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Reader asks How about the “longstanding tradition” of enforcing the law?

ICE

“Thursday’s arrest by federal agents of two Indonesian nationals as they dropped off their children may have violated a longstanding prohibition on immigration enforcement actions at “sensitive locations,” and calling for the official to personally review the incident.”
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How about the “longstanding tradition” of enforcing the law? Maybe if the states cooperated with the Federal government and had respect for the immigration laws, then the federal government wouldn’t have to “violate” any longstanding behavior norms.

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YMCA Job Fair !

Ridgewood YMCA

ymca job fair
Wed, January 31, 2018
Time: 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Ridgewood YMCA, 112 Oak St., Ridgewood, NJ 07450

JOB FAIR BE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT!
Wednesday, January 31

Here at the Y, we’re focused on nurturing the potential of every child, improving the nation’s health and well-being and providing support to our neighbors. By joining our team you’ll be inspired to make a difference every day… in a job that matters.

GROUP FITNESS INSTRUCTORS
Inspire others. Get people moving. Join our team.
We’re in search of enthusiastic, energetic instructors to join our team. Current Group Exercise, CPR/AED and at least 2 MOSSA Certifications (if you don’t have MOSSA certs, but have Les Mills, we can transition you) required, along with the ability to teach at least 2 MOSSA classes per week. Varied hours available. If interested, please email your resume to: [email protected].

Cooking instructor
Teaching basic cooking classes to children ages 3-12 in a safe learning environment, the ideal candidate must be at least 18 years of age with a HS diploma or equivalent, prior cooking knowledge and experience teaching children. Interested candidates should submit a resume to: [email protected]

s.t.e.m. instructor
Teaching basic STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) classes to children ages 3-12 in a safe learning environment, the ideal candidate must be at least 16 years old with prior experience working with children and a demonstrated understanding of various topics in S.T.E.M. Interested candidates should submit a resume to:
[email protected]

youth sports instructor
Teaching a variety of sports classes to children ages 3-12 in a safe environment, which will include running drills & playing fun games, the ideal candidate must be at least 16 years old with a sports background and prior experience working with children. Interested candidates should send a resume to: [email protected].

PARTY HOST
As one of our Party Hosts, you’ll be in charge in running one of our themed birthday parties. In this fun role, you’ll set up the parties, run activities, help serve food and then help clean up afterwards. Parties run on Saturdays and Sundays for 3 hours in the afternoon. Must be at least 18 years of age with a HS diploma or equivalent. If interested, please email your resume to: [email protected].

KIDS NIGHT OUT STAFF
One Friday night per month, from 6pm-10pm, the Ridgewood YMCA hosts a Kids Night Out, which gives parents the opportunity to enjoy an evening out while we entertain the kids! You’ll help host activities and supervise children ages 6-10. Must be at least 18 years of age with a HS diploma or equivalent and some prior experience working with children. If interested, please email your resume to: [email protected].

TENNIS INSTRUCTOR
Do you want to share your skills with the future tennis stars of tomorrow? We’re seeking an instructor to teach on Monday afternoons. Must enjoy working with children and able to sub for some Saturday morning classes. Must be at least 18 years of age with a HS diploma or equivalent and some prior tennis experience. Salary is $15/hr. If interested, please email your resume to: [email protected].

VACATION CAMP COUNSELORS
Love working with kids? Then consider working with us at our 2017 Vacation Day Camp. We’re seeking caring individuals to work 9am-5pm when children in grades K-8 are off from school during public school breaks. You’ll help children enjoy daily recreational and educational activities such as swimming, arts & crafts, and fun theme days! Must be at least 16 years of age. Please send resume to: [email protected].

AQUA EXERCISE INSTRUCTORS
We’re seeking upbeat, motivated individuals to teach aqua exercise. Must be at least 18 years of age. CPR/AED Certification required; Aqua Exercise Certification preferred, but will train; and Group Exercise Certification a plus. Please email your resume to: [email protected].

