Posted on 7 Comments

Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits

DSCF9653

Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits

TAKEN FROM THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG (Archived ) You should read the whole article.

From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs

Found it! Posted May 7, 2012.

https://theridgewoodblog.net/turf-king-endorses-aronsohn-hauck-and-puciarell-criticizes-police-and-firemen-attacking-salary-and-benefits/

Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits

Moments ago, after a long day at work I sat down to review my personal emails, check school info and sports emails, kids schedule, etc. In the mix was an email from Brian Abdoo who I know from a number of sports programs my kids are involved in. I began reading the Abdoo’s endorsement of candidates, Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarelli. The more I read the sicker I became. Abdoo has thoroughly disgusted me with his hypocritical rhetoric.

From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs.

Now, this same Brian Abdoo wants to express concern over taxes? He attempts to peddle Paul Aronsohn’s gimmicky zero based budgeting. Even my 6th grader understands built-in inherent cost increases. Abdoo states he wants more transparency and Village Council should “open the books”. The fact that Brian Abdoo is ignorant should not persuade anyone to his argument. Brian, the books are open. They are a matter of public record and are available for anyone to review. Brian, feel free to visit APP DataUniverse if there is anything you need to know. However, Mr. Abdoo, while doing your research you likely will not find the value of your candidate Aronsohn’s health care costs, at village taxpayer expense, for the past four years. Mr. Abdoo, while Mr. Aronsohn is busy telling you he wants to help Ridgewood Taxpayers, he has been busy helping himself for four years
.
Brian Abdoo proceeds to attack our police and firemen, attacking their salary and benefits. If this is such a concern why on earth would he support Aronsohn who voted for each and every raise, and contract , pertaining to the police & fire department. Maybe he prefers regionalized police and fire departments like Hauck and Puciarelli. Hauck announced the savings for each village taxpayer during the debate: a whopping $ 285 each! For that money I will sleep better at night with Village police and firemen.

Abdoo professes the revitalization of Ridgewood downtown and how committed each of his threesome is to this goal. Mr. Abdoo, Paul Aronsohn is the Council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce. What has he been doing for the past four years? Shopping at the mall? And Hauck and Puciarelli prefer a more urbanized Ridgewood. If they want urbanization let them move to Hoboken.

Best for last, Abdoo states each of these candidates is committed to helping Valley and residents to negotiate a compromise to allow for expansion. For goodness sake, Brian, where has Al Puciarelli been? He has been a member of the planning board forever. Hauck didn’t speak of compromise when she endorsed the massive expansion, as is, over and over again. Valley Hospital is not interested in compromise. The only time that was suggested by Valley was at the last Village Council hearing. Audrey Meyers, seeing the writing on the wall, begged council to hold off their vote so Valley could develop a compromise. Seriously, where was the compromise for six years?

Mr. Abdoo, reconsider and bullet for Killion and Shinizuka before we are in another turf-like drowning mess attributable to the likes of you.

Posted on 9 Comments

Reader says it only fair that the Sports Groups step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation of the turf fields

DSCF4899

file photo Boyd Loving

Reader says it only fair that the Sports Groups step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation of the turf fields 

If the sports clubs have gotten so much value out of the fields, I would think it only fair that they step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation. It shouldn’t always be the VC or BOE (the rest of us). Given that maintenance seems to be running about $100K year and depreciation another $200K for $1.5M to replace the carpets after a flood-shortened 7 year life, the sports clubs should be contributing on the order of $100K.

Raise dues if you have to — it’s part of the true cost of doing business.

And did they ever contribute everything they had promised for the lights?

Microsoft Store

Posted on 11 Comments

Post storm conditions at artificial turf fields, Ridgewood

DSCF4917

Post storm conditions at artificial turf fields, Ridgewood

Ridgewood Nj , Photos taken at Maple Field, Stevens Field, and the Ridgewood High School Stadium on08/03/2014.

