Tag: Ridgewood

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WEST BERGEN TO OFFER THE SOAR EXPERIENCE AND SOAR COUNSELOR IN TRAINING (CIT) Program

West Bergen Mental Healthcare

February 18,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  West Bergen’s Social Discovery Program is pleased to announce that it is again sponsoring the SOAR Experience, a program for children and teens, ages 6-17, with solid verbal skills who experience the social communication and social skills challenges seen in Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder (formerly known as Asperger’s Syndrome, HFA and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities) and related disorders such as Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder. The SOAR Experience, a therapeutic social skills program in a day camp-like environment, will be held at the Center for Children and Youth, One Cherry Lane in Ramsey. The SOAR Counselor In Training (CIT) Program offers teens and young adults (14-24 years old) with the same diagnostic criteria listed above, vocational training and an opportunity to develop various work and social skills.

This is the tenth summer that West Bergen is able to provide these unique services. The SOAR Experience is a small, nurturing program, specifically designed to help children with social challenges thrive and succeed in a supportive environment.

The Program is held Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The six-week program is from July 9 to August 17, 2018. The three-week programs are from July 9 to July 27 and from July 30 to August 17. Other highlights include: social skills training; weekly themes; field trips and fun filled activities.

Under the direction of West Bergen’s professional staff, participants will expand their skills in a number of important areas including: building relationships; increasing flexibility; resolving conflicts; successful transitions; improving social scanning; decreasing anxiety; experiencing newness and change and coping with sensory issues.

Contact Richard Miller, LPC, NCC, Director of The Social Discovery Program, for additional information at 201.934.1160 x7234 or [email protected].

Free information sessions on the SOAR Experience and the Counselor In Training Program will be held on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 7:00 to 7:40 PM; Thursday, April 19, 6:30 to 7:10 PM and Monday, May 14, 7:00 to 7:40 PM at the Center for Children and Youth, One Cherry Lane, Ramsey, NJ. SOAR Counselor In Training (CIT) Program Information Sessions will be the same dates immediately following the general information sessions for 45 minutes. Reserve a spot by calling (201) 934-1160, Ext. 7200.

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Village of Ridgewood protocol on snow and ice events

snow day

February 18,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, here are some reminders on Village of Ridgewood protocol on snow and ice events :

REMINDER ABOUT GARBAGE PICKUP DURING SNOW AND ICE EVENTS

As a reminder, if it is snowing when you leave your home in the morning or if it is icy, please place your garbage cans at the end of your driveway for collection. The Village will resume rear yard garbage collection as quickly as possible after the snowstorm, but please continue to put your garbage cans at the end of your driveway until you have a clear path to them. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our Village employees safe.

REMINDERS ABOUT SNOW/ICE REMOVAL

All sidewalks in residential districts must be cleared within 24 hours of the snow falling. Please do not place snow into the street; instead, place it back onto your own property. In addition, if you have a fire hydrant on your property, please clear it of any snow accumulation.

Be safe people !

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Reader says Murphy Tax Increases Will Kill Commuters and Then Real Estate Values

ridgewood Train station

When taxes on the $400k+ folks exceed the NY tax rates on the same folks by 2-4%, the will prefer to stay in NY state (most work in NYC anyway.)

This will lead to long term decline in real estate values, and higher taxes, for the very constituents Josh represents.

If in doubt, just check with any friends in Fairfield County CT to see how the tax hikes have worked out for them.

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Reader Accuses Former Mayor Aronsohn of calling Mike Sedon’s employer

paul Aronsohn

Please stop. It was Aronsohn. Everyone knows it was Aronsohn calling Sedon’s employer. Didn’t Knudsen acknowledge it was Aronsohn?
There was no “investigation” because aronsohn wasn’t going to investigate himself. Hauck Puviarelli and sonenfeld were not going to “investigate” aronsohn.. The “investigation” was a sham and a slap in the face to Ridgewood residents.
Not the only election process they interfered with. They have an established pattern of behavior. Petition interference and sonenfeld and aronsohn guilty of ethics violations.

Candidate Harwin is forever linked to Aronsohn and his ilk.

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IRS : Phone Scams Continue to be a Serious Threat

irs

February 17,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON DC,  Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain a major threat to taxpayers, headlining the annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams for the 2016 filing season, the Internal Revenue Service announced today.

The IRS has seen a surge of these phone scams as scam artists threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other things. The IRS reminds taxpayers to guard against all sorts of con games that arise during any filing season.