LIFEGUARDS
Immediate opening for mornings and afternoons. Must have current CPR/AED/First Aid/Lifeguarding certification. Must be at least 16 years of age, but will consider a mature 15 year old with proper certifications. Competitive salary. Please email your resume to: [email protected].

SWIM INSTRUCTORS
Immediate opening for weekday mornings and afternoons. Must be at least 16 years of age with strong swimming skills and prior experience. Competitive salary. Please email your resume to: [email protected].

Call 201-444-5600

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Ridgewood Public Library Presents Rick Feingold on Aaron Burr the Man Who Killed Alexander Hamiliton

Duel

alexander hamilton, part three: aaron burr
Tue, January 30, 2018
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Ridgewood Public Library, 125 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450

January 27,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Alexander Hamilton, part three: Aaron Burr, Tuesday, January 30, 7pm. Rick Feingold on Burr, who killed Hamilton in a famous duel and was later tried for treason. With music from the Broadway show. All welcome, light refreshments.

Hamilton, An American Musical is the hottest ticket on Broadway and Aaron Burr is the villain. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Revolutionary War he begins an unlawful relationship with the wife of a British Officer. Elected Vice President in 1800 under Thomas Jefferson he kills Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a famous duel in Weehawken, NJ. Burr gets away with murder but is later tried for treason. This program covers the women in Burr’s life and features music from the Broadway production including The Election of 1800 and the Hamilton Burr duel.

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Ridgewood Arts Foundation Honors, to celebrate two iconic Ridgewood arts organizations: Reel Voices and Tic Toc

Ridgewood Arts

Sun, January 28, 2018
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Park West Loft, 30 Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Cost: 80

January 27,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Arts Foundation Honors, where we will celebrate two iconic Ridgewood arts organizations: Reel Voices of The Ridgewood Public Library and Tic Toc (To Introduce Culture to Our Children).

Below is the link to purchase tickets to the event, which will feature award presentations, art displays, music and, of course, delicious Park West food and beverage:

Ridgewood Arts Foundation 2018 Honors
Sunday, Jan 28, 2018, 4-6pm, at Park West Loft in Ridgewood
$80pp, a portion of ticket price is tax-deductable

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ridgewood-arts-foundation-honors-2018-tickets-39492934430?aff=ehomecard

The Ridgewood Arts Foundation (RAF) was established by residents from our village who see the need for a foundation to encourage the continued development of the arts in our community and to establish a scholarship fund for Ridgewood artists.

Even if you cannot attend this wonderful event, please consider donating to RAF via our website: https://ridgewoodartsfoundation.org/donations/. The Ridgewood Arts Foundation is a public charitable foundation holding 501(c)(3) status.

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The Ridgewood Public Library has been awarded a $1,000 Literacy Grant for the Library’s “outstanding contribution towards helping new immigrants to America to achieve English proficiency and become productive, fulfilled members of their communities.”

Library-Books

January 27,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Public Library has been awarded a $1,000 Literacy Grant from Vernon Library Supplies, Inc., for the Library’s “outstanding contribution towards helping new immigrants to America to achieve English proficiency and become productive, fulfilled members of their communities.”
The grant will support Ridgewood Library’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program, which today coordinates 49 volunteer tutors with 122 adult students representing 32 countries. Tutors offer individual sessions, conversation groups and classes that bring students together from such diverse countries as Syria, Japan, Brazil, Panama, Bangladesh, Turkey, New Caledonia and more.

The Friends of the Ridgewood Library is also a longtime supporter that helps produce the Library’s annual International Luncheon; ESL students contribute native dishes and all are honored for their year’s work by Ridgewood’s Mayor, Council and Library Board. This year’s event will be held on June 8, 2018.
The ESL community is also welcome on March 5, 2018, when the Library will host a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) program on “How to Become a U.S. Citizen,” 10am – noon.

