We are being used and abused. It’s dreadful. As said , the ONLY driving factor (as it were) should be whether this would be of sufficient benefit to Ridgewood residents now and in the future for us to subsidize it at a moment when property values are a huge concern due to the new tax laws and other factors. The answer is either. NO or PROBABLY NOT. Neither answer would promote forging ahead with this ludicrous project Yes, it has been discussed for decades. That might be attributable to indecision–or to the knowledge that it is a bad and dangerous idea. PLEASE, council, think about maintenance issues, safety issues, and more before you act. Now that various builders have offered prices, we seem to be in the used-car lot with the salesman asking if we want the blue one or the green one. We want NONE.
Ridgewood NJ, The village has paid tens of thousands of dollars to gather parking facts. We have more parking than we use. The 2015 Walker “HUDSON STREET PARKING GARAGE PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL ANALYSIS” found here: https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2015walkerFinal.pdf is an amazingly comprehensive study of existing village parking. The key findings, on the report pages 15, 16, 17, 19, and appendix page 4 clearly show we do not use the parking we have on weekdays and most importantly, on Saturday nights. On appendix page 4, the bottom table “EXISTING WEEKEND CONDITIONS – PUBLIC” shows 32%, or 194, public parking spaces are available at 7pm on Saturday nights.
Ridgewood NJ, Petitions for County Committee are available in the Village Clerk’s Office. County Committee members represent their political party in each voting district, and they vote at the convention for the County Officials. There are two County Committee members for the Democratic party and two County Committee members for the Republican party from each voting district, one male and one female. The candidates running for County Committee must run to represent the voting district in which they reside. The petitions must be signed by voters in the same voting district and be of the same political party as the candidates. County Committee members are voted on in the Primary Election. The deadline to submit completed County Committee petitions to the Village Clerk’s Office is April 2, 2018 at 4:00 P.M.
Ridgewood NJ, The village has paid tens of thousands of dollars to gather parking facts. We have more parking than we use. The 2015 Walker “HUDSON STREET PARKING GARAGE PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL ANALYSIS” found here: https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2015walkerFinal.pdf is an amazingly comprehensive study of existing village parking. The key findings, on the report pages 15, 16, 17, 19, and appendix page 4 clearly show we do not use the parking we have on weekdays and most importantly, on Saturday nights. On appendix page 4, the bottom table “EXISTING WEEKEND CONDITIONS – PUBLIC” shows 32%, or 194, public parking spaces are available at 7pm on Saturday nights.
Seaside Heights NJ, Ridgewood PBA members joined thousands of others to help raise money for NJ Special Olympics. The waters of Seaside were a little cold but it was a spectacular event that ensures no NJ Special Olympian is limited by the cost of competing.
Ridgewood PBA members and over 7,000 people, some in costume, some just dressed for cold weather, dashed down the dunes in Seaside Heights on Saturday in the 25th anniversary of the Seaside Heights Polar Bear Plunge to raise funds for the Special Olympics of New Jersey. Officials with the Special Olympics said plungers raised more than $2 million, which goes to support the more than 25,000 athletes.
Ridgewood NJ, RHS Alumni Association will host the second biannual Ridgewood High School Alumni Association’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni Event.
Details:
March 22nd at 7:00 pm
Park West Tavern Loft
Premium Open Bar, Dinner, Valet
Ticket Pricing:
$150 Per Person
Dress
Smart Casual
Honoring:
MichaelAaron Flicker ’01
Carole Jones ’81
Dr. John Poole ’74
Jim Stroker ’70
Ridgewood NJ, The step for the in the Hudson garage process will be the Village Council reviewing the results of the Walker Feasibility Study at the next Public Work Session on Wednesday, February 28. The study will provide a planning-level analysis of net operating income potential for the parking system when the new garage is complete, including rate adjustments that will help maintain a parking utility that is self-supporting. Armed with a thorough financial analysis, we can then move forward with discussing contract negotiations and final selection.
Councilwomen Bernie Walsh told us ,” I was impressed by the professionalism of all who presented. They brought their A game and appeared to be genuine in their desire to provide the best option to Ridgewood for a parking structure.I had to recuse myself from the Haas proposal due to a conflict. I was pleased that the time frame is shorter than expected which would lead less disruption to the Village during construction.”
Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon also gave us some similar feedback , ” I thought all presenters highlighted interesting points and the four-hour meeting gave us a lot to think about. Maintenance was included in a past Walker financial report for the bigger garage of two years ago, so the idea that this cost would eat into the revenue generated by the garage has always been on my radar. The developers presenting did a good job this time around at highlighting those costs, while hammering home the importance of maintaining this critical piece of infrastructure to protect any potential investment in our Village.
The decision the declare the Hudson Street parking lot an area in need of redevelopment was very useful in these ongoing discussions, which has given this council the flexibility to work directly with the developer chosen allowing us to bring a project to fruition which is cost effective, efficient and aesthetically pleasing.
Finally the much awaited financial report from Walker will be discussed this Wednesday. With all this important information converging simultaneously it will provide this council with the most current picture as to how the entire project could work to benefit our Village. I am looking forward to the continued discussion as the complete picture comes into focus.”
Whether you want a garage or not, we all need to come to the realization that in it’s current state, our taxes in this town are going up (from already ridiculously high levels) and that this council and ones before have failed to do what I think most would agree is their primary job..to be fiscally responsible, municipal managers and not politicians with special interests. The question that i think has failed to be answered is, what benefit, to the residents of Ridgewood does a large parking facility bring? Will it bring more shoppers to town to stave off the inevitable doom of retail (which if you’ve picked up a paper in the last 5 years you’d realize is happening), and in the slim chance it does, how much of a benefit would we as tax payers realize? Does it benefit the current RESIDENTS who commute via train into NY, probably…but then again, what size garage would do the trick? In the new tax regime, local tax rates matter now more then ever..so the days of raising taxes with little to no push back are over. The idea of a multi million dollar spend on a garage, without clearly and concisely outlining the benefits to tax payers, just falling back on the argument that this debate has gone on for 30 years, just baffles my mind. I’m not pro or con the current or prior council, i question the motives behind certain positions by some, which have been clearly outlined in past posts. Unfortunately, special interests in this town have come to the forefront, probably due to the fact that we all have very busy jobs, lives etc (contrary to what a previous councilman thinks), and don’t think we have to actively monitor town councils…lets be clear, their job is to run the town as efficiently as possible, balancing the costs of services and the level of taxation that is optimum to keep the influx of new families coming. This garage, will probably be the tipping point. Ignore, the older aggressive guy at the council meetings who thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room, why do we care about his pontificating about conspiracy theories and constitutional interpretations?? Let’s move on, rid the council of politics and vote in residents who make decisions based on the good of the town FOR THE FUTURE, not the past. This council should not be a stepping stone for wannabe politicians that will sell this town out in hopes of furthering their pathetic attempts at a political career.
The following was submitted as a letter to the editor of the Ridgewood News before the deadline last week, but was not published. It contains important updates.
Sycamore article used old news
To the Editor:
The impending removal of the iconic sycamore tree in Graydon Park deserved its front-page coverage (“Tree’s decades-long watch almost over,” Feb. 16). It also deserved real reporting.
In reproducing my emailed comments, reporters Nicholas Katzban and Linda Voorhis imply that they interviewed me online. No such contact was made. I’d sent the quoted email to the Record’s environmental reporter a full month earlier in hopes of inspiring a story. It worked, if belatedly and indirectly. But a lot has happened since January 18.
The authors quote me as stating that I hoped the tree could be saved. That was no longer true once I’d obtained a copy of a report by an outside expert hired to evaluate the tree.
I am quoted as wishing that seeds from the tree had been saved. This is being done. With the approval of Ridgewood’s Parks and Recreation Department, a local environmentalist will germinate seeds from the sycamore toward creating a new generation. Perhaps one seedling will grow large enough to replace its mother tree.
Other news: uses for the wood are being explored by the mayor’s new Ad Hoc Graydon Sycamore Committee.
The “fans” who saved Graydon from being concretized have a name: The Preserve Graydon Coalition. It was the Coalition, formed in July 2009, that had Graydon placed on Preservation New Jersey’s 2010 list of the 10 most endangered historic sites in the state. Grassroots efforts take a village, and this village really stepped up.
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey Democrats push “Hail Mary” saying that they will be moving ahead with a legally-dubious plan to let residents make charitable contributions in lieu of property taxes, promising to vote on the bill in the state Senate on Monday and threatening to take the fight to court if necessary.
