I live in a neighboring town and often come to Ridgewood for dinner and shopping. The parking is always a problem but we never really mind walking a little further to get to the restaurant or store we are going to as it gives us a chance to window shop and smell the variety of foods being prepared so we can pick the next restaurant we try. I do not mind feeding a meter, but I am annoyed and offended that some of the more expensive restaurants are taking up public street parking for their Valet service. Must I eat at Roots ? Why not save some prime spots for Wild Ginger? Now I hear the town is implementing a large scale valet service for a fee. I personally like walking up and down Ridgewood Avenue. For me, the draw of your town is to have that open air experience which increases your appetite before you dine and helps you digest the sweet dessert you just consumed. Never mind that walking is GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH! I foresee Valet drivers rushing back and forth to park cars which poses its own danger. I think street and other public parking should be readily available for all those who intend on spending their hard earned money in your town.
Partnership Enables Same-day Delivery to Nearly 900,000 Households
November 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Kings Food Markets, upscale gourmet food market, and Instacart, the technology-driven, nationwide on-demand grocery delivery service, announced today a partnership to bring same-day delivery to nearly 900,000 households across New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Kings customers can now visit kingsdelivers.com or download the Instacart app to fill their virtual carts with all their favorite items — from the freshest produce and the finest meat to chef prepared items and everyday essentials — and have them delivered straight to their doorstep by Instacart, often in as little as an hour.
“Online shopping in the grocery space is continuing to flourish and we are thrilled to provide this convenient service to our communities” said Judy Spires, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Kings Food Markets. “We always aim to be the food and entertaining solution for our customers and now they will be able to receive their signature favorites and high quality food options to their homes, quickly and easily.”
This partnership will allow Kings customers in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut towns served by Instacart to enjoy the experience of grocery shopping online, and convenience of same-day home delivery. Instacart shoppers will fill customers’ orders in store – with access to every high quality product that Kings has always brought to local communities. Customers can use Promo Code KINGS20 to receive $20 off their first order of $35 or more. And for an extra savings, the delivery fee will also be waived on the first order.
“Instacart’s success hinges on our ability to offer customers same-day delivery from the stores they love within their own communities,” said Andrew Nodes, Vice President, Retail Accounts for Instacart. “We are proud to be partnering with Kings Foods Markets to give customers a convenient, time-saving option to get the fresh produce and unique products they’ve come to rely on from this beloved brand.”
Instacart delivery starts at just $5.99 on orders of $35 or more and is waived on the first order. Instacart Express membership is also available, enabling unlimited, free same-day deliveries on orders over $35. After a free trial period, Instacart Express membership is just $14.99 a month or $149 a year.
Ridgewood NJ, Singer-songwriter Sherma Andrews brings her sizzling, smokey style of jazz, soul and R & B to Society Cafe on Friday, November 3rd at 8:00 pm. Playing original compositions, as well as songs by famous lady singers like Whitney Houston, Sade and Aretha Franklin, Sherma will tear up the stage! This is going to be one of the coolest shows of the year! They will be serving dessert and wine starting at 7pm. www.shermaandrews.com .
Society Cafe Concert Series
113 Cottage Pl, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
Tomorrow at 7 PM
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Police have proposed a removal the of portion of the Bike Path at Garber Square , residents often refer to this path as the “suicide bike lane” because of its poor engineered design and obvious danger to both bike rider and motor vehicle . A July traffic study stated the obvious and suggested a portion of the bike path be removed to ease traffic flow . The portion to be removed is 856 square feet of the green paint to be covered over by black street bond for a mere $7500.
A casual reading of the Ridgewood blog since the bike paths inception would have lead you to the same conclusion for free . The aptly named “Suicide bike lane” was a dangerous disaster from the very beginning and the Village has dodged a bullet with out the loss of life .
However there was some discussion at the end of the meeting that suggests that they may put it on hold. Bernie Walsh is not going to vote to remove it. There may be others who fall into the same boat.
Ridgewood NJ, Village Council members are now considering approval of a Soil Movement Permit in connection with construction work on the Dayton housing project, located at the old Brogan Cadillac site on South Broad Street.
During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser informed Council members that current plans call for approximately 400 large dump trucks full of soil to use a route which would require them all to exit the site and head southbound on South Broad Street into Glen Rock.