For additional information, visit us on the web at www.ridgewoodlibrary.org or contact ESL Librarian Victoria Hilditch at [email protected] or 201-670-5600 ext. 133.

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JAMBOREE NIGHT LIVE 2018 !!!!

JAMBOREE NIGHT LIVE 2018 !!!!

January 26,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, JAMBOREE NIGHT LIVE 2018 !, Tickets are on sale now for JNL February 7, 8, 9 & 10th at the Benjamin Franklin Middle School.

Swing by the Box Office in the lobby of Ben Franklin Middle School this Saturday, Jan 27th or Saturday Feb 3rd between 9am to 12 noon to get YOUR TICKETS to see this spectacular SHOW !!! Cash/Checks payable to Jamboree Scholarship Fund. Or Pay by credit card anytime via the web site https://rhsjamboree.org/wp/

Since January 2nd, over 130 cast and crew have volunteered their time and skills to put on the 72nd Jamboree.In this year’s show “Jamboree Night Live” you are invited to be part of our live studio audience as we indulge you in all things TV.So, come out and see some of your favorite TV characters from past and present! Click the link at the top to buy tickets

Can’t make it to the show, that’s ok you can still help kids in need by donating; click the donate-to-jamboree link at the top.

Behind the scenes phots :https://www.facebook.com/theridgewoodblog/

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Village of Ridgewood has annual mailing of Property Assessment Notices

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog

January 27,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Village of Ridgewood has sent the annual mailing of Property Assessment Notices was completed on January 23th. The information contained in the notice is set by New Jersey Law. A sample notice can be viewed by clicking here( https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/Assmt/2018_Ch75.pdf  ). The sole purpose of the mailing is to notify property owners of their assessment for the year and information on the appeal process. They are not statements of taxes paid in the prior year and should not be used for income tax purposes. Please refer to your cancelled checks or year-end mortgage statements/1098 forms mailed by your lending institution for exact taxes paid. Property taxes and payments can also be viewed on line by clicking here.
The information on the card can be viewed by following the steps below:

Click Assmt Records Search in the Assessor Menu
Enter your property information, click Submit Search
Click more info to bring up your record.

Taxes shown on the notices are the original amounts billed. They do not reflect any changes to your property taxes that may have occurred during the year or any 2018 taxes prepaid in 2017.

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Is “Ridgewood Water’s billing system screwed up again?”

RidgewoodWaterLogo_061912_rn_tif_

January 26,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood resident  Boyd Loving mentioned on Facebook some interesting details on his Ridgewood Water bill.

Boyd said ,”We just received our water bill for the period 10/16/2017 through 01/16/2018. By some strange coincidence, our water consumption for the noted period was the EXACT SAME as it was for the period 07/17/2017 through 10/16/2017. We were billed the EXACT SAME amount this month as we were in October (rightfully so considering our consumption was the exact same)

However, the bill also indicates that we had significantly overpaid our previous bill, leaving us with a credit. I just reviewed our checking account statement and determined that we DID NOT overpay our last bill; we paid what we were billed to the penny.

Has anyone else received a water bill this month in which your consumption matched what you used from July through October last year, and with a credit due to an “over payment?”

I wonder if Ridgewood Water’s billing system is screwed up again?”

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Deputy Mayor Mike Sedon and Mayor Susan Knudsen Will Stand for Reelection

elections_signs_theridgewoodblog

Village Council – Election 2018 – Nominating Petitions & Campaign Donations

Dear friends,Deputy Mayor Mike Sedon and I have found our first term on the Village Council so interesting and productive
that we would like to repeat the experience. Much work remains to ensure that our community remains a safe,
healthy, pleasant place to live, raise a family, and retire. You can help.To secure a place on the May 8 ballot, each potential candidate (whether new or incumbent) must submit
hundreds of nominating petitions signed by Village residents who are registered voters. The forms can be
photocopied, but the signatures must be originals, in ink.To allow us the continued honor of representing your interests, please print out, sign, and return the
attached petitions for Mike and me. Signing these (or just one, if you prefer) would not represent a
commitment to voting for us, although we obviously hope you will.Each member of a couple or family should sign a separate form for each candidate. Do not sign together.
Be sure to write your street address where indicated near the top.
How to return completed form(s) for both or either of us:o MAIL to Susan Knudsen, 120 Circle Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450; oro DROP OFF in person (black box on front porch, same address); or

o ARRANGE FOR PICKUP from your home by texting or calling me at 201-394-0666. Include your name and street address.