“Taxpayers across the nation face a deluge of these aggressive phone scams. Don’t be fooled by callers pretending to be from the IRS in an attempt to steal your money,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “We continue to say if you are surprised to be hearing from us, then you’re not hearing from us.”

“There are many variations. The caller may threaten you with arrest or court action to trick you into making a payment,” Koskinen added. “Some schemes may say you’re entitled to a huge refund. These all add up to trouble. Some simple tips can help protect you.”

The Dirty Dozen is compiled annually by the IRS and lists a variety of common scams taxpayers may encounter any time during the year. Many of these con games peak during filing season as people prepare their tax returns or hire someone to do so.

This January, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) announced they have received reports of roughly 896,000 contacts since October 2013 and have become aware of over 5,000 victims who have collectively paid over $26.5 million as a result of the scam.

“The IRS continues working to warn taxpayers about phone scams and other schemes,” Koskinen said. “We especially want to thank the law-enforcement community, tax professionals, consumer advocates, the states, other government agencies and particularly the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for helping us in this battle against these persistent phone scams.”

Protect Yourself
Scammers make unsolicited calls claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via a phishing email.
Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.

Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.

Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam.

The IRS will never:

Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.

Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.

Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:
Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.

Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” webpage. You can also call 800-366-4484.

Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax:
Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.
Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.
Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.

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Reader says The name of the person who called Mr. Sedon’s employer was never publicly revealed, but many of Mr. Halaby’s cohorts know who did it

mike_sedon_theridgewoodblog

Mr. Halaby seems to have conveniently forgotten that the dirtiest campaign trick of all was put into play by his side during the 2014 Village Council race –
An unnamed person telephoned Mike Sedon’s employer (the Staten Island Advance), spoke directly to Mr. Sedon’s supervisor, and suggested that the Advance force Mr. Sedon to drop his candidacy for Ridgewood Village Council, or be terminated from his position at the Advance. When told of the telephone call by his supervisor, Mr. Sedon chose to resign from his position rather than to continue working for a company willing to violate a NY State law that prohibits employers from retaliating against an employee’s desire to serve as a public official. The name of the person who called Mr. Sedon’s employer was never publicly revealed, but many of Mr. Halaby’s cohorts know who did it.

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Reader says Mutual aid is very commendable as an action IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

ridgewood_fire_department_theridgewoodblog

Mutual aid is very commendable as an action IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. If it is seen as a permanent backup by another town which regularly cannot send out their own force, that means that the sending town is coming “for free” to do a job that should be done alone by the town requesting aid or with mutual aid if the incident requires more help than the aided town can supply. Mutual aid means “mutual”. It means another town will come to your aid if it’s bigger than you can handle. Mutual aid does not mean that the town that needs aid sends no one from their town to the scene. That type of aid should be paid for, especially when the sending town’s citizens have to pay for the same service.

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WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING

Snow Blizzard of 2016 Ridgewood CBD

photo courtesy of Boyd Loving

February 16,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the National Weather Service has posted a Winter Storm Watch New York City, Southern Connecticut, Northeast New
Jersey, Long Island, and Rockland as well as Westchester Counties in New York.

…WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING
THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING…

* WHAT…Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 7
inches are possible.

* WHERE…New York City, Southern Connecticut, Northeast New
Jersey, Long Island, and Rockland as well as Westchester
Counties in New York.

* WHEN…From Saturday evening through early Sunday morning.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Plan on difficult travel conditions.
Significant reductions in visibility are possible.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Winter Storm Watch means there is potential for significant
snow, sleet or ice accumulations that may impact travel. Continue
to monitor the latest forecasts.

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Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman will be presenting “Developing Grit, Self-Control, and a Positive Mindset: The Keys to Success.”

Wellness program

Next Wellness program is Wednesday, February 28

Dear Parents/Guardians,
On February 28th, Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman will be presenting “Developing Grit, Self-Control, and a Positive Mindset: The Keys to Success.” This program will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the George Washington Middle School auditorium. Dr. Baruch-Feldman is the author of The Grit Guide for Teens: A Workbook to Help You Build Perseverance, Self-Control, and a Growth Mindset. She is a clinical and school psychologist who believes in inspiring a growth mindset. Dr. Baruch-Feldman uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help children and adults with depression, anxiety, stress, ADHD, and weight loss. She is an expert in coducting psycho-educational evaluations for children experiencing school-related difficulties and has trained hundreds of teachers, parents, children and health care professionals by giving workshops and lectures through the country.