DSCF4889 (2)

DSCF4899

DSCF4921

DSCF4929

DSCF4926

DSCF4897

DSCF4923


Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

show?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=339232

Posted on 15 Comments

Readers Say Turf Fields Exacerbate Village Flooding

DSCF9653

Photos By Boyd Loving

Readers Say Turf Fields Exacerbate Village Flooding 

Is seems ever time it rans now , significance damage is done to our playing fields and Village property .
We were told the turf fie;ds would drain faster , well yes they sure do but the water still needs some place to go like the Village Hall , the Ridgewood library .
Since the Village Hall Rebuilding Fiasco  , and the addition of turf fields along the Ho Ho Kus brook the 50 year flood has now become an almost yearly event .
Is it time to recognize the damage to the environment all this turf is doing  ?
The problem is not just the fields at Stevens ,Maple and the RHS Stadium but the many turf fields all along the banks of our rivers all over Bergen County . Again the water needs some place to go .
DSCF9662
DSCF9654 (1)
DSCF9648 (1)
DSCF9665
Photos By Boyd Loving

wine.comshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=209195

Posted on 1 Comment

Maple Park flooded over into Meadowbrook on Aug. 1

DSCF4877

photo by Boyd Loving

Maple Park flooded over into Meadowbrook on Aug. 1.

Police had to direct traffic. I was part of the directed traffic on my way home from the library. It was scary and dangerous driving through the flooded street. That’s why the police had to be called out.

I was coming home from the library where my shoes and socks and pants had gotten soaking wet as I had to wade to my car, in leg deep water. Note: Not ankle deep; leg deep, above the ankles.

Before Maple Field was turned artificial, REAC had done a report stating that artificial turf is safe for Maple field and good for the environment.

If the rains had continued the new village hall and new library would have been flooded.

Flooding was not supposed to occur there. Supposedly Ridgewood engineering experts had designed the buildings to prevent flooding.

You know what, the members of REAC should pay to have the artificial truf (grass) removed from Maple Field and real, mother nature’s grass
replanted.

Trust me as they say: The kids will profit by playing on real grass.

I don’t trust you, experts.

wine.comshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=209195

Posted on 24 Comments

Former Ridgewood Water employee pleads guilty to bogus water test results

nj-attorney-general-east-orange-water-supplyjpg-918f08906e777901

Acting N.J. Attorney General John Hoffman (left) today announced that a former top executive of the East Orange Water Commission, William Mowell, admitted to conspiring to conceal high levels of an industrial solvent in the water supply. (File photo / N.J. Attorney General’s Office)

Former Ridgewood Water employee pleads guilty to bogus water test results

Ex-top official of East Orange water agency admits concealing chemical in drinking water
By Christopher Baxter | The Star-Ledger 

He was the chief engineer for Ridgewood Water before Gabbert laid him off in 2010.

TRENTON — A former top official of the East Orange Water Commission admitted today to conspiring to hide elevated levels of an industrial solvent in drinking water pumped to more than 80,000 residents in the city and neighboring South Orange, state authorities said.

William Mowell, 52, of Wyckoff, the former assistant executive director and engineer, pleaded guilty to conspiring with the agency’s former executive director, Harry Mansmann, to falsify levels of tetrachloroethene to show the water was safe to drink, the state Attorney General’s Office said.

Exposure to the chemical, used for dry cleaning and other purposes, over a prolonged period of time is a potential cancer risk, according to the federal health department. But state Department of Environmental Protection officials said their own testing showed residents were not at risk and the water was safe.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/07/ex-top_official_of_east_orange_water_agency_admits_hiding_chemical_in_drinking_water.html#incart_river

Posted on 2 Comments

Reader asks after 15 years of summer water restrictions do the “buffoons” at Ridgewood Water really think there will be no impact from all the multi family housing proposals ?

ridgewoodwaterlogo-061912-rn-tif
Reader asks after 15 years of summer water restrictions do the “buffoons” at Ridgewood Water really think there will be no impact from all the multi family housing proposals ?

Reader says , How could the stupid buffoon possibly say there will not be a water impact. What planet is he living on???

We have had lots of rain each week and yet we are in a water shortage right now. How does the prospect of 500 to 1,000 new toilets, showers, sinks, dishwashers and other water using things not increase the use of water?

Did anyone suggest he should quit his job and go be a politician as long as he is going to be so blatantly damn stupid???

Ridgewood NJ , While seasonal water restrictions remain in effect :

Seasonal Water Restrictions – Stage 1 Restrictions Now in Effect

During the summer months, water use increases dramatically due to lawn and garden irrigation. Ridgewood Water strives to provide the maximum allowable amount of water. The supply is sometimes exceeded by the demand during hot and dry weather The excess demand lowers the reserves in storage tanks, jeopardizing the ability to fight fires..