To help even more, please forward this message to friends and neighbors and share printouts of both forms. 

To make sure yours count:

Nominating petitions must be signed precisely as the signer’s name appears in the official voter
registration listings—including middle initials, if any. Village Hall officials (not the Council!)
will carefully compare the format of all petition signatures against the voting rolls.
Any discrepancy will invalidate the petition. Hundreds are tossed in every council election.You can see how you’re listed at this state website: https://www.njelections.org/voting-information.html

Click on “Am I Registered?” Then enter your name and birth month and year. That’s it.

If you are not a registered voter: Please become one, but do not sign these forms until you do.

Because 2 spots on the Council—ours—are open this time, each voter may sign up to 2 nominating
petitions for this election. Any additional petitions would be disallowed.In a few weeks, as campaign season kicks off, we will describe our many accomplishments and reveal
our goals and objectives, including the new Village of Ridgewood Master Plan!

For now, campaign contributions are welcome and appreciated. Kindly make checks payable to:
Knudsen-Sedon for Village Council and send to 120 Circle Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
or via PayPal 
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=VQNGQWS7HR2TL
** note: A contribution which is more than $300 in the aggregate from one source in an election will be detailed to NJ ELEC campaign filings.
Feel free to call me at 201-394-0666 with comments or questions.

 

In gratitude,

Mayor Susan Knudsen

Request petitions for Mike and Susan email [email protected]

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RHS Jamboree 2018

RHS Jamboree 2018

Photo credit Susan Knudsen

Lights, Camera, Jamboree!

January 25,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Four weeks in and the cast and crew of RHS Jamboree Night Live are practicing their lines, singing proudly and strutting their moves on stage as they prepare for a spectacular show that features some of your all time favorite TV shows and characters. The show will run for only 4 nights starting on Wednesday February 7ththough to Saturday February 10th. This will be the 72nd show that RHS Jamboree has presented and money raised will go to need-based scholarship funds for college bound Ridgewood High School seniors.

Get your tickets today!

Swing by the Box Office in the lobby of Ben Franklin Middle School Sat Jan 27th or Sat Feb 3rd 9am to 12 noon to pick up your tickets (Cash/Checks payable to Jamboree Scholarship Fund) or buy on line anytime rhsjamboree.org

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Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique Authentication Event

2Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique

January 25,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In the consignment industry, carrying high end goods such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes etc. come with it’s own special set of circumstances. Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique only carries authentic pieces in our store. Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique stands behind every item we sell for authenticity. Authenticating items is a time consuming and demanding process. Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique put the effort in to give their customers the best service they can. Customers know they can buy from them with confidence that the items they are purchasing are authentic.

Fake items has become a huge industry across the world and the consignment business has been impacted by this. There are many people who sell fake goods as authentic and the consumer gets hurt by it.

Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique authenticates every item that comes into the store. It can sometimes be a lengthy process but if we can’t authenticate an item we will not accept it. Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique is often forced to turn a lot of merchandise away.

In addition to personal authentication by Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique and experts they work with, there now exists a technological innovation that offers authentication and guarantees.

The company is Entrupy and is being used by major consignment businesses around the world. We also use them when we want another opinion. The process is relatively simple and I am attaching some interviews of businesses that have utilized Entrupy and have done authentication events.

