood blog will be here to remind them that manners are not an option but a necessity in a civilized society.
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Almost 46% of Ridgewood Blog Readers Planned to Spend Less for the Holidays this Year

donQuiote_theridgewoodblog

December 31,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, while consumer confidence set a 13 high , Ridgewood blog readers remain cautious with their spending.In the latest Ridgewood blog poll only 16.2% of respondents said they would spend more than last year . While 37.8% said they would spend the same and a whopping 45.9% said they would spend more .
Will You Be Spending More of Less Money For the Holidays this year?
More     16.2 %
Less      45.9 %
Same    37.8 %

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2016 Year End: the Village of Ridgewood’s Biggest Winners

Ridgewood's La Bella Pizza destroyed by Sunday Fire

file photo by Boyd Loving

December 31,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the staff of the Ridgewood blog has assembled the biggest winners and the biggest losers in Ridgewood for 2016.Now for the Village winners;

The biggest winner this year was the Village of Ridgewood’s new Mayor Susan Knudsen and Deputy Mayor Mike Sedon. After years of constant abuse from the “3 amigos”, the two came out victorious with the sweeping victory of Jeffrey Voigt, Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh and Ramon M Hache in the Village Municipal elections. While Jeff Voigt has so far been a bit of a disappointment the new council has full plate attempting to fix the mess of the previous administration.

The other major winner this year were the Village residents who put together the petitions to stop and shut down Garagezilla . The residents mobilized when their voices were ignored and took back the town. As we have learned since motivations for building Garagezilla had little to do with parking for shop owners in the CBD but more for housing development, commuter parking, certain restaurants, schools and of course an “arts center”.

The Ridgewood School system was a big winner with its much pushed for Full-day Kindergarten referendum. While the merits for children remain dubious, it certainly takes a lot of pressure off parents with more convenient hours.

We couldn’t finish the list without this one; Doug Bunza, a 22-year-old village resident who set up a go fund me page to help when his favorite Pizza place La Bella Pizza when it burned down. To the Ridgewood blog thats what Ridgewood is all about ,neighbors stepping up and taking charge. I know this is not the only good deed for the year but this one stuck out in everyone’s minds. It showed us that anyone can make a difference and we all make a difference to someone .

Our final pick this year for the biggest winner is a bit unorthodox, we decided to give it Village employees.Despite turmoil with Village leadership Village employees did a pretty good job at whatever they were doing, I don’t remember the last time no one complained about the police or fire departments for a whole year? We seemed to have no major scandal ie the meter thief and when services were not up to par it was always a management issue.

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2016 Year End : the Village of Ridgewood’s Biggest Losers

3 amigos in action Ridgewood NJ

file photo by Boyd Loving

December 31,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, the staff of the Ridgewood blog has assembled the biggest winners and the biggest losers in Ridgewood for 2016.First the Village losers;

Far and away the biggest loser was former Mayor Paul Aronsohn, voters rejected not only his future vision of Ridgewood, voters also rejected everything about it from staffing, political appointments, planning and anyone who supported and promoted him. The only upside was that he united the Village against him and his triad of power mad ill-mannered and deceitful proponents. For many, the Aronsohn Mayorship was a huge step backward and marked the low water point for the entire history of the town. Voters rejected Aronsohn by giving his opponents a landslide victory over his chosen Village council slate.

Garagezilla; according to proponents for 80 years the Village has needed parking, looks like it might be another 80. Garagezilla was the victim of an ill-conceived design, dubious motivations and extremely poor execution. What ever happened to Municipal planning?

Other major losers this year were Valley Hospital for their continued failed vision of expansion. Valley’s self-absorbed blindness has also guaranteed it once again the “poor neighbor award”. Valley may someday get their way but they are also assured to be a victim of own arrogance opening the door for a huge property tax assessment.

Ridgewood developers were also big losers, first and foremost by supporting the failed regime of Paul Aronsohn, secondly, by being so ill informed thinking Ridgewood wanted to become Union City. A misplaced support for the former mayor has left Village developers under a cloud of suspicion, tarnishing their names and reputations and failing in their business endeavors.

And finally, the Village Financial Advisory Committee, formed by former Mayor Aronsohn to help push his pet projects through, sabotage opponents, and create a pool of like-minded power made self-absorbed flunkies. Every single FAC recommendation has gone up in flames and now their new attention is set on attacking the new Mayor Susan Knudsen . The attacks follow the same ill-mannered , innuendo driven , and sexist rants that have and continue to make fools of the all the wannabes on the FAC .

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HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER?

Screenshot 2016-12-29 at 8

HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER? A bipartisan discussion on the political path ahead featuring

conservative and progressive political analysts, Guy Benson and Julie Roginsky

Thursday, February 2, 2017   7:30-9:00 pm

113 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, NJ

$25.00 per adult

$15.00 per student with ID

Coffee, tea, and dessert from will be served.

Purchase tickets here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2738722

Guy and Julie will be available afterward for…discussion!