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Lance, Gottheimer Meet with IRS on SALT Prepayments

U

photo U.S. Representatives Leonard Lance (NJ-07) 

IRS will Review Christie Executive Order
Feb 15, 2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON D.C. , U.S. Representatives Leonard Lance (NJ-07) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) hosted a meeting on Capitol Hill Thursday with Acting IRS Commissioner David J. Kautter. The IRS previously issued a ruling stating it would allow the deductibility of 2018 property taxes paid in 2017 only if the property taxes had been assessed in 2017. Lance and Gottheimer urged that the deduction should be expanded to include all 2018 property taxes paid in 2017, regardless of the date of assessment.
“Our meeting was productive. Over $300 million dollars in property tax prepayments were made by my constituents in late 2017 and I will continue to make the case that all 2018 property tax prepayments be fully deductible on 2017 tax returns. These payments were made in good faith and some payments were made before the IRS issued its unfair ruling. I also raised the important issue of comity between federal and state governments. The day the IRS issued its ruling, Governor Christie issued an executive order directing municipalities to accept property tax prepayments for all of 2018. I gave the Commissioner a copy of Governor Christie’s executive order to review,” said Lance, who was the first lawmaker to address the prepayment issue.

“New Jersey needs lower taxes for residents and for businesses of all sizes, especially after Tax Hike Bill gutted the State and Local Tax Deduction. Today, Rep. Leonard Lance and I sent the IRS Commissioner a clear, bipartisan message: don’t change the rules mid-game on New Jersey taxpayers. Allow the full deduction of all 2018 property tax prepayments. While I was encouraged by today’s meeting, I will continue to hold the IRS’s feet to the fire and fight for tax relief for North Jersey,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).

Earlier this year, Lance wrote to Kautter and requested the Agency reconsider IRS Advisory IR-2017-210 issued on December 27, 2017 regarding the tax deductibility of prepaid state and local property taxes. That ruling stated the IRS would allow the deductibility of 2018 property taxes paid in 2017 only if the property taxes had been assessed in 2017. Lance suggested the deduction should be expanded to all 2018 property taxes regardless of the date of assessment and introduced H.R. 4803, which would mandate it. Gottheimer is a cosponsor of H.R. 4803.

President Trump signed the Tax Act into law on December 22, 2017. The law clearly prohibits individuals from deducting the prepayment of future state and local income taxes, but does not mention whether or not the prepayment of state and local property taxes would be deductible. This led many individuals to prepay their entire 2018 property tax liability prior to the issuance of the IRS Advisory, believing that it would be deductible on their 2017 tax returns. Governor Christie issued an executive order on December 27, 2017, mandating that all municipalities in the State accept the prepayment of property taxes for the entirety of 2018. This action caused many more New Jersey residents to prepay their 2018 property tax bill than would otherwise have been the case.

“I will continue to seek either a bipartisan legislative solution or an IRS ruling fixing this problem. I thank Commissioner Kautter for his time and interest. I will continue to press the issue in Congress and with the IRS,” concluded Lance.

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It’s all about the company you keep Ms. Harwin

Ridgewood 3 amigos

February 16,2018

by the staff of The Ridgewood Blog

Ridgewood NJ, Let us not forget that Ms. Alexandra Harwin, reported to soon be seeking election to the Ridgewood Village Council, is being backed by two (2) individuals (former Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn and former Ridgewood Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld) who have both been fined by the State of NJ in connection with ethics violations related to misuse of public funds.

Furthermore, photographs and witnesses accounts indicate that Ms. Sonenfeld, while serving in her former official capacity of Ridgewood Village Manager, attempted to interfere with the constitutional rights of citizens to assemble in a public place (Van Neste Memorial Park) for purposes of collecting signatures in support of a referendum ballot; a ballot that Ms. Sonenfeld was opposed to.

The Ridgewood Blog suggests Ms. Harwin heed to George Washington’s famous words: “It is better to be alone than in bad company.”

Clearly, Mr. Aronsohn and Ms. Sonenfeld are considered by most Ridgewood taxpayers as being bad company.

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Reader asks How in the world could Susan (or anyone) control what people post anonymously?

network11

Just when you think Halaby could not sink lower, guess what, he sinks lower. How in the world could Susan (or anyone) control what people post anonymously? We all know that Jeff Voigt posts on the blog regularly, as do many others like Gwenn Hauck’s husband when he was smearing lies about Mike Sedon. Aronsohn reads the blog before he gets out of bed every morning. Pucciarelli reads it and was known to blast the blog even in the midst of a eulogy. It strikes me as hilarious that Halaby slams the blog when he in fact is a loyal reader.