Up until now, Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique did not authenticate items that were not being sold in the store. We now provide authentications to outside items at a charge of $30 per item. In order to promote this service to our customers and/or potential consignors we are holding an event on Saturday, February 17th from 12 – 4 where people can come in with their Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci. etc. handbags and have them authenticated for FREE! We will provide them with an authentication certificate from Entrupy for every bag they bring in. We will also tell them if it is not authenticate. And we will be serving champagne and hor’dourves to really make it a party! At that time, if they would like to consign with us they can and if not they do not have to. Sometimes people just want to know what they have. They might have inherited an item or received a gif and want to know exactly what they have.

Entrupy is the world’s first and only on-demand authentication solution that eliminates human error. Here is a link to their technology page if you would like to understand the process a little more: https://www.entrupy.com/technology/

Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique

30 Cottage Place, Ridgewood NJ 07450

(201) 389-6900

www.savvychicconsignment.com

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Reader says Residents have to accept it is a done deal

Don-Quixote-Windmill[1]

The point is that the ordinances for high density housing cannot be repealed. The court will stand up for the developers. That was what the lawsuit was about when Aronsohn was mayor. The grassroots group tried to stop the development on legal grounds.

Residents have to accept it is a done deal. To blame current govt. or ask them to repeal is impossible. The current council can do nothing.

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Reader says Yes, Arohnson and Pucciarlelli shoved a knife through the heart of the Village on their way out the door

3 amigos

James,

Look at the cites posted by others for reference to the lawsuit. The concerned citizens filed the lawsuit when Arohnson was still mayor. The new council came in afterwards.
Yes, Arohnson and Pucciarlelli shoved a knife through the heart of the Village on their way out the door. But the Villagers who filed the lawsuit to stop the housing projects hoped that the new council would take their side in the litigation. Instead, the new council hired a lawyer from out of town who fought tooth and nail against the concerned citizens of Ridgewood. He and the council rebuffed every attempt to settle the lawsuit. The town could have settled with its citizens and then fought the developers. It chose not to do so. Instead, this current council made a conscious decision to oppose the Villagers and support the developers, including those from out of town who have no stake in the well being of our Village.

Sadly, those are the facts. But, don’t take it from this poster or the articles cited by others. Ask the council why they did not settle with their citizens, why they chose instead to cut the legs off of their citizens in the lawsuit and why they chose to support enforcement of the statutes allowing the housing projects to go forward. Ask them why they took the developers’ side over the side of the people who voted them in.

Let’s hear their response.

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Reader says There is a very good reason why the prior Village Council sided with the developers because they had no other choice

COAH Village of Ridgewood

file photo by Boyd Loving

There is a very good reason why the prior Village Council sided with the developers.because they had no other choice. The NJ Supreme Court ruled several years ago that EVERY city, town and village in the State of New Jersey has a definitive obligation to provide a quotent of Affordable Housing in thier community. EVERY municipality was assigned a quota they had to meet based on their population. It was fought long and hard by virtually every town but the court ruling prevailed and it still stands today. The Village of Ridgewood was assigned a quota and the Village must comply. The choice all towns face is either to allow some new development and require the developers to “set aside” a percentage of their units for Affordable Housing or the town must provide it themself. In exchange for granting permission to build new units Ridgewood wisely decided to put the burden of complying with the court mandate onto the developers.. The result is a somewhat less quaint Village and one with fewer trees and more concrete but in the end it will avoid the need for the Village to provide the required Affordable Housing and in so doing it will save the residents a ton of money. Frankly, since the new developments are all located in the downtown area the streetscape for the vast majority of residents will remain wholly unchanged. In conclusion don’t blame the Village of Ridgewood for allowing the new developments because it was forced upon the Village.by the courts..