June 1st – Stage 1 Water restrictions began and will continue to the end August.

Ridgewood Water claims they, “would not be impacted by the proposal to amend the village’s master plan to allow high-density housing, but the village’s need for open space would be exacerbated, experts told the Planning Board at a meeting July 15.” https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-experts-weigh-in-on-housing-proposals-1.1053299

Reader asks…  The question should be why does the expert think that using the predicted 20,000 gallons of water a day will not have an adverse effect on the water table? That is 7.3 million gallons a year based on their numbers. I do not understand how we have that much extra water since we have to use water restrictions every summer.

Readers were not buying the claims one bit , The water restrictions put in place are not based upon available water but, rather, Ridgewood Waters ability to pump it in an emergency situation. There IS enough water in the aquifer, but we do not have the infrastructure to provide it in times of high demand and the restrictions guarantee (hopefully) that there will be water avaialable in an emergency. Hence, restrictions which allow only half of the households in the Village to water on any given day. Mondays are used to rechagre Ridgewood Waters tanks.

That being noted, if we need water restrictions now to ensure public safety, how will adding all of these housing units effect the Village. I realize that they will not come with lawns but they will be using water (20,000 gallons/day).

Hotwire US

Posted on 4 Comments

Ridgewood experts weigh in on housing proposals

Ridgewood_water_theridgewoodblog.net_

Ridgewood experts weigh in on housing proposals

JULY 17, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014, 3:11 PM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER

Ridgewood Water would not be impacted by the proposal to amend the village’s master plan to allow high-density housing, but the village’s need for open space would be exacerbated, experts told the Planning Board at a meeting July 15.

Three developers are petitioning the Planning Board to amend the master plan to allow multifamily housing in zones where the use is not currently permitted. A master plan amendment would be the first step in larger processes for the developers, who would then need to seek further approval for their sites.

David Scheibner, Ridgewood Water’s business director, said the developments, proposed for the Central Business District (CBD) would not strain the village’s water supply.

His conclusion assumed that the apartments would have “conversation-oriented appliances” and that the individual residents would not use a significant amount of water for lawns or other irrigation. A single meter would be installed for each of the developments, which Ridgewood Water would maintain.

As for impact, The Enclave (52 units, 106 residents, plus the possibility of commercial use) would collectively consume 5,300 gallons per day; Chestnut Village (52 units, 91 residents) would collectively consume 4,500 gallons per day; and The Dayton (106 units, 208 residents) would collectively consume 10,400 gallons per day.

Fire suppression flows would not be an issue for Chestnut Village, Scheibner said, but there would need to be a flow test conducted by Ridgewood Water for both The Dayton and Enclave due to the size of the existing water mains and limited reinforcing supply from the west due to the railroad tracks.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-experts-weigh-in-on-housing-proposals-1.1053299#sthash.O0UD2lya.dpuf

Posted on 12 Comments

Seasonal Water Restrictions – Stage 1 Restrictions Now in Effect

url-1

file photo from spring 2014

Seasonal Water Restrictions – Stage 1 Restrictions Now in Effect

During the summer months, water use increases dramatically due to lawn and garden irrigation. Ridgewood Water strives to provide the maximum allowable amount of water. The supply is sometimes exceeded by the demand during hot and dry weather The excess demand lowers the reserves in storage tanks, jeopardizing the ability to fight fires..

June 1st – Stage 1 Water restrictions began and will continue to the end August. 

Explanation of WATER RESTRICTIONS:

Stage I, Stage II, Stage III and Stage IV emergency regulations shall become effective upon declaration of each stage by the Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood. Stage I shall become effective without such declaration on June 1 of each year and shall remain in effect through August 31 of that year except for any period where Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV emergency regulations are declared. Exceptions to the user restrictions, such as for irrigation of newly planted lawns or shrubs, for cleaning cars or houses, for filling swimming pools or other such outdoor water usage, shall be determined by the Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood or a Village of Ridgewood employee designated by the Village Manager. Use of any private well shall be exempt from these regulations, provided that said well is first registered with the local Health Authority. 

Stage I Moderate Mandatory restriction of irrigation to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for properties with odd-numbered addresses and Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays for properties with even-numbered addresses. Irrigation using a hand-held hose shall be allowed at any time. No irrigation shall be allowed on Mondays except for the use of a hand held hose.