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Reader says the Ridgewood blog is alive, It is an organism

Ridgewood_-4th_of-_July_theridgewoodblog

Halaby does not understand that the blog is alive. It is an organism. It cannot be controlled. It has a life of its own, a mind of its own. It is fed by people who wish to speak their opinions but fear backlash from friends and neighbors. When someone posts on Facebook, people go after them relentlessly if they disagree. It intimidates well-meaning people from ever speaking their minds. But here on the blog, people can say what they really mean. And it is hugely beneficial to both the posters and the readers. The blog serves an outstanding purpose. Hell, even those who criticize it are reading it all the time. Even in CRAB meetings where so-called “civility” is the order of the day, the members obviously read the blog relentlessly, quote the blog, and take actions based on what they read on the blog. Thank you James Foytlin for providing this forum. LONG LIVE THE BLOG

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Dr. Fishbein Comments of the Parkland School shooting

RHS

Dr. Fishbein on the Parkland shooting:

Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff:

Sadly, once again I must write to address another tragic school shooting, this time in Parkland, FL. Although far from Ridgewood, this senseless act hits close to home because it has taken the lives of innocent children and adults and torn the very fiber of a vibrant community.

While every event of this nature is unique and we always hope that it would never happen in our Village, we are realistic in our approach to safety in the Ridgewood Public Schools. Our top priority is to assure the safety of our students and staff. For this reason, we have security protocols in place at each of our buildings that are regularly reviewed for their effectiveness, including locked entries, ID swipe cards and the recent hire of a school safety officer. Our safety plan also includes a strong partnership with the Ridgewood Police Department and other first responders up to the county level and beyond. The importance of these relationships cannot be overemphasized, nor the value of the safety drills that we regularly practice with our students and staff; as seen in the Parkland shooting, these drills are a critical component to maintaining calm order and minimizing harm.

Events like yesterday’s shooting are frightening for everyone, most especially for children. Please do not shy away from discussing this incident with your children while reassuring them that they are safe. Professionals advise the following:

• Don’t project your fears onto your children.
• Limit access to the repetitious news cycle.
• Be honest.
I know that you join me in thoughts and prayers for the Parkland community. I do believe that at this difficult time the victims, their families, the first responders and the entire school district of students and staff would very much appreciate our sincere condolences as they try to cope with this tragedy and find a way to move forward.
Sincerely,
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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NJ TRANSIT SELECTS KEVIN CORBETT AS NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NJ TRANSIT SELECTS KEVIN CORBETT AS NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

February 15,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In a unanimous vote, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors approved Kevin Corbett as the next Executive Director of NJ TRANSIT during the regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting today. The appointment is effective starting on Monday, February 19, 2018.

“Kevin is taking on one of the toughest jobs in New Jersey – turning NJ Transit around and restoring it as a world-class transportation agency that our commuters can rely on. Every New Jerseyan who takes the train or bus every day, and the thousands of employees who show up for work, deserves visionary leadership committed to getting this system right. Kevin’s confirmation signals that we have begun the difficult process of rebuilding NJ TRANSIT and, in time, regaining commuters’ trust in the system,” said Governor Phil Murphy.

“I would like to thank Governor Murphy and the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors for the opportunity to serve the state of New Jersey,” said incoming Executive Director Kevin Corbett. “I look forward to working with the dedicated men and women of NJ TRANSIT in restoring the transportation system to the national leader it once was, providing safe and reliable service and boosting economic development in New Jersey.”

Prior to incoming Executive Director Corbett’s appointment, he served as Vice President, Cross Services at AECOM, one of the world’s premier transportation and infrastructure companies. In this role, Mr. Corbett drew on the extensive resources from across AECOM’s various business lines to provide optimal solutions for AECOM’s clients.

AECOM projects that Mr. Corbett was Principal-In-Charge of or actively served in a management role included Moynihan Station Phase one, Amtrak’s Gateway Program, Second Avenue Subway – Phase one, Penn Vision, Penn Station Critical Improvements, One WTC Interim Loading Dock, Post-Sandy PATH Restoration and other related regional resiliency and restoration projects. Previously, Mr. Corbett was responsible for the global marine and freight business for DMJM+HARRIS, a legacy AECOM company, as well as other AECOM subsidiaries.

In the civic realm, Mr. Corbett currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Regional Plan Association (RPA) and is Co-Chair of its Transportation Committee. He also serves on the board of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York & New Jersey (President), Tri-State Transportation Campaign and The New York League of Conservation Voters (Chairman).

Mr. Corbett is a graduate of Georgetown University and serves as a Blue & Gold Officer for the U.S. Naval Academy.