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Tax Cut Good for Baristas Everywhere

ridgewood_starbucks[1]

January 24,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Company announces a new ‘Partner and Family Sick Time’ benefit for all U.S. employees to launch this year
Announces second wage increase for all U.S. hourly and salaried partners in addition to the annual increases already granted this fiscal year
Announces additional 2018 Stock Grant with a one-year vest
Highlights an Aon study indicating its standing as the No. 1 retailer in comprehensive benefits for part-time and full-time employees
Reiterated commitment to create more than 8,000 new retail jobs and 500 manufacturing jobs this year as part of the company’s strategic growth plan

Ridgewood NJ, Building on a long history of providing relevant, industry-leading benefits, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced a series of new partner (employee) offerings that span across wage and benefits. These offerings will total more than $250 million for more than 150,000 partners and are accelerated by recent changes in the U.S. tax law. Further details on the impact of these changes on our 2018 financial statements and earnings guidance will be discussed during our January 25 earnings call.

With this investment, Starbucks announces a total compensation approach that is best in class for part-time and full-time employees across American retail.

According to a new benchmarking study Starbucks commissioned, performed by Aon, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, the benefits awarded to partners who work 20 hours or more per week at Starbucks rank above any other retailer in the study and are three times more valuable than any other retailer in their study.

“For more than 30 years, Starbucks has continued to challenge the status quo offering comprehensive employee compensation for our partners (employees). We were one of the first retailers to offer full healthcare benefits to our partners –even those working part-time– and more recently we revolutionized access to a tuition-free four-year degree for all partners with the Starbucks College Achievement Plan through our partnership with Arizona State University,” said Kevin Johnson, ceo of Starbucks.

“Today, we are proud to announce additional investment in stock, wages and a new Partner and Family Sick Time benefit that will further enhance our industry-leading approach. Just as we have always felt strongly that our partners are key to our business success, we have also known offering a valuable, comprehensive benefits package helps us retain our valuable partners. The value of Starbucks benefit package [fully accessed] is unmatched by other retailers and provides thousands of dollars above the value of other companies compensation offerings. I am extremely proud to share that in the past four years Starbucks has made an investment of nearly $800 million in employee compensation and benefits—a testament to our belief in our people and the role they play in creating the Starbucks Experience,” added Johnson.

Starbucks provided the following details regarding these investment decisions:

Starbucks pays above the minimum wage in all states across the country. In April, all eligible U.S. hourly and salaried partners will receive a second wage increase in addition to the annual increases that they have already received this fiscal year. This will include an investment of approximately $120 million in wage increases that will be allocated based on regional cost of living and laws that vary from state to state.

On April 16, we will provide an additional 2018 stock grant for all eligible full-time, part-time, hourly and salaried U.S. partners across our stores, plants and support centers, who have been active as of Jan. 1, 2018. All Starbucks retail partners will receive at least a $500 grant, store managers will each receive $2000 grant and plant and support center partner (non-retail) grants will vary depending on annualized salary or level. This investment alone is valued at more than $100 million.

A new Partner and Family Sick Time benefit will be available to all eligible U.S. partners, which will allow partners to accrue paid sick time based on hours worked and then use them if they or a family member needs care. When this benefit goes into effect this year, Sick Time will accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, thus a partner working 23 hours a week can expect to accrue approximately five days of sick time benefit over the course of one year.

Starbucks has also reaffirmed their commitment to create more than 8,000 new part-time and full-time retail jobs and an additional 500 manufacturing jobs in its Augusta, Georgia soluble coffee plant.

For store partners, Starbucks has also expanded their parental leave policy to include all non-birth parents with up to 6 weeks of paid leave when welcoming a new child.

These new offerings are in addition to the nearly $7 billion of capital that Starbucks will deploy to build and renovate stores, manufacturing plants and technology platforms in the U.S. over the next five years. Starbucks remains committed to providing opportunities to tens of thousands of Americans from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Starbucks also remains committed in continuing to offer industry-leading comprehensive health care benefits and marketplace, disability and life insurance benefits, a 401K savings plan benefit and continue the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which is a free tuition benefit offered to Starbucks partners together with Arizona State University.