This in-person meeting will provide a platform for discussion of often-divisive political issues that matter most to each of us.  Their discussion will include insight as to how Guy and Julie work to remain civil while navigating emotionally charged exchanges.   

Join us to benefit worthy causes and help reconnect our country, one community at a time.

Proceeds will benefit Family Promise, Helping Hands for the Homeless and the Borough of Montvale   

Guy Benson is a Ridgewood High School graduate. He is the Political Editor of Townhall.com, a Fox News Contributor, and co-author of the book End of Discussion. In 2015, Forbes magazine named Guy to its ’30 under 30′ law & policy roster. Guy is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism

Julie Roginsky is a Democratic Party strategist and Fox News contributor.  Roginsky founded Comprehensive Communications Group, which has worked on behalf of Fortune 500 corporations, elected officials and non-profit organizations. Senators Cory Booker and Frank Lautenberg have been among the firm’s clients. Julie hails from New Jersey, having attended high school in Princeton. She is a graduate of  Boston University with a BA in political science and an MA in Russian economics.

For more information please contact: [email protected]/201-851-3262

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Ridgewood Public Library continues with its oral history project

ali

December 29,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Public Library continues with its oral history project. 2016 may be coming to an end, but our oral history project Storytellers @RPL will continue on. We’ve added two more recordings for you to listen to on ridgewoodlibrary.org/storytellers. Learn about Ali’s Broadway debut and Gwenn’s family ties to Ridgewood. You can also read the transcripts of Roberta’s stories and Bob’s experiences.
We’ll continue to add oral histories to the website, so make sure to check in to hear the different voices that make up Ridgewood’s rich history. If you’re interested in sharing your story, please contact Sarah Kiefer at 201-670-5600 x135 or [email protected]

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Cold Weather is Coming the Ridgewood Professional Firefighters reminds us that now would be a great time to review cold weather safety

Ridgewood_firefighters_free_hydrants_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

December 29,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj , you know that real winter weather is coming and the Ridgewood Professional Firefighters FMBA Local 47
reminds us that now would be a great time to review cold weather safety.

Snow-buried hydrants present unusual fire hazards across North Jersey . The responsibility for keeping hydrants clear of snow varies from town to town.

If you have a fire hydrant in front of your house, help yourself and help your neighbors by keeping it clear of snow. Ridgewood Police and Fire Departments urge resident to clear a path around the hydrant of 3 feet by 3 feet .

Top Ten Red Cross Cold Weather Safety Tips

Protect yourself, your loved ones and your home with these cold weather safety tips!
Posted February 18, 2015

As temperatures drop this winter, the American Red Cross offers ten steps people can take to stay safe during the cold weather.

1. Layer up! Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.

2. Don’t forget your furry friends. Bring pets indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.

3. Remember the three feet rule. If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.

4. Requires supervision – Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.

5. Don’t catch fire! If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

6. Protect your pipes. Run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

7. Better safe than sorry. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.

8. The kitchen is for cooking. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.

9. Use generators outside. Never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

10. Knowledge is power. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

https://www.redcross.org/news/article/Top-Ten-Red-Cross-Cold-Weather-Safety-Tips

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Councilman Voigt’s accusations against Ridgewood’s Mayor made after the Mayor was already cleared

Jeff Voigt Ridgewood Council

file photo by Boyd Loving

COUNCILMAN VOIGT’S ACCUSATIONS AGAINST MAYOR WERE FALSE!!!

December 28,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

In regards to Councilman Voigt’s accusation against Mayor Knudsen, “Based on the facts and circumstances presented, there was no violation of the law/Faulkner Act.”

During closed sessions, in November, Mayor was cleared of all wrong doing. In December, Councilman Voigt publicly accused Mayor Knudsen of breaking the law.  At the time he made this accusation he knew it was untrue. With malice and intent he stated it loudly, clearly, and rudely during a public meeting. A week later, in a room full of firefighters waiting to be promoted, he blew his top again. This time, Councilman Voigt had a message for residents about his ruthless attacks, “I can’t and won’t apologize. I don’t intend to and I just want to make sure people know that.” As if that wasn’t enough, he then turned to social media to expand his smear campaign and started a movement to talk about Mayor Knudsen, behind closed doors, with residents.

We now have documentation that Mayor Knudsen did not break the law. What we do not have is any sort of explanation, apology, motivation, or contrition from Councilman Voigt regarding this malicious character assassination. Why is he so loud when lying, and so silent when faced with the truth?

The question now is, why did Councilman Voigt lie and stoop to such levels; slander, libel, defamation and intentional malice? Why is Mayor Knudsen his target?

Document posted to Facebook, on “It Takes a Ridgewood Village” group, December 28.

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“Bogus” bills being sent by The Valley Hospital?

"Bogus" bills , The Valley Hospital

December 28,2016
Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ, If you receive a bill for services provided by The Valley Hospital, DO NOT PAY THE BILL without thoroughly checking its validity.