The bill (S1893) is designed to be a workaround to the new federal tax law that capped the state and local tax deduction at $10,000, a move that Democrats say will harm high-tax states like New Jersey, which has the highest property taxes in the nation. Average property taxes in Bergen County in 2017 were $11,564 . The new Federal rules allow deductions of up to $10,000 . The $10,000 limit on deductions is for state and local taxes and will take effect in 2018. That $10,000 limit combines both local property and income taxes.
The legislation would effectively allow homeowners to keep deducting their property taxes by calling those payments charitable deductions. Under the bill, local governments would be permitted to set up charitable funds for specific public purposes—from police to parks—that residents could pay into and get a credit of up to 90 percent toward their property tax bills. Those contributions could then be written off as charitable deductions on federal tax bills, officials said. It’s unclear whether the plan withstands legal and IRS scrutiny.
Ridgewood NJ, once again we have herd report of wild turkeys going on a rampage in the Village near the Ho Ho Kus Brooke . While the majestic bird can be fun to watch do not under estimate their tenacity if they are provoked . Two years ago four wild turkeys stopped traffic on Passaic Road in Paramus and Paramus Police were forced to respond in force and removed the Turkeys safely . In 2016 a in a well publicized event a Hillsdale mailmen was attacked by rampaging birds and in the same year Teaneck was forced to use air horns to drive turkeys from a local park.
The wild turkey is an upland ground bird native to North America and is the heaviest member of the diverse Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which was originally derived from a southern Mexican subspecies of wild turkey. Although native to North America, the turkey probably got its name from the domesticated variety being imported to Britain in ships coming from the Levant via Spain. The British at the time therefore associated the wild turkey with the country Turkey and the name prevails.
Remember that wild turkeys have a pecking order and that habituated birds may respond to you as they do to another turkey. The best defense against aggressive or persistent turkeys is to prevent the birds from becoming habituated in the first place by being bold to them.
If confronted , keep away they are extremely dangerous .It is best to call the Ridgewood Police or animal control, fear not most Bergen county Police departments are well versed in the safe removal of Turkeys !
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Water comments of water discoloration . Ridgewood Water does not add fluoride to your drinking water. Water hardness in the Ridgewood service area is 14 grains or 250ppm.Ridgewood Water does not make recommendations as to water filters or softeners .
If your water is discolored, (gray, brown, yellow, orange) this is most likely due to minerals building up in our water mains. These minerals are harmless, but as more people start watering their lawns and turning on sprinkler systems, these minerals can loosen and end up in the water supply. This discoloration can also occur when Ridgewood Water does routine maintenance on it’s facilities that increases the velocity in the mains. Although it is aesthetically unappealing, it is safe to drink. We recommend avoiding doing laundry until discoloration clears.
If your water has a cloudy or milky appearance this is usually caused by air dissolved in the water. We recommend to take a glass of cold water from the tap and set it on a flat surface. If the water begins to clear from the bottom up within a few minutes, it can be concluded that dissolved air is the cause of the cloudiness. If the water does not clear up or you notice particles settling on the bottom of the glass please contact our treatment facility at 201-670-5526 and notify them of your issue.
If your water has a unusual taste or odor, please contact our treatment facility at 201-670-5526.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood police report that on February 16th, a South Broad Street resident reported criminal trespassing is occurring during the early morning hours of day frequently. The reporting party advised the actor is entering onto the property without permission and if the actor is identified she is willing to sign criminal complaints. The Ridgewood Police Patrol Division was advised and will be conducting extra patrol in the area.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Police report that a Meadowbrook Avenue resident responded to Ridgewood Police headquarters on February 19th, to report a fraud and theft by deception in the past. The victim reported a U.P.S. delivery was scheduled however never received by the victim. The victim contacted U.P.S. after receiving a tag requiring signature was left at the door and U.P.S. reported a party did receive the delivery and signed for the item after producing identification. The Ridgewood Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.
USA Today reported in November that , “More than half of Americans say they know someone who’s had a package stolen from outside their home, and 30% say they’ve experienced it themselves, according to a survey by Xfinity Home, Comcast’s home security service. “
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood police report that on February 21, a Hampshire Road resident responded to Ridgewood Police headquarters to report terroristic threats in the past. The victim reported he was contacted by a person who left a threatening message of violence on his phone. The victim provided the phone number and patrol investigated the incident. The accused was contacted and the incident was reported to be a misunderstanding. The reporting party did not wish to pursue criminal charges at this time.
![dr-strangelove1[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dr-strangelove11.jpg "Ridgewood Water Comments of Water Discoloration")