II Severe Mandatory restriction of irrigation to Tuesdays and Saturdays for properties with odd-numbered addresses and Wednesdays and Sundays for properties with even-numbered addresses. No irrigation shall be allowed on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays except for the use of a hand held hose. Irrigation using a hand held hose shall be allowed at any time.

III Pending/Critical Mandatory restriction of irrigation to the use of a hand held hose on Tuesdays and Saturdays for properties with odd-numbered addresses and Wednesdays and Sundays for properties with even-numbered addresses. No irrigation of any kind shall be allowed on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays.

IV Critical Irrigation is prohibited at any time. Exceptions for irrigation using a hand held hose may be allowed under conditions prescribed by the Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood.

Water Department details at water.ridgewoodnj.net

Posted on 7 Comments

Readers Question the wisdom of reducing traffic lanes at Garber Square

10329180_706803452716024_6845165961212394791_n

 

photo Ridgewood police

Readers Question the wisdom of reducing traffic lanes at Garber Square 

Would be interested in knowing how much additional funds were needed to make Wilsey and Garber Squares into one lanes vs. repaving existing setup. Not completely sure what they are trying to achieve at this location with the narrow roadways — is speeding/pedestrian safety a major issue around that stretch?

Starting Wednesday, May 7th, paving construction work will begin on the West Side at Wilsey and Garber Squares from Godwin Avenue to under the train trestle on Franklin Avenue. Expect traffic congestion in this area for the next 3 months during construction. To avoid delays, we suggest the use of alternate streets to get across the train tracks – Ackerman Avenue or W. Glen Avenue.TaylorMade R1 Driversshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=205477

Posted on 2 Comments

Clean Drinking Water for New Jersey Residents Comes at Steep Price

water from the tap

Clean Drinking Water for New Jersey Residents Comes at Steep Price

face, in some cases, hundreds of millions of dollars in costs to upgrade sewer systems that now pollute rivers and bays during heavy rains, according to a new report prepared by Rutgers University for New Jersey Future, a smart-growth organization.

And time is running out for those communities to fix the problem. Without action to comply with requirements, towns may face penalties or other legal action, the report said.

The 137-page report details a long recognized and unresolved problem in New Jersey, its failure to invest in a deteriorating infrastructure for delivering drinking water and safely disposing of sewage generated from residents in businesses.

The study is a clarion call to the state’s urban areas that they can ill afford to ignore a problem that results in more than 7 billion gallons of diluted sewage each year being dumped in New Jersey’s waterways.

“One point is clear: With aging water infrastructure, what can go wrong at some point will, unless preemptive action is taken,’’ said Daniel Van Abs, the principal investigator for the study, who works at Rutgers University. “Looking the other way does not make the system work any better.’’ (Johnson/NJSpotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/05/06/clean-drinking-water-for-new-jersey-comes-at-steep-price/

Posted on 10 Comments

April 9th is Founders Day for the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood-nj

April 9th is Founders Day for the Ridgewood blog 

Ridgewood NJ, April 9, 2014 – The Ridgewood blog was founded in March of 2006 by James J Foytlin aka PJ Blogger .[1] Mr. Foytlin was born and raised in Ridgewood ,New Jersey and is a graduate of Ridgewood High School .[2] [3]

After many years living in New York City[4] Mr Foytlin returned to Ridgewood after a divorce and the tragic events of 9/11 . Once he settled in he noticed a lack of sufficient news coverage of local events . One day a friend from Brazil[5] showed him her home town on the internet and to Mr. Foytlin’s great surprise when he tried to reciprocate he was utterly dismayed at the absolute lake coverage of his home town. After all Ridgewood is only 18 miles from midtown Manhattan[6] the media capitol of world and there was not a single picture of Ridgewood to be found . How could this be? Ridgewood is a picturesque upper middle class village of around 25,000 located in Bergen county in northern New Jersey[7] . Founded by Dutch settlers before it became an English colony[8] . The town or village as its called is steeped in  rich history and tradition .Known for a large amount of Victorian era housing , a quality school system and a family friendly atmosphere.