I received a $5,900 bill for services rendered at The Luckow Pavilion only to find out that an employee of The Valley’s accounting department failed to provide the correct authorization code to my health care insurance provider. It took three (3) in-person visits to The Valley’s offices in Paramus over a four (4) month period before I was able to straighten the matter out.

My attempts to quickly resolve the issue were stymied when a representative from the accounting department told me that I was “personally responsible” for contacting a supervisor at The Luckow Pavilion to gather information. Seems as though the accounting department will not initiate communication with other hospital departments by phone or e-mail. And, when a supervisor from Luckow did write to accounting, the e-mail was not opened for 30 days – it was opened only after the accounting department’s director was called by phone.

In retrospect, I’m now left wondering if all of this was a disguised attempt on the part of someone at The Valley to extract $5,900 from me instead of accepting the $4,800 agreed upon payment from my insurance company. I’m also wondering how many people just wind up paying these “bogus” bills instead of putting up with the hassle involved in challenging them.

What a way (not) to run a business.

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Ridgewood Recycles – changes to recycling regulations effective immediately

Ridgewood Recycles

December 18,2016
Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ, As per signs now posted at the Village of Ridgewood Recycling Center, and regardless of the imprinted resin identification code:

NO cups, plates, utensils, or trays

NO bags, nor Styrofoam

NO produce, deli, bakery containers

NO flower pots, window glass

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Reader says Full-Day Kindergarten was really about Daycare

kindergarten-cop-comedy

If I had a dollar for every housewife how admitted AfTER the election that the REAL reason they wanted it was because they then wouldn’t have to pay for daycare, I’d be able to pay my tax increase and yours. Lazy parenting. Entitled short sighted half brains.

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Reader says Ridgewood’s parking enforcement crew will be licking their chops as they rack up more tickets

parking_ticket_Ridgewood_theridgewoodblog

The parking enforcement crew will be licking their chops as they rack up more tickets .lf they lose more new business and visitors every week than any perceived lack of peak parking .its by design ..a canard…mismanagement run amuck..god forbid a visitor to the town doesn’t park nose in…they fix their wagon…big fat welcome to parking hell.. Fines …and don’t let the door hit you on your A…

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Special Interest Groups are Still Plotting in Ridgewood

village-hall-theridgewoodblog

The Voigt matter is not to be left alone or forgotten. His integrity and character are shot.His attacks and lies are escalating to new heights. This level of deceit is intentional malice. BOE also needs to be addressed. The public needs to get out from behind their computers and stand up against all of it. We are losing battles because the mass majority sits around doing nothing while the BOE/Voigt remain active and launch campaigns to get what they want.

…the Council and the citizens should be made aware of plans before they are finalized. Maybe having someone look over the Library Board’s shoulders might not be such a bad idea. This should not be like our garage Taj Mahal where tons of money was spent before any general consensus occurred. Jeff might have accidentally let the “Cat out of the bag”, but that might prove very advantageous in the long run.

Here we go again. I can just picture the scenario in my mind – Nancy Greene standing before the Village Council and asking that funds be approved for this project, otherwise the monies spent on the planning and design phase will be wasted. Didn’t we hear the same arguments from Roberta Sonenfeld about the proposed Hudson Street parking deck (GARAGE)?

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Ridgewood Bank of America Customers Suffer Frequent Out of Order Cash Machines

bank-of-america_theridgewoodblog
December 27,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, during the past years there has been a noticeable decline in the reliability of cash machines ie ATM machines for Bank of America customers in Northern New Jersey. While the Ridgewood CBD Branch often has outages, both Oradell and Pamaus are also plagued by frequent downtime.
For the purposes of this article, the Ridgewood blog has defined frequent as at least twice a week.
While bank customers who commute to New York City have a plethora of cash machines available, New Jersey customers are not so lucky.  The unlucky Bank of America customer could end up being forced to drive all the way to Hillsdale from Ridgewood due to the fact that the few local cash machines are all down at the same time. Or they are forced to use a different institution’s ATM and suffer higher fees.
Some readers have suggested that this is a blatant attempt by the bank to force debit card purchases in order to better monitor customer movements, while others say cost cutting is to blame.
Out of order cash machines are an extremely rare event in New York City but have become all to common for north jersey residents.
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Reader says Ridgewood CBD parking instructions are “convoluted”

Ridgewood Parking signs

Just rec’d an email with convoluted parking instructions for various locations throughout town; spaces marked by special symbols for various uses – shoppers, commuters, employees…. Do they really expect us to remember all of these rules and symbols? I’m sure it looks like a perfect solution for the bureaucrat that designed it but to us regular folks it’s ridiculous and too complicated to be effective. We should have built the garage and voters only have themselves to blame. I went into town the other night at 4:30 for the first time probably all year, had to drive around half a dozen times to find a parking space, traffic was backed up, cars double parked, it was a mess. It will be another year before I return.