Citizen concerns were expressed as to the appropriateness of directing 400 large dump trucks full of dirt directly into a neighborhood consisting mostly of single family residences, along a primary walking route to and from the Orchard Elementary School, and into neighboring Glen Rock. Mayor Susan Knudsen indicated that given the aforementioned concerns, alternative routes would be reviewed and considered.
The Council is scheduled to formally vote on the Permit during a public meeting next Wednesday evening, November 8th.
Re: “How is it that Glen Rock has free on-street parking and free parking for 3 hours in the shoppers’ parking lot, while Ridgewood now wants to increase the price of parking yet again?”
.
Because Glen Rock is a great town.
THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA NOVEMBER 1, 2017 7:30 P.M.
7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor
Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
Roll Call – Village Clerk
Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)
Presentation
Zoning Business District – Brigette Bogart, Village Planner
Valley Hospital Litigation Settlement
Discussion
Ridgewood Water
Award Contract for Professional Design Services – Ames Tank Rehabilitation
Parking
Draft RFP for Hudson Street Parking Garage
Budget
2017 Budget Transfers
Cancellation of Public Assistance Trust Funds
Cancellation of Current Fund Budget Appropriation
Washington Township Inter-Local Fleet Services
Purchase of Emergency Generator – Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Award Contract – Graydon Pool Repair of Chlorination System
Removal of Portion of Bike Path – Garber Squar
Policy
Approve Stop Sign at Cliff Street at First Street
Approve Stop Sign at Cantrell and West End Avenue
Decorations and Other Items Outside of Businesses in the Central Business District
Ordinance for Certain Illuminated Signs
Operations
Proposed Encroachment Agreement – 115 Monte Vista
Dedicated Tree Resolution
Major Soil Permit – Dayton – South Broad Street
Approve Community Development Block Grant Application for Housing Specialist – West Bergen Mental Healthcare
Review of November 8, 2017 Public Meeting Agenda
Manager’s Report
Council Reports
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
Resolution to go into Closed Session
Closed Session
Legal – Funding of Improvement Project in Central Business District
Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital is proud to have been recognized with an “A” grade in patient safety for the 11th time. Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which rate how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries, infections and accidents within the hospital, were announced today by The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog. Valley was one of 832 hospitals to receive an “A” for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.
“We are pleased and proud to once again receive an ‘A’ for patient safety,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. “This top grade is a reflection and a result of our longstanding focus on and commitment to patient safety and quality care.”
“It takes consistent, unwavering dedication to patients to achieve the highest standards of patient safety. An ‘A’ Safety Grade recognizes hospitals for this accomplishment,” said Leah Binder, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the clinicians, board, management and staff of Valley for showing the country what it means to put patient safety first.”
Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
How is it that Glen Rock has free on-street parking and free parking for 3 hours in the shoppers’ parking lot, while Ridgewood now wants to increase the price of parking yet again? Ridgewood charges for parking, and it has a bigger parking problem than does Glen Rock, even though construction has limited parking in their shoppers’ lot.
Is the Village Ridgewood guilty of charging what they think the market will bear rather than what is reasonable and normal?
This long time Ridgewood resident now utilizes Ridgewood’s CBD less than ever before, and upcoming changes will only limit my use of the CBD even more.
Based on posts here and conversations with friends and neighbors, my family and I am not alone in this trend.