Though busy getting reacquainted with his home town the fact that the Village of Ridgewood  was so under represented on the internet  continued to disturb Mr. Foytlin. Mr. Foytlin had been writing news letters for his job in financial services since the mid 1990’s . The popular flip, off beat investment strategy news letters had become email blasts with the advent of readily accessible internet.[9] By 2004 the email blasts were converted into blog format for the One Small Voice blog (https://onesmallvoice.blogspot.com/ ). [10]

Around that time the Village of Ridgewood had finally completed it’s much anticipated and long delayed renovation of the Village hall which has been flooded out due to Hurricane Floyd.[11] The renovation was marred by huge cost over runs and lengthy delays. In 2005 it opened with great fan fare , was once again flooded with the very first rain . Mr. Foytlin was more shocked by the abject lack of responsibility taken by elected officials than the fact that the $9 million dollar renovation had to some extent been a failure . That was the breaking point and Mr. Foytlin had had enough so he decided to give , citizen journalism a go and created the Ridgewood blog in March of 2006. [12]

The birth of PJ Blogger .By this time Blogging its seems had become quite the rage and mainstream news anchors such as Dan Rather had questioned the validity of information from non professionals sitting around in their Pajama’s blogging.[13] Mr. Foytlin not a fan of Dan Rather or any of the mainstream media decided to blog under the name PJ Blogger as a play on words and to plant himself firmly in the camp of the new digital media.

Innovations by the Ridgewood blog to citizen journalism.

“The Fly” is a column on the Ridgewood blog the originates from the expression ,”I’d like to be a fly on the wall “ . The idea is that every citizen has both a unique perspective and experience and these two factors can be used to gather news and opinions about local issues. Originally only of handful of people in town participated but with time the Ridgewood blog can now count on 30–50 semi regular contributors. These post are both anonymous and signed and are largely opinion as well a breaking news.[14]

The Ridgewood blog brings a free market lassie fare point of view to local issues . Mr. Foytlin aka PJ Blogger has stated that for local issues there are only two kinds of people ;the ones who say spend what every you want because I will not be around to pay the bill and the second group which are more focused on the ,”be careful this is my money your spending” . The Ridgewood blog is dedicated to the interplay of there two groups.[15]

[1][12] the Ridgewood blog website https://theridgewoodblog.blogspot.com/
[2] Birth Certificate born in Valley Hospital , Ridgewood 04/09/1962
[3] Ridgewood High School Class 1980
[4] 444 East 86th street ,530 East 72nd
[5] Monica Rocha
[6] Mapquest
[7] United States 2000 Census, the village population was 24,936.
[8] https://www.americantowns.com/nj/ridgewood/organization/vi…
[9] Fahnestock & Co. now Oppenheimer & Co.
[10] https://onesmallvoice.blogspot.com/
[11] https://www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/localhistory/lh_vh_pease.htm
[13] https://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110005611
[14] [15] James J Foytlin

Posted on 1 Comment

Water quality board to meet for the first time in 4 years

waterbanner

Water quality board to meet for the first time in 4 years

TRENTON — A board that helps set standards for drinking water quality in New Jersey will meet for the first time in four years, The Star-Ledger has learned.

Gov. Chris Christie today appointed three members to the Drinking Water Quality Institute, a three-decade old panel created to craft rules governing how many contaminates should be allowed in tap water.

The Republican governor appointed Laura Cummings of Nutley, Keith Raymond Cooper of South Brunswick and George Van Orden of Madison.

The 15-member institute — made up of scientists from academia and the water industry — will begin meeting again in April or May, according to Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection. The board has not held a meeting since early 2010, around the same time its chairman resigned.

“The board stopped meeting because we ended up with less members than we needed,” Ragonese said, adding that the administration was preparing new appointments when it was delayed by Hurricane Sandy.

Environmentalists have complained that the board’s dormancy made it more difficult to ensure the state was addressing water quality issues. (Hutchins/Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/water_quality_board_to_meet_for_first_time_4_years.html#incart_river

Posted on 1 Comment

Flawed bid process will delay Maple Field cleanup in Ridgewood

maple+field1-300x19911

maple field

Flawed bid process will delay Maple Field cleanup in Ridgewood
TUESDAY DECEMBER 17, 2013, 10:32 AM
BY  DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Council has rejected the lone bid it received for the Maple Park turf cleaning job, a move that will delay a much-needed procedure at one of the village’s most used fields.

According to a council resolution unanimously passed last week, the village will put the project back out for public bid because the initial bid process was declared flawed.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/236204961_Flawed_bid_process_will_delay_Maple_Field_cleanup_in_Ridgewood.html#sthash.MGSmM45E.dpuf