![Don-Quixote-Windmill[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Don-Quixote-Windmill1-1.jpg "Reader says Residents have to accept it is a done deal")
The point is that the ordinances for high density housing cannot be repealed.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.
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.
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..
![ridgewood_starbucks[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ridgewood_starbucks1.jpg "Tax Cut Good for Baristas Everywhere")
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.
![Valley Hospital Derick-Lieb-2018-IMAGE_5[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Derick-Lieb-2018-IMAGE_51.jpg "Valley’s Emergency Department Director Recognized for Exceptional Leadership")
January 24,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Valley Health System is proud to announce that Derrick Lieb, BSN, RN, MS-HCM, NEA-BC, HN-BC, Director of Valley’s Emergency Department, has been recognized with the 2017 Nurse Leader Award from the Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey (ONL NJ).
The Nurse Leader Award is presented to a nurse leader who demonstrates exceptional leadership, guidance and service to their organization and to the profession of nursing. Derrick was recognized for influencing clinical outcomes, holistic practice implementation, employee engagement and high patient experience scores during his previous role as the manager of The Valley Hospital’s orthopedics unit.
The award was presented on December 8 at the ONL NJ Annual Holiday Meeting and Awards Brunch.
The Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey is the professional organization for nursing leaders in all practice settings. It is committed to ongoing professional development, creating and sustaining formal and informal nursing mentorship opportunities at all levels and mapping the future of safe patient care delivery in New Jersey.
Photo caption: Derrick Lieb, BSN, RN, MS-HCM, NEA-BC, HN-BC, Director of The Valley Hospital’s Emergency Department, has been recognized with the 2017 Nurse Leader Award from the Organization of Nurse Leaders of New Jersey (ONL NJ). Pictured left to right are: Nancy Barrett-Fajardo, RN, Director of Medical/Surgical Services, The Valley Hospital; Bettyann Kempin, RN, Assistant Vice President of Medical/Surgical Services, The Valley Hospital; Derrick; and Ann Marie Leichman, RN, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer.
January 24,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Riverdale NJ,GOP Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi has joined the Assembly Education, Housing, and Health and Human Services committees as well as the Joint Committee on Housing Affordability in a Facebook post Schepisi explained ,
“Excited to announce that for the 2018-2020 legislative session, I have joined the Assembly Education, Housing, and Health and Human Services committees as well as the Joint Committee on Housing Affordability.
While in office, I have become one of the louder voices in Trenton regarding the need to reform how we fund our schools and how we address housing affordability. Too often these issues are compartmentalized and as a result no proper solutions are discussed or implemented. With the new changes to the federal tax law, now is the time to have bipartisan discussions regarding how to fund our schools in a different manner. Suburban residents pay upwards of 70 percent of their property tax burden to fund schools. High property taxes in turn drive unaffordability in our housing markets, resulting in seniors, our young and our middle class being unable to stay in their homes as well as causing our businesses to leave our communities. Providing “outside of the box” solutions we can work together towards making New Jersey a State that people and companies want to move into rather than a State with a continued exodus.
My first proposal will include a minimum of school funding for every child in this State that follows such child regardless of where they attend public school. Every child should be worth no less than $2,500 per year for education. Many of our communities currently receive under $700 per child per year under the current educational formula. This is wrong and needs to be fixed.”
if you do not want anything built in the Village how do you propose that Ridgewood meet it’s state mandated COAH (Council on Affordable Housing) obligation ? All of the proposed developments will have a set-aside for affordable housing. If the private sector does not provide it then Ridgewood must…..and.they will do it using your tax dollars.. Time to get real.. Something is going to get built regardless of all the yapping you and others do.. One way or another trees will come down and cement will be poured.
The last thing Ridgewood needs is high density housing. Our previous “leaders” sold ridgewood residents down the river. I understand that ordinances going forward for high density have been changed, but the original ordinance which allows for the 4 high density projects still prevail. Shouldn’t the original ordinance be repealed to negate the 4 projects that are going forward? If the ordinance was passed under a cloud, it should be repealed, in it entirety.
Traffic on our streets is unbearable now. Ridgewood is a village, not a city. We don’t want to be Hoboken we want to be a bucolic village.
Please, current leaders, don’t let this happen! Trees NOT cement..
January 24,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Village Manager Heather A. Mailander sent out a few winter reminders for Village residents .