Our taxes,are,less,than Glen Rock and Ramsey . And the original poster never checked westchester or summit for accuracy….they are a lot higher. It’s the whole state of nj . Even shitty towns have high taxes. Police unions, teachers unions, and inner cities that drain the state treasury to fund the abbot schools in all the shithole cities. That’s what you get for allowing democrats to run things in Trenton (who are owned by the unions). Just wait for your bills to go up if Murphy is successful in Purchasing the governor office
Ridgewood HS Marching Band Places Second Place At NJ State Championships
November 1,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, On Saturday, October 28, the RHS Marching Band competed at the USBands NJ State Championships at Rutgers University. The band was awarded second place in group 5A with a score of 90.9375. The band was also awarded the 2017 Esprit de Corps Award, which is given by the United States Marine Corps to the band that best demonstrates pride, professionalism, and patriotism. The RHSMB will conclude their competitive season in Allentown, Pennsylvania, at J. Birney Crum Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4, hoping to take the crown at USBands National Championships.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Water begins to prepare residents for further water usage cuts . On there Facebook page they posted, “a fun reminder to help conserve water? Ridgewood Water has 5-Minute Shower Timers available to customers at our office located in Village Hall, 131 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood. ”
First they restricted watering :Stage II restrictions (2 days per week irrigation) were imposed in June 2016 and are still in effect in Glen Rock, Midland Park, Ridgewood and Wyckoff. Without these restrictions, the use of drinking water for irrigation will continue increasing toward levels that are unsustainable regardless of drought conditions. To reverse this trend, an ordinance was approved by the Village Council on April 12, 2017 to amend the provisions governing Watering and Water Emergencies in the Village of Ridgewood Code. Changes include:
Making 2 days per week irrigation permanent year round,
Restricting irrigation hours to limit losses to evaporation,
Restricting irrigation using private wells to 2 days a week,
Adding new exemptions, including drip irrigation and smart controllers.
With four major high density housing projects going up in the Central Business District is Ridgewood Water getting the Village ready for further water restrictions?
Ridgewood NJ, UPDATE: Due to Sunday’s storm, the RHS Bands Poinsettia and Amaryllis sale was rescheduled to this Sunday, November 5, from 12- 4:30 p.m.
Students will be selling door to door on 10/29/17 with a delivery December 2 – 5
Sizes and prices as follows:
6″ Red or white poinsettia – $10
10″ Red or white poinsettia- $25
Pink amaryllis – $15
Orders accepted until 11/17/17. Please contact Lorissa Lightman: [email protected] for more information. Orders/ checks made out to RHS Band Assoc can be mailed c/o Lorissa Lightman, 659 Spring Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
For more information on the band program and a list of events, visit www.rhsbands.org
I complained about these and other barriers several years ago at a council meeting. Several sets of them are fastened to the sidewalks in violation of the ordinance allowing them. In my opinion the ordinance should be rewritten to require them to be similar to the ones in front of the Tappas restaurant by Wilsey Square, a light metal frame with cloth filler and that they be removed in winter when the outdoor seating isn’t available. The restaurant , Steel Wheels, at the train station also has barriers blocking the sidewalks aimed at pedestrians. That setup makes me feel like I am trespassing although I am on public property. I understand the rationale of allowing outdoor seating and don’t disagree with the concept but I feel it’s current application interferes too much with the publics ability to walk around the business district.
Please note that the area in front of “It’s Greek to Me” appears to be a no parking area as shown by the yellow line so although I don’t like those barriers, I think singling them out is more about the owners politics. The ones on West Ridgewood Ave. by the pizza/Italian restaurant are basically the same. Also note the white latticework barriers are screwed down to the sidewalk, which is specifically prohibited.
We should all get our heads out of the sand. The state of New Jersey (and others) are in a dire financial situation due to unfunded pensions, ridiculous Union costs including health care, and obnoxious teacher contracts including pensions. Ridgewood is the poster for this behavior. The police, fire, and teacher contracts are just unsustainable no matter how good we think the services are. Why else would the mayor get all her kids on the town payroll and pensions if they were not well paid with life benefits ?
Ridgewood is not as desirable as we all hope. Our property values have eroded with no real appreciation (why we can appeal tax assetment every year). Selling a house in Ridgewood is no longer a easy task, taxes are too high, no water, poor roads, normal school ratings, commute to NYC requires changing trains, fighting for parking, or long bus rides (Summit, Short Hills etc have no change). If you ask in NYC where young people are looking to move it is Westchester, southern/central NJ, and Nassau County. The house we purchased 15 years ago and fully updated is worth less now then what we initially paid for it.
Taxes for a similar house (sq foot and cost) in those areas (1 hour commute to NYC) are 30-50% less then Ridgewood with similar rated schools, fire and police protection, less village “rules” and the simple ability to water your lawn or wash your car.
The population numbers posted by 3:42 negate that the high earners are leaving at a increasing pace. Think about why someone would pay a state tax of 7-11% when they can move less then 100 miles away and pay 0-3 %. Retires or high earners are mobile, there is little reason to pay NJ/Ridgewood much longer