LEAF COLLECTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED
Leaf collection in the Village has been completed. Through February 28, 2018, residents may bag their leaves in paper biodegradable bags and place them on the curb. Once the bags are on the curb, please call the Street Division at (201) 670-5585 to pick them up. Residents may also bring leaves to the Recycling Center, Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
CHRISTMAS TREE PICKUP
The final Christmas tree pickup will be on the West side, on January 25th. The final day for all residents to bring their Christmas trees to the designated location at the Graydon Pool parking lot is also January 25th. For additional information please contact the Parks Division Office at 201-670-5565.
REMINDER ABOUT GARBAGE PICKUP DURING SNOW AND ICE EVENTS
We have already experienced several days of snow and icy conditions. 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 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.
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook Page
January 24,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, Paramus Police, Fire, and EMS responded to aid the adult female driver of an older model BMW coupe who became entrapped in her vehicle following a Tuesday morning, 01/23, crash in front of 688 Paramus Road (TD Bank) , Paramus. On the boarder of Ridgewood and Paramus . Paramus Road and Ridgewood Avenue experienced delays through most of mid day according to Paramus Police .
The victim, who sustained non life threatening crash related injuries, was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The wrecked BMW was removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck.
Ms. Knudsen with a silent K has saved our village from a County 90 foot baseball diamond that would be costly and not needed. Valley will expand in Paramus, if there is a garage it won’t be the giant one that the three amigos and their side kick Roberta tried to push down our throats and on and on. What a win for Ridgewood if the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are re elected! Maybe Rurik and the other so called progressives will drop out of the picture for ever.
RHS has been languishing at the 26 position for years now. In a state the size of NJ this is not good. Real progress would be moving higher the ranks but it hasn’t been happening. What’s up with Willard, why does rank worse than the other elementary schools of RW?
Why waste time with concepts like Green Team? What is the quantifiable benefit to the residents for having LEED certification besides feeling good and trendy? I would hate to hear one day that vets field will be deploying wind mills or solar farms. Instead build a committee that deals directly with the everyday issues of the residents. Since VC is so “busy” working on the large scale issues why not have a group who does the dirty job?
Maybe just identify yourself as Don Delzio. A “friendly” judge? Really? If you decide recuses based on campaign contributions the Village has to vacate any high density housing ordinances. Aronsohn took major money from developers. I’d be happy with that and still trust Knudsen one hundred percent. The original post is correct.
Hauck gave tens of thousands of dollars to valley and somehow had the non profit records changed. Does anyone really believe there was a typo?
I’ll be voting for Knudsen. Remember folks Aronshin =Hauck=halaby=willet=delzio=sonenfeld and the rest are bad for ridgewood.
Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce and Valley Hospital prestent restaurant week 2018
Sun, January 21, 2018 – Thu, January 25, 2018
Time: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: Busness District Ridgewood, E. Ridgewood Ave. and Side Streets, Ridgewood Business District
Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce and Valley Hospital present their Annual Restaurant Week 2018.
Please call the participating restaurants for reservations and menu selections.
Dining Out or Catering In, get your fine wine selection and some delicious Sweet Treats.
Following are participating restaurant-
Blue Sushi Japanese Restaurant
201-882-1700
Carvings
201-857-8533
FINCA
201-444-1199
Latour Restaurant
201-445-5056
Leon Mexican Cuisine
201-857-0297
Lisa’s Mediterranean Cuisine
201-251-8686
Manjal Indian Cuisine
Dinner Only
201-857-5754
Park West Tavern
201-445-5400
Pearl Restaurant
201-857-5100
Piccolo Bistro
201-882-1111
Raymonds Restaurant
201-445-5125
ROOTS Restaurant
201-444-1922
Lunch only
Sakura-Bana
201-447-6525
Dinner only
Shumi Japanese Cuisine
201-345-0808
SMOKED
201-447-6653
Steel Wheel Tavern
201-882-1800
The Office Tavern & Grill
201-652-1070
The Sensible Fork
201-857-8686
Lunch only Su-Thr
will honor dinner on F/Sat
White Maple Café
201-447-1953
Catering/Take Out
Chestnut Deli & Catering
Dinner for M-Th
201-445-3031
Endless Possibilities Catering
973-752-7929
SMOKED to go
201-447-6653
Specialty Foods & Beverages
Super Cellars Wine & Cheese
201-444-0012
The Wine Seller
201-444-3300
Sweet & Nutritional
Ben & Jerry’s
201-689-1122
Samba Bowls
201-857-5015
Don’t Cook tonight –
go to Ridgewood for dinner or lunch.
Call the restaurants for any